Genius Archer’s Streaming - Chapter 171

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Genius Archer’s Streaming Season 1 Episode 171
59. Silver vs Master (4)
Strawberry Shooter’s fist trembled.
As a Master, he should naturally be able to slice through a Silver rank opponent with ease.
“Phew.”
I steadied my breathing, but my mind refused to settle.
-You *@&*(&!!
-!&&%*@(
-*(#((#
Meanwhile, the chat was overflowing with curses.
Excited viewers drawn by the betting had flooded in.
Juhyeok’s move was working perfectly.
‘Damn it, he actually placed a bet.’
Strawberry Shooter ground his teeth.
As a Master, this was a mentally disadvantageous fight.
From his perspective, where he needed to win just to break even, the current match with betting stakes was far too heavy a burden.
[Please select your Avatar!]
Soon enough, the game had begun despite everything.
This world is ultimately winner-takes-all.
If I win, everything will be resolved.
[This time Strawberry Shooter has first pick!? I’m curious what he’ll choose!]

* * *
“Ah. Ppokjujok Paul! He’s a ranged carry, but he possesses formidable health and mobility.”
Strawberry selected the avatar Ppokjujok – Paul.
An avatar who wielded a shotgun, yet possessed robust health and defense that defied typical ranged carry conventions.
Few avatars could handle one-on-one matchups with such proficiency.
“Certainly a Master-worthy pick. There are few avatars as suited for one-on-one as Paul.”
But what about Almond?
Now it was Almond’s turn to pick.
“It’s Almond’s turn to select. However… Ran? He’s chosen Ran?”
Almond selected Ran, the pure-white sniper.
‘There it is.’
Taco felt genuinely pleased inside.
But his words conveyed something entirely different.
“Ah… Ran has extended range, but his body is quite fragile, isn’t it? He won’t have an easy time against Paul.”
Ran was certainly a difficult character to employ in one-on-one matches.
From a commentator’s perspective, it was naturally a hard pick to evaluate positively.
However, Taco’s personal assessment differed.
‘If it’s Almond’s Ran… that changes things.’
In his judgment, Almond suited Ran even more than Reina.
It was simply that his mastery hadn’t yet reached Reina’s level.
“I’m curious how this will unfold.”
Taco smiled with genuine interest.

* * *
The moment Ran was selected, he immediately asked this.
〔Why are you withdrawing?〕
Almond was even more flustered by what came next.
〔Reina will be sad.〕
Almond answered in a way that would minimize mutual hurt.
“I thought playing with you would be fun too.”
〔…I see.〕
Along with those words, a heavy resonance echoed through me.
Boom──
Ran materialized before Almond, his vibrant blonde hair swept back above his forehead. He glanced back and smiled.
〔I must win.〕
Instead of responding to his words, Almond analyzed the opponent’s pick and mentally mapped out how to play.
‘If I allow Paul close-range combat, I lose. When minions are blocking ahead, aim for blind spots as much as possible. I don’t necessarily need to dump all my mana….’
Unlike Reina, who can handle any situation as long as the physical execution keeps up, Ran is an Avatar that requires extremely delicate handling.
There are so many conditions attached to fighting, and if I carelessly allow the enemy an opening, I’ll be torn apart more easily than paper.
[Welcome to the Battlefield!]
[Mode: Abyss Duel]
Whoooosh…!
The Battlefield materialized once more.
Almond quickly equipped his items and immediately dashed forward.
‘Before the minions arrive… I need to secure my position.’
I was running toward a route slightly different from where the Contractors usually went.
Meeting Paul head-on would be terrible for Ran.
If he slowly approached using minions as a shield and started firing his shotgun, Ran would have no way to respond.
‘Attacking from the diagonal right side, far away, is most advantageous.’
Ran is an Avatar with long range.
I can gather pure mana, accumulate it, overcharge it, and fire from a distance like a sniper.
Usually, when mana accumulates and manifests for a certain time, it disappears due to the world’s order.
But Ran’s attack method, which pushes mana purity to its absolute limit, has broken through that boundary. It can reach all the way to the caster’s line of sight.
Using that overwhelming range to attack one-sidedly—that’s Ran’s way.
