#511

True Worth of the Sniper (4)

Maya’s sudden and pointed statement pierced through to the core. 

However, Lennok, rather than appearing surprised, simply gazed at her. He thought that if she, who had never done anything unnecessary until now, chose to remain behind until the end, there must be a reason. 

Perhaps she still had personal business in this city, or maybe she had sensed something from Lennok, who had seemed indifferent until now.

Maya was a monster who had reached level 8, transcending rank. She was once considered the top enforcer in the renowned mechanical city known for its sophistication and complexity. The fact that this enforcer, who should not have even crossed paths with him, had now set foot in Pandemonium was nothing short of a bizarre coincidence. 

Just like in the Labyrinth before, it wouldn’t have been strange for something unexpected to happen in Lennok’s plan.

"I don’t know your identity, your magic, or your origins, but I can sense it. You know who I am."

Maya stared at the silent mask of Lennok with an expressionless gaze.

"And I probably know you too."

"..."

"No, perhaps it wasn't even during the Labyrinth incident... your presence is strangely faint. But this subtle sense of unease... there's no mistake; I've spoken to you directly before."

Her intuition was chilling. 

Despite minimal contact, this monster was identifying Lennok’s true nature purely based on her instincts.

The reason she mentioned the Labyrinth but couldn't be certain was because Lennok’s presence and mana patterns were that unnaturally distorted.

Yet, Maya, almost confident in her own senses, continued questioning Lennok.

"If you joined under someone’s recommendation, you have nothing to do with my goals. I won’t bother with you. But…"

Maya’s eyes suddenly gleamed menacingly.

"If you interfere with my work for any reason, I'll cut you down. Understood?"

Lennok chuckled calmly.

"That's not something to say for a ghost still trapped in the failure of the Ascension Gate."

"...!!"

The veins on the back of Maya’s hand bulged as she met Lennok’s gaze beyond the mask.

Whoosh!!

A chilling killing intent tightened around a single target, as if intending to strangle Lennok to death. Yet, the murderous aura dissipated as if it had never existed.

The remarkable level of emotional control even impressed Lennok internally.

Maya glared through Lennok's obsidian mask before slowly turning her back.

"Anyone who remembers me from the Ascension Gate would know."

"..."

"I'm no longer bound by rules and laws. I’ll reclaim the mistakes I’ve made, by any means necessary. Even if that mistake is like..."

Water spilled over a sea of darkness.

Maya muttered this as she vanished in an instant.

With a movement as astonishing as spatial teleportation, she had already vanished beyond Lennok's sensory range with a single leap. 

He had some understanding of why an enforcer from the Mechanical City was so fixated on the past. It was likely because the failure of the Ascension Gate in Machina was such a bitter tragedy that it completely transformed Maya Renslet as a person.

Currently, Lennok was too busy investigating the Black Consumer Project to worry about Machina, but he did hold a certain interest in the Ascension Gate of the Mechanical City. After all, Gearside, which had once opposed Lennok, had managed to elevate Major General Edmus Treffen of the Defense Force to level 8 just by feeding off the remnants of that project. 

Any project aimed at achieving ascension was always fraught with danger, yet it also embodied grand ideals. Even the traces of such projects could be meaningful indicators for sorcerers like Lennok.

After briefly looking back at where she had disappeared, Lennok immediately leapt from the theater rooftop, landing atop one of the departing trains that had just started moving.

Screeech!!!

He landed on the tail car of the train that rapidly rolled along the tracks, minimizing the impact using his mana and levitation magic, then clung to the roof as he gazed at the sky.

Whoooosh!!!

Countless black flashes, barely visible against the dark night sky, poured down relentlessly like a rain of death.

“This is truly absurd…”

The rain of magical arrows dominating the theater district was so far beyond Lennok’s expectations that he couldn’t help but mutter to himself. 

The power, range, speed, and precision—all of it was overwhelming. The arrows even adjusted their trajectory in real-time to pursue the trains scattering from the theater in all directions. 

Lennok had considered Evelyn Marcia a skilled archer, but he hadn’t expected her to reach this level of mastery.

No, even for Evelyn, executing such a large-scale bombardment alone would require significant preparation. She would need thousands of arrows, each imbued with mana, to carry this out—a near-unimaginable level of exertion.

The fact that the bombardment was still ongoing was miraculous in itself, but even so, it would be impossible for her to move from the sniping position.

While suppressing his presence, Lennok deflected Evelyn's descending arrows.

Clang!!!

Evelyn, who continued firing arrows from outside the city, must have sensed that the presence in Pandemonium was dispersing rapidly. There was a high chance that she would soon shift from merely launching a wide-area rain of arrows to more direct measures. Given her prowess, superior to any other archer Lennok had encountered, she would almost certainly—

'Try to snipe me directly…!'

Shiiing!!

A chilling black flash grazed past Lennok’s face. 

Amid the darkened skies of the satellite city, a barely visible, razor-sharp projectile fiercely aimed at Lennok's throat. 

