The monsters were swarming in.
An overwhelming number of grotesque monsters and beasts advanced.
It was because I had deactivated Ankelenth's Domain, which had been keeping them at bay.
"W-What do we do?"
Maybell, hiding behind my back with a worried expression, looked terrified, but I didn't pay much attention. I simply pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Bang—!!!
Even though I hadn't activated the silencer mode, the gunshot seemed quieter than before.
It felt like the overall performance of the gun had improved significantly, even if it wasn't explicitly shown.
"It's dangerous, so go over there and hide."
"Ah, y-yes!"
Thankfully, Maybell didn't act stubborn and quietly took cover behind me.
If she were to get sniped by Moog, The Stone Thrower, it would be a complete disaster, so it was better for me if she stayed hidden.
'The primary threat are the long-range attacks from Moog, The Stone Thrower.'
There might also be other monsters or beasts capable of long-range attacks mixed in.
Usually, long-range monsters started appearing sparsely from the Orange Line onward, so I never expected to worry about them as early as the second wave.
Still, it was better to deal with them sooner rather than later since I'd have to face them eventually.
'It's best not to use the Bone Armor's power in front of Maybell.'
Earlier, I had no choice since she was unconscious and the weapon was broken, but now the situation had improved.
If anything, now that she was awake, I had to be more cautious about using the Bone Armor's abilities.
Leaving Maybell alone and moving far away to fight was also not an option.
Even though Mount Noah was relatively safe from monsters and beasts, the situation had changed significantly.
If I got hit by a stray rock from somewhere...
'No choice.'
I made up my mind and conveyed my will to the Bone Armor.
'Stick to defense only for now.'
[Gigit...]
Even if I only used the Bone Armor defensively, it was still an excellent armor.
Especially now, when Moog, The Stone Thrower could launch a surprise attack at any moment.
'No more letting my guard down.'
I positioned myself behind an impenetrable boulder and began shooting in earnest.
[You have killed a Grade-10 Beast, Hellhound.]
[Damage against Grade-10 Beast, Hellhound, has increased by 0.05%.]
[You have killed a Grade-10 Beast, Hellhound.]
[Damage against Grade-10 Beast, Hellhound, has increased by 0.05%.]
As expected, the upgraded attack power was proving its worth.
The feeling was completely different from before.
'Moreover, stability has greatly improved.'
It wasn't something I could quantify, but just from Maybell Pilgrim's brief adjustments, the Ark-15 automatic rifle had become an entirely new weapon.
I could also feel that the heat resistance of the barrel had been significantly improved.
Just then—
Swoooosh—!
As expected, not long after I started shooting, a massive rock came hurtling straight toward me.
'That much is easy.'
I swiftly moved to evade it.
If I hadn't anticipated it, I might have been caught off guard, but since I was already prepared behind cover, I didn't have to foolishly block it with my weapon like before.
What Moog, The Stone Thrower didn't realize was that I almost never lost sniper duels to monsters.
'Moog, The Stone Thrower is a cunning one. It'll hide behind cover and use someone else as a shield.'
Considering its nature, it wasn't hard to deduce where it might be hiding.
Especially since this was Mount Noah—a rocky, volcanic terrain with limited hiding spots.
'There are about six potential hiding spots within Moog's range.'
Narrowing down the most likely locations left me with two candidates.
'Then...'
I adjusted the range lever on the NO-13 grenade launcher, angled it at about 45 degrees toward the sky, and fired at the predicted locations.
At this distance, bullets would fly straight, but the grenade launcher could be used like a howitzer, arcing the shots.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
No need to conserve grenades. I had plenty.
The grenades soared toward the target points, landing and exploding with tremendous force.
Kaboom!
Screams of monsters erupted from the first spot, but unfortunately, it wasn't Moog, The Stone Thrower.
[You have killed a Grade-10 Insectoid, Diligent Worker Ant.]
[Damage against Grade-10 Insectoid, Diligent Worker Ant, has increased by 0.05%.]
[You have killed a Grade-10 Insectoid, Square-Jawed Soldier Ant.]
[Damage against Grade-10 Insectoid, Square-Jawed Soldier Ant, has increased by 0.05%.]
But there was no need to feel disappointed.
Grenades were still raining down on the other predicted location.
Boom! Boom! Boom—!
One, two, three, four...
KABOOM—!!!
As the grenades kept exploding, something suddenly popped out from the final predicted point.
[Kugit, Kukikit!]
Moog, The Stone Thrower.
It was him.
'Did your backside get a little too hot?'
But too bad for him—now it was time for more than just his backside to burn.
I quickly aimed at Moog's eye.
Normally, I wouldn't have been able to kill a Grade-5 Named Beast with a single shot, but for some reason, it felt possible now.
'Moog, The Stone Thrower is especially vulnerable to defense.'
In terms of durability, it was even weaker than Grade-6 Named Beast, Mossback Kupf.
I trusted my instincts.
Click—
Bang—!!!
The bullet pierced straight through Moog's skull.
[Kieeeeee—!]
That death scream marked the end.
[You have won the sniper duel against the Grade-5 Named Primate-type, "Moog, The Stone Thrower"!]
