Matan’s Shooter

‘How do I get out of here? How…?’

Deeng…  Deeng…

“Huh?”

“Hmm?”

“Why is there a bell ringing all of sudden?”

While time passed in a state of confrontation, a heavy bell sound rang out from within the village of the Hijuit Kobold Tribe.

It had been 30 minutes since Leeha had entered the village.

“A bell in the kobold village? Was there something like that?”

“This is the first time I am hearing it…”

The Rising Sun guild members were wary of Leeha, however, they listened in the direction of where the bell rang.

As soon as the bell stopped ringing, a noise was heard.

Kaaaaa!

“What is that? I-it’s a kobold!”

Tikal, who was spraying a potion on his leg, shouted.

And soon, all the users who entered the kobold village noticed what the bell meant.

Kaaaaaaah——!

[Hijuit-ka, the chieftain of the Hijuit Tribe, has appeared.]

[All the kobolds in the Hijuit Tribe will be 10% stronger.]

[Hijuit-Ka used Roar.]

[You are in a state of ‘Fear’.] 

[You will be unable to move for 2 minutes.]

[Total HP reduced by 10%.]

[Stamina will be reduced to 30%.]

“Waah? Waaaah–”

“W-what is this?”

The Rising Sun guild member’s movement stood still, while Leeha was the only one who could see what was happening.

A crowd was approaching. It wasn’t just a few. Right now, it could be seen as a full-fledged army.

About 15 fully armed kobold guards. Besides, what was that behind them?

“Aish…  It’s a kobold…”

It was obvious from the shape of its face that it was a kobold.

A sharp nose, like an arrow, and dark brown cracked skin. But what the hell is that warrior’s scar next to its eye? Besides, how tall is it?

Maybe as tall as Matsushige?

Normal kobolds are 110cm tall, and kobold guards are 120-130cm. But what about that thing?

It should be around 180cm.

Even though he’s that tall, the muscles on his body seemed alive.

“Kaa–…  Are you here to annihilate our tribe…?”

A former deputy commander of monsters in the second Human-Demon War, the apex of the Hijuit Kobold Tribe, Hijuit-Ka appeared.

“I-Is that the chieftain? Ah, shit, why is the chieftain here? That was possible? Annihilation?”

“I-I-I have heard of it. It was in the mine… But wasn’t it impossible to raid? Why did he come out?”

“Guard! The guards are attacking!”

All of the Rising Sun guild members, including Tikal, were very nervous.

As they were talking nervously, they were unable to move under the affliction of the abnormal status debuff ‘Fear’.

“Uwaah, quick! Do something!”

“Eeek- it’s not working! They keep coming!”

“Wait! Wait a minute! That, c-chieftain-nim! Please stop. Listen to me!”

Does this mean they were going to die? It was Tikal who opened his mouth when they were in the situation that they could get attacked by kobold guards at any moment.

At Tikal’s words, all of the kobolds, including the Chieftain, stopped.

“Ka- what, kaa- do you have something to say-ka?”

“W-we, we didn’t come to get you! Ahm! We just came to catch someone. We’re leaving now. We’re just about to leave.”

“…Chasing-kaa-  here?”

“Yes, he’s a gunman. I’m here to catch that gunman bastard. We never harm kobolds– no, we did not come here to hunt–”

“Then, ka- that sad thing behind you… who did it?”

“Huh? Sad?”

Hijuit-ka lifted the Eonwoldo (TN: like a spear, but with a sword at the end)  he was holding and pointed. The Eonwoldo, which seemed like it needed to be held in both hands, looked like a weapon from the Three Kingdoms era.

“T-t-the fear is gone!”

“Huh?”

They lasted two minutes. The kobold guards only escorted their chieftain and did not attack.

Rather, they were curious about the death of the Hijuit Tribe members.

The Rising Sun guild members turned their heads. The corpses of kobolds were found littered everywhere.

“Ahh…. I-it’s caused by the gunman we’ve been chasing-.”

“Ka– lies… those are not wounds that a gun would inflict, kaa–”

Some of them were caused by Leeha, but most of them? It was caused by the Rising Sun guild members while chasing Leeha. One could tell just by looking at the cut marks on the kobold corpses.

It was a wound that a ‘gunman’ could not make.

They were not like trolls or ogres, one would not be able to trick a kobold. They were more intelligent than other monsters.

“Humans always lie, kaa—. They attacked our clan that was staying still, kaa–.”

Hijuit-Ka’s face contorted.

The atmosphere suddenly began to change, and Leeha could perceive it.

“We too, kaa-.”

Hoong——!

The chieftain swung his Eonwoldo. There was anger in its eyes.

“I can’t stand it, kaa–.”

Kaa– Kaa–!

“U-Uwwaaaah!”

“Don’t run away! The bastards! I-I can’t run away!”