Lennok had been prepared for this from the moment he sensed the mana. As if expecting it, he leaned backward, using his mana to deflect the arrow’s trajectory.

The arrow narrowly missed the train’s track and pierced the road surface nearby, scattering asphalt fragments everywhere with a tremendous impact.

Boom!!

Instead of merely targeting the individuals on the train, the attack aimed to damage the train’s track as well. As Lennok quickly secured himself to the roof with Magic threads and made his way inside the train, he pondered.

‘So, she’s not aiming directly at the tracks after all.’

Even if the tracks were targeted, the damage would be limited. All the members of the Pandemonium gathered for this settlement were capable enough to temporarily replace any broken tracks. 

Since Evelyn couldn’t afford to unleash powerful snipes continuously, she was likely aiming for points that would either ensure a hit or impede pursuit. In fact, the fact that she had already managed to identify Lennok’s presence on this particular train and attempted a snipe was impressive.

Shiiing!!

Another shot followed as if it had been waiting for Lennok’s response. Perhaps Evelyn had shifted her focus after observing Lennok’s reaction. 

However, this time, rather than diverting Evelyn’s snipe in another direction, Lennok allowed it to strike untouched.

An arrow, akin to the harpoon that once pierced Vernon, sliced through the night sky, penetrated the train’s ceiling, and spun wildly, stirring the metal as if it were water.

Boom!!

The train’s midsection buckled upward, veering off the track entirely. The chassis twisted violently, and fragments of the train’s structure flew in all directions. 

As old seats and luggage compartments floated up, Lennok was also lifted into the air. In the brief instant before the impact reached its peak, Lennok’s body disappeared.

Flash!!

Lennok had used teleportation to quickly escape outside the train, swinging himself sideways with Magic threads. He then landed on another train that was passing nearby.

Screech!!

[Currently, there are 64 trains in operation. The next three trains that will intersect in this vicinity are Line 5, Line 27, and Line 83.]

Davi reported from the still-active system in Lennok’s arms.

[Would you like me to provide specific contact times?]

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

Lennok responded, his face pale, as he turned his gaze while still clinging to the train's roof.

“At this rate, Evelyn will likely realize it’s more cost-effective to target something else rather than me…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Lennok abruptly stopped and hurled himself off the train. 

Despite the somewhat awkward movement, Lennok’s body, freed from Magic threads, was flung out of the train in an instant. At the same time, a brilliant flash swept through the spot where he had just been.

Flash!!

[Found one.]

A broad-shouldered figure appeared, clad in a sharp metal suit, with a dark blue visor covering their face. The deep, ocean-like glow indicated that this was one of the Aegis operatives—one Lennok had never encountered before.

[Unidentified manipulation-type sorcerer. Based on traces left in the operatives' database, it’s likely a dual-system user.]

“……”

The figure emitted explosive mana, as if ready to burst at any moment, an overwhelming and fierce aura that seemed uncontrollable.

Adjusting the visor awkwardly, the operative nodded toward Lennok’s floating figure as if preparing for battle.

[Combat capabilities and battle intelligence are presumed to be highly precise. Initiating capture and extraction assessment now.]

Suddenly, the operative launched forward, stepping through the air as if on solid ground, aiming directly at Lennok.

Crack!!

The magic formation beneath their feet propelled them upward, and the visor-clad operative soared toward Lennok with a spinning motion. Ripples of force traveled down their arm, twisting their shoulder and driving a piercing blow toward Lennok's solar plexus.

Boom!!

A burst of light exploded in mid-air, illuminating the space above the racing train. The two silhouettes twisted and flashed between the high-rise buildings of the ghost city, cutting through the darkness.

[Do not run!]

“……!!”

Ratatatatat!!

The visor-wearing figure deftly twisted in the air, a gray radiance flashing around them. A barrage of bombardments and cutting spells morphed into various beams of light aimed directly at Lennok.

With agile movements, Lennok skillfully dodged, using his Magic threads to anchor himself to nearby buildings and executing evasive maneuvers.

Shadowy figures flickered as the Shadow Robe weaved through the barrage of flashing lights.

‘The sense of balance…!!’

In the midst of these frantic movements, Lennok couldn't avoid the twisting feeling in his gut. Even with the enhanced condition provided by the "Tears of the Archangel," such an intense battle was practically a suicide mission.

However, he had no way to change the current mid-air situation while evading the opponent's attacks.

‘I have less than ten teleports left. Wasting them here might make escaping Byrutz impossible.’

What he needed wasn’t just motion sickness medicine—it had to be something far stronger. In his inverted position, Lennok gritted his teeth and fumbled through his belongings. At the end of his Magic threads, he pulled out a painkiller potent enough to paralyze the inner ear itself. It would eliminate the twisting sensation or any sense of imbalance, but it would also render him incapable of maintaining balance during its effects.

Without a moment's hesitation, Lennok chewed and swallowed the pill.

"……!!"

