Chapter 16

Siyoon took a wide stride.

His body floated up into the air.

As if pushed by the wind, he lightly crossed over to the rooftop of the adjacent building.

Cheolkeok.

Having changed positions, Siyoon steadied his stance and pressed his eye to the scope.

Perhaps judging that he was still hiding there, arrows and bullets rained down on his previous position.

Even though Siyoon was no longer there.

“If they didn’t catch on, they have no choice but to die.”

Siyoon aimed at the enemy and slowly pulled the trigger.

There was no sound.

The bullet flew in an instant, piercing through a heart.

-……!?

-…!!

Through the scope, he could see the panicked movements of the bastards.

He didn’t know what they were saying.

Because he hadn’t learned lip-reading.

Instead, he sent them to join their good friend who had gone on ahead.

Tung, tung.

Two bullets fired with a low sound.

After that, there was no more suppressive fire.

That side was finished now.

Next were the hunters.

‘Did they already get this close in the meantime?’

It took Siyoon three minutes to kill the three shooters.

A remarkably short time.

Despite that, Kim Chulwon and his men had nearly closed the distance.

‘I killed five in total by sniping.’

The reported number was fifteen, so ten still remained.

The rest were all close-combat warriors.

Their movement was bound to be fast.

‘I must not lose my composure.’

He forcibly calmed his pounding heart.

Catching his breath, Siyoon calmly continued his train of thought.

‘The coat’s ability I intended to use when they closed in has already been spent.’

The coat had the ability to erase his presence for one minute, once per day.

But the duration had ended while he was pulling the trigger.

It would be difficult to shake them off with Siyoon’s abilities alone.

‘Think.’

Since part of the plan was damaged, he needed to devise a new one.

Otherwise, he would die.

He absolutely had to do it.

And finally, an idea flashed through his mind.

“With this…”

It was doable enough.

The risk was high, but now was not the time to measure it.

Siyoon began to move his body in earnest.

* * *

What is important in a battle between a shooter and a warrior?

It is ‘distance.’

The moment the distance collapses, the shooter is at a severe disadvantage.

Because they are vulnerable in close combat.

Kim Chulwon knew this well.

That was why he left suppressive fire to his men and came to catch the bastard himself.

‘As expected, he can’t snipe properly while under suppressive fire.’

His judgment was correct.

Because they provided suppressive fire from their base, they had been able to avoid taking damage all this time.

Ultimately, he succeeded in getting close to the building where the bastard was.

Ttak.

“…!”

At that moment, he heard the sound of something moving.

Kim Chulwon snapped his head up toward the rooftop, the source of the sound.

“The opposite building?”

Did he move already?

Hearing the sound and presence, Kim Chulwon made his judgment.

It had been almost 10 years since he rolled in the hunter field.

He had hunted hunters just as much as magic beasts.

But shooters were still tricky to deal with.

Because they were agile even when closing the distance.

Meomchit.

The moment his thoughts reached that point.

Kim Chulwon’s body stopped.

‘Strange. They should be providing suppressive fire, so why is it so quiet?’

Just moments ago, noisy gunfire had echoed.

But right now, the surroundings were silent.

“Boss?”

“What is the mat—”

Tung.

At that moment, a light firing sound was heard.

Kim Chulwon immediately twisted his body and rolled on the ground.

The sound of flesh bursting was heard simultaneously.

“Ugh…”

The man standing next to Kim Chulwon collapsed, clutching his chest.

He was a bastard wearing solid armor.

Despite that, his heart was instantly pierced and obliterated.

“Everyone, ready your weapons!”

Taang!

Hardly had he finished speaking when a louder gunshot echoed than before.

Chaenggeurang!

“The streetlight is out!”

“I can’t see ahead!”

The bullet precisely shattered the streetlight next to them.

The area that had been relying on the streetlight’s glow was plunged into darkness.

Unfortunately, the moon wasn’t out today either, making it even darker.

Tung.

The gunshot echoed once more from the darkness.

This time, the heart of a hunter who was looking around was pierced.

Cold sweat formed on Kim Chulwon’s temples as he witnessed this from beside him.

‘This… firepower is stronger than expected.’

The bodies of hunters grow tougher over time.

This was no metaphor. It meant their physical defense actually increased.

As their stats rose, they genuinely grew.

