I Got A Legendary Sniper Rifle - Chapter 263

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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 263
Ep. 263
When the perfectly maintained Avant accelerated to full speed, reaching Frontier’s Anga took mere moments.
Of course, I observed every posted speed limit on each road with absolute precision, violating no traffic regulations whatsoever… in any case.
“Let’s go!”
“I shall follow.”
“Golem! Golem!”
Ihyeon swept through the open gates like wind, the Spirits at his side.
Inside, Claude and Minjeong waited with taut anticipation.
“Are we still in time?”
Claude nodded at Ihyeon’s question.
“Fortunately, yes. Roel is currently conducting the final calibration work.”
The three of them hurried to the entrance of the basement where Golem construction was underway.
Roel had apparently issued strict orders that no one was to enter the basement until he emerged.
“That Roel—don’t tell me he’s actually trying to swallow the core of an S-rank Golem?”
“Surely not.”
“That guy would do it and then some!”
Elsie, still not fully trusting Roel, paced back and forth expressing her complaints.
Though it was hardly an unreasonable concern—after all, in some world, wars had been waged over nothing more than a mere B-rank Golem core.
Ihyeon believed he had glimpsed genuine, pure passion in Roel’s eyes when it came to magic.
‘He’s gloomy about everything, says irritating things, looks dangerous, and his affiliation with the Overlord faction is quite bothersome, but these are ultimately trivial matters.’
…Ihyeon mentally listed prejudices that would deeply sadden Roel if he ever heard them.
But he didn’t dwell on it much.
Should anything go wrong, I had my sniper rifle.
It’s probably best not to dwell on what that means.
In any case, as everyone waited anxiously like families outside a delivery room,
*Thud—*
“Who… was trying to swallow the Golem…?”
“Oh? You’re out?”
“It was not me.”
Roel finally emerged from the basement, looking considerably exhausted, speaking in an aggrieved voice.
Elsie tilted her head in surprise, and Ihyeon quickly smoothed things over.
“? I never said you did…”
“…Yes, I did not, did I not?”
Ihyeon navigated the crisis of nearly revealing his true thoughts in a manner quite unbecoming of a sniper, doing so very naturally.
Roel cast him a suspicious glance but didn’t press further.
“May I enter now?”
“Yes… it should be complete soon. Go in alone and wait…”
“You’ve worked so hard, Roel. Of course, the same goes for Minjeong and Claude.”
Ihyeon, feeling somewhat apologetic, gave Roel’s hand a firm squeeze.
“I have no desire to receive thanks from the Watchman’s followers…!”
“Then why are you gripping my hand so tightly?”
“Ahem!”
Ihyeon descended the stairs with trembling steps, buoyed by the encouragement of the Spirits and Frontier.
Like the last time I came down, the interior was immaculately organized.
One would expect a typical Mage’s laboratory—especially one belonging to a Dark Mage like Roel—to reek of mustiness and be cluttered with bizarre apparatus, yet this space felt almost barren.
Though there was one peculiar thing.
‘…From the circumstances, it seems like that must be a Golem, but it’s quite different from what I imagined.’
The Golems I typically saw in the Tower had the appearance of natural materials—stone or elemental matter.
I harbored the impression that they were fundamentally divorced from life itself.
Squelch— squelch—
“….”
The grotesque form writhing within the translucent orange membrane was difficult to describe with any word other than grotesque.
Repulsive?
‘Is it even more unsettling because a Dark Mage created it?’
Ihyeon harbored a question that would wound Roel further if he heard it.
Yet Roel’s claim that completion was imminent did not appear to be a lie.
Squelch—!
The movement within the membrane grew increasingly violent.
It seemed as though the Golem inside might tear through the membrane and burst forth at any moment.
Ihyeon deliberated whether he should draw his sniper rifle now or refrain.
Though the creature was said to acknowledge me as its Master upon first meeting, it would be troublesome if some Dark Mage chimera came bounding out.
“Phew, even so, I can’t point a gun at my subordinate the moment we meet. Haha.”
Thinking his tension was excessive, Ihyeon let out a hearty laugh.
Click—
Then he holstered a pistol at the back of his waist.
This much should be acceptable, shouldn’t it?
I saw on a TV program that even pets require firm correction when they misbehave.
After relaxing his tension for a moment.
Finally.
Squelchhhhh—!
After a violent convulsion, the orange membrane underwent a transformation.
Until moments ago it had possessed a soft texture befitting the term “membrane,” but suddenly it hardened like stone.
“W-what’s happening?”
Ihyeon, who had never witnessed a child’s birth, naturally had never seen a Golem complete its formation, so he was thoroughly flustered.
Hisssssss———
“?”
Something strange was occurring.
A crack appeared down the center of the hardened orange object, and from it poured thick smoke accompanied by a sound effect worthy of a science fiction film.
Though the basement’s lighting was not particularly dim, my vision was momentarily obscured entirely.
I reflexively raised my arm to shield my eyes and nose from the smoke, and through the haze, I could make out something humanoid with an imposing frame.
Thud— Thud—
With each heavy footfall, the figure slowly approached me.
Gulp.
I swallowed involuntarily.
I was exceptionally well-built for an adult man myself.
Just over 180 centimeters, around 80 kilograms.
Yet the Golem emerging from the smoke appeared nearly 10 centimeters taller than me, with forearms and thighs that were considerably thicker.
The kind of physique that would intimidate anyone on the street.
Slowly, the smoke dispersed.
‘The presence… is absolutely overwhelming.’
