"So, what exactly is it you're searching for?"
They had moved away from the site of the Cyclops's dismantling. The heavy scent of blood was a beacon for other predators, so Rei questioned Vihera as they navigated the labyrinthine corridors of the dungeon's fourteenth floor.
Vihera glanced at Byune, who was walking beside Seto and stroking his feathers with an unreadable expression. After receiving a small nod from the girl, Vihera spoke.
"A monster called a Jewel Sniper. It’s incredibly rare. There have been a few sightings reported in this dungeon over the years, but only a handful of adventurer parties have ever actually managed to kill one. A few days ago, word reached the surface that one was spotted here on B14F. We took a request from a merchant who wants it caught."
"Jewel Sniper...?"
Rei tilted his head. He hadn't seen that name in any of his research, nor had Pleiades mentioned it.
However, Elena had reached the same conclusion as Rei regarding the monster's nature. She spoke up before he could.
"I see. Like the antlion."
"...An antlion? What about that little bug?"
Elena had been the one to speak, but Vihera stepped closer to Rei as she asked, her manner intentionally provocative. It wasn't just a playful jab; she was clearly testing him. Since her battle with the Cyclops had failed to truly sate her bloodlust, she was likely hoping to goad Elena into a duel. Then again, she might have just enjoyed teasing them.
Rei, seemingly oblivious to the tension between the two women, nodded to Vihera.
"It wasn't a bug; it was a monster. Do you know that area on B13F where the Cactus and Cactus-modoki grow in thickets?"
"Yes. ...Don't tell me you actually went through there? That’s remarkably reckless. Or just a massive pain."
"We didn't realize how bad it was until we were in it. Anyway, once we cleared the cactus patch, we were ambushed by a monster that looked like a giant antlion."
To be precise, they had discovered the person responsible for creating the Anomaly Species and encountered the Failed Anomaly Species known as the Cactus-modoki, but Rei glossed over those details. He couldn't afford to be careless with that information.
"And you're calling that monster an antlion?"
"It’s just a name for convenience. I’m sure it has a proper classification. Regardless, it was a monster that didn't appear in any of the records—much like this Jewel Sniper you mentioned."
A flash of envy crossed Vihera's face. As a woman who lived for the thrill of the hunt, the prospect of facing unknown or rare monsters was intoxicating.
Understanding the look in her eyes, Elena addressed Vihera as the latter pressed close to Rei’s side.
"Unfortunately, we already dispatched the antlion. I doubt you'll get a chance to fight another one anytime soon."
"...I see."
Vihera’s expression twitched at Elena’s pointed remark, but Rei continued the conversation without missing a beat.
"So, does this merchant want the magic stone or some other part?"
"No, they want the whole thing. Preferably captured alive."
"Alive? That sounds like a headache. Even if you catch it, how are you supposed to carry it out?"
Rei asked because his mind was still filled with the image of the massive antlion they had fought—a beast larger than himself and even Seto. However, Vihera looked surprised before a smirk played on her lips.
"The Jewel Sniper is an insect-type monster, only about 10cm long. Finding it is the hard part, but once you have it, carrying it back is easy."
"An insect-type, only ten centimeters? That’s tiny. What rank is it?"
"Its physical ability isn't particularly high. If you can actually get close enough to touch it, even a D-Rank adventurer could catch it with ease. ...The problem is the 'getting close' part."
Perhaps Vihera's words acted as a trigger for fate.
"What do you mean by—" Rei began to ask, but a sudden prickle of alarm forced him to leap aside.
A hole, roughly ten centimeters wide, was instantly gouged out of the rock barely an inch from where Rei had stood a heartbeat before.
"Byune!" Vihera shouted.
"Nn!"
Rei rolled across the ground, regaining his footing as voices reached him. Vihera sounded more flustered than usual, and Byune’s voice was sharp with focus.
He scrambled behind a nearby boulder, and as if pursuing him, several more holes were blasted into the earth in quick succession.
"Damn it! What was that? Seto, Elena, are you okay!?"
"We are unharmed," Elena replied.
"Guruuu!"
Rei let out a breath of relief. The rock was large enough to shield several people. He looked around and confirmed that both Elena and Seto were right beside him. The moment he had leaped, they had reacted instantly. Elena had already drawn her whip-sword, ready for a counterattack even as she stayed low in the shadows.
"I wish you would have spared a thought for us, too," Vihera said, sliding into cover alongside Byune.
Despite the sudden ambush, Vihera didn't seem particularly eager to jump into the fray. She was remarkably composed. Noticing the confused looks from Rei and Elena, she shrugged.
"I know what you're thinking, but there's no point in getting excited for a fight when the enemy isn't within reach, right?"
