The Villain is Too Good at Sniping

24. Full Moon Night (3)

I once saw a post on the community forum.

It was a boastful post about clearing the first chapter of the dormitory’s ghost story in the shortest time possible.

To prove it, they even uploaded a video of themselves clearing it within 20 minutes, complete with elaborate graphics and expert-level Excel tables.

One phrase still lingers in my mind.

[This route is optimized for efficiency and time reduction, aiming for the fastest clear time.]

Back then, there were very few strategy guides, so this boastful post received numerous recommendations and even became a main banner on the community forum.

And among the many negative reactions to the post, one comment that received a lot of dislikes and was eventually blocked stood out.

└Your build is inefficient. The route is unnecessarily complicated. I can clear it within 10 minutes if I do it my way.

……Now it feels like a dark past, but it was a comment I wrote.

└Can you really clear it within 20 minutes? How?

└Stop being arrogant and just admit you’re good… seriously

└What’s the point if you can’t even provide proof?

Needless to say, the reactions were not positive. I said I could clear it within 10 minutes, but I didn’t actually provide proof.

Of course, I tried to upload it, but the file was too large and I couldn’t upload it.

The next day, when I found the post again after the electricity was restored, I had already been banned by the administrator.

It’s one of the many injustices I suffered in my past life.

The first chapter of the original story, where Serin Anett appears as the boss, is not particularly difficult.

The entrance exam is just a brief episode that serves as a prologue, while the first chapter is like a tutorial that teaches new players the unique mechanics of “Grimoire Tales.”

Players encounter the main characters while going through the “Dormitory’s Ghost Story” and learn the game’s controls. Building relationships with the main characters is just a bonus.

It’s not even that hard, and it gets even easier with multiple playthroughs.

Originally, including cutscenes, it would take around 20-30 minutes to complete, but from the second playthrough onwards, players naturally develop an optimized route.

It’s impressive how hard the developers worked on this. Players who initially followed the main characters’ backs in the first playthrough begin to take the lead from the second playthrough onwards.

“…Is it crowded on the first floor too?”

“……”

Yeah, that’s the real problem.

The situation has changed, and the build that worked for a 10-minute clear is no longer effective.

Lara Stillheid originally senses the strange magical energy flowing through the dormitory and later joins the main characters after understanding the situation.

It’s a fact that the original story unfolded in a certain way.

When I first met Lara Steelhyden, I felt it too, but there’s no guarantee that the episodes I knew from the original story would unfold in the same way in this world.

The original game, composed of 0s and 1s, has become reality. And in reality, there are naturally many variables.

Like the butterfly effect, a small change can trigger a major event, and a simple change of heart can overturn a plan.

Even if I knew, my knowledge is limited to what I saw through the monitor. It’s confined to what was implemented in the game or written in the setting collection.

I don’t know the parts that weren’t described in the original story. I can’t know the trivial details, like what the protagonist ate for breakfast, what time they woke up, or who they talked to.

…It’s not something to say at a time like this, but sometimes reality exceeds the creative work. This is exactly that kind of situation.

“Let’s see for now…”

I heard that the Chanelia dorm’s first floor is filled with ghosts.

I quietly prepared my Glock. I removed the loaded magazine and inserted a new one.

Click—

Originally, I had prepared fire-attribute magic bullets to counter Serin Anette’s ice attribute. I thought I could suppress her with the attribute advantage. However, if the opponent is a spirit, the build changes.

The magic bullets I prepared might not work. There are over 50 types of spirits, and it’s impossible to match all their attributes.

Not only is it realistically impossible, but my main weapon, the gun, also has a poor cost-benefit ratio.

That’s why guns are treated as entertainment builds. Guns are only effective when pushed to the extreme, and they have various drawbacks, such as firepower and ammunition supply issues.

From that perspective, Lara Steelhyden was the worst opponent for me.

The surprise attack during the entrance exam worked, but it won’t work a second time.

Even if I use a dagger to induce close combat, it would just be a futile effort now that spirits are rampant. Unlike spirits that receive mana from nature, my mana is limited.

If I engage in a war of attrition, I’ll eventually become exhausted and defeated.

However, that’s a problem unique to me, a support.

The swordsmen, Aire and Kail, are different. So is Serin Anette. So, the one who should face the boss is not me, but Kail Ivanstear.

