Chapter 7: Teaching the cheeky kids a lesson

-Drip-

The bullet instantly blew off the creature’s head entirely.

-Thud-

Jung Eunseo could only stare blankly at the fallen monster, her eyes filled with disbelief.

“How… how is this possible?… A… a Gunner shouldn’t have the power to take down a Cruel Wolf…?”

Her words, uncharacteristically rude for her usually calm and polite nature, spilled out, but I didn’t mind.

I knew she wasn’t speaking with malice. Despite her cold demeanor, Jung Eunseo was a kind person.

The fact that she had tried to help me when I was unconscious earlier was proof enough.

In other words, she was a capable woman who could become a reliable ally if I played my cards right.

I calmly spoke to her, who still seemed shocked and dazed.

“It must have been a weaker variant of the monster. If it fell to a Gunner, that would explain it.”

Jung Eunseo stared blankly at the corpse of the Cruel Wolf for a while. I completely understood why she was so surprised.

‘Of course she’d be shocked. I’m holding a basic weapon right now.’

[Shabby Handgun]

▶ A shabby handgun with no special features.

▶ It has 15 bullets loaded.

As mentioned before, the Gunner class doesn’t have access to the ‘Magic’ stat. Therefore, the only way to obtain magic power is through weapons.

But To put it differently, the effectiveness of a Gunner’s attacks heavily depends on the weapon’s performance.

Monsters protect their bodies with magic energy, and humans shield themselves with mana, making it extremely difficult for a regular bullet to damage either.

For a Gunner to inflict real damage, an ‘excellent weapon’ is essential. Only by using a weapon infused with even a little magic can the Gunner enhance its power through mana.

But the one I used was just a ‘basic weapon.’ A shabby handgun without any magic or enhancements.

Taking down a regular monster with it would already be tough, let alone a Cruel Wolf, which is one of the tougher creatures on the first floor.

Taking it down with a single shot was indeed shocking.

‘I didn’t expect it to be this powerful either.’

Of course, my job class is rated as [Legendary].

I expected it to be powerful, but given that Gunner is one of the most disregarded classes, I didn’t anticipate the boost would be this significant.

However, my assumption was completely wrong.

▶ Additional damage is applied when attacking with firearms.

‘Just how much additional damage are we talking about?’

The fact that I waited for the Cruel Wolf to open its mouth, aiming to avoid its tough hide, must have also played a role as a critical hit.

It was like landing a direct blow to the solar plexus for a human.

Still, even considering that, taking down a Cruel Wolf with a single bullet was absurd. Especially since the bullet wasn’t even infused with mana.

Jung Eunseo looked at me with suspicion.

“Who… who are you, really?”

It was a reasonable question.

There’s no way a Gunner who could take down a Cruel Wolf with a basic handgun existed in this world.

If I showed any sign of panic here, I would seem truly suspicious. So, I calmly responded to her.

“I just happen to have a slightly high job rank. By the way, why are you following me? Did you lose your compass?”

She seemed caught off guard as her lips twitched, but she remained silent.

“If you don’t properly explain the situation, I won’t be able to help you. And you know it’s impolite to secretly follow someone in a labyrinth, right? If you don’t clarify, I might misunderstand your intentions.”

Finally, Jung Eunseo began to explain her situation bit by bit.

“I originally intended to go down to the second underground floor, but a monster suddenly appeared, and I lost my compass, causing me to get lost. I wandered around aimlessly, and eventually, I ended up here….”

Lee Hyunseung nodded as if he understood and spoke to her.

“I’m familiar with the layout here, so I’ll help you. For now, trying to go down to the second floor at this hour is too risky. I’ll guide you out instead.”

“R-Really?”

Jung Eunseo’s face brightened instantly as she looked at Lee Hyunseung directly.

“I don’t know who you are, but you’re a kind person… Once we get out, I’ll make sure to properly repay you.”

Lee Hyunseung thought to himself.

‘Just as I expected.’

Jung Eunseo is the type who can’t stand being in debt.

Though she may seem aloof, she always pays back what she owes, even without being asked.

That’s why, despite the inconvenience, I decided it was worth showing her some kindness.

‘Her family has money, so I should take advantage of this opportunity and ask for help when I need funds later.’

It was undoubtedly good news, though I wasn’t sure what kind of reward I’d receive.

