"Phew...." I inhale, and exhale about two-thirds of what I breathed in.
[Breathing Lv.1: Efficiency of all actions increases due to regulated breathing.]
'…Among the skills I've gained so far, [Breathing] is the best.'
[Breathing Lv.1: Efficiency of all actions increases due to regulated breathing.]
This effect is truly fraudulent. I didn't expect such efficiency to come out despite it only being Level 1. Click—. Bang—!!! Since I was wearing earplugs, the gunshot didn't sound too loud. But the recoil was transmitted through my whole body.
"...?" 'Why does it feel like I'm hitting the target better than usual?'
"Hmm... you shoot quite well?" "Ahaha, since my position is Supporter-Assassin, I mainly handle firearms." "Even considering that, hmm...."
It is indeed strange. Why?
"If your position is Supporter-Assassin, isn't it often the case that you shoot to disrupt rather than to hit?" "That is true. Still, I'm skilled enough to hit this much."
Bang—!!!
"Ho...."
Supporter-Assassin is a truly complex and subtle position. Because of the name Assassin, it seems like one would kill the target with a single fatal blow...?
'I infiltrate the rear to disrupt the battlefield, and kill or destroy the most important target using Magitech bombs.'
And that target could be a monster, or it could be some structure made by a monster.
Bang—!!!
So throwing bombs is more important than shooting accuracy.
[You have acquired the skill 'Rifle Marksmanship'!] [Rifle Marksmanship Lv.1: Accuracy of rifle shooting improves. Damage of rifle shooting increases slightly.]
'[Rifle Marksmanship] huh….'
It seems skills are created in detail according to the type of gun, like rifle, pistol, sniper rifle, and so on.
'I should shoot a pistol too.'
"Oh... 10 points this time too?" "Haha... Still, guns don't work very well on monsters. Being good at shooting isn't that great...." "Still, with this level, I think it would be good for you to switch to a sniper position...." "I don't know how to use a bow." "Aha."
Guns are too complex, and the speed of bullets is too fast. This leads to the conclusion that mana cannot be properly imbued into firearms and bullets. So the bow, which has a simple structure and slower speed making it easier to imbue mana, actually ends up having stronger attack power than a gun.
'Of course, this is limited to Awakened who have awakened mana and can use it properly.'
Bang—!!!
Just like that, after finishing everything from prone, sitting, to standing positions, my reserved time at the shooting range ended.
"Shooting practice time is over. Please proceed with rifle inspection." "Yes. Could I possibly shoot a pistol next time?" "Yes, it is possible. If you make a reservation right now, you can proceed tomorrow." "Then please book it for tomorrow."
'Since there's no combat until tomorrow, I have some leeway.'
The ability to focus on developing has been decided. It is shooting.
'Let's try everything from pistols to sniper rifles.'
Although shooting stops working from about the level of an Elite Orc Warrior...
'It is right to raise skills related to the weapon I am using right now.'
I will obtain firearm-related skills like that and be recognized for my capabilities in my position.
"Phew, since my strength and speed are both mediocre, I must first develop skills that can inflict great damage even without strength and speed."
[Stats] [Strength: 2] [Speed: 3] [Wisdom: 9] [Spirit: 8] [Mana: 1]
Stats generally have a limit of 10. Considering that, my stats are at a disappointing level.
'To stop the destruction… I have to reach a level where I surpass those strong Awakened.'
I am still woefully lacking.
"So first learn gun-related skills...."
And use skills in real combat to level up, and raise stats. However, there is a limit to combat within KAMC. Because it is a public enterprise, we work in shifts.
"Just because I want to go into combat doesn't mean I can go out whenever. If it's my team's day off, I can't even go to work... but that doesn't mean there isn't a way."
There are deep web sites used by unregistered Awakened. KAMC knows of their existence, but has no intention of blocking them yet. Because it is easier to manage them gathered in one place rather than scattered. Even China or Russia, which have far superior social surveillance technology than us, cannot completely block unregistered Awakened. So, they make them gather in one place like this and just monitor them unless something serious happens.
"A KAMC combatant... using an unregistered Awakened community... it's quite funny."
