Chapter 41: Gunner’s Ground, II

The Player known as Pea Shooter was a gold-rank power user. He always warmed up with casual matches before joining any ranked games.

“Argh!”

“You think you can join the army with this level of skill?” He sneered at his unconscious opponent with a grin on his face. Although they were “unconscious,” it simply meant their avatars couldn’t move; players could still hear what others said around them.

“Tsk! At least farm properly first.” With that, he finished off the prone player using his pistol and switched to a sniper rifle.

“Well then, let’s see…” The Player found himself inside a three-story building within a military base. After clearing out all other Players from the structure, he secured a prime sniping position.

This round is going well.

He’d acquired an eight-power scope sniper rifle early on this time around. It was as if he had been pushed toward playing as a sniper, and sniping just so happened to be his forte.

He settled himself by the window and scanned other buildings nearby.

I bet most of them have found their perches by now.

The initial skirmishes at the military base were over. In other words, all the weaklings had already been weeded out, leaving only the strongest players behind.

“I’ve got one!”

Just then, another Player appeared on the second floor of a building across from him. His opponent hadn’t spotted Kyungbok yet. He immediately held his breath and steadied his aim.

As he went to pull the trigger…

What?!

The player within his scope fell backward as he fired.

[PerfectPlay > M4A1 > GGOneTop (Headshot!)]

The kill message appeared simultaneously.

An M4A1?

It was a carbine rifle, not a sniper rifle. Did that mean they were inside the same building?

He hastily adjusted the zoom on his scope to scan the windows of nearby buildings when another player caught his eye from across the street.

I’ll take care of this one fir—

Just as he quickly realigned his sights, he heard another gunshot and saw yet another player die.

[PerfectPlay > M4A1 > SprayAndPray (Headshot!)]

Another kill notification popped up.

As soon as he spotted it, his instincts kicked in, and he hit the floor immediately.

Fuck… What is this?

The first victim hadn’t been inside their building either. So where was the shooter?

He glanced at the heads-up display indicating directions. The last gunshot had come from somewhere marked in red on the screen.

No, that’s…

Something wasn’t right. There was nothing located in the indicated direction. To be exact, all there was out there was a sports field with minimal cover.

Even for a newbie Gunner, knowing about concealment and cover was common sense, so naturally, one would avoid the open field.

A bug? No, that can’t be.

There couldn’t possibly be anything wrong with the system itself.

He took a quick breath, grabbed his sniper rifle, and pressed himself against the window. As he turned the scope toward the field…

“What…?”

There was someone within the magnified view of his scope, yet they had already been aiming at him as if expecting this moment. Another gunshot rang out, followed by the crack of shattering glass as the scope broke, plunging everything into darkness.

[Impossible. Well, I guess everyone has unlucky days.]

[Perfect Play >> M4A1 >> Pea Shooter (Headshot!)]

The death message appeared on top of it all.

“No way! What just happened?!” Player “Pea Shooter” could only spew curses.

Lee Kyungbok smiled faintly as he saw the system message.

-Crazyyyy…

-Emporo sniper, what?!

-It isn’t 4x zoom but a dot sight… How did you catch it?

-In addition, it’s another shot, another kill…

-I still can’t believe it despite seeing it! Hahaha

-Saw it? What could you see?

-Haha, Gadfly fired too quickly to know.

-The world only remembers results!

-T-That-Th-Th-Th…

-Stop joking around!

The viewers couldn’t hide their admiration. It defied common sense.

“I told you I was fine.” Lee Kyungbok spoke nonchalantly while observing the chat reactions.

-Going on the field is usually suicide haha

-Ah haha, that applies to mere mortals!

-LMAO, those who tried to stop him were proven wrong

—If Gadfly says it’s okay, then it is!

—Don’t trust common sense! Trust Gadfly!

—[Praise be!] [Amen.] (Prayer emoji)

There was one reason Lee Kyungbok had taken such a risk.

“When will he search each building to finish them off?”

His logic was that enemies would come out of hiding on their own once Kyungbok ventured into open space, making dispatching them easier.

—I didn’t know… I never expected this!

—Ah ha-ha-ha! He’ll shut everyone up from now on

—What level of skill is required to make everyone speechless like that?

