I Got A Legendary Sniper Rifle - Chapter 11
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Episode 11
Episode 11
「Goblin Bone Bullet (F) : 250」
“This should be more than enough.”
After three days of grinding the 7th Floor, I had accumulated a staggering 250 bone bullets.
Even that number was reduced somewhat since I’d fired off a few rounds for testing purposes.
The Goblin bone bullets performed exactly as I had imagined.
The muzzle velocity was so fast that firing and impact were nearly simultaneous, and the rate of fire had increased considerably as well.
‘And they don’t explode messily, which is nice to look at.’
Additionally, I had gained another level this time.
My current level was now 9.
I hadn’t distributed the stat points yet.
‘Anyway, even if I climb another floor now, I won’t gain exactly one level per floor… It’s about time I need some repetition at a certain point.’
Satisfied with the results, I cleaned up my gun and cloak neatly before leaving the 7th Floor.
The quiet open field.
Just as I was about to head home as usual, the atmosphere of the street suddenly changed.
Weeee-ooooo———
A siren pierced through the air.
As people startled in alarm, an announcement followed.
[ Gate, gate occurrence detected. This is a real situation. Repeat. Gate, gate occurrence detected. This is a real situation. All citizens are advised to refrain from going outside immediately, and if you are outdoors, please evacuate to a shelter at once. ]
‘A gate.’
I stood motionless, focusing on the broadcast.
Whether it was a drill or an actual operation, it was something I’d heard enough times to be sick of it.
[ Hunters listening to this broadcast, please respond immediately to Gaecheon Intersection. Your assistance is the only way to rescue many citizens. ]
The end of the broadcast was always a plea for the gate’s location and the Hunters’ help.
Even so, not many Hunters rushed out just from hearing that broadcast.
Even if the monsters coming from the gate were weak, most Hunters were in a position where they had to struggle against such creatures.
After all, if I just waited a bit, the Special Forces and high-level Hunters hired by the management bureau would arrive anyway, so there was no need to recklessly throw myself into danger.
But.
Even so.
Even if no one else went.
‘Should I hold back too?’
I had many reasons not to go.
For a sniper, familiarity with the operation site is the top priority.
Gaecheon Intersection was nearby, but it was an unfamiliar place I’d never seen from that perspective.
No sniper would recklessly rush into such a place.
Besides, I was currently hiding my identity.
If any connection between me and Ilgyeok were discovered.
No, the mere fact that Ilgyeok appeared at that location would be sufficient evidence in itself.
At minimum, the scope would narrow from all of South Korea to Seoul, and specifically within Seongbuk District.
Frankly, no one would blame me if I didn’t go.
Publicly, I’m just a novice Hunter who barely cleared the 3rd Floor.
Only Deokhuun even knows that much about me.
The government has no intention of entrusting Gate operations to such a Hunter.
But.
If I go, I can save people.
After all, what was my very first vow when my Mana Stone Gun awakened?
To save another Squad 2… in other words.
‘Save people.’
Tap tap tap—
I immediately started running.
「Stealth : 15 → 30」
I invested all the stat points I gained from this level-up into Stealth.
This wasn’t the time to worry about waste.
Since I’d decided to go to the Gate, this was the only way to hide Ilgyeok’s true identity.
Along with the sudden surge in Stealth, my body began to change.
My Agility must have increased slightly, and most importantly.
Whoosh—
The presence I emanated from my body diminished considerably.
It couldn’t compare to using a Stealth Cloak, but still enough that ordinary people wouldn’t notice at all.
Stealth isn’t merely a stat that applies only to the gun itself.
It also conceals the very existence of the user wielding that gun.
‘This should be enough… I can definitely handle it.’
My fists clenched tighter as I ran.
Still, I didn’t know how other Hunters might perceive me, so my objective was clear.
I had to finish this before the Hunters arrived.
* * *
“Dismount!”
“Dismount!”
Near Gaecheon Intersection, the Special Forces’ black vehicle screeched to a halt, and armed soldiers immediately jumped out.
The 1st Company of the Blue Dragon Special Forces Battalion, where I had served, had arrived at the intersection.
This truck belonged to the 3rd Squad among them.
3rd Squad Leader Park Heejun began positioning personnel and equipment.
“Set up barricades in front! Hey, you bastard! Who puts it in front of the alley? Get your head straight?!”
“My apologies!”
Even with extensive training, actual combat was different.
He harshly pointed out the New Recruit’s mistake in setting up the barricade.
Next came sniper positioning.
“Sergeant, take your Assistant Gunner and head up that building. Since it’s an E-rank Gate, only Orcs should come out. Shoot well! If anything higher appears, call for support!”
“Yes! Follow me!”
After the barricade and sniper placements were complete, it was time for the infiltration team.
The 3rd Squad infiltration team leader was….
“…Sergeant Park.”
“Yes, Squad Leader.”
Heejun frowned slightly as he observed Gunwoo’s rigid expression.
Gunwoo was what they called a ‘washed-up’ soldier—no one knew how he’d managed to stay in the Special Forces Battalion this long.
