I Got A Legendary Sniper Rifle - Chapter 281

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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 281
Ep. 281
“No, no~ It’s a special opportunity~”
‘…I wish you’d stop reading my mind.’
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
This bastard.
Ihyeon glared at the Watchman’s shameless face as he did exactly what he’d been told not to do, grinning smugly, but soon let out a small laugh.
The Watchman mimicked him far too well, and it seemed that observation wasn’t entirely wrong.
“I understand that I’ll have to choose between one of those two when I reach the top of the Tower. But what exactly can I do if I become a Watchman?”
Snap—!
“That’s an excellent question!”
The Watchman spoke as if he’d been waiting for exactly that, snapping his thumb and index finger together.
“When you reach the top of the Tower, you receive a reward commensurate with your achievements.”
A reward corresponding to the accomplishments gained.
It wasn’t in this context, but Jia had already told me something similar before.
“I’ve heard that the Overlord tried to suppress me, which only made me stronger.”
“Right, that’s included too. It’s the most fundamental principle of the Tower.”
The Watchman paused for a moment, smiled faintly, and continued.
“The ability to fundamentally change the Tower itself. That’s the responsibility and right granted to both the Watchman and the Overlord.”
“…Fundamentally change the Tower?”
Ihyeon momentarily doubted his own ears.
Erubein and Chairman Park Wungdo had already anticipated the Tower’s end.
But even they didn’t fully understand what would happen when they reached the top of the Tower.
They could only imagine vaguely—either disappearing or becoming the new master of the Tower.
But according to the Watchman, I could transform the Tower itself however I wished.
“Of course, there’s a corresponding price for that. Remember the Tower’s principle?”
“Yes.”
“The fact that I’m meeting you twice like this, and the Overlord causing all sorts of anomalies to suppress you—all of that falls under that authority. Though in my case, I’ve already lost that authority and only remnants remain, so the situation is a bit different.”
“Hmm…”
In other words, it’s the ability to modify the Tower’s interior and even reconstruct it.
More specific details would only be learned when Ihyeon actually reached the Tower’s end.
The Watchman’s lips curled upward.
“Here’s a hint that might help you!”
“…”
“The power the Overlord has poured exclusively into you is exceptional even by my standards, and it seems excessive.”
The Watchman paced back and forth a couple of steps.
Then, looking upward, he spoke.
“So then, what’s the Overlord’s condition now?”
“Weaker than before?”
At Ihyeon’s answer, the Watchman’s eyes curved into crescents.
“Quite a lot, actually.”
The Watchman pointed at the sky again with one finger.
“I’m sure he must have recognized your true potential beforehand. That’s why he tried to eliminate you relatively early on, doing everything in his power. But what was the result?”
“I grew through the price I paid, and you took damage through the price you paid.”
“See~ there’s a reason people call me a visionary, isn’t there? Absolutely splendid!”
“I walk the path I wish to walk. I’m not following in your footsteps.”
“Right, you could say it that way too. No two beings in this world are identical. I never designated you as my successor either.”
When Ihyeon frowned, the Watchman chuckled as if he found the current situation quite amusing.
Then he grew serious again and spoke.
His expression carried a bitterness that couldn’t be mistaken for speaking of an enemy’s misfortune.
“That Overlord was far too impatient. And arrogant as well. He invested far more effort in you than necessary.”
“But isn’t the Overlord the Master of the Tower? Why would he suffer such severe restrictions?”
“No, that’s not it. The Watchman and the Overlord are not the Masters of the Tower.”
The Watchman shook his head and corrected Ihyeon’s misunderstanding.
“We are merely agents acting on behalf of the Tower’s will. To transcend that boundary, we both must endure such constraints.”
The Tower’s will.
Ihyeon committed this new concept to memory.
“The Tower changes its form dramatically depending on the agent’s disposition. But the current Overlord’s Tower is pushing too hard. Well, nothing particularly strange about it, but it’s pushing far too hard. In the process, the Overlord’s Tower alone has experienced far too many worlds. As a result, using your expression… karma! Karma has accumulated quite heavily. You awakened at the peak of that karma, so to speak. It’s the Overlord’s own doing~”
“The peak of karma, you say.”
