I Got A Legendary Sniper Rifle - Chapter 19

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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 19
Episode 19
Whoooosh— Gaaaahhh!!
Toxic smoke billowed thick from the Dungeon Entrance.
The Enhanced Orcs that had rushed out blindly clutched at their throats, writhing in agony.
‘Well, since they’re Enhanced Orcs, they won’t all die from this.’
The poison grenade wasn’t a skill focused on raw destructive power.
Even though they were in considerable confusion, in a moment they’d swarm toward me again, so I’d need to thin their numbers one by one….
Pik— Pik—
“…?”
I, who had been aiming at the Orcs in the front row while thinking that, was taken aback by the unexpected scene.
The Orcs that had been suffering collapsed and died without lasting much longer.
No one had heard my thoughts, but it was an incredibly embarrassing moment.
‘The firepower seems to be a bit stronger than I thought.’
I quietly watched as the toxic smoke dissipated.
Most of the creatures that had emerged when the poison was at its strongest were dead, and the remaining ones didn’t look particularly intact either.
I carefully aimed at the remaining ones.
Since I was standing still anyway, there was something I could try.
I held my breath.
Trigger pull.
Thang—!
Splat— Splat—!
The heads of two Orcs that happened to be standing in a line burst open simultaneously.
‘That’s it.’
Striking two targets with a single shot.
It happened frequently in movies, but in reality it was nearly impossible.
First of all, there was rarely an opportunity to fire a gun with that much power, and besides, targets never waited patiently to be shot at like that.
Seeing the heads of two Orcs burst and leave a massive scar on the cave wall behind them, one could roughly gauge my firepower.
I deliberately didn’t use bone rounds and killed all the Orcs.
My ammunition count was gradually running low, and it was also a kind of show of force.
Having done this much meant: reveal yourself now.
‘It would be even better if you got excited.’
Screee— Splat—
After the last Orc’s breath was cut off like that.
The atmosphere of the Black Wasteland changed completely.
Kuuung—!
Heavy footsteps echoed from deep within the cave, reverberating through the ground and walls.
And an even greater sense of pressure began to bear down on me, standing at the cave entrance.
Kuuung— Kuuung—
The footsteps grew louder and louder.
I tapped the body of the gun just above the trigger with my index finger.
‘Indeed, it’s quite different from what I saw outside the Tower.’
They say even ordinary Goblins and Orcs become somewhat weaker when they leave the Tower.
But a Dark Orc showed a distinctly different power differential.
Finally.
Flash—
A pair of crimson eyes blazed with fierce light, emerging from the darkness of the cave.
Uuuaaahhhhh———!!!
Whether it was a battle cry it unleashed upon its very appearance,
or perhaps due to the corpses of its subordinates scattered haphazardly about the entrance,
the creature unleashed a tremendous roar, revealing its hostility toward me.
I aimed my gun at the Dark Orc without raising the barrel, merely shouldering it as I watched him intently.
‘That creature has a pattern.’
The Dark Orc that emerges inside the Tower wields a pair of axes with perfect freedom, unlike what I observed outside.
And the moment when the power of both axes is most evident is precisely at its first appearance.
Why?
Whoooosh——!!!
The Dark Orc hurled its axes with fierce momentum without even fully revealing itself from the darkness.
A speed incomparable to the Goblin Warrior Captain.
The Dark Orc’s notorious first attack, but—
‘If I know it beforehand, there’s no reason I can’t prepare for it.’
It was a pattern with plenty of information circulating on communities like Hunter Now.
Throw one axe at the Hunter, then charge forward to retrieve it.
I had a way to exploit that pattern.
‘Snipe Point Shift.’
I activated the skill at the point I’d already marked.
Whoosh—!
As I dodged, the brutishly massive Dark Orc’s axe embedded itself precisely where I had been.
A massive fissure split the Black Wasteland as if an earthquake had struck.
Following the pattern, the Dark Orc began its charge with tremendous force.
Of course, it was a meaningless action to me, who was already no longer there.
Grrrooooh—!
Realizing that two consecutive attacks had failed pathetically, the Dark Orc shrieked and turned around.
