Chapter 31: The Power of a Legendary Gunsmith.

Standing in front of Jeong Eun-seo, Gu Da-yun spoke.

“What’s this? Are you alone? Where’s the boy you used to hang out with?”

Jeong Eun-seo answered cautiously.

“There’s no reason for you to know that. And isn’t it rude to speak informally to someone you just met?”

“Hmm… Why are you being so uptight? We’re in the same class, after all. Besides, I’m probably older than you.”

Ignoring Gu Da-yun’s words, Jeong Eun-seo pressed on.

“Didn’t you say earlier that you were looking for Lee Hyun-seung? I think you owe me an explanation for why you’re looking for him.”

As Jeong Eun-seo glared at her, Gu Da-yun smirked and replied.

“Well… because I’m interested in him?”

From a distance, Lee Hyun-seung, who had been aiming his gun, stared at her in disbelief.

‘Interested in me?’

Gu Da-yun, a member of Broad Academy’s F-Class, was known for her striking looks and bold personality, making

her popular among both male and female students. Despite being capable of advancing to A-Class, she chose to

remain in F-Class, claiming she found the additional studies in magic and other disciplines too bothersome.

Gu Da-yun’s hidden traits were not widely known, even within the Broad Academy Online game. In the original

game, she served as a MacGuffin—a character or object designed to appear important but ultimately irrelevant.

A MacGuffin is a narrative device where an element is emphasized as critical but has no significant impact on the

story. For instance, a horror movie might focus on a specific door for an extended time, or a side character might

utter a death flag, only to neither die nor contribute meaningfully to the plot. Gu Da-yun was the MacGuffin of Broad

Academy Online.

Although she was occasionally depicted as possessing extraordinary abilities in the early stages of the story, her

contributions were negligible by the end of the game.

‘Why is she interested in me?’

In the original storyline, Gu Da-yun wouldn’t have bothered with this kind of test, dismissing it as a nuisance. Yet

here she was, not only participating in the class annihilation battle but also expressing interest in him.

It was incomprehensible.

Jeong Eun-seo flushed red and stammered as she spoke to Gu Da-yun.

“W-What are you saying? Interested in him? How can you talk about interest when you barely even know him?

That’s r-really rude, you know?!”

As Jeong Eun-seo flusteredly protested, Gu Da-yun chuckled and replied.

“Kid, when I say I’m interested, I don’t mean romantically. I’m curious about his profession.”

“K-Kid? Are you out of your mind? How old do you think you are to call someone a kid…?”

“Hmm… If I told you my real age, you’d be shocked, little one.”

It was only then that Jeong Eun-seo realized she was being drawn into Gu Da-yun’s pace. Regaining her usual

composure, she responded firmly.

“Stop joking around. I’m not in the mood for games. Answer properly. Are you thinking of forming an alliance with

Lee Hyun-seung?”

“Hmm….”

After a moment’s thought, Gu Da-yun replied.

“Well, it’s obvious Lee Hyun-seung is hiding nearby and listening. If you’re interested, come out. I can enhance the

abilities of others. It’d be beneficial to team up with me.”

She thought to herself.

‘My ability isn’t just about enhancing others. I can also see their grades. No need to reveal that, though.’

When Gu Da-yun checked Lee Hyun-seung’s grade, it was at the level of a Legendary Simultaneous Awakener. She

had never encountered such an absurd grade in her life.

‘A monster… If I team up with him, I might achieve the goals I once gave up on.’

Goals she had abandoned due to the limitations of reality. With Lee Hyun-seung, a Legendary Simultaneous

Awakener, those dreams might become attainable. That thought alone was enough for her to wait until Lee Hyun-

seung was at a disadvantage.

Negotiations were always best conducted when the other party was in a weak position.

“Believe me or not, it’s up to you. But Lee Hyun-seung, if you’re listening, please don’t misunderstand. I’m on your

side. You’re aware, aren’t you, that Yoo Hee-yeon’s lackeys are swarming here? If we help you, it could significantly

increase your chances of winning.”

Gu Da-yun’s party consisted of five members.

Watching from a distance, Lee Hyun-seung fired his weapon before returning to his original position.

-Bang!-

-Clink!-

In an instant, Lee Hyun-seung and Kim Yoo-ri appeared before Gu Da-yun.

Gu Da-yun clapped her hands and said with a grin.

“Wow… You can do something like this with a gun? External weapons aren’t allowed here. Did you make that yourself?”

“That’s not something you need to know. You said you wanted to talk about an alliance. What are your terms?”

“I’ll help you. In return, you help me once in the future. Not here, of course.”

Lee Hyun-seung hesitated for a moment.

‘If it’s just once, then fine. I need to win here anyway to face Yoo Hee-yeon’s class.’

Lee Hyun-seung glanced at Gu Da-yun.

‘Besides, her hidden ability is enhancement. If that’s true, it could create a powerful synergy with me.’

With that thought, Lee Hyun-seung nodded and extended his hand.

“I promise. If I win here, I’ll help you once.”

-Thunk.

Gu Da-yun clasped his hand and smiled brightly.

“You won’t regret it.”

As the two continued their conversation, a sudden voice broke in.

“Wa-wait! Over there!”

Kim Yoo-ri called out urgently.

-Swish.

Everyone turned to where she was pointing. In the distance, an enormous fireball swayed violently in the wind, ready

to launch at any moment.

