Chapter 7

The differences are threefold.

First, the time. The shadow appeared 6 minutes early. We don’t know why, but we don’t care. It’s in the margin of error.

Second, the ambush target.

“They usually attack Leila.

For now, we targeted Kim first. This is to reduce the number beforehand. She’s easier to deal with than Leila.

Pablo and the Professor are the most defenseless, but the Shadow’s goal is not to kill. He’ll take care of the fringe first, then see what he can do.

Finally, the third change.

Wedge!

Two beads raced through the air, one toward Shadow’s face and the other toward his right leg. Both were areas of exposed flesh, not shadow.

There were no conversations to navigate.

As soon as the human was in sight, Ghost threw out a trick question, and Leila took up a fighting stance instead of asking the obvious.

Shadow. Ashwolf.

The wielder of a spell.

Even if Kim hadn’t told me last night, I would have guessed. However, by sharing our opinions in person, we were able to clearly recognize the ‘enemy’.

Tzitzitz!

A black wall rose from beneath Shadow’s feet. Vyssou was flung into the darkness. The shadow was imbued with physical power.

When the results appear.

Ghost is already kicking the ground, his upper body lowered so that he is hidden by the wall of shadows. Approach with a sliding motion.

The Ghost, almost at his feet, turned and ran. It plunged its kukri into Shadow’s exposed side.

Quid pro quo.

The blade dulled in the darkness. Soon, Shadow’s entire body was covered in shadow.

The Ghost swallowed hard and took a large step backward. A sharp shadow swept across the empty space.

A few back-and-forths went back and forth quickly.

‘Oh my God…. I thought I was going to beat you up alone.

Kim was stunned and freaked out. He must be some kind of elite agent. She hadn’t even seen what had just happened.

What we can say for sure is that there’s a big gap between the two.

“Ghosts are overwhelming.

It was the difference between the two.

Obviously, Ghost’s athleticism is phenomenal, but Shadow’s spells make his physical advantage irrelevant.

The natural enemy of melee operatives. One-on-one, you can die and rise ten times and still not win.

You don’t have to fight it from the start.

“Run, don’t walk!”

Kim broke into a run. In the opposite direction of Shadow, without a single weapon drawn.

He’s no match. You can’t even take him on one-on-one, let alone four.

In the game, Ghost is seriously injured because he pretended to be dead and Shadow stabbed him while he was off guard.

It’s literally a crap shoot right now. There is no answer short of widespread bombing.

“Tongue, Mr. Hyun?”

“Come here, now!

“Have I finally lost my mind…….”

Pablo, you’re fucked. I’ll make sure to send you back to the mine one day. You won’t get paid for your work, and I won’t give you ten seconds of my time.

“Follow the strings, I’ll buy you time-”

“Why aren’t you in, asshole!”

I tried to revive Ghost five times in the early morning hours. Halfway through, I thought I was coughing up blood instead of gastric juice. I was lucky I didn’t collapse.

“If he gets screwed, I get screwed, too.

No matter what!

Kim quickened her pace, determined to reach her destination: the garage she’d found last night. She memorized the location.

The agents began to follow. Leila, Ghost, and Pablo. A fuck sound came out of someone’s mouth, specifically Pablo’s.

“You’re on to something, aren’t you!”

“Yeah! So shut up and focus on running.”

“Oh, I get it!”

Self.

Shadow didn’t stand idly by, his flesh engulfed by shadow. The conglomeration of shadows crawled, catching up to the group.

Pablo is far behind. He was carrying the professor and had gotten a late start. A shadow stretched out, aiming for his leg.

Bang, bang!

Two gunshots.

Ghost drew his concealed pistol and fired. One bullet went into Pablo’s back and one into Shadows.

They all hit the shadow, but with very different results.

The thin side that was chasing Pablo was pierced and disintegrated. Conversely, the side with the locked shadow was crushed.

“Is there a difference in durability?

The loss of Kukri has been painful. The only weapons left were a dagger and two spears. And a pistol.

It was at this moment that Ghost realized he needed a bell weapon.

“Ghost, write!”