—This man truly is a genius…

—Seeing him do it with his own hands leaves me speechless haha

—Please don’t try this at home.

—LOL They should put a warning disclaimer before airing this footage.

—Wait…but seriously, how did he manage that?

While viewers were busy chatting excitedly, Lee Kyungbok’s expression hardened as his intuition warned him that there was still one enemy left.

Is he trying to escape?

However, the ominous feeling gradually faded away. Lee Kyungbok swiftly sprang into action, causing question marks to flood the chat window due to his abrupt movement. At the same time, they heard the sound of a car engine revving.

-Look!

-He’s making a run for it!

-Ha! Wise decision

-Yep, gotta flee if you want to avoid certain death.

-That’s what survival is all about.

-I thought he’d be done for at the military base, but…

The audience expected the Player to make a clean getaway. After all, he had quite a head start with his vehicle. Even Purple didn’t seem capable of catching up to him.

I can catch him.

But Lee Kyungbok was a man who turned impossibilities into possibilities. He instantly entered his focused state and zeroed in on the moving vehicle with his perception ability. Every muscle fiber from his shoulder to arm, waist to supporting legs, followed his will. His body hardened like rock, allowing for precise aim without any waver.

If I wait until I have a clear shot, it’ll be too late.

His instincts extended outward, gathering information and relaying it back to him. The wind’s strength, the car’s speed and direction, as well as the time it would take for the bullet to reach its target—all these elements combined to form a mental image. It felt as if there were two vehicles, one leaving behind an afterimage indicating where the car would be when the bullet arrived.

Lee Kyungbok intuitively knew where his vehicle would be when the bullet arrived.

Right there!

The rest was routine—aiming and firing. The entire process took less than three seconds.

-Is he going to shoot now?

-But what is he aiming at?

-Why is he targeting empty space?

-Omg lmao will that work?

-I think Purple can hit it though lol

Most viewers in the chat couldn’t comprehend Lee Kyungbok’s actions, but some realized exactly what he was targeting.

With the sound of gunfire, the bullet instantly split through the air.

[A ‘Wanted: Escaped Convict’ has been knocked out by your M4A1 headshot!]

Soon after, the system message appeared. Apparently, the opponent had been wearing a helmet.

-????

-What? What just happened?

-He actually hit it?

-Wow haha insane lead shot haha

-Legit one-shot lead shot?!

-A true legend!

-I guess it’s basic for Jang Ochang?

-Wasn’t lead shot usually done with multiple shots?

-Is this guy like me…?

“Lead shot” was a technique where players anticipated their moving enemy’s next move and fired accordingly. It required accurately predicting the speed, direction, distance, and arrival time of bullets to succeed, making it quite difficult. As such, even skilled players tended to use rapid fire to increase their chances of hitting the target.

-Is he ex-special forces or something?

-Ha-ha! Did he train to hunt wild boars?

-???: I’m here to end this war

-Ha-ha-ha! One-shot lead shot using a dot sight—what a nutjob!

-Wow…his nickname is really fitting now.

-The noobs finally opened their eyes ha-ha-ha!

-Aha! His level is just on another tier.

-Huh? How did he do that?!

—Thanks to whoever tipped off Purple!

While his viewers were getting riled up, Lee Kyungbok took a deep breath. Perhaps it was because there weren’t any enemies nearby. He quickly tucked away his heightened senses as if they had been lying dormant all along.

Glancing at the chat, he frowned. “How did I do it, you ask? Just…shoot when you see them.” His response was curt.

Lee Kyungbok couldn’t articulate what he’d experienced anyway, and even if he tried, he instinctively knew no one would understand him.

—Ha-ha, he already told us everything earlier.

—What he means is, don’t look with human eyes but with God’s eye.

—The correct answer is reincarnation.

—Ah-ha, so the reset button was the key.

—Who said normal players can compete with OP ones? Ha-ha-ha!

—Is this some kind of open-book test?

—LOL, knowing something doesn’t mean you can actually pull it off.

—Haaahhhh! My deception skills are maxing out!

Lee Kyungbok chuckled at the viewers’ reactions and approached his parked car. When he opened the driver’s-side door, the unconscious Player tumbled to the ground.

