I Got A Legendary Sniper Rifle - Chapter 20

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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 20
Episode 20
The day news spread that Ilgyeok had cleared the 15th Floor.
Chaos erupted for reasons entirely separate from talent recruitment.
“Ilgyeok is a mage? You’re certain about this information?”
Seongnyun asked his employees with a skeptical expression.
In truth, rumors had been circulating for several days already.
At first, I dismissed it as baseless gossip requiring no response, but somehow the rumor that Ilgyeok possessed an extraordinarily high-tier mage attribute had become accepted as fact.
Given that the atmosphere on the Public Floor had reached the point where Scouts and ordinary people alike rushed at any mage they spotted, there must certainly be some basis to it.
“Yes, I heard it from the personnel team of the Popular Guild just a few days ago over drinks.”
One employee nodded as he spoke.
The Popular Guild was a reasonably trustworthy organization in terms of scale.
‘But to pinpoint someone as a mage, there has to be something concrete, doesn’t there?’
That was Seongnyun’s question.
I had deployed personnel from the Management Bureau to the Public Floor to search for Ilgyeok, but so far there had been no results whatsoever.
Did other guilds have some clever method?
But not just anyone could hold the position of section chief at the Management Bureau.
It required a certain capacity for critical thinking.
‘No, if someone were truly a mage, wouldn’t they keep such valuable information to themselves? Why spread rumors about it?’
Seongnyun asked that employee.
“How did the Popular Guild find out?”
“Ah… they said they heard it from the First Guild?”
“And that First Guild?”
“They said they heard it from the Premier Guild?”
First Guild, Premier Guild—the names all sounded the same anyway.
Seongnyun pressed his palm to his forehead and growled out his question.
“What I’m asking is, where did this rumor originate?”
Only then did the employee grasp the situation and immediately made a phone call.
“Uh, yeah, it’s me. About that thing where Ilgyeok is a mage—where did the Premier Guild hear that? Uh… Yes, yes. Elite Guild. Ah, I see, understood.”
Before long, the employee hung up with a bright expression.
“So they heard it from the Elite Guild?”
“Yes! They heard it from the Elite Guild’s chief!”
Should I kill this guy or let him live?
It’s the same information, so why is he grinning like an idiot?
Seongnyun decided to be patient just one more time and asked again.
“And the Elite Guild—do they actually have information?”
“Yes! The Elite Guild had a reliable source!”
“Oh, what was it?”
Seongnyun was glad he’d exercised restraint once more and showed interest.
Could it be that someone close to Ilgyeok had leaked it subtly?
However, the employee brought up a topic that Seongnyun had never even imagined.
“We heard it from a government information source.”
“…?”
Seongnyun tilted his head in confusion.
A government information source?
‘That’s us, isn’t it?’
So the intelligence that “Ilgyeok is a mage” came from our own side, going in circles?
The employee spoke again.
“It seems to have come from someone in the military. Apparently, the reasoning was quite plausible.”
“Hmm….”
Seongnyun fell into thought.
If it truly came from military personnel, there was a high probability they wouldn’t have immediate access to information from inside the Tower.
Since the Tower’s internal department was reluctant to share information, there was naturally some competitive tension between the two ministries.
‘Setting that aside, this is internal Tower business, yet the intelligence gathering is better than expected?’
Seongnyun pondered, finding it somewhat unexpected.
The subordinate employee asked carefully.
“So what should we do now, Manager?”
“What do you mean what? We need to find Ilgyeok.”
“But we already know the information that he’s a mage.”
At the employee’s pathetic remark, Seongnyun clicked his tongue in disapproval.
That’s why he still hasn’t been promoted to manager.
Though it was unfortunate that the rumor came from a competing ministry, since they were already one step behind, they needed to push forward quickly.
“Pathetic. If rumors spread that Ilgyeok is a mage, would you go around acting like a mage?”
“Then…?”
