I Got A Legendary Sniper Rifle - Chapter 55
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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 55
Episode 55
South Korea’s Main Tower had been attacked.
Regardless of which floor or the extent of damage, this headline alone struck the entire world like a thunderbolt.
The existence of villains and their crews was something people generally glossed over to some degree.
After all, such incidents were merely personal crimes not fundamentally different from real-world criminal activity.
But attacking Hunters simply because they occupied a particular floor was unprecedented.
Especially when the target was South Korea, which ranked among the world’s leading clearance groups.
Though not yet officially confirmed, the speculation that one nation had essentially declared war on another was inevitable.
Consequently, condemnations from governments worldwide followed immediately.
[ US White House Spokesperson: An inexcusable atrocity… There will be consequences. ]
[ EU Secretary-General: The Tower is humanity’s struggle against monsters. There can be no conflict between nations. ]
[ Japanese Prime Minister: Deep regrets over our neighbor’s suffering. Japan will do its utmost to assist in recovery efforts. ]
After the South Korean government leaked that Ilgyeok had essentially suppressed the terror attack single-handedly, global opinion intensified dramatically.
[ United States: Tariffs on China and Russia increased 40%. Sensitive material trade restrictions. You know the reason. ]
[ European Union: Tariffs on China up 35%, Russia up 30%. Must align with global standards. ]
[ Indian Prime Minister: Reviewing tariff adjustments by nation… Will BRICS collapse? ]
The implication was clear—if you committed such acts knowingly, accept the consequences gracefully.
Though Ilgyeok was a South Korean Hunter, for twenty years the world had maintained one unspoken rule.
No matter how annoying or envious, never touch the transcendent!
Harming those who had surpassed human limits yielded no benefit relative to the cost, and there existed a consensus viewing each of them as humanity’s hope and the foundation of safety.
Though his identity remained unrevealed, it was beyond question that Ilgyeok would soon ascend to the ranks of the transcendent.
Thus, this time the world’s eyes exploded with the view that China and Russia had crossed the line.
Eventually, unable to endure further, both nations essentially raised the white flag.
[ China: Taking deep responsibility for the incident in South Korea. Will do our utmost to root out malicious elements. However, tariff retaliation is excessive and unjustified. ]
[ Russia: Sincere condolences to South Korea’s Hunters. The perpetrators appear unconnected to the Russian government. Please refrain from demonization. ]
They were admitting their actions were wrong, but asking for leniency by severing ties with the perpetrators.
[ kms0312: Do you think that will work? Even if they admitted it honestly and apologized, it wouldn’t be enough. Execute them!]
[ SoftBoard: What? They terrorized another nation’s Tower and claim ignorance?
Troll15thAccount: Can’t troll this one. If you start something, you take responsibility. ]
Of course, Korean citizens continued to seethe, but the global wave of condemnation seemed to settle somewhat.
[ (Breaking News) White House reconsidering tariffs on China and Russia at 60% increase.
└ Wow… These guys are really something.
└ At this point, weren’t they just looking to raise it anyway? (Just kidding)
└ It’s satisfying though~ ]
…Somewhere, people were raging as if they’d experienced the incident themselves, but that was how it was.
And beyond these governmental matters, there were those personally concerned about Ilgyeok.
“But will Ilgyeok be alright?”
As Seongnyun murmured the question, the Employees responded.
“Why do you ask?”
“Why wouldn’t I be concerned? Being attacked by Villains isn’t a trivial matter.”
“Huh?”
“Besides, whether you like it or not, I killed someone. Right when I was trying to move forward and leave it all behind.”
“That’s… a fair point.”
The Employees who heard Seongnyun’s words all wore somber expressions.
Somehow, within the Talent Search Department, it had become an established fact that Ilgyeok was a criminal.
If Ihyeon heard this, he would have jumped up and called it complete nonsense, but in his absence, even the king gets cursed.
Moreover, this same analysis was emerging from China and Russia, the very nations that had orchestrated this situation.
