CHAPTER 7: Sniper

"Chin'jiejie, something's not right!" Chengiz whispered, his voice filled with anxiety. On his back rested a gleaming great axe, his trusted weapon, while his eyes scanned the darkness of the surrounding forest.

"I know. There's something... or someone watching us," Chinua responded quietly but firmly. Her slim figure was wrapped in a traditional black hanfu, with a silver sword hanging from her waist. She moved cautiously, her eyes never ceasing to track every shadow behind the trees.

Not wanting to take any risks, Chengiz peeked out from behind the slowly creaking carriage curtain. His face was serious as he spoke to a man inside. "Lord Leonard, whatever happens, stay in the carriage!" he commanded urgently.

Leonard, a noble appointed as an envoy between the Kingdom of Elceria and Sivieth, merely smiled nonchalantly. He raised a bottle of high-quality Ale to his lips. "What's going on? Are we being attacked?" he asked in a light tone, as if unaffected by Chengiz's anxiety.

Frustrated, Chengiz tightened his grip on the curtain. "It looks like we're about to face an attack. For your safety, I beg you-"

"Enough!" Leonard suddenly cut him off. His once soft eyes now turned sharp, showing that he was not in the mood to be bossed around. "I am a knight, Chengiz. I won't hide like a coward while you fight out there. Besides, I don't want to be a burden to you all!" His stubborn attitude was further amplified by the influence of alcohol.

"Lord Leonard, your life is the top priority in this mission. If you fall, the relationship between Elceria and Sivieth could be ruined," Chengiz pressed, his tone becoming more forceful.

Leonard lowered his bottle of Ale, his eyes narrowing as he stared out the window, directly at Chengiz and Chinua. With a sneer, he said, "You're just adventurers. What do you have to do with the politics of two kingdoms? Don't you only care about the pay?"

His words made Chinua grit her teeth. Coldly, she replied, "We may not be politicians, but our reputation as adventurers is on the line. If you die while under our escort, we won't be able to show our faces in Tura Town!" Her gaze was full of courage, challenging Leonard's look.

Leonard fell silent, sensing the sincerity in Chinua's words. Slowly, he nodded. "Alright... I understand. My apologies for my arrogance earlier. But at least, let me fight by your side."

Suddenly, a panicked voice came from outside the carriage. "Lord Leonard, we're surrounded!" a Knight Captain shouted, pointing towards the trees.

Chinua and Chengiz exchanged glances, understanding that the situation was getting dire. "Big Sis!" Chengiz signaled with a sharp glance, and Chinua responded with a nod.

In the distance, a man appeared, riding a black horse with an arrogant posture. Behind him, the shadows of the bandits became clearer. The man laughed mockingly. "Hahaha! A weak royal delegation, escorted by only seven knights! How pathetic." His voice echoed through the forest's silence, accompanied by sharp jeers.

"Are you their leader?" Chengiz shouted, squinting his eyes, recognizing the threat behind the cold gaze of the man.

The bandit leader smiled cynically, "The Kingdom of Elceria must really be desperate if they need to hire adventurers like you."

"Watch your mouth, coward!" the Knight Captain retorted angrily. "We're not here just to protect the delegation, but also to send you all to hell!"

The battle erupted as the bandit leader's command echoed in the air. "Tch, attack! Kill them all!" he yelled. The bandits charged with wild brutality.

"My sis! Focus on their leader!" Chengiz called, swinging his axe, cleaving through two bandits who tried to approach. Chinua merely nodded before charging forward, heading straight for the bandit leader.

The Knight Captain was about to warn them, but Leonard stepped out of the carriage firmly. "Don't worry about me! I'll fight here!" With swift movements, Leonard drew his sword and leaped into the crowd of enemies closing in.

Chinua and Chengiz, using their body-lightening techniques, moved as fast as the wind. Their bodies flew through the bandit crowd like a deadly, mesmerizing dance. The bandit leader, sensing the approaching threat, leaped down from his horse, readying his spear.

The battle began. The dance of death clashed with swift movements. Swords and axes glimmered in the air, colliding with the agile spear. The bandit leader was clearly no ordinary fighter, his movements quick, his strikes filled with force.

As the battle raged on, it became increasingly clear how strong their opponent was. However, Chinua and Chengiz's resolve never wavered. Their bodies moved like shadows, trying to pierce the seemingly impenetrable defense of their enemies...

POV Yudha

My eyes had been fixed on the scope for a while now. From the top of this hill, I watched the fierce battle raging below. The white tiger girl who was always by my side seemed unaware of the chaos unfolding. Through the digital scope, I could clearly see about thirty-three people involved in the fight. Although it was hard to confirm the exact number of the Knights, it was clear that they were outnumbered.

Without saying a word, I reached for the SPR3 rifle hanging on my back, then aimed it at the commotion below. I signaled the white tiger girl next to me to stay still, not move. She looked at me, confused, but followed my order without asking.