“Mana capacity! Focus your search on hunters who appear to have significant mana reserves, regardless of their appearance. Tell them right away!”
At Seongnyun’s instruction, the employees exclaimed in admiration.
“Wow! You really are something, Manager!”
“You can see what others cannot!”
The fact that Ilgyeok hadn’t been discovered yet certainly meant he was exceptionally skilled at disguise.
However, there was an aura that even the greatest hunters could not hide.
The employees quickly instructed the liaison department to send messages to hunters stationed on the Public Floor.
Mana capacity, no matter what!
Since it’s a superior trait of mages, high mana capacity would definitely stand out!
…And so, Ihyeon, who was already famous among awakened ones for having low mana, naturally moved one step further away from the investigation.
* * *
Meanwhile, having cleared the 15th Floor, Ihyeon made plans for the immediate future.
‘The problem right now is that I’m climbing the Tower too quickly, and my level can’t keep up.’
Now Ihyeon needed to challenge the 16th Floor.
However, Ihyeon’s level was merely 11.
Even if he didn’t match exactly at 16, it seemed safer to obtain at least a third skill before proceeding.
Unlike the 15th Floor, which had been a Wasteland, the terrain changed starting from the 16th Floor.
And even for someone like me, that would impose considerable penalties.
As a marksman, I wanted to avoid any dangerously reckless attempts.
Besides, the Dark Orcs and Enhanced Orcs on the 15th Floor supposedly granted more experience than the regular 16th Floor.
In the end, my choice was already determined.
“For now, I’ll just grind repeatedly until I acquire my third skill.”
The penalty from the 16th Floor onward?
Even without assistance from a third skill, I gain 15 stat points to distribute with each level up.
If I simply push forward with raw stats alone, breakthrough should be possible regardless.
Besides, there was one more reason I needed to grind repeatedly.
‘That slightly special series turned out to be farmable through normal grinding.’
After searching Hunter Now, I discovered that “Slightly Special Bones” weren’t obtainable only through clear rewards or special bonuses.
Though the probability was extremely low, they could drop like regular monster byproducts, and the rate increased significantly for boss monsters.
Yet since they were treated as common junk items with no price difference, other hunters didn’t seem to pay them much attention.
But I found bone bullets made from Goblin bones incredibly useful, so I had high hopes for ammunition crafted from Orc bones.
“Hehehehe.”
I chuckled in anticipation of my third skill and the new ammunition.
This was the very essence of Ilgyeok’s potential!
It still felt surreal that I, an ordinary awakened soldier, had become a hot topic across the entire world.
At this rate, even after becoming sufficiently strong, I’d be reluctant to reveal my identity out of sheer burden.
Then again, thinking about all this might be worth making a fuss over?
So then, what was Ilgyeok—the one drawing such intense global attention—doing right now?
Minjeong suddenly poked her head out from the Super Gate and urged me on.
“Ihyeon, why are you grinning like that all by yourself? Hurry and bring that box here.”
“Oh, yes. Coming.”
“And put the ‘Sweet and Delicious’ sign and the ‘15,000 Won Per Box’ price tag on it too.”
“Got it.”
I was helping out at the family business—Donghoo and Minjeong’s “Hojeong Super.”
My parents had issued a strict order: rather than stay home playing games, I should come out and help with work.
‘My parents think I’m just playing games.’
It was a bit awkward, but I supposed it made sense when you thought about it.
At least it was better than them noticing that their son, freshly discharged from the special forces, was dangerously going in and out of the Tower.
After finishing the task Minjeong assigned, I straightened up and wiped the sweat from my brow.
‘Sigh, I could be leveling up inside instead of wasting time like this…’
Of course, helping my parents was important, but it was still a shame about the lost time!
Just as I was lamenting this situation.
“Good work. Come eat some watermelon.”
“Yes!”
At the sight of the watermelon slice Minjeong offered, I rushed over eagerly.
On a hot day like this, watermelon was irresistible!
