Arcane Sniper

“Are you doing well, newbies!”

“Yes!”

“No matter how durable a scarecrow is, they still have weak points! When attacking a weak point, the damage becomes greater!”

The training center isn’t just a place to familiarize oneself with combat.

Before dealing with monsters, this place teaches users the basics. The scarecrows’ neck, where the head and torso are connected, glowed a little redder than other parts of the scarecrow. And Leeha is not a fool to not notice it.

“Haa”

Papapak-!

The scarecrow’s neck was broken and its head fell to the ground. The hand feel of hitting the torso and the neck was different.

“Well done! While there are areas that cause serious damage when hit, other areas can cause instakill. Of course, you need to have the sufficient abilities to deal as much damage as possible to cause such an effect, so devote yourself to training!”

There are critical hits and there’s also instakill? Leeha nodded.

Definitely, if reality is gamified there should be weak points that can cause “instakill” when struck.

However, it would still be impossible for level 1 to instakill a level 100 monsters in one shot.

That is the meaning of the words of the drill instructor NPC.

‘Does that mean you can end the hunt in one shot if you reach the required? However, it will not be easy to find and hit those weak points.’

Leeha hit the scarecrow’s torso while following the NPC’s instructions along with the strangers around him.

“Next is the technique! By collecting and managing your energy and mana, you can generate 3 times more power than normal or 5 times more power. Gather your energy and hit it!”

The instructor with an artificial leg screamed, stomping his leg against the stone floor of the training center.

As soon as the instructor’s words ended, a small window opened in front of Leeha’s eyes.

『Beginner’s Heavy Strike』

Description: The art of striking with force. The flow is important.

Effect: 130% of maximum attack power Distance: Melee

Mana ： 30

Cooldown: 10 seconds

‘Gathering strength and striking. Of course, it’s a game, so we also get skills.’

He concentrated on the explanation.

As the NPCs said, in Middle Earth, a lot of hints we’re not given outright.

It’s a skill that hits with force, but the flow is important?

“Heavy Strike!”

“Heavy Strike!”

“Heavy Strike!”

People around him were using Heavy Strike.

The combat assist system was making movements when the users are not ready, and it is obviously a little unnatural, so the strike is not strong.

“I see. That’s the flow. Just think like it’s reality, right?”

What if you use the skill at any time regardless of your movement? It goes against the flow of the body in motion. Then, in the direction that the original skill should go, what if it is used in between attacks?

Leeha did not get swayed by the bustle around him. He slowly hit the scarecrow in the torso diagonally.

“Heavy Strike!!” His arms moved naturally with his shout and he felt his muscles expanding explosively, and there was no change in his form.

A bright light flashed from the smashing wooden sword, Paaang!

“Ohh?!”

Leeha’s wooden sword blew off one of the scarecrow’s arms. Leeha’s strike was strong enough to make his hand twitch.

Rather than 130%, it felt like the strike is 150% to 200% more powerful, and made Leeha thrilled.

“What? How did you do it? The scarecrow’s arm is broken!”

“Looks like only that guy’s Heavy Strike is stronger?”

The movement of users around him stopped.

He had the same shabby clothes, the same wooden sword, but what’s with the different effect? It was natural that they focused their attention on him.

However, Leeha did not stop. Leeha didn’t want to lose the thrilling sensation he had just felt.

This time he struck from left to right.

“Heavy Strike!!!”

From left to right. The red light flashed once again from Leeha’s wooden sword, which was swung forcefully.

Baaang!

“Uwaah!”

“That damage!”

The users that were standing in front of the other scarecrows moved and covered their heads. Wood debris poured out like a pitter-patter of rain.

“Haa, haa……”

Leeha was also surprised himself.

The scarecrow in front of him, no, its whole upper body has already been smashed, and he was looking at its remnants of the scarecrow.

“No way…… Did I do this?”

His arms were burning hot.

This kind of destructive power? He was really moved by the feeling of being a hero.

‘A solid wooden scarecrow… I broke it with a wooden sword. Haha.’

However, there was not much time to be impressed.

Nearby users, who were noisy for a moment, began to gather around him.

“Ohh，amazing! How did you do that?”

“Are you sure you used Heavy Strike? What did you just learn here?”

“Is it really level 1? Please let us know.”

“Awesome. How did the scarecrow get smashed? Share it with us. What did you just do? How did this happen?”

The users surrounded Leeha as they have sparkling eyes of admiration and desire to become stronger in any way.

“Yes? No, that is. I used the skill that we were taught.”

“Skill? Heavy Strike?”

“Yes.”

As Leeha nodded, the eyes of admiration quickly turned into doubts.

“I have used that too..”

“Me too, me too.”

“Other than that. Please tell us how you really did it. It doesn’t resemble Heavy Strike at all.”