When Ihyeon showed a reaction of not immediately understanding, the Watchman explained more simply.
“A pimple burst. Yes. Quite spectacularly at that.”
‘I didn’t ask for an explanation quite that simple.’
Ihyeon frowned slightly at the excessively crude expression for a matter concerning the fate of countless dimensions, not just Earth.
Suddenly it felt less like the world’s destiny and more like neighborhood children trading jokes.
The Watchman patted Ihyeon’s back repeatedly as if that was exactly the effect he’d been aiming for.
“Don’t take it so seriously, my friend! Climb with a light heart, alright.”
“And if I can’t make it up?”
“Why would I be responsible for that?”
Ihyeon momentarily considered whether he could punch the Watchman in the face.
“Heh, if you fail, the next karma… that is, the pimple will burst again. From the Tower’s perspective, it’s a perfectly natural occurrence. I’m telling you to ascend more earnestly.”
At that moment, the Watchman appeared different.
Until now, he seemed like someone deliberately trying to irritate Ihyeon.
But in that instant, one could glimpse the profound mystery of one who had reached the end of the Tower.
From the Tower’s perspective spanning countless dimensions, even Ilgyeok, who was making such a stir in the world, was merely one of countless beings passing by.
‘The Watchman and the Overlord… they might be viewing the world through such a lens.’
Ihyeon felt he understood what the Watchman meant.
Though he had climbed quite high, he hadn’t yet properly set foot on the 90th Floor range.
“Once I finish climbing the remaining Tower, I’ll understand the meaning of your words.”
The Watchman’s eyes widened in genuine surprise.
“Absolutely splendid. Honestly, I’m impressed. If this single statement surprised me more than all your actions so far, would that make sense?”
“How much of the Tower is left?”
Ihyeon ignored the Watchman’s nonsense and asked the next question.
The Watchman chuckled softly.
“You’ve climbed almost all the way. But from here on out, it’ll be harder than everything you’ve done combined—it won’t be easy.”
“I figured as much.”
“Huh? Honestly, you haven’t really suffered that much so far.”
“….”
“N-no, just joking.”
Even from the Watchman’s perspective, Ihyeon’s expression in that moment was quite terrifying….
‘My old unit was the toughest one out there, and it’s not like I haven’t suffered at all!’
To outsiders, it might seem like Ilgyeok had cheated his way up and enjoyed tremendous luck the entire time.
But everyone finds their own life the most difficult—this time, the Watchman had misspoken.
In any case, the Watchman had finished what he wanted to say.
“From here on, the path will be quite lonely for a while.”
“It’s always been that way.”
The Watchman smiled faintly at Ihyeon’s composed response.
“I like your spirit. This is truly my last time. From now on, you’ll have to manage on your own.”
“That’s always been the case too.”
“You’re particular, aren’t you? Well, this meeting ends here.”
Tap—
The Watchman lightly kicked the ground with one foot and waved his hand toward Ihyeon.
Rather than returning the gesture warmly, Ihyeon simply gave a slight nod.
The Shooting Range and the Watchman’s presence gradually seemed to scatter and fade away.
More precisely, it felt like waking from a deep dream.
In that final moment, the Watchman spoke to Ihyeon.
“You can take pride in everything you’ve accomplished so far. I’ve never seen anyone achieve S+ rank all the way up to the 90th Floor.”
He should have said that first!
But Ihyeon, already waking from the dream, could barely move his lips.
Just moments ago, he was only talking about acne or something.
The next moment.
“Huh? Master’s awake.”
Ihyeon opened his eyes in the bright sunlight streaming in.
Beside him, Elsie was already rolling around on the floor, while Jia sat quietly waiting in a chair at the desk.
Elsie clapped her hands together in admiration.
