"Now, for the shooting confrontation. Both pistols are assumed to fire simultaneously. First, roll for the shooting points. If one party's combined Luck and Agility points exceed the other's shooting points, they can avoid injury. If the combined Luck and Agility points are less than the shooting points, the severity of the injury will be determined by the difference in points."
On the second floor of the Prophet Association, the tense atmosphere made everyone instinctively hold their breath. The scene displayed on the table, showing a gunfight, strongly resembled an old-fashioned duel.
The three princesses, well-versed in old-era firearm duels, knew that even with modern advancements in firearm manufacturing, it was almost impossible to kill an enemy with a single shot in a hasty, unprepared firing situation. Regardless, Xia De Hamilton would likely take several shots until one party was completely incapacitated by their injuries.
"First, roll for shooting points."
As the Keeper spoke, Professor Ons, who had lost his companion, picked up the dice. He himself knew that the current situation was very wrong; everything was logical, yet it felt off. But since he had chosen to abandon the mission and prepare to escape, he had to kill the other story character.
Clatter clatter~
Under the tense gazes of the Church Ring術士s, the middle-aged man rolled an almost impossible number:
"Points: 100."
Angelina gripped her sister's arm tightly, feeling that her sister was equally nervous.
Professor Ons slowly exhaled, then lowered his head and read the contents of the parchment, searching for applicable bonuses:
"【Night Prowler】Joggeli Deus, base shooting skill bonus 67 points, keeper-level relic demonic eye 【Insect Eye】 grants shooting bonus 40 points, .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol shooting bonus 30 points."
He paused, his lips trembling:
"Because 【Night Prowler】Joggeli Deus is severely wounded, affecting his hand stability, shooting penalty 34 points, symbol 'Broken Bugle' bonus 12 points. Total shooting points: 215."
Iluna Bayas slightly exhaled a breath of relief; 215 was not a very high value.
She also picked up the dice. After the clattering dice settled, the seventeen-year-old girl began to read the parchment:
"Points 71, base shooting skill bonus 61, Luger revolver shooting bonus 24, symbol bonus 10."
"Mr. Hamilton's shooting skills are truly impressive."
Someone in the crowd mumbled. Iluna Bayas held her breath, ignoring a row of unreadable content, and found a barely acceptable entry:
"Character Special Ability · Special Aiming Assistance Technique, bonus—"
She saw this value, like the "Basic Investigation" earlier, flickering rapidly, ranging from two digits to three digits. Finally, Iluna Bayas chose to read it directly when a certain number appeared:
"50. Total shooting points: 216."
Xia De Hamilton's total shooting points were just one point higher than the severely wounded Ring術士. Everyone agreed with this result, as it was normal for a Detective to possess excellent shooting skills. Iluna Bayas's eyes skimmed over the subsequent entries like "Night's Protection, Darkness's Dark Vision"; she knew the challenge wasn't over yet. Only by rolling Agility and Luck would they know who would be shot.
Professor Ons picked up two dice and continued to roll. This time, both dice were rolled twice:
"Luck 42 points, Agility 3 points."
The middle-aged man took a deep breath, his expression peculiar. He murmured softly:
"Luck truly is conserved."
"That's superstition."
Iluna Bayas said what Xia De Hamilton often said. Professor Ons ignored her:
"Character base Luck 65 points, injured state Agility penalty 40 points, 'Inspiration Potion' provides Agility bonus 10 points, character trait · Night Walker provides Luck bonus 21 points, Miracle 'Crisis Perception' provides 0.6 times coefficient Agility bonus—"
Clatter clatter~
He rolled the dice again:
"45 × 0.6 = 27 points."
"Miracle 'Protective Arrows' provides 1.5 times coefficient Luck bonus—"
Clatter clatter~
"30 × 1.5 = 45 points. Total Luck and Agility points, 173 points, less than Hamilton's shooting points of 216. He's been shot."
Iluna Bayas smiled, picked up the dice, and rolled. Her voice was very calm, and people admired her composure:
"Dice roll Luck points 53, dice roll Agility 47 points. Symbol bonus 10 points, character base Luck 97 points. The champion of the Great City Player is indeed a lucky fellow."
Iluna Bayas said. Her mental arithmetic was quite good; the total of these four items was already 207, just 8 points short of completely dodging the enemy's bullets. Her eyes scanned the parchment, choosing abilities or traits that Xia De Hamilton could vocalize. This made her feel like she was picking cheap vegetables at a market, as there were simply too many options, so she quickly found her target:
"Profession 【Detective】 provides Agility bonus 10. Xia De Hamilton's total Luck and Agility points: 217."
Iluna Bayas and Professor Dion both looked at the Keeper in the black robe. A hoarse voice from the Darkness gave the result:
"In the night, the brave ones draw their guns and shoot, a true contest. The night granted Xia De Hamilton protection; his injured opponent's bullet did not hit him. The young Detective steadily pulled the trigger, and the bullet struck 【Night Prowler】Joggeli Deus in the lung. This would have been a minor injury, but as he was already severely wounded beforehand, he is temporarily incapacitated after this round."
Iluna Bayas's face broke into a smile, and she was about to direct the next action when she heard the Keeper continue:
"The two successive gunshots in the silent night did not attract attention due to the silencing spell. But both Xia De Hamilton and Joggeli Deus knew that time was running out for them. Jack the Thief was about to complete his theft, and those who wished to gain merit by apprehending the criminal must act quickly."