“What the heck is that?”

Kim Yoo-ri asked, her voice filled with alarm.

Jung Eun-seo gritted her teeth and replied.

“A large-scale spell… It looks like another group has formed an alliance. They must have smuggled in an external

artifact. There’s no way someone from an F-class could wield that level of magic.”

Kim Yoo-ri was dumbfounded and yelled,

“Wait, weren’t external artifacts banned here? And that guy with the shield earlier—what’s with all these ridiculous things?”

Lee Hyun-seung cut in, his voice laced with sarcasm.

“Yoo Hee-yeon’s doing, no doubt.”

Yoo Hee-yeon had already damaged her reputation during her confrontation with Lee Hyun-seung and Jung Eun-seo.

First, the baseless accusations she hurled at him undermined her credibility. Even though she insisted Lee Hyun-

seung was guilty, few in the Academy genuinely believed he was behind the stalking incident. Many simply

pretended to support her to stay in her good graces.

Second, her authority had taken a significant hit. Yoo Hee-yeon had never encountered opposition in the Academy. If

she said to act, people acted. If she forbade something, it became taboo. Backed by the overwhelming influence of the

Artemis Guild leader, she ruled the Academy like a deity.

‘No one dared oppose her, for good reason.’

The Artemis Guild leader was a person of unparalleled power. He dominated both the legitimate business world and

the underworld. Anyone who crossed his path risked not only their future but also the well-being of those around

them.

Even if someone were wrongfully accused like Lee Hyun-seung, they would typically stay silent and accept their fate.

But Lee Hyun-seung rebelled.

And that’s why Yoo Hee-yeon sought to crush him—to restore her authority and heal her wounded pride.

‘Of course, I have no intention of backing down.’

Lee Hyun-seung knew what others didn’t. Currently, the Artemis Guild leader was juggling multiple ventures while

the dark market powerhouse, Hilleon, teetered on the brink of conflict.

Lee Hyun-seung stood at the crossroads of Artemis and Hilleon, knowing neither side could move recklessly. Both

had accumulated significant grudges, and the first to make a move would be giving the other a pretext for retaliation.

‘I have plenty of time to grow. And when I do, I’ll destroy the Artemis Guild, Yoo Hee-yeon, and even Hilleon.’

Armed with his unique knowledge of the game’s intricacies, Lee Hyun-seung held information of incalculable value.

‘No way am I going to crumble here.’

-Whomp!

Across the canyon, the massive fireball continued to expand, growing larger by the second.

Lee Hyun-seung quickly assessed his options.

-[Epic] Random Auto-Pistol Creation: 1 hour and 5 minutes remaining.

‘I can’t use the Epic-grade auto-pistol yet.’

The fireball was approximately 5 kilometers away. At that distance, even a shot fired would lose too much power to

deal any significant damage to the fireball.

At that moment, Gu Dayoon’s words came to mind.

– I can enhance other people’s abilities.

Lee Hyun-seung quickly approached Gu Dayoon and shouted.

“You! Earlier, you said you could enhance someone else’s abilities. What did you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said. I can amplify the abilities of others. The higher the class grade, the more effective it is.”

He wasn’t sure what class or abilities she had. But one thing was certain—if that massive fireball began its trajectory,

it would cause immense damage here. While Lee Hyun-seung and Jung Eun-seo might endure, Kim Yuri, who hadn’t

even properly awakened, would likely suffer severe consequences.

Lee Hyun-seung gave a sharp order.

“Gu Dayoon, use your ability on me right now.”

“How…how do you even know my name…?”

As Gu Dayoon stared blankly at him, Lee Hyun-seung responded coldly.

“Shut up. If you want to form an alliance with me, use your ability immediately. Large-scale fireballs are at their

weakest during casting. Once launched, it’ll be impossible to dismantle them with normal magic. If you don’t want to

die, hurry up and use it.”

“…I don’t usually like being ordered around, but given the urgency, I’ll listen to you this time.”

– Whoosh!

As she touched Lee Hyun-seung, white energy began to pour out from her body and was soon absorbed into him.

– Ding!

– The energy of a special-class awakener resonates with the player.

– Additional effects are granted based on class grade.

– Ding!

– Due to the bonus of a legendary-grade class, you receive an exceptionally enhanced special effect.

– Searching for the most suitable special effect for the current situation.

– Search complete.

– Special effect granted.

[Legendary] Gunslinger Exclusive Special Effect: Increases the range and power of firearms. Adds an explosive

property when in contact with vast mana sources.

– Whoosh!

An enormous surge of energy began to envelop Lee Hyun-seung’s pistol.

The group standing near Gu Dayoon shouted in alarm.

“Wh-what the hell can you even do with a pistol?! A handgun can’t possibly take down a large fireball. The bullet will

melt the moment it makes contact!”

“Everyone, get out of here! These lunatics actually believe in a pistol!”

Amidst the chaos of panicked movements, Lee Hyun-seung silenced his breathing, entering a state of heightened

focus.

He held his breath and felt the wind.

The wind direction was east. He slightly adjusted the position of his firearm to the left. The distance to the target was

approximately 5 kilometers.

“Why aren’t you running?! Are you insane?!”

As everyone frantically shouted,

– Clink!

– Bang!

Lee Hyun-seung fired a bullet straight at the giant fireball.