Magic Analysis

Shweeeeeek!

The sound of the arrow slicing through the wind was anything but ordinary.

Just hearing it sent chills down my spine.

It was a bit of a stretch to even call it an arrow, tearing through the empty air with its absurd size.

The arrow shot straight ahead.

Just watching it felt refreshing.

“Theo-nim, isn't it a bit too far...?”

Unfortunately, the arrow seemed to be losing momentum in midair.

The distance was just too great.

But that was well within my expectations.

'It should be reacting around now, right?'

Just as the arrow began to falter and its trajectory bent.

Boom—

An explosion flashed into view, followed by the sound.

The blast originated at the tip of the flying arrow shaft.

Like a rocket shedding its boosters, the explosion propelled the arrow forward with renewed force.

“Nice!”

The trajectory straightened out.

And the arrow surged toward its target once more.

It finally struck home.

“Th-Theo-nim! Hit! It's a hit!”

“What, did it hit the enemy?”

“It didn't hit the enemy directly! Seems their higher-ups triggered a defensive spell. But... one of the mages collapsed?”

“Why? You said it was blocked by the defensive magic.”

“I don't really...”

An ultra-long-range sniper shot at 2 kilometers.

And it connected.

Honestly, I hadn't expected it to hit this well.

Should've made a telescopic scope to bring along.

'Next time, I'll craft a scope too. Who knew it'd be this useful?'

It was a little short of perfect, but still very satisfying.

Especially since long-range sniping was incredibly safe.

Chaos erupted in Viscount Haft's army.

Even from afar, I could sense the confusion.

Their troop formations were shifting.

“A few more shots, and we'll know.”

“Reloaded! You can fire right away!”

“From now on, keep firing until the arrows run out. Watch their magic defenses and see how ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠many they can withstand.”

Thwoong—

Boom—

Thwoong—

The chilling sound rang out every five seconds.

With each boom, the chaos in Viscount Haft's army deepened.

“Baron Sellevan's supplies should be running low by now.”

“Yes, we'll hold out a bit longer, but... it's only a matter of time, isn't it?”

“That's the problem. Don't forget—we're short on supplies too! If Knight Felisi hadn't led the supply unit himself, we'd be in real danger.”

Knight Felisi Dokmaren.

The Aura Practitioner knight dispatched at Commander Page's request to Viscount Haft.

Unlike the young knight Swicel, he exuded the steady aura of a battle-hardened veteran.

Felisi smiled kindly at Page's introduction.

“I just happened to travel with the supply unit. Would've been nice to run into that iron-masked fool on the way... too bad.”

“Hahaha, he must've fled in fear of you. Of course he did. A guy like that...”

Shweeeeeek—

Kwaaang!

“Wh-what was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that! What just happened?!”

Page had been in high spirits.

With Knight Felisi and the supplies arriving, the immediate crisis was resolved.

An Aura Practitioner, no less.

That pesky iron mask problem would soon be over.

Victory was now within reach.

Or so he thought.

Until that strange sound moments ago.

“These bastards... what the hell is going on?!”

As the camp grew rowdy, Page's irritation boiled over.

Embarrassing, with Knight Felisi right there.

But the report from the messenger was utterly unexpected.

“It's an ambush—no, sniping! A mage went down!”

“What? Sniping? What nonsense is that? Where did they get a weapon like...”

That very moment.

Shweeeeeek—

Kwaang—

“Aaaagh! Take cover!”

“Call the shieldbearers! Protect Lord Page! Everyone, assemble!”

“What is it?! Magic cannon? Magic cannon?! Where's it coming from?!”

“Not a magic cannon! It's the forest ranger! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Another mage is down!”

Shweeeeeek—

Kwaaa—

Even as the soldiers panicked, my arrows mercilessly rained on Viscount Haft's army.

One every five seconds.

Misses didn't matter.

They couldn't pierce the magic barrier, but the shrapnel was the real issue.

Already, several men lay bleeding from fragments alone.

One of them seemed to be a mage.

A shard of arrow had lodged in the nameless mage's throat, blood pouring out.

“M-m-magic cannon! There's no way lowly Baron Sellevan has tech like that! It has to be Count Arno meddling!”

As Page fumed at the chaotic camp.

A dangerous sound whistled past his ear.

Crack—

“What now...”

Pfsssh—

“L-Lord! The camp's magic barrier is broken! Hurry, get to safety...”

Shweeeeeek—

Page barely turned when the sound rang out again.

But the arrow mercifully missed piercing him.

“Hup!”

Kwachik—

Ting!

Knight Felisi.

An Aura Practitioner was no empty title.

In an instant, Felisi stood before Page.

He'd deflected the arrow aimed at Page with his sword.

But the ricocheted arrow embedded in a bad spot.

Thud—

“Hiiik!”

An arrow the size of a longsword lodged threateningly between Page's legs.

Page felt his lower half grow damp but acted unfazed.

