I Got A Legendary Sniper Rifle - Chapter 13

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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 13
Episode 13
Ilgyeok had single-handedly cleared the gate in downtown Seoul.
The news ignited the internet like oil and set the world ablaze.
[ Juniboss: Kyaa! It’s really Ilgyeok!
└ KSK: Hey, aren’t you the guy who said Ilgyeok died on the 8th Floor a few days ago?
└ Juniboss: What nonsense… you got proof?
└ KSK: Screenshots.
Haha, you were quiet for a few days, but I believed in you~
Ilgyeokjoa: They said a Dark Orc appeared and he destroyed it in one shot
└ IlIIlliIl : Isn’t that guy a mid-laner on the 15th floor? lol the 7th floor average is insane;;
└ Tambourine Shaker: If he destroyed a Dark Orc in one shot, doesn’t that mean he gets a free pass all the way to the 15th Floor?
└ Ilgyeokjoa: Nope, Ilgyeok gets a free pass all the way to the 100th Floor. ]
Hunter Now’s hot topics and trending searches were filled entirely with talk of Ilgyeok.
The so-called “Ilgyeok Bubble Theory” and “Ilgyeok Death Theory” that had quietly surfaced over the past three days due to his silence vanished as if they’d never existed.
[ Test Nickname Length: At this point, the only way to stop Ilgyeok is to shoot him with a gun…
└ Fried Rice Killer: Nah, just confess and scold him
└ Hunter77: That applies to you too lol nope
└ Fried Rice Killer: Huh?
└ Hunter77: Huh…? ]
Nothing but praise.
The media that had been claiming Ilgyeok’s S+ streak ended at the 7th Floor quickly shifted their stance, saying he simply hadn’t challenged the 8th Floor yet.
What fueled this public opinion was the fact that Shin Gung, South Korea’s top-ranked hunter Seo Suyeon, had been at the scene.
[ Shin Gung went to the Gaecheon-dong gate. Ilgyeok was just faster!
└ Wow;; Isn’t Shin Gung about to get caught up?
└ Hey, let’s not touch Shin Gung. Are you her friend? ]
Of course there were people making comparisons, but since Suyeon’s image was naturally so good, it didn’t escalate beyond a few extreme fans.
[ What matters is that the gate was cleared safely. Regardless of who was faster, I think we fulfilled our responsibility as hunters. I hope Ilgyeok continues to advance to higher floors safely. ]
After one news outlet released Suyeon’s brief statement, people applauded it as a heartwarming conclusion between the current top-ranked hunter and a future contender.
There were also some self-deprecating voices questioning whether it was right to already be calling the still-unidentified Ilgyeok a hero who would save South Korea or Shin Gung’s successor.
And Ihyeon, who had been skimming through all those reactions, was—
“…I hope Shin Gung isn’t upset with me.”
Feeling anxious about this unexpected secret.
Who could have predicted that Korea’s top-ranked hunter would rush to an E-rank gate?
If I’d known, I should’ve just minded my own business and left it alone!
A hunter of Shin Gung’s caliber wouldn’t have come without reason.
She could very well be displeased that I’d interfered with her achievement.
‘Look, look, she said she had no particular stance. If she’d really been fine with it, she could’ve at least said thanks for the hard work… and that comment about hoping I advance safely to higher floors, well, depending on how you look at it, it could also mean let’s see how far you can really go…’
For Ihyeon, who had endured ruthless ostracism from his unit members for an entire year, this was a natural reaction.
Even if Shin Gung was famous for being a good person, she was still human, after all.
‘I need to hide my identity even more carefully.’
Ihyeon thought that if he caught Shin Gung’s attention, he might even get hit by a stray arrow, so he decided to maintain even stricter information security.
Even if I unlock personal messages later, I must never accept any messages from Shin Gung.
“Anyway.”
Ihyeon opened his status window to check his current stats.
「Choi Ihyeon’s Sniper Rifle
Lv.9
Firepower: 25
Range: 8
Precision: 14
Stability: 13
Concealment: 30
Rapid Fire: 13
Mana: 31
Distributable Stats: 12」
Already level 9.
I had used quite a bit of the distributable stats I’d accumulated from clearing gates.
