Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Hers Guild's Ambush
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The news of Hers Guild's ambush spread like wildfire. It was tantamount to admitting that the guild which dominated Verhill couldn't handle a single individual head-on.
Naturally, Hers Guild's reputation hit rock bottom.
[Lmao guild can't beat one guy so they ambush lololol]
[Acting all high and mighty monopolizing the hunting grounds, but can't catch one person so they ambush lmao]
On the flip side, Meteor's fame soared.
[Thought he'd get overwhelmed by numbers and run away, but he dragged it out this far]
[Even if Meteor starts getting one-sidedly pushed and loses from here, it'd still be a moral victory]
And it was from this point that the tide began to shift.
[Could Meteor actually win this for real?]
People started predicting Meteor's victory, bit by bit.
[Still think Hers has the edge no matter what]
[Meteor's dying a lot too]
[A guild's depth isn't something to take lightly]
Even so, with most people still clinging to common sense, public opinion on the ultimate winner favored Hers Guild.
However, the victory scenario one viewer had shown to Naltorri earlier began circulating under the radar, gradually changing minds.
* * *
Hers Guild had suffered even greater losses than before from their failed ambush, but they planned to stick with the tactic for now. They couldn't just abandon it after one failure.
But that was the wrong call.
"Caught again!"
"Damn it, how does he know?!"
Not knowing about the strategy guide's existence, Hers Guild was outraged at getting attacked before they could even close in properly.
They'd chalked up the first one to bad luck, but the second was just as ridiculously obvious.
But there was no helping it now that they'd been spotted. They rushed to encircle Meteor, or nearby allies would get taken out.
However, Meteor's response was different this time.
Thud!
He kicked off the ground hard, his figure darting backward.
"Huh?"
"What?"
Hers Guild had expected the same old encirclement and pummeling, so they were stunned by Meteor's change in behavior.
Before their net could form, Meteor broke free and fired at the guild members.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bullets with their uncanny accuracy slammed mercilessly into Hers Guild members. One went down in an instant.
"Kill him!"
"That bastard!"
Hers Guild's true victory hinged on not losing a single main force member. That goal crumbled right from the start.
Infuriated, the guild members cursed as they charged at Meteor. But he ran the opposite way.
Click! Click!
He reloaded fresh rounds into the magazine. Even amid the fierce attacks flying from all sides.
Reloading while running was a piece of cake with no arrows incoming.
Click!
The revolver's distinctive cylinder slid back into the frame. Meteor glanced over his shoulder.
As expected of the main force, their base stats were higher—the distance was closing fast. But they hadn't caught him yet.
That was enough.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The nearest pursuers faltered under the gunfire. Some guild members charged with large shields up front, but Meteor targeted their legs for damage.
Since one had died so absurdly before, they were on high alert now—no more instant kills.
But they couldn't relax. Hers Guild realized it.
'That guy's planning to fight at range!'
In a way, keeping distance was the proper way to use a gun. Why else call it a ranged weapon?
But after all the close-quarters brawling so far, the idea hadn't even crossed their minds.
Hers Guild wasn't without ranged attackers.
The mage couldn't keep up with Meteor's speed. An archer loosed arrows, but—
Whoosh!
"Damn it!"
Meteor dodged with infuriating ease. Even guided skill shots failed; knocking arrows aside with his gun left them cursing.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Meanwhile, Meteor's bullets freely tormented the charging Hers Guild members.
Thud! Thud!
The shots were suppressive, not focused on one target, so they could endure. But as bullets kept embedding, HP dipped into dangerous territory for more and more.
"Potion on me!"
A frontrunner halted. A couple more hits and he'd be done. He reached for the potion at his belt.
Thud!
Meteor abruptly changed direction. Unlike his flight, he veered slantwise toward the guild members. His eyes locked on the one uncorking his potion.
Bang!
The first shot shattered the potion bottle. The panicked guild member ate the rest.
Another game over for Hers Guild in a flash.
"Son of a bitch!"
A guild member closed in during the moment, spewing curses as he swung his spear.
But Meteor had shown tough survivability even when surrounded. The spear merely grazed past. The gleaming skill effect on the blade faded pathetically.
More Hers Guild members were closing in behind. If they could surround and stall, they could trap him in the net again.
