Absolute Dweller-Chapter 189

K-2 rifle and M16.

These were the firearms most commonly used by civilians.

Perhaps because they had personally trained with them during their military service, those in their 20s and early 30s tended to prefer the K-2, while those in their late 30s and older leaned toward the M16.

These were also the standard rental weapons provided for instant dungeon raids, and over time, they had become the default choices for most survivors.

Personally, I preferred the K-2.

It was the rifle I had used during my active-duty service, and its performance was nearly identical to the M16, but at a price of 650,000 won, it was half the cost of an M16.

Purchase.

That was why the first test subject for enhancement was the K-2.

Bzzzt—

After inspecting the rifle’s condition, I immediately started the enhancement process.

A new enhancement slot had appeared in the Absolute Dweller’s Shop, and all I had to do was place the weapon inside and press the Enhance button.

As soon as I selected the K-2 for enhancement, the rifle vanished from my hands, and its image appeared inside the enhancement slot.

Beneath it, the cost and success rate were displayed.

The enhancement cost was exactly 650,000 won—the same price as the K-2 rifle itself.

So discounts don’t apply here?

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

Normally, thanks to my Absolute Shop skill upgrades, all store prices were automatically discounted by 30%, meaning I could usually buy the K-2 for 455,000 won.

But when it came to enhancements, the system used the full base price.

So the more expensive the item, the higher the enhancement cost?

I usually avoided wasting money unnecessarily, but 650,000 won was nothing to me now, so I pressed the Enhance button without hesitation.

[K-2 Rifle Enhancement: Proceed?]

[Yes / No]

The first enhancement had a 100% success rate.

I nodded slightly, and the enhancement immediately began.

Thud— Thud— Thud—!

The enhancement slot was engulfed in light, followed by a dazzling effect, and a notification popped up.

[Enhancement Successful.]

The first enhancement effect was simple and straightforward.

[K-2 Rifle] +1

▶ Effective range increased by 100m

“Hmm.”

Honestly, the added effect wasn’t that impressive.

It wasn’t like the K-2’s effective range was ever a problem to begin with.

The K-2 rifle had an effective range of 400-600m, with a maximum range exceeding 3km. However, in actual combat, it was rarely used beyond 100-200m.

So even with an extra 100m, it was practically meaningless.

Kinda underwhelming.

But I could still continue enhancing it.

The second enhancement cost had doubled to 1.3 million won, and the success rate had dropped to 90%.

Let’s try one more time.

I proceeded with the second enhancement.

Thud— Thud— Thud—!

[Enhancement Successful.]

As expected, with a 90% success rate, I succeeded without failure.

[K-2 Rifle] +2

▶ Effective range increased by 100m

▶ Accuracy increased by 10%

“Oh.”

This was far more practical than just increasing the range.

More importantly, the system wasn’t simply stacking range increases infinitely—it seemed to diversify the enhancement effects.

Let’s keep going.

Just as I predicted, each subsequent enhancement tripled, then quadrupled the cost, while the success rate dropped by 10% per level.

Even so, the initial success rates were high, so I was able to reach +4 enhancement without a single failure.

[K-2 Rifle] +4

▶ Effective range increased by 100m

▶ Accuracy increased by 20%

▶ Vision +1

...Vision?

Up until now, the enhancements had only improved the gun’s performance.

But this new effect actually enhanced the user’s abilities.

Curious, I stopped enhancing and materialized the rifle to test it.

Bzzzt—

As soon as I picked up the rifle, I noticed a clear difference in my vision.

It actually works.

The +1 Vision boost was more noticeable than I expected.

I could immediately perceive the improvement just by holding the rifle.

This is amazing.

At this point, I had already spent over 7 million won on this rifle.

But not once did I feel like I had wasted money.

Even if a K-2 rifle cost 7 million won, no manufacturer would ever offer a model that actually improved the user’s eyesight.

Accuracy was great, but this alone makes enhancement worth the cost.

And I was just getting started.

The 5th enhancement had a 60% success rate.

If the success rate dropped by 10% per level, then at least reaching +10 enhancement should be possible.

I immediately placed the +4 K-2 back into the enhancement slot and continued.

[K-2 Rifle (+4): Proceed with Enhancement?]

[Yes / No]

Now, each attempt cost 3 million won—but if I could increase my vision even further, it would be more than worth it.

However.

[Enhancement Failed.]

With the success rate dropping to 60%, I finally failed for the first time.

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

But then.

[Enhancement Failed.]

[Enhancement Failed.]

[Enhancement Failed.]

“...???”

Four consecutive failures.

With a 40% failure rate, the odds of failing four times in a row were only 2.5%.

It was like winning 5th place in the lottery—but in reverse.

Is this a bug?

Each attempt cost 3.25 million won, meaning I had just burned through 33 million won—for nothing.

Still... if I get one more Vision enhancement, it’ll be worth it.

At this rate, if I tried one more time, the total investment in this rifle would reach 25 million won.

...Thank god I didn’t experiment with a tank.

If I had tested this on a tank, I would have lost over 120 billion won by now.

