I Got A Legendary Sniper Rifle - Chapter 269

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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 269
Ep. 269
I had never met him face-to-face, yet his visage was remarkably familiar.
A figure of such prominence that the news felt incomplete without his daily appearance.
A face that seemed to radiate light, smooth and refined, and though not particularly tall, his lean frame fit the tailored suit with perfect precision.
Park Wungdo—Deokhuun’s father, chairman of the Tower Industry Federation, and lord of Jongno’s Iron Fortress Castle—stood before the elevator I occupied, spreading his arms wide in welcome with a smile.
I bowed my head respectfully.
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
“Yes, likewise, Sergeant Choi Ihyeon.”
“….”
Ungdo spoke my name and my past with such natural ease.
Yet this was precisely what I had already anticipated.
‘A man who sends people to my home would never have skipped a background investigation on me.’
Who in South Korea could truly escape Ungdo’s reach?
No, that question was slightly off.
Who could escape Ungdo’s financial power?
Until now, only an extremely select few—including Deokhuun and Suyeon—knew my true identity.
Yet it was not particularly strange that Ungdo possessed this knowledge.
It was unlikely to be Seongnyun’s fault, the one handling contact with me at the Management Bureau.
As a civil servant, he would have inevitably reported upward, and somewhere along that chain of command, someone surely fell within Ungdo’s sphere of influence.
Still, there was little reason for concern.
“I’m grateful for your thoughtful consideration.”
Chairman Park Wungdo had subtly but powerfully expressed his intention to perfectly safeguard my identity.
Jaehyeon’s assurance had been there as well, and every step from the entrance to the chairman’s office reflected this.
Ungdo raised one eyebrow slightly at my greeting, then broke into a hearty laugh.
“Hahaha! You’re every bit as impressive as I hoped. Or should I say, truly worthy of the name Ilgyeok? I’m delighted. Come this way.”
Ungdo guided me to the reception area arranged in the center of his office.
Following behind him, I quickly surveyed the interior of the chairman’s office.
‘The windows are naturally reinforced special glass. …The elevator I rode in was merely a single column.’
Special reinforced glass capable of withstanding bullets and even the attacks of most Hunters.
Glass infused with byproducts from powerful and rare monsters—so costly it was used only sparingly even in the presidential office—had been installed across an entire wall.
If the glass was of that caliber, then the walls, floor, and ceiling surely had corresponding defensive measures in place.
Moreover, the elevator I had ridden in resembled a lone column standing in the center of the chairman’s office.
Beyond it, a large door likely leading to the secretary’s office was positioned.
Ungdo, seated on the sofa, pressed a button on the table.
Shortly after, the door opened, and a woman entered carrying a teapot and two teacups on a tray.
Yet there was something extraordinary about her appearance.
‘…Visually impaired?’
Her gait was so natural I hadn’t noticed at first, but her eyes were closed.
That wasn’t all.
And a Hunter, at that.
It was an unexpected combination, but now that I thought about it, I understood.
Whether Ungdo had read my true thoughts or not, he smiled and spoke.
“The only secretary who can enter my office besides the director is her. She’s quite dedicated. And her skills are excellent.”
“So it would seem.”
I formed an assessment of this man called Ungdo.
He was a marksman who verified everything before him as thoroughly as one might demolish a stone bridge.
‘Actually, a man of his caliber could build his own bridge beside that stone one and still have resources to spare.’
At the same time, I began to understand why Deokhuun harbored such displeasure toward his father.
A separate access secretary for security purposes, and that access secretary herself was someone who had lost her sight.
On the surface, it would certainly appear as a beautiful social contribution—placing a person with a disability in a critical position—but knowing the true nature of it was rather unsettling.
The secretary, who had set down the tea service before Ungdo and me, bowed respectfully and then withdrew with steps that betrayed not the slightest falter.
Ungdo watched until she closed the door behind her, then poured tea into each of our cups.
“This meeting came rather abruptly, so it’s not particularly fine tea, but I’d be pleased if it proved a worthwhile experience.”
“I know little of tea, so I’ll drink it with gratitude.”
“By all means.”
Though Ungdo had been modest, the fragrance rising from the teacup was remarkable.
Subtle enough not to assault the nose, yet enveloping the entire body with a comforting warmth.
Even someone like me, who had only ever tasted green tea from a bag, could tell—I’d likely be astounded if I heard the price of the leaves in this pot.
Yet neither Ungdo nor I brought the cup to our lips.
Instead, a brief silence.
It was Ungdo who broke the silence first.
“I’ve heard that you employ illusions.”
“This time, I came in person. Since the chairman summoned me.”
“Ha! I find myself at a loss for words.”
Upon hearing my words, Ungdo finally lifted the teacup with both hands and took a sip of about half a mouthful.
Sending someone directly to my home while speaking of illusions—he was subtly revealing his own intelligence network.
I smiled faintly and spoke.
“I’d like to ask why you summoned me.”
“Well. I thought I’d like to speak with Ilgyeok about how the world turns and such things.”
Ungdo’s face wore a smile, but his eyes were exceedingly sharp.
He had already grasped it by now.
About this person called Ihyeon.
“How many Hunters do you think have come this far?”
“…I’m not certain.”
To this question of unclear meaning, I shook my head.
I could only guess that he hadn’t summoned at least the Hunters who had held the number one ranking thus far without calling them once.
Ungdo’s lips curved with a sharp gleam.
“None. In fact, not even ten people total, whether Hunters or otherwise.”
He had not said “come here.” He had said “come this far.”
‘To have come this far’.
That expression carried considerable weight.
No Hunter had ever set foot in this lavish executive office.