The Golem’s existence already pressed down upon me with an oppressive weight.
It felt entirely different from a Hunter—impossible to compare with anyone I knew—but by my instincts alone, even set against Erubein, the sheer gravitas seemed comparable.
Finally, the Golem’s face became visible.
“?!”
I was startled by what I saw.
It was nothing like the Golem I had imagined.
‘Is that… not a person?’
Did Roel or whoever create a homunculus instead of a Golem?
I’d been uneasy about entrusting this to the Dark Mage from the start.
But it was enough to cause such confusion.
The skin itself was nearly identical to that of a human.
A refined complexion reminiscent of marble.
Though at the joints, there were sections that appeared to be bone or metal fragments, clearly marking it as a Golem.
Hair the color of the deep sea—a profound blue—and eyes that matched.
Above all, features so sharply defined they seemed sculpted, as if carved from stone.
If all the legendary sculptors of antiquity were to converge in this era and carve a statue, it might look like this—such was the perfection of its appearance.
Perhaps the ideal of a new humanity was conceived with this being in mind.
Unclothed, yet rather than repulsive, it evoked the feeling of beholding a beautiful work of art.
I found myself understanding what rapture truly meant, and carefully opened my mouth.
“Do you… know who I am?”
An overwhelming absolute beauty—such that even if it said, “I cannot acknowledge such an ugly creature as my master!”—I would accept death gracefully.
Soon, the Golem gazed down at me with noble composure, nodded slightly, and spoke.
“Beep beep beep.”
“???”
“Yes, you are my Master.”
“?????”
I must have misheard something.
I couldn’t believe it.
The first words from such a perfect being were “beep beep beep.”
‘Roel, I heard he was a Dark Mage, but did he create a robot instead of a Golem?’
It seemed the pistol I had prepared at my waist might already have its target somewhat predetermined.
But since I might have misheard, I asked once more, carefully.
“So… do you know who you are?”
“Beep-boop-beep.”
I hadn’t misheard.
From that bizarre sound effect transmitted so clearly, I finally understood what the absurdity of the universe truly meant.
What could be more absurd than creating such beauty in this world and then implanting that ridiculous sound effect into it?
“I can provide an answer, but the time required for said answer is estimated to be approximately 3,851,930 days, 10 hours, 34 minutes, and 28 seconds. Highly inefficient. Do you still wish to hear the answer?”
“Ah, no…”
“Beep-boop-beep. Ceasing response.”
But as they say, nothing in this world can be perfect.
I thought that a beep-boop-beep or so was a reasonably fair trade for such an artistic appearance, and I spoke.
“Let’s head up for now. I have colleagues I need to introduce you to.”
“Beep-boop-beep. Affirmative.”
Thump— thump—
Still awkward with each other, my Master and the Golem climbed the stairs in silence.
Meanwhile, outside, those who sensed the Golem’s completion and that it was ascending with Ihyeon grew noticeably more excited.
“Oh, it’s coming up!”
“Hmm… an S-rank Golem is perhaps excessive for a follower of the Watchman…”
“What kind of Golem will it be, Claude?”
“I’m not entirely certain, but given the effort invested, it should be quite remarkable, no?”
“The aura alone seems befitting of our Master.”
Regardless of personality or position, their reactions brimmed with anticipation for what could be called the first S-rank item of its kind.
Ihyeon ascended.
Gulp—!
This time, all eyes focused not on Ihyeon but on the Golem that would follow behind him.
Thump—
At last, the Golem revealed itself from the bottom of the stairs.
‘Ah, not beep-boop-beep, but the Golem.’
In any case.
“Gasp…!”
“Ah…!”
Those who beheld the Golem’s form each gasped in breathless wonder.
So much so that Claude and Roel unknowingly shed tears from the glorious magical aura emanating from the Golem.
“We… created such a perfect being…!”
“Oh, God. Such grace bestowed upon this world…!”
And Minjeong, who had created the Golem alongside them.
“Kyaaah! She didn’t put on any clothes before coming out, what do I do!”
…shrieked frivolously while covering both eyes with her hands.
Of course, she tried to cover it, but she could see everything through the gaps between her fingers.
Elsie clicked her tongue and spoke to Minjeong.
“You really do have a talent for coming up with IDs. Did you go to some naming shop to get that one?”
“Huh? Sister, what do you mean by that…”
“No, if you’re going to cover it, cover it properly. Why are you spreading your fingers?”
“I, I’m also an adult over 19 years old, you know?”
“Sure, sure. How could anyone stop Tarakdwaeji Minjoo~ There’s a reason the phrase ‘living up to your username’ exists.”
Elsie shook her head side to side.
At first glance, the Golem appeared human, but a Golem was a Golem.
There was not a single human sexual characteristic visible on it.
And yet, when faced with such a beautiful, artwork-like existence, to have such a reaction.
However, Minjeong’s opinion was merely a minority view.
Claude asked Ihyeon in a voice that seemed to carry reverence itself.
“Have you… have you given it a name?”
“Ah, now that you mention it, I haven’t given it a name yet.”
When Ihyeon shook his head, Claude suggested they all think about it together and led everyone to the spacious living room.
People gathered around the sofa, and the Golem stood where everyone could see it.
Claude even brought a shower robe and draped it over the Golem’s shoulders.
Once the preparations were complete, Ihyeon, as its Master, spoke first.
“Now, I’m going to give you a name.”
“Beep beep beep. Understood.”
“?????”
True to form, the Golem’s strange sound effect prompted everyone to engage in what seemed like a competition for the most bewildered expressions imaginable.

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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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