And here, I can also obtain weapons. Gun ownership is still illegal in South Korea. Although the number of people registering as hunters and buying air rifles has increased, that is all. But in a world already turned chaotic, would smuggling weapons be difficult?
'When even guilds use firearms openly.'
Strictly speaking, guilds, which can be seen as private companies, also use firearms. Without permission. However, the government turns a blind eye.
'Because it is difficult to control Gates with only the nation's power.'
They have achieved a sort of privatization.
"The money I have right now... Phew, with this, I can get one K2 rifle."
I have enough money. It's not like I'm a big spender, and since I work at a public enterprise, it's not like I don't earn money.
'In addition to one K2 rifle… I have to get all the bullets too.'
Let's use vacation time first.
"Since vacation days have piled up again since the last battle… let's take leave and comfortably take on requests for a few days."
Deep web community where unregistered Awakened gather, Name: 'Untied'. Kim Song-hyeon, the manager of Untied's request board, noticed that a quite rare unregistered Awakened had newly registered.
"Oho… someone who awakened shooting-related skills?"
Most Awakened possess abilities specialized in beating monsters to death. Or they possess abilities specialized in supporting such people. Cases where they use guns? Almost rare. Because it is very difficult to attack by imbuing mana into a gun. Handling mana is a very delicate and precise task. But applying that to a bullet moving at very high speed?
'It's close to impossible.'
It is possible up to arrows, but impossible starting from bullets. Of course, it's not entirely non-existent. But rather than doing that, it is more efficient and better to imbue mana into other weapons. That is why Awakened who use firearms are truly rare.
"Main weapon is a rifle… no experience, says they will take light requests first...."
In the light, there are KAMC and guilds, but requests made in the shadows also exist. Because... there are requests one doesn't want officially recorded. For example, asking to kill someone, or asking to kill a monster secretly, requests like these.
"Shall I connect this one? Goblin pack extermination."
The request board manager also plays the role of connecting clients and Awakened. Kim Song-hyeon smiled and connected one request that came to mind.
'Since they are a rare gunman… I hope they perform well.'
It might be because there are more lackluster guys among unregistered Awakened these days. Rather than living in the shadows and illegality, it is much more comfortable to be incorporated into the boundaries of legality. Therefore, the number of unregistered Awakened is gradually decreasing. Naturally, since people who have awakened good abilities are sought after from here and there, there is no reason for them to be in the shadows. Those who have good abilities but remain in the shadows are divided into two categories. Criminals, or nutjobs.
"Are you a criminal or a nutjob?"
Although Kim Song-hyeon, who says such things, is also a nutjob. Thinking that, Kim Song-hyeon turned on the chat window. Click clack—
—Hello, Cassandra-nim. Nice to meet you. There is a request that might suit you, would you like to take it?
The cursor blinked a couple of times and a reply came quickly.
—Yes, may I know when the request is? —Yes, one is a request to exterminate a goblin pack in Cheorwon, Gangwon-do, and the date is this Friday. The other is a slime pack, next Wednesday. —I'll take the one for this Friday. The soonest one possible. —Yes, understood.
'The soonest one possible…?'
"Do they need quick cash?"
"First request secured."
I used my vacation days. At KAMC, one can freely use the designated vacation days per year. And for combat positions, vacation days are given when they engage in combat. So I have a lot of accumulated vacation days.
"A request to wipe out a goblin pack in Cheorwon, Gangwon-do...."
The client was a person in charge of a local festival in Cheorwon. They decided to hold a festival in a place expected to be free of Gates, but....
"Unlike expectations, a Gate appeared and a pack of goblins crossed over, they said."
The number is roughly about 15. The reason they entrusted this to an unregistered Awakened in the shadows is obvious.
'They probably wanted to cover it up.'
If just a few people in the know keep their mouths shut, the fact that a Gate opened at the festival site itself becomes something that never happened. It would be troublesome if it became known that such a thing happened.
"Good for me."
I received a decent request, so it's good for me.
'I packed plenty of magazines....'
It cost a bit of money, but that much is bearable. And I earn more money if I complete the request.
"I'll build real combat experience while raising skill proficiency."
I have to keep leveling up.