It had instinctively pinpointed my location.
‘What good does knowing do?’
But the Dark Orc’s dumbfounded face as it turned toward me was already in my scope.
Snipe Point Shift.
Using a technique similar to Blink, my position was now atop the low cliff where the cave entrance lay.
I flashed the Dark Orc a cold smile, and then—
Crack——!!
I pulled the trigger and fired.
The Dark Orc was no pushover either.
It grabbed the axe embedded in the ground and twisted sideways as if to shield its body.
Whoosh—!
The axe in its hand was hurled directly at me.
Through my scope, I watched the Maesek Gun’s projectile and the Dark Orc’s axe pass each other in mid-air with perfect clarity.
But I didn’t dodge.
Crash—!
‘Can you block it?’
I observed the Dark Orc’s futile struggle.
The Berserker Goblin had also tried to block my Maesek Gun projectile, trusting in its own strength, but it was no match.
As expected, the Dark Orc’s axe shattered into pieces, and its chest became a mangled mess from the massive penetrating wound and fragments of its own weapon.
Meanwhile, the axe it had thrown—
Thunk—!
—embedded itself in the cliff right beneath where I stood.
It had been too rushed to properly brace itself, and since it hadn’t accurately confirmed my position, its trajectory was significantly off.
Thinking this over, I leisurely gazed down at the axe below my feet.
“…Seems like it embedded a bit higher than I thought.”
I decided to climb down carefully.
「All enemies defeated.
You have cleared the 15th Floor.
Rank: S+」
The clear notification was properly confirmed as I descended.
「15th Floor Reward.
You have obtained 3 E-grade Maesek Stones.
Check your inventory.」
“Maesek Stones are always welcome.”
Since it was a mid-boss, it granted E-grade Maesek Stones immediately, even without a special bonus.
So what about the S+ clear bonus?
I opened the next notification window with some anticipation.
「S+ Rank Clear Bonus.
You have obtained the item ‘Reinforcement Stone’.
Check your inventory.」
“What, what?”
Better than expected.
A definite sense that this was a jackpot surged through me from my lower back to my frontal lobe.
An item called a Reinforcement Stone, no less.
‘My beloved Maesek Gun can be upgraded once more here?’
In truth, other Hunters receive similar items as well.
True to its name, it’s an item that can enhance other items.
Enhancement stones can strengthen not only an item’s effects but also its stat bonuses to a certain degree.
Needless to say, these enhancement stones are practically impossible to obtain under normal circumstances—a genuine jackpot.
‘But for me, it’s an even bigger jackpot.’
Why?
Because the Maesek Gun I possessed was classified as an item.
The awakened Maesek Gun was both an item and, simultaneously, a Hunter.
Which meant I might be able to achieve far more powerful effects than ordinary Hunters using enhancement stones.
Descending the cliff hadn’t been particularly difficult, yet my breath came in gasps and my hands trembled uncontrollably.
“Phew, calm down. Calm down.”
I forced myself to settle my mind.
One of a sniper’s most important virtues was composure.
Only by maintaining a calm demeanor in any situation could an operation succeed.
Collecting byproducts that aided in maintaining composure also went quickly.
「Will you be exiting from the 15th Floor?」
“Yes.”
I immediately slipped out to the Public Floor.
“Ilgyeok! Ilgyeok! Ilgyeok!”
“Even a Dark Orc couldn’t withstand Ilgyeok!”
“Hey, he took one down on the 7th Floor—what’s a Dark Orc to him now?”
The Public Floor was naturally in a festive atmosphere over Ilgyeok’s 15th Floor clear.
Someone suddenly spotted me emerging and pointed.
“Huh? Someone just came out!”
But I had my reasons for appearing without a cloak.
I put on the most innocent expression I could muster and replied.
“Yes? Me?”
Soon, those who saw my attire wore disappointed expressions and dispersed.
“Ugh, what, an assassin?”
“I heard Ilgyeok was a mage. Hey, must be someone else.”
“Of all things, an assassin….”
“Good luck~”
The rumors I’d spread had become so established as fact that no one paid any attention to me in assassin’s garb.
‘The effect is certainly working, but do they really have to ignore me this much….’
