I Got A Legendary Sniper Rifle - Chapter 213

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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 213
Ep. 213
The next day.
The common passage leading up to the 85th floor.
“As long as you follow the plan we prepared, it should be fine. Don’t worry too much.”
“With you by our side, Master…”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Ihyeon patted the Spirits, who still wore anxious expressions despite having worked late into the night to establish their strategy.
For them, the 85th floor was always the level where they had lost their master.
Or, even if they hadn’t lost him, it was the boundary they could no longer cross.
“I won’t stop here, so don’t worry.”
“Yes.”
“If our Master says so with such conviction…”
They could only regain their spirits when Ihyeon spoke with such certainty.
But Ihyeon’s words were far from empty.
‘Based on what they’ve been saying… Earth’s tower-climbing speed is probably quite fast compared to other worlds.’
Obtaining S+ grade items meant that even Jiana and Elsie’s previous master had been relatively strong in that world.
Yet they had repeatedly failed to surpass this floor.
But Earth?
There were quite a few Hunters beyond the 85th floor, even without counting Ihyeon.
「Baekbalbaegjung: Fighting for the 85th floor conquest! Please add me to your team!
Ilgyeok: Yes, thank you.」
In Korea, Suyeon had sent encouraging messages early in the morning not only to Ihyeon but to the other two Spirits as well.
In America, it was known that more than ten Hunters were at the 85th floor or above.
When counting other major powers, that number would likely double.
For some reason, Earth’s conquest speed was clearly differentiated from other worlds.
Then again, the Spirits said they had only seen things like automobiles after arriving here, so it wasn’t surprising.
In any case, Ihyeon resolved that no matter what happened, he would conquer the 85th floor.
He had only recently learned that even the Spirits, who always seemed bright and composed, carried trauma.
Somehow, he was reminded of himself from two years ago, and his heart ached.
But just as the Spirits had come to him and created the Ihyeon of today,
Ihyeon was now determined to heal the wounds the Spirits harbored in their hearts and help them move forward.
Not just physically through the tower’s floors, but psychologically as well.
Before Ihyeon entered the 85th floor, he had poured all the remaining 40 from the sniper rifle and all the stat points the Spirits possessed into it for the same reason.
Now the sniper rifle’s firepower was a staggering 165.
Beyond that, he added 10 to Stealth, and 5 each to Precision and Stability.
Though it might fall short compared to the Dokkaebi, it was enough to provide reassurance.
Ihyeon and the Spirits joined hands and ignited their fighting spirit.
“Come on, let’s pump ourselves up before we go in.”
“Yes, Master.”
“That’s right!”
One.
Two.
“Watchmen, fighting spirit!”
With perfect preparations complete to enter the 85th floor—though admittedly feeling somewhat awkward compared to usual—
I was just about to climb the stairs.
“…!”
“Ah, you startled me.”
Ihyeon and Elsie were taken aback when they discovered a man leaning against a shadowed corner of the wall where the light didn’t reach well.
There was only one man who should be standing here.
Well, when Ihyeon cleared the 84th floor, Yuna, Duseok, Juhyeon, and Hanryeol had also cleared it after twelve hours of brutal combat, so there should be more now.
In any case, the figure standing in that dim shadow was none other than Hwi-yeong.
‘Could he have come to cheer me on?’
I tilted my head, unable to understand why Hwi-yeong was standing there of all times.
If he had something to say to me, I paused briefly and waited for some kind of response.
“….”
Hwi-yeong merely glanced at me, standing quietly without any particular action.
‘…Is that also his way of mentally preparing before entering the 85th floor?’
I thought he was truly an incomprehensible person and moved my steps toward the stairs.
Just as baseball players each have numerous superstitions and routines,
Hunters too had far more of them, if anything.
Some had to polish their swords once before attempting a dungeon.
Others had to draw some complex figure with the tip of their staff.
Or perhaps they needed to strip completely naked in a desolate place and scream to loosen their body.
Perhaps Hwi-yeong was the type who needed to lean against a wall and stand there for a while for the attempt to go well.
‘He might be in silent meditation.’
In any case, I stood there as if it was none of my concern.
Thud— thud—
I and the Spirits deliberately ignored Hwi-yeong and climbed the stairs to the 85th floor.
Hwi-yeong watched them climb the stairs and thought once more.
‘Not even a greeting…?’
We’re supposed to be friends, so why not?
Hwi-yeong had come here to cheer on Ilgyeok’s first challenge to the 85th floor!
When he first expressed this intention to the Guild Master, she sighed deeply and extracted a promise from him.
– Make sure to tell him to do his best.
– Yes.
– You absolutely must say something before you leave, right? Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely?
– Yes.
Hwi-yeong couldn’t understand why the Guild Master insisted so strongly.
Wouldn’t anyone cheering someone on naturally say something?
Of course, I had to wait for Ilgyeok to greet me first before the conversation could truly begin.
‘…This person is colder than I expected.’
Hwi-yeong felt disappointed.
Until the moment when he was encouraging the Spirits and cheering them on, he had believed he could have a proper conversation this time.
But unfortunately, it had fallen through for an unfortunate reason.
…or so the story went—Hwi-yeong, who had returned to the guild house with that thought, apparently received quite the earful from the guild master.
* * *
The atmosphere of the 85th floor was distinctly different from the previous 81st floor, which had been filled with lava and steam.
While a scorching heat did permeate the air, the ground beneath was far more solid and stable.
Looking around, the landscape was entirely blackened, hardened lava.
There, I and the Spirits emerged into view.
And at some distance away, there stood a figure showing only its back.
Was it over two meters tall?
By human standards, it would be remarkably tall, but by monster standards, the physique wasn’t particularly large.
