Chapter 247: Duel Standoff!

Boom!

A massive explosion shattered the cover into pieces.

Protagonist Billy and the second-stage BOSS Hatterfield were now fully engaged in a heated gunfight with Kasamoto Eri, exchanging relentless fire.

All three were formidable fighters of boss level, each excelling in their unique specialties.

Billy and Hatterfield, seasoned as cowboy sharpshooters, specialized in explosive close-to-mid-range combat.

Meanwhile, Kasamoto Eri, a protagonist from a war-torn world, thrived in suppressive firepower.

Having claimed the high ground with heavy weaponry set up in advance, she was nearly untouchable even by fellow bosses.

The relentless barrage forced Billy and Hatterfield into a defensive stance, unable to raise their heads without risking instant death.

They realized they had no choice but to take her down first—or neither would survive.

Exchanging a quick glance from behind cover, the two nodded in unison and flanked her, each taking opposite sides as they dashed toward the forward cars.

Cowboys like them were never about long-range suppression; their strength lay in precise mid-range shots.

If they closed the distance, their six-shot execution skills would leave few alive.

A battle-hardened Kasamoto Eri instantly deduced their plan.

She lobbed several grenades toward Billy to block his path while unleashing a storm of machine gun fire on Hatterfield, hoping to eliminate one target quickly.

But she underestimated the second-stage boss.

Despite the C difficulty rating of Sunset Knights bosses largely being due to their numerous minions, Hatterfield's personal strength was not to be ignored.

Dodging the hail of bullets with a roll, he dropped to one knee and fired four shots without even aiming.

Kasamoto Eri barely managed to dodge one bullet, which grazed past her temple, cutting off strands of golden hair.

Her machine gun vibrated violently as a precise shot struck it, throwing off her aim.

The stray bullets whizzed just above Hatterfield's head, missing him entirely.

Seizing the moment, Hatterfield smoothly reloaded, raising his gun to take another shot at her.

But his instincts kicked in—his ear twitched, and his pupils shrank. Without hesitation, he dove forward into a roll.

Swish!

A shimmering slash of energy tore through the space he had just occupied, slicing a half-meter gash into the train car behind him.

Qin Ming had arrived, striding with unyielding momentum to support Kasamoto Eri after finishing off the last enemy!

Hatterfield's expression turned grim as he glanced at Qin Ming's imposing figure and then at Kasamoto Eri, who was now entangled in a fierce shootout with Billy.

Raising his revolver, Hatterfield immediately opened fire at Qin Ming.

Bang!

The first bullet whizzed past Qin Ming's head as he narrowly dodged with a swift tilt.

Bang!

The second shot grazed past as he sidestepped, dodging by mere millimeters.

As the distance closed, the next four bullets came too fast to evade.

But Qin Ming didn't even try to dodge.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Sparks flew as the bullets clanged against metal.

Without breaking stride, Qin Ming swiftly raised his arm, blocking the incoming shots with the golden gauntlets on his forearms.

The bullets ricocheted harmlessly off, leaving only faint scratches on the gauntlets.

With his A-rank combat mastery and the gauntlet's protection, Qin Ming effortlessly deflected every single bullet without taking a hit!

Witnessing this unbelievable feat, Hatterfield's eyes widened in disbelief, his face contorted as if he had just seen a ghost.

Never in his life had he imagined someone could deflect bullets with melee combat skills alone.

Swallowing nervously, Hatterfield quickly reloaded his revolver but didn't shoot.

Instead, he holstered the weapon and spread his legs slightly, resting his palm just above the gun's grip as his fingers flexed.

This was the classic duel stance! The signature move of Western gunslingers during one-on-one showdowns!

By holstering the gun in the dominant side holster, the shooter could achieve lightning-fast draw speeds.

Flexing the fingers prevented tension-induced stiffness that might cause mistakes during the critical draw.

His muscles tensed as he glared fiercely at Qin Ming.

Seeing this, Qin Ming immediately halted his steps, instantly recognizing the challenge—a duel invitation.

Without a word, he tipped his hat slightly, then pulled the silver-quality lever-action rifle from his inventory with a flick of his wrist.

With a crisp click-clack, he chambered a round and let the rifle hang at his side, silently locking eyes with the second-stage BOSS, Hatterfield.

Challenge issued. Challenge accepted.

Beneath the night sky, amidst the wreckage and twisted train tracks, the two men stood meters apart, still as statues.

Nearby, gunfire continued as Kasamoto Eri and Billy exchanged furious shots, occasionally sending stray bullets whizzing past the duelists.

Neither spared them a glance.

Hatterfield, a seasoned gunslinger with B-rank firearm mastery, particularly specialized in revolver combat, was confident in his skills.

In mid-range combat, he might even hold a slight edge over Qin Ming.

As tension thickened, Hatterfield's twitching fingers abruptly froze.

In the blink of an eye!

He drew his revolver while Qin Ming simultaneously raised his rifle.

Both fired at the same time.

Boom!

The two bullets streaked through the air, colliding precisely in mid-flight.

Clang!

Sparks scattered as the bullets flattened against each other, fused into a single lump of scrap metal, and clattered to the ground.

First round—tie.

But before Qin Ming could fully work the lever to chamber another round, Hatterfield's revolver barked again.

Bang!

The undeniable advantage of a revolver became clear—its rapid firing speed, precision, and rugged durability made it unmatched in quick-draw duels.

While Qin Ming was still chambering a round, Hatterfield's second shot had already struck home, slamming into Qin Ming's chest.

Qin Ming grunted in pain as the bullet hit, while Hatterfield's face lit up with triumph.

Victory was his—once again, he had bested a powerful foe.

Or so he thought.

Bang!

A gunshot from Qin Ming cut through the night, wiping the grin off Hatterfield's face.

Despite taking a bullet to the chest, Qin Ming stood firm, grim-faced, and fired his newly chambered shot.

Blood sprayed as Hatterfield's back arched from the impact, eyes wide in disbelief.

He staggered, instinctively raising his revolver to shoot again.

Qin Ming mirrored the action with his rifle.

At point-blank range, the two unleashed a relentless barrage, each bullet carving bloody furrows into their bodies.

Hatterfield, riddled with bullets, stumbled backward, his clothes soaked in blood, his mouth dripping crimson.

Qin Ming, similarly peppered with gunshot wounds, pushed forward undeterred, firing shot after shot as he closed the distance.

Finally, with both weapons clicking empty, their magazines spent, silence returned.

Panting heavily, Hatterfield, riddled with six wounds, struggled to keep his footing.

He raised his revolver with trembling fingers, but his strength failed him, and he collapsed with a thud.

Standing over him, Qin Ming flipped his empty rifle around, gripping it by the barrel.

Without a word, he brought it down on Hatterfield's head with brutal force.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Four or five savage blows later, the lifeless Hatterfield lay still, his blood staining the earth.

Satisfied, Qin Ming disdainfully tossed the blood-streaked rifle aside.

"Pure violence, idiot!" he spat disdainfully.

Hatterfield hadn't lost because he was a worse gunslinger; he lost because he'd assumed Qin Ming was just a cowboy.

Cowboys fear bullets.

But Qin Ming didn't.

(End of Chapter)