Kim, who was leading the pack, tossed me a machete. It wasn’t the time to talk about the crude handling of the blade.

[Carriès].

A one-star special armor that reduces Physical Resistance by 1% for 10 seconds on Basic Attacks. This may seem like a scam, but it stacks up to 3 times.

Trash, in a word. But let it rot, the blade remained sharp.

The Ghost easily snatched the handle and swung back. A shadow forearm-thick slashed across the blade, disheveling it.

As you parry the attack, Ghost naturally takes up the rear. As you run forward, twist your upper body and extend your machete behind you.

It paled in comparison to the way he’d fought Shadoor alone. The Polaris developers watched the bubbling water.

“But it’s a life, isn’t it?

For Kim, there was no time to spare.

Even if things were going according to plan, the power of the Shadows was more threatening than they realized.

“I can’t believe it. That’s a common weapon?

Bosses in Polaris have skills, just like your agents. The same goes for the first boss, Shadow. You just haven’t gotten them out yet.

“He must be frustrated, too.

He can’t be pushed around even as a shadow, and his special attacks have a wide area of effect.

This would lead to annihilation. That defeats the purpose of shadows.

‘I don’t know how long my patience will last, but…….’

They don’t approach very fast. Shadowers can rip off shadows and graft them onto beasts or create radar, but there are many limitations to manipulating shadows directly.

So you’re still chasing your ass.

“A weakness that won’t be revealed until episode 6.

What’s wrong with prefetching?

‘We need to get there before he gets serious-‘

Open.

Kim sensed the rising heat. He didn’t stop walking, but I surreptitiously turned my head to check behind me.

And witnessed it.

-Rrrrrr!

Black flames licked its tongue. Everything it touched was swallowed by the shadows. The asphalt melted, as well as the rubble of the buildings.

That maniac! Is he really going to kill us all?

“Don’t touch me!”

Kim shouted urgently. The Ghost’s machete-wielding hand slammed to a halt, and her heart sank at the sight of it.

“This could have been a disaster.

As Ghost’s power dwindles, Kim’s own survival becomes less certain.

Ghost sacrifice like in the game? That option was gone when Shadow pulled that thing out.

Special Attack ‘Flare’.

The principle is complicated and long-winded. Compressing solar heat in shadows, playing with unrealistic settings.

But the effect is simple.

Deals massive magic damage to enemies in range. Even a fully trained 6-star tank will struggle to last 10 seconds.

“It’s a game with a low tank value in the first place.

This tendency is even more pronounced in the real world. No matter how thick your shields are, you’re still human. A bullet to the head in your sleep will kill you.

Regardless, the fact remains that the power of flares is intimidating. For a newbie, a difficulty level of 0-5 is downright hopeless.

I’ve heard that once you figure out how to do it, you’ll be a piece of cake, but you can’t let your guard down just yet.

You must somehow survive and reach the garage.

Gain.

Telephone poles melted at their bases and began to slowly tilt. Dilapidated buildings collapsed. Black salt clung to everything.

‘Hot……!

My back felt like it was on fire. I imagined my melted shirt pressed against my Chapter-burned skin.

It may not be that bad now, but if you put a foot wrong, it will be worse.

“Tongue, Mr. String. Anything more than that…!”

Leila’s breath is in her throat. She’s a spell-reliant agent. It’s no wonder she’s behind in terms of physical strength.

Damn, it’s a ghost when you’re in a hurry.

“Ghost, listen!”

You don’t have to take a back seat unless it becomes unmanageable.

Understanding instantly, Ghost sped up and caught up to Leila. Grabbing her by the scruff of the neck, he leaned in and picked her up.

Leila’s gone, now it’s Pablo and the professor.

“Ouch, those bastards.

At least Pablo is a four-star, so he’s doing well with the professor on his back. The problem was that the professor didn’t look happy. The heat seemed to be hurting him.

…… to make a decision.

“I have a way to get the shadow’s attention.

The problem is that you’ll be questioned afterward. Even if they don’t go so far as to interrogate you, it’s likely to be a painful experience.

It’s not a clean break, and you have to go your own way.

“Oh well, I’m not going to get into the lab.

The decision was quick.

