I Got A Legendary Sniper Rifle - Chapter 148

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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 148
Ep. 148
When Ihyeon suddenly stepped forward, insisting he would handle it himself, Claude’s expression visibly shifted to one of alarm.
“What? No, I’ve witnessed Ilgyeok’s power myself, but a Lich simply doesn’t fall to such attacks in the first place.”
Claude assumed Ihyeon still didn’t fully understand what a Lich was.
Ilgyeok’s attacks were certainly formidable.
But that was the extent of it.
A Lich, having concealed all its life force within a Phylactery, cannot be killed by any external damage—whether physical or magical.
Even if its body were reduced to dust and scattered, so long as the Phylactery remained intact, it would regenerate in the blink of an eye.
Unless there existed some method to strike the Lich’s very ‘essence’ without first locating the Phylactery, such an attempt would be futile.
‘Every monster Ilgyeok has hunted so far could be killed with sufficient damage. That’s why he speaks so carelessly.’
No matter how renowned Ilgyeok was, it was unreasonable to expect a sniper to possess such capabilities.
Yet despite Claude’s objections, Ihyeon refused to yield.
“Please, allow me to attempt this. Should it prove ineffective, I will provide covering fire to clear a path for you.”
“….”
For a moment, Claude found himself wondering: ‘Does Ihyeon have some method I’m unaware of?’
The probability was extremely low.
Rationally speaking, it seemed far more likely to be mere recklessness born of inexperience.
And yet, somehow…
‘I want to believe him.’
Could this man truly possess some hidden solution?
Whenever Claude met Ihyeon’s resolute gaze, such thoughts kept surfacing unbidden.
Moreover, setting aside Jia’s provocations, recalling how Ihyeon had pierced through that corridor with his gunfire moments ago, receiving his support seemed far more advantageous.
“…Very well.”
After a brief moment of deliberation, Claude finally nodded his assent.
Ihyeon gave a grateful nod of acknowledgment, then spoke thus:
“Since my ID is Ilgyeok, I’d prefer to finish this with a single shot if possible.”
“…Haha.”
Claude found himself laughing despite himself.
It was peculiar how he could mention his ID so earnestly even in such circumstances.
A Lich—a monster that all Hunters feared without exception—had appeared.
‘Could the American Hero speak with such confidence in a situation like this?’
Claude recalled the strongest figure in the United States, whose true identity even he didn’t fully comprehend.
Meanwhile, Jia watched Ihyeon’s bold proclamation quietly before sidling up to him and speaking softly:
“Master, you mustn’t use that skill in a place like this. It may not work on the Lich anyway.”
“…Jia, what are you thinking?”
Ihyeon tilted his head, noticing an unusual expression of worry and concern on Jia’s face—quite unlike her usual demeanor.
That skill, she said.
After a moment’s consideration, Ihyeon found his answer.
“It’s not Heavenward Bullet, so don’t worry.”
“…I apologize for the intrusion.”
Jia realized her misunderstanding and withdrew after offering a polite apology.
Heavens, Piercing Bullet, of all things.
Ihyeon sighed inwardly, wondering what kind of image he projected in Jia’s mind.
‘…Well, using Piercing Bullet in a place like this would certainly cause problems.’
Jia’s concern was justified—Piercing Bullet was a skill with tremendous impact.
Once witnessed, its power was unforgettable.
In any case, the skill Ihyeon intended to use was far more than something like Piercing Bullet.
It was questionable how Piercing Bullet would even manifest indoors.
‘I should test it out this time.’
If things went according to Ihyeon’s calculations, he would likely achieve an Achievement befitting the ID “Ilgyeok” with high probability.
And in that moment.
Creak— creak— crack—
“It has begun!”
As if refusing to grant the Hunters any more time for conversation, an ominous sound began emanating from countless doors.
What appeared next was an overwhelming army of death advancing toward the living.
Countless skeletons….
* * *
Boom——!
It was truly a grand battle.
The thunderous roar of magic and the clash of weapons echoed everywhere.
Most of the front lines were tangled masses of skeleton against skeleton.
“Minjeong, Roel, how much longer can you hold?”
“It’s difficult, Claude! The Lich’s debuff is far more severe than expected!”
“Make your choice swiftly….”
Minjeong and Roel, giving their all, had summoned Undead to stand against the Lich’s legion.
Yet the Lich’s skeleton, shrouded in a black aura, was superior in every way.
Unless one possessed skill exceeding the Lich’s level, Minjeong’s experience and abilities were frankly still overwhelming for a typical B+ rank Tower.
With the aid of Roel, an S+ rank item, she managed this level of performance, which was worthy of praise in itself.
Still, with the resolve to fulfill her duty, Minjeong utilized even the swordsmanship she had learned from Elsie to faithfully defend her assigned front line.
But the performance of the remaining Party Members was nothing short of….
Boom boom boom boom——— crash—!
Dazzling.
Jia positioned herself slightly ahead of the front line formed by Minjeong and Roel, reducing the burden.
Whenever monsters threatened to surge backward, she skillfully deployed her taunt abilities to draw aggression back to herself.
Elsie and Jack, flanking her sides, were grinding through the Undead like crushers.
Claude, meanwhile, would obliterate nearby monsters with brilliant magic whenever the front line faced danger.
This level of performance was not inferior to, or even exceeded, that of a first-rate raid team from a major guild.
Truly, the reputation of Frontier, the emergency response team that traveled the world, was well-earned.
Yet those maintaining the situation with all their might were, in fact, concentrating their attention on only one person.
