I Got A Legendary Sniper Rifle - Chapter 75

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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 75
Ep. 75
「The item ‘Soul Stone’ is being used on the item ‘Choi Ihyeon’s Sniper Rifle’.」
The Soul Stone transformed into brilliant light before seeping directly into the rifle along with that radiance.
Jia looked up at me and the sniper rifle with a bewildered expression.
I hastily waved my hand.
“No, no! I was definitely planning to give it to you!”
This made me look like someone who had taken back what I’d given her.
Of course, Jia harbored no such misunderstanding.
“Yes, I understand.”
“Phew.”
“Rather than that….”
Jia stood and examined the sniper rifle leaning against the wall.
Until now, while she marveled at the rifle’s power, she had deliberately kept her distance, saying she couldn’t dare observe her master’s possession.
I had explained to her that ‘this isn’t a staff but a gun,’ yet Jia still thought of the gun as a type of unique staff.
It was long, used mana, and emitted something like magic—so from her perspective, it wasn’t strange at all.
But this time, she spoke with an expression of great surprise.
“This staff… no, gun, was it an awakened weapon?”
“…You only just realized?”
I asked back with a somewhat deflated expression.
Well, I had never explained it myself.
‘Still, since it’s the same type of item, I thought there would be some connection. Did I not realize it was our first meeting(?)’
A remark that could be quite disappointing to a listening item.
“It is my oversight. This is not a common occurrence, and moreover, I had never seen a ‘gun’ in this world before.”
“That’s true.”
I nodded.
It certainly wasn’t common.
I had never heard of a gun awakening either.
Even if I bent over backwards and said items could awaken, it would be far more natural for armor like Jia’s or legendary swords like the one I saw in the previous reward list—equipment mainly used by Hunters—to awaken instead.
After that, Jia continued to examine the sniper rifle intently for a moment.
‘Could it be that now I see my master isn’t actually strong at all, and I’m disappointed, before disappearing?’
Her gaze was so persistent that I found myself worrying about such things.
Sparkle—
The chamber of the sniper rifle gleamed with a light that felt identical to the Soul Stone’s radiance.
Nod—
And Jia nodded at a timing as if she had heard the question I had silently asked.
“S-sorry. I’ll do better going forward.”
“Yes?”
Jia turned to look at me with innocent eyes, as if asking what I was suddenly talking about.
Now that I think about it, it seemed like the sniper rifle and Jia had communicated with each other?
Ihyeon made a swift tactical assessment, befitting a seasoned sniper.
“More importantly, the sniper rifle seemed to flash for a moment.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Is it because of the soul stone?”
“….”
Jia offered no response whatsoever.
Even when it was Ihyeon’s question, there was always a reason when Jia fell into such stubborn silence.
‘It seems to be a restriction of that Tower.’
When explaining about the 45th Floor, she had sealed her lips the same way whenever he tried to probe deeper.
But the saying that silence is consent was surely meant for moments like these.
‘I’ve heard that restrictions gradually lift as one ascends the floors.’
Ihyeon didn’t want to put Jia in an awkward position by pressing for information he wasn’t meant to know yet.
Jia, perhaps feeling apologetic for being unable to answer his question, added this instead:
“Upon examining this rifle closely, I’ve come to realize just how truly magnificent you are, Master.”
“It’s not me—the rifle is the magnificent one.”
“That’s not what I mea—”
“It’s fine. You don’t need to go that far.”
Thinking Jia was merely being polite, Ihyeon waved his hand dismissively and opened the skill selection window.
「1. Power Control (C)
Adjusts firepower output.
Usable between 70~100% of your firepower stat, according to your will.
Does not affect mana consumption.
2. Silent Steps (D)
Your footsteps become quieter.
Slightly increases stealth.
3. Emergency Rations (E)
Summon emergency rations within the Tower.
Limited to 3 uses per day.」
“Hmm.”
Ihyeon gazed at the selection window and chose one without much deliberation.
「You have acquired Power Control (C).」
By rank alone, Power Control was the highest grade.
‘The other two don’t have much use for me right now.’
