I Got A Legendary Sniper Rifle - Chapter 324

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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 324
Ep. 324
The NIS Agent belatedly realized his mistake and apologized.
But there were certainly words he swallowed silently.
‘We basically just issued a free pass, so how could he not be pleased….’
In truth, it was a farce that had unfolded because Seongnyun still didn’t fully understand Phoenix’s standing.
Just as he had once gone to great lengths to find Ilgyeok in the past, and had leapt with joy when contact was finally established.
To the NIS, Phoenix was a figure who possessed virtually Ilgyeok-level prestige.
If they could successfully make contact with Phoenix, secure a commission, and complete a difficult mission, a promotion would be practically guaranteed.
Unaware of the NIS Agent’s bitter inner thoughts, Seongnyun moved the conversation forward.
“But what do you plan to do going forward?”
Yunjung answered seriously.
“First, I need to overcome this tower’s limit.”
“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant….”
“?”
“Whether you’ll continue to stay in Korea or return to the United States….”
“Oh.”
Yunjung’s face flushed slightly.
To her, overcoming Ihyeon’s limit was a significant challenge, but to others, it was nothing of the sort.
Of course, she had already given thought to her own future.
Probably in quite an interesting direction.
“I haven’t informed my home country that the mission failed.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“I don’t plan to tell them for a while.”
“!!”
The NIS Agent was shocked first, with Seongnyun following half a beat later.
They understood in the order they grasped what Yunjung was thinking.
Despite having revealed her identity herself, she still hadn’t informed the United States of that fact?
Moreover, her intention to maintain that state for a while was simple enough.
Seongnyun asked in a voice of disbelief.
“Then surely… you’re not planning to live as a double agent?”
“Well, if I told them, my tail would obviously just get cut off anyway, and besides, wouldn’t it be rather fun?”
Yunjung smiled softly and nodded.
Separate from her smile, being a double agent was not fun at all—it was a so-called insane move that doubled the danger factor and more.
While it seemed to double their forces for now, ultimately it meant doubling their enemies as well.
“In fact, there have been times when my identity was exposed during recruitment operations.”
Yunjung briefly revealed the background behind this decision.
She cupped her hands beneath her chin like a flower calyx, accentuating her appearance.
“But what does that matter? In the end, as long as I recruit the target, the operation is a success, isn’t it?”
“….”
Though Yunjung revealed her identity quite readily and admitted to everything.
She did not immediately abandon her mission.
As she had said earlier, she had surrendered not to the Korean government, but to Ilgyeok as an individual.
And from there, Yunjung’s logic took another leap.
There was no guarantee that Ilgyeok’s interests and America’s would necessarily conflict, was there?
America was prepared to concede everything if only they could bring Ilgyeok over.
The fact that Earth’s strongest Hunter, likely to surpass the Hero, was not in America—that alone was a fatal blow.
But what about Ilgyeok?
‘I don’t yet know what he truly desires. But as long as he’s human, there must be something he wants.’
Did it absolutely have to be Korea?
If someone courted him more actively and could fulfill his fantasies more completely, wouldn’t it be better to go there instead?
At least, everyone Yunjung had observed so far had been that way.
Though ideals might not lie purely in material things, there was no one without fantasies.
And America was the only nation with sufficient ability to fulfill each individual’s fantasies.
Seongnyun and the NIS Agent’s expressions hardened as they grasped Yunjung’s true intent.
A hidden blade had taken root beside Ihyeon, who was essentially their most critical protected asset.
‘Summary execution… is the only way?’
Nearly simultaneously, similar thoughts emerged in both their minds.
Rationally speaking, isolating Yunjung from Ihyeon immediately was the proper course.
After all, she was a black operative who had come to Korea on illegal orders, based on information obtained through illegal channels.
As was always the fate of black operatives, once exposed, the home country could not intervene in any punishment the host nation imposed.
If Yunjung were to take a bullet to the head and die instantly here, America would have no way to protest to Korea.
But Yunjung held the upper hand over both of them.
“Don’t worry too much. I’m not saying I’ll definitely take Ilgyeok to America.”
“Then…?”
“Come on, you know what a double agent is, don’t you? You must have seen it in movies. Right now, I’m neutral—neutral, haven’t decided which side to join yet.”
“…”
In other words, if she determined that Ilgyeok’s fantasies could not be found in America.
Phoenix, Han Yunjeong, would devote herself entirely to fulfilling Ilgyeok’s fantasies here.
“…Am I understanding this correctly?”
“Exactly right.”
At Yunjung’s playful smile, Seongnyun ground his teeth.
“Even so, there’s no reason to leave a dangerous element unattended.”
“Actually, there is.”
Yunjung shrugged her shoulders.
“Though I can’t officially acknowledge my existence, there’s a deep bond between America and me. Well, you’re all adults, so you understand such things, right?”
“…”
“And if I were in your position, I’d look for ways to utilize someone of my caliber by Ilgyeok’s side. Fifty-fifty odds. Not a probability worth abandoning the gamble for, is it?”
Should they completely block the possibility of Ilgyeok being taken by a foreign power?
Or should they gamble with Ilgyeok as the stakes to keep Phoenix bound to Korea?
Yunjung added another comment to help Seongnyun make his decision.
