Educating the Arrogant Bastards
The gunshot rang out with a sharp crack. In an instant, the bullet blew the creature’s head clean off its shoulders.
With a heavy thud, the monster collapsed. Jeong Eunseo could only stare at the fallen beast with hollow eyes.
“H-how… how did this happen? A… a gunner shouldn’t have the power to take down a Cruel Wolf…?”
Her words were rude, completely unlike her usual calm and polite demeanor. Still, I didn’t particularly mind. I knew there was no malice behind them. Jeong Eunseo might be cold, but she was a good person. The fact that she had tried to help me when I was unconscious earlier was proof enough. If used well, she could become a reliable ally. She was a capable woman.
I spoke to her in a calm, even tone as she stood there stunned and dazed.
“It seems this particular monster was weaker than expected. After all, it died to a gunner.”
“....”
Jeong Eunseo stared blankly at the Cruel Wolf’s corpse for a long time. I understood perfectly why she was so shocked.
Of course she’s surprised. What I’m holding is just a basic weapon, after all.
◈ A plain, unremarkable pistol with no special traits.
◈ Currently loaded with 15 rounds.
As I had explained before, the Gunner class does not unlock the Magic Power stat. That means the only way to deal damage is through weapons. Put another way, the power of a gunner’s attacks varies wildly depending on the quality of their equipment.
Monsters protect their bodies with demonic energy, and humans protect theirs with mana. Ordinary bullets therefore have an extremely difficult time inflicting any meaningful damage on either. For a gunner to deal proper harm, an exceptional weapon is absolutely necessary. Only by using a weapon that carries even a trace of magic power can one amplify the gun’s force with mana.
But what I was using was a basic weapon. A shabby pistol with no magic power whatsoever. Killing even a regular monster with it would be difficult. Yet I had just taken down a Cruel Wolf—one of the toughest monsters on the first floor—with a single bullet. No wonder she was floored.
I didn’t expect it to be this strong either.
Of course, my class rank was Legendary. I had anticipated it would grant considerable power, but since Gunner was one of the most despised classes in existence, I hadn’t expected the bonus to be all that significant. My prediction had been completely off the mark.
Additional damage is applied to all attacks made with firearms.
Just how much additional damage are we talking about here?
The fact that I had waited until the Cruel Wolf opened its mouth and aimed for a soft spot beneath its tough hide had probably counted as a critical hit. In human terms, it was like punching someone straight in the solar plexus. Even taking that into account, blowing the monster apart with a single bullet was absurd. Especially since the round hadn’t even been infused with mana.
Jeong Eunseo looked at me with suspicious eyes.
“Who… exactly are you?”
It was a natural question. There couldn’t possibly be any gunner in the world who could kill a Cruel Wolf with a basic pistol. If I acted flustered here, it would look even more suspicious. So I answered her calmly instead.
“My class rank is simply a little higher than average. By the way, why do you keep following me? Did you lose your compass?”
“....”
She opened and closed her mouth like a fish, unable to respond. I had struck the nail on the head.
“If you don’t explain the situation properly, I can’t help you. And you do realize that secretly trailing behind a stranger in the Labyrinth is rude, right? If you don’t tell me exactly what’s going on, I’ll have no choice but to misunderstand your intentions.”
Only then did Jeong Eunseo slowly begin to explain her circumstances.
“I was originally trying to head down to the second underground floor, but a monster suddenly appeared. I lost my compass and ended up wandering around lost. I walked in circles not knowing where to go, and before I knew it, I was here…”
I nodded as if I understood and spoke to her.
“I know the layout of this place well. I’ll help you. Going down to the second underground floor at this hour seems too dangerous, so I’ll guide you back outside first.”
“R-really?”
Her face brightened instantly. She looked straight at me and answered.
“I don’t know who you are, but you’re a kind person… Once we get out, I’ll definitely repay you properly.”
I thought to myself, As expected.
Jeong Eunseo was the type who couldn’t stand being in debt. She might come across as cold, but if she received something, she would repay it without being asked. That was why I had decided to show her goodwill even if it was a bit of a hassle.
Her parents are rich. Later, if I need funds for something, I can ask her then.
I didn’t know exactly how much she would repay me, but it was undoubtedly good news.
“Alright then, let’s get go—”
I flinched. As I was speaking to Jeong Eunseo, I felt a strange flow of mana in the surroundings and shut my mouth.
“What’s wro—”
“Shh.”
