Bang!
The instant the gunshot rang out, Red Serpent Philos Arne finished altering the properties of the space around himself, turning it into an "Ultra-Low-Speed Zone" where time flowed more slowly.
The large-caliber brass bullet tore through the air with a shrill whistle. But the moment it entered the Ultra-Low-Speed Zone, the spinning projectile slowed sharply. Philos Arne twisted his battered serpentine body and narrowly dodged the shot!
Several hundred meters away, atop a building, White Line's gaze hardened.
Clink.
The red-hot shell casing hit the ground. She pressed her lips together, pulled a blue-tipped bullet from her belt without hesitation, and loaded it. Then she closed one eye, aimed, and fired at the Red Serpent again!
Bang!
This blue-tipped bullet was a precious Game Item of Paradox Item grade. It accelerated to nearly the speed of light as it left the barrel. In theory, as long as the shooter's aim was true, it could not miss!
But in the next instant, an eggshell-like black dome appeared around Red Serpent Philos Arne. The light-speed bullet struck it and vanished without a sound!
Crack!
Inside the dome, a smoking crater had appeared in the stone slab beneath Philos Arne. Its edges had melted into orange-red magma under the intense heat.
Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
Philos Arne's heart hammered. He had never imagined the enemy would actually bring a weapon that approached the speed of light to use against him!
His vessel had come within a hair's breadth of dying before he even knew what had happened. That would have meant his absolute end!
If he had not played it safe and altered the speed of light in the surrounding space—even shifting its wavelengths beyond the visible range—that shot would have hit him!
But changing the speed of light was still too