“Y-yes! Impressive! Truly impressive!”

Page praised Felisi as if nothing happened.

But Felisi's face darkened.

'I tried to split it... but it's heavy.'

Felisi had aimed to cleave the incoming projectile the arrow in the incoming arrow.

But unable to handle its kinetic force, he'd settled for deflecting it.

Felisi's fingertips trembled.

The arrow's weight was immense.

“Not a magic cannon... an arrow.”

Gritting his teeth at the arrow stuck in the ground.

Not some magic artillery—an arrow.

Ridiculously large, but still an arrow.

Felisi clenched and unclenched his fist, steadying his shaking hand.

“I'll capture them.”

He dashed off without waiting for Page's reply.

Page numbly nodded at Felisi's retreating back.

Then quickly hid behind the shieldbearers.

No knight to protect him now—he felt uneasy.

“Wish we had a scope. But this is good enough.”

From afar, they looked like ants scattering and clustering repeatedly.

Watching them, this attack definitely had an effect.

An exclamation escaped Lena's lips.

With her sharp eyes, she felt the chaos in Viscount Haft's army more vividly.

“Theo-nim, with this, we might actually end the war!”

Lena alternated glances between the ultra-long-range Sunogi and Viscount Haft's army, her eyes gleaming strangely.

That made me wonder.

'I wonder what power Count Arno's mobile magic cannon packs.'

I'd heard of the mobile magic cannon but never seen it demonstrated—regrettable.

No doubt it outdid this in raw power.

Effective range aside, purely in terms of destructive force.

'If there's a chance later...'

Crafting the ultra-long-range Sunogi sparked a competitive urge against the mobile magic cannon.

But a figure bursting from the viscount's camp halted my thoughts.

“Theo-nim! Look at that!”

Amid the chaos, one man charged out of Viscount Haft's army.

Riding a horse.

At an extraordinary speed.

'That horse isn't ordinary either.'

Clearly larger than a normal mount.

Obvious even from this distance.

A man who could ride such a beast.

A knight.

“Theo-nim! He's charging our way! What do we do?”

Lena no longer thought to fight head-on recklessly.

She'd witnessed an Aura Practitioner's physical prowess, unlike mere Aura Users.

Even if they'd fallen pathetically to a Rage Flame Potion due to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠carelessness, their danger was etched in her mind.

But this time, I couldn't help chuckling.

'How to handle a sniper... by charging? In open terrain like this?'

To me, with modern knowledge, it was insane.

But not to them, apparently.

So I had to teach them.

The meaning of controlling distance in war.

'If they don't know, they get hit. What else is there?'

True on both sides.

They learn by getting beaten.

I reloaded the spent arrows.

Not enough undead bones left, but still plenty to use.

Distance and wind had changed.

But it didn't matter.

I was cheating with the system for aiming anyway.

Regulating my breath, making minute adjustments.

Then the message appeared.

While I aimed, the nameless knight closed more distance.

The knight shouted into the air.

“I am the valiant knight of the great Viscount Haft, Feli...”

Loud voice.

Loud enough to reach here.

But I wasn't free enough to listen to introductions.

Thwoooong—

Shweeeeeek—

I fired visually.

Shorter distance meant even faster flight.

No need to borrow Lena's eyes.

The result was plain to see.

Kwajik—

“Kuhuk!”

Neighhh—

A solid hit.

The knight tumbled straight off his horse.

No—pushed by the arrow's force, he floated midair for a moment.

Looked like he flailed to deflect it from horseback but failed.

And the outcome was grim.

“Y-you bastard... Do you know no honor?! If you do, come out and duel me at once...”

The knight, fallen from his horse, used his sword as a crutch to barely stand.

He'd blocked the arrow, but not the impact.

“Urk—!”

Leaning on his sword, he vomited a mouthful of blood.

His legs trembled pitifully as he stood.

But I was the surprised one.

'Knights are knights, alright. Didn't pierce him? What the hell are these guys made of...'

Not sure of his level.

But the nameless knight survived my arrow.

Maybe his armor's power, or a technique to glance blows.

Either way, not dying in one hit meant not dead.

Clang—

Yet he downed a potion bottle—who knows when he pulled it out.

His horse had fled.

Still, he charged.

Toward me.

Thwoong—

Shweeeeeek—

Twaang—

“Urgh!”

He deflected this one.

But his shaking hand halted his feet.

Closer range made him hyper-vigilant against arrows.

About 1km out.

The knight stopped.

Ultra-long-range Sunogi.

The match was decided.

One or two more shots would end it.

But the outcome would have to wait.

“Theo-nim! Look there! Magic activating from Baron Sellevan's castle!”

“Huh? That's... Crimson Burst?”

“You know that spell? First time I've seen it...”

“No, not really... Or maybe I do?”

Definitely a spell I'd never seen.

But I knew it.

Thanks to the system message that popped up.

I stared at the messages, momentarily speechless.

Now even magic could be registered as blueprints.