‘I need to maximize that advantage.’
If I fail to utilize that strength, this Avatar is just walking experience points.
Almond slowly circled around to the right Thicket and secured his position.
-Why come here?
-Not farming minions?
-Is this an ambush setup?
-If Paul finds him here, he’s dead
-As expected of Ran. Preparing cowardly tactics
From this position, I could ambush Paul’s left side.
However, an ambush didn’t mean charging forward like a beast.
I was sniping from a great distance away.
Almond raised his index finger toward the sky.
[Charge]
It was the casting motion for the ‘Charge’ technique, which concentrated mana at a single point.
Crackle, crackle, crackle.
At first, mana gathered while burning in blue, but gradually it grew brighter.
[Pure White Crystal]
Now it transformed into pure white mana and blazed forth.
Almond carefully extended his index finger, which held that pure white crystal, forward.
Now I only needed to choose when to release it.
The method of releasing this pure white crystal could be determined differently by each Player.
Some Players threw it like a ball, while others chose the casting motion of shooting it like a gun.
Almond, of course─
Twang.
It was a pose as if drawing a bowstring.
White wings spread around the pure white crystal, forming the curve of a bow.
As if a bow had truly materialized from thin air.
It was Almond’s signature when playing Ran.
-Already shooting?
-Can you see it?
-I can’t see it.
-You’re not going to shoot before we even see it, are you?
-Ah! I got it! The Minions will be hard to hit once they arrive, so you’re trying to shoot as soon as they appear!
Almond waited in silence for the Enemy to appear.
‘They’ll probably appear together with the Minions.’
The Enemy would anticipate it to some degree as well.
Wanting to land a skill hit at the start was a common trait among all long-range Contractors.
However, the Enemy wouldn’t be able to predict where Almond was hiding.
‘Ran is barely ever used in Solo Rank. They probably don’t know about this.’
It wasn’t as if the Enemy had analyzed Almond’s Ran, but even if they had tried, this couldn’t be predicted.
It was a tactic created after consulting with Juhyeok, being used for the first time today.
[Minion has been created!]
A brief silence fell over the Battlefield.
Only the sound of Ran’s pure white mana blazing echoed through the stillness.
‘The Contractor will be mixed in among the Minions.’
Thud. Thud. Thud.
I could feel the ground trembling as countless Minions rushed forward.
Contractors are much larger in size than Minions. It’s exaggerated for effect.
Making them an excellent target.
‘Got him.’
Spotting the sharply spiked Ppokjujok hairstyle wasn’t difficult.
Paul had hidden himself quite well behind the Minion.
That was only true if Almond was positioned ‘in front,’ though.
‘There’s an opening.’
Right now, there were openings everywhere.
‘Now.’
If I calculate the flight time, it has to be now.
Inhale.
Perfect breath control, and aim steady as stone.
Just like that moment when I bet everything on a single release.
Almond’s right hand released the imaginary bowstring.
Paaang──!
A pure white wave erupted, and Almond’s body was pushed backward.
In recoil, a pristine white crystal shot forth with a roar.
Shiiiiik!!
A mass of pure white energy devouring the wind as it advanced.
It struck Paul’s forehead, now exposed, with perfect precision.
Boom!!!
The pure white impact snapped the Strawberry Shooter’s head backward.

* * *
Taco jumped to his feet without thinking.
“No way! A full-charge pristine crystal to the head right at the start!?”
Almond’s aiming concentration was truly beyond imagination.
“There were quite a few Minions! But he threaded through them perfectly!”
Even for a surprise attack, there were many obstacles.
Yet the white magic bullet Almond fired slipped through the Minions as smoothly as if dodging them, embedding itself perfectly in Paul’s head.
To aim precisely between them on the first shot—that’s truly a matter of talent.
In terms of marksmanship, it’s like hitting dead center without even adjusting your sights.
“Since it hit the head, a critical even triggered! He’s starting this match having lost thirty percent of his health! Strawberry Shooter!!!”
The Strawberry Shooter, struck by such a powerful blow from the start, seemed caught off guard and hesitated.
