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Episode 2
“Phew…….”
I breathe in, then exhale about two-thirds of the air I took in.
[Breathing Lv.1: Organized breathing improves the efficiency of all actions.]
‘…Out of the skills I’ve gotten so far, [Breathing] is the best.’
[Breathing Lv.1: Organized breathing improves the efficiency of all actions.]
This effect is truly game-breaking. I didn’t expect such efficiency even at level 1.
Click-clack—
Bang!!!
Thanks to my earplugs, the gunshot isn’t too loud. But the recoil transmits through my entire body.
“……?”
‘Why does it feel like I’m hitting better than usual?’
“Hmm… You handle firearms quite well?”
“Ahaha, my role is a supporter-assassin, so I mainly use guns.”
“That’s strange though…”
It is strange.
Why?
“If your role is supporter-assassin, don’t you fire guns more for diversionary tactics rather than trying to hit precise shots?”
“That’s true. Still, my skill is good enough to hit at this level.”
Bang!!!
“Hoo…”
The supporter-assassin is a truly subtle and complex position.
Because of the ‘assassin’ name, you’d think it’s about killing targets with a single strike, but…?
‘Infiltrate the rear, disrupt the battlefield, and use alchemical bombs to kill or destroy the most critical targets.’
And those targets could be monsters or structures created by monsters.
Bang!!!
So, accuracy in shooting is less important than throwing bombs.
[Skill ‘Rifle Marksmanship’ acquired!]
[Rifle Marksmanship Lv.1: Accuracy of rifle shots improves. Rifle shot damage increases slightly.]
‘[Rifle Marksmanship], huh…’
It seems skills are created segmented by gun type: rifle, pistol, sniper rifle, etc.
‘I should try a pistol too.’
“Ooh… Another perfect score?”
“Haha… Well, guns aren’t very effective against monsters, you know? Even if you’re a good shot, it’s not that useful…”
“Even so, you might consider switching to a sniper position with skills like this…”
“I don’t know archery.”
“Ah.”
Guns are too complex, and bullets are too fast.
This leads to the conclusion that you can’t properly imbue mana into guns and bullets.
So, bows—with their simpler structure and slower speed, making them easier to imbue with mana—end up being stronger than guns in terms of attack power.
‘Of course, this only applies to Awakened who can properly sense and use mana.’
Bang!!!
Finishing prone shooting, then sitting and standing shooting, my reserved time at the shooting range ended.
“Your shooting practice time is over. Please proceed with the rifle inspection.”
“Okay. By any chance, can I shoot a pistol next time?”
“Yes, that’s possible. If you reserve now, we can proceed tomorrow.”
“Then please reserve it for tomorrow.”
‘I won’t be going into combat until tomorrow, so I have some time.’
Now I’ve decided on the ability to focus on developing: marksmanship.
‘Let’s try pistols and sniper rifles too.’
Even though shooting becomes ineffective starting from monsters like elite orc warriors…
‘For now, it’s right to level up skills related to the weapons I’m currently using.’
By acquiring gun-related skills, I’ll gain recognition for my capabilities within my position.
“Whew, my strength and speed are both lacking, so first I need to develop skills that can deal significant damage without relying on strength or speed.”
[Stats]
[Strength: 2]
[Speed: 3]
[Wisdom: 9]
[Spirit: 8]
[Mana: 1]
For stats, 10 is generally the limit. Considering that, my stats are disappointing.
‘To prevent the ruin… I must become strong enough to surpass even those powerful Awakened.’
I’m still woefully lacking.
“So, I’ll learn gun-related skills first…”
And then use the skills in real combat to level up and increase my stats.
However, there are limits to combat within the Korea Gate Public Corporation. Being a public corporation, we work in shifts.
“You can’t just go out to fight whenever you want. If it’s our team’s day off, you can’t even go to work… But it’s not like there’s no way.”
There exists a deep web site used by unregistered Awakened.
The Korea Gate Public Corporation also knows of its existence but has no intention of blocking it yet.
Because it’s easier to manage them gathered in one place than scattered.
Even China or Russia, with far superior social surveillance technology, cannot completely block unregistered Awakened.
So, as long as they gather in one place like this and nothing serious happens, it’s enough to just monitor them.
“A Korea Gate Public Corporation combat employee… using an unregistered Awakened community… how laughable.”
