Light of Arad: The First to Walk - Chapter 113



Only Noblemtl

113

For soldiers, responding is more important than assessing the situation.

“Be quiet, everyone!”

At Zeldin’s shout, the Imperial Army, the De Los Empire Army, Van Balshteit, Jinseong, and Vivi all took cover aboard the sea train.

However, there were some who could not move even after hearing the instructions.

The engineer controlling the ocean train was operating the drivetrain with trembling hands.

“B, the brakes are starting to catch. If we slow down like this, we’ll probably be able to get to Hayes’ station in two minutes-.”

“Captain! Bow down! Head first-.”

“-Huh, what?!”

The engineer of the ocean train, trying to do his duty, groaned and fell on his butt.

Because the bullet that came in through the glass in front of the car window passed right over his head.

That wasn’t all.

─────────────!

“Ugh!?”

“Whoa, the snow-. The snow!”

Something flashed. Either shot or thrown through the broken window.

An unidentified projectile exploded inside the train, and Jinseong, who thought it might be dangerous, had already moved to ensure safety, but there was no need to do so.

“Blood, damage report!”

“There are……no casualties!”

“Ah, ah, the drivetrain… the engine compartment is broken-.”

Because the only thing that suffered damage from the explosion was the operating mechanism of the sea train.

It was a quick and accurate strike, and it produced results that were more than just fortunate.

“This… How could this be-.”

“Ji, ji, Jinseong-nim……. That, that is…….”

“This is driving me crazy. This is completely different from the guns I saw in the Zodiac.”

The violence was so overwhelming that it made even Zeldin, Vivi, and even Van Walstedt flinch.

Even among the Zodiac Army, there was no one who could come forward right away, only crouching like a turtle in fear to the point where their teeth chattered.

It was the same with Jinseong.

However, Jinseong was not motionless because he was terrified.

‘If that engineer had hesitated just a little bit… … the train wouldn’t have even arrived at Hayes?’

Because Jinseong was in the process of assessing the situation.

We’re about to arrive at the foggy city of Haze, but for now we’re still on a train moving along rails over the sea.

Where and who on earth shot the inside of a sea train that was supposedly quite far away and still moving at a certain speed?

‘And it was accurate. It was a headshot level accuracy for the driver… … If I had been not careful, it could have been a truly horrific sight.’

Jinseong had to swallow dry saliva.

Regardless of who did it or how, don’t we already know ‘why’ this happened?

‘Why did the contamination show up like this? I thought it would come out around this time anyway, but I thought it would only come out as a cartel mid-boss or final boss like Enzo Sipo or Langerus.’

This is it.

The candidates also know more than anything.

Vivi adjusted her glasses and asked Jinseong in a small voice.

“Your Majesty, is this Niels-”

“No, Nils couldn’t have done it. There was a sniper who blew off Nils’ right arm.”

“Huh? Who is that?”

There aren’t many characters in the game Dungeon & Fighter called snipers.

And if there is such a person who can come out at this point, it is practically okay to see it as one person.

The nickname of Nils, whom Zeldin introduced to the ‘adventurer’, that is, the user, is ‘Left Straight’.

It is also a nickname given to him because he was badly injured in his right arm from a past sniping attack, so he effectively switched his dominant arm to his left.

“The person who disabled Niels’ right arm……”

The sniper belonging to the cartel who delivered the fatal blow to Niels.

“Irigare. What’s shooting now is probably Irigare.”

In the foggy city of Haze, a person who can be active as a sniper.

It was natural for Jinseong to be convinced that this ‘contamination’ was Irigare.

* * *

“Ms. Vivi, do you see anything?”

“No, for now, there’s nothing being detected… but it’s not like I can see it with my own eyes or anything… can I just move?”

The sea train safely stopped at the station in the foggy city of Haze.

However, since it was also a problem to get out of there straight away, Jinseong was using one of Vivi’s skills to look around.

The small interceptors that escaped from moved over the foggy city of Haze, but that was it.

At a point when nothing in particular was detected, the sniper had to admit that Jinseong was much further away than he thought.

“What can you, adventurer, do? If the ‘hidden guy’ sees that you sent something like that out first, he’ll probably be wary. It would have been better to just go out at once.”

And half of them, who had somewhat noticed it, said sarcastically.

It was Jinseong who stepped in before Vivi could even say anything.

“It was my idea, so tell me. And what if we go out at once and someone gets shot? What are you going to do with those casualties?”

“That’s just how war is. Soldiers naturally prepare for it. Small sacrifices are inevitable. Don’t they teach you that in the Magic Guild, my friend?”

“The first thing to do is to find the best way without making any sacrifices. Of course.”

“It would be better to choose rationally.”

Jinseong and Ban, the two people glared at each other.

It was Zeldin who hurriedly stepped forward in the rather tense atmosphere.

“Now, wait, this isn’t the time for you two to be talking like that. Adventurer, can you possibly disperse those things in the air at once?”

Vivi nodded immediately at Zeldin’s question.

“Are we really going to scatter? Yes, it’s possible, but-.”

“Then let’s do that. I wish we had succeeded in the search like Jinseong suggested, but if not… let’s first use that to distract the enemy’s vision, and then let’s do a method like Ban suggested where everyone moves to a safe zone at the same time.”

What’s important now is not who is right.