And the subordinate who had just died.

He had been among the sturdier ones in the group.

The armor he wore was also of high defensive quality.

Yet to pierce through it in a single blow…

‘Damn it, things are getting twisted.’

The opponent was a shooter equipped with heavy firepower.

One slip-up meant death.

Every nerve in his body stood on edge.

The fact that he couldn’t see well ahead made it even worse.

Taang!

At that moment, gunfire echoed again.

This time, another subordinate’s head exploded.

But Kim Chulwon paid it no mind.

Instead, he snapped his head toward the point where the flash had appeared.

“There!!”

The light that burst along with the gunshot.

It was fleeting, but enough to pinpoint the location.

Instantly enhancing his body, Kim Chulwon swung his fist.

Kwaang!

The concrete wall crumbled like a toy.

An impact force enough to shake the building.

Through the dust that billowed up, Kim Chulwon’s body launched upward.

There were two reasons he struck the building.

To shake the enemy’s stance while simultaneously hiding his body with dust.

Thanks to this, Kim Chulwon was able to approach the rooftop in one go without interference.

‘He’s there.’

It was faint, but clearly visible.

The silhouette of a person melted into the darkness.

Kim Chulwon reached out toward the silhouette.

He intended to grab him by the collar and slam him straight down.

‘…Gone?’

But what he grabbed was only a coat.

The body that should have been there was missing.

‘Did he throw it off the moment I grabbed it?’

No. If he had, he would have felt some sensation at his fingertips.

The moment he realized it was simply discarded clothing.

Tung, tung, tung—

The sound of gunfire echoed again from somewhere.

The sound of a gunshot suppressed by a silencer.

“How is he down here— hack.”

“Aaaagh!”

Screams echoed from below.

He belatedly turned his head, but the situation was already over.

“What in the world is…”

In that brief moment, all his subordinates had died.

He didn’t feel sad or upset.

That was how things worked in this line of work, after all.

However, he was dumbfounded.

They weren’t the type to die so easily.

They were D-Rank, and although the darkness obscured their vision.

They were also quite experienced hunters.

“As expected of a D-Rank.”

Cheolkeok.

A human figure appeared in the dim darkness.

The bastard was looking at him while reloading his magazine.

His eyes, accustomed to the darkness, detected that subtle movement.

“Hard to believe you stole Haind’s new drug.”

“You bastard…”

Ppudeudeuk.

He ground his teeth.

For a mere shooter to stay put without widening the distance.

Wasn’t he completely toying with him?

“I’ll definitely kill you with my own hands.”

Kim Chulwon leaped down into the air.

Now, while that arrogant bastard was off guard, was his chance.

* * *

The fundamental requirement of a shooter is distance control.

But variables always arise in combat.

The distance closes more often than expected.

A skilled shooter must know how to utilize their surroundings.

In fact, this applied not only to shooters, but to all hunters.

‘I need to blind them.’

That was the reason Siyoon had shattered the streetlights.

He was wearing an item that allowed him to see in the dark.

And today, the sky was overcast, so there was no moonlight.

It was the optimal environment to blind their eyes.

Since a head-on fight was hopeless.

He needed to amplify the enemy’s disadvantage and utilize his own advantage.

Taang!

Siyoon deliberately fired his pistol.

He shattered all the surrounding streetlights.

With that, darkness settled over the street.

“What?”

“The streetlights suddenly…”

“Don’t let your guard down! The enemy did this!”

As if proving the claim that they were experienced, their confusion quickly subsided.

It was a shame, but it didn’t matter.

His goal from the start was to strip them of their vision.

‘I need to move.’

Currently, thick darkness had settled over the surroundings.

There was no moonlight or starlight, and being on the outskirts, there was no city light either.

In this state, eyes accustomed to light couldn’t adapt to the darkness quickly.

Hwik!

As planned, Siyoon draped his coat and leapt to the opposite side of the building.

The wind-attribute mana contained in his sneakers made his body significantly lighter.

He sprinted quickly, vaulted over the railing, and landed softly on the ground.

Despite jumping from a five-story building, he was perfectly fine.

Thanks to the effects of his various defensive gear.

‘From above, it probably looks like I vanished by now.’

Siyoon had deliberately used the conspicuous pistol to lure Kim Chulwon.

