Chapter 17
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Gang Sweeping Operation (1)
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Terror arrived without a sound.
"Damn it, damn it! Where the hell is that shot coming from?!"
Cross, an officer of the Trade Federation's pursuit squad, lay flat behind a rock and screamed in fury.
All that reached his ears was the wind whistling across the wasteland.
Not a single gunshot echoed.
Yet sniper fire was clearly coming from somewhere!
"Eek!"
"Aaaagh!"
Just moments ago, a subordinate sent out on recon had his head explode like a ripe fruit.
Blood and flesh sprayed out in a gruesome fountain.
Cross and the two remaining squad members witnessed it all clearly.
"Captain! This... this is magic! A curse!"
One of the surviving soldiers shouted, his face drained white as a sheet.
Cross forced his own trembling to stop and barked at the man shaking like a leaf.
"Shut up! Get a grip! There were no traces of smoke or magic!"
Cross shouted, but his voice carried a faint tremor of fear.
In all his years, he'd never seen death like this.
It was inscrutable and one-sided, like lightning from a god in the sky.
No chance for retaliation—not even a clue where the enemy was.
"What are you waiting for? Scatter and take cover!"
Instinct to survive overrode reason in that instant.
One soldier screamed and hurled himself toward another nearby rock.
That was his final mistake.
[Penetrated]
Dull impact through the back
The running soldier's back was pierced by something, letting out a dull thud.
He didn't even scream as he tumbled onto the sand.
A hole gaped through his chest.
"Sh-shit!"
Now, only Cross remained.
1.2 kilometers away atop a rocky peak overlooking the hellish scene, Jinwoo lay perfectly still.
The Infinite Ammo Pistol in his hands had shifted from its original form into a sleek sniper rifle with an extended barrel.
A crystal scope emitting a blue glow atop the barrel gleamed strangely under the desert sun.
'One left.'
Through the scope, Cross's panicked form filled his magnified view crystal clear.
The man's despairing expression, clutching his head, was as vivid as if within arm's reach.
No emotion crossed Jinwoo's face.
This was little more than swatting an annoying pest.
Cross suddenly bolted upright, staggering into a desperate flight as if he'd made up his mind.
In that instant, Jinwoo's eyes flashed red.
Red Eye
World fades, time slows. Critical points marked.
The world's colors drained away, and time crawled to a halt.
Cross flailing in flight looked like slow-motion video.
Vivid red markers bloomed on his back, head, and heart.
Jinwoo held his breath.
In the slowed time, the rifle auto-aligned to the perfect heart-shot trajectory.
All that remained was pulling the trigger without hesitation.
-[Heart Pierced] HP
Silent execution at range
A sharp, restrained pop like compressed air bursting echoed lightly from the muzzle.
'Anyone hearing that would think I had a silencer.'
The thought popped into Jinwoo's head unbidden.
In the scope, Cross's body jerked forward violently before collapsing limply.
Too far for even a scream.
A quiet confirmation kill.
Jinwoo released Red Eye and rose.
The rifle form slithered back into pistol shape with a soft hiss.
He whistled for Falcon and headed slowly toward the site of the recent carnage.
No need to check the bodies.
'There was one I clipped in the leg earlier.'
One enemy left alive on purpose—for this moment.
Odds were good he was still breathing.
Interrogating the last survivor would do.
Amid the pile of corpses, the sole survivor cracked easier than expected.
Jinwoo had only staunched the bleeding on his broken leg—the bare minimum—and stared down at him with impassive eyes.
Racked by pain and terror, the man spilled everything he knew.
"D-destination... Blackwater Village!"
This group was set to link up there with the Waterloo Gang, who used it as a base, and merge forces.
And behind the whole operation lurked Trade Federation executive Silas.
Jinwoo replied nonchalantly.
"Silas is dead."
"W-we got the orders a week ago!"
That was the problem. Killing one or two villains didn't solve everything.
They always had contingencies or prior commands in place.
In the end, Jinwoo had to clean up all their mess.
"I-I told you everything... please... spare me..."
The man begged, but Jinwoo answered by pulling the trigger on his head.
On the merciless Eldorado Continent, mercy was a luxury.
