Game’s Dogma - Chapter 339: Sniping

“Young man! Follow me!” Oda Nobunaga shouted as his black horse drew an arc around the Akechi army and sliced into it.

“Stay close!” Drako Yau ordered through the squad channel.

As the mount system wasn’t available, they could only keep up with the horse by running. Everyone tore apart an Agility Scroll and charged behind Oda Nobunaga. Zephyrwolf proudly summoned Nene and laughed while overtaking his companions into the enemy lines.

Drako Yau’s Godly Spearmaster class was best suited for group battles. On the other hand, Zephyrwolf’s Demon Wolf Hero was particularly effective at charges. He and Nene dashed past Akechi soldiers like a streak of black lightning, tearing open a path of blood and gore with his scimitar.

While Danting wasn’t great at wars, he did splendidly to position himself as a semi-support player. He picked off enemies that slipped past Zephyrwolf’s charge. Corpses and blood splattered everywhere they passed by. Led by the two, Oda Nobunaga travelled safely even though they were within enemy territory.

Suddenly, Drako Yau’s decelerated world under Frost Form shuddered violently. Ripples spread throughout his vision, twisting the sky, the wind, and everything. Something tore apart the space before him.

“Zephyrwolf! Fall back!”

Before Drako Yau could finish his sentence, a bullet blasted through the air and struck Zephyrwolf.

It was the Level 35 Ranger skill, Sun Shot! As the most powerful single target skill on the ranger skill tree, it only got all the more deadly when paired with Sniper Rifle Mastery’s buff. A shot was all that was needed to reap a life from 700 metres away.

Click-clack. Hawk pulled the bolt back to eject the spent cartridge and pushed it forward to chamber in a new cartridge.

“Eh?” Hawk suddenly murmured.

Oblivious to what was happening 700 metres away, Tong asked, “What’s wrong?”

“How did he survive that?” Hawk replied with a question while immediately preparing for the next shot.

Zephyrwolf stumbled to the ground clumsily. Nene had disappeared and returned to his item bag as a summoning token; he could only summon it again after thirty minutes. He was utterly stunned. Nene the demon wolf king had more Health than most players and was affected by the passive skill Wolven Blood that further increased its Health by forty per cent. It was even sturdier than a typical paladin—yet the shot had instantly ended it.

Nene subconsciously felt a wave of danger and moved on its own accord. Its sudden change in direction caused the shot to land on it instead of Zephyrwolf.

Scary! Drako Yau focused his eyes, as if they could gaze through the army into the distance.

“A ranger! One with a strange encounter quest skill. His attack range is around six hundred to eight hundred metres. Dan and Strider, take him out. I’ll fill in the gap,” ordered Drako Yau.

Drako Yau immediately took on the role of leading the charge while Danting, who fully trusted his boss, did as commanded right away. Windstrider also nodded and followed behind.

“That person… wears a mask,” Hawk said after a brief silence. His vision had been greatly enhanced after obtaining Sniper Rifle Mastery.

Tong was also at a loss for words. The name “Mask” was now known throughout the Western server as the Divine King’s publicly acknowledged nemesis. To the Western players, Mask was their greatest foe. However, how could they dream of taking on an enemy who could rival their Divine King?

“I want to try,” Hawk said.

Tong understood it right away. “I’ll hold them back.”

Seven hundred metres wasn’t that far, nor was it too close either. Regardless, the subjective nature of length mattered not to Hawk; it meant nothing to him.

Some called Hawk the best ranger on the Western server, but the definition of “best” varied based on circumstances. If Hawk fought any other ranger with a 700-metre distance between them, he’d win nine out of ten times. However, he had practically zero chance of victory when the fight started with an enemy within fifty metres.

No matter what, Hawk’s strength could not be dismissed. His ability to take out targets in an army from afar was one to be feared.

Suddenly, Drako Yau felt a chill down his spine. The world rippled and shuddered once again.

It’s coming again! This time it’s me!

The bullet sounded like crackling thunder upon being fired. It drew a crimson path, tearing apart the air and whizzed down range—Heart-Piercing Shot! Although it was just a Level 15 skill, many rangers levelled it up to max level for its short cooldown, quick cast speed, and penetrative power.

Drako Yau was startled. He immediately shrouded his legs in flames and mist, clear indications of the activation of Flame Form and Empyreal Dragon Step to their maximum potency. The bullet grazed his armour and drew a flaming streak on it before travelling through four Oda soldiers.

“Dan, Strider, speed up. He’s strong enough to threaten me. Poet, you go too. Greenstone, I fear that he might switch targets, so focus your attention on Nobunaga and me. Dumbgirl, time to work. Go open up a path for us. Sasaki, watch our backs.”

Drako Yau’s burst of orders changed their formation in no time. Meanwhile, Zephyrwolf’s combat prowess had gone down by over eighty per cent due to the loss of Nene, so he could only skirmish around Oda Nobunaga for now.

Rear guards might seem inconspicuous in a squad, but their role was of paramount importance, especially in beheading missions like this one.

Oda Nobunaga kept breaking through the Akechi army at high speed, leaving behind a sea of soldiers trying to strike him down from behind. Sasaki kept charging while blocking off enemy soldiers who got too close. His task wasn’t to go on a killing spree; instead, he needed to keep their backs clear of enemies who could threaten them. Sasaki Kojirou’s katana inheritance used a lengthier version of the katana and placed a heavy emphasis on sliding footwork. Sasaki could slide along with slashes and strikes, making him perfect for kiting enemies in a charge. Drako Yau had given him the role for this reason. His agile footwork and extended attack range made him the perfect candidate.

Sasaki might be keeping a low profile most of the time, but he certainly wasn’t a burden in the slightest.

Oda Nobunaga paid no attention to Drako Yau’s predicament despite noticing it. He was seemingly in a trance once the story began to flow its course. He focused his gaze solely in one direction—the place where Akechi Mitsuhide was.

Dumbgirl began making her move as well. Having practised Dragon Seeker for so long, she was now a properly tempered fighter. Her limited skill options also led her to level up Dragon Subduing Art, Cloak of the Golden Bell, and Traceless Soaring Dragon a fair bit. Drako Yau advised against levelling up Dragon Capturing Hand due to its complicated usage and difficulty in landing a hit.

A sword aura cut towards her rapidly out of the blue. She reacted instantly with Traceless Soaring Dragon. For every level, it granted her a passive buff of ten per cent movement speed and short-range shifting range. The buff was currently at thirty per cent as she had levelled it up to Level 3.

Dumbgirl shuffled her legs and sidestepped just in time to dodge the sword aura. She was forced to stop her charge, for two people stood in her path.