Infinite Range: The Sniper Mage

"Player Blank has sent you a friend request." 

Orson smirked and accepted it. He then casually picked up the Level 15 heroic-tier dagger—Blank's weapon, which had dropped earlier. 

Blank didn't say a word, but Orson could already guess her intentions. A person as prideful as Blank wouldn't ask to have her lost gear returned. Her goal was clear: using the friend list's location feature to track Orson's whereabouts and launch a revenge campaign. 

Infinite Dimensions wasn't a world for the weak. 

Orson, who was determined to protect his sister and friends in the future, didn't need anyone soft by his side either. 

Thus, he decided to give Blank a chance to prove herself. By allowing her to relentlessly hunt him, she could hone her assassination skills while simultaneously forcing Orson to stay vigilant at all times. 

Compared to the brutal, permadeath "hardcore mode" that would come in a few years, Infinite Dimensions's current newbie phase was almost too leisurely. Orson felt like he was living far too comfortably. 

---

"Got some goodies. Interested?" Orson sent a message to ShatteredCrown, seeing him online. 

ShatteredCrown: "Haha, how could I not be? Anything from you, Master, must be top-tier. Show me what you've got!" 

Orson rolled his eyes. He had never admitted to taking ShatteredCrown as a disciple, but the guy's deep pockets made him tolerable. 

Since the last fiasco with the Bone Crusher set being price-gouged on the auction house, Orson decided to sell everything directly to familiar faces this time, avoiding scalpers profiting off his hard work. 

---

ShatteredCrown: "Holy crap, is that a haul of skill books? Did you raid a boss lair or something?" 

ShatteredCrown: "And these Level 20 heroic-tier items? My Level 10 staff looks like trash in comparison!" 

The gear dropped from the NPCs was impressive. Though not part of any set, their standalone stats were overwhelmingly strong. 

One priest's staff boasted 300 spell power—double that of a typical Level 20 blue-tier weapon—and came with healing bonuses to boot. 

As for the skill books, Orson kept two for himself: 

1. C-Tier Wind Magic: Wind Whisperer 

 Effect: Consume 200 MP to gain the blessing of the wind spirit. Increases attack speed and casting efficiency by 20% for 30 seconds. Cooldown: 45 seconds. 

2. C-Tier Earth Magic: Shaking Stone Vines 

 Effect: Consume 300 MP to alter the terrain within a targeted area and deal damage equal to your spell power. Cooldown: 2 minutes. 

Both skills were highly practical. Wind Whisperer was especially useful for offsetting Orson's slow attack speed and lengthy cast animations. 

After brief consideration, Orson immediately learned both spells. 

If other mages saw this, they'd probably laugh their heads off. This was a prime example of "skill book wastage." 

Most mages specialized in a single elemental branch, investing all their talent points in that path to synergize magic attributes and maximize output. 

By splitting his focus across multiple elements, Orson would inevitably fall behind specialized mages in late-game damage. 

But Orson wasn't concerned. 

In Infinite Dimensions, talent points were notoriously limited, but contrary to popular belief, leveling up wasn't the only way to earn them. Certain high-difficulty quests also awarded talent points. 

This inside knowledge gave Orson the confidence to splurge on skill books. 

---

"Quad-element mastery… not bad at all," Orson chuckled to himself. 

A quad-element mage was absurdly powerful in the early stages of the game. 

In his previous life, some wealthy players had triggered the hidden quad-element mage quest. However, all had failed miserably, often resetting their accounts out of frustration. 

The quest's difficulty was astronomical, and the skill point requirements were just as daunting. Compared to a specialist, the cost-benefit ratio seemed unreasonably low. 

But for someone like Orson, armed with advanced game knowledge, it was merely a matter of patience and preparation. 

---

ShatteredCrown: "Alright, Master. Name your price. How much for the whole lot?" 

"3,000 gold coins," Orson replied after some thought. 

Considering the four Level 20 heroic-tier items and seven skill books, the price was a steal. Last time, three pieces of gear had sold for 1,800 gold. This was a bargain for a "regular customer." 

ShatteredCrown: "Deal! Orgod, you're a saint!" 

Pleased with ShatteredCrown's decisiveness, Orson added, "I'll list them in the auction house for you to buy." 

Before he could finish the sentence, his mailbox chimed. 3,000 gold coins received. 

---

"Aren't you afraid I'll scam you?" Orson asked, amused. 

ShatteredCrown: "Scam me? Who cares? Even if you did, I'd still be happy." 

"…You're unreal." 

Orson laughed, mailing over the gear immediately, saving himself the auction fees. 

---

He then opened Blank's chat window and sent 1,500 gold coins along with her dagger to her mailbox. 

Despite the tense collaboration during their NPC hunt, Orson prided himself on keeping his word. The agreed-upon 50-50 split was non-negotiable. 

Besides, without Blank's distraction of the priest NPC, Orson might not have been able to defeat all four before running out of mana. 

Blank replied curtly: "Next time we meet, I'll kill you." 

Orson shook his head, sighing. "So ungrateful." 

Despite her venomous words, she didn't hesitate to pocket the payout. Orson couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret. 

---

Outside the butcher's lair, ten or so surviving players had cleared out the elite monsters guarding the entrance. 

Orson stood at a distance, silently observing the unfolding dynamics. 

From the darkness of the ruined castle, a river of blood began to flow. A chilling woman's cry echoed through the air as two glowing red eyes pierced the shadows, radiating a sinister, crimson light. 

---

[Keril the Butcher: Level 20] 

[Lord-Class Entity] 

HP: 600,000 / 1,200,000 

Attack Power: 770 

Skills: Group Imprisonment, Blood Dragon's Roar, Overpower, Blood Sacrifice Upgrade 

The butcher revealed its true form, emerging from a cavernous hole. It was a massive, grotesque bat, missing one wing and covered in horrifying wounds from Hazel's earlier attack. 

---

"You there! Let's team up!" Empress shouted. 

Nearby, Usher stood with five other players around Level 16, all of whom had hidden their IDs. 

Orson's eyes narrowed as he analyzed their situation. At their feet lay the corpses of at least twenty Vampire Minions—evidence that this group was even stronger than Moonlight Guild. 

---

"What do you think, Usher?" one of the anonymous warriors asked. 

Usher coldly glanced at Empress and sneered, "I don't know her. Do whatever you want." 

---

Madman spat, "Screw you, Usher. Acting all high and mighty! If it weren't for us tanking most of the mobs earlier, you wouldn't even be here to strut around!" 

The anonymous warrior smirked. "You dumb thief. Don't think I don't know. Without your fake-match king, you'd be a stone statue by now." 

---

Madman clenched his fists, his expression twisted in anger. "Fine! Show me how you're gonna handle this boss on your own!" 

Ignoring the taunts, one of the anonymous warriors suddenly darted forward, hurling his greatsword straight at the boss. 

The blade's tip struck true, piercing the butcher's eye. 

---

Critical Hit: -1,100! 

The sword curved midair, almost as if alive, before rebounding perfectly back into the warrior's hands. He followed up with a double-handed slash, striking the injured wing and landing another critical hit. 

---

Critical Hit: -1,100! 

Watching from a distance, Orson's brow furrowed. "Snow Dream? Could it be… are they from SSR Club?"