I Became the Academy’s Munchkin Sniper

“Wow… I can’t see anything.”

Deep in the forest of Magic Mountain, all I could see was darkness. Since I wasn’t the best guide, I used the moonlight reflecting on the stream as my only source of light to move forward.

The reason I had come this far was simple.

“There are a few hidden pieces here.”

This place, Magic Mountain, was filled with hidden Easter eggs. The reason was that the mountain frequently appeared as a location in various episodes. 

Since players encountered it often, those events were placed here. I remembered them vividly because I was the one who put most of them there.

East, west, south, and north—there were a total of four. Including achievements, there were five in total. If you wander through all of Magic Mountain, you can unlock the region and earn the achievement .

Right now, I was headed east.

There, I would find the hideout of a master artifact maker named .

During the height of the continent’s war, Magic Mountain was a major hideout. Halrock’s artifacts were in high demand, and the entire continent was desperately searching for him. 

This was the place where he hid—back when this area wasn’t even considered part of Magic Mountain yet. Only I knew this fact, and thus, only I could find this place.

“I’ve arrived.”

I reached the final destination along the stream that flowed through Magic Mountain. Unlike the rest of the mountain, there was a shallow, flat area here. 

The stream continued to flow, but in this spot, it pooled and remained still, covered by a protective barrier.

Halrock was particularly fond of this view. That’s why, despite it being an old hideout, he left behind his ‘artifact’ here.

I recited the inscription.

“As the silver waves whisper,  

The song of stones echoes through the cracks,  

The dreams of the moon drift away,  

The breath of the forest settles upon the water’s surface.”

Whoooosh—

The moment I finished the incantation, a log cabin appeared as if it had been a mirage. The entire scene harmonized perfectly, like an old, weathered painting.

The cabin, the trees, the water surface.

“Shall I go inside?”

From the outside, the cabin looked incredibly worn. It didn’t seem very large, and it was clearly only a single-story house.

Creeeak.

“Wow…”

The hinges screamed as the door creaked open. Inside, the place was filled with cobwebs and dust. It made sense, considering it had likely been abandoned for hundreds of years.

The interior was simple. There were still traces of someone having lived there. 

A reclining chair, a bed, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a table. There was no fancy dining set, no ornate furniture with elegant patterns. Nothing about the place was luxurious.

It was practical, and I liked it a lot.

“I could live here.”

I was planning to sleep rough anyway. While I had come here partly to get the hidden piece, this was another reason. 

Even after enrolling in Artena Academy, I had no intention of staying in the dorms. In fact, I couldn’t.

Most commoners attending Artena Academy either had outstanding talent recognized by the academy or were sponsored by nobles. 

Tuition was usually covered by student loans and scholarships for top students, and dorm fees were handled in the same way.

But I had no plans to do anything that would attract attention or stand out, which meant no noble sponsorship or scholarship for me.

“Sure, I can manage the tuition with loans, but the dorm is out of the question.”

Once the tuition was covered by loans, there would be a little money left over, just enough to survive. If I spent that on the dorms, I’d have a stable place to live, but I wouldn’t have enough to cover food or other essentials.

“That’s why I came here.”

I would be busy at first, but if I slowly fixed up the place, it could become a livable home. As for food, I could always hunt for it. 

My profession was a sniper—surely I could manage a bit of poaching?

I hung my sniper rifle on the fishing rod stand. There was something amusing about seeing a modern military weapon next to an old bamboo fishing rod.

“I’ll head out later.”

I wanted to eat right away, but there was still something I needed to take care of.

.

This was part of the legendary series, Halrock’s 77 masterpieces. It was known for solving the chronic issue of enchanting objects by shrinking the process of embedding mana circuits into artifacts. 

That was the main concept, and in the game, it was something that rarely appeared.

I rummaged through the cabin and found it after a short while.

“Here it is.”

A small rune was placed in a dusty wine cellar.

What does it mean?

It felt out of place, wedged between the old bottles of wine. While Halrock was known to be a drinker…

“Maybe he just left it there without thinking.”

I could easily imagine him pouring a glass and casually saying, ‘My artifact is amazing.’

“Anyway, I got it.”

I lifted the artifact. On the outside, it looked like nothing more than a stone with some inscriptions, but if I infused it with magic, I could acquire a skill, just like a skill book.

“Alright. Let’s see.”

I placed my finger on the rune and slowly let my magic flow into it.

Wuuuuung—

The magic flowed along the lines of the inscription, and the shape of a magic circle began to float in the air. It hovered for a moment before being completely absorbed into me.

Just as I was about to check my skills, full of excitement…

“…!!”

A sharp pain surged through me.

It felt like all the mana pathways in my body were boiling at once. I couldn’t even speak from the overwhelming pain—it was unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

‘Was this part of the setting?’

I had expected there to be things I didn’t know about since the game had become reality, but this was way too sudden.