Not even the nation’s top-ranked Hunters throughout history.
“But I wonder if you understand why I dared extend an invitation to you, Ilgyeok?”
“I’m afraid I don’t quite understand that myself.”
“How honest of you. Every Hunter I’ve met until now has either put on airs or acted arrogantly—one or the other.”
Ungdo’s smile deepened further.
I had been wondering why Deokhuun had been so unusually sharp with me, shielding Ilgyeok all this time.
Of course, the name Ilgyeok carried considerable weight.
From what had been revealed so far, his abilities seemed far from lacking.
‘But if that were all, it would be disappointing.’
What did any of that really amount to?
In my eyes, Hunters were not so different from one another.
Even if they possessed exceptional abilities compared to others, that was merely the extent of it.
The world was a vertical hierarchy composed of countless layers, much like the Tower itself.
No matter how remarkable a Hunter might be, when one examined the structure closely, they were nothing more than laborers struggling beneath my feet.
In the end, wasn’t it money that moved such Hunters?
The hierarchy was determined by who spent the most money, who could spend the most.
Whether the Tower appeared, whether systems emerged, whether people grew stronger through their stats—this was precisely why I reigned supreme over all of it.
The only reason I had summoned Ihyeon here directly.
“When do you suppose the Tower will end?”
“…!”
Ihyeon stared at Ungdo, who had uttered such a blunt and unconventional statement without preamble.
At least I hadn’t shown too much shock—that was fortunate.
“Oh my, did I strike at the heart of the matter too suddenly?”
The end of the Tower was not a topic that came up often.
Since the Tower had existed for so long, everyone had naturally come to accept its existence.
Like part of an infinite world that never ended no matter how high one climbed.
Moreover, adaptation to the Tower was already complete.
Countermeasures had been fully prepared for both Instant Towers and Gates to minimize damage.
Meanwhile, the byproducts and magic stones from the Tower’s monsters flowed like an endless spring, granting infinite momentum to human civilization.
Ihyeon hardened his expression and spoke to Ungdo.
“Do you… hope that the Tower never ends?”
It seemed natural to think so.
Park Ungdo’s empire was ultimately built upon the things that emerged from the Tower.
But what if Ihyeon were to conquer the Tower?
I couldn’t say what would happen afterward, but in the worst case, the Tower itself might disappear.
Surely Ungdo was among those who couldn’t even bear to imagine such a thing occurring in this world.
Though I hadn’t expected him to already possess the concept of the Tower’s end.
But upon hearing Ihyeon’s question, Ungdo waved his hand with a laugh.
“What! Do I really seem like such a petty person to you?”
His relaxed smile and gestures made him appear as though he had no stake whatsoever in the Tower.
“More than anything, I genuinely support Sergeant Choi Ihyeon as a person. In fact, even if you had operated publicly, Tapsanryeon and I would have assisted you with our full commitment.”
Ihyeon’s eyes sharpened.
I became quite curious about what lay hidden behind Ungdo’s thick veil of pretense.
‘Honestly, when he first called me, I thought it was simply about making money.’
Perhaps securing exclusive distribution rights for rare byproducts from the 80th and 90th Floors.
Or clearing difficult Instant Towers that others wouldn’t dare attempt and sharing the spoils.
But now that talk of the Tower’s end had surfaced, such predictions held no meaning whatsoever.
I had to acknowledge what deserved acknowledgment.
Ungdo wasn’t sitting here armed with only financial acumen.
He possessed the ability to see far beyond what ordinary people could perceive, and to orchestrate the board first.
“It was merely a merchant’s conjecture—when I heard that the Hero had come all the way to Korea and met with Ilgyeok, I thought perhaps the time for the Tower’s end was drawing near.”
Was that truly just a simple conjecture?
If so, he wouldn’t have phrased it that way.
“I don’t know when the Tower’s end will come either. I can only sense that it’s approaching.”
“Yes, the Hunters who enter the Tower directly would know such things best. Especially Ilgyeok and the Hero.”
Ungdo pressed his palms together as if in prayer, then leaned his upper body slightly forward.
“But for old men like us, well, with so few days left to live, we can’t help but try to predict what’s to come.”
“….”
“The older you get, the more worries accumulate. What if the Tower disappears? For instance….”
Ungdo pointed to a clock mounted on the wall.
“Nowadays, even these run on mana stones, so there’s no need to replace batteries—quite convenient. But if that became impossible, wouldn’t that be catastrophic?”
“I agree.”
I nodded honestly as well.
Mana stones had already become an indispensable energy source across every industry.
If the supply ceased, a great depression would be inevitable.
To compare it to the past, it would be like all fossil fuels vanishing from the world in an instant.
Ungdo clapped his hands softly once, pleased that we understood each other, and continued.
“But then, what becomes of the person responsible for such a catastrophe? Well, even if they became a traitor to humanity, it wouldn’t be surprising.”
“….”
I fell silent again.
Ungdo had said earlier that he had no intention of preventing the Tower’s end.
Then what was this?
Now we were approaching the real matter.
“Not my son—take my hand instead.”
In that moment, Ungdo’s smile gleamed with icy coldness.
“Whatever happens, I will make you the greatest hero.”
“Then what do you gain, Chairman?”
“Heh heh.”
Ungdo chuckled softly at Ihyeon’s question, letting the silence linger for a moment.
“Deokhuun is far superior to that assailant. When he first started learning the trade, he was absolutely hopeless.”
Ungdo was likely deliberately bringing up Deokhuun’s name repeatedly, mindful of how close Ihyeon and Deokhuun were to each other.
“Behind every hero who slayed the Demon King, there stands a king who recognized his worth and elevated him.”

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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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