I Got A Legendary Sniper Rifle - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 12
Episode 12
Something was definitely off.
Orcs that would charge recklessly at any human without hesitation were waiting inside the building and ambushing the entry team?
And they left the trapped civilians alone until they screamed?
‘There’s someone commanding these Orcs.’
I was positioned 800 meters further back from the 800-meter line where soldiers had established their blockade.
It was the tallest building in the vicinity.
I was a bit late finding a suitable vantage point, but I managed to set up just as the special forces arrived.
From the moment I started tracking the entry team’s movements from there, something felt wrong.
There was no way Orcs would leave humans alone like that.
Fortunately, I managed to save the entire entry team.
Looking at the people at the scene, completely flustered, they seemed to have no idea of my existence whatsoever.
I brought my eye back to the scope.
What I saw through it was Park Geonwoo, completely drained of color.
“I thought I’d never see you again… If you had any sense at all, you’d run away quickly, you idiot.”
Even I, from 1.6 kilometers away, could sense it, so why couldn’t the guy at the scene feel this ominous presence?
Then, the atmosphere at Gaecheon Intersection changed.
No, it became heavier.
No one knew yet what had happened, but there’s such a thing as instinctive sensation.
Even Gunwoo was no exception.
“…What?”
Gunwoo let out a startled sound as a monster burst out from beside the building.
A frame twice as large as an ordinary Orc.
Fur as black as pitch darkness.
Two eyes glowing red.
A Dark Orc.
This wasn’t a creature that should appear here.
“S-Sergeant, isn’t that something that only appears on the 15th Floor?!”
It was the mid-boss of the 15th Floor.
The entry team members who recognized it trembled in fear.
Gunwoo shouted into the radio.
“S-Sniper support! Dark
Orc!”
An answer came back immediately.
It was the voice of Squad Leader Heejun, not the sniper.
– What the hell are you talking about?! How are we supposed to take down a Dark Orc with a sniper?! Run away now!
However, Gunwoo and the entry team couldn’t run away.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to run.
Their minds were already retreating to the barracks instead of the barricade, but—
Grrrraaaaahhh——
My legs, completely crushed beneath the Dark Orc’s overwhelming presence, refused to move at all.
“W-why is that thing here….”
The Dark Orc was rated as comparable to or superior to the Lizardmen, who ranked several tiers above it.
In pure physical strength alone it was that formidable, and in intelligence it held a clear advantage.
A terrifying hellish monster that transcended the limits of its species.
It was not something that should emerge from an E-rank Gate.
Only then did the situation become completely clear in Gunwoo’s mind.
Why there had been so few Orcs all the way to the Myeongseong Building.
Why Orcs possessed the intelligence to conduct ambushes within the building.
Looking at the ferocious Dark Orc’s axe blade, there was no way not to understand….
Huff— huff—
The Dark Orc’s ragged breathing escaped its maw.
Thump, thump, it walked forward and simply stopped.
Whoosh—
“H-hiiiieeek——!”
It brought the axe blade directly beneath Gunwoo’s throat.
Yet the Dark Orc did not immediately sever his lifeline.
Instead, it merely tilted its head, scanning the distant surroundings.
As if searching for someone in hiding.
‘…Is it that Hunter?’
One presence flashed through Gunwoo’s mind.
Whoever it was, a Hunter with devastating power that could burst Orcs apart in a single strike.
Perhaps the Dark Orc was holding the entry team and civilians hostage, threatening them.
As if to say: can you still attack me now?
A cunning creature.
That scene naturally caught Ihyeon’s eye as well.
“Look at that thing.”
Despite concealing his presence so thoroughly, the Dark Orc roughly pinpointed his direction.
Moreover, it appeared to be taking Gunwoo and the other soldiers as hostages.
“…But that bastard wouldn’t be a problem to kill anyway.”
The problem was that it had chosen the wrong hostage.
It was only days ago that I had been tormented every time I encountered Gunwoo.
That memory remained vivid even now.
That wretched creature who dared use the annihilation of the entire squad as grounds for bullying—it deserved to die.
It wasn’t just Gunwoo.
Some of the non-commissioned officers who associated with that bastard had also caught my eye.
I had only ever seen Dark Orcs in textbooks before; this was my first encounter.
They were that rare a species.
I’d heard that even a direct hit to the face with a magic stone bullet wouldn’t kill them instantly.
That’s exactly what it looked like.
I laughed coldly.
「Firepower: 17 → 25」
‘Alright, let’s see who wins.’
I pulled the firepower up in one breath.
As I placed my finger on the mana injection port, the gun’s feel shifted distinctly from before.
I aligned the scope’s crosshairs precisely with the Dark Orc’s head.
A slight breeze blew.
Considering various stats, it shouldn’t have much impact, but in this situation, mistakes were unforgivable.