I shifted my focus to the group engaged in the battle, trying to determine who the real threat was here. Was it the Knights, or the bandits who were the enemies? Using the 12x scope mounted on the rifle, I observed them carefully. From about three hundred meters away, I could see their expressions, movements, and even the glint of their swords clearly. After a moment, I realized that the bandits were the true threat.

There was an urge within me to act immediately, to help the Knights who were being overwhelmed. But I held back. My ammunition was limited, and if I wasted bullets recklessly, I might run out at a critical moment. On the other hand, if I managed to help them, the Knights might repay my kindness in the future.

I made my decision. I would help them, but every shot had to hit its mark. I couldn't afford to waste a single bullet.

"One shot, one kill. If I miss, I'll regret it." I muttered softly, almost as if speaking to myself.

As I regulated my breathing, I returned to observing the battlefield. My eyes caught an interesting sight: on the outskirts of the arena, not far from the main chaos, three people were engaged in a fierce fight. Two men and a woman were battling against a man armed with a spear.

I quickly realized that the spear-wielding man was the leader of the bandits. An orange bandana was tied to his arm, a symbol also worn by his followers. His movements were agile, almost beyond my line of sight, but he made a mistake: he paused, just for a moment, to catch his breath.

That was the moment I had been waiting for.

In the eerie silence, I took a deep breath, calming myself. All the noise around me seemed to vanish, replaced by razor-sharp focus. I held my last breath, gently squeezing the trigger.

'DUST'

The shot was nearly inaudible, absorbed by the suppressor attached to the rifle. The bullet sped through the air with high velocity, slicing through the air with deadly precision, heading toward its target. I followed it with my sharp gaze, confident that my shot would change the course of this battle.

POV 3

Chinua and Chengiz were trapped in a fierce battle against the rebellious leader, a formidable foe whose speed and strength overwhelmed them. Every strike felt heavier, and the fatigue began to seep into their bodies. The fear of failure started to cloud their minds, making them hesitate to continue.

"What's wrong? Are you tired? Is this all you-"

'BRUSSK'

Suddenly, the arrogant words of the rebel leader were cut short. In the blink of an eye, Chinua and Chengiz's eyes widened as they witnessed the leader's head explode in a horrific burst. A 7.62mm caliber bullet, traveling at unimaginable speed, pierced his skull with deadly precision. The explosion scattered his head in all directions, his brain matter wildly splattered across the area.

The scene fell into silence for a moment, but the air quickly filled with blood and brain tissue, turning it into a horrifying sight. The loud bang that accompanied the shot echoed in their heads, a grim reminder of the unavoidable brutality. Everyone who witnessed the moment was frozen, unable to comprehend the reality of what had just unfolded before their eyes.

"What happened? His head... exploded?" Chinua stammered, her eyes still fixed on the horrifying sight.

"Who did that? Was it you, Big Sister?" Chengiz asked, his confusion growing.

"It wasn't... It wasn't me," Chinua replied, trying to calm herself despite the vivid image still lingering in her mind. "Someone definitely helped us." She scanned the area, looking for any signs of someone nearby, but there was no indication of anyone.

Meanwhile, Leonard and his five soldiers were still fighting fiercely. The battle grew more intense, with one soldier suffering a severe injury, his right arm severed in a brutal attack by the rebels. Yet, despite the wounds, they held their ground. The remaining knights, though only lightly injured from sword slashes, continued to fight with unwavering determination.

"Come on, come here! Even though I'm old, I won't back down!" Leonard shouted with enthusiasm, his eyes burning with incredible resolve. With his sword, he continued to launch attack after attack, causing the rebels to hesitate before advancing.

"Haha, I remember my younger days!" Leonard laughed joyously despite the dire situation. The fervor within him seemed to inspire his comrades to keep fighting.

Chinua and Chengiz, witnessing this, realized they couldn't just stand idly by. The event that had just occurred shocked them, but there was no time to dwell on their confusion. They quickly left the area where the rebel leader had fallen and rushed to join Leonard and his guards to reinforce the defense.

Meanwhile, outside their attention, the situation was escalating...

POV Yudha

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself amidst the chaos that surrounded me. For a moment, hope flickered within me, thinking the bandits might lose their direction and morale after their leader fell. However, the reality was far different. They didn't seem to feel despair, even after losing their leader.

Now, I had to face the remaining enemies who were still standing. I slowly counted. Seventeen bandits remained, still standing strong. Like the angel of death, I was ready to take their lives one by one. Shadows of chaos and uncertainty clouded my thoughts as I positioned myself.

With a heart pounding but full of calm and focus, I aimed my sniper and squeezed the trigger. Each shot I fired hit its mark with remarkable precision. High-speed bullets flew, piercing their throats and taking their lives without mercy. One by one, the bandits fell, collapsing helplessly.

Some bullets even struck their chests, causing their bodies to collapse in the battlefield, which briefly paused. The atmosphere became silent, with only the sound of bullets and the falling bodies, each one a sign of inevitable destruction.