“Perhaps the S+ record streak won’t be able to continue?”
“That’s quite possible for now. Besides, isn’t the next floor the 35th Floor where the mid-boss appears?”
“Right, right. Let’s be satisfied with that for now. If we slip up even slightly, that would actually be even better.”
At least stop the S+ record.
Wouldn’t that accomplish our primary objective?
An era where national power is measured by the Hunters of that nation, and national prestige is built on the highest cleared floor.
Though much was lost, that much would be something to be at least somewhat satisfied with…
「35th Floor clear record has been updated.
Location: Tower of South Korea.
ID: Ilgyeok
Rank: S+」
“???”
However, Ilgyeok swiftly shattered even that faint hope they had left.
Had there been even a few days’ gap, the bitter aftertaste wouldn’t have been so pronounced, but without any such reprieve, the very next day.
Ilgyeok had proven his continued vitality with remarkable confidence.
[ US President announces record-breaking sanctions against China and Russia on semiconductors. Allied nations expected to participate.
└ …At this point, it really seems like they just wanted to do this?
└ Such harsh language is nnnnnn such harsh language is nnnnnn ]
* * *
「Arc Reindeer defeated.
You have completed the 35th Floor mission.
Rank: S+」
Thud—
A massive monster resembling a reindeer collapsed as if crumbling.
The mid-boss of the 35th Floor, the Arc Reindeer.
A devastating charge utilizing its massive frame and vicious antlers.
Thick hide that couldn’t be pierced by ordinary attacks.
And the Arc Reindeer’s signature trait—the troublesome attribute of freely manipulating lightning elements.
In truth, conquering the Arc Reindeer could be seen as a war of attrition where Tankers endured its attacks while Dealers broke through its hide.
Of course, this hardly applied to Ihyeon and Jia.
‘Hmm.’
Ihyeon stepped away from his sniper position and contemplated the massive form of the Arc Reindeer.
‘Is it really okay for things to be this easy?’
Easy doesn’t even begin to describe it.
It’s almost too easy—that’s the real problem.
No matter how formidable my firepower is, for a mid-boss to die in a single strike seems a bit excessive, doesn’t it?
‘Well, easy works for me~’
It wasn’t excessive at all.
If Arc Reindeer’s attack connected properly, any ordinary Hunter would be on death’s door.
In front of me, the situation was simply reversed.
‘I need to keep climbing.’
Contrary to public expectations, I hadn’t suffered much psychological trauma from the terrorist attack.
I was depressed that day, but I’d quickly shaken it off.
Even back during my military days, I’d mentally prepared myself with the thought that I might one day be deployed on such a mission.
‘To strike down those creatures more decisively than monsters themselves.’
Having attacked fellow humans, I’d learned through this opportunity that Villains and monsters were no different.
I placed my hand on Arc Reindeer’s corpse.
「Harvestable Byproducts
Arc Reindeer’s Horn
Arc Reindeer’s Hide
Arc Reindeer’s Bone」
“Oh, quite generous for a mid-boss.”
Considering that ordinary monsters typically dropped only hide or bone, this was certainly a luxurious list.
Arc Reindeer horns were particularly popular in Korea and sold for premium prices.
The reason was naturally health supplements.
Initially, people questioned how you could consume something made from monster horns, but after a certain company’s marketing campaign claiming FDA certification for nutritional supplements made from Giga Bear gallbladders, they flew off the shelves.
Arc Reindeer horns were even more valuable.
“Thank you for your hard work, Master.”
“Ah, Jia. You worked hard too.”
Just then, Jia bowed respectfully behind me and spoke.
In truth, Jia had done her part this time as well, so I responded with genuine appreciation.
35th Floor—my strategy was simple.
First, Jia would block Arc Reindeer’s charge, and in that opening, I’d aim precisely for its head.
Following that plan, Jia received the creature’s charge head-on without a shred of doubt.
Kwaaaaaang————!!!!
A truly terrifying sound.
The destructive force matched what I’d heard.