Watching Ihyeon beam with happiness over a slice of watermelon, Minjeong and Donghoo chatted quietly between themselves.
“At least he doesn’t seem to have fallen in too deep.”
“Right.”
They’d worried that after discharge, he might succumb to game addiction from the emptiness, but fortunately their beloved son seemed far removed from such concerns.
* * *
Ilgyeok had conquered up to the 15th Floor with unstoppable momentum, then devoted himself to repeatedly challenging the 15th Floor.
The public’s enthusiasm, which had erupted at first, gradually waned over time.
Even after thoroughly searching the Public Floor for suspicious individuals, they found nothing but similar nicknames like “Ingyeok,” “Igyeok,” and “Inhyuk”—never Ilgyeok itself—which dampened any real interest.
Trolls, uncommon even on the internet, began to emerge.
[ Title: lol Ilgyeok seems to have hit a wall too
Content: Hunters who’ve been to the 16th Floor know, right? It’s a completely different dimension from before. Why do you think they keep their ID private and still haven’t revealed their identity? They got everyone hyped up, hit a wall, and got embarrassed. Look at our Shin Gung—she’s fully transparent about everything.
└ You’re a Shin Gung fanatic, aren’t you?
└ Even Hunter Seo Suyeon acknowledges Ilgyeok, and you’re acting like a fan lol ]
[ Title: Breaking news, Ilgyeok says he’s satisfied with the 15th Floor…
Content: He didn’t say it outright, but if you’re a Hunter Now user who thinks that, give it a thumbs up. ]
Of course, they were still a minority, and each post drew a barrage of harsh comments, but the volume was undeniably increasing.
After all, Ilgyeok had been retrying the 15th Floor for five days straight.
Of course, contrary to what people thought, I was living quite busily.
‘One step back for ten steps forward, you could say.’
My goal was Level 15.
My third skill, to be exact.
「Item, ‘Choi Ihyeon’s Sniper Gun’ leveled up.
Check your status window.」
12.
「Item, ‘Choi Ihyeon’s Sniper Gun’ leveled up.
Check your status window.」
13.
「Item, ‘Choi Ihyeon’s Sniper Gun’ leveled up.
Check your status window.」
14.
Through repeated attempts, the Maesek Gun’s level steadily climbed.
The 15th Floor had a boss and spawned quite a few regular monsters, so experience accumulated beautifully.
Regardless of what others said, I was moving forward with laser focus toward my objective.
And finally, today.
Twang—!
Click-clack— snap—!
‘There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of bolt action.’
I felled the Dark Orc in bolt action mode, then pulled the charging handle.
The smooth, crisp sensation of the pull tickled my fingers delightfully.
Lately, I’d rarely reverted to the basic form.
Thud—!
A Dark Orc—I’d lost count of how many—crashed its massive body to the blood-soaked earth.
「Item, ‘Ihyeon’s Sniper Gun’ has leveled up.
Check your status window.」
「Item, ‘Ihyeon’s Sniper Gun’ has reached level 15.
Select a skill.」
“Phew.”
Finally, the notification I’d been longing for appeared.
But before I could examine them, I first began collecting the byproducts.
‘I really hope something special drops this time.’
Despite countless repetitions, the ‘Slightly Special Orc Bone’ still hadn’t appeared.
Now that I’d achieved my target level, there was no reason to remain on the 15th Floor.
If it doesn’t drop this time, the probability of obtaining the special bone will plummet even further.
With trembling hands, I examined the Dark Orc’s corpse.
「Harvestable Byproducts
Dark Orc’s Axe
Orc Hide」
“Damn it….”
Another blank draw.
‘At least the axe dropped.’
Obtaining the Dark Orc’s Axe—which had an even lower drop rate—was a small consolation.
I exhaled deeply and reached toward the next Orc.
「Harvestable Byproducts
Slightly Special Orc Bone」
“I knew it would come through!!!”
