The Sniper’s Debut

‘Oh, Lim, Lim, can’t you show a little more spirit? Do something similar!’

He peered into the treasure chest, where every single item within had completed an upgrade—

[Bronze Armor] → [Silver Armor]

[Low-grade Healing Potion *3] → [High-grade Healing Potion *3]

[Heart of the Demon] → [Heart of the Demon (Flawless Quality!)]

…

Without a moment’s delay, he led Lin Huanxia downstairs, where they found Anmeng Yue sprawled at her post, stifling a yawn.

“Wake up, the goods are here! Quick, appraise these trinkets and tell me how many crystal cores they’re worth!”

With a tumultuous clatter, Lin Ran unceremoniously emptied all the upgraded treasures onto the counter, where they immediately formed a small, glittering mountain.

Anmeng Yue, who had been lazily shirking her duties, was still somewhat bleary-eyed and on the verge of complaining. Yet, the moment her gaze fell upon the heap of treasures, her eyes snapped wide open.

“My heavens… where did you acquire such an abundance of treasures? Did all of this drop from Treasure Chest Monsters?”

Lin Ran offered a mysterious smile, but no reply.

It was no laughing matter; if this woman were to discover that Treasure Chest Monsters could amplify items, Lin Huanxia would likely find herself crammed with every conceivable trinket by tomorrow.

“Rather than idle pleasantries, a hefty sum would be far more appreciated! Hurry now, pay me as soon as you’ve finished appraising these! I’m eager to make a purchase once I have the funds!”

“Such generosity, Boss!” Anmeng Yue rubbed her hands together, feigning a thorough count before quoting a price:

“A total of ten thousand crystal cores!”

“Oh, in that case, forget it,” Lin Ran declared, making a show of gathering his treasures.

“I’ll just take these to Wang Pangzi’s Baku (TL Note: A mythical dream-eating creature) next door. Wang Pangzi mentioned that his Baku offers exceptionally high prices.”

“Thirty thousand! Thirty thousand!” Anmeng Yue exclaimed, her voice laced with desperation as she swiftly clamped down on Lin Ran’s hand.

“Brother! That was just a jest, a mere jest! You absolutely mustn’t go next door!”

A faint smile played on Lin Ran’s lips.

‘Trying to haggle with someone who possesses mind-reading abilities, Anmeng Yue? You rascal.’

“Alright, enough clowning around. I need a ranged weapon, one effective against single targets, with the greatest possible power. Ideally, it should be an enchanted weapon capable of infusing my own magic.”

Lin Ran cut straight to the chase, having already meticulously planned his next move.

He currently lacked an overwhelmingly powerful single-target offensive capability, a deficiency that had become glaringly apparent during his skirmishes with the Treasure Chest Monsters.

“Understood.”

Anmeng Yue nodded, then proceeded to rummage through the shelves for a brief moment.

Before long, she produced a black firearm of rather ostentatious design.

“Strictly speaking, this isn’t merely a weapon; it’s a materialization of energy. Its operating principle is quite similar to your… *pfft*… friction-generated electricity.”

As she uttered the words ‘friction-generated electricity,’ Anmeng Yue found herself unable to suppress a burst of laughter.

The skill’s name was simply too vivid, evoking such a clear image that it amused her every time she recalled it.

Lin Ran’s face visibly darkened.

‘That settles it,’ he thought. ‘Next time I use this move, if I have to shout a skill name, it will absolutely be ‘One Hundred Thousand Volts.’’

“It’s a sniper rifle composed purely of energy, which ought to suit you perfectly. Its ammunition is filled with magic, and it can be enchanted with your lightning-type abilities. One hundred thousand crystal cores, no haggling,” Anmeng Yue declared, patting the gun’s sleek body as she quoted the price.

‘How… how much?’

‘One hundred thousand?’

‘Why don’t you just rob me outright?’

Lin Ran instinctively moved to haggle, yet, out of habit, he paused to read Anmeng Yue’s thoughts.

[The higher-ups set the price for this thing at a hundred thousand… it’s ridiculously expensive. If he doesn’t buy it, I’ll probably never sell it in my lifetime, will I?]