Power Control was also the most necessary skill.
While higher firepower is always better, excessive power is as bad as insufficient power.
Sometimes lower firepower was actually preferable.
Once the skill ranked up, the adjustable range would likely expand further, which he also appreciated.
“Congratulations on acquiring the skill.”
“Thanks. But didn’t you need the soul stone?”
In a way, Jia had missed out on the reward she’d been expecting, so Ihyeon asked.
Jia shook her head firmly.
“No, Master. Now seems to be the best time for you.”
“I see….”
Since I still didn’t understand the purpose of the Soul Stone, I had no choice but to trust Jia’s words for now.
‘Still, it’s called a Soul Stone, so it must have some effect related to that. Could it be that a spirit manifests in the sniper rifle too?’
I glanced quietly at the sniper rifle leaning against the wall.
But unlike the gleam of light from before, the rifle was now perfectly still.
Even with my suspicious gaze fixed upon it, nothing changed.
‘Well, it has shown signs of intent when it needed something in the past.’
Having already seen two items with spirits dwelling within them—though I’d only seen one in the selection window—it wouldn’t be surprising if the sniper rifle became one as well.
I placed the sniper rifle into my inventory and spoke to Jia.
“Want to go get some ice cream?”
Flutter— flutter—
There was no verbal response, but the way Jia’s side hair fluttered as if caught by a breeze showed she was delighted.
Since she didn’t get the Soul Stone, I should at least treat her to ice cream.
I smiled and said.
“Let’s go. I’ll buy you the biggest one.”
“Your kindness, Master, is truly comparable to the vast sea and endless sky.”
Jia followed along behind me.
And so, taking Jia to the shopping district, I treated her not only to ice cream but also to hotteok, churros, and cotton candy in abundance, or so it’s said.
* * *
[ EX-Rank Appearance? Ilgyeok, Existing Tower Industry Workers Feel Sense of Deprivation… Ecosystem Destroyer?
└ Can we sue for defamation of honor?
└ Damage;; Doesn’t this seem intentional?
└ I work in the legal field. It’s possible under such-and-such law.
└ This seems like the reporter’s grand scheme to get sued by Ilgyeok ]
Right after I cleared the 45th Floor and the announcement appeared, breaking news began pouring in one after another.
Up to S+ was at least understandable since it was just an additional plus symbol attached to the existing S-rank.
But EX was an entirely different concept that transcended such conventional categories.
People were divided on whether EX simply meant a ‘special rank’ or if it represented another dimension beyond ‘S+’.
But one thing was certain.
“What the hell is this now!!!!!”
Seongnyun from the Talent Search Division was on the verge of losing his mind at this unexpected news.
Seongnyun let out a roar in the office that rivaled a lion’s cry.
Seongnyun, who had been living a peaceful life recently thanks to the proposal and successful response of the ‘Preemptive Protection’ program.
The appearance of EX-rank was a major incident that shattered that peace in an instant.
Had I made a mistake?
No.
Had Ilgyeok made a mistake?
Of course not.
“Well… honestly, we’ve already half-given up on finding Ilgyeok anyway, haven’t we, Director? No matter what Ilgyeok does now, it’s already beyond our control, isn’t it…?”
One of my subordinates spoke carefully, trying to comfort me.
Tap—
I said nothing to the employee and simply showed him my phone screen.
Countless messages were pouring in at that very moment.
– Director: Run to my office. You have 3 seconds.
– Bureau Chief: The Director called you? Ignore him and come to my office.
– Minister: Skip the Bureau Chief and come to me right now. I’ll send a car.
– Ihyeon-dong Secretary: The VIP is calling for you.
The higher-ups clearly didn’t think Ilgyeok had slipped beyond our department’s reach.
“Ugh, this is a bit much…”
The employee who had just been feeling sympathetic clicked his tongue and stepped back.
I was deeply hurt by the way my subordinate acted as if he’d witnessed something he shouldn’t have.
‘Even I have to admit it’s not a pretty sight.’
I was even more wounded by the realization that my subordinate’s judgment was actually correct.
