Steady Shooter and Skeleton Terror
It's all prepared.
Ready for [Happiness].
How lonely had it been? Imagining I'd have to live out the rest of my days cooped up in this cramped room, never seeing another soul.
Just pure horror.
'But now it's different?'
Right away, [Agent Hiring].
[Agent Hiring]
Once I hit level 30, I'd probably get some companions.
A potential savior who might solve my HP 1 problem.
Based on everything so far, they might not be much help—like this shelter with its uselessly full buffs—but still.
'Who knows? We don't know how it'll turn out.'
Better to have a chance than none at all.
This feeling of blocked energy flowing free, even the air tasting fresh and new.
Nothing but hope.
Entering the Training Ground.
I opened the closet and stepped inside.
My motivation for training was at an all-time high.
The trainee destined to rise as a master sniper was right here.
"Alright..."
Before starting, everything was still empty.
'Set the location to my current position.'
I summoned training bots all over the place.
Aerial bots, standard bots, micro bots.
- Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
I lined up about 30 to 40 of them.
For the first time, I pulled out the Steady Shooter.
"Kinda exciting."
The visual difference from the practice sniper rifle was overwhelming.
Honestly, it looked so professional that I wondered if I'd ever fully utilize its power.
The grip felt solid and comfortably cool.
The structure and mechanics were the same as the practice sniper rifle.
'Good thing about that.'
The magazine held 30 air rounds, same caliber.
I equipped the MMM and the scope—
All the essentials for my survival, nicely sorted.
My main gear for the long haul.
'From now on, make it like an extension of my hands and feet... I'm a sniper, after all...'
Best to get the feel by firing a few shots.
- Clack!
'Whoa, listen to that loading sound.'
The bolt action had a majestic ring that made a man's heart thrum.
"Huuu."
I went through the motions like it was real.
Imagining the gargoyle battle, I aimed an aerial bot at the same spot.
Exhaled, and pulled the trigger.
- Thwip...
- Boom!
"Whoa."
This stability. Like upgrading from a beat-up Kia to a Mercedes.
Way less recoil, a heavier overall feel that minimized hand shake.
'Is this balance?'
I didn't know much about guns, but I could tell this was on another level.
And the impact sound was incomparably massive.
'The bot just vanished.'
Switching from the practice model to this 100 million gold pro version made a huge damage difference.
Even comparing raw attack power between real sniper rifles, it wouldn't be a contest.
'Not sure if the DPS boost matters much.'
With my 100,000x multiplier, the practice one was already absurdly destructive.
'Still, who knows what enemies might show up later. Higher damage is always good.'
At least it one-shot on the first try, so no need to tweak the sights.
'Hmm.'
I'd expected some struggle adapting to the new gun.
But nailing the aerial bot first shot skyrocketed my confidence.
With a bit of effort, I might even reach pro sniper territory.
'Maybe I've got real talent?'
Next, I set today's target farther than the gargoyle building.
'To be a true sniper, I gotta hit from there.'
Far enough to feel that way.
Spawned 10 more aerial bots.
'That's distant.'
Like bumping the weight from 5kg to 25kg at the gym—brutal.
No choice but to practice. Confidence up, I kept firing.
- Thwip...
"Figures I miss."
Kept at it anyway.
'Missed again.'
At that range, hits were rare.
- Boom!
"Ooooh! Finally hit one!"
Most whiffed, but a few barely connected.
Tried more; hit rate hovered at 30-40%.
The occasional hit felt great at first.
Then it hit me—this wasn't something to celebrate.
'The fact that I hit sometimes means...'
The rifle was fine for this distance.
The problem was me.
I sucked.
A gun that could hit, and I couldn't land it.
'Same aim, same spot—sometimes hit, sometimes not. Can't get a feel for it, damn it.'
Theory on improving accuracy only went so far.
Tiny variances in breathing or finger pressure changed everything at range.
'Reality check complete. Sniping's way too hard.'
Confidence plummeted.
Now I finally got what 'real sniping' meant.
Those docs showed snipers hitting impossible distances—real people.
Compared to that, my struggle was laughably close.
'Just the job title, fuck.'
