Arcane Sniper

‘Is it realistic? Yes, it’s good. It is very realistic. I need to study. Which posture is the most stable? What is the speed of the bullet? What are the variables that could affect its trajectory? What about the wind? The distance? What is Musket’s zero point configuration? Is it high or low? How far does it travel before that trajectory bends? In retrospect, I didn’t know anything about the musket. I was just moaning and complaining while using the Combat Assistance System. Of course, how many people were willing to learn even after knowing this information.’

Leeha drank his remaining coffee. After hearing Kijung’s advice, Leeha felt that it’s not hard to notice that the Combat Assistance System can be turned off and create a more favorable environment.

Many people probably knew, and many have probably tried it with a sword, facing and cutting the enemy.

Riding on a running horse, and shooting a bow while avoiding the enemy.

Practicing how to move while casting magic, as well as moving and releasing mana accordingly.

That’s not something you can do with only just knowing.

People knew how to study well, how to make money, how to expand their network, and how to live the world right, but he couldn’t.

‘I am different. This is my last chance.’

Leeha was desperate. The feelings he had were different from others. If he were a mage, he might have been playing hard and leveling up in the game right now.

Unfortunately, he was a musketeer.

It was a job that most Middle Earth users avoided, there was no method. He couldn’t turn the time back.

Leeha searched the available data on the Musket and recorded it into a spreadsheet.

The velocity of actual muskets is around 700s, the approximate measurement and mass of the bullets are similar in game.

The approximate ballistic coefficient and kinetic energy by distance according to the velocity were summarized into several values and put into one table.

‘The musket’s bullet has a parabolic trajectory, it’s longest range is greater than a bow. If I could turn off the combat assistance system, I could get more distance. In the end, accuracy is the problem.’

The ferocious rabbit ran 35m in no time, but if it was 350m, the story would be different.

Of course, it was a different problem altogether, stretching 35m to 350m, and it was also a problem if the ferocious rabbit could run 350m in one minute.

In the end, it’s the difference between taking another shot or not.

‘Because of that, that one shot is important to a Musketeer. If I can figure out what range I can maintain the attack power in the game, it will certainly be possible to have a longer range than the 40m specification.

“Hmm…”

Leeha looked at the old-fashioned monitor. In his military days, he had mastered writing and arranging reports, and the tables in the monitor were arranged nicely, but the numbers displayed representing various values was enough to make people dizzy.

‘Well I roughly know the values, but I shouldn’t rely on the computer’s calculation to produce the perfect results. I have to replicate the expected results, experiment in the game, correct the errors and recalculate, and experiment again in the game. If you think that’s the end, it’s not. There’s also picking up the most effective range and hitting targets at that effective range. This is a different problem than simply analyzing the Musket.’

‘Should I sell steel wire? No, can I sell it? Even if I sell it, I have to get a new bullet. Because I can’t use the steel wires with the current bead-like bullets. I wouldn’t be able to use it right away.’

The musket used by Leeha in Middle Earth does not have steel wire. The accuracy of a gun with a steel wire and a gun without a steel wire was difficult to say in terms of numbers.

Maybe ten times? No, a hundred times?

However, rather than modifying a rifle, it was more important to adapt to the existing gun.

‘I thought it was awful back then, but as I read, the 50% hit rate and 1 minute reload time appears to be a huge help to users. Can ordinary people accurately shoot at 20m?’

The bullets are not pointed, but round iron beads.

Therefore, even if the correct value is calculated and aimed properly, there are many possibilities of it turning in an unexpected direction.

Compared to modern rifles, muskets were firearms with many points that has to be supplemented.

‘Phew, isn’t this really the best configuration?’

He heard the crying of the door hinge and my mother’s cautious voice.

“Son, are you studying? Why are you so zealous all of a sudden?”

“Yes? Ah, no. That…”

“Do it while eating fruit. I should have bought it earlier if I knew you would get better like this as soon as the machine came. Right?”

“Haha. Right.”

“Next time, tell Kijung to come when I get home from work. We should thank him by cooking meat.”

Leeha’s mother smiled warmly.

After the accident, he did not get out of the house and only laid in bed all the time.

But now, he is studying and looking forward to something with a bright expression.

Just one day, no, half a day. The change happened in just a few hours, and the difference is like comparing night and day.

“Sleep early. Drinking coffee and studying until late at night is not good for your body.”

“Yes, you can sleep first mom.”

“Yes, I have to sleep to go to work in the morning. Wake me up when you want to lie down. I’ll lay you down.”

“I’ll do it myself. Please have a good rest.”

Leeha clenched his teeth at his mother’s words.

Defeating monsters by bludgeoning? Such thoughts should be removed right away. I need to quickly identify the characteristics of a musket in order to help in the house using Middle Earth as a source of income.

I can’t be my mother’s burden forever.

‘Besides, I need to make sure that my income is guaranteed.’

Leeha opened a new Internet window.

『Buy』 Buy 3 gold for W300,000

『Sell』 50 Gold Farm / Can be be split to 10 gold per transaction for W 1,200,000』

『Purchase』 Buying 80 silver for W85,000.

『Sell – Transaction Completed』 Sold : Ring of Health + 7 / W5,500,000』

Each time the refresh button is hit, new transactions are being updated.