“It really is Heavy Strike.”

Of course, it is different from the description. The difference between those who thought of the game as only a game and Leeha was very large.

“Move, move! This is the real “Heavy Strike”!”

And, scrambling users around Leeha moved as the instructor with a prosthetic leg appeared in front of him.

“The natural connection of the body and technique! If you use the same technique, it is up to the user to multiply the effect by 1.3 to 2 times! Combat is not only done with the body! Newbie! Tell me your name!”

He has a prosthetic leg but his eyes were sharp. Leeha looked directly into the instructor’s eyes and answered.

“My name is Ha Leeha-ssi.”

“All of you see and learn Ha Leeha! Use your head! This is the basis of battle!”

As the instructor shouted to everyone with unsatisfied expressions looked at Leeha. The NPC directly mentioned his name and praised him!

A window suddenly popped up in front of his eyes.

『Achievement: Model student at Candle Castle Training Center (E)』

Congratulations! You who have learned all the basics of battle without a single mistake! But don’t be too cocky, because the tallest tree always experiences the strongest winds!

Effect : Strength +3, intellligence +2

‘Oh? Is it another achievement? Awesome, awesome!，

Leeha, who was looking at the explanation of the achievement, quickly hid the window with a wide smile.

‘Don’t be too cocky? The tallest tree always experiences the strongest winds. Well, that’s true. Because nothing good happens when you stand out.’

And in the midst of the users’ uproar, the shout of the instructor with an artificial leg rang out loud.

“What are you looking at! Everyone go back to your positions and practice! Practice! practice is the only way to live!” The shout of an NPC who deals with humans better than humans. The users went back to their scarecrows. Their eyes mixed with envy, suspicion, and jealousy toward Leeha were enough to make him nervous.

‘But, while scaring me like this, 3 strength and 2 intelligence? What, is it a lot or a little?? I’ll have to ask Kijung later.’

Leeha didn’t know how good it was to increase the stats by 2 and 3, but the “Model Student of the Training Center” is an unexpected achievement.

Level 1.

An achievement that can only be obtained when it’s the user’s first time connecting to the game and defeating a scarecrow.

There is also the additional condition of first-time entering the training center, so when users know of the conditions, it’s already too late.

Can you find it in the community? Of course, there is a lot of information in the community. However, information that would be helpful to users is not usually shared. Eventually, you have to get it from a friend or a guild you belong to, but it is too late at that time.

“Huu, huu.”

As he spent time swinging the wooden sword in front of the new scarecrow, the instructor shouted again.

“Those who have learned the basics of battle should move to the next destination! A place where you can develop your true ability and potential, to the Class Tower!”

The other users stopped, they either thought that they would not be able to extract information from Ha Leeha or that the instructor is frightening and left.

But Leeha was different, there is no one who gets benefits and will feel bad.

“Thank you, instructor.”

Leeha wiped away his sweat and said hello to the prosthetic instructor. He wanted to express his gratitude to the NPC who gave him the achievement and was surprised as the expression of the instructor with a prosthetic leg who heard Leeha’s greetings changed slightly.

“Your movements were smooth. Do you know about the sword?”

“No- I do not.”

“I see. When will anyone who knows about swords step into Middle Earth? Haa……. You were quite good, Ha Leeha-kun.”

Should I have said I knew? Leeha just realized that he had missed something important in the conversation. Perhaps the instructor’s words were a trigger to a hidden quest that will start under certain conditions. What would have been the reward? A hidden class? Skill?

Considering the keyword sword, it may give him a weapon that a user can not get as a beginner.

‘I thought he was a real person and answered so quickly!’

Interaction with NPC! He had no choice and he can’t figure out what’s the right answer.

However, all of these were exactly as intended by Goople. Because there is no such thing as an answer with a choice in reality.

“I actually know about the sword can I show you?”

“Haha, thank you for your words, but it’s useless unless you really know the sword. Go ahead and go to the Class Tower to find your way.”

“Eukk……”

He couldn’t take back the words he has already spoken. Even if the target is an NPC.

Should I insist that I really know? However, Leeha also heard the explanation for affinity with an NPC. He predicted that it would be counterproductive without even trying it.

“Oh. That’s too bad. I’m really sorry. Goodbye.”

Leeha left the instructor with a prosthetic leg. Because it was so real, he regretted missing something great.

‘In the future, I have to be especially careful with words. Oh, such a waste!’

(To be continued…)

TL’s notes:

모난 돌은 언제나 정을 맞는 법이니까요! -〉 because angular stones always fit together!

Changed to: tallest tree always experiences the strongest winds.

I’m not really sure how to reword “because angular stones always fit together!” therefore I changed it.

“Tallest tree always experiences the strongest winds” fits the sentence and flows with the first expression well.