“Get out of there, Pablo.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what the…!”

“Get out, unless you want to watch him die on your back!”

We don’t know what the madman is thinking, but we don’t know what will become of the professor. What if he doesn’t die, but he’s left with a scar?

“I don’t want to get knocked out in the middle of an operation.

This is a fragile setup. The player has a lot of work ahead of them. They shouldn’t be stuck in a tutorial.

“……Damn!”

Eventually, Pablo turned. The shadow stopped moving as the group split in two.

It’s a judgment call. If they’re chasing you, just run away.

If not, then…….

“Of course.

The Shadow had chosen the professor, as he had intended. Pablo’s face lit up with a sense of loss.

Don’t worry. You will die of overwork in the mines, not here. After I return to reality.

Kim muttered to herself,

“Carib!”

Shouted out the shadow’s real name.

“This way, I’ve got ‘EDA-031’!”

Why the Shadows attacked Leila and her group. The blame lies solely with the Professor. In the past, he was forcibly implanted with the Factor as an experiment.

That powerful spell, and the power it gave me. But as a side effect, I always feel a pain like my body is being torn apart.

Later, he joins an organization and learns important information. That it was a professor who created the factor that entered his body.

As a shadower, it’s a sight to behold.

And, now.

Kaaaaaah!

The flames visibly intensified. Shadow ignored the professor and went after Kim.

It was a desirable situation. The pause we had just taken had increased the distance.

“Mr. Hyun, what did you say…….”

I didn’t hear that.

Not only could I not think of a response, but now I had to focus even harder than before. A stupid mistake could cost me my life.

The garage is getting closer.

“Whew, whew!”

How many minutes did you run: 10 minutes? 20 minutes?

“Is this the right amount of exercise for the average office worker?

I screamed at the top of my lungs a few times while sprinting. Maybe being a one-star agent has calibrated my physical abilities.

Whatever the reason, it was good.

What matters right now is that I’m exhausted, I feel like I’m going to collapse, I can’t feel my back, and I’m panting like a dog… but still.

The fact that it got there at all.

Bam!

I kicked open the gate I’d saved and pulled into the garage.

An enclosed room. From the side, it was a one-way trip into the limbs.

Still, the ghost followed Kim. Not out of trust. Kim’s remarks earlier had made Ghost suspicious.

All the more so. I thought I had a plan to save the day.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!”

Kim breathed frantically. Not only was she drooling, but her stomach was churning.

I ignored it. It wasn’t time to take care of myself yet.

“Ghost, get ready.”

Kim made a [Glitchknife] and handed it to Ghost. Its performance is not much different from [Karius]. It’s good enough as a weapon.

Kim’s gaze is fixed on one thing. Not the door, but the shutters of the garage. He was certain that Shadow would come here.

Shadows become sharper the stronger the sunlight. In this case, a chassis door would want to open up a large space. to increase the area of sunlight.

Ghost checked the shutter and swallowed hard.

“What the hell.”

The green paint was everywhere. It wasn’t just the plates. The floor and ceiling were also green.

There’s a mess of splatter everywhere. It’s like they’ve been sprinkled all over the place.

Boom!

A boom sounded outside. One second, two seconds, three seconds. The sound of destruction grew closer with each passing second.

To Kim, it sounded like the crackling of a campfire. The sound of her breath rattling her skull. The pounding of her heart. Everything else was just noise.

-Peeeeeeee!

Tinnitus.

For a moment, the world seemed to go silent.

Kaaaah!

The shadow crashed into the shutter, and the thick iron began to melt in an instant. Inevitably, the shadow hit the paint.

[Sticky Brush].

A one-star special weapon with a ridiculous name. An item that many users owe a debt to at the same time.

“Overbalanced for a one-star.

Newbie is the go-to guy for boss fights when you’re running low on agent pools, especially in 0-5.

[Sticky Brush].

[Rating : ★]

[Category: Auxiliary equipment].

[Description: Once per operation, you can apply sticky paint to 1 square. Inflict 10% Slow for 10 seconds on the first enemy that passes through the sticky painted square].

The trick found here. You can install duplicate stickies in a single space.