This was the Keeper urging the two participants in the "duel" to bring the story back on track. After all, the theme of this 【dice story collection】 was catching a thief, not two men dueling at night. The rules Iluna Bayas received upon seating mentioned that if the story's theme was ignored for too long, a terrible twist would occur.
"Joggeli Deus uses a Miracle!"
Professor Ons spoke before Iluna Bayas. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but there was still a determined glint in his eyes:
"Chosen One, perhaps your luck was good this time, but I won't lose to you next time."
"What else do you want to do?"
Iluna Bayas asked suspiciously. The middle-aged professor shook his head:
"Ordinary people cannot contend with Ring術士s. Did you think I didn't anticipate this situation when I had him try to kill Hamilton? I know Hamilton of Leijiede is a Detective, proficient in shooting, investigation, and combat, but a Ring術士 losing mobility doesn't mean they can't continue fighting. Joggeli Deus uses the Miracle - Moving Objects, to seize Xia De Hamilton's firearm!"
He spoke rapidly:
"By the way, this Miracle was originally prepared for Jack the Thief. Dius's 【Moving Objects】 has been influenced by a relic, so even as a First Ring, his telekinetic power far exceeds that of a mature ox. The only drawback is that it must be used while stationary, with focused concentration and prior preparation. Fortunately, the conditions are met now."
This was indeed remarkable. When Xia De Hamilton was a First Ring, the basic Miracle "Moving Objects" could only move a small piece of paper. Even now, his Miracle wasn't strong enough to contend with an ox.
"Perform a strength contest!"
Iluna Bayas said quickly, about to roll the dice, but unexpectedly the Keeper interrupted her:
"Perhaps Xia De Hamilton was excessively startled by the recent gunfight, or perhaps he never imagined an invisible force would try to snatch his firearm. The ordinary person 【Mortal's Luck】 Xia De Hamilton, having never witnessed the mystical and extraordinary (Note), made no resistance at this time. The Miracle - Moving Objects was directly successful, and Xia De Hamilton's revolver was acquired by Joggeli Deus."
"Xia De Hamilton performs—"
Iluna Bayas quickly tried to give Xia De Hamilton his next command, but she clearly couldn't interrupt the Keeper:
"【Night Prowler】Joggeli Deus acts first."
"Fire!"
Professor Ons immediately said, but the subsequent judgment was somewhat peculiar.
"【Night Prowler】Joggeli Deus is unfamiliar with the hastily seized firearm. To successfully fire, he must pass three Luck checks: to determine if there is a bullet in the gun, to determine if he knows how to use this model of revolver, and to determine if Xia De Hamilton will immediately retaliate. If the sum of the three rolls is greater than 99, he can fire normally, and then a confrontation check will be made with his opponent."
A sum of three rolls greater than 99 was very easy to achieve, especially with other bonus points. Professor Ons immediately picked up two dice, ready to roll. He didn't notice Iluna Bayas on the opposite side frowning slightly, as if she had thought of something, nor did he notice the red-haired princess in the Darkness pursing her lips to suppress a smile:
"Xia De Hamilton couldn't possibly be stunned by the 'Moving Objects' Miracle. He must have switched—"
Clatter clatter~
Points: 1.
Clatter clatter~
Points: 1.
Clatter clatter~
Points: 1.
"Huh?"
Professor Ons froze there, feeling that this story was becoming increasingly strange. Although logical, it was strange.
He looked at his unconscious companion, suspecting that the other party had temporarily defected to the Church, and everyone in the Church was also surprised at how terrible the Truth Society professor's luck was.
He had no chance for additional point bonuses. A hoarse, chilling voice rang out from the Darkness, and at the same time, everyone present seemed to hear a gunshot by their ears:
"All three checks rolled 1 point. According to the rule 'three consecutive 1 points result in a critical failure,' the story character suffers a misfortune penalty. Therefore, 【Night Prowler】Joggeli Deus is hit by a ricochet from the pistol. As he is already severely wounded and unable to move, this attack ignores evasion, luck, and defense. 【Night Prowler】Joggeli Deus is dead."
"Miss Pa Wo said after the Lakeview Manor banquet that even the clearest probability cannot defeat fate—"
Professor Ons, in his crisp suit, fell to the ground after the gunshot. The parchment scroll representing the identity of 【Night Prowler】Joggeli Deus ignited as it fell, leaving only Ashes when it landed in the Darkness.
Angelina trembled with excitement, Leia's lips were pursed with a smile in her eyes, and Princess Margaret was also thrilled by this wonderful story, especially since Xia De Hamilton had helped her before.
"Perhaps I should get in touch with that Detective again; he's truly remarkable."
The princess of the Southern Kingdom thought to herself. She was certain that three consecutive ones were definitely related to the Detective who had displayed great power.
At the table under the light, only Iluna Bayas remained seated. The seventeen-year-old girl tried hard not to laugh. She held the parchment in one hand and propped her chin with the other, frowning as she gazed at the table setting, but she couldn't help but reveal a faint, uncontrollable smile.
This smile, to onlookers, appeared so composed and confident.
Someone started applauding first, followed by soft exclamations of admiration amidst the continuous applause:
"Truly wonderful, worthy of Iluna Bayas."
Although people didn't know how she did it, this admiration was entirely heartfelt.
—Extra Notes—
PS: Earlier, cats surrounded Xia De Hamilton, but did not cause mental (check passed) or physical (scared away) harm, so the Keeper here defaults that "ordinary people" are unaware of the extraordinary.