At the same time, though, I kind of regretted not trying it.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

I should’ve tested the enhancement system with something like a kitchen knife first and pushed it to the limit.

But I quickly dismissed the thought.

No, that would’ve been pointless. What would I even use a kitchen knife for?

Even civilians who fought goblins didn’t use kitchen knives.

Even if I spent millions of won enhancing one, the best I could do was gift it to a skilled chef.

In contrast, a rifle was a practical weapon—something that could actually be used.

Yeah. When it’s necessary, I should invest properly.

And so, I started the fifth enhancement.

The moment I pressed the Enhance button—

Vwoooooong!

A different effect than before flared up.

Flash!

[Enhancement Successful.]

“...?”

Something about the effect felt distinctly different.

And then—

“!!!”

The newly added option was shocking.

[K-2 Rifle] +5

▶ Effective range increased by 100m

▶ Accuracy increased by 20%

▶ Vision +1

▶ Skill Acquired: [Explosive Rounds]

A skill had been imbued into the rifle.

[Explosive Rounds]

When a shot hits a target, a small explosion occurs.

Cooldown: 300 seconds

This was a game-changer.

For all firearm users, especially those in sniper professions, this was an undeniable upgrade.

***

Realizing that skills emerged at +5, I went all in.

As expected, the enhancement cap was +10, and special skills were granted at both +5 and +10.

The first-ever +10 K-2 rifle ended up with the following final stats:

[K-2 Rifle] +10

▶ Effective range increased by 100m

▶ Accuracy increased by 20%

▶ Vision +1

▶ Skill Acquired: [Explosive Rounds]

▶ Penetration increased by 30%

▶ Dynamic Vision +1

▶ Skill Acquired: [High-Caliber Rounds]

I had spent nearly 200 million won just making this one rifle, but I didn’t regret a single won.

Because the stats were absolutely insane.

Even just the two skills at +5 and +10 made this more than worth it.

Ignoring all the other buffs, just these two newly acquired skills already made the investment completely justifiable.

Of course, I had planned to register it in the shop, but unfortunately, enhanced weapons couldn’t be registered.

Damn. That’s a shame.

Through multiple experiments, I had learned that ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) the added options upon enhancement were completely random.

From +1 to +4, bonuses like effective range, accuracy, and vision appeared at random, but range increase was by far the most common.

Additionally, the skills granted at +5 were also varied.

Some enhancements granted:

[Extended Magazine] → Increased ammo capacity[Steady Aim] → Temporarily maximized accuracy

And then, at +6, the types of enhancements changed again.

From +6 onward, the possible buffs included:

Durability IncreasePenetration IncreaseDynamic Vision Boost

Durability Increase was the most frequent bonus, just like Effective Range Increase had been for the early levels.

It looks like +10 has multiple potential skill outcomes too...

Among them, the best one I had seen so far was:

[High-Caliber Rounds]

[High-Caliber Rounds]

Fires specialized large-caliber rounds that deal devastating damage.

Cooldown: 600 seconds

With all this in mind—

The most efficient choice is to give this to Kim Myeong-hwan.

I had already been funneling extra experience into him, and among all snipers, he was the best of them.

If anyone could maximize the potential of a +10 rifle with both [Explosive Rounds] and [High-Caliber Rounds], it was him.

Mass Production? Impossible.

It was a shame that these weapons couldn’t be mass-produced.

I had hoped to at least register the best out of the five +10 K-2s I had enhanced, but no such exploit was possible.

I was expecting to at least be able to register enchanted weapons, but...

For example, spears with durability buffs were registerable in the shop.

Though they took up a separate slot, once I obtained one with good stats, I could mass-produce them indefinitely.

However, enhanced weapons had to be crafted manually every single time.

But—

This system is still completely worth it.

Unlike enchantment, where the results were random, enhancement guaranteed overpowered options as long as you were willing to spend the money.

I really want to try enhancing an enchanted weapon next.

Since enchanted weapons sold for higher prices, enhancing them would likely cost more, but the results would definitely be more efficient than upgrading basic weapons.

Unfortunately, not many enchanted items were available in the shop.

This should do.

I decided to test it on a durability-enhanced spear.

It was Ha Dong-geon’s primary weapon, and compared to normal spears, it had significantly higher durability.

If this thing gets a special skill, it’ll completely change his combat effectiveness.

And so, I spent the entire day enhancing various weapons.

***

Meanwhile, at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

The Korean Demilitarized Zone—a scar that split the Korean Peninsula in half.

A minefield, untouched since the Korean War, it had turned into a pristine ecosystem.

Vast forests had flourished, home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, undisturbed by human activity.

Unlike the chaotic, monster-infested cities, the creatures that had emerged here naturally integrated into the ecosystem, forming a new, altered food chain.

But then, about a month ago, something changed.

Groooaaaarrr—!

Rotting corpses—walking husks reeked of death as they marched through the forest.

And then, one day—

Clank! Clank! Clank!

The southernmost advance of these massive death swarms finally collided with South Korea’s forward defensive fences.