[Your extraordinary marksmanship has overwhelmed even a monster.]
[Acquired the trait, "Blade Bullet".]
[You have defeated a Named Beast.]
["Monster Hunter" effect is applied 10 times.]
[Damage against Grade-5 Primate-type, "Demon Arm Chimpanzee", has increased by 0.5%.]
'Just as I thought...'
It made sense that attack power upgrades were so highly valued.
With my attack power reaching 4 stars, I managed to take down a Grade-5 Named Beast in one shot.
Sure, I aimed for the most vulnerable spot—the eye—and long-range monsters tended to have lower defense, but it was still an impressive result.
'And to think I also gained the Blade Bullet trait...'
──────────────
[Blade Bullet]
—When performing long-range attacks with firearms, the target's defense is reduced for a certain period.
—The amount of defense reduction varies depending on the hit location.
"View Details"
──────────────
The [Blade Bullet] trait was essential for dealing with highly defensive monsters and beasts, like the Rocky Aberrations, which would appear on the front lines beyond the Orange Line.
No matter how good your weapon or ammunition was, it would be difficult to inflict proper damage on them without the [Blade Bullet] trait.
'I got it faster than expected.'
I thought I would need to reach at least the Orange Line to acquire it... Looks like meeting Moog, The Stone Thrower turned out to be a stroke of luck.
'Well, strictly speaking, it wasn't exactly a lucky encounter.'
After briefly reflecting on it, I gripped the Ark-15 automatic rifle tightly once more.
The horde of monsters was still advancing without stopping.
Clack—
The trigger was pulled once again.
* * *
Maybell Pilgrim remembers.
She remembers the back of a man standing before her when she first opened her eyes in the darkness.
The first time her heart raced was probably out of tension. Thinking back now, it feels a bit foolish.
'Why am I here?'
Her memory was fragmented, but with her sharp mind, Maybell quickly grasped her situation.
She realized that she was in danger and that she had no choice but to entrust her fate to this unfamiliar man whose identity she couldn't even guess.
But that was just a choice picked from the only remaining option—it wasn't because she truly believed that this man could overcome the crisis.
Maybe that's why.
Maybell Pilgrim was now stunned by the unexpected development.
'How on earth...'
She hadn't thought the man who introduced himself as Carl Marcus would be weak.
Just from a glance, his well-trained body and decent equipment made it clear.
That alone was enough, but seeing him seemingly survive on his own in Mount Noah made it even more evident that he couldn't be weak.
But what shocked Maybell Pilgrim was not Carl Marcus' physique or his equipment—it was his absurd combat prowess.
'A sergeant? A staff sergeant? No... perhaps even higher...'
From what Maybell knew, the simplest way to gauge a soldier's strength within the Ark was by their rank.
Though it wasn't an absolute measure, higher-ranking soldiers who took to the battlefield usually had more experience, superior physical abilities, and better equipment.
That's why, in general, a soldier's strength often correlated with their rank.
Of course, even within the same rank, there was a difference between a soldier stationed in the rear Red Line and one fighting at the front Rose Line, but Maybell's standard of comparison was based on the Red Line.
'His quick judgment and combat sense... This is at least the level of a senior sergeant.'
Maybell Pilgrim was not a combatant.
However, she had witnessed countless battlefields from a distance, so she had a decent grasp of how to assess a soldier's abilities.
Moreover, she had often watched footage of soldiers fighting while developing or testing equipment.
'And considering his equipment includes the standard-issue Ark-15 and NO-13 grenade launcher...'
Naturally, her evaluation of Carl Marcus rose even higher.
'Could he be an Ether Adept?'
Talking about hearing the "voice of the spirit" and all... If Carl Marcus was indeed an Ether Adept, it would make sense.
'Someone like him was living outside the Ark?'
Why?
With abilities like his, it wouldn't be strange to welcome him into the Ark anytime.
'Wait, an Ether Adept?'
Only then did Maybell Pilgrim realize why Carl Marcus might be living on Mount Noah.
While the Ark was always in desperate need of manpower and actively accepted outsiders, there was one absolute exception—Ether Adepts.
To be precise, the Ark couldn't be certain whether a human showing an ether reaction was truly human, so they were rejected.
'...The Black Line.'
Recalling that day, Maybell bit her lip.
'...Then maybe he saved me with some ulterior motive.'
However, suspicion was just suspicion.
She didn't actually think Carl Marcus had saved her with some cunning intention.
If that were the case, there were too many things that didn't add up.
Most importantly, Carl Marcus was currently fighting a life-and-death battle against monsters on Mount Noah, right next to the Ark.
Even a child could understand that the more blood he spilled, the safer the Ark would be.
'I can't make a hasty judgment.'
If Carl Marcus wasn't an enemy of the Ark, it would mean losing an exceptionally skilled ally.
And Maybell had no intention of letting the Ark make such a foolish choice.
'To ensure that... I need to learn more about Carl Marcus.'
Is Carl Marcus an enemy of the Ark?
Or an ally?
Maybell Pilgrim cautiously fixed her gaze on Carl Marcus's back.
She earnestly hoped that Carl Marcus was not an enemy of the Ark.