Chapter 491
TL: xLordFifth
ED:
In the Silver Plains? Leeha inquired.
Yes! Its the land beyond the northwest border of Minis. If you go through the Silver Plains and keep heading north, you can reach the edge of the Shazrashian Federation, but its an area that cant be used as a normal passage route due to the monsters.
Silver Plains Can I get a map?
What do you take us for? Here! Ive marked the last known location of Chiyou and her expected movement trajectory. This should be all the information you need, right?
Leeha had rushed here immediately upon receiving the call from the Holy Grill. As always, Madam Joo had everything he needed ready, even before he asked.
Setting up a Holy Grill branch here was a stroke of genius.
Its mutualism for us. Increased foot traffic from your successful management benefits us.
Weve moved beyond mutualism to symbiosis. Im off now!
With a grin, Leeha left, followed by Madam Joos laughter.
Remember the tax benefits, okay?
Whether Leeha heard her final shout was uncertain as he was already heading to the warp gate, quickly familiarizing himself with the geography and landmarks of the Silver Plains.
Is she heading towards Shazrashian? No, that doesnt make sense. If she had diplomatic work in Shazrashian, she couldve just warped there. Why choose such a rough path?
If the Silver Plains were a buffer zone like the ones between Fibiel and Minis or Minis and Shazrashian, then it was a wide area with frequent monster appearances and no regular NPC management. Leeha quickly surmised Chiyous intent.
There could be a Shinobigumi safe house or even something more important, like a headquarters.
Chiyou, as the head of the organization, wouldnt show herself anywhere without reason. After leaving Fibiels palace, she had been visiting cities in Minis.
On the surface, she seemed to be just managing her taverns and restaurants, but all these activities were either for gaining experience, completing quests, or managing Shinobigumi. A leaders movements are always meaningful.
The Holy Grills intelligence couldnt provide detailed insights, but they kept track of her location. However, since she was within Minis cities, there was no opportunity to target her, making this the perfect chance in a place untouched by any watchful eyes, with only a few wandering monsters as witnesses.
I must kill her. Another opportunity like this might not come again.
Failure was not an option. If she managed to blend back into the city crowds or logged out, the remaining four days would be wasted.
For Leeha, this was likely his first and last opportunity.
Woosh! He warped to the northernmost city of Minis and hastened his pace.
Wait for me, Chiyou.
At the edge of his vision, the silver grass of the plains began to appear. The Silver Plains were near.
Shaa! A teal light flashed beside him.
Blaugrunn, perfect timing!
[Kyuu, kyuu?]
I was about to call you anyway. Good, youre here.
Blaugrunn circled around Leehas head. Leeha quickly grabbed and hugged Blaugrunns tail, silencing him with a soft shh.
We need to be cautious now. Theres nothing in sight yet, but you never know.
[Kyu.]
Blaugrunn whispered back softly. The entrance to the Silver Plains was devoid of monsters and any hiding places. If Leeha couldnt be spotted, then nobody else could spot him either.
Still, be cautious. Mana Insight.
A brief noise followed, and Leehas eyes could now detect entities accumulating internal mana. Tiny dots, definitely far away, moved about in the distance.
Dont worry about the monsters. No users around.
The worst-case scenario for Leeha would have been Shinobigumi members positioned nearby. Fortunately, the surroundings were tranquil.
Lets go.
Kyuu!
Blaugrunn nestled against Leehas chest.
Kyuu, kyuu!
Jellypong suddenly reached out and grabbed Blaugrunn. Leeha, with his free hands, loaded a magazine into his Black Bass and continued his pursuit.
The Silver Plains lived up to their name with silver grasses and other similarly hued flora. Near the Shazrashian border, this area was known for cold-attribute monsters. There were even rumors of a recent dragon lair sighting in the uncharted areas beyond the plains.
Was it a Silver Dragon? No, that was somewhere else. Dragons seem to be appearing more frequently lately.
In Middle Earth, frequent dragon appearances might indicate either an increase in players skills or subtle changes in the games settings. Leeha remembered this fact but couldnt determine its cause.