The special bone had dropped from an ordinary monster with abysmal drop rates.
So now I had both the Dark Orc’s Axe and the special bone?
‘This is actually perfect!’
I immediately extracted the bone and absorbed it into my gun.
「Item, ‘Ihyeon’s Sniper Gun’ has absorbed the Slightly Special Orc Bone.
You have acquired the exclusive skill, ‘Black Bullet’.」
Black Bullet!
Just hearing the name made my heart race with excitement.
I carefully examined its effects.
「Exclusive Skill, Black Bullet
Firing produces no sound.
Stealth effect persists before firing.
Consumes three times the mana of standard ammunition.」
“Damn it…!”
Tears blurred my vision.
Mother, I’ve succeeded!
I even obtained a fraudulent skill like Black Bullet!
Minjeong will surely rejoice from the bottom of her heart once she learns of this fact.
It’s none other than Silent Bullet.
It consumes 3 mana, but what does that matter!
‘Moreover, the concealment effect persists. It’s identical to the effect of the Secret Cloak not being dispelled.’
It was an exceptionally precious skill.
On higher floors, there are levels where two boss monsters appear at once, and using this would be incredibly effective in such situations.
Ihyeon seized the moment and immediately began dumping the bones I had accumulated into the gun to feed it.
Just like with the Goblin, bullets began to be generated after repairs were completed.
「Orc Bone Bullet (F+)
Firepower increases while concealment and rapid fire decrease slightly.
Attributes cannot be granted to the bullet.
Ballistic markings are limited to the size of the bullet.
Does not consume mana.」
“That’s just right.”
I nodded in approval.
The Orc Bone Bullet also felt quite favorable.
The decrease in concealment and rapid fire was regrettable, but it could be utilized effectively when firepower was lacking.
Instead, each Orc bone only produced three bullets, but with the large quantity I had accumulated, over 100 bullets were generated in an instant.
After producing a sufficient amount of ammunition, I handled the remaining tasks.
First was the stat allocation.
「Choi Ihyeon’s Sniper Gun
Lv.15
Firepower: 50
Range: 20
Precision: 30
Stability: 30
Concealment: 45
Rapid Fire: 20
Mana: 49
Allocable Stats: 10」
“Excellent.”
My stats had increased dramatically while raising four levels.
Firepower had reached a staggering 50.
Concealment followed closely behind at 45.
The remaining stats settled comfortably in the 30 and 20 ranges, progressing smoothly.
I had pushed mana to its limit by consuming E-grade mana stones.
I nodded with satisfaction upon seeing these statistics that I could scarcely believe belonged to a level 15 weapon.
I had occasionally seen stat authentications posted on Hunter Now.
I glanced around at the other Hunters, gauging their levels—most seemed to hover around the mid-30s range.
Moreover, many of them wore frustrated expressions, their stat growth often favoring secondary attributes instead of their primary ones.
Compared to them, I had the luxury of possessing no wasted stats—how fortunate indeed.
“This is true combat-compressed stat distribution. At this level, the 16th Floor should be genuinely manageable.”
I didn’t seem to need to worry about the significant penalty that awaited on the next floor.
It had taken some time, but what did that matter?
By other Hunters’ standards, I hadn’t even spent that long, and now I possessed stats this formidable.
The penalty beginning from the 16th Floor was none other than ‘cave terrain’.
Dungeon Orcs emerged from the caverns, and the narrow, dark passages were extremely disadvantageous for humans unaccustomed to darkness.
Moreover, I wielded two-handed weapons, making it difficult to even carry a simple torch.
‘I’ll need to steel myself, but if I make good use of poison pellets and such…’
I formulated a rough strategy while opening the third skill selection window—my reward for reaching level 15.
As always, three options materialized before my eyes.
“Huh?”
I couldn’t hide my bewilderment, letting out a hollow laugh.
The disadvantage of cave terrain?
Strategy methods?
It seemed I needed to reconsider everything from the beginning.

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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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