Is it really okay to treat an assassin this dismissively?
But such trivial matters weren’t the issue now.
I left the Public Floor and immediately entered the makeshift shooting range.
It was the most comfortable place to conduct experiments.
Whoosh—
The enhancement stone I pulled from my inventory.
“…Radiant. Absolutely radiant.”
I gazed at the enhancement stone in my hand with the expression of someone thoroughly intoxicated by fortune.
It didn’t gleam with the brilliance of freshly mined ore, but to my eyes, it shone more radiant than any jewel in the world.
With trembling hands, I brought the Enhancement Stone close to my gun.
Immediately, a notification window appeared.
「Would you like to use an Enhancement Stone on the item ‘Choi Ihyeon’s Anti-Materiel Sniper Rifle’?」
“What am I doing? I’m using it.”
Asking only wasted my breath.
‘All the energy wasted on this pointless notification window, and because of it the Arctic glaciers melt, and global warming….’
While I was lost in such useless thoughts.
「The item ‘Choi Ihyeon’s Anti-Materiel Sniper Rifle’ has been enhanced.
The effects of each stat are slightly amplified.
The stat values themselves remain unchanged.」
“Mm.”
The enhancement was complete.
No effects, no light—the Enhancement Stone simply vanished and that was it.
I’d heard it worked roughly like this, but seeing it happen made me feel slightly disappointed.
Though of course, the stat amplification pleased me greatly.
No, this is incredible.
The values remain unchanged while only the effects amplify.
In other words, the value of every stat I accumulate from now on becomes exponentially higher.
Still, it’s an awakened item—couldn’t it have been treated a bit more generously?
Then another notification window appeared.
「Please select a modification path for the item ‘Choi Ihyeon’s Anti-Materiel Sniper Rifle’.
After modification, you may freely switch between the original form and the new form.」
‘Huh?’
This was an unusual message.
I quickly examined the rest of the content.
Just like with skills, three options appeared before me.
「1. Bolt Action
Precision, Stability, and Concealment increase.
Rate of Fire decreases.
2. Semi-Automatic
Rate of Fire increases significantly.
Power, Stability, and Concealment decrease.
3. Anti-Materiel
Power increases significantly.
Range increases.
Concealment decreases.
Rate of Fire decreases significantly.」
“This… what in the world…!”
Indeed, truly valuable items never resort to flashy, superficial pretense!
Have you ever seen a legendary sniper shout, “I’m here!” like some common fool?
Just look at these incredible options!
Three distinct paths: bolt action, semi-automatic, and anti-materiel.
And the best part—I can always revert to my original state without any penalties.
Gulp—
I swallowed hard.
‘Which one should I choose?’
This was far more agonizing than any skill selection I’d faced before.
I’d used anti-materiel sniper rifles a few times during my training.
Despite being a conventional powder-based firearm, its destructive power rivaled that of a Maesek Gun.
What if I applied such modifications to a Maesek Gun as the base?
The destructive power would undoubtedly far exceed my imagination.
And the system’s description even used the word “dramatically”—no less.
Semi-automatic was also an enticing choice.
The more monsters that rushed at me, the more effective it would become.
But there was one option that particularly captivated me.
Among the three paths, arguably the most antiquated—and yet, precisely because of that, the one I wanted to choose.
「1. You have selected the Bolt Action path.
Modification is proceeding.」
I selected bolt action as if entranced by something.
In truth, it was the most reliable method when using conventional sniper rifles.
Its characteristics also aligned well with the direction of growth I was currently pursuing.
But the greatest reason of all was.
‘How could I resist that sensation?’
That feeling of firing a “real gun”—something rarely experienced with a Maesek Gun.
It was like preferring the rumble of an internal combustion engine to the hum of an electric motor.
The modification progressed rapidly.
My keen eye caught the subtle changes.
‘The selector switch moves back and forth.’
Originally, the Maesek Gun only had “fire” and “safety.”
But now an additional position had appeared, labeled “bolt action.”
I’d assumed the system would switch modes through thought alone.
Instead, this analog method appealed to me even more.
Click—click—
I moved the selector switch to the bolt action position.