I couldn't even mimic them.
Despite using a system-made gun better than any real-world pro gear.
"Ha... this ain't a one- or two-day fix."
Okay. Admit it clean.
Survival easy? You think elite snipers get there with a few drills and skill ticks?
I've gotta do the work.
'Practice time.'
- Thwip... Thwip...
After grinding for a while,
'Huu.'
Hit rate climbed to 70-80% at that distance.
Once I got the range feel, accuracy shot up fast.
'Will I have time to adapt in real combat?'
And these were stationary aerial targets.
Real fights? Zipping around like mad.
'How the hell did I take down that gargoyle with this skill?'
Glancing at its building,
"Embarrassing."
So close. Pathetically close.
I'd lucked into it, half by wild misses.
'Embarrassed now, but skill's improved a bit.'
Beginner gains were huge—like levels flying up with every breath.
Would laugh about it later.
Kept practicing, then switched to ground targets for an experiment.
Standard bot on the road.
Deliberately super close. Because—
[Attack Type] [Warning]
Induces hallucinations equal to base damage on hit target.
(Cooldown: 10 seconds)
※ Actual damage = Nullified
Time to test [Warning].
"Where the hell do you even use this?"
But try it first, improvise later.
Activated the skill—
- Hummm...
The Steady Shooter vibrated faintly, then nothing.
'Warning' activated.
Status window confirmed it.
'Fire.'
Fired—the report was the same. And
"Ooooh."
No real damage.
Normally it'd explode without a trace, but the standard bot stood fine!
Instead, an exclamation mark (!) popped over its head.
It flashed for about 5 seconds, then vanished.
'Doesn't die for real.'
So during the !, it hallucinates the damage?
Hard to tell with a bot.
Confirmed it truly doesn't kill on hit.
That was enough.
《Seoul》
《Hunter Management Bureau - Operations Room》
Director Baek Moon-seong, the white-haired elder.
Team 1 Leader Kim Chun-gyu, the bald guy.
And ranks 1 through 10 gathered.
■ Rank 1 = [Hunter Management Bureau] Cheon Seung-hyuk
Cheon Seung-hyuk said flatly to everyone assembled,
"Take your seats. I'll explain from the beginning."
As he reached for the 【Cartibes's Seal】 in his hand,
"Aigoo."
A gravelly-voiced man groaned.
■ Rank 2 = [Hunter Management Bureau] Kim Chi-gon
"Director, my wounds ain't even stitched yet. How long's it been since I bagged that beast? What's the big rush, huh?!"
Kim Chi-gon, covered in yakuza mascot tattoos, fiddled with his clutch bag and griped in his rough dialect.
Looked like he didn't belong in the Bureau at all.
Anyone'd peg him for a private guild master, but surprisingly, he worked diligently as a certified hunter. (For big pay.)
Overwhelming in DPS and tanking, so the Bureau was grateful. (Paid him well.)
"Circumstances demand it. Bear with me."
Baek Moon-seong soothed, and it worked wonders. (Big paycheck.)
The thug quieted down. But the seat next to him stayed empty.
■ Rank 3 = [Hongmaehwa] Seol
Hongmaehwa's guild master hadn't shown.
"Haaah."
Kim Chun-gyu sighed.
'Hongmaehwa's always uncooperative.'
Small assassin guild, no interest in gold or favors.
Their burst DPS was terrifying—needed for tough fights like this.
'Gotta drag them in this time.'
Just appeal to the crisis severity...
But they were wrapped tight.
'This worries me.'
No choice. Don't give up.
Then,
"Can't we broadcast from here?!"
One guy whose voice was shot to hell.
Manners weren't much better.
■ Rank 4 = [Dokgakchon] Hae-dong
"Broadcast" meant YouTube live.
Here.
"No chance."
Kim Chun-gyu reined him in.
'Top tank. Gotta humor the rude ones.'
Not his first rodeo; treated it like a greeting now.
'Never gets easier.'
His goblin-like, furry appearance screamed monster.
Pedestrians would run, but he was human.
Just a freak awakening.
Those types ended up goblin-brained too—wouldn't join the boring Bureau.