“Huh? But the Strawberry Shooter isn’t to be underestimated either, right?”
However, he too is a Master. His judgment surpasses even Almond’s.
He drank a potion, steadied his stance, and began charging directly at Almond instead.
“If I get close, I win! That’s his mindset! Right now! Because if Almond gets caught, it’s actually dangerous!?”
Taco’s excited voice spoke exactly as he described.
If a paper-thin matchup like Ran faced Paul head-on? There’d be no hope of survival.
Almond had positioned himself far from the Watchtower that would protect him to land that first shot.
The Strawberry Shooter was now charging, exploiting that exact vulnerability.
Click!
The terrifying sound of a shotgun being chambered echoed through the air.
“But Ran isn’t even running away right now!?”
Crackle.
Ran, whom I thought would flee, was gathering mana once more.
“What? If we clash head-on, I lose! Almond!”
If I ran, Paul’s superior mobility would catch me, and I’d be riddled with buckshot.
So instead──
‘I’ll end this here.’
“Ah, what kind of decision is this!?”
Almond continued gathering mana at his fingertip as if to say, try if you dare.
After all, Paul, who took damage first, had less health remaining.
Here, Almond was playing chicken.
‘I’ve won one round, and if Strawberry loses one more, it’s over.’
I wouldn’t let go of this psychological advantage and would play accordingly.
I hadn’t anticipated Strawberry jumping here, but this was the best response now.
That’s what Almond believed.
Because….
“Almond is shooting now! If it misses, there’s really no hope! This is way too much of a gamble! Paul is swaying left and right right now!”
My arrows never miss.
Crackle…!
Pure white mana unfurled its wings, forming the shape of a bow.
The raging pristine crystal—Almond released it immediately, merely setting the direction.
Boom──!
My body was pushed back, and the pure white crystal flew through the recoil.
It struck Paul’s head once more.
Crash!!!
“No! Even though he’s clearly dodging by swaying back and forth, it hits again! How is this possible!?”
Paul’s head snapped backward, but his fingers still moved.
─Click.
The shotgun erupted with fire.
Boom! Crash!!
[Health has dropped below 30%!]
My world flipped upside down.
“At the same time, Strawberry counterattacks! A shotgun does two hits of damage when it connects properly! When you take two hits, you get knocked back like that and your character flies through the air, right? Ran has paper-thin health, so it’s even worse!”
Health depleted in an instant. My body suspended momentarily in the air.
If I get pushed back like this, it’s over.
‘No.’
Almond’s eyes snapped open from their brief closure.
I immediately snapped my waist and pulled my body upright.
I quickly extended my index finger toward my opponent.
“Ran is back on his feet! Will you flee now? Or fight?! Paul’s health is also below 20%! Will you run or will you fight! You need to make a decision fast!”
At the tip of his finger.
Zzzzzzzzzt!
Pure white mana was already charging there.
“What!? What is that right now? Mana is already gathering! Almond never had any intention of dodging from the start! He decided from the beginning to fight until death! Meanwhile, Strawberry Shooter──”
Behind the shotgun’s sight, Strawberry Shooter’s eyes trembled violently as he aimed at Almond.
His pupils had shrunk to the size of beans, and within them burned a white light like a jewel embedded in stone.
Boom!
‘What…?’
Strawberry couldn’t react.
“Almond! He fires after only 70% charge! Will it deal damage!?”
Almond’s shot came half a beat faster than usual.
That white light grew larger and larger, burning the entire field of vision white.
There was nothing to see.
[Death]
Only these two characters flickered before his eyes.
Almond’s damage calculation was precise.
“Aaah! 70% charge was enough! It was the correct decision! Meanwhile, Strawberry hesitated, just for a moment!”
Strawberry Shooter had hesitated.
That worry—that if he lost here, it would all be over—truly drove him to his end.
It was only for the briefest moment, but that infinitesimal difference.
By a margin of 0.01 seconds, Almond claimed victory.
“The winner is───!”
The microphone volume couldn’t contain Taco’s excited voice and burst.
It wasn’t just the microphone volume that burst that day. The Community Site Lil Pro also went silent for a moment.
Because of the news that Silver had defeated Master.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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