It was best to eliminate variables.
I waited calmly for the moment.
When no mysterious attack came, the creature let out a dismissive snort and slowly raised its axe.
Perhaps it intended to execute the hostage.
Gunwoo couldn’t even scream, lying face-down on the ground, pale as death.
The moment the Dark Orc’s axe reached its highest point.
Finally, the wind ceased.
‘Fire.’
I pulled the trigger.
Thwack-crack——!!
The firepower, now elevated through stealth and proximity, answered with a distinctly stronger sound.
I calmly confirmed the hit.
Screeeech———!!!!
With a thunderous roar, the Dark Orc’s body holding the axe froze in place.
“…What?”
Gunwoo, who had thought himself as good as dead, cautiously lifted his head when death didn’t come.
The reason the Dark Orc’s body had stopped was obvious.
It no longer had a head to move with.
The Dark Orc’s head—something that even Level 30 Hunters struggled to wound—had been blown clean off.
Splurt— splurt—
Even its blood seemed unable to believe the fact, spurting out intermittently.
“W-what is this…?”
Gunwoo barely supported his upper body, bewildered.
Then, his subordinates urgently called out to him.
“Sergeant, you must escape immediately!”
“The Orcs are coming!”
After the Dark Orc’s death, Orcs erupted in rage from all directions.
Many rushed toward the barricade, but a considerable number were advancing toward the entry team.
Rat-a-tat—! Rat-a-tat—!
The support team opened fire hastily, but their sparse firepower was insufficient to stop the Orcs.
However.
Pik— Pik—!
“????”
For some reason, the Orcs began dying one by one.
This time, I couldn’t even hear a sound.
Blood would just gush from their heads, then death, then death again.
Gunwoo, looking completely out of his mind, fled while being dragged along by his subordinates like any ordinary civilian.
* * *
The Goblin bone bullets were truly efficient at killing Orcs.
‘I would have preferred to handle this with mana, but the firepower has become too strong.’
I clicked my tongue in regret.
Bone bullets leave projectiles behind.
I had wanted to leave no evidence that could trace back to me.
However, I had already expended considerable mana summoning the support unit.
Killing the Orcs pouring in would have been cutting it close.
Moreover, the sudden increase in firepower risked exposing my location.
Watching Gunwoo being dragged away, I suppressed a smile and bought time for the support unit to retreat safely.
The barricade should hold fine against Orcs.
The visibility wasn’t great from here anyway, and there was a sniper over there as well.
“…This should be enough.”
Having swiftly eliminated about ten Orcs, I left without hesitation.
Fortunately, I confirmed no casualties with my own eyes.
While I was killing time appropriately at the building’s café after storing the gun in my inventory.
A Gate completion notification appeared.
「The Gate (E) has been closed.
Location: Seoul, Seongnaegu, Gaecheon-dong, South Korea.
Outstanding Contributor ID: ‘Ilgyeok’
Total Participants: 1.
Rank: S+」
‘Good fortune.’
I nodded.
This concluded perfectly without a single flaw.
Didn’t the S+ rank prove that?
It bothered me that my ID was stamped as the outstanding contributor.
For the first time, Ilgyeok’s existence had manifested in real reality.
But I harbored no regrets.
What mattered was that no one died.
Even if those people had tormented me without any reason.
Notifications followed in succession.
「Outstanding Contributor Reward.
One of your possessed skills will increase in rank.」
Clench—!
With other people around, I couldn’t let out a cheer, so I clenched my fist tightly instead.
Skill rank up.
‘So doing good deeds really does bring heavenly rewards!’
Saving Park Geonwoo was definitely the right call!
Strictly speaking, I should say it’s the system rather than heaven.
I only have one ranked skill.
Soul’s Soulmate.
「Soul’s Soulmate (C)
Transfers 20% of an item’s stats to the bound owner.
Firepower and distance apply as Strength, precision and stability as Stamina, stealth and rapid fire as Agility.
The effect applies even when the item is in your inventory.」
Everything else remained the same.
The synchronization rate had increased from 10% to 20%.
Even a 10% effect was quite noticeable, so 20% was beyond question.
Moreover, as my stats climbed higher, the efficiency skyrocketed exponentially!
While I was marveling at my increased strength and sharpened senses and so on.
The other people in the café suddenly erupted in cheers.
“The gate is closed!”
“Really? Where… huh?”
“What’s wrong?”
“I-Ilgyeok! Ilgyeok was here!!!”
“What, what did you say?!”
But the cheers quickly transformed into shock and awe.
The moment the internet reported that the Gaecheon-dong gate had closed.
[ Breaking News: ID ‘Ilgyeok’ confirmed as sole participant and top contributor in Gaecheon-dong gate! ]
Ilgyeok’s existence was spreading across the entire nation.