Based on my intuition, the source of the mana fluctuation is the adjacent dorm, Titania.

I used [Observer’s Eye] to survey the corridor.

A faint mana residue lingered, stretching out like a trail. Lara Steelhyden, who has become the boss of this chapter, might be at the end of it.

I don’t know why Lara Steelhyden faced Banse. I don’t know what strange causal relationship existed, but it’s a matter to be investigated after this incident is over.

“Why are you attacking each other?”

“Right now, I’m possessed, so my body’s owner has changed. Look.”

A possessed student typically has red eyes. It’s a fact that’s obvious even without clairvoyance.

“That’s right. There’s definitely something strange… Wait?!”

Kaang—

The attack flying towards me was blocked by Aire’s sword. Aire, who had been momentarily stunned, stood frozen.

“Don’t be afraid.”

“Ah, yes…”

The student, with red eyes, was charging towards us, screaming. They were literally “berserk.”

Since they didn’t care about their own body, they would keep attacking until they were stopped. They would continue to attack until their weapons were disarmed and they were neutralized.

The method to put a possessed person to sleep is simple. If you apply a certain amount of physical force, the spirit will leave the body to find a new host.

I reloaded my Glock.

The slide was pulled back, but the cartridge didn’t eject.

This time, I loaded a magic bullet, not a regular bullet. It was a low-lethality, magic-only bullet designed for suppression.

It was the first time I actually used [Magic Bullet Shooter], but since it was non-lethal, I had no reason to hesitate. I immediately fired the magic bullet at his thigh.

Taang!

“Ugh!”

The gunshot was loud, but the guy only stumbled back momentarily.

The shockwave from the magic bullet was practically non-existent, and its firepower was more like a shockwave. This was why it was necessary in situations like this.

“What?!”

Iriga’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden gunshot, but soon realized I hadn’t fired a real bullet and narrowed one eye.

The opponent who got hit was still struggling, but still in a viable state.

I fired two more shots at his chest before he could regain his stance, and then aimed at his forehead and pulled the trigger.

Two shots to the torso, and one to the head.

This was the “Mozambique Drill” I learned from Esperando, a pistol shooting technique that had become second nature to me.

Apparently, three shots were the limit, as the opponent couldn’t take it anymore and collapsed.

“Did we subdue him?”

“No.”

I stopped Iriga from approaching. I wanted to subdue him, but it wasn’t possible. We’d have to stay up all night.

Tomorrow was the first lesson, and it was quite unfortunate. If we didn’t get it done, Kyle would get scolded during the first lesson.

Shhiiik……

A strange mist began to emanate from the fallen opponent, and soon a translucent figure emerged from his body.

Finally, the ghost revealed itself.

The ghost, resembling a white curtain, floated in mid-air. The ghost, having lost its body, was now just a simple spirit phenomenon. At this state, it could only perform simple actions like throwing objects.

And Arsen’s students, who were immune to attacks of this level, were indeed exceptional.

The ghost’s next move was predictable: it would find a new body.

Its top priority was, of course, the closest targets, me and Iriga. But this ghost had chosen the wrong opponent.

“Ugh!”

“Combine!”

Iriga immediately charged forward and slashed the ghost with her sword. However, the ghost only dispersed momentarily before regrouping into its original form.

It was just a temporary dispersal, a futile effort. This would only lead to an endless battle of attrition.

“What do we do?”

“We have to hold out until morning.”

“Ne…eh…?”

Iriga tilted her head, as if she had heard something strange, but unfortunately, there was no way to stop the ghost at this point.

The ghost was an undead creature, a zombie or skeleton-like monster with a natural affinity for darkness.

Its opposing element was light.

If we had holy water or special bullets, we could deal with it, but it was impossible to find them now, at the start of Chapter 1.

The establishment of a holy temple in Arsen was still a long way off, and “holy bullets” were hard to come by, even on the dark market.

Right now, the only one who could exorcise the ghosts was the teacher-in-charge, who was somewhere in the student council office.

Even that was only a cutscene in the original story. In reality, the first chapter ended with me subduing the possessed student.

So, the boss of the ghosts, “Vance,” who had possessed Lara Stillheid’s body, was the main target of Chapter 1. That’s why most strategy guides online were optimized for a “time attack” approach.

However, none of those guides mentioned using firearms.