The strategy actually worked, bringing the bastard to the rooftop.

‘Before their eyes grow accustomed to the darkness, I’ll kill the rest.’

Siyoon turned the corner.

And fired at a man who was looking around.

There was not a moment’s hesitation in his action.

Tung.

A sound as if filtered through a silencer.

The hunter struck by the bullet died instantly.

It was the power of a +4 sniper rifle.

“Wait, the guy next to me is dead!”

“The enemy is over here!”

They weren’t to be underestimated either.

Though they were subordinates, they were all D-Rank hunters.

The closest one pinpointed his location and charged at him.

Tuung.

Siyoon pulled the trigger.

The distance hadn’t closed yet, and his magazine was plentiful.

The tremendous recoil had also virtually vanished due to Enhancement.

Above all, its penetration power was immense.

Peopeopeok!

A single bullet pierced through no less than three hunters.

“Hack…”

“Aaaagh!”

It was a powerful gun to begin with.

Proving it wasn’t worth 3 billion won for nothing, the ‘RTB-201’ disposed of them effortlessly.

Tung!

In just a few shots, they were mowed down without even getting close.

This happening was partly due to their darkened vision.

If there had been light, they wouldn’t have been taken down like this.

Siyoon’s decision to break the streetlights was correct.

‘It’s too early to celebrate.’

Siyoon quickly reloaded his magazine.

From the rooftop, Kim Chulwon looked down at him.

What should he do now?

After a brief moment of thought, Siyoon provoked him.

“Hard to believe you stole Haind’s new drug.”

“You bastard…!”

Whether it actually worked, Kim Chulwon threw his body downward.

A fall at a tremendous speed.

At first glance, it looked like he was charging in, unable to contain his anger.

‘He probably wants me to think that.’

But Kim Chulwon was cool-headed.

The information Min Seolah provided had stated as much.

Even from his own observations, he hadn’t shown much disturbance at his subordinates’ deaths.

The provocation was simply a foundation for psychological warfare.

‘According to the information, his skill is Strength Enhancement.’

It enhanced his physical strength even further, increasing both attack power and defense.

It was a Rare-Rank skill.

Now that the distance had closed, it wasn’t a skill to be taken lightly.

Sure enough.

When Siyoon aimed his sniper rifle, Kim Chulwon kicked off the building wall to change his trajectory.

Moreover, falling debris partially obscured his vision.

Hwuung!

A fist that pushed the dust outward in a circle rushed in an instant.

With Siyoon’s current stats, it was a blow that would incapacitate him in a single hit.

‘Fast. A pistol is better than a sniper rifle for this.’

Making his decision, Siyoon drew his pistol and pulled the trigger.

The bullet that exited the pistol met the fist head-on.

Kkaaang!

“Ugh…!”

The sound of iron striking iron rang out.

The trajectory of the fist that struck the bullet head-on went astray.

In that opening, Siyoon widened the distance.

‘I thought I could pierce through his fist, but it’s impossible.’

The bullet that had even pierced Krakto’s defense was blocked.

So while it wouldn’t be as effective as a sniper rifle, he thought it would work.

Kim Chulwon was much sturdier than expected.

‘Is it because his skill is Strength Enhancement?’

He was at least much tougher than Krakto or an Arma Boar.

Kwaang!

Siyoon stepped back, dodging the thrusting attack.

It was fast, but dodgeable.

Thanks to the effects of the defensive gear he was wearing.

[ Damage received slightly decreases. ]

[ Defense increases. ]

[ Reflexes increase. ]

[ Dynamic vision slightly increases. ]

Along with defense, various traits were heavily stacked.

Among them, the increase in reflexes and dynamic vision was particularly notable.

He had been puzzled at first, but these two had a profound impact on combat.

‘I can guess where he’s going to move.’

He could see Kim Chulwon’s movements in much greater detail.

He wasn’t analyzing muscle movements or attack stances.

Siyoon didn’t have the skills or experience for that.

However, he could predict based on his actions.

‘First, I’ll immobilize his legs.’

No matter what, close combat was disadvantageous.

Therefore, Siyoon planned to restrict his movements.

Taang!

The muzzle flashed.

Extreme close combat, disadvantageous for a shooter.

To turn the tables, Siyoon’s mind raced rapidly.