“Oh boy, this old man must’ve had one too many!”

-LMAO

-WTF is with that joke?

-LOL, his true colors coming out again?!

-Typical of the president of Black Company LMAO

-This needs to be added to the Plant Wiki page LOL

The viewers eagerly took the bait when Lee Kyungbok joked about the Player looking like a passed-out drunkard. He grinned as he switched his grip on the gun to hold it upside down.

“Well then, let’s send him home safely.”

-Safe return (sarcasm)

-At least use a bullet on him!

-Ha-ha-ha, not worth wasting even one bullet on, huh?

-I never thought Gadfly was such a scary person.

-Trot users twisting things again LOL

With the audience distracted by their own banter, Lee Kyungbok finished off his unconscious enemy. As he moved to get back in the van, something caught his eye around the fallen Player’s waist.

“Are these smoke grenades? Oh, and you have hand grenades too?”

-Liar!! You said you’d send us home!

-Are you singing Arirang now?!

-WTF is with the Arirang song? LOLLLLLL

-Have you lost your marbles?! HAHAHAHAHA

Seeing his opportunity, Lee Kyungbok shrugged nonchalantly at the rushing viewers.

“I never said my safety net service was free, did I?”

This comment flooded the chat window with more laughter emojis. He casually loaded up on explosives before getting back into his vehicle.

“I’ve acquired full parts kits and plenty of ammo. With this much farming done, it’s time to rack up some kills.” Smiling brightly, he hit the accelerator.

-Wow LOL Gadfly declared war

-Why so scary ㅠㅅㅠ

-Killin’ smile (literally deadly grin)

-Yeop meta, goooooo!

-It’s not just Yeop, it’s [P][E][R][F][E][C][T]Yeop!

-Domhongcha! Domhongcha quickly!

The car headed straight for the bridge leading out of the military base. Due to abandoned cars and trucks littering the road, he couldn’t drive very fast.

Hmm?

As he crossed halfway over the bridge, something faintly prickled at his mind. He quickly scanned the area. Someone was definitely hiding nearby.

“If many people flock to the military base, there will be Players lying in wait here too.”

Lee Kyungbok’s comment elicited immediate reactions from viewers.

-Lol, true dat

-I was holding my breath thinking I’d get caught in a troll raid ㅋㅋㅋ

-Are checkpoint meta strategies still around these days?

-They’re still common in regular games ㅋㅋㅋ

“Oh, you call it the ‘checkpoint meta’?” Lee Kyungbok chuckled as he slowed down and eventually came to a complete stop. “I need to prepare since I don’t want to pay the toll fee.”

His next action caused countless question marks to flood the chat window.

-WTF ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-What is he doing now?

-Huh? What’s he implying?

-Is this a [P-P-P-Perfect Meta] moment?

-LMAOLOLOLOL This guy cracks me up LOLLLL

-Is he some kind of broadcasting genius?!

-Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

But once viewers saw the outcome, they were thrilled.

At the end of the bridge, behind an abandoned truck, one Player was lying in wait.

It’s about time they started showing up.

The checkpoint strategy had proven quite efficient thus far. Players emerging from the military base, a popular farming spot, were ripe for the picking, and he’d acquired plenty of loot when successful. The goal was to reap all the benefits without risking combat within the military zone itself.

However, those who survived the military base tended to be highly skilled, so it wasn’t entirely devoid of danger.

I need to finish them off before they get out of their cars.

Still, the odds favored the ambushing Player, as those crossing the bridge would inevitably have slower reaction times due to having to keep their hands on the wheel.

The worst-case scenario would be if his opponent didn’t use a vehicle at all, but even then, it’d still be worth it for Kyungbok.

Hmm? Here he comes…!

As Kyungbok waited, he heard something approaching from afar and immediately grabbed his assault rifle.

The sound of the car grew louder. He took a deep breath and leveled his gun toward its direction.

“Wh-what?!”

He was caught off guard by what appeared before him: a car emitting thick white smoke. The unexpected sight momentarily stunned him.

A smoke grenade? Did they just deploy a smoke grenade?

Kyungbok quickly assessed the situation. Judging by the speed of the car, it wasn’t being driven manually but had been propelled forward using inertia. Its intention was to conceal which seat the driver occupied with the smoke.