Better not to create unnecessary variables—that was Jinwoo's way.
'Waterloo Gang. And Silas.'
Forgotten info fragments resurfaced in Jinwoo's mind.
One of [Rising West]'s subquests.
Poor rewards, no story weight—most players skipped it.
But it held butterfly effects linking to the true ending.
'Tied to Silas? Then this is part of the main scenario.'
No time to hesitate.
Mounted on Falcon, Jinwoo spurred toward Blackwater Village.
Blackwater lived up to its name—a village devoid of life.
Dust-choked streets.
Ramshackle wooden buildings on the verge of collapse.
Residents slumped in shadows, eyeing strangers with listless gazes.
The whole place drowned in deep despair.
Jinwoo's majestic Falcon made a small ripple in the gloom.
Locals watched with wary curiosity, but none dared approach.
Ignoring the stares, Jinwoo entered what looked like the village's only saloon-cum-inn.
The creaking door released a pungent mix of stale booze and sweat.
The interior was even worse. Drunks passed out midday amid settlers staring vacantly into nothing, life drained from their eyes.
Jinwoo strode to the bartender and tossed a few coins.
"Where's the nearest sheriff's office?"
The bartender glanced at the coins and nodded toward a corner.
There sat a rickety desk, a squeaky chair, and walls plastered haphazardly with wanted posters—a pathetic setup.
The "Sheriff" sign felt like a joke.
As Jinwoo approached, a disheveled old man lifted his head from the desk.
A bushy mustache and crooked badge marked him.
"What do you..."
The sheriff's voice was thick with liquor.
Jinwoo pointed at one wanted poster on the wall instead of answering.
[Wanted: Waterloo Gang Boss, "Madman" Dico]
At the poster's bottom corner, faint and tiny compared to the rest: the Trade Federation seal.
"I'm after these guys."
The sheriff's bleary eyes widened slightly at Jinwoo's low words.
He scanned the impressive pistol at Jinwoo's hip and his outfit top to bottom.
"Alone? Those devils are demons."
"Doesn't matter."
Jinwoo's tone brooked no argument.
The sheriff pondered, then sighed deeply and pulled a dusty map from a drawer.
"If you take this job, the village'll give all it can. Please... deal with those demons."
Jinwoo took the worn map from the sheriff.
It showed local terrain around Blackwater, with a crude red ink mark estimating the Waterloo Gang's hideout.
"Their den's in Echo Canyon east of the village. But watch yourself, kid. One entrance, but..."
As Jinwoo recalled the advice, grasping the map...
A blue system window materialized before his eyes.
Visible only to him, invisible to others.
[Main Scenario Quest Accepted.]
'...As expected.'
Jinwoo's lips curved faintly. His prediction hit the mark.
Accepting the bounty hunt branched into Eldorado's liberation—the grand story's first turning point.
Normally: wipe out the Waterloo Gang, use clues to raid a Trade Federation convoy, aid the rebels.
But the next message exceeded expectations.
[Warning! Hidden condition triggered!]
[Sudden Scenario: Defend Blackwater!]
"What?"
Jinwoo's expression twisted.
This deviated from the standard main quest.
Main Scenario (Emergency): Defend Blackwater
📍 Objective: Protect Blackwater Village from the Waterloo Gang's backing forces. Time Limit: 72 hours
✅ Success: Defend key facilities, 50%+ villager survival, repel enemy main force
❌ Failure: Fail any above condition
⚠️ Warning: Failure cancels Main Scenario <Eldorado's Liberation>
"You're kidding..."
Jinwoo's brow furrowed briefly.
The situation slipped his control—the game system was forcing a bigger board.
A simple gang wipe had ballooned into a desperate village defense for survival.
'This just got annoying.'
Jinwoo's mind raced.
'This popped early—it was originally a subquest.'
Long after the main quest, remnant gang forces raid Blackwater in the [Waterloo Gang's Revenge] event.
The system had mashed main and sub quests together on a whim.
"No helping it."
Jinwoo dismissed the window from his mind and unfolded the fresh map.
His head already buzzed with info and strategies for defending the village.
"Guess I'm playing commander now."