The rainforest was so humid it felt as if it were breathing. Raindrops clinging to the leaves trembled with every breeze, and the scent of fresh mud filled the air.
In the middle of this calm… a wild rabbit wandered about peacefully, stepping lightly, stretching its ears, then hopping once, then again.
It did not know… that it was being watched.
Twenty meters away, among the dense grass, a man lay flat on his stomach, pressed against the ground as if he were part of it.
Renji Yosukawa.
His hands were steady on a Remington 783 hunting rifle—a simple, ordinary weapon, nothing like the legendary sniper rifles he used to play with on his console in his room.
But today… it was all he had.
He rested his cheek against the stock of the rifle, closed his left eye, and calmly adjusted his aim with lethal composure.
And suddenly—
Ding!
A light metallic sound, yet it felt like a slap against his ear.
[Target detected: Wild Rabbit]
Rewards: +5 Vital Points or +7 Coins
(Optional)
"Hmmm… not bad."
He steadied himself, took a deep breath, and tried to regain focus.
Everything was ready.
The target was centered.
His finger slowly pressed the trigger…
But the rabbit suddenly lifted its head.
Its ears twitched rapidly… right, left, like two small radars picking up danger.
"Damn it… not now."
The rabbit jolted—then leaped into the bushes and vanished.
It disappeared completely.
Renji remained lying there for a few moments before standing up, brushing the dirt off his pants, then muttering irritably:
"I should've fired earlier… or not rushed. Doesn't matter now."
And as he let out a deep sigh—
A sound rang inside his head. Not through his ears… but directly into his mind:
[System]
A translucent screen opened before him, glowing with a faint blue light.
───────────────────────
Main System
───────────────────────
◉ Personal Data
◉ Operations
◉ Arsenal (Unavailable — Requires Level 9)
◉ Network (No opportunities available at this time)
───────────────────────
He pointed to it with his mind.
The Personal Data tab opened instantly:
───────────────────────
Personal Data
───────────────────────
■ Name: Yosukawa Renji
■ Talent: B+
■ Level: 3 (15/90)
■ Wealth: 8 Coins
■ Core Attributes:
• Accuracy ... B
• Stability ... D
• Focus ... C-
• Perception .... F+
• Motion Reading ... D-
• Readiness ..... D
• Endurance ..... C-
• Discipline .... F
───────────────────────
Renji stared at the screen… and his heart sank to his feet.
"Damn it… it's like my grandfather is playing."
Disgust was clear on his face.
Almost everything was worn out.
Garbage.
Shameful.
And he wouldn't have cared… if this were just an ordinary sniper game.
But this wasn't a game.
This… was his current life.
His survival depended on these numbers he had mocked his entire life.
Just ten days ago, he had been sitting in his room, drinking from a soda can, spending the night on video games—a twenty-something who still thought of himself as a teenager.
Then he began to feel a strange dizziness.
He thought it was because of staying up late… he was used to that.
But this time, he collapsed.
And when he opened his eyes… he found himself in this forest, holding a wooden bow and seven arrows, with a single message appearing before him:
[Player data uploaded successfully.
Welcome to the Sniper League.]
At first… it felt amazing.
Almost like heaven itself.
A real-life sniper game?
For someone like him—a gamer who spent half his day glued to a screen and the other half asleep—it felt like the perfect dream.
A dream he never thought he would live.
But after just two days… the dream began to turn into a nightmare.
When he was nearly trampled beneath the hooves of a massive herd of buffalo, he felt for the first time that this world did not know the word "fun."
And when a creature resembling a jaguar—stronger and more agile than any animal he had ever seen in YouTube videos—chased him, he realized that the laws of the jungle do not grant second chances.
But what truly shook him to his core… was that day he spent lying on the ground, unable to move his fingers, screaming in pain as his entire body stiffened due to the bite of a single insect.
Seven full hours of paralysis and terror.
And suddenly… he understood the truth.
This was not a "game in real life."
It was "life in a world designed for killing."
There was no exit button.
No reload from a save point.
And death… was real.
Even psychologically, things were worse than he had expected.
Humans are social creatures by nature—even worms like Renji, as he used to describe himself.
He missed his mother's voice asking if he had eaten anything.
He missed a simple message from his lover.
He missed the internet… that alone was madness.
He couldn't comprehend how he hadn't completely lost his mind over the past ten days.
He sighed deeply as he checked his rifle.
On the right side, a small screen appeared:
───────────────────────
Weapon: Remington 783
───────────────────────
■ Condition: 87%
■ Accuracy: +12% (Affected by player trait)
■ Stability: Low
■ Recoil: Medium
■ Customization: None (Requires workshop or tools)
■ Available Ammunition:
6 / 7
───────────────────────
Only six bullets.
Far too few shots… in a far too large world.
He didn't know when he would get more ammunition.
The system handed out rewards randomly and only opened events when it "felt like it."
So he treated every bullet… as if it were a piece of his life.
And while he was lost in thought—
The ground beneath his feet trembled lightly, then harder…
Accompanied by a strange, deep sound, like a massive void swallowing the air:
Boooooom… Boooooom…
As if someone were beating war drums in the belly of the forest.
"Damn it… what is that thing?"
The hairs on his arms stood up without permission.
His entire body shuddered.
He raised his rifle instinctively, his shoulder loosening then tightening, his eye tracking the path between the trees.
The footsteps were getting closer…
Closer still…
Coming straight toward him.
Something big.
Heavy.
And most dangerous of all… it was moving without the slightest hesitation.
Pressure built in his chest.
His fingers grew sweaty.
"No… no… damn it… it's too close."
Violent rustling among the trees.
Leaves scattering.
Branches snapping.
Then—
A massive shadow appeared behind the dense green curtain…
And it was advancing straight toward him.
______
Author's Explanation:
Remington 783:
An American-made bolt-action hunting rifle, renowned for its high accuracy and ease of maintenance, making it a popular choice among both amateurs and professionals. It features a durable frame, an adjustable trigger system, and allows for easy scope mounting.
Jaguar:
The jaguar is the largest feline in the Americas and the third-largest cat in the world. It is distinguished by its immense muscular strength and a bite force considered among the strongest of all big cats. It inhabits tropical forests and is known for its ability to swim and hunt from ambush with a single lethal strike.