As the captain of the Imperial Guard, she made it clear that securing the safety zone was the priority by compromising the opinions of the two people.

In the meantime, it was Vivi who came up with another plan.

“Excuse me, Mr. Zeldin? Didn’t you say you’d introduce me to a man named Nils?”

“Oh, right. He’s probably leading the militia here and fighting the cartel…….”

Even if it’s not Nils’s, the left straight Nils’ ability itself is excellent.

Then, Bibi asked, isn’t there any way to solve the problem through him?

“Can’t you contact him and tell him to engage that sniper now – or at least throw him out?”

“That’s it, that, the communication…status is…”

Zeldin had to answer awkwardly.

In that part, Jinseong could also understand.

‘That’s right. Irigare is definitely going to be the one to face Nils in the dungeon using him as an APC, but we haven’t even seen Irigare’s face yet. If Nils faces Irigare without Nana Vivi’s intervention, it won’t solve the pollution. It’ll just make it worse.’

Cartel’s sniper Irigare is a problem that Nils, who appears as an APC, and the user must solve by running the dungeon together.

Even if Irigare is contaminated, if we counter-snipe and kill Irigare through Nils now, the problem could become more complicated.

‘The solution may be simple. After all, the contaminated quest is Vivi’s… … .’

First of all, ensure safety.

Find Niels.

Vivi and Niels fight against Irigare.

If we proceed to the three steps above, it would be enough, but if there were any other incident that could lead to a bigger problem, it would be something like a key figure on our side being killed by Irigare’s sniper.

While Vivi is looking for Niels, Irigare shoots Zeldin.

Or, the disaster of Irigare, who had captured the movements of Vivi, Zeldin, and Ban to find Nils, finding Nils first and shooting him.

What if such incidents are seen as variables that can worsen pollution?

‘In the end, there is only one thing I have to do.’

Jinseong could tell what he had to do.

* * *

“Three… two… one, now! Over there!”

Wheeeeeeeeee───────ㅇ!

Vivi simultaneously dispersed the Sparrows into the air, and in the meantime, the Imperial Army and the Imperial Army led by Zeldin and Ban were able to escape the train stop and enter the nearby houses.

“Okay! I guess I missed the shot!”

Vivi let out a cheer of joy, but the corners of her eyes immediately drooped.

This is because while everyone else had moved, the only ones still left at the station were Vivi herself and Jinseong, who was next to her.

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

“Huh? What are you saying now…? Of course, you believed it would be okay, so Vivi went along with my plan, didn’t you?”

Since everyone agreed to Jinseong’s plan, it has already been put into action.

There’s no other way than to ask if it’s okay now.

So Jinseong was able to talk to Vivi half-jokingly.

And what about Vivi?

“That, that’s true, but- um, that’s right. Because I trust you, Jinseong. In fact, I was just pretending to be worried. It’ll be okay, of course.”

Should I say that he is rational or that he believes in himself too much?

How many people can confidently say to someone’s face that what they were worried about was just a show?

[Keep kek kek, what a great woman. That Hilda would never have been able to say something so shameless.]

I looked straight into Jinseong’s eyes, which were filled with amazement.

Then he added one more word.

“Give me the signal, Jinseong. I’ll move. And we’ll definitely meet again.”

“Huh, that’s ‘obvious’ too. Well then, please take care of Zeldin and everyone else. Find Niels quickly and move. Niels is probably at a disadvantage defending the cartel. Vivi, you have to save Niels.”

“Yeah. Don’t worry about that either.”

Jinseong nodded his head, looking into her eyes full of determination.

Sighing, there was only one thing to say in response.

“Don’t worry. I was just pretending to be worried.”

“huh?”

“Focus! Here we go, three, two-.”

“Okay, wait a minute. Phew, okay!”

“-One, go!”

At the signal, Vivi began to retrieve the sparrows.

At the same time, the one running was Jinseong.

“-.”

The thing that was used naturally was the mobile device.

His judgment that this would not be a normal move was timely.

For a moment, a splattering sound could be heard as something jumped out from the path he had just walked.

Taaaaang────────… … !

A gunshot rang out.

The enemy’s determination not to fall for the trickery using the Sparrows twice was firm, and it was proof that their ability was also certain.

“-!”

It was the same after that.

It was impossible to remain exposed in front of Irigare, who had already started shooting, so Jinseong naturally moved using a movement technique that allowed him to move faster and further.

──────, ──────!

What was heard were two cracks of air splitting apart.

What does this eerie feeling that seems to come from right next to Jinseong’s own ears mean?

‘It’s fast. Even though it only saw one movement… … it shot while predicting my movements, my speed.’

If it felt like pebbles were bouncing up from the floor a long time ago, it is not just my imagination that this time it feels like something is brushing my back.

Tadaang─────────… … !

When even the sound of gunshots sounded like two shots coming one after another, Jinseong could only mutter with a helpless smile on his face.

The operation that Jinseong relayed to Zeldin, Ban, and others, including Vivi.

Vivi, along with Zeldin and Ban, go to stop the cartels that have attacked the foggy city of Haze.

Naturally, the operation includes an encounter with and rescue of Left Straight Niels, who is currently holding back the cartel.

So what should Jinseong do?

“Did I say you were bait for nothing?”

It’s the only thing that catches the sniper’s eye.