Of course, even after that, I still had the equivalent of two levels for an ordinary Hunter remaining.
「Range: 8 → 10」
Ihyeon used two stat points to increase his range slightly.
While clearing this gate, I also felt the importance of range.
Since I couldn’t be detected by others, I needed to maintain that distance.
Moreover, I also learned a bit about the secret of range.
‘As range increases, the scope magnification expands, and the bullet velocity feels like it increases too.’
The range stat was literally an improvement in all the general elements needed to extend effective firing distance.
For instance, the scope itself naturally adjusts its magnification to match distant targets.
The bullet velocity also increases, making bullets hit at the same time regardless of distance.
Like other stats, it was essential for a sniper.
Just as Ihyeon felt satisfaction watching his stats grow steadily.
“Son, you’re still home?”
Minjeong, who had stopped by the house briefly from the shop, saw Ihyeon in the living room and spoke.
“Yes. I was just about to head out.”
“Well, that Hunter called Ilgyeok, you know? He’s really amazing.”
“Yes, yes?”
Minjeong brought up the topic of Ilgyeok right after returning home.
“All the ladies are talking about nothing but him, you know? Well, that gate that opened right down the street—he solved that too, all by himself.”
“That’s… what I heard too.”
Mother.
That’s your son right there—Choi Ihyeon!
You have every right to be proud of me!
I tried to hide the quiet sense of pride swelling in my chest.
Though my parents didn’t know my true identity, no son could help but feel pleased by their praise.
Just then, watching me avoid eye contact out of embarrassment, Minjeong clicked her tongue.
“Tsk… tch.”
A disapproving sound, as if subtitles were flashing: “Someone else’s son is acting like that, but what about you?”
A tongue click that seemed to carry that very meaning!
But I’m not someone else’s son!
“Right, son—I’ve made some soybean paste stew, so help yourself for lunch. Stop by the shop if you have time.”
“Oh, yes! Soybean paste stew!”
I was about to say something to Minjeong, but the mention of soybean paste stew sent me rushing straight to the kitchen.
I couldn’t resist soybean paste stew!
Minjeong’s cooking was in a completely different league from the Military Camp cafeteria—there was no helping it.
* * *
After clearing the Gate, I began climbing the Tower again.
After all, I could obtain more Goblin bone bullets as I ascended the floors.
「All enemies defeated.
Floor 8 cleared.
Rank: S+」
The 8th Floor, where the number of enemies had increased to thirty.
With just my mana stat, it would have been slightly precarious, but with the poison bullets, I could handle them with ease.
Though they were spread out, the few that slipped through were easily dealt with using Goblin bone bullets.
Most of the Goblin bones that dropped were converted into bullets, and the very next day I challenged the 9th Floor.
The 9th Floor was a level that even Hunters found somewhat troublesome.
Keke keke—!
‘Is that one a Shaman?’
It was because of the Goblin Shaman’s presence.
A creature that nullified debuffs with shamanic magic and granted buffs to other Goblins.
On top of that, it even hurled curses at Hunters.
With the other Goblin Warriors and Archer Hunters desperately protecting it, it wasn’t even easy to target first.
But.
Crack——!!
‘If it’s that conspicuous, it’s basically asking to be shot, isn’t it?’
The creature draped in colorful fabric and adorned with feathers of various hues was, in fact, the optimal target for a sharpshooter.
In an instant, the Goblin Shaman’s head flew off.
Whoosh——
The other Goblins were soon poisoned by the incoming poison bullets and died on the spot.
Even after the effect of my concealing cloak had worn off, my concealment stat had grown so high that the Goblins couldn’t locate my position and simply dropped dead one after another.
「All enemies defeated.
Floor 9 cleared.
Rank: S+」
‘It’s still manageable so far.’
I walked through the poison-filled plains, lost in thought.
Next comes the 10th Floor.
Floors in multiples of ten don’t spawn mid-bosses like Goblin Warrior Captains—they spawn the real deal, what they call the ‘Floor Master.’
Moreover, the 10th Floor is infamous on HunterNow as the ‘Newbie Guillotine.’
Though I’d dealt with the Dark Orc during the gate raid, the circumstances were vastly different this time.