“Ugh—”

It was as if I was getting beaten all over my body with a club.

*Ugh—*

This time, the backlash was so severe that blood surged up my throat.

‘Am I really going to die like this…?’

All I could do was clutch my stomach and wait for the agony to subside.

After several long minutes…

“I feel like I’m going to die…”

I wiped the traces of blood from the corner of my mouth. I must have looked terrible.

Despite everything, my mind was surprisingly clear, which made me think that my mental resilience was stronger than I realized. 

To push me, a tough guy, this far…

I adjusted my clothes and opened my status window.

“At least I got it.”

[Liberation]  

Grade: Artifact  

Halrock’s Masterpiece No. 7.  

Unleash the infinite potential within you.

When the appropriate amount of mana is infused, it can temporarily raise the grade of an attribute by one level. 

A relic-grade artifact. 

The previously empty skill section now had ‘Liberation’ added.

“Enhance an attribute, huh.”

Even with just a quick read of the description, it sounded amazing. 

Attributes had clear limits on their levels, which were broken down into distinct stages. Yet, this skill could raise the level by one step. 

As expected from serial number 7—it lived up to the hype. The lower the number, the better the performance.

“It’d be great if I could get more of these.”

As the game progressed, Halrock’s relics became available. They appeared in episodes, and both villains and protagonists were seen wielding them. 

Having at least two made the later stages of the game easier. Not that I could get them just because I wanted to, though…

“Should I try it out?”

It would be a waste not to use what I’d obtained.

Let’s start with the most basic attribute: Clairvoyance.

“This is a unique attribute, and it’s already at the highest grade.”

So what’s the next level?

I channeled my mana inward. The foundation of Clairvoyance was infusing magic into the eyes.

Ssssss—

My total mana was only 500. Not much, to be honest. I poured all my mana into my eyes and activated ‘Liberation’ for Clairvoyance.

[Activating Liberation for Clairvoyance!]

[Mana is insufficient! Partially liberating Clairvoyance!]

[Clairvoyance has evolved to Mythical grade: Omniscient Gaze!]

Whoosh—

In that instant, the world changed entirely. It was as if my vision had been equipped with a blue filter, and the surroundings rippled with information which hovered all around me. 

I could see the air currents, the mana streams, the shape of a nearby spirit, and even a doll beyond the door.

“A person…?”

In a daze, I opened the door. Standing there, hesitating, was a familiar face.

“Hehe. Hi there!”

[Lumina]  

Lv: 30  

Race: Human  

State of Mind: [Curious and wants to learn more about you.]

Seeing her mental state, I slapped my forehead.

———

The moment Lumina saw me, she started asking questions. Her curiosity was unbearable.

“Excuse me. If it’s not too rude, could I ask you something?”

‘I’m so curious!’

Lumina recalled the scene from a few moments ago.

She had followed the man quickly, and when she finally caught up with him, the sight before her captivated her. 

There, in the middle of the stream, stood the boy. Moonlight gently shone down on him, and his silver hair shimmered with a dreamy hue. While his blue eyes were filled with wisdom.

“Um….”

Just as Lumina was about to speak to the boy.

“As the silver waves whisper…”

With his breath lowered, he began to chant something in an unfamiliar language.

“The song of stones echoes through the cracks.”

Lumina had no idea why he was saying these things or what they meant. But there was a strange power in his words.

With each phrase of the incantation, the environment changed second by second. Moonlight reflected off the water’s surface, and suddenly, the insects hidden in the cracks of the rocks began to chirp loudly in unison.

“The dreams of the moon drift away…”

The full moon’s reflection on the water was perfectly round, like a mirror. The entire vicinity was illuminated. Even though it was night, this place had a glow of its own. 

Lumina’s attention was completely captivated by the breathtaking view.

“The breath of the forest settles upon the water’s surface.”

But when his final words echoed through the forest…

Whoooosh—

A fierce wind blew, extinguishing all the light. In an instant, the forest was plunged into silence and darkness. Before the boy, a cabin appeared. It was as if lit by the flicker of a candle…

As the boy moved forward, Lumina stood still and witnessed the scene unfold in front of her.

“So beautiful… And that person…?”

Those were the only words she could utter.

———-

The mysterious phenomenon was more than enough to ignite Lumina’s curiosity.

“Can I… Ask you something?”

Her voice carried a sense of excitement. After all, she was filled with the anticipation of meeting her benefactor, the person who had saved her without asking for anything in return. And knowing he was participating in the academy’s entrance exam only added to the feeling of connection.

The elemental spirits were buzzing with excitement as well.

[Did I see that right?]  

[Exactly! With his mysterious personality, he could definitely be Lumina’s benefactor…]  

[Was that flash just now the light element?]

Amid the spirited chatter of the lower spirits, only Gale remained silent and calmly observed.

[…]