Ryke ducked behind another pillar.
**BANG!**
A bullet slammed into the stone above his head.
**CRACK!**
Fragments of stone scattered across his hair.
Ryke gritted his teeth.
He took a deep breath.
Then—
he slowly peeked around the pillar.
His eyes scanned the battlefield.
The guards were spreading out.
Some were reloading.
Others were already aiming directly at him.
And among them—
were several Mana Users.
Ryke's expression became grim.
He lowered his rifle for a moment.
"...But my desire not to die..."
His grip tightened around the weapon.
"...is way too strong."
He looked toward the guards.
"I can't help it."
His eyes sharpened.
"So I have to survive."
A guard stepped out from behind cover.
**BANG!**
Ryke immediately ducked.
The bullet passed over his head.
His eyes narrowed.
Then—
a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
*Wait.*
His gaze shifted toward one of the Mana Users.
He remembered what had happened earlier.
The guard had infused his bullet with mana before firing.
The result had been completely different from an ordinary shot.
Much faster.
Much stronger.
Powerful enough to blast apart stone.
Ryke's eyes slowly widened.
*They enhanced the bullet with mana.*
He looked down at the rifle in his hands.
*Why didn't I think of that before?*
He frowned.
*Actually...*
His expression became uncertain.
*I didn't even know if this thing could handle it.*
He glanced at the rifle.
Then—
his fingers moved.
**CLICK.**
A round was loaded into the chamber.
Ryke stared at it.
*But judging by what I've seen...*
His mana began flowing toward the rifle.
Slowly.
Carefully.
He didn't pour too much into it.
Instead—
he concentrated his mana around the chamber and the loaded round.
The rifle trembled faintly.
**VMMMM—**
Ryke's eyes widened.
*It can take it.*
A small grin appeared on his face.
"So..."
He raised the rifle.
Mana began gathering around the barrel.
The guards noticed him.
"He's there!"
"Fire!"
**BANG! BANG! BANG!**
Ryke immediately leaned out from behind the pillar.
His finger tightened around the trigger.
"Let's see..."
His mana compressed around the bullet.
The rifle vibrated violently in his hands.
**VMMMMMMMM—**
Ryke's grin widened.
"...how well this works."
He pulled the trigger.
**BOOOOOOOOM!**
The shot exploded from the rifle.
The entire spatial port seemed to shake.
The mana-enhanced bullet tore through the air like a streak of light.
**SHRAAAAAAAAAK!**
A guard barely had time to raise his weapon.
The bullet slammed into him.
**BOOOOOOM!**
His body was sent flying backward.
It crashed through the stone barrier behind him.
**CRAAAAASH!**
The other guards froze.
Ryke stared at the rifle.
Smoke slowly drifted from the barrel.
His eyes widened.
"...Holy shit."
He looked at the hole blasted through the barrier.
Then back at the rifle.
A slow smile spread across his face.
"That actually worked."
Another guard raised his rifle.
Ryke immediately turned toward him.
His smile disappeared.
"Alright."
Mana began gathering around the next bullet.
"Now..."
His eyes narrowed.
"...I might actually have a chance."
Ryke tightened his grip around the rifle.
His eyes moved across the battlefield.
The remaining guards were already searching for him.
Several were Mana Users.
The rest—
were ordinary guards.
Ryke took a slow breath.
*I can't keep using that shot whenever I want.*
He glanced at the rifle.
*It takes too much mana.*
His expression became serious.
*I need to save it for when it actually counts.*
He looked toward the guards.
*The normal ones don't need that kind of firepower.*
A crooked grin appeared.
"Then I'll use it when I really need it."
Ryke suddenly raised the rifle.
He aimed toward the ceiling.
**BANG!**
**BOOOOOOM!**
The mana-enhanced bullet slammed into the ceiling.
Stone exploded downward.
**CRAAAAASH!**
Dust and debris filled the spatial port.
The guards immediately looked up.
"What was that?!"
"He's attacking the ceiling!"
"Find him!"
Ryke was already moving.
*Idiots.*
He sprinted through the dust.
His footsteps were almost completely drowned out by the chaos.
One guard turned.
"Over there!"
Ryke raised his rifle.
**BANG!**
The guard dropped.
Ryke immediately shifted direction.
Another guard spotted him.
"He's here!"
Ryke fired again.
**BANG!**
The guard collapsed.
Ryke didn't stop.
*Two.*
He moved toward another group.
*I can handle the normal ones.*
A guard raised his rifle.
Ryke ducked.
**BANG!**
The bullet passed over his head.
Ryke rolled across the floor.
He came up behind a fallen pillar.
*But the Mana Users...*
His eyes shifted toward them.
Several of them were already surrounding the area.
*Those are the problem.*
Ryke carefully moved sideways.
Then—
**BANG!**
Pain exploded through his leg.
Ryke's body jerked.
"—AH!"
Blood sprayed across the floor.
He stumbled.
His rifle nearly slipped from his hand.
He looked down.
A bullet had torn through his leg.
*Damnit!*
Before he could react—
**BANG!**
Another shot struck his shoulder.
Ryke's body spun from the impact.
**THUD!**
He crashed against the floor.
His rifle slipped from his fingers.
For several seconds—
he couldn't move.
His breathing became ragged.
Blood slowly spread beneath him.
Ryke clenched his teeth.
"Shit..."
He grabbed his wounded shoulder.
His face twisted in pain.
*So that's what happens when I stop paying attention for even a second.*
He forced himself to look toward the shooters.
The Mana Users were already advancing.
Ryke's expression hardened.
*Two shots.*
*And I'm already down.*
He reached for his rifle.
His fingers barely touched it.
*I really picked the wrong profession...*
He dragged himself forward.
His wounded leg screamed with every movement.
But he kept crawling.
His fingers finally wrapped around the rifle.
He pulled it toward himself.
Then—
Ryke slowly pushed his upper body off the ground.
His breathing was heavy.
Blood dripped from his leg.
His shoulder throbbed violently.
The Mana Users continued advancing.
One of them raised his rifle.
Ryke's eyes narrowed.
*Not yet.*
His grip tightened around his weapon.
*I'm not dying here.*
He forced himself onto one knee.
His body trembled.
But he raised the rifle anyway.
*If I have to crawl...*
His finger moved toward the trigger.
*...then I'll crawl.*
His eyes locked onto the approaching Mana User.
*If I have to bleed...*
Mana slowly gathered around the chamber.
*...then I'll bleed.*
A faint, crooked smile appeared on his bloodied face.
"But I'm..."
His eyes sharpened.
"...not dying here."