Except for me, who was deeply invested in the concept play.

***

At the same time, on the 4th floor of the Chanelia dormitory.

A group of students had gathered in a place that the ghosts had not yet reached.

Seren Anette, who was wiping the frost off the window, was approached by a short-haired male student, Kai Alma, who poured out his pent-up frustrations.

“What’s going on from the very first day? Seren Anette, do you know anything?”

“I’m still assessing the situation.”

“Huh, really……”

Kai Alma, who was clicking his tongue, was glared at by Seren Anette, who then looked up. A commotion was felt from beyond the stairs.

The students tensed up at the sound of footsteps.

“I’ve checked, Seren. Now no one can leave.”

Fortunately, the one who appeared was Kyle Ivanstere.

“What do you mean no one can leave? What’s going on?”

But the response came from an unexpected person. It was Kai Alma, who was fiddling with his leather knuckle.

Seren Anette frowned at Kai Alma’s provocative behavior. However, Kyle remained calm and composed.

“Ah, haven’t you heard? The ghosts on the lower floors possess people’s bodies. Even if we suppress the possessed person, they’ll just possess someone else.”

“So what?”

“If the possessed person goes outside, the damage will be even greater, so we’ve sealed off this dormitory.”

“Who said that?”

Kai Alma burst out laughing as if he was amused. During the brief moment Kyle hesitated, Seren Anette stepped forward.

“Shion Ileleonhart, you’re the student who ranked 2nd in this test. You shouldn’t know, right? You even rose to 7th place.”

“…What?”

“You’re here now because of Shion’s favor.”

A vein popped out on Kai Alma’s forehead. However, there was nothing he could say because it was the truth.

He wanted to challenge Seren to a rematch, but now was not the time. If he did, he would receive the cold stares of all the students here.

“Do as you please. Whatever.”

In the end, Kai Alma turned around. As he walked down the stairs, Kazha, a girl with ash-blonde hair, mumbled.

“Hey, does that mean the other dormitories are the same as this one?”

“Ah, I’ve seen it, so it’s probably the case.”

“What do we do now? If we’re stuck here forever—”

“Don’t worry, it won’t be like that.”

Kyle stood up, brushing off his sleeve. He had been checking the situation throughout the dormitory, just like Seren Anette said. He was the one who understood the situation better than anyone else.

“Then, let’s summarize the situation.”

In any case, they couldn’t stay like this. Seren Anette, who had been thinking for a moment, organized the situation.

“It seems that most of the students on the lower floors are possessed. Except for a few who locked themselves in their rooms.”

“That’s right. There were some locked doors too.”

“It’s better to assume that the students staying in their rooms don’t exist for now.”

Nodding in agreement, Kyle stood beside Seren Anette, who drew a simple map on the wall with ice.

“Our top priority is to find the teacher in charge.”

However, the teacher in charge, who was supposed to be on the 1st floor, was nowhere to be found. It was as if they had coincidentally disappeared.

“The teacher in charge is at the student council room.”

“What do you know about it?”

“I was briefly summoned. Because of a warning.”

Serin Anet had many questions, but she kept quiet for now.

“Then, we can’t just wait for the rescue team here.”

“The passage connecting to Building B is still under construction and closed off, so we have to break through to the first floor to get out.”

“We’ll have to fight at least 50 students. The ghosts will regenerate, so it’ll be a long battle.”

Serin Anet surveyed the people gathered on the 4th floor with her eyes.

There were Esili Silvergarden, Kyle Ivanstier, and Yuuki Kazuha. Including Elin Beonard, who was leaning against the wall, there were a total of 7 people.

Moreover, Kai Alma had separated from the group and gone down to the 2nd floor. With at least 7 against 50, the difficulty level had increased exponentially.

Just then, a question occurred to her.

“Wait a minute.”

“What?”

“Then, where did Sion Illeionheart go?”

It was Sion who had advised them to seal off the dormitory with an ice wall.

But Sion wasn’t present. The more she thought about it, the more suspicious it became.

“Sion is—”

Beep—

“Ah, he’s here.”

It was Kyle’s watch that had suddenly beeped. Kyle projected the screen into the air.

Serin Anet was taken aback. The other students also narrowed their eyes, as if they had seen something strange.

On the screen was an image of Sion Illeionheart standing on the rooftop of the dormitory.