And here, you can also obtain weapons.
Gun ownership is still illegal in South Korea. The number of people registering as hunters and buying air rifles has increased, but that’s it.
But in an already chaotic world, would weapon smuggling be difficult?
‘In an era where even guilds openly use firearms.’
Strictly speaking, guilds—which can be seen as private enterprises—also use firearms. Without permits. But the government turns a blind eye.
‘Because it’s difficult to control Gates with state power alone.’
It’s a form of privatization achieved.
“The money I have now… Phew, this should be enough to get one K2 rifle.”
Money is plentiful. I’m not a big spender, and it’s not like you can’t earn money working for a public corporation.
‘One K2 rifle, plus all the ammunition…’
First, let’s use my vacation days.
“Since the last battle, more vacation has piled up… I’ll take a few days off and freely accept commissions to try it out.”
The deep web community where unregistered Awakened gather,
Its name is ‘Untied’.
Kim Song-hyun, the commission board manager of Untied, learned that a fairly rare unregistered Awakened had newly registered.
“Oh ho… Someone who awakened a marksmanship-related skill?”
Most Awakened possess abilities specialized in killing monsters. Or abilities specialized in supporting such people.
Those who use guns? It’s very rare.
Because it’s very difficult to imbue a gun with mana to attack.
Handling mana is a very delicate and meticulous task. Applying it to a bullet moving at very high speed?
‘It’s almost impossible.’
Up to arrows, it’s possible, but from bullets, it’s impossible.
Of course, it’s not entirely nonexistent. But if you can do that, it’s more efficient and better to imbue other weapons with mana. So, Awakened who use firearms are truly rare.
“Main weapon used: rifle… no experience, will accept light commissions first…”
In the open world, there are the Korea Gate Public Corporation and guilds, but commissions also take place in the underworld.
Because… there are also commissions people don’t want officially recorded.
For example, commissions to kill someone, secretly kill monsters, things like that.
“Should I connect this one? Exterminate a goblin group.”
The commission board manager also plays a role in connecting clients and Awakened. Kim Song-hyun smiled and linked one commission that came to mind.
‘Since it’s a rare gunslinger… I hope you perform well.’
Maybe it’s because lately, among the unregistered Awakened, there are more of those who are nothing special.
Rather than living in the underworld, illegally, it’s much more comfortable to be incorporated into the legal framework. So, the number of unregistered Awakened is gradually decreasing.
Naturally, those who awaken good abilities are sought after everywhere, so there’s no reason to stay in the underworld.
If someone with good ability remains in the underworld, it divides into two categories. Either a criminal, or a lunatic.
“I wonder if you are a criminal or a lunatic.”
Though Kim Song-hyun himself, saying this, is also a lunatic.
Thinking so, Kim Song-hyun opened the chat window.
Tap tap tap—
—Hello, Cassandra. Nice to meet you. There is a commission suitable for you, would you like to accept it?
The cursor blinked a couple of times, and a reply came quickly.
—Yes, may I know when the commission is?
—Sure. One is to exterminate a goblin group in Cheorwon, Gangwon-do, this Friday. The other is a slime group, next Wednesday.
—I’ll take this Friday’s. The earliest one possible.
—Okay, understood.
‘The earliest one possible…?’
“Does she need money urgently?”
“My first commission is set.”
I used my vacation days.
At the Korea Gate Public Corporation, you can freely use the allotted annual vacation days. And for combat positions, you get vacation days after combat. So, accumulated vacation is plentiful.
“A commission to exterminate a goblin group in Cheorwon, Gangwon-do…”
The client was a local festival organizer in Cheorwon. They decided to hold a festival in a place where a Gate wasn’t expected to appear, but…
“They said a Gate appeared contrary to expectations and a goblin group came through.”
The number is roughly about 15.
The reason they commissioned an unregistered Awakened from the underworld is obvious.
‘They probably want to pretend it never happened.’
If only a few people keep quiet, the fact that a Gate opened on the festival grounds itself becomes something that never happened.
It would be troublesome if it became known that such a thing happened.
“It’s good for me.”
Since I got a decent commission, it’s good for me.
‘I packed plenty of magazines…’
It cost some money, but it’s manageable. And the money earned after completing the commission is greater.
