Infinite Range: The Sniper Mage

Orson, clad in his NPC disguise, made his way to the Bounty Hunters' Tavern in the inner city. 

"Holy hell, I thought the cops were raiding the Hunters' Guild!" 

"Wait… what's an Imperial mage doing here taking demon-hunting jobs?" 

The sight of the Boss Bai nameplate atop Orson's head sent a ripple of panic through the tavern. A few red-named players, mid-task, nearly bolted for the exit. 

The Bounty Hunters' Guild held a unique position in Infinite Dimensions. It operated in almost every town, and its neutrality allowed even red-named players and criminals to participate in demon-hunting tasks if they had the credentials. 

After paying 10 gold to register as a hunter, Orson was presented with a wide array of tasks. 

The guild's missions ranged from E-rank to SSS-rank. 

- E-rank tasks included mundane errands like retrieving lost cats or finding missing girls. 

- D-rank and above involved hunting monsters, such as slaying 100 Moonhowl Werewolves or collecting 50 Troll Tusks. 

- A-rank tasks and beyond became downright insane, with S-rank missions even requiring teams to slay dragons. 

As a novice hunter with a Black Iron Badge, Orson was limited to E-rank and D-rank tasks. 

Currently, due to the breach in Pondenorlin's barrier, the tavern was overflowing with D-rank hunting missions. 

"You have accepted the D-rank task: Slay 50 Skeleton Mages." 

"You have accepted the D-rank task: Collect 60 Magic Ape Claws." 

"You have reached the maximum task limit: 2/2." 

Orson frowned. The two-task cap was inconvenient, especially given that the trip from the tavern to the outer slums took over ten minutes. Running back and forth would waste too much time. 

"Would you like to purchase the Hunter Task Expansion Bundle?" 

"Beginner Bundle: Increase task limit to 20." 

The system prompt popped up, and Orson let out a bitter laugh. The bundle's price was 50 gold. 

Demon-hunting tasks were a staple for grinding rewards, offering silver coins and skill points. However, Orson had never been willing to buy bundles in his previous life. For efficiency's sake, he had no choice now. 

"Purchase the Advanced Bundle." 

"You have spent 300 gold and received the Advanced Hunter Expansion Bundle!" 

"Hunter Expansion Advanced Bundle:" 

- Increases task limit to 60. 

- Grants remote task acceptance and submission within city limits. 

Orson winced at the cost. Still, the ability to remotely complete tasks made the purchase worthwhile. He'd need to finish a mountain of tasks to level up his hunter rank. 

"Random King: "Damn it! All the D-rank tasks are gone! There were like twenty of them a second ago!" 

"Skytear's Sorrow: "Who the hell is Boss Bai? What's with hoarding all the tasks?" 

Nearby players clustered around the bar, grumbling at the vanishing tasks. When they spotted Orson, they were baffled: 

"Is that an NPC? Since when do they act like total maniacs?" 

Ignoring the complaints, Orson methodically accepted all available tasks. Whether or not he could complete them didn't matter—he could replace unfinished tasks with new ones when they refreshed in two hours. 

---

"Bradley, how's it going? Are you done yet?" 

Orson sent a private message to his struggling ally. Bradley's level had dropped to 9 after hours of futile grinding. 

"Moneybags: "I'm gonna… damn it! If I don't yank that drunken bastard's armpit hair tonight, I'll eat my keyboard!" 

"…Harsh." 

Orson shook his head. Bradley was stubbornly attempting to clear the Saint Blade trial and had been defeated hundreds of times. His determination was both impressive and masochistic. 

"Finish it soon. I'll help you grind levels afterward." 

Bradley didn't reply, focusing instead on his endless cycle of defeat. 

---

With over an hour remaining until the monster invasion, Orson logged off for a quick break. After a shower and a feast of grilled lamb skewers, he returned to the game. 

"Regional Announcement: Player 'Slaughter Spree' has awakened the A-rank Hidden Class: Mad Demon Knight." 

"Rewards: 100 free attribute points, 40 skill points, 5,000 reputation, 50 gold!" 

---

The first A-rank Hidden Class had emerged, earning admiration from players across the server. 

"Ironclad Healer: "Amazing! The first A-rank class already?!" 

"Moneybags: "Damn! 500 gold as a celebration? Slaughter Spree is really flexing!" 

---

Orson remained unimpressed. He remembered Slaughter Spree as a core member of the Slaughter Guild. While the class provided an early-game edge, Slaughter Spree's lackluster skills caused him to fade into obscurity later on. 

In Infinite Dimensions, the strength of a class mattered less than the player's skill. Even the weakest E-rank classes could topple higher-tier ones in capable hands. 

---

Back in the outer slums, Orson climbed the defensive watchtower. 

"Boss Bai! If we don't engage soon, we're doomed!" 

The NPC soldiers were visibly panicked. 

"Hmm… Now this is what I call a party." 

Orson sucked in a breath as he gazed at the monstrous horde. Thousands of creatures blanketed the horizon, a sea of shadows surging forward. 

His scalp tingled. No wonder the mission allowed a 60-man raid. A six-player team wouldn't stand a chance against this onslaught. 

The horde was roughly two kilometers away—just beyond Orson's current maximum range of 1,670 meters. Any hopes of whittling down the numbers before their approach were dashed. 

---

"Countdown: 60 seconds." 

"You have been granted command over the Outer City Guards." 

The mission's prompt appeared. 

Orson surveyed the defending NPC soldiers. There were fewer than 30, most of them around level 15—far weaker than their inner-city counterparts. 

"Relying on them is as good as throwing bodies at the horde…" 

---

After some thought, Orson decided to improve his magic capabilities. 

"You have spent 9 skill points and 6 gold to level up your magic." 

"You have spent 12 skill points and 14 gold to reach Magic Level 10." 

"C-rank Fire Magic: [Touch of the Flame Serpent] has been enhanced!" 

"You have learned Fire Magic: [Flame Dragon]!" 

[Flame Dragon] 

- Effect 1: Consumes 600 MP to summon a fiery dragon. Each strike deals 400+ spell attack power and lasts 15 seconds. Cooldown: 50 seconds. 

- Effect 2: Targets in contact with the Flame Dragon suffer 220 burn damage per second for 3 seconds. 

Orson's face lit up. Spending so many resources had paid off—the skill had transformed into a powerhouse. 

Though classified as C-rank, Flame Dragon rivaled even some B-rank AoE skills in power. 

---

With 25 skill points left, Orson upgraded [Earth Surge] and [Wind Whisperer] to level 5. These utility spells didn't gain much offensive power but benefitted from reduced cooldowns. 

---

"Countdown over!" 

"The monster horde is advancing!" 

Orson's expression hardened as the ground began to quake. The horde, a mass of writhing darkness, surged forward like an ominous tidal wave.