Rebirth of the Ruined Noble



As I followed behind the rebels who had separated from Esmerald, I soon saw them splitting up once again. The middle-aged man among the group made his way towards Professor Llyod, who was currently supporting the fighters against the Purblinds with his spells and curses. The red-haired woman and the remaining men, on the other hand, headed in the direction where Princess Aurora and some students of the Freljord academy were engaged in a fierce battle.

"Why are they going in that direction?"

Curiosity tugged at my thoughts, questioning why they were venturing toward Princess Aurora and her comrades. Unaware of their motives or the reasons behind their attack on the royal museum, caution dictated my approach. As I trailed behind the rebels, observing their movements and actions, the details of their plan remained elusive, leaving me with a growing sense of urgency.

Suddenly, my attention was sharply diverted to the middle-aged man among the rebels as he swiftly withdrew a dagger and hurled it at Professor Lloyd. 

'...!"

Time seemed to slow as my mind raced, desperately urging me to warn the professor, but before I could utter a word, the dagger found its mark.

The professor's startled expression mirrored my own shock, and I instinctively raised my handgun, prepared to intervene. However, my focus was interrupted by the arrival of an unexpected figure—Zephyr. Emerging seemingly out of nowhere, he sprinted toward Professor Lloyd, skillfully parrying the middle-aged man's attacks and defending the injured professor.

At first, he didn't seem to be a match for the middle aged man, but before long Evan joined the fray, aiding Zephyr and Professor Lloyd, and although they appeared outmatched, their combined efforts managed to hold their ground.

'They should be fine'

The reinforcement will be on their way by now, and the help would reach us any movement now. 

Zephyr and Evan were strong and together with Professor Lloyd, they could definitely hold on a minute or two against the middle aged man. 

So I decided that it was better for me to concentrate on the red haired women.

When I turned my attention towards the red-haired women, she was already in front of the group of Princess Aurora, Julia and Babel.

A grim realization dawned upon me as I observed the scene before me—the princess bore the unmistakable signs of injury, while Babel's valiant attempts to defend them were swiftly repelled, sending him soaring into the distance.

Julia, determined but unable to land a blow on the red-haired woman, fought against mounting frustration. 

'This is bad!'

I thought as I raised the newly acquired weapon in the direction of the red-haired women.

Princess Aurora gathered the last bit of her power and summoned a spirit beast, which although looked strong failed to do anything and just fell victim to the red haired women.

'Damn, I have to attack fast!'

As I raised the gun thinking so, a disturbing revelation emerged—there was no chamber to store the loaded bullets.

'Where the hell do I put the bullets?'

The gun didn't have any chamber to load bullets nor a space to insert the magazine!

'What should I do?'

In a state of panic, I grappled with the daunting question of how to utilize the Rifle of Death. Just as desperation set in, the artifact within me offered a response.

[The Rifle of Death uses magic power, which is condensed into a bullet.]

Condensing magic power into a bullet? 

Although uncertain if such a feat was even possible, I had no time to question it. Without hesitation, I began imbuing the rifle with magic power,  but I didn't do it plainly, I activated my strongest skill while imbuing it with the magic power.

<Black Sun>

The fundamental property of the skill was to increase the attack power, so I thought it would work!

And fortunately it did!

As the magic power enveloped the rifle, its once-blue hue transformed into a deep, ominous black, reflecting the strength of my enhanced abilities. Yet, doubts persisted. Would my bullet be enough to harm the red-haired woman? 

None of Julia's skills were working on the red haired women, and speaking of reality, I was weaker than Julia, so I didn't know if my bullet could hurt that woman.

In a desperate attempt I tried to communicate with the artifact inside me, which has never responded to me.

"Can you activate all the skills attached to the rifle?"

Alas, silence greeted my plea, leaving me to confront the imminent threat bearing down on Princess Aurora.

Aware that time was of the essence, I braced myself, determined to take action.

'As expected, I have to do something-'

It happened just as I thought about it.

[Skill <Reinforce> has been activated.]

[The attack power of the rifle has been increased significantly.]

[Skill <Accuracy of Demise> has been activated.]

[Your accuracy has increased.]

[Skill <Elemental Bullets> has been activated.]

[Currently only one element can be used.]

[The mana bullet has been converted into Dark mana bullet.]

[The attack power has been increased, the target hit will be infused with a curse, <Necrosis>.]

[You have acquired a curse skill, <Necrosis>]

[Skill <Passing Proficiency.> has been activated.]

[Marksman's mastery has been increased to intermediate level.]

[Skill <Death Strike. (Partially Sealed)> has been activated.]

[The attack power of the bullet has been increased by a large margin.]

[Skill <Eternal Rest. (Partially Sealed)> has been activated.]

[There is a very slight chance of a target , if hit in Vital spots.]

[Skill <Annihilation Assault. (Partially Sealed)> has been activated.]

[The attack power of the bullet has been increased by three times.]

[The Aura of Vulnerability is permeating into the magic bullet, the chances of piercing through the target's defense has increased.]

A series of messages flooded my vision, but I chose to ignore them, focusing solely on infusing my magic power into the rifle. The drain on my mana was staggering, depleting my reserves in a blink of an eye. Despite the searing pain that stabbed at my mind, likely a side effect of the mana drain, I gritted my teeth and persisted, strengthening my grip on the rifle.

Inhaling deeply, I cautiously peered beyond the remnants of the collapsed wall that provided me cover.

Julia continued to engage in a fruitless struggle against the red-haired woman, while Babel rose to his feet, steadying his sword. Princess Aurora, visibly resigned, knelt on the ground, vulnerable as the red-haired woman drew nearer.

Calculating the distance, I estimated approximately 250 meters separated the red-haired woman and myself—a challenging range for a precise shot using this unfamiliar rifle. Clicking my tongue in frustration, I made a split-second decision and leaped out from behind the wall.

"Hey!" I bellowed with all the force I could muster. "Move!"

Princess Aurora, without even turning to look, instinctively shuffled to the side.

With a somewhat calmer mind, I tightened my grip on the rifle, aiming it at the red haired woman and pulled the trigger. In an instant, a blinding flash burst forth from the gun barrel, casting an eerie darkness over the surroundings instead of illuminating them, much like the black sun.

The bullet of light emitted an intense pressure and searing heat, commensurate with its radiant brilliance. Overwhelmed by the recoil, I was forcefully propelled backward—no, it was more accurate to say that I was sent hurtling through the air. The gun's body grew scorching hot, and I writhed in agonizing pain.

I was aiming at the stomach of the red haired woman as I wasn't proficient enough with the rifle of death and I was also unsure if I could precisely hit her head from this distance, but the unexpected recoil caused the bullet's trajectory to veer slightly. 

It flew along a deflected path, finding its mark on the woman's left shoulder.

-boom!

"Arrhhhhh-!!!"

An ear-splitting blast reverberated through the halls of the royal museum accompanied by the red haired women's scream. Following the collision, a concentrated cluster of light erupted from the red-haired woman's arm. The bullet had unleashed a secondary explosion upon impact, and the resulting luminance enshrouded her completely.

Princess Aurora and everyone within the museum froze in disbelief, their attention shifting toward me.

Uncertain of what to do next, I turned my gaze toward the red-haired woman, whose silhouette gradually emerged as the illumination from the explosion faded away.

"Huh-?"

But before I could discern the aftermath of my shot, my legs gave out, and consciousness began to slip away.

"Urgh!!! Not agai-"

My sentence was left unfinished as I collapsed amidst the chaos that engulfed the hall.

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Daily Chapter Release~