“Gaining real combat experience while also raising skill proficiency.”
I need to keep leveling up.
[Cooking Lv.1: You become more proficient at cooking.]
[Basic Dagger Proficiency Lv.1: You handle daggers more skillfully.]
After the skills acquired last time, the newly acquired skills are these two.
Since I cook and eat at home alone, the [Cooking] skill.
And while cooking, I used a kitchen knife and acquired the [Basic Dagger Proficiency] skill.
‘I should cook my own meals from now on.’
If I raise my cooking level more, wouldn’t it be possible to receive buffs through cooking?
The world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay, after awakening, became able to imbue buffs into his cooking. Maybe me too?
“Hmm… Now I see it.”
Thinking such thoughts while hiking, I saw the valley where the festival was to be held.
“Camping Valley Festival…”
It’s obvious at a glance.
Just an ordinary festival, probably planned to have a good time with the organizing agency and festival officials, consuming the budget.
“But monsters appeared… and since it wouldn’t be good if this got out, they commissioned the underworld.”
The difficulty itself isn’t that high. A group of 15 goblins.
Being part of the Korea Gate Public Corporation’s Enforcement Division, I know pretty much everything.
Excluding creatures with virtually no combat power like horned rabbits or slimes, the lowest existence is the goblin.
They are dangerous in groups, but that’s by normal human standards. Roughly 10 goblins can be easily handled by one or two Awakened with combat skills.
“Of course, if a Goblin Chieftain appears, the story is different.”
A Goblin Chieftain unites goblins, employs strategies and tactics comparable to humans, and commands elite guards that can use magic.
From that point, high-level Awakened are needed to handle them.
‘Of course, there’s no chieftain here.’
Looking through binoculars, they appear exactly as the lowly goblin race in their shabby state.
“No magic users either… their weapons are just daggers. Probably poisoned daggers? Aside from that, their armor is crude leather…”
No long-range attack methods. That means I can unilaterally solve this from a distance with shooting.
[Continued analysis actions have acquired the skill ‘Analysis’!]
[Analysis Lv.1: Analyzes situations, phenomena, targets, etc. Can identify the target’s strengths and weaknesses.]
“Nice.”
’15 of them means I’ll use about two 30-round magazines.’
Thinking that, I slowly approached within effective range.
[You slowly, without making a sound, approach the target. Skill ‘Stealth’ acquired!]
[Stealth Lv.1: Slightly reduces the chance of being detected by other targets.]
Wow, it’s really handing them out like candy? Isn’t this totally game-breaking?
Acquiring another new skill, I slowly approached. Being a mountain path, as long as I’m quiet, spotting me on such a dark night is nearly impossible.
‘And I deliberately wore black clothes.’
Thus, I successfully approached the goblin group within effective range.
‘I’ll finish them quickly.’
The good thing about these underworld commissions is that I can take all the monster byproducts.
15 goblins means… at least 15 lowest-grade magic stones. Being lowest-grade, their quality isn’t good and their price isn’t high, but…
‘Absorbing magic stones can raise stats.’
Roughly, one high-grade magic stone raises a stat by 1.
There’s a formula: 1 High-grade = 10 Mid-grade = 1000 Low-grade = 10,000 Lowest-grade…
‘So, I’d need about ten thousand lowest-grade stones to maybe raise one stat, barely.’
Still, stat increase is essential. I must become stronger.
“Phew… Hup.”
Organizing my breathing, I aimed the scope at a goblin’s head.
[Analysis Lv.1: Analyzes situations, phenomena, targets, etc. Can identify the target’s strengths and weaknesses.]
[Analyzing Goblin.]
[Goblin Scout]
[Strengths: Tenacious vitality, Speed]
[Weaknesses: Weak Strength, Small Stature, Crude Armament]
[Goblin’s Weak Points]
[Head, Heart, Lungs]
[Weak points are marked in red.]
[Successfully identified the goblin’s weaknesses using a rifle!]
[Skill ‘Aiming’ related to ‘Rifle Marksmanship’ is generated!]
[Aiming Lv.1: Can aim a rifle at a target faster and more accurately.]
[Due to the ‘Aiming’ skill, ‘Rifle Marksmanship’ accuracy increases slightly.]
“Sweet.”
Click-clack—
Bang—!
The bullet pierced the goblin scout’s head.
