The Villain is Too Good at Sniping

3. Sion (3)

Outside the great hall, Camille Esperance was standing.

I don’t know why, but it seemed like he was waiting for me. He leaned against the wall, tilting his head.

“…You didn’t come out of your room for over two weeks, and then suddenly, what wind blew you out?”

Camille’s gaze held a suspicious light.

But I didn’t intend to tell him the truth. I couldn’t say I was exploring this suddenly dropped world.

“There was a situation.”

So, I just left it at that.

Camille Esperance was not a likable character even in the original story. He wasn’t a villain who was extremely evil, but a typical one-time-use villain consumed by greed and selfishness.

You shouldn’t judge people by their appearance, but Camille Esperance was a person who lived by the phrase “you reap what you sow.”

If I got too entangled, I might end up getting hurt.

“Last time, I overdid it. As a fellow clan member, I think I was too focused on winning.”

However, the way Camille looked at me was different from the original story. It wasn’t a hostile or condescending gaze, but a sympathetic one.

“So, if you have something to say, tell me. I’m your older brother, after all.”

At first glance, he seemed like a caring older brother. In reality, that was the image Camille Esperance wanted to project.

His face was smiling, but his words had two hidden meanings.

I’m the older brother, and I’m above you.

So, don’t think about competing with me and just live according to your station.

……It seemed like he wanted to give me a silent warning.

From the start, I didn’t intend to become the successor of the Esperance family or the head of the household. If Camille became the successor and handled the troublesome tasks, I would welcome it.

“If you have concerns, tell your older brother.”

I smiled brightly at his seemingly kind words.

“Oh, yeah. Older brother.”

I said that, but I wouldn’t be seeking advice from Camille anytime soon.

Camille didn’t respond and turned to leave.

***

After finishing dinner, I returned to my room.

I closed the curtains and shut the door. Since it was almost midnight, there was no one walking down the hallway.

“…Then.”

There was something I had to check from now on.

The mysterious message that appeared when I held the Glock earlier.

“I clearly said I acquired a talent.”

I took out the Glock from the holster on my waist. The familiar panel from the original game appeared before my eyes.

Currently viewing acquired talents.

There were no buttons like ‘Yes/No’. Even waving my hand didn’t trigger a response.

What is this? How do I close it?

The moment I thought that, the panel seemed to melt into thin air and disappeared.

“Is it not something like a touch interface…?”

I awkwardly withdrew my hand and recalled the keyword “talent reading”.

Then, the panel that had disappeared a moment ago reappeared. Indeed, the only thing required for operation was my will.

The talent I possessed was only [Sharp Shooter]. When I became aware of it, another UI overlapped with the existing panel.

+

[Sharp Shooter] [Lv. 1]

[Rank: Unique (固有)] [Proficiency: Beginner]

▶Receives accuracy correction for all activities including shooting.

-20% increase in critical hit rate

-12.2% increase in accuracy

-14.4% additional damage upon successful sniping

-Damage increases proportionally to magic power (max 1 stack)

*Additional Traits

-[Eagle Eye] [Rare]

▶Can clearly see distant objects.

-[Observer’s Eye] [Mid-High Grade]

▶Can read the flow of low to mid-grade magic power and see through mid-grade barriers.

-[???]

▶(Unlocks after clearing the first main quest.)

+

A cry of surprise escaped my lips. It wasn’t just any talent, but a unique rank talent.

In this world, talents are more important than anything else. The presence or absence of talents determines many things, so the more talents, the better.

But among them, unique rank talents are in a different dimension.

Unique rank means exactly that – unique.

It means that only one person in the entire world can possess this talent.

The [Sharp Shooter] talent granted to me is a talent that only one person in the world can possess.

If I have the [Sharp Shooter] unique rank talent, no one else can awaken the same talent.

Even if someone else has a similar talent, it’s not the same unique rank talent.

And what’s more, there are two additional traits attached. No, if you include the one marked with a question mark, that makes three. The last one will be unlocked after clearing the first main quest, so I’ll have to wait and see.

For now, there’s [Eagle Eye] and [Observer’s Eye].

[Eagle Eye] is self-explanatory, and [Observer’s Eye] is a bit unique.

It can see through barriers, so I’ll have to wait and see how the mechanism works.

“This special privilege is quite something.”

Having a unique talent isn’t so bad. Even among the main characters in the original story, only the protagonist had a unique talent.

“Wait a minute.”

Maybe, just maybe, this will work too.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me, and I looked around before taking action. Needless to say, no one was there.

I muttered to myself, as if someone was listening.

“…Status window.”

.

.

.

…Nothing came out, making me feel awkward.

It was as if someone was watching me, and I swept my gaze around with a tense expression.

The curtain was properly closed, with only a tiny gap, but it wasn’t an angle where I could peek inside.

I whispered softly, so no one could hear.

At that moment, I rubbed my chest.

Status window inaccessible

Instead of the status window, a system message popped up.

The status window will be unlocked after completing the first main quest.

Currently, the tutorial is in progress.

The system will sequentially open up according to the main quest progress.