[Cooking Lv.1: You become more proficient at cooking.] [Beginner Dagger Mastery Lv.1: You handle daggers more proficiently.]
After the skills generated last time, these are the two newly created skills. Since I cooked and ate alone at home, the [Cooking] skill appeared. While cooking, I used a kitchen knife, so the [Beginner Dagger Mastery] skill appeared.
'I should cook for myself from now on.'
If I raise the cooking level more, wouldn't it be possible to receive buffs through food? World-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay also became able to imbue buffs into food after awakening. Perhaps me too?
"Hmm... now I see it."
Thinking that while hiking up the mountain, I saw the valley where the festival was to be held.
"Camping Valley Festival...."
It's obvious just by looking. Just so-so, they opened a festival so the agency and the public official in charge could collude and pocket the budget.
"But monsters appeared... and since it wouldn't be good if this got out, they entrusted the request to the shadows."
The difficulty itself isn't that hard. A pack of 15 goblins. Since I belong to the KAMC Armed Enforcement Division, I know most things. Excluding things like Horned Rabbits or Slimes that have virtually no combat power, the entity at the very bottom is the goblin. They are quite dangerous if they swarm, but that is by ordinary people's standards. A pack of about 10 goblins can be lightly handled by one or two Awakened who have awakened combat skills.
"Of course, if something like a Goblin Great Chieftain appears, the story is different."
A Goblin Great Chieftain is an existence that unites goblins, uses strategies and tactics comparable to humans, and leads an elite guard that uses magic. From then on, high-ranking Awakened are needed to handle it.
'Of course, there is no Great Chieftain here.'
Looking through the binoculars, it is just the filthy appearance of the lowest-ranking goblin species.
"No one using magic either... armament is just about daggers. Probably poison-tipped daggers? Excluding that, their armor is at a crude level made of leather...."
There are no means of long-range attacks. That means I can solve this unilaterally with shooting from a distance.
[You have acquired the skill 'Analysis' due to continued analytical behavior!] [Analysis Lv.1: Analyzes situations, phenomena, targets, etc. You can identify the strengths and weaknesses of the target.]
"Nice."
'15 of them, so I'll use two 30-round magazines.'
Thinking that, I slowly approached within effective range.
[Slowly, approaching the opponent without making a sound. You have acquired the skill 'Stealth'!] [Stealth Lv.1: The probability of being detected by other targets decreases slightly.]
Wow, it's really just giving them away? Isn't this totally broken? Gaining yet another new skill, I approached slowly. Since it's a mountain path, as long as I don't make noise, it is close to impossible to spot me in the dead of night like this.
'I deliberately wore black clothes too.'
Like that, I succeeded in approaching the goblin pack within effective range.
'Finish them quickly.'
The good thing about performing these shadow requests is that I can take all the monster byproducts. 15 goblins means… I can take 15 lowest-grade magic stones. Since they are lowest-grade, the quality isn't good and the price isn't that expensive, but?
'If I absorb magic stones, I can raise my stats.'
Roughly one high-grade magic stone raises a stat by 1. Since there is a formula: 1 High-grade = 10 Middle-grade = 1000 Low-grade = 10000 Lowest-grade...
'I'd need ten thousand lowest-grade ones to maybe raise one stat.'
Still, stat increase is essential. Because I have to become stronger.
"Phew... Hup."
I regulated my breathing and aimed the scope at a goblin's head.
[Analysis Lv.1: Analyzes situations, phenomena, targets, etc. You can identify the strengths and weaknesses of the target.] [Analyzing goblin.] [Goblin Scout] [Strengths: Tenacious vitality, speed] [Weaknesses: Weak strength, small physique, clumsy armament] [Goblin's Vital Points] [Head, Heart, Lungs] [Vital points are displayed in red.] [Successfully identified the goblin's weaknesses using the rifle!] [Skill 'Aiming' related to 'Rifle Marksmanship' is created!] [Aiming Lv.1: You can aim the rifle at the target faster and more accurately.] [Due to 'Aiming' skill, the accuracy of 'Rifle Marksmanship' increases slightly.]
"Good."
Click—. Bang—!
The bullet pierced the goblin scout's head.
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