Just looking at these four messages arriving in rapid succession, if I waited a bit longer, I could probably complete the government’s emergency contact network.
I asked my employees with a gloomy expression.
“So, does anyone know what EX-rank is?”
Of course, there was no way such a person existed.
In a situation like this, everyone’s attention naturally converged on one person.
“Why… why are you looking at me?”
The Storm Manager, precisely.
But this time, even he had nothing coming to mind and shook his head in surprise.
I let out a deep sigh.
“Say anything at all. I need to go somewhere higher up, and I need to have something to report when I get there. At least to protect your jobs.”
Splash—
Tears nearly spilled out at the thought that I cared for them so much.
“I’ll probably transfer to another department since I’m at least a director-level official at headquarters, but you all will need to start packing immediately, so I have to protect you.”
“…”
It was a remarkably cold analysis.
The Storm Manager opened his mouth.
“I… this is really just speculation, but…”
“Oh, what is it?”
“Based on the circumstances, doesn’t it seem like Ilgyeok received a special mission different from other Hunters?”
“Yeah, I thought so too.”
I nodded, acknowledging the Storm Manager’s insight.
Indeed, since the Hunter who was clearing the 45th Floor testified that he never encountered Ilgyeok, there was no other way to interpret it.
The Deputy Manager seemed to gain confidence from my response and continued with a serious expression.
“That special mission might be connected to secrets of the Tower that haven’t been revealed yet. That’s why the rank is marked as EX. Of course, it would be a rank above S+, but there’s something even greater hidden beneath it…”
The Deputy Manager trembled slightly, as if frightened by his own words.
Seongnyun stared at him intently and asked.
“What’s this secret that supposedly hasn’t been revealed?”
“I don’t know that either.”
The Deputy Manager shook his head firmly.
“You’re the one, after all.”
Seongnyun nodded with satisfaction and extended his hand to the Deputy Manager.
“Manager…!”
The Storm Manager called out to Seongnyun with an emotional expression.
Had the exacting manager finally acknowledged his sharp analysis?
Was he now going to take him to that ‘higher place’ he mentioned?
Eagerly—
I will dedicate my entire life to your service!
The Deputy Manager made an inner vow and grasped Seongnyun’s hand firmly.
Then Seongnyun tilted his head and asked.
“Why are you holding my hand?”
“Pardon?”
“Submit your resignation letter. I’ll deliver it personally.”
“W-what do you mean…!”
“You don’t have a resignation letter? I hear people these days carry one in their pocket at all times.”
Seongnyun spoke with a cold expression, then immediately left the office.
* * *
And in another place unsettled by the appearance of an EX-grade Hunter.
“Claude, Ilgyeok….”
“I’m watching too.”
It was Frontier.
Claude stared at his phone with a complicated expression.
“I’m asking just in case, but is Ilgyeok’s name on the 45th Floor clear record? Including Jia, of course.”
“No, it’s not. We estimate that both of them left the Tower before the Wave even ended.”
“So they definitely cleared the mission in a different location.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Sigh….”
Claude shook his head slowly.
Through his investigation so far, Claude had uncovered quite a bit.
Most importantly, Ilgyeok was using Jia as a front while clearing the Tower elsewhere.
He couldn’t determine that location and hit another dead end, but he believed that with just a bit more time, he could track down Ilgyeok himself.
To do that, he had to carefully observe Ilgyeok’s progress no matter what.
‘It feels like he’s slipped away from a distance.’
Once they break through the 40s, tracking Ilgyeok and Jia becomes even harder.
Not only would personnel for the 50s become scarce, but given the unique nature of the 40s, even Jia, whose existence has been revealed, would likely disappear.
He would have to settle this somehow within the 40s.
“Tarak Dwaeji… No, what about Minjeong?”
“At this point, it would be better to just call her by her ID, Captain.”
“Either way.”
“Well, there haven’t been any notable developments so far. Same goes for the red-haired woman.”
“The red-haired woman… hmm?”
Claude felt a thought flash through his mind like lightning.
“Bring me all the reports on Tarak Dwaeji… Minjeong.”

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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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