People seemed to be cheering more about Ilgyeok’s reappearance than about the safety itself.
“…Ahem.”
Hearing this, Ilgyeok felt quite embarrassed and let out a dry cough.
‘Is that really such a big deal?’
I only cleared one E-rank gate.
* * *
“…The, the gate is closed, you say?”
Meanwhile, Shin Gung and Seo Suyeon rushed to Gaecheon-dong as fast as they could upon hearing the news.
She listened to the Special Forces Company Commander who had been dispatched and felt utterly bewildered inside.
“Yes, I heard the hunters received a notification?”
“Ah, yes, yes….”
Of course it did.
Just before Suyeon arrived, by the narrowest of margins.
Only a single Hunter participated and achieved an S+ grade.
Once again, it was Ilgyeok.
I simply asked because I couldn’t believe it was actually true.
The Company Commander was also watching Suyeon’s expression carefully.
Shin Gung, ranked 1st in South Korea, came rushing over personally.
But who could have known the gate would close before then, making her trip in vain?
It was fortunate that Suyeon was famous for her good character—if it had been another top-ranked Hunter, they might have turned the command center upside down.
Suyeon muttered in a timid voice.
“They said if I didn’t come, there would be no special treatment or anything, so I rushed over…”
However, the Company Commander, who was extremely tense standing before the 1st-ranked Hunter, caught her words keenly and was startled.
“What? Who said such a thing to Shin Gung?”
Suyeon shook her head.
It seemed to be someone from the Management Response Division and a new Civil Servant—she figured they must have been pressured by their superiors too.
It wasn’t really an important matter.
In any case, it was true that Suyeon had nothing to do.
The Company Commander bowed his head respectfully and greeted her.
“Thank you for coming, Shin Gung.”
“No, I… I haven’t done anything… But is Ilgyeok perhaps…?”
“Ah, we only heard about it after the announcement went up… I apologize.”
Once again, no one had confirmed Ilgyeok’s identity.
The details would only become clear after the investigation was complete, but according to Gunwoo, who was the entry team leader, monsters died without any warning whatsoever.
“Still, we’re fortunate. The Dark Orc could have caused significant damage to both our personnel and civilians.”
“A… a Dark Orc?”
Suyeon’s eyes widened in shock.
The mid-boss of the 15th Floor came out of a gate?
“Then that Dark Orc was also…?”
“Yes, they said Ilgyeok sent it down with a single strike.”
“Wow…”
Suyeon couldn’t hide her astonishment.
A Dark Orc in a single strike.
Of course, I could do it easily too.
Actually, Hunters in the 40s range could probably manage it as well.
Monsters become somewhat weaker when they emerge from gates or the Tower Outside.
But Ilgyeok…
‘Now they’re only at the 7th Floor, or at best the 10th Floor!’
Based on the announcement, merely the 7th Floor.
Even climbing the 3rd Floor that hadn’t been announced, it would only be the 10th Floor.
Especially in the early stages, the difference of one floor, one level is stark.
A Hunter at best at the 10th Floor blowing away a Dark Orc in a single strike…
‘What on earth does this person do?’
It was genuine admiration.
How on earth could someone pull off something like that?
Within Suyeon’s heart, the presence of Ilgyeok—whose identity remained a mystery—grew larger and larger.
“Is something the matter…?”
Meanwhile, as Suyeon’s silence stretched on, the Company Commander asked with concern.
Suyeon belatedly waved her hand dismissively.
“Oh, no!”
“Yes, Shin Gung, please take care…?”
Before the Company Commander could even return a greeting, Suyeon hastily slipped out of the command post.
To any ordinary person, it would have seemed as though she had vanished in an instant.
“Really, I only heard bits and pieces…. And what on earth is all this?”
The Company Commander, who had only arrived and observed the situation, felt equally deflated.
As the system notification had proven, Ilgyeok had appeared just as a disaster was about to befall the special forces unit, and had resolved everything.
And his meeting with Suyeon was equally bewildering.
He had only ever seen Suyeon through interviews or media—this was his first time meeting her in person.
She was certainly kind for a high-ranking ranker.
‘I heard she was quite shy, and I suppose that seems to be the case.’
He even wondered if she might be something more than just kind.
Regardless, Suyeon’s interest in Ilgyeok appeared to be quite considerable.
Well, the emergence of a new rising star threatening the firmly established rank 1 position was certainly noteworthy.
In fact, public attention had already shifted decisively toward Ilgyeok.
So this relatively minor incident may have only further irritated her sensibilities.
‘After all, Shin Gung is human too!’
The special forces Company Commander had no choice but to take considerable interest in hunters and the Tower due to his profession.
He nodded, reflecting that he had experienced something quite rare.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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