“What a funny guy.” With a snort, he pulled the trigger. Bullets flew at both the driver’s and passenger sides as gunfire echoed continuously. His magazine soon emptied with a click.

What’s going on?

He urgently took cover to reload his weapon. Since no messages about fainting or dying popped up, it seemed like the enemy was still fine.

I need to act quickly.

He cautiously focused on any sounds while waiting for the smoke to clear. Eventually, the haze dissipated, revealing the interior of the car.

“What is this…?”

Unexpectedly, there was nobody inside, either in the front seats or the back. He immediately trained his gun toward the rear of the vehicle.

Was the car just bait?

The earlier gunfire had likely been to reveal his position and possibly deplete Kyungbok’s ammo. If so, Lee Kyungbok was probably still crossing the bridge, so Ahjin hurriedly rushed toward the parked car.

Something caught his eye near the driver’s seat.

…An EMP rifle?

There lay a fully equipped assault rifle. But why would it be here?

“I’ve been waiting for you.” The voice came from the trunk as it popped open with a click. Startled, Ahjin spun around just in time to see…

A single gunshot rang out, sending him crashing backward.

[Perfect Play > P1911 > Farm or Die (Headshot!)]

Lee Kyungbok lightly jumped down from the trunk and stretched his fingers.

“Ha-ha-ha! Gotcha!”

-LMAO who would think someone was hiding in the trunk?!

-I missed it! LOL

-Only you could use a full-auto rifle like this!

-How did you even think to blow up smoke grenades inside the car?

-Is this Gunner Ground? What I’m doing here is…?

-The opponent must feel so hard done by LMAO

-Trot users, don’t try this at home. Got it?

-LMAO If you’re confident enough for a headshot upon opening the trunk, go ahead.

As his counter succeeded, the chat window filled with cheers. Lee Kyungbok felt great seeing how delighted his viewers were.

[The combat zone will be reduced! Hurry!] A system message popped up just then. Simultaneously, lightning began flashing across the clear sky.

-OH LMAO The magnetic field has activated

-Looks faster than usual?

-Gadfly swept through military training ㅋㅋ

-LOL, others will be confused like Kingri

As the number of survivors decreased, the magnetic field was activated. Lee Kyungbok immediately unfolded the holographic map.

“Hmm, it’s a bit far. First, let’s take the car…” After confirming the location of the safe zone, Lee Kyungbok trailed off as he turned towards his vehicle.

-Did you tune it to resemble a beehive?

-It seems likely to explode halfway if driven ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-The Grand Ventilation Edition

-What’s with the ventilation joke? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-From the moment this car started, it screamed ‘junk’ ㅋㅋ

The vehicle, used as bait, was in poor condition. Lee Kyungbok chuckled softly and grabbed only his assault rifle.

“Ah, there’s a bike over there.”

Fortunately, one of the bikes ridden by the Players who had ambushed him at the checkpoint remained behind. Although more vulnerable to gunfire compared to regular vehicles, it offered greater speed. Lee Kyungbok effortlessly mounted the bike and gripped the handlebars.

-Lol, Lol, Lol, Nice drawing.

-Kr… This is manly.

-Macho smell, Lol, Lol

-Ah, Lol, It looks like Sword Off Shotgun or…

-Or maybe Uzi would be good, Lol

-Lol, Lol, Holding it with one hand while riding a bike is so cool.

-Gadfly is like Guan Yu, so is this Red Hare?

-Red Horse, Lol, Lol, Lol, Lol, Lol

-Ugh, Lol, Lol, Even has Blaze decals on it

Lee Kyungbok immediately responded to the viewers’ chat messages:

“Let’s go! Yahoo!”

In response, the motorcycle revved its engine and started accelerating.

-Ugh, Lol, Lol, Great sense of humor

-Too awesome~

-Guan Yu forever!

-Hunting time!

-I’ll pursue you!

-What is the penetration power of the stone creatures?

-Newbie (7 kills)

-Ugh, Lol, Already 7 kills

-How many more will he kill?

The viewers were excited, unable to hide their anticipation. The formation of the magnetic field meant that other prey would soon gather.