I brought a finger to my lips and signaled for silence. She immediately closed her mouth and stared in the direction I was looking.
Two men dressed in strange, bulky clothing were strolling toward us with arrogant swagger.
“Ugh, fuck… I don’t get why the boss is making us do this shit.”
“Just endure it. He said there’s a reason. Those Artemis bastards have done more than enough already. The boss finally decided he couldn’t take it anymore.”
“Goddamn it. If he can’t take it, why not just confront them head-on? What the hell is this sneaky crap? I still don’t understand why we had to stalk her with a phone and take pictures last time, and now he wants us to bury that bitch’s stolen clothes in the ground? This is fucking disgusting.”
“The boss said to just build up some tension. If we go all out from the start, it’ll ruin everything. When you hunt, you have to slowly tighten the noose from a distance.”
“Sigh… I know that, but how does pretending to stalk her and stealing her clothes tighten any noose?”
“It’s to scare her. Make her think there’s a real stalker. So she’s on edge no matter where she goes. If we threaten her like this, she won’t know whether it’s another guild messing with her or a genuine perverted stalker. And remember that kid… Lee Hyunseung? We planted a phone in his locker, so he’s probably being suspected as the culprit right now. That way we can scare her as much as we want while avoiding any risk.”
“You’re a genius. The boss really is smart.”
“You’re just an idiot, you moron.”
“I told you not to call me a moron!”
“Yeah, sorry. Let’s hurry up and bury this before the boss throws a fit. If anyone sees us, we’re really screwed.”
“You worry too much. Who the hell would come all the way out here? It’s just an empty wasteland in the corner of the dungeon…”
-Click-!
The sound of a gun being cocked echoed through the air.
The men panicked and spun around, scanning their surroundings.
“W-who’s there!”
“Come out! We already know exactly where you are!”
Step. Step. Step.
I walked toward them with ice-cold eyes and spoke.
“Explain what you two were just talking about. In detail.”
The men threw down the bundle of clothes they had been carrying on their backs and retreated, immediately taking up defensive stances.
“W-who are you…?”
My overly confident attitude made them wonder if I might be someone from a high-ranking guild. One of them looked me up and down warily. Then his gaze landed on the shabby pistol in my hand.
The moment he saw it, he burst into loud laughter and relaxed.
“Holy shit~ You scared me. The way you were acting all serious, I thought some other guild had sent a tail. Turns out it’s just some no-name gunner punk trying to act tough? You got a death wish? Are you crazy?”
I didn’t respond to his words.
“Haah… My heart almost stopped, you fucking bastard. I really thought I was dead. Anyway, since I already heard everything you said, even if you beg for your life, I’m still going to kill you.”
I slowly raised the pistol and aimed it at one of the men.
“Last chance. Explain exactly what you two were talking about. Before I blow your heads off.”
“Huh? This fucker’s actually lost his mind?”
One of the two—the burly man holding an axe—stepped forward with a menacing grin.
“Hey, kid. You joking right now? You think you can take us on with a shitty little gun like that?”
He tapped the accessories he was wearing and sneered.
“Gunners don’t even have mana, right? And you’re using a basic pistol? With that, you’re gonna kill us? Puhaha, are you sick in the head? Or did your parents never teach you manners? Go play house with mommy and daddy. Why the hell are you coming to us and throwing a tantrum—!”
The man spun his axe in circles as he approached me, clearly not feeling the slightest bit threatened.
Grind.
I clenched my teeth so hard they felt like they might shatter.
“Apologize. Get on your knees, apologize, and tell me exactly what you were talking about. If you do, I’ll let you live.”
The axe-wielding man mocked me in return.
“I’ll apologize at your grave after I kill you, you little shit. ‘Sorry for killing you…’ while sobbing. That good enough?”
I stared blankly at the swordsman standing behind the axe-wielding man and muttered.
“There’s still one more… so I guess it’s fine to kill this one.”
Hearing that, the man screamed like a lunatic and charged at me.
“You arrogant little bastard! Die—!”
I calmly aimed the pistol at the axe-wielding man.
“Go ahead and shoot, you idiot! I have a Rare class! You think that thing can even scratch me? A worthless gunner who can’t even use mana—!”
Click.
I quietly pulled the trigger at the charging man.
-BANG-!
Legendary Gunner Class Trait: Additional damage applied to firearm attacks.
A chilling gunshot echoed throughout the area.