“Master, you’re truly amazing! It’s not easy to sleep so soundly the night before entering the 90th Floor range. I was so nervous I couldn’t sleep a wink!”
“You don’t sleep anyway.”
“That’s true~”
Ihyeon gently stroked Elsie’s head and tilted his head slightly in thought.
‘Was it really just a dream?’
It felt too real, and it was exactly the kind of thing the Watchman might actually do, so he couldn’t quite tell.
However, since the Tower had been discussed in such important terms, it was difficult to simply dismiss it as an ordinary dream.
Ihyeon spoke while looking at Jia.
“I saw the Watchman in my dream.”
“You mean the Watchman, sir?”
“The Watchman?”
Jia and Elsie simultaneously widened their eyes and asked.
Ihyeon nodded.
“It felt real, but since it was a dream, I can’t say for certain.”
With that, Ihyeon briefly recounted the conversation he’d had with the Watchman.
The spirits listening quietly exchanged serious glances with one another.
“That’s no ordinary dream, Master.”
“I think so too. It was strange how I fell asleep the moment I lay down yesterday, but if the Watchman was involved, it makes sense.”
“Since I’ve reached the 90th Floor, I wonder if it’s possible because I’m deeply connected to the Tower.”
Jia nodded.
“If the Watchman truly summoned you, Master, he would certainly have left proof behind.”
“Right, just to be safe, check your inventory.”
“My inventory?”
Ihyeon opened his inventory with an uncertain expression.
As the familiar list scrolled past quickly.
“Huh?”
At the very end, a single unfamiliar item had been newly added.
Ihyeon took it out.
Tok—
A small golden key fell into his palm.
“A key?”
「Watchman’s Key (EX)
It is the Watchman’s key.」
Aside from being small and elegantly shaped—about the length of a single finger—it had no decorations whatsoever.
It was a key that appeared nothing special, and the item description was equally simple.
It would serve as clear proof that the Watchman had visited, as the spirits had said.
“That key is…?”
Yet upon seeing the key, the spirits seemed to know what it was.
“Have you seen it before?”
“Yes, the Watchman always wore it around his neck.”
“Well, the item is called the Watchman’s Key, so of course.”
“If you’re going to say that! What, in the world, are these items!”
“No, joking. There’s no need to get so worked up about it.”
Ihyeon tried to calm the bouncing and grumbling Elsie.
In any case, while it was something the Watchman always carried with him, even the spirits didn’t seem to know its purpose.
Which meant there was no way to use it right now.
‘Perhaps… since he said this was truly the last one, it might be a key meant to be used only at the very end of the Tower.’
Upon waking from the dream, the realization struck me anew.
Though I’d made that quip to Ihyeon about acne, the Watchman had clearly placed considerable faith in him as well.
And this key was a testament to the expectations resting upon Ihyeon’s shoulders.
If the Watchman hadn’t been confident that Ihyeon would reach the Tower’s end, he would never have given him a key to use at that distant point in time.
‘He’s surprisingly cunning, isn’t he.’
It wasn’t that my feelings were hurt by the acne comment—but the very tone of his words carried an unmistakable nuance: he still didn’t completely trust Ihyeon.
…My feelings weren’t actually hurt.
In any case, today was the day we’d decided to enter the 91st Floor.
Ihyeon rose from his bed and spoke to Elsie.
“Where’s Blue?”
“Huh? He’s outside teaching your mother and father how to grow mustard greens and beets?”
Minjeong and Donghoo were practically using Blue as a living agricultural encyclopedia.
‘Though come to think of it, Blue is made entirely from things that came out of the Tower—how does he know so much about Earth farming?’
The question flickered through my mind briefly, but it wasn’t important to the current situation.
“Go call him.”
“Th-that means, Master…?”
Elsie’s eyes widened perfectly round, as if asking whether the moment had finally arrived.
Ihyeon nodded.
“It’s time to go in.”
The 91st Floor.
An uncharted realm that even the Spirits had never set foot in before.
Today, Ihyeon intended to carve his name there in grand letters, as he always did, before returning.

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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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