He was apparently skilled at office politics and popular among the non-commissioned officers, so he kept his position, but he had quite a reputation for being incompetent among the officers.
They said that despite boasting he could even hunt Ogres, he’d panic at the slightest complication during actual operations.
His peer, Sergeant Choi Ihyeon, had been the first to push him out.
Since Heejun had only recently been promoted to First Lieutenant, he couldn’t openly criticize him.
But he understood well enough why he’d been passed over for promotion and only just received his sergeant rank.
He disliked having to trust and deploy such a person, but there was no choice.
The military was an organization.
Heejun pointed at the map spread on the ground and spoke.
“Here, civilians are trapped in the Myeongseong Building. The infiltration team will go to the building, rescue the civilians, and return.”
“…The distance is quite considerable, sir.”
His displeasure was evident.
The Myeongseong Building was located in the middle of Gaecheon Intersection.
Naturally, that’s where the most monsters would be.
Heejun’s frown deepened.
“That building right there. It’s not that far.”
Heejun pointed to a building that rose slightly higher than the others.
It was admittedly too close to reasonably call it far.
“And the infiltration team from another squad will provide support. Request sniper support if needed.”
“Yes, yes.”
Heejun nodded reluctantly and assembled the infiltration team members.
Since they had to go anyway, he said:
“Infiltrate! Infiltrate!”
“Open the barricade!”
Gunwoo immediately led his team inside.
Heejun approached the barricade and surveyed his squad members.
Quite a few of them were on their first mission.
Sure enough, behind the barricade, there was a new recruit taking cover with a deathly pale complexion.
“Hey, don’t be nervous. Orcs die if you just keep shooting them with your rifle.”
“B-but even headshots don’t kill them easily, sir.”
That was true.
Rifle rounds didn’t penetrate an Orc’s tough hide very well.
Still, they’d die if enough people shot them.
It would be even easier with the machine gun support from the fire team.
“So, are you going to run away?”
“No, that’s not it!”
The new recruit shouted with military discipline suddenly sharpening his posture.
Heejun let out a quiet laugh.
When he’d first been commissioned and gone out on his first mission, he hadn’t been much different.
A sergeant standing beside him, despite being nervous himself, put on some unnecessary bravado.
“Yeah, that’s right, don’t be scared, man. Gates usually end without anyone dying.”
It seemed like an attempt to boost morale, but the word “dying” made everyone’s expressions stiffen.
Just as you can’t help but think of an elephant when told not to think of one, hearing the word “dying” was unavoidable.
Besides, hadn’t the Blue Dragon Special Forces Battalion lost an entire squad a year ago?
Gates usually ended without major incidents, just as the sergeant said.
But conversely, “sometimes” serious accidents did occur.
For instance, monsters that shouldn’t emerge from an E-rank Gate appearing instead…
Heejun struck the sergeant’s combat helmet fairly hard as he spoke.
“Don’t say useless things, Kim Sergeant. Nothing will happen.”
“Yes, I’m sorry, Squad Leader.”
Heejun kept his eyes on the front, where he still couldn’t hear or sense anything.
‘Damn… I’m getting anxious for no reason.’
* * *
Gunwoo was leading fifteen infiltration team members toward the Myeongseong Building.
Along the way, he’d linked up with the infiltration teams from Squad 1 and Squad 2.
Five members per squad.
Since Gunwoo was the most senior among the team leaders, he was still issuing orders.
Thwack—!
The sergeant scouting at the front raised his fist.
Everyone pressed against the walls on both sides and focused on the hand signals.
Three Orcs ahead.
The infiltration team’s firepower could handle them with ease.
However, the team’s expressions weren’t particularly good.
Until now, they’d managed to advance by avoiding the Orcs somehow.
But this time it was a path they had to pass through, so they had no choice but to engage.
Naturally, the surrounding Orcs would hear the noise and come running, so they hoped to avoid contact until they could get the civilians out as quickly as possible.
All eyes focused on Gunwoo.
‘Yeah, making it this far without engaging is pretty impressive in itself.’
Come to think of it, their luck had been unusually good.
Normally at this distance, they would’ve engaged several times by now.
Just finish quickly and get out quickly.
Gulp—
Gunwoo swallowed hard and issued his orders.
“Squad 1, suppressive fire. Squad 2, load grenades.”
“Yes.”
Immediate engagement.
Rat-a-tat-tat——!!
Special forces ammunition with far superior stopping power than standard rounds was unleashed upon the Orcs.
Boom—!
The Orcs shrieked and lunged forward, but the bullets tearing into their bodies offered no mercy.
The first few rounds bounced off their hide, but by the tenth, twentieth shot, their skin finally began to rupture.
When the magazine emptied completely.
“Grenade launcher fire!”
Thunk—!
The two grenadiers of Squad 2 fired simultaneously.
Kaboom——!!
For three wounded Orcs, it was rather spectacular firepower, but safety came first.
Gunwoo confirmed the Orcs’ deaths and his expression brightened.
Beyond them stood a building marked ‘Myeongseong Building’.
And from a window roughly ten stories up.