"Not within reach? We're being sniped. For someone with your speed, Vihera, closing in on an archer or a mage shouldn't be that difficult."
"Fufu, normally you'd be right, Rei. But this enemy is different. ...Isn't that so?"
"Nn," Byune agreed with a short nod.
"I don't follow. How do you know?"
"It’s simple. We are being attacked from long-range... like this."
Vihera picked up a fist-sized stone from the ground and tossed it out from behind their cover. The moment it cleared the rock, something streaked through the air and shattered the stone into dust.
"Did you see where that came from? With your senses, Rei, surely you or Seto can feel a presence?"
"...No. Nothing."
"Guruuu," Seto warbled, agreeing with his partner.
Vihera didn't seem surprised. "That’s because it's not your fault. The one attacking us is our target: the Jewel Sniper. It has a gemstone embedded in its back that covers almost its entire body. It uses magic power to fire shots from that stone. ...Just like what you saw."
She pointed to the spot where the pebble had been obliterated.
"The power behind the shots is manageable—if you see it coming, you can dodge it, like Rei just did. The real nightmare is the range. It can fire from much further away than any bow or magic spell. And considering it’s only ten centimeters long, finding the shooter is nearly impossible."
Byune nodded solemnly, confirming the description.
"Further than a bow or magic... That is a problem."
"Yes," Elena added. "And this terrain is perfectly suited for it."
On the ground, adventurers were forced to follow the winding, maze-like paths carved into the rock. But a Jewel Sniper could sit atop the cliffs and pick them off from a distance that defied conventional retaliation. It was aptly named; the combination of the gemstone and its terrifying range made it the ultimate sniper.
However, that only applied to adventurers bound to the earth.
Rei quickly formed a plan. He tossed several stones out from their cover in rapid succession. Each time, a magic shockwave obliterated the target. By watching the direction the debris scattered, he calculated the sniper's likely position. A confident smile touched his lips.
"Vihera, Byune, let’s make a deal. I’ll capture this Jewel Sniper for you. In exchange, I want that Cyclops magic stone we just retrieved. What do you say?"
Truthfully, Rei didn't mind if they refused. If the deal fell through, he would simply kill the sniper and take its stone for himself. Given the monster’s unique abilities, there was a high probability that his Beast Magic would allow him to learn or enhance a shooting-type skill.
However, he found the Cyclops's magic stone more enticing. Unlike the long-range specialization of the sniper, the Cyclops represented raw, overwhelming power.
If the Death Scythe absorbs it, I might get Power Slash. If Seto takes it... maybe Poison Claw would level up? Or maybe something new? Regardless, Seto needs more physical attack-type skills. I doubt a C-Rank Monster would give us nothing, though it is a bit of a gamble.
While he weighed his options, Byune and Vihera huddled together. After a brief consultation, they turned back to him.
"And your answer?"
"We accept," Vihera said.
The deal was struck.
Vihera and Byune were on B14F specifically for this monster. Since it was so rare, refusing Rei’s help likely meant failing the quest entirely. Failure meant no reward, and worse, they would have to pay a thirty percent cancellation fee. For Byune, who was desperate for funds, that was out of the question. Trading away a magic stone from a monster they had defeated by chance was a small price to pay to ensure the success of their primary objective.
"Alright, Seto. You ready?"
"Gurulululu!" Seto gave a sharp, spirited cry.
Rei pulled the Death Scythe from his Misty Ring and vaulted onto Seto’s back as the gryphon crouched low.
"Magic Shield."
As the words left his lips, a translucent shield of light manifested beside him.
"Wait, what is that? Rei, you can use magic like that too?" Vihera asked, her eyes widening.
"It’s a barrier. It can block a single attack," Rei replied curtly. He gave Seto a light tap on the neck.
"Gurululululu!"
With a thunderous cry, Seto charged out from the shadow of the rock. After only a few strides of a run-up, he snapped his wings wide and soared into the air as if ascending an invisible staircase.
"A barrier that blocks attacks..." Vihera murmured as she watched their retreating figures. "Then why didn't he use it against me? If he had, he probably would have won our duel. Was he really holding back that much?"
Elena started to say something but thought better of it and remained silent. She had seen that duel through Iero’s eyes—or rather, she had experienced the memory later. She knew Rei hadn't been holding back when they fought hand-to-hand.
The Magic Shield he had just invoked, and the Flying Slash he used so often, were both skills granted to the Death Scythe through Beast Magic. But the secrets of that magic were too important to share with Vihera.
I only hope this doesn't cause a rift later, Elena thought, a faint sense of dread stirring in her heart.