At the very back, with sharp eyes surveying the battlefield, stands Ilgyeok and Ihyeon.
‘The Lich will emerge from the central staircase. That door, surely.’
While Undead pour forth from every door on the 5th Floor, there is but one exception.
Directly ahead of where Ihyeon and Frontier stand, a massive door at the center of their vision shows no sign of movement whatsoever.
The intention is far too obvious.
Was it arrogant confidence—that even if I revealed my location, you could never defeat me?
‘Considering the sheer number of monsters, it certainly won’t be easy.’
Ihyeon found himself agreeing with that confidence to some degree.
Had I stepped forward more aggressively, how drastically would the current battle situation have changed?
It would have become considerably easier.
Given Claude’s truly exceptional skill, he would have already completed the search of five or more doors.
But that’s all it would amount to.
With easily dozens of doors in this place, my party members’ mana would be completely depleted before we could search through them all and find the Life Vessel.
Even with active use of my auxiliary battery, the result would be the same.
Even if we somehow managed to find the Life Vessel before running out of mana, we would have no way to handle the Lich once it revealed itself.
The Life Vessel is merely a necessary condition for capturing the Lich; destroying it doesn’t render the Lich pathetically weak.
And through that method, I would cease to be Ilgyeok.
So I made my decision.
To take a gamble, just once.
Of course, I had confidence in myself.
‘I don’t take gambles with low odds.’
To secure the optimal angle, I borrowed several Skeletons from Roel and even constructed a platform from them.
The posture wasn’t particularly comfortable on bone, but if the Lich appeared, I could fire without any interference whatsoever.
Ihyeon asked Claude a question.
“When do you expect the Lich to emerge?”
“Very soon! Once the first Undead wave enters a lull, the Lich will appear… and it’s already entered that lull!”
Boom—!
Even as Claude answered Ihyeon, he unleashed an area-defense spell, deflecting a considerable number of Undead.
Typically, a Mage grows by choosing either defense or offense, and even then specializing in specific attributes.
When a skill selection appears every five levels that diverges entirely from one’s existing growth, it can become a fatal weakness.
But Claude possesses the Adventurer trait, granting bonus experience whenever tackling new Towers or Gates.
He even receives special Adventurer rewards after clearing Instant Towers, or so I’ve heard.
Compared to my S+ privilege, it falls considerably short, but it’s sufficient for Claude to differentiate himself from other Hunters.
This allows him to demonstrate versatility with diverse skills that care little for offense or attribute, much like now.
Such strengths likely became the foundation for successfully tackling increasingly varied Towers.
In any case, Claude’s words carry weight—he’s conducted considerable research on the Lich.
Ihyeon nodded.
“I’ll ask for just a bit more. If you find yourself running low on mana, please let me know.”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
Claude didn’t immediately grasp Ihyeon’s meaning.
Was he saying he would buy time while my mana recovered?
If my opponent had been a Hunter of common sense, I would naturally have thought so.
But hearing Ilgyeok speak this way, a strange suspicion arose—’Could there actually be a way to recover mana?’
‘No, that doesn’t make sense.’
Of course, I quickly abandoned such an absurd thought.
He probably meant he would buy time while I rested.
…If Claude had known that Ihyeon possessed such an absurd item as a mana auxiliary battery, he might have disbanded the Frontier in utter despair.
Unaware of Claude’s true thoughts, Ihyeon waited for the Lich once more.
Roughly another minute passed.
Claude’s words proved accurate.
Kuguguguguuu———
A ground tremor distinctly different from before.
Simultaneously, as if a dam had burst through the blockade, the number of Undead pouring from the door surged dramatically.
‘No matter how powerful a Lich is, this lull until now is utterly absurd.’
I clicked my tongue at the truly staggering army of Undead.
To think of breaking through this with a frontal assault—what kind of battles were ordinary Hunters even fighting?
But what mattered wasn’t the surging number of Undead.
It was the massive central door that held my attention.
From there, a colossal and sinister aura began erupting, making even the black auras of other Undead appear like mere heat shimmer.
“Kyaaah!”
“Ugh… This is the ancestor of dark magic…!”
Minjeong and Roel staggered backward a few steps as if wounded by mere appearance.
And from the massive door, a pale skeleton finally revealed itself.
Its size differed little from an ordinary Skeleton, yet its very presence seemed to overwhelm everyone within.
The Lich.
Draped in a black robe, gripping a staff of grotesque form, and holding in one hand a tome with gold patterns inscribed on a black background—this being
gazed down arrogantly at Ihyeon and the Frontier, as well as its own subordinates, with eyes burning crimson.
Tuk-tuk-tuk— Crack—
“W-We’re being pushed back! This really won’t work now!”
“Servants of the Watchman…! Do whatever you must…!”
With the Lich’s appearance, the front line that had barely been maintained began collapsing rapidly.
Part of it was due to the Lich’s subordinates pushing with suddenly amplified strength, but more significant was how Minjeong and Roel’s Undead were swept away without even properly wielding weapons.
Some Undead even turned their bodies around to attack their own allies, breaking free entirely from the two’s sphere of influence.
The Lich’s destructive power in dark magic was overwhelming—absolute dominance itself!
“Damn it!”
Fwoom—! Kwang—!
Claude squeezed out his remaining mana to unleash a large-scale spell, and Jia, Elsie, and Jack fought with renewed vigor, but it had little effect.
In this moment of absolute crisis.
Click—
I finally raised my sniper rifle.

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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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