“P-please save us! There are Orcs outside! The door is breaking!”
“Please help us!”
Desperate rescue pleas from civilians echoed down.
Gunwoo waved his arm broadly and shouted.
“We’re here, everyone, move in! Squad 3 will cover the rear, Squads 1 and 2 go inside!”
“Moving in, moving in!”
Ten special forces soldiers immediately rushed into the building.
The Myeongseong Building had a somewhat unique exterior.
Stairs and long corridors visible through floor-to-ceiling glass.
Thanks to this, the special forces soldiers sprinting rapidly could be seen from outside.
‘This is it, this is it!’
I had already memorized the escape route.
Even with a few Orcs inside, they’d be easy to dispatch.
As long as we returned before more Orcs converged, it would be over.
But then.
– S-Sergeant Park! Occupied!
An urgent voice crackled through the radio.
Of course there would be Orcs!
Gunwoo cursed in frustration and brought his hand to his earpiece.
What did he think was in this place anyway?
But from that radio transmission onward.
The situation began to escalate rapidly.
– H-here too!
– Argh! They’re pouring out!
– Retreat, fall back!
“…?”
Gunwoo looked up at the building, wondering what on earth was happening.
On the 10th floor, Squad 1 and Squad 2 members who had scattered to both sides were being driven back toward the center by the Orcs.
There were more than five of them on each side.
Naturally, the Special Forces couldn’t face off against Orcs on a one-to-one basis.
Using grenades was difficult indoors.
“Sergeant, we need to provide support!”
A member of the 3rd Squad Infiltration Team urged desperately, but Gunwoo shook his head.
“What good would we do? You want us to get crowded in the hallway and all die together?!”
Instead, Gunwoo grabbed the radio connected to his squad.
“Infiltration Team, requesting sniper support! 10th floor of Myeongseong Building, our members are being chased by multiple Orcs!”
– Confirmed. Exercise caution with your fire.
Exercise caution with fire, my ass!
Despite it being an obvious statement, Gunwoo felt his insides burning with frustration.
That bastard Choi Ihyeon was the same way, and the snipers were all equally composed.
The infiltration team members were standing in the line of fire, about to have their skulls split open by an axe!
Bang—! Bang—! Bang—!
Not long after, sniper rifle support from the snipers began.
“….”
Though it did.
“Damn it! Are you even aiming properly?!”
Eventually, Gunwoo cursed into the radio.
They fired several shots, but not a single bullet hit.
In truth, it was hard to blame the snipers.
The distance from their position to Myeongseong Building was 800 meters, barely exceeding the maximum training range, and the Orcs were running wildly while chasing humans.
“W-What do we do, Sergeant?!”
“What can we do! This damn—”
Helpless.
All that came out were curses.
Who would have thought the Orcs would wait for humans and set a trap.
I had nothing to say to the infiltration team members already inside, but at this rate, total annihilation was certain.
If it were that bastard Choi Ihyeon, he would have landed at least two shots.
“Retreat, we’re retreating!”
“Sir? Sergeant!”
“If we stay here, we’ll all die too! Damn it! If those bastards catch all of Squads 1 and 2, who do you think is next?!”
Gunwoo grabbed his subordinate by the collar and lifted him up.
He was ready to flee alone if necessary.
That was when it happened.
Boom—!
A sound that seemed to come from very far away.
Familiar, yet distinctly different.
Along with him.
Clang—! Crunch—!
An Orc’s upper body burst apart just as it was about to bring its axe down on one of the Special Forces soldiers’ heads.
“What, what is this?”
Gunwoo slowly released the collar he’d been gripping and looked up at the building.
What was happening right now?
The answer unfolded before Gunwoo’s eyes without any explanation.
It simply revealed itself.
Thud—! Thud—! Thud—!
Accompanied by successive dull sounds.
Shriek—! Screech—!
The Orcs burst apart with varied cries of agony.
Alternating between both sides in order of proximity to the Special Forces soldiers.
The work of a phantom, or rather, the Grim Reaper himself—it was almost unbelievable.
The Grim Reaper and savior.
The difference between them was not so great.
Gunwoo turned to look in the direction where the Snipers were positioned.
Snipers?
No, that couldn’t be right.
The Snipers’ mana rifles couldn’t brutally burst apart an Orc’s upper body in a single shot like that.
– What’s happening?! Snipers!
– W-we don’t know either, sir!
The radio communication erupted into chaos in an instant.
– It’s, it’s a Hunter!
– We’re saved!
The answer came through the earpiece.
Only a Hunter could do such a thing.
And not an ordinary Hunter at that, but one of extraordinary power.
“W-where? Where is… what…?”
He couldn’t deduce the position or method of those attacks.
One sound, one death.
While Gunwoo and the infiltration team members were in shock, all the Orcs that had been cornering the Special Forces soldiers met their end.
Exactly as many attacks as there were Orcs.
And from a distance beyond anyone’s imagination.
The rooftop of a tall building where both Gaecheon Intersection and Myeongseong Building were visible below.
“…Something’s off.”
Ihyeon tilted his head in confusion as he observed the situation through his scope.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————