The fact that Jia’s body was pushed back only slightly and her feet dug into the ground just a little was enough to gauge the magnitude of that impact.
But that was all.
————!!!
When Jia absorbed the impact and reflected its force, the Reindeer fell into a stun instead.
‘That’s why it was so much easier than the other mid-bosses.’
As always, I finished it with a single strike, but the effort required for that one attack varied each time.
It was undeniable that Jia proved to be an enormous help when facing boss monsters.
And then came the reward notifications.
「Item, ‘Choi Ihyeon’s Sniper Rifle’ has leveled up.
Please check your status window.」
First, my level had increased.
Jia’s level, synchronized with mine, followed suit.
‘It’s definitely slowing down, but… this pace is still manageable.’
I nodded in satisfaction.
Ordinary Hunters would have already repeated the process of grinding experience on lower floors multiple times before ascending again.
However, in my case, the stat gains per level were exceptionally high, and since I could distribute them freely, there was still no need for that.
I’d already accumulated considerable spare stats, so it would likely remain the same going forward.
“Jia, how did you feel blocking that attack?”
Since Jia directly faced the monster, her perspective might differ, so I asked.
“Master’s shield will never break.”
“Right, but I was thinking I should boost your stats a bit more.”
“Master’s shield will never break.”
“Y-yes.”
The way she said it twice with such conviction suggested she had plenty of confidence.
Indeed, being pushed back only slightly after taking a mid-boss’s direct charge wasn’t just confidence—it was overwhelming superiority.
If I abandoned my rank, I could probably even take down an Arc Reindeer solo.
‘Then I’ll hold off on boosting Jia’s stats for now…’
I moved on to the next notification window.
In fact, the main reward for this floor wasn’t the level up.
I always saved the best for last.
「35th Floor Reward.
You have obtained 5 D-rank Magic Stones.
Please check your inventory.」
‘Okay, combined with Jia’s share, that’s at least 10 secured.’
Adding the 34th floor rewards that got glossed over due to the terrorist incident, I could now easily reach 99, the maximum for D-rank mana stats.
I could wait slowly for C-rank Magic Stones, and all D-rank stones accumulated from now on would be pure profit—excellent news for me.
And among the special S+ clear bonuses that appeared every 5 floors, there was another special reward.
‘The previous two mid-boss rewards were identical…’
I opened the next notification window with slight anticipation.
「S+ Rank Clear Bonus.
Item, ‘Reinforcement Stone’ acquired.
Please check your inventory.」
“Yes!”
As expected, it was a Reinforcement Stone again.
It was an especially welcome reward since I was already making excellent use of enhancement routes like bolt action and healing.
I clenched my fist and expressed my joy.
‘Wait, could this be…?’
Then I suddenly sent Jia a look brimming with anticipation.
“Jia, you said you also receive the S+ special privilege reward, right?”
I’d confirmed it when we left the Shopping Mall last time.
Jia had received the exact same quantity of magic stones as me.
If she received enhancement stones in the same amount, wouldn’t that be the most absurd scam imaginable?
Jia, understanding what I meant with keen intelligence, immediately nodded.
“I am always your subordinate. Your Achievement applies to me as well. Of course, by rights it should be the reverse, but my abilities are insufficient…”
“Ah, no, that’s not what’s important.”
I hurriedly waved my hand to comfort the dejected Jia.
What did it matter whether I achieved S+ or the items achieved S+?
All roads lead to Seoul.
As long as the rewards doubled regardless of who achieved it, that’s all that mattered!
Could it really be that at this rate, the impossible—two enhancement stones—might actually happen?
“So, what… what did you receive…?”
I asked in a trembling, cautious voice.
Jia pulled something from her inventory and spoke.
“Five D-rank magic stones.”
Clatter—
“…Ah, I see.”
“As expected, my reward…!”
“No! That’s not it!”
Tears seemed ready to spill from Jia’s large eyes at any moment.
Of course, it was a bit disappointing that enhancement stones couldn’t be duplicated, but I was really fine with it.
…Truly.
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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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