Anyway, no dragons should appear around here. If its a Silver Dragon, great, if its a metal dragon, its on my side.
Leeha rustled the map given by Madam Joo. While the monsters in the Silver Plains were formidable, they werent Chiyous hunting targets. She would likely avoid the main monster habitats, and Madam Joo had noted these locations on the map.
Using Mana Insight to scan for anomalies and Eagle Eye and scope for further clarification, Leeha knew he couldnt afford to fail this hunt. He had to succeed at all costs.
Continuing cautiously, Leeha finally caught a small mana dot moving sluggishly in the distance, distinct from the surrounding monsters. He raised his scope and smiled.
Bingo.
Chiyou had come into view. On a whim, Leeha even tried using the Marking skill.
High-level players often use items to prevent marking and screenshotting, but these are merely preventative measures. They dont alert the player that someone attempted such actions. Therefore, theres no risk of being caught if marking fails.
What?
This time was different. The T1 notation on Madam Joos map indicated that Chiyou had been marked.
Why didnt she use a marking prevention item? Is she really the head of Shinobigumi? Well, its still an assumption, but still
Perhaps this was why the Holy Grills agents could track her.
[Kyuu?]
Intriguing, isnt it?
[Kyuu.]
Blaugrunn looked at the map and then at Leeha with wide eyes. For Leeha, this was an unexpected stroke of luck. Unless he removes the marking, he can track her movements for at least three days in Middle Earth time.
But I cant wait that long. If she retreats to Minis palace, its over.
Leeha didnt need three days. He just needed to determine the best sniping spot in the Silver Plains and her final stop. Then his instincts would do the rest.
Leeha didnt rush. He continuously monitored and tracked her, comparing the real-life view with the map, using his scope and Eagle Eye skill, ensuring she didnt make any sudden moves.
One step at a time
It was a tedious task hours of waiting and observing. But as long as Chiyou kept moving, pinpointing a sniping spot was difficult. Leeha knew this well. Assassination required patience.
If she were a monster, he could shoot from this distance, but Chiyou was no ordinary person. Leeha wasnt willing to take that risk.
Where is she heading? Why is she moving so slowly? Is she going to a dungeon?
At the entrance of the Silver Plains, there were some ordinary users. They were forming parties and hunting, likely too far to recognize either Leeha or Chiyou.
Now, those users were no longer in sight.
It was just the plains, Chiyou, and Leeha. When Chiyous slow walk finally stopped after hours, it felt abrupt to Leeha.
Why here? Leeha wondered, surveying the area dense with waist-high silver grass and a shallow hill marked by a large rock. He quickly compared the map from Madam Joo with Chiyous position.
He calculated the angles, the best cover for himself, the safest spots for positioning, and the optimal sniping location. All these calculations were completed in just 3 seconds.
Okay. Lets go.
Kyuu.
Identifying his sniping spot, Leeha made eye contact with Blaugrunn, then stealthily started moving. It took him roughly 38 minutes to reach his chosen spot, during which Chiyou remained motionless.
Suddenly, someone approached Chiyou.
Whos that? Leeha zoomed in with his scope. It was Sasuke meeting Chiyou in the Silver Plains. This confirmed Leehas suspicions Chiyou was indeed the head of Shinobigumi.
Their meeting indicated important, confidential information, something not even other Shinobigumi members could know. Sasuke, a high-ranking figure, must be delivering something crucial directly to Chiyou, hence choosing such a secluded location.
Leehas guess soon turned into reality as Sasuke handed Chiyou something that looked like a piece of paper.
Chiyou paused to read it, providing Leeha the perfect opportunity. She had to be still while reading, making her an easy target.
End of the line, Chiyou.
Leeha was camouflaged among dark-brown tree trunks, his Black Basss barrel peeking out, virtually invisible.
He adjusted the scope already set for the shot. The wind was strong, but Leehas bullets ignored wind speed and direction. His posture was steady, lying prone with an optimal firing angle.
He took extra precautions, using the skill Calm Mind for supreme stability.
Leehas finger started to move, barely millimeters away from the trigger point. Then he saw something through the scope Chiyou was looking directly at him.
A thunderous shot echoed across the plains.
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