In GGO, female players are incredibly rare.
Generally, interests in guns and ammunition tend to appeal more to males, and it's even rarer for females to enjoy such things, let alone be drawn to gunfight-themed games.
If the ratio of male to female players in the new ALfheim Online (ALO) is approximately 6:4, then in GGO, this ratio skews heavily, with even 9:1 seeming like an understatement.
Within such a context, Shinon, as a rare female player, stands out as one of GGO's few renowned snipers.
Her reputation as a prominent sniper and her potential as the biggest dark horse in the next BoB (Bullet of Bullets) tournament are largely credited to the sniper rifle in her possession.
The rifle is a PGM Ultima Ratio Hecate II—a massive weapon with an overall length of 138 cm, a weight of 13.8 kg, and capable of firing .50 caliber, 12.7 mm rounds. In the real world, it is classified as an anti-materiel sniper rifle, designed to pierce through vehicles and structures.
Anti-materiel sniper rifles are exceptionally powerful and long-ranged. Due to their overwhelming firepower, they are prohibited for use against human targets in reality. Only in a virtual world like GGO can such a devastating weapon be used against people, making it an almost unfair existence among the game's many firearms.
Shinon obtained her Hecate II three months ago.
It's said that there are only ten anti-materiel sniper rifles in GGO's servers, including Shinon's Hecate II.
Previously, a similar type of rifle appeared in GGO's auction house and was sold for an astronomical price of 20 million points (20M points).
In GGO, points are often referred to as K (thousands) or M (millions). For instance, 1,000 points are called 1K, and 1,000,000 points are called 1M. Therefore, a sale of 20M points is equivalent to 20 million points.
With GGO's exchange rate of 1:100 to real-world currency, this translates to 200,000 yen—an exorbitant amount.
When Shinon first acquired the Hecate II, she nearly hesitated to sell it due to its value.
Unknown to many, Shinon is actually a high school student living alone in the real world. She survives on a meager monthly allowance sent by her family. Although she can earn money in GGO, she cannot devote her time like professional players who spend 24/7 in full-dive. Only recently did Shinon manage to earn half of her monthly connection fees, which total 1,500 yen, with the other half coming from her personal allowance.
If Shinon were to spend more time in the game, she could undoubtedly earn more, but that would jeopardize her school grades.
With 200,000 yen, after deducting her connection fees thus far, Shinon could still pocket a significant profit.
However, she ultimately decided not to sell the rifle.
Shinon didn't join GGO to make money. Her goal is to defeat players stronger than herself, thereby overcoming her weaknesses.
Moreover, after obtaining the Hecate II, Shinon experienced an almost spiritual connection with this weapon, a first for her.
Despite the Hecate II's large size and heavy weight requiring high STR (Strength) stats to equip, Shinon, as a sniper, had already prioritized STR over AGI (Agility), enabling her to wield it without issue.
When Shinon first entered the battlefield with the Hecate II and observed her enemies through its scope, she felt a surge of power and determination emanating from the rifle.
Later, Shinon learned that "Hecate" refers to the Greek goddess of the underworld, a being that brings death. From that moment, Shinon decided that this rifle would be her first and final partner.
The Hecate II's bullets possess immense power. A shot to the limbs can strip a significant portion of an enemy's HP and even blow off their limbs. Any shot to the torso or head is almost always fatal, with no chance of survival.
Its bullets have a muzzle velocity of 825 m/s, more than twice the speed of sound—astonishingly fast. Its effective range exceeds 1,800 meters, with a maximum range of up to two kilometers.
Among GGO players, there may be other snipers, but none can compare to Shinon.
With the Hecate II, Shinon can fire faster and farther than any other sniper.
For instance, while most players wait for enemies to approach closer, Shinon can begin sniping as soon as they step within her 2-kilometer range.
Knowing this, players like Dyne have complete faith in Shinon's abilities. To them, as long as Shinon is on their side, victory is almost assured.
The moment an enemy enters Shinon's 2-kilometer range, others are still preparing, while Shinon is already aiming for the kill.
(As soon as they enter the 2-kilometer range…)
Shinon's deadly strike would head straight for the enemy's forehead.
Victory would then be determined in that instant.
(Almost there… Just a little closer…)
Suppressing her suddenly racing heartbeat, Shinon adjusted her finger on the trigger.
At this moment, a predicted impact circle appeared in Shinon's scope.
The circle fluctuated continuously—expanding and contracting—covering more than half of the slowly approaching target.
In long-range sniping of over 1,000 meters, prediction circles often expand to several times the height of a human. For Shinon's circle to cover over half the target indicated a significant accuracy rate, quite high for such distance.
However, the prediction circle's fluctuations synced with Shinon's real-world heartbeat. Pressure and tension could cause accuracy to plummet.
This is why many players hesitate to become snipers.
But for Shinon, calming herself was second nature.
(Something like this…)
Recalling an unmentionable past, Shinon's emotions quickly steadied. The prediction circle's erratic movements slowed, shrinking to its smallest size.
When the circle's center rested squarely on the approaching figure's head…
"Now!"
Without hesitation, Shinon pulled the trigger.
"Bang—!"
A thunderous gunshot echoed through the canyon, shaking the entire area.
The Hecate II's muzzle flashed brilliantly as the bullet, faster than sound, shot forward, racing toward Shinon's target.
However, in that instant, Shinon's heart turned ice cold.
For in the moment she fired, Shinon saw through her scope…
Rozen had stopped walking, raised his head, and looked directly toward her position.
His eyes, filled with amusement.