Stuck to their private Dokgakchon guild.
No merits beyond combat, total weirdos.
But always needed in Korea. Grateful he even showed...
"Why not broadcast? It's fun stuff, right?!"
Kim Chun-gyu's mind was blanking.
"Subs are waiting! I hit a million, climbing more—film this, it'll explode!"
Kim Chun-gyu's mind was gone.
"Aaa! Hey subscribers!!!"
Kim Chun-gyu lost his marbles too.
"......"
Ignored him.
Then, a voice like cool water on soiled ears.
"Turn off the broadcast. This is a warning."
■ Rank 5 = [Hunter Management Bureau] Yoon So-i
Her wide-area heals made her essential.
"Ah, y-yes! Sorry. Heh."
Without her, tough fights wrecked even Dokgakchon.
The one sane head here; Kim Chun-gyu's bald dome perked up a bit.
Other high-rankers quieted post her intervention, focusing up.
"Cheon Seung-hyuk Hunter, you're saying the MVP reward is the issue?"
Yoon So-i asked; Cheon Seung-hyuk pulled the 【Cartibes's Seal】 and got to it.
"Mm."
Yoon So-i responded first.
"We're screwed."
The key: Cartibes's 'egg' hidden somewhere.
Find and destroy before it hatches.
Overseas, hatchlings emerged within a week of the seal's discovery.
'Too late.'
Pre-hatch erosion spreads wide; it's already underway.
"We must find it now. As I said, hatchling birth is defeat. Early egg destruction is the goal."
Villain link: Necrophilia—wiped guild, but signs point to revival.
Attacks incoming soon.
To hinder the egg hunt.
"Consider it started."
No sooner said,
[Emergency Situation Report]
Dire message hit Baek Moon-seong, Kim Chun-gyu, and Bureau staff status windows.
Familiar from crises, but pay attention now.
Evidently,
[Seoul, 'Skeleton Soldier' Terror Incident Occurred]
Terror, not a gate.
"Villains were way ahead under the radar. We noticed late."
"Regret after we fix it."
"Right."
As Yoon So-i and Cheon Seung-hyuk geared up,
"Me! Me! Me!"
"?"
"I'll go! Skeleton soldiers? Piece of cake. I'll smash the skeletons—don't worry, find the egg! The egg!"
Hae-dong's excited shout echoed.
Bolted from the room faster than anyone.
'Extra rowdy today. What's bugging him?'
Uncontrollable goblin in crisis drained him. Damn strong, though.
'Can't expect perfect org from private guilds anyway.'
Kim Chun-gyu's brow furrowed.
"Worried, so I'll follow."
Yoon So-i stood.
"Rest of us hunt the egg."
Cheon Seung-hyuk, Kim Chi-gon, and high-rankers hit downtown search.
"Hoo. Ha. Hoo. Ha."
- Thruuum— Thud—
Hae-dong's body ballooned 3x in full goblinization.
Insane upward leaps.
Hopping buildings toward the shared skeleton soldier coords.
Opened system for broadcast—
Current vid: 'Gargoyle Subjugation Scene'—thumbs down hit.
"Hoo. Ha. Hoo. Ha."
Already ugly mug, but fury cranked x10.
Worse as gargoyle vid views and likes climbed.
To a goblin, pride was life.
Had even offered a contract to that unregistered hunter.
Planned team-ups, broadcasts, stunts for buzz.
Crickets back.
Now his fave YouTube fixated on that one 'gargoyle clip' stealing all eyes.
"Subs! Watch this—I'll show ya real power!!!"
Not like that fake-ass vid.
The genuine article.
Right now.
"Hoo. Fucking intense."
Trying for real, but not clicking.
Skill improved, though.
Beginners progress fast.
But,
- Thud... Thud...
Odd rumble from afar.
Faint screams too.
'No gate, what's up?'
Too far for eyes.
Unsettling as hell.
No gate, yet this? No way.
"Necrophilia! Fuck, knew it!"
Peeked window—nothing visible.
Fight brewing distant,
'Already scared shitless, now this? Gonna die. Dead serious.'
For real. Gonna kill 'em. Bastards.
Grabbed the rifle.