“Besides, even if I fail, headquarters won’t simply give up, right? They’ll probably find a replacement just as capable, so wouldn’t it be better for people who already know each other to get along rather than having some stranger come in?”
Yunjung tapped the desk with her index finger as if telling him to think it over carefully.
Seongnyun looked at the NIS Agent.
He whispered.
“There’s no helping it. Phoenix’s words are not wrong.”
At this point, there was no choice but to acknowledge it.
Seongnyun nodded as well.
After reporting to his superiors and following the proper procedures, in reality, his superiors had already given full authority to these two.
If Seongnyun judged something to be the best course of action, the chances of that decision being overturned were not very high.
Seongnyun and the NIS Agent stood up from their seats.
“We understand what you’ve said, Han Yunjeong. However, be especially careful in your conduct. Regardless of where you defected from, this is South Korea, and Ilgyeok is also a Hunter of South Korea.”
“Of course~”
Yunjung nodded enthusiastically as if to say he shouldn’t worry.
“…And do not approach Suyeon Hunter any further. Just as you claimed to have ‘principles,’ you must not cross the line yourself.”
“…No, I don’t really want to approach her either, but what can I do if she keeps picking fights with me?”
“?”
Seongnyun didn’t fully understand what Yunjung meant, but he nodded anyway.
When they stepped outside the annex and went to the courtyard, Ihyeon was sitting on a wooden platform gazing up at the sky.
“Have you finished your discussion?”
“Yes, thanks to you.”
“What did you decide?”
“Han Yunjeong will be staying here for the time being. It’s absurd, but she says she’ll be living as a double agent. …Of course, if you’re fine with it, we don’t plan to interfere.”
“It’s fine with me.”
Ihyeon nodded casually.
Whether she was a double agent or triple agent didn’t matter as long as she didn’t bother him.
Since Seongnyun and the NIS Agent had judged it acceptable, that must be why they left her.
Ihyeon then remembered something he’d forgotten and added, asking with an “ah.”
“She’s staying at her own place, not at our house, right?”
“? Ah, yes. I’m not entirely sure what you mean, but she said once you take her outside the garden, she’ll leave right away.”
I should take her there right away.
Yunjung’s housekeeping skills were impressive, but I didn’t want to take the risk of letting her stay inside the house.
Suyeon didn’t seem to like it much either.
After exchanging a few casual remarks about Yunjung, Seongnyun brought up the main topic with Ihyeon.
“By the way… this is a very sensitive question, but do you have any thoughts about going to the United States?”
Ihyeon answered immediately.
“No.”
“Ah, yes, as I thought it would be a concern… Yes?”
“I said I have no intention of going.”
It was the answer he had hoped for, but it was so firm that Seongnyun asked with some hesitation.
“Well, you haven’t even heard my proposal yet, have you?”
Ihyeon then asked back with an exaggerated wounded expression.
“Is it possible that I’m no longer needed in Korea…?”
Smack——!!!!
“??????”
Ihyeon stared at Seongnyun, who had suddenly struck the back of his own head with all his might, with a bewildered expression.
“I misspoke. There’s no need for you to take it that way at all.”
“Ah, no, it wasn’t quite a misstep… it was just a joke.”
If I joked twice, Seongnyun’s job would be in danger!
No matter how much of a “civil servant” he was nicknamed—an unbreakable iron rice bowl—it wasn’t truly unbreakable.
If you threw an iron rice bowl into a roiling furnace, what would it matter?
Seongnyun, who had seriously considered striking the back of his head once more, soon smiled bitterly and spoke.
“In fact, losing hunters to foreign countries isn’t all that uncommon. No, shamefully speaking, Korea is working hard at it too.”
In this era, strong hunters are national power itself.
And moving those hunters is a measure of a nation’s capability.
Since a country’s hunters can only operate within that nation’s Main Tower, such perception could only grow stronger.
In truth, there were even suggestions to stop this pointless stealing and counter-stealing, and simply open up an official inter-national hunter transfer market.
Though the reality had only recently been revealed, wasn’t the group called Frontier already operating in such a manner?
Predictably, the wealth gap between nations would only deepen, and public backlash would be considerable, so it wouldn’t gain proper legitimacy.
In any case, since every nation was making an all-out effort to bring competitive hunters, using the word “steal” was actually embarrassing.
Ihyeon, understanding these circumstances, nodded.
“In the end, such matters depend on the individual’s will. If the Hunter wishes to go to the United States, what does it matter whether it’s Frontier or Phoenix?”
To use a sports analogy, an informant like Yunjung was merely a broker.
It all came down to whether the player’s heart would move or not.
A broker simply makes that catalyst clearer.
But Ihyeon chuckled and spoke.
“Haven’t you heard, Personnel Manager?”
“Pardon?”
“They say the Main Towers will be unified once we reach the 100s.”
“…!”
Seongnyun’s mouth opened slightly.
Which meant….
“The 100s… you can reach them?”
To Seongnyun’s hesitant question, Ihyeon answered with a smile.
“At this rate.”
“Ah!”
Seongnyun barely held back tears that hadn’t flowed in recent memory from spilling out.
Come to think of it, he had no reason to cry at all, which was truly strange.
Could it really be that Korea—no, that Ilgyeok could surpass the United States and the Hero?
“You truly are a patriotism-manufacturing machine.”
“?”
“Ah, no, I was just joking.”

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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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