Simultaneously, dozens of Magic threads spread from Lennok’s robe, latching onto the nearby building walls. He rapidly retracted the threads, adjusting his speed and trajectory.

Shiiing!!

In an instant, Lennok twisted through the air like a snake, closing the distance to the visor-wearing opponent. The blue-visored figure, as if anticipating this move, swung a full-force punch toward Lennok as he approached. 

However, the blade of compressed wind that burst forth from the figure’s forearm didn’t touch Lennok’s robe.

[You bastard…!!]

Realizing that Lennok was headed toward one of the still-intact trains, the visor-wearing figure quickly turned around. In that moment, through a window of the adjacent building, a glimpse of an incendiary device affixed behind the visor caught Lennok's eye.

Boom!!

A dazzling blaze exploded mid-air. Lennok, without a second glance at the explosion above him, landed directly atop another train. He rolled into the passenger compartment, tumbling across the floor.

Thud!!

“Ugh…!!”

The painkiller that eliminated his sense of balance was working as expected—it was difficult to even stand. Despite groaning in pain, Lennok forced Magic threads through his limbs to lift himself up. It felt as if he were puppeteering himself, his limbs moving like marionette strings.

He replaced manual control with perfect mental command, dividing his range of control down to the finger joints. Moving slowly but steadily, Lennok grabbed a nearby seat and pushed himself upright, rolling his neck as he began to walk.

‘It’s much less uncomfortable than I thought…’

It wasn’t as if he had taken the drug recklessly. Lennok knew that, sooner or later, he’d need to attempt this type of bodily control in real combat to advance. Until now, he had relied on transcendental intuition and mind games in close-range encounters, but he might one day be forced into physical combat despite his weak body.

In that case, using Magic threads to control his own movements would be more effective than depending on his inadequate reflexes.

Inspired by the Puppeteer, Chevien, Lennok decided to test this technique on himself before the inspiration faded. As he quickly approached the front of the train, he spoke up.

“What’s the status of the intersecting railways nearby?”

[Line 6 and Line 47 will intersect in 2 minutes 5 seconds; Line 21 in 3 minutes 38 seconds.]

“Good.”

With that, Lennok flung open the control room’s door and tampered with the train’s operational system before turning his gaze to the sky.

“That should be enough time.”

Boom!!

An imposing figure crashed down at the edge of the train, striding toward Lennok with heavy steps. While parts of the suit were scorched, the dark blue visor remained intact.

Lennok had expected that his opponent wouldn’t be taken down by such an explosion.

[Trying to be clever, huh? Did you really think you could evade pursuit with mere tricks like that?]

Clang, clang!!

The train rattled along the dark night tracks, cutting through the heart of the satellite city. Mysterious runic symbols flickered and vanished behind the approaching visor-wearer.

It was clear that this Aegis operative had acquired new sorcery techniques beyond their innate abilities, suggesting additional powers gained for this operation.

[The external reinforcements brought in for this mission aren’t limited to Missile alone. Now that I’ve got you in my sights, there’s no escaping.]

“Is that so?”

Lennok smirked.

“But I never mentioned Missile. It was you who revealed that.”

[Since the moment the rain of arrows was unleashed, it was unavoidable that our forces would be exposed.]

The visor-wearer’s forearms ignited like molten lava as they gripped a nearby seat, melting it instantly.

With the doorway dissolved, the visor-wearer stepped into the same compartment as Lennok, nodding as if signaling readiness for a final confrontation.

[It’s enough if we can capture Pandemonium’s specialist sorcerer and analyze his techniques. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t capture Doctor himself, but this is still a worthy gain.]

“You sure took a long way around to say you were too afraid of Maya Renslet to interfere,” Lennok remarked, adjusting his mask toward the silent blue visor.

“I know there was a mole inside the Pandemonium. You had plenty of chances to intervene. You never really aimed for Doctor from the start, did you?”

[……]

“Or rather, you did target him, but you didn’t have high hopes. It’s not surprising if your interest lies more in the byproducts than in Doctor himself.”

Lennok smirked at the unresponsive opponent.

“Aegis agents are allowed to extract and use the techniques of the members they capture, right? If that’s the rule, it would explain your petty obsession here. What do you think?”

[Hmph…]

Crack…!!

The visor-wearer bent their overheated fingers one by one, their voice low and sinister as they let out a chuckle.

[I can probably only give you that answer after I drag your corpse back to Vulcan. Are you okay with that?]

“Sure. What difference does it make?” 

Lennok, chuckling coldly, tightened his grip on the Magic threads.

Swish!!

Dozens of shimmering Magic threads spread throughout the half-wrecked compartment, attaching to Lennok’s robe and controlling his body like a puppet.

Whoosh!!

With just a slight nod, Lennok dodged the black arrow that pierced through the window.

As the visor-wearer momentarily hesitated at Lennok’s strange movement, Lennok let out a faint laugh and asked, “Why don’t we just ask him directly? Isn’t that right, traitor?”