Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Gunman Awakening
[Gunman]
I looked at my awakened trait and felt genuinely confused.
Gunman? This is a medieval fantasy world.
Of course, there are spells that fire projectiles like bullets.
But fundamentally, this world doesn’t have the concept of guns yet.
Swords and magic… maybe bows at most.
“Did someone invent guns? No, that can’t be…”
With the appearance of the towers, a resource called magic stones had emerged, leading to technological development.
But still, no one had invented guns in this world.
I calmed myself and read the detailed description.
[Trait: Gunman]
Can handle all types of firearms.
Receives bonuses when using all types of firearms.
A very simple and clear explanation.
I had heard that climbers are restricted in the weapons they can use depending on their awakened trait.
If you become a greatsword warrior, you can only use greatswords.
Then for me—
it meant I could only use firearms now.
“But there are no guns.”
So what’s the point?
Inside the tower, you can obtain equipment and skills related to your trait as rewards.
But right now, without a gun, I couldn’t even begin.
[Basic equipment will be provided.]
Another message appeared.
Right, I had heard that when you awaken, you’re given basic equipment.
Apparently, it’s so low quality that no one uses it.
This world already has skilled blacksmiths, so people prefer their own weapons.
But for me—
I needed that basic gear.
[Old Revolver]
[Standard Revolver Ammunition x30]
A revolver and thirty bullets.
Among firearms, it’s the most basic and familiar type.
A small handgun often seen in Western movies from my past life.
You load bullets into a rotating cylinder and fire them in succession.
Usually, it holds six rounds.
After six shots, you need to reload.
Even Russian roulette is played with this type of gun.
Click. Click.
I pulled the trigger a few times as a test.
The hammer struck with a crisp sound, and the cylinder rotated one slot each time.
The grip felt good.
“In my past life, I was probably a top-tier shooter.”
Like most men from Korea, I must have handled guns before.
I don’t remember clearly, but they felt familiar.
I had never used a handgun, but my stance felt natural.
The important question was—
would guns even work on monsters?
Their lethality is unquestionable, but against monsters, it hasn’t been tested.
If they work like I remember, I might be able to climb easily without struggling like knights.
“Let’s just try it.”
Without hesitation, I decided to enter the tower.
Before real climbing begins, there’s a tutorial on the 0th floor.
You can fight monsters from the first floor while being invincible.
[Do you wish to challenge Tower of Trials Floor 0? (O/X)]
I selected O immediately.
Light enveloped me, and my vision flipped.
When I opened my eyes, I was standing in a damp cave.
Torches on the wall provided dim light.
In the center—
a goblin grinned and looked around.
On easy difficulty, goblins have no equipment.
On normal, they wear leather armor and carry chipped daggers.
On hard, they wear metal armor and use poisoned blades.
The tutorial mimics normal difficulty.
If it feels easy, choose hard.
If difficult, choose easy.
And here, I couldn’t take damage.
“Kieeek!”
The goblin spotted me and charged.
Its grotesque appearance startled me for a moment.
But I steadied myself.
I’ve seen enough in this world already.
I wouldn’t run from an opportunity.
And I had a gun.
In front of a gun—
everyone is equal.
Bang!
The moment I pulled the trigger, a spark flashed with slight recoil.
Almost simultaneously, the goblin’s shoulder twisted violently.
A hole appeared in its leather armor, blood spilling out.
But it didn’t die instantly.
So I fired again.
The goblin screamed and collapsed after the second shot.
“Effective.”
I aimed for the body to be safe.
Even without hitting the heart—
two bullets were enough.
Guns retained their lethality here.
No—
they felt even stronger.
Just pull the trigger, and monsters drop.
Unlike swords or magic, which require training—
this was instant power.
With this—
I could aim for higher floors.
[Floor 0 cleared!]
[No ranking for Floor 0.]
[Reward granted.]
The reward was a bit of experience and 30 more bullets.
Leveling up increases stats.
I started at level 1.
Others in this world sometimes start higher due to innate strength.
For them, leveling up matters only at high floors.
“For me, leveling is still useful.”
Even as a gun user, better reflexes and physical ability help.
[Do you wish to challenge Floor 1? (O/X)]
The next option appeared immediately.
Normally, you can only climb one floor per day.
But the tutorial was an exception.
“Of course.”
Three bullets had already killed a leather-armored goblin.
I could handle normal difficulty.
I selected O again.
[Select difficulty:]
[Easy] [Normal] [Hard]
Warning: Cannot be changed.
“Hmm…”
I hesitated.
Then—
The screen glitched.
And a new option appeared.
[Easy] [Normal] [Hard] [Hell]
“Hell?”
A terrifying name.
I had never heard of it.
But it felt familiar—
like a cliché from web novels.
A hidden difficulty with great rewards.
I thought for a long time.
Hell difficulty would be dangerous—
but rewarding.
The tower always gives more for greater risk.
And if it appeared before me—
there must be a reason.
My family.
My life.
Everything flashed before me.
Slowly—
I raised my hand.
It didn’t shake.
[Hell difficulty selected.]
[Challenge Floor 1 (Hell)? (O/X)]
I pressed O.
Light enveloped me again.
When I opened my eyes—
another cave.
But this time—
no protection.
If I failed—
I would die.
Click. Click.
I practiced reloading.
Simple enough.
Insert bullets into the cylinder.
Remaining ammo: 58.
Surely—
no goblin would survive 58 shots.
“Kiiiik…”
Sounds echoed from the darkness.
Not one—
many.
So Hell difficulty means multiple enemies?
I aimed into the darkness.
Then—
they appeared.
About ten goblins.
And one towering figure among them.
“Hobgoblin!”
A superior species.
Larger, stronger—
wearing chainmail.
It charged with a machete.
I fired immediately.
Bang! Bang!
Two shots hit its torso.
The chainmail shattered—
fragments embedding into its flesh.
It screamed in agony.
“Fragments got lodged in.”
Chainmail is for blades.
Not bullets.
I kept firing.
The cylinder emptied—
and the hobgoblin collapsed.
The others panicked.
I reloaded—
and shot them down.
One shot each.
Reload.
Fire.
Repeat.
In just one or two minutes—
they were all dead.
18 bullets total.
Only two misses.
“…This is insane.”
Why use swords?
This was overwhelmingly powerful.
Even fantasy monsters—
are equal before a gun.
[Floor 1 (Hell) cleared!]
[Score calculated.]
[Score: 15,398]
[Rank: S++]
[New high score!]
[New highest rank!]
[Ranking updated!]
Rewards flooded in—
enhanced by bonuses.
And I realized—
I had just stepped onto a completely different path.