Chapter 372: The Infinite Sniper War

The whispers of fate brushed past like a gentle breeze, always elusive and unclear, offering only the faintest guidance.

Charlot Mecklenburg had possessed this golden Serpent of Fate ring for some time. He attempted to document each whisper, and through mathematical analysis, he had deciphered most of their meanings.

Though, in truth, much of it still relied on guesswork.

The golden Serpent of Fate ring had been silent for a long time, but Charlot didn’t hesitate when it suddenly issued a warning. Activating the Swiftstep Technique ×10 to its utmost, he sprinted toward the residence of Herolf, the Golden Ram.

The Black Dragon and Silverback Gorilla Choudrou often had matters to attend to and weren’t always easy to locate. However, Herolf rarely left his dwelling, making him Charlot’s most reliable target.

Just as Charlot spotted the old ram, his Eye of Insight suddenly triggered. Reacting instinctively, Charlot adjusted his body posture in a flash and shifted his position. A scorching hot force grazed past him, leaving a plume of dust and a deep crater in the ground. Only after this did the crisp sound of impact reach his ears. Charlot recognized the distinct sound—it was the mark of an anti-magic armor-piercing round, meaning someone was firing such rounds at him.

The warnings from the Eye of Insight intensified. Charlot immediately dropped to the ground, refusing to linger in place for even a second. He changed his position multiple times every moment, evading the sharp whistles of rounds streaking past him. Judging by the rate of fire, it was clear the assailant was using Byron’s ultra-long-range alchemical repeating rifle.

Charlot vividly remembered when Julian Arsilo had once remarked with enthusiasm:

“A Saint rank might withstand a single anti-magic armor-piercing round, but what about ten? Twenty? A hundred? No matter how thick a Saint’s defensive shell is, enough rounds will eventually break through.”

Charlot never imagined he’d find himself on the receiving end of such firepower.

Ever since acquiring his Anti-Space Long-Range Rifle and the infamous anti-magic armor-piercing rounds, Charlot had made frequent use of them to take down enemies. Now, fate had turned the tables, and he was the one under fire.

Herolf roared furiously, leaping into the air and charging toward the distant threat.

Charlot flipped into a concealed position and let out a long breath. The near-death moment just now was narrowly avoided thanks to his Eye of Insight, which provided early warnings, and his skill with the Swiftstep Technique, which he had honed to perfection.

Herolf soon returned, his expression disgruntled. Without needing Charlot to ask, he said, “It was a Byron vampire brat, proficient in Subterranean Escape. By the time I got there, he had already burrowed underground and fled.”

Charlot could only reply, “We’ll catch him eventually.”

In this world, transcendent ranks were classified based on the strength of their energy, but the true combat prowess of a transcendent often depended more on their mastery of extraordinary abilities. In most cases, abilities outweighed rank.

In his earlier days, Charlot’s rank was modest, yet he frequently defeated enemies of higher ranks. This was thanks to his mastery of Blood Glory and the Thirteen Miraculous Techniques, each of which possessed intricate and unpredictable methods for securing victory.

Now, however, the tables had turned. Charlot faced an adversary who might not surpass him in strength but possessed Subterranean Escape, allowing for seamless retreats—a maddening combination for any opponent.

Even Charlot found this combination particularly troublesome.

With an ultra-long-range alchemical repeating rifle and Subterranean Escape, even Saint ranks found such enemies exasperating to deal with.

When Herolf pursued earlier, the Byron sniper vanished underground before he could strike.

Such snipers were limited only by the prohibitive cost of their ammunition—anti-magic armor-piercing rounds priced at 1.5 gold écus each couldn’t be supplied in infinite quantities.

Suddenly, Charlot’s Eye of Insight flared with another warning. This time, he drew Blood Rose with a reverse grip, prepared for the attack. Unlike earlier, Charlot was ready. With a precise swing of his magical rapier, he intercepted an incoming anti-magic armor-piercing round, diverting it to the side.

These alchemical bullets, infused with high explosive energy, demanded incredible skill to deflect with melee weapons. Charlot recalled when Hughes had once deflected his own anti-magic armor-piercing round with a knight’s lance. The sheer precision of that feat had been awe-inspiring, and now Charlot found himself emulating that same level of skill with his rapier.

Charlot deflected five consecutive anti-magic armor-piercing rounds.

Herolf roared once more and took to the skies.

Thousands of pimi away, a middle-aged Byron officer calmly packed up his ultra-long-range alchemical repeating rifle. Nonchalantly, he waved at Charlot and Herolf before retreating underground.

Charlot swiftly retrieved his Anti-Space Long-Range Rifle, loading it with three anti-magic armor-piercing rounds. Balancing the rifle with one arm, he aimed and fired.

His marksmanship, honed through battlefield experience, was now among the best. The three rounds weren’t fired in rapid succession, but the angles were calculated with masterful precision.

Despite Charlot’s skill, the rounds missed. The Byron officer raised his arms and vanished underground, just as the bullets sliced through the air he had occupied moments earlier.

Herolf landed where the sniper had hidden, unleashing a surge of oceanic combat energy into the ground. Yet, the Byron officer had already escaped.

Charlot shook his head, muttering to himself, “Even with preparation, this guy is still incredibly slippery.”

“Why are the Byron people targeting me?”

Returning to his office in Red Cliff City, Charlot reviewed recent battle reports and frontline documents. Only then did he learn of a “new tactic” developed by Byron—the so-called Infinite Sniper War.

Byron had deployed over a thousand snipers, with at least thirty percent wielding transcendent-level alchemical rifles. Over a hundred possessed abilities for stealth and escape. These snipers infiltrated the Fars Empire and the Ingrima Empire, launching assassinations against military and governmental figures.

The chaos wrought by these Byron snipers was unparalleled. Hundreds of mid- to lower-level officials and junior officers had been assassinated, and over a dozen key figures had also fallen.

Charlot wasn’t an exception—he was merely another name on their hit list.

After reviewing the reports, Charlot wasn’t overly concerned about himself. What troubled him was Annie Mecklenburg.

Annie, too, was likely a target. As a first-rank Dreamwalker, possibly second-rank now, she lacked both combat skills and defenses against assassinations.

Although Charlot trusted the Mecklenburg family to provide Annie with ample protection, he couldn’t shake the urge to return to Strasbourg to ensure her safety.

A third premonition from his Eye of Insight struck. Without turning his head, Charlot drew his Silver Rhino and fired.

Enhanced by Swiftstep Technique ×10, Charlot’s quick-draw shot was faster than his assailant’s. The Byron sniper barely had time to fire before Charlot’s anti-magic armor-piercing round shattered his skull.

Charlot remained rooted, swaying like a willow branch as the enemy’s final shot grazed past, creating another deep crater in the ground.

• Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.

Next Chapter >>>