“It’s in the middle of the tutorial… and the system.”

It feels like a game.

I realized once again that I had entered the game world.

The emerging messages weren’t just one. It was as if the system was guiding me, with consecutive windows popping up.

Time remaining until the event – 912:21:59

A timer appeared. Perhaps when that timer ends, the main story will begin.

Although no official notice had been made in the original background setting, if I calculated it roughly, the date indicated by the timer almost matched the start date of the main story.

“…About a month and a little more left.”

Once the main story begins and the game officially starts, it will be difficult to live a peaceful life. This isn’t a flow that can be stopped, no matter how much I pursue peace.

I’ll either get swept away or ride the flow – it’s one or the other.

Then, what can I do until then? What should I do?

There’s only one thing to say. Perhaps the angel possessed the Esperanza family for him.

‘…To become stronger.’

Adapting, becoming stronger, and surviving.

Since my training as an assassin will officially begin tomorrow, becoming stronger is an absolute necessity.

Getting swept away by the flow is not an option. Fortunately, I have a talent. It’s a unique, high-grade talent.

‘No way, right now.’

I put the Glock back in its holster.

It’s already close to midnight. It’s not suitable to use the training facilities at this hour, and I can’t just fire a gun in my room.

But let’s think about it. My talent is [Marksman]. It’s not just simple shooting, but a correction to my hit rate in all activities.

‘…Then.’

I picked up a dart.

My target was the distinct mountain range on the map – the highest peak of the Eckvana Mountains.

The moment I gripped the dart firmly, my trait [Clairvoyance] was triggered. The spot I had to hit seemed to zoom in right in front of me.

…Is there a need to hesitate? It’s just a test, anyway.

I threw the dart without hesitation.

Pak-!

The result was a bullseye.

The dart precisely landed on the highest peak of Mt. Ekubana on the map.

“Then…”

I picked up another dart, aiming at a different spot this time.

It’s better to accurately assess my abilities before starting formal training.

First, I confirm where I’ll hit. As expected, my special ability [Thousand-Mile Eyes] kicked in. I raised my hand, taking a throwing stance.

But would the accuracy correction still apply even if I did this?

Whizz-!

I threw the dart towards the floor. The spot where it landed was completely different from where I aimed.

Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations. Even with the accuracy correction, there’s a limit.

Ting-!

However, instead of hitting the floor, the dart bounced back with a clear sound. The deflected dart suddenly flew back towards me.

“Ah!”

I instinctively stretched out my hand. Of course, I couldn’t catch the dart, but I had to be prepared to get a hole in my palm—

Whoosh!

“…!”

The dart grazed my collar and passed by, still maintaining its speed. I felt a momentary thrill.

Yet, even in that situation, my [Thousand-Mile Eyes] precisely captured the dart’s trajectory, which was even more impressive.

The dart flew further, using the wall as a springboard to bounce back again.

Tud-tud! Tong!

…and magnificently shattered the chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

Got it!

The dart still maintained its power, precisely landing on the map. It was an unbelievable sight.

The chandelier swayed, and glass shards fell to the floor. I carefully avoided the debris and approached the wall.

Right above the ‘E’ engraved on the Esperando mansion.

The dart had precisely pierced the spot I had targeted on the map. It was a moment when I felt something was off about the incredible accuracy.

———!

Suddenly, my vision blurred.

My eyes fluttered, and at the same time, they spun.

The room seemed to be spinning, making me feel like I was about to get motion sickness. Maybe it wasn’t the room spinning, but me stumbling around.

I knew this symptom. It was something I had frequently experienced in games.

‘…Magic depletion.’

A physiological phenomenon similar to ‘exhaustion’ that occurs when the magic within me is completely depleted.

I must have unknowingly used magic earlier.

I took a deep breath, sitting down on a chair. My blurry vision slowly regained its clarity. I gritted my teeth and endured the unpleasant feeling of wanting to vomit.

That was when I heard the sudden knock on the door.

Tud-tud-!

“Are you inside, young master?”

The voice came from outside the door. I hadn’t called out, so it was probably a passing maid who had heard the noise and came over.

“There was a loud sound. What happened?”

…I should say it’s okay, but.

Unfortunately, my voice didn’t come out. Before I could say anything, the door creaked open.

Of course.

The speed at which the maid opened the door was faster than the speed at which I grabbed the door handle. The tray in the maid’s hand fell weakly to the floor.

“Ah…….”

The maid’s voice, mixed with a sigh. The maid’s eyes reflected the shattered glass scattered all over the floor.

“Young master, are you okay?”

She was pretending to be worried, but the corners of her mouth were twitching, which I could see clearly. The [Celestial Eye] ability allowed me to see even the smallest details.

“I’m fine, though…….”

There was nothing I could say in this situation. After all, I was the one who had caused the mess just now.

It was unavoidable, but the fact remained that I had caused trouble for the maid in the middle of the night.

“I’m sorry it’s so late, but could you clean this up—”

Just then, the chandelier that had been swaying from the ceiling suddenly fell.

Crash! Ting! Clang!—

…A loud noise, unlike anything before, echoed through the hallway.