Its body was draped in leather that gleamed with an auspicious light, and in the places it couldn’t cover, muscles bulged as if packed to their absolute limit.
Rings of fire repeatedly surrounded its body and then vanished.
A Dokkaebi.
The gatekeeper of the 85th floor, and the very one who had brought countless Hunters to their knees.
Without needing to hear its introduction, I could discern its identity.
Hesitation meant death.
The operation proceeded immediately.
Whoosh— Whoooosh—
Dozens of black auras materialized around Jia.
The summoning of the Knights of the Evil God.
“So that’s… the Dokkaebi.”
The Vice Captain standing right beside Jia spoke in a growling tone.
Unlike the battle with the Volcano Worm, this time the Knights of the Evil God had also been thoroughly briefed on the operation.
That this battle would likely be far more grueling than that one as well.
Facing a formidable enemy unlike any before, the aura emanating from the Knights of the Evil God had transformed.
The playful demeanor from before was nowhere to be found.
Like a finely tempered blade.
A weapon optimized for cutting down enemies, now possessing consciousness and taking human form.
From their very inception, they had existed as the swords of the Evil God.
Now they moved at my command and Jia’s, but their fundamental essence had not disappeared.
Their fervor for combat and slaughter, and their yearning for it.
That overwhelming primal force was now pouring entirely toward the Dokkaebi standing with its back turned.
Then it happened.
Thud—
The Dokkaebi’s legs moved with a heavy footfall.
Even the thighs of the world’s strongest sumo wrestler seemed slender compared to its calves.
The Dokkaebi turned slowly, rotating its body.
Its face differed little from that of a human.
The beard was thick enough to seem excessive, and atop its head sat something twisted upward like a traditional topknot—that was its distinguishing feature, if anything.
Yet those eyes, gleaming with golden light, instinctively made one sense that its owner was anything but human.
Ihyeon spoke in a low voice.
“Prepare for combat.”
There was no time to prepare as there would be on ordinary floors.
The moment that creature finished turning, the battle would begin.
Glimmer—
The Dokkaebi’s eyes seemed to flash with light.
Simultaneously.
Whoooosh——
The world began to transform.
A scene unfolded as if nothing remained in this world except fire.
Flames bloomed from empty air without any apparent cause.
A phenomenon that occurred solely in response to the Dokkaebi’s will.
The Dokkaebi-fire that materialized this way quickly exceeded ten in number.
The Vice Captain roared fiercely.
“Brace yourselves!”
“Protect the Master!”
In this battle, the Knights of the Evil God did not employ their usual tactic of forming formations to pressure their opponent.
Using the Dokkaebi in such a manner was impossible because Dokkaebi-fire was far too free as an attacking means.
Even if they formed ranks, the flames erupting from behind could not be stopped.
Instead, the Shield Bearers gathered in small groups scattered throughout the field to counter the Dokkaebi-fire.
In an instant, fierce combat erupted across the black volcanic stone ground.
Whoooosh—— Boom—!
The Dokkaebi-fire raged as if each individual flame were a ferocious fire spirit.
The Knights of the Evil God rushed forward with shields raised, desperately attempting to impede the Dokkaebi-fire’s movement, but—
“Gack!”
“What kind of flames are these…!”
The Dokkaebi-fire operated on an entirely different principle from ordinary flame-type magic.
Possessing physical force, it struck the knights’ shields with tremendous power, flinging the Members backward.
Cries of alarm erupted from various points across the battlefield.
The first exchange was somehow endured, but the problem lay in what came next.
“Hold your shields steady—.”
Whoooosh—!
“Ugh!”
Just as the knights formed groups, the Dokkaebi-fire moved with subtle coordination, as if two flames formed a single unit.
One struck the Shield Bearer to shake the front line, while the other attacked from behind, engulfing a Member in flames.
In the blink of an eye, several Members were summoned back in reverse.
Elsie shouted.
“Dokkaebi fire contains holiness mixed within it! I told you the compatibility with you all isn’t good!”
Another characteristic of Dokkaebi fire.
Despite being a means employed by monsters, holiness was woven into it.
Of course, it wasn’t the proper holiness that Healers wielded.
According to Jiana and Elsie, it was a more primitive, natural holiness.
Yet even that became a far more effective countermeasure against the Knights of the Evil God.
But we weren’t simply taking the blows passively.
Seeing several Members beginning to melt, Jiana simultaneously kicked off the ground and rushed forward.
She approached the Dokkaebi fire, which had been searching for another target from behind, and without hesitation—
Crash——!!!
She brought down her trademark black shield with tremendous force.
No, it wasn’t merely a downward strike.
She drove it from above downward, embedding it into the ground as if plunging it deep into the earth itself.
Crackle— crackle— crackling….
Even for a Dokkaebi fire, the impact was too severe to withstand. After thrashing about in desperation several times, the flames finally dissipated.
Jiana’s shield had sustained some damage, but the equipment was forged from Jiana’s own essence to begin with.
In an instant, the shield restored itself completely.
Jiana spoke.
“The fact that you can inflict physical impact upon us means we can face you in kind. Do not yield to fear.”
It was logic similar to scientifically refuting the existence of ghosts.
Fear, after all, springs from the unknown.
If our hands could make contact with them, warriors of the Knights of the Evil God’s caliber would have no reason to succumb to terror.
“Ohhh…!”
“Captain!”
The Members drew strength anew from Jiana, who was speaking far longer than usual.
Though it had been announced beforehand, they couldn’t help but be startled by power far exceeding expectations.
Now the Members finally gripped their weapons properly once more.
‘…But thinking about it, aren’t they classified as Undead too, so why?’
And in that moment of concentration, Ihyeon harbored this fleeting question.
Are ghosts afraid of ghosts?

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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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