Chapter 46: Living Targets (Fourth Update, Monthly Ticket Bonus)
"Reiner, slow down a bit."
Su Xiao observed the members of the Survey Corps through his telescope, deciding who to shoot.
After a brief consideration, Su Xiao chose his target.
The Armored Titan Reiner slowed his pace, a sight that invigorated the Survey Corps.
"Keep chasing, these traitors are exhausted."
"They killed over two hundred of our people. When we catch them, we'll tear out their tendons and peel off their skin."
"No, send them to the northern prison and make their lives a living hell."
The Survey Corps members were bloodshot from the chase; this day and night of pursuit had left them physically and mentally drained.
"Commander, should we prepare for battle?"
Hange Zoë rode her horse closer to Erwin.
"Prepare for battle. It seems they can't run any further."
Erwin's expression was calm, yet an inexplicable unease stirred within him.
On the Armored Titan's shoulder, Su Xiao stood with his legs slightly apart, steady on the shoulder, holding the Shattered Elf in his right hand.
His marksmanship wasn't great; at this distance, he couldn't specifically target a particular individual. However, the skill 'Gaze Shot' attached to the Shattered Elf could.
Su Xiao activated 'Gaze Shot.' His left arm, wrapped in a black bracer, was naturally raised, while his right hand held the gun level with his line of sight, aiming forward.
A red ring appeared in his vision, gradually shrinking. When it narrowed to the size of a needlepoint, it meant the target was locked. This process took five seconds.
The red ring shrank. The muscles in Su Xiao's gun-holding arm gradually tensed.
Five, four, three, two, one. Lock successful.
The moment of slaughter had arrived!
Bang, bang, bang...
Su Xiao continuously pulled the trigger of the Shattered Elf. Six bullets eagerly left the chamber.
The six bullets cut through the air, creating waves of air resistance.
These six bullets flew toward the Survey Corps with lightning speed. The Survey Corps members were still charging forward, completely unaware of the existence of such a weapon.
Pfft, pfft...
The sound of bullets entering flesh came in succession. Hange Zoë, riding her horse, was splattered with blood.
"Blood? This is..."
Hange Zoë turned her head and saw a sight she would never forget. Five fist-sized bloody holes appeared in the upper body of Survey Corps Commander Erwin Smith. His entire head was gone.
"Commander?"
Blood trickled down Hange Zoë's cheek. Erwin's mutilated corpse fell from his horse with a thud.
"Commander!"
"Commander Erwin!"
The Survey Corps' formation immediately fell into chaos. Their commander was dead, killed by an 'unknown' attack.
Seeing this, Su Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. His primary target was, of course, Erwin.
With Erwin dead, the Survey Corps would be leaderless. Although the Corps had many squad leaders, none could replace Erwin, and no one could command the respect needed to unite them.
If he had chosen to shoot Levi or Mikasa, he couldn't guarantee a one-hit kill. Even if he killed them, it would only reduce the Survey Corps' combat power, without a decisive impact.
The Survey Corps' cavalry formation visibly scattered. Some members even stopped chasing and dismounted to check Erwin's body.
"What do we do, Levi?"
Hange Zoë asked urgently.
"You'll act as interim commander."
Levi's eyes were downcast.
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
"Can I handle it?"
Levi stared at Hange Zoë.
"You have to, whether you can or not. Otherwise, those guys will get away."
Levi's combat ability was formidable, but he had no talent for command.
"Understood. I'll serve as interim commander now. Everyone, don't stop. Continue the pursuit."
At this moment, Hange Zoë had to steel herself and take charge.
"But the Commander is..."
Doubts immediately arose. Although Hange Zoë had considerable prestige in the Survey Corps, she couldn't replace Erwin.
"She's the interim commander now. Any objections?"
Levi said in a deep voice.
"No, but..."
"Shut up! I support Hange Zoë as interim commander."
Another squad leader, 'Mike Zacharius,' spoke up. His strength was second only to Levi's.
This stabilized the Survey Corps somewhat, but internal conflicts had quietly emerged.
"Don't stop. Keep chasing."
The cavalry continued forward, but several dozen Survey Corps members didn't move. They rode toward Erwin's body.
"These stubborn fools."
Hange Zoë harshly slapped her horse's rump. The main force of the Survey Corps moved forward again, while Su Xiao and his group had already run far ahead.
Su Xiao watched this scene through his telescope.
"Hange Zoë, huh. You're next."
The Shattered Elf required two minutes to automatically reload, and the cooldown for 'Gaze Shot' was 24 hours.
Su Xiao checked the prompt from Reincarnation Paradise.
[You have killed Survey Corps Commander 'Erwin Smith'.]
['Erwin Smith' is a key plot character. You have obtained 2.1% World Source. Total World Source obtained: 16.1%.]
Killing Erwin yielded 2.1% World Source. Su Xiao suspected Erwin should have dropped a treasure chest.
But Reincarnation Paradise wasn't a game. Dropped chests had to be picked up personally, so that chest had to be abandoned.
After two minutes passed, Su Xiao aimed the gun at the Survey Corps behind him.
Now, the Survey Corps were just targets. Shooting them was more than just satisfying.
Bang.
Su Xiao fired a shot. A Survey Corps member fell from his horse with a thud. Su Xiao had hit that member in the shoulder. The Shattered Elf's bullet exploded, creating a horrific wound.
It wasn't a fatal wound, but that Survey Corps member couldn't survive. After falling, hundreds of horse hooves awaited him.
Three seconds later, that member was trampled into a pile of mangled flesh, tripping two companions in the process.
This shot was a case of 'shoot here, hit there.' His target was Hange Zoë, but the bullet struck a target a full five meters away from her.
Taking a deep breath, Su Xiao steadied the gun. His pupils gradually contracted, his concentration reaching a peak.
Bang.
Another shot. This one was noticeably more accurate than the last. The bullet flew right past Hange Zoë's side, hitting a Survey Corps member behind her.
Bang.
Bang.
...
Su Xiao fired shot after shot. Although none hit Hange Zoë, he was starting to find his rhythm.
Given Su Xiao's current physical condition and his strong perception, he found that hitting a target didn't seem too difficult.
The Shattered Elf could generate 6 bullets every two minutes, meaning 180 bullets per hour. Reiner could continue running for another four hours, generating a total of 720 bullets in that time.
Even after Reiner exhausted his strength, Annie could transform into the Female Titan to replace him.
The Female Titan could probably run at full speed for over two hours. This gave Su Xiao more than six hours of safe shooting time, with the Shattered Elf generating over a thousand bullets in total.
What did over a thousand bullets mean? If Su Xiao could ensure three bullets hit one person, the Survey Corps would be reduced by more than half.
Raising the Shattered Elf, Su Xiao pulled the trigger. A Survey Corps member fell with a thud.
He felt like he was getting more accurate with each shot. The earlier hits were also due to the Survey Corps being densely packed.
After continuously firing several hundred bullets, Su Xiao's marksmanship should improve significantly. Several hundred living targets were helping him practice his shooting.
PS: (Fourth update, requesting monthly tickets)