But Meteor teasingly spun away and fled once more.
He'd focused fire on one, closing the gap dangerously close—seemed like they'd catch him any second.
But Meteor reloaded in a blink and sprayed bullets, foiling that. Having seen how their comrade died, they couldn't charge recklessly even with HP to spare.
Damaged guild members stopped to chug potions. The distance opened up again.
The chase continued. Meteor fired at the leaders to gauge their skill while probing for weaknesses.
If he could finish a mag or spotted openings, he'd invariably reverse and go for the kill.
In response, guild members conserved HP as best they could, having allies shield any at risk.
The pursuit ended when Meteor entered the flooded woods blanketing the area near Verhill.
"Halt!"
Hers stopped his guild members. His rage-filled eyes glared at the woods.
'He's still in there!'
At the boundary between the flooded woods and the plain, Meteor leaned against a massive tree. Casually reloading, he stoked Hers's inner fury. He scanned the guild members.
'Two dead.'
That alone boiled his blood, but worse—they hadn't killed Meteor.
'What now.'
Part of him wanted to order a charge. But with Meteor dead set on range, even catching him would be tough.
'And even if we do, can we fight well in the flood?'
Thick trees would block sight and swings.
Sure, it'd hinder Meteor too—more cover meant more restrictions for him.
'At least the Eonir revolver can't punch through trees that thick.'
But that assumed a normal ranged user.
The guy they faced had repeatedly screwed over melee包围ers even with a ranged weapon.
No choice but to agonize.
As if to resolve Hers's dilemma, Meteor moved first.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Emerging from the woods, he opened fire. The targeted guild member yelped, raising his shield.
Meteor aimed for gaps. Others blocked him. No deaths until the mag ran dry.
Meteor ejected it sideways, slowly reloading—not the frantic mid-fight pace.
Like he was showing off to Hers Guild.
Grit!
Hers ground his teeth.
Archers and mages attacked, but Meteor ducked into the woods. He reemerged at the boundary post-barrage.
"What do we do?"
The vice-guild master asked. Hers decided.
"We pursue."
"Is that wise?"
"Two of our elites down, and if he walks away unscathed, more will start looking down on us."
Any more ridicule and managing the hunting grounds would be impossible. Better to take extra losses and finish him for sure.
'We'll deal with the fallout later.'
"The woods have plenty of cover—we can handle him easier."
Even Hers lacked conviction, but he had to bluff for morale.
"Plus, limited sight means we can flank with some members and trap him again."
Then overwhelm with numbers like before. Any further sacrifices beat letting him escape.
"Move."
At Hers's command, they charged anew. Meteor fired a few shots before vanishing into the woods.
His form vanished quickly, but it was fine. The fight was fresh; guild trackers could follow.
Hers Guild plunged into the woods in a heartbeat.
"Hm, can't see them anymore."
Naltorri, spectating from afar, craned his neck.
"Should we follow or not?"
Bom Bom asked. She'd come to watch Meteor's fight too.
"I'd love to go in, but visibility gonna suck, right?"
"Yeah."
The dense flooded woods were the worst for spectatorship.
"Even if we did, it's risky. Bump into Hers members by mistake, and we're dead. They're totally berserk right now."
<True>
[They'd attack just to vent]
"Yeah, better stay out."
The two stared at the woods.
Distant gunshots signaled the fight raged on.
"Head back?"
No visuals meant boredom. Alone, they might wait, but they were streaming—viewers could bail.
Yet chat overwhelmingly wanted to wait.
[Should see the outcome at least?]
[Wanna see how beat up they come back]
[I got beef with them too]
"Shall we?"
"If viewers want, sure."
To kill time, they bantered with chat. Naltorri was glib by nature; Bom Bom had gained poise, leading talks smoothly.
How much time passed?
"Huh? That them coming out?"
Bom Bom spotted a group emerging. Naltorri checked.
"Yeah. Looks over."
They both instinctively counted the remaining Hers Guild members.
And were shocked.
"Am I off 'cause I miscounted earlier? Numbers match what I saw, right?"
"Same here."
Not halved or anything, but visibly fewer than entered.
Worse.
"No Hers?"
They scanned again. No sign.
"...Did Hers die?"
"...For real?"
Their shock infected viewers; chat exploded.