The trading in Middle Earth is similar to trading in reality.

‘The Korean site alone receives 30,000 items a day, along with countless currency trades.’

The cost of gold is 100 US Dollar per gold, and between 100,000 to 120,000 Korean Won per gold.

‘In other words, if I can earn 20,000 gold, I will be able to operate consistently.’

Of course, the price of gold in Middle Earth is twice the price of real gold, meaning, 20,000 Middle Earth gold is a whopping 3,750grams of real gold. It’s a ridiculous amount of money.

“I have enough data, and now the only thing I need to do is practice.”

After that, Leeha continued to study for a long time. He ate the apple that his mom gave him and only stopped until rubbing his eyes cannot remove his fatigue.

And when the sun rose.

Taaang—-!

Gunpowder smoke spread along with gunfire.

“Oh，what a surprise. Isn’t that a gunshot?”

“Was there a gun in Middle Earth?”

A man with a sword and a man with a bow stopped hunting rabbits and looked at one user. The man was shooting into the air.

“What is he doing?”

“Well.”

The user, who was muttering alone, rummed through his bag and then fiddled with his gun again.

“Is he using magic on the gun?”

“It looks like he’s reloading.”

“So long?”

While they spoke, an arrow shot by the man with a bow had accurately hit a rabbit. Kkuik-! The rabbit’s body turned over with a sound and gradually turned gray.

He put the rabbit skin and meat into his bag, and by the time he finished, another gunshot rang again. Taaang!

They heard a loud gunshot once again.

“I guess he needs to reload. Crazy. I can never use such a weapon.”

“He has amazing patience. Haha. Let’s go.”

Despite such ridicule, the man with the gun, Ha Leeha, was looking at the bullets without worrying about it.

Based on the results calculated last night, it would have been difficult for others to understand how he was directly experimenting in Middle Earth.

He wasn’t even shooting a rabbit, he was just pointing the muzzle up slightly.

In other words, they didn’t know that the muzzle pointed in the air was aimed at a tree in the distance.

Leeha went through his bag and touched the gunpowder wrapped in paper. I have already used 27 of the 50 I received while changing my job.

“There are twenty-three left. I missed once and cancelled while reloading once yesterday, so the number is correct…”

Leeha scratched his head

He counted and shot a lot, but what’s the outcome?

“Character window.”

Name: Ha Leeha / Race: Human Occupation: Musketeer / Level: 1 (10%)

Title: None / Achievement: 2 HP: 160 / MP: 50 Stats: Strength 13(+3), agility 13(+3), intelligence 12(+2), constitution 13(+3), mind 10

‘The highest level is 200, three months after the game opened. I’ll be chasing that in a month and a half..’

Leeha looked around as he cleared his breath.

The people who hunted here yesterday were now out of sight, and although it was uncommon, other people were hunting in the same place.

And, in the middle, a rabbit appeared in his eyes.

‘It’s not perfect yet, but I can’t waste any more gunpowder.’

The first is distance calculation.

It is a little closer than the distance to the trees shot so far.

“Huuu…”

Leeha’s hand moved quickly after inhaling. After the distance calculation is complete, is the bullet trajectory calculation. Took out the black powder wrapped in paper and opened the powder plate.

The half of the gunpowder Leeha had taken in the bag was poured into the powder plate.

And with practiced movements, Leeha’s hands carefully poured the remaining gunpowder through the muzzle.

After completing the preparation, he inserted the bullet into the muzzle and pushed it with the ramrod.

‘Good.’

Leeha raised the musket and pulled up some grass.

He lightly scattered it into the air to check the movement of the wind. The scattered grass did not move too much while falling.

‘There’s little wind movement.’

Leeha naturally laid on the ground.

In order to secure the stability of the musket. Leeha had already done this pose a hundred times, or maybe a thousand times before.

Leeha maintained an unshakable shoulder while in shooting and looked at the Under the prone shooting posture, the concrete itself, while maintaining an unshakable shoulder, looked at the scope.

The scope and sight match, but the line of sight is not in contact with the target.

‘Taking into account gravity and wind…

Finally，calculating the effect of external variables on the trajectory.

What effect can the variables have when the bullet flies the distance from the shooter to the target?

Leeha’s muzzle is pointed upwards, slightly off target. The difference between rifles and muskets must also be considered.

Kkui-?

The presence of hostility.

‘The moment the rabbit noticed that something was wrong and someone was aiming at it.’ It looked at Leeha!

—!

The time it took the bullet to reach the rabbit that is 130m away from Leeha is 0.4s.

‘Did it hit?’

The rabbit’s eyes were on Leeha. But that’s all.

Red eyes, swollen thighs.

The rabbit began to look at Leeha, who threatened it.

“Damn it… … Again.”

Leeha was prepared to lift his musket upside down when the shot missed. He was prepared to add another blood spot on the musket’s butt.

The musket’s butt still had the blood of the rabbit that Leeha had previously killed through bludgeoning.

‘Please，Please, this time!’

His index finger moved.

Taaang—!

By the time the gunshots ended, he got up. With a joyful expression.

‘Yes，finally! Yes!’

He was 110m away, but Leeha could see. No, he could feel it the moment he shot. There was no help from the combat assistance system, but the sensation of pulling the trigger countless times since childhood made him predict the outcome.

(To be continued…)