The Maesek Gun transformed instantly.
A chamber replaced the mana injection port, and a round charging handle took its place on the side of the barrel.
“Now this is it!”
I gasped at the classic form before me.
I’d only used Maesek Guns in operations; my practice had always been with conventional sniper rifles, so this shape fit my hands like a glove.
And the most crucial aspect of bolt-action operation.
Ihyeon raised the gun with its muzzle pointing upward and pulled back the charging handle.
Click-clack—! Click—!
“Kyaaaaaaah!!!”
This tactile sensation—rarely felt with a Maesek Gun!
The refreshing clarity of downing a fresh draft beer from a 3,000cc cup!
Looking closely, it wasn’t actually ejecting cartridges; the charging handle seemed to serve the role of a mana injection port instead, but what did it matter?
This sound and sensation were real.
Click-clack— Click—!
Click-clack— Click—!
After pulling and releasing the charging handle a few more times for no particular reason, Ihyeon checked the trait window while he was at it.
「Choi Ihyeon’s Anti-Materiel Sniper Rifle.
Trait: Anti-Materiel Sniper Rifle
Description: It is an anti-materiel sniper rifle.」
The status window that had been like that was now—
「Choi Ihyeon’s Anti-Materiel Sniper Rifle.
Trait: Anti-Materiel Sniper Rifle (Bolt-Action)
Description: A bolt-action anti-materiel sniper rifle.」
It had been updated quite simply.
Ihyeon chuckled softly to himself.
‘Still taciturn as ever.’
Truly, a description befitting a sniper’s rifle.
No unnecessary words were needed.
A sniper conversed through their gun.
“Well then, shall I give it a try?”
It was a makeshift firing range anyway, so he could test it immediately.
Ihyeon summoned a target at maximum range.
The type was a Berserker Goblin from the 10th Floor.
Since precision, stability, and concealment were all increasing, testing with a Berserker Goblin—the fastest among those Ihyeon had encountered—seemed like the best choice.
Sniff sniff— Sniff sniff—!
The Berserker appeared, still sniffing fiercely.
Perhaps it was thanks to the increased concealment.
Even without the cloak, it seemed to have a rough sense of Ihyeon’s direction, but it didn’t charge forward with certainty.
Ihyeon deliberately fired one shot into empty air.
Bang—!!
Clang clang—!
Simultaneously, the Berserker Goblin that had pinpointed Ihyeon’s location began to charge.
Ihyeon didn’t hesitate either.
He pulled back the charging handle, pushed it forward, and locked it in place.
The gun was already loaded, but in actual combat, this was a necessary step to perform.
Click-clack— snap—!
‘Excellent feel!’
There was good reason why bolt-action rifles remained beloved by snipers even in modern times.
Absolute reliability and stability.
With the chamber loaded, I aimed at the Berserker Goblin charging toward me.
The creature advanced in a zigzag pattern, apparently trying to evade ranged attacks.
I cleared my mind with deliberate calm.
I rapidly eliminated everything unnecessary from this world.
Only myself and my enemy remained.
The variables that could influence the shot.
And the anti-materiel sniper rifle in my hands.
My scope slowly tracked the wildly moving Berserker Goblin.
Finally, the moment my prediction aligned perfectly with its trajectory.
Bang—!
I pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Thud—! Splatter—
Simultaneously, a large hole opened in the Berserker Goblin’s head.
‘…The bullet holes are getting smaller.’
I calmly confirmed the results of my shot.
Perhaps it was due to my increased Precision, Stability, and Concealment.
It was certainly a favorable change for me.
Meanwhile, the Berserker’s corpse, moving with such tremendous momentum that it continued charging even after its head was pierced, gradually collapsed.
Like a soccer player performing a listless celebration, it dropped to its knees and slid.
Soon it received a death judgment and vanished once more.
Click-clack— snap—!
There were no more enemies to shoot, yet I pulled the charging handle once more anyway.
The addictive sound and feel sent a thrill through me.
I was certain of it.
‘Ah, now it’s truly become a sniper rifle.’
The Maesek Gun had transformed from a mere scoped rifle into a genuine instrument of precision.

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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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