Tikal hurriedly called his guild members. He wasn’t able to run away because his thigh was shot by Leeha.

No matter how he got up and walked, once the kobold guards started running, they would catch up quickly.

“Item! I’ll give you all the items! What would happen if we caught the chieftain? Ah, right! Aren’t the mines also the warehouse of the kobolds? We could take everything that’s in there! Help me, quick! Ah, fuck…  I would also recommend you as the next action leader! Yes? Isn’t this good for you too? Quick!”

“Keuk…”

At Tikal’s words that sounded like a devil’s temptation, the guild members stopped, instead of running away.

‘He’ll give us all the items?’

The chieftain was a monster that could not be captured even when a raid party was formed.

A guy that could be seen, but could not be attacked. That guy was out now.

They had not heard of such a monster when they were leveling up.

‘There are a lot of guards, but even a level 40 user could catch them.’

‘And I’m fucking level 53… didn’t our dealer say he hit level 55? Even that asshole Tikal has the strength of a level 60 if he fully recovers.’

‘We can take them on even if they have the numbers. The problem is the chieftain…  He might be slightly stronger than a kobold guard…’

They were done calculating their profits. It could be dangerous, but it was worth doing. Above all, the fact that it was an event-based raid that had never been made before made it more challenging.

It was only natural that they were drawn to the suggestion that they would be recommended as action leaders.

“Attack! Attack! Stand in front of the tankers and kill the guards first!”

“Petal Kim! Protect Tikal-nim! The low-level attack won’t work on you anyway so just tank!”

“I-I understand!”

The Rising Sun guild quickly formed a formation.

“Ka- Ka- Ka- Ka-. Arrogant humans, you will pay for your sins.”

The Chieftain, Hijuit-Ka, started running between the kobold guards and the Rising Sun guild members.

“Oh my goodness…”

Leeha, who hid in the tree, let out a sigh.

By combining the keywords he heard from the kobold patrol and from what he heard from Hijuit-Ka, he finally put all the puzzles together.

‘The keyword of the tribe’s honor… the first condition was to kill almost all the kobolds in the village.’

The percentage was unknown, but at least 70% of the kobolds in the village must be killed before respawning.

In other words, it was to the extent that the tribe itself was threatened to disappear.

‘There was also the keyword for people who don’t leave… The second condition was for users to remain in the village even in such a state.’

Judging from the remaining cooldown time, Leeha ran around for 30 minutes.

Killing the kobolds and staying in the village for 30 minutes. Was that the secret to summoning the chieftain?

‘Or maybe, it was the other way around…  right, it was more likely the opposite. Maybe it was not to stay for more than 30 minutes, what if they need to kill most of the kobolds ‘within’ 30 minutes? That would be difficult. 

There needed to be a lot of users that came to hunt, or experts needed to come. If so, that would be the only way, right? Are these the conditions for the chieftain to appear? In any case, from the field boss, the chieftain’s perspective, those two types of humans must be expelled. It would make hunting a lot more difficult.

‘So… it was like this.”

Leeha watched the scene with both eyes. The members of the Rising Sun guild did not know any hints or keywords, so they made a big mistake.

“Kuwaaak!”

In fact, one of the users was ‘split in two’.

It was the guy holding a two-handed axe, which made him look like a dealer. His upper and lower body got separated as Hijuit-Ka’s Eonwol ran across his waist.

“Heuuuuu.”

The Rising Sun guild fought quite well, even in Leeha’s eyes.

He was sure that they were around level 50.

He thought that there might have even been users who were close to level 60.

‘However, it was not enough.’

These kobold guards were stronger than the regular level 40 kobold guards.

The Rising Sun guild member’s health was getting lower, while Hijuit-Ka continued his attack.

His movements were overwhelmingly agile.

As a tall man wielding an Eonwoldo, it was difficult for dealers with ordinary swords to even approach him.

And the result was showing.

Five kobold guards remained. Hijuit-Ka suffered minor injuries to its body, but it didn’t appear serious.

However, of the Rising Sun guild members, only Tikal and Petal Kim were left. Tikal still had not recovered from the gunshot wound to his thigh that was given by Leeha.

“Don’t come! Don’t come!”

“Kaa- These humans. We did not provoke you.”

Hijuit-Ka walked towards Tikal.

“When you fight, kaa- you have to hold on. Until the third clash. Kaa-.” 

“G-get lost! What are you talking about! Do not come! Do not come! Petal Kim! Protect me! Promptly!”

“H-How would I protect you?”

“This bastard! Do something! You’re a tanker!”

“You’re a tanker too!”

“I’m a hybrid-tanker, you son of a bitch!”

Petal Kim stood up crying and bore with it. Hijuit-Ka stood in front of him. 

“Fuck! Okay! Come and get me! High guard!”

Petal Kim shouted and activated his best tanking skill he had while holding two shields.