“Alright, let’s get going…”

Suddenly, I halted as I sensed an unusual flow of mana around us.

“Wh-what…”

“Shh.”

I placed a finger to my lips, signaling for silence. Jung Eunseo closed her mouth and followed my gaze.

Two men were approaching, dressed in strange, ragged clothes, their movements casual and unguarded.

“Damn it… The boss seriously… Why the hell does he have us doing this crap?”

“Hold on. He says there’s a reason for everything. Those bastards from Artemis have caused enough trouble, and the boss has finally had enough.”

“Seriously, though. If he can’t stand it anymore, why not confront them head-on? What’s with this sneaky nonsense? I didn’t get it when he had us stalking people and snapping pictures with our phones, and now we’re burying her clothes in the ground? This is bullshit.”

The other man sighed. “Yeah, I get it. But the boss told us to just create some tension.

If we start acting recklessly from the beginning, nothing will go as planned. You have to tighten the noose from a distance.”

“I know that, but how does pretending to stalk someone and stealing clothes tighten any noose?”

“We’re trying to scare her. Make it seem like 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 if it’s another guild messing with her or a real perverted stalker. And remember that locker thing? We planted a phone in Lee Hyunseung’s locker, so he’ll probably be the prime suspect. That way, they’ll be scared while we stay out of the risk.”

“That’s genius. The boss really is smart.”

“You’re just an idiot.”

“Stop calling me an idiot.”

“Alright, my bad. Let’s bury this quickly before anyone sees us. We’re in deep trouble if someone catches us.”

“Relax. Who would even come here? We’re in the middle of nowhere in the dungeon…”

Click!

The sound of a gun being loaded echoed in the air.

The men flinched, scanning their surroundings in panic.

“Wh-who’s there?”

“Show yourself! We know where you are!”

Step…

Step…

Step…

Lee Hyunseung walked toward them, his eyes cold as ice.

“Explain exactly what you two were talking about just now.”

The men, dropping the clothes they had been carrying, retreated, assuming a defensive stance.

“Wh-who are you…?”

The confident tone of Lee Hyunseung made them wary. They scanned him, worried he might be a high-ranking guild member. Then, their eyes fell on the shabby pistol he was holding.

Upon seeing the gun, the man burst into laughter, his worry dissipating.

“Ha, scared the crap out of me. I thought someone from another guild was tailing us, but it’s just some nobody gunman? Are you crazy? You wanna die?”

Lee Hyunseung didn’t respond to his words.

“Damn… My heart almost stopped. I seriously thought I was done for. But you know, even if you beg for your life, we’ve already decided to kill you.”

Swish…

Lee Hyunseung aimed his pistol at one of the men and issued a warning.

“This is your last chance. Explain exactly what you were talking about, before I kill you.”

“Huh? Is this guy seriously out of his mind?”

One of the two men, a muscular figure wielding an axe, stepped forward.

“Hey, kid. You playing games? You think you can take us on with just that pistol?”

He tapped on the accessories he was wearing, flaunting his confidence.

“Gunmen can’t use mana, right? And you’ve got a basic pistol? What, you think you’re gonna kill us with that? Pfft, are you sick in the head, or did your parents not raise you right? Go play pretend with your mommy and daddy, why bring that crap to us—!”

The man twirled his axe, approaching Lee Hyunseung as if he wasn’t scared at all.

Crack.

Lee Hyunseung clenched his teeth, his voice filled with rage.

“Apologize. Get on your knees, apologize, and tell me exactly what you were talking about. If you do that, I’ll spare you.”

The axe-wielding man sneered as he responded.

“I’ll apologize once I kill you and bury you. ‘Sorry for killing you…’ I’ll cry and apologize at your grave, how about that?”

Lee Hyunseung glanced past the man with the axe, staring blankly at the other man holding a sword.

“Since there’s another one… I guess it’s fine if I kill this one…”

Upon hearing this, the man roared and charged at Lee Hyunseung.

“You little brat! Die!”

Swish.

Lee Hyunseung aimed his pistol at the man with the axe.

“Come on, you idiot! I’ve got a rare class; you think your attack’s even going to scratch me? You mana-less, worthless gunman!”

Click.

Then, calmly, Lee Hyunseung pulled the trigger at the charging man.

Bang!

[Legendary] The gunman’s class effect adds additional damage to firearms.

The sharp gunshot echoed through the air, leaving a chilling silence.