The Dark Orc had been at such a distance that I held an absolute advantage, but this Floor Master represents the worst possible scenario for a sniper.
So what’s the solution?
‘What else? I’ll have to challenge it again.’
First, I needed to level up.
Conveniently, the next level was 10.
That was the threshold where I could acquire a new skill.
Twang—!
「All enemies eliminated.
Floor 9 cleared.」
Twang—!
「All enemies eliminated.
Floor 9 cleared.」
Twaaang——!
「All enemies eliminated.
Floor 9 cleared.」
「Item ‘Choi Ihyeon’s Sniper Rifle’ leveled up.
Check your status window.」
“Finally.”
At the level-up notification that finally appeared, I broke into a smile.
No wonder these bullets felt so crisp and clean firing out.
「Item ‘Choi Ihyeon’s Sniper Rifle’ has reached level 10.
Please select a skill.」
I immediately opened the skill selection window.
「1. Blazing Shot (D)
Firepower increases significantly.
Precision, Stability, and Stealth decrease.
2. Reinforced Stock (D)
Reinforces the rifle stock.
Melee damage increases and Stability increases slightly.
Melee damage is affected by Firepower.
3. Snipe Point Shift (C)
Instantly teleport to a designated snipe point.
Affected by distance and Stealth.
Limited to once per day.」
“I’ve lost my mind, absolutely lost it.”
I shook my head vigorously.
Was it because no usable skills had appeared?
Of course not—quite the opposite.
I chose without hesitation.
「You have acquired Sniper Point Conversion (C).」
‘Obviously this one.’
While the other skills each had their shortcomings, this one had none whatsoever.
Well, Blazing Shot did have significant drawbacks.
‘What sniper shoots like that?’
It massively increased firepower in exchange for dropping three attributes—precision, stability, and stealth.
Sure, it might prove useful in a direct confrontation with a boss, but a sniper doesn’t operate that way to begin with.
The reinforced stock compensated for weak close-range combat, but I hadn’t needed it yet.
And if a sniper ever had to fight with a stock, I’d already seen everything worth seeing.
I had absolutely no desire to engage in close combat within the Tower.
Sniper Point Conversion, on the other hand?
‘It’s called point conversion, but it’s essentially a blink skill.’
Blink was the skill mages ascending the Tower desired most desperately.
Truly limitless applications.
Though it had a once-per-day restriction, in other words, it meant gaining an extra life.
It seemed it could become a decisive card even on the 10th Floor, which I was about to challenge.
Moreover, skills were classified by grade.
Unlike the other D-grade skills, Sniper Point Conversion being C-grade had its reasons.
“Hehehehe….”
I let out a sinister chuckle.
Floor Master?
Though the situation was extremely disadvantageous for a sniper, things had changed now.
「Firepower: 25 → 30
Precision: 14 → 20
Stability: 13 → 20」
I distributed my stat points generously.
「Will you exit the Tower from the 9th Floor?」
I left the Tower.
On my way home, I browsed the internet.
[ ID Ilgyeok, now silent on the 10th Floor for the third day. National Intelligence Service former employee A, possible immigration….
└ What nonsense is this tabloid spouting now;;;
└ This journalist isn’t Ilgyeok, so they’re bitter, please take down the article.
└ But the 10th Floor is pretty brutal; seems like they’re preparing
└ ???: Ah lol getting those views~ ]
Sure enough, while I was re-entering the 9th Floor, the internet was once again buzzing with talk of Ilgyeok stalling, running away scared of the 10th Floor before the public stage.
Of course, it was obvious they were fishing for views.
Once you actually read the article, it ended with something like “I have no doubt he’ll succeed soon.”
They knew that while the headline grabbed attention, if the content was actually critical of me, they’d get torn apart.
I let out a soft chuckle watching all these people debate about me.
Choi Ihyeon, who was gasping on the verge of fainting after just two stone bullets.
Had now become Ilgyeok, the one the entire world was focused on clearing.
It was rather amusing.
Even though nothing had actually changed about me.
‘Anyway… once I clear the 10th Floor tomorrow, people’s reactions should be interesting.’
I shook my head and slipped my phone into my pocket.
No matter what people said, my path was clear.
Simply to climb the Tower.
And to grow stronger.

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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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