[I need to find a way to make him purchase it. This kind of spending impulse, right after he’s come into a windfall, is an opportunity I can’t afford to miss. Once he calms down, he’ll definitely become reluctant…]

‘Hmm… it appears the price is legitimate.’

‘Moreover, he genuinely desires this weapon…’

Were it a conventional firearm, the inherent issue of ammunition might render it less effective than a melee weapon.

And bows and arrows? Those could never hope to rival firearms, not in this lifetime.

With a resolute grit of his teeth, Lin Ran slammed the thirty thousand crystal cores he had just acquired onto the table.

Then, with a hint of awkwardness, he rubbed his hands together, forcing a sheepish smile as he began to speak:

“Er… would it be possible to put this on credit?”

‘Owed seventy thousand? That’s… a bit much, no matter how you look at it…’

To his surprise, Anmeng Yue agreed instantly, without a moment’s hesitation.

“Can do!”

‘So readily? Could there be some trickery involved?’

Lin Ran once more activated his mind-reading ability—

[Hehe, I’ll let him have the item on credit for now. Once he owes me a million crystal cores, what will he use to repay it, short of marriage?]

‘Well, I’ll be! What strategic vision!’

‘Now *that’s* what I call strategic vision!’

While Lim was still agonizing over what to eat for dinner, Vera was content with mere night raids, and Lin Huanxia treated her own life with utter disregard.

Yet Anmeng Yue, remarkably, had already formulated such a profound, long-term plan!

Her strategic scope was utterly maxed out!

Lin Ran unleashed a torrent of internal complaints.

Naturally, he didn’t take the matter to heart in the slightest.

‘A million crystal cores? How could I possibly accumulate such a colossal debt…’

‘It shouldn’t be possible… should it?’

With money exchanged for goods, Lin Ran took possession of the massive sniper rifle, hoisting it onto his shoulder. A surge of pure, masculine romance swelled within him.

‘Magnificent!’

‘Damn, it’s magnificent!’

‘The true allure of marksmanship lies in the sniper rifle!’

Lin Ran eagerly loaded the ammunition, channeling a surge of his inexhaustible magic into the magazine.

In an instant, the black sniper rifle’s body erupted with a vibrant blue glow.

Peering through the scope, he locked onto the gnarled roots of a solitary, massive tree on the distant plains.

He squeezed the trigger—

A searing, blue bolt of pure energy erupted from the barrel, leaving a stark, grey-white trail in its wake.

Before Lin Ran could even fully register the shot, a blinding burst of light erupted far in the distance.

As the smoke and dust dissipated, a gaping, several-meter-deep crater, charred black, was starkly revealed on the ground beside the massive tree.

Even from such a considerable distance, it was evident that half of the tree’s root system had been utterly reduced to ash.

Lin Ran had deliberately aimed slightly *next* to the tree’s roots, yet the resulting destructive power was astonishing!

It was crucial to remember that this was a single-target round, designed specifically for striking individuals and monsters.

A single shot, if it struck any person of comparable level, would undoubtedly be an instant, annihilating kill, leaving not even a trace behind.

This immense power was a testament to both his own vast magic reserves and the value of those one hundred thousand crystal cores.

‘Indeed, you truly get what you pay for; the unscrupulous merchant didn’t swindle me after all!’

Just as he was still reeling from the sheer power of his new weapon, a notification sound pierced the air.

[The second day has officially arrived, and the second wave of thief assaults has officially commenced.]

[Enemies in this wave: Giants, Golems, Troll Thieves, and other large-bodied creatures.]

[Note: This wave will also feature unforeseen enemies. Please analyze the battle situation promptly and formulate an appropriate response.]

Before the notification’s echo faded, the earth beneath him began to tremble faintly.

Accompanied by a chorus of roars, colossal creatures began to emerge, one after another, on the distant horizon, slowly advancing towards Lin Ran’s position.

Even massive Treasure Chest Monsters were appearing on his side.

‘The special enemies are still showing their strength!’

However, as Lin Ran surveyed these immensely oppressive giant creatures, he felt not a trace of tension.

On the contrary, a thrill of excitement surged through him.

‘The enemies are all helping me!’

‘Enormous in size, ponderous, and possessing thick hides.’

‘The perfect test subjects for a sniper rifle—aren’t they right here?’

…