Chapter 28

There was nothing inevitable about the meeting of the two Castus here today. Ast doesn’t appear in the main episode, and they don’t meet again until Snowfield’s death.

They were nothing more than strangers to each other. South and South, with no connection except as kin.

If a foreign entity named Kim hadn’t killed Shadow, if Ast hadn’t been brought back from Ulantz, if he hadn’t come to Kilikia.

Their lives were never meant to cross paths.

‘……That’s kind of shallow.’

But Kim saw a strange intersection between them, and he thought their situations were comparable.

Snowfield was tormented and angered by the scourge. If catastrophe was an irresistible tide of the times, she wanted to be the vanguard of the great wave that was the Legion.

Ast, on the other hand, was a disaster.

He was the mafia who had taken advantage of the innocent Pekatum, the middleman who had taken his cut, the kinsman who had driven her from her home, and the man who had burned her home and family to the ground.

It was no different now. There were those who would destroy the hard-won tranquility.

Snowfield was an ‘Asterisk’ disaster.

And Asterike, I had already learned to stand up to anyone who tried to ruin my life, in that filthy warehouse in Ulantz.

-Kaaaaaah!

A torrent of flame swept through the passage.

The bodies of Legionnaires and mercenaries swallowed by the Chapter turned to ash. Even the hard floor has melted away, and the railings have been blown out.

Snowfield was able to avoid Chapter by stepping out of the path in advance. The moment she saw the flames, she gave up the fight and quickly retreated.

It was a wise choice.

‘There’s never been anyone better.

The nameless kinsman was soon engulfed in flames. The fire did not threaten the brewer, just as the Snowfields were free from the chill he exuded.

I burned everything but myself. The flowing Chapter was like blood. The finish and cushioning on the floor melted away, exposing the concrete.

“I can’t let this go.

Within Snowfield’s brain, the priority objective has shifted. When all of your teammates are dead and you’re left alone, the meaning of ‘capture the flag’ has faded.

The action was swift.

The snowfield spurred the ground.

The heat became extremely intense as the distance closed. Before the sword could get within reach, fire in the shape of a large hand struck the ground.

Kwah!

The explosion was followed by a burst of flames, eventually causing part of the seventh floor to collapse, and their bodies began to fall to the ground below.

Snowfield stomped on the broken concrete and eyed the approaching Chapter. Attacking over such a large area was her vulnerability.

This is because the only thing he can do against it is Spell. Spell was not fuel efficient. Considering what was to come, we had to be as fast as possible.

An icy dagger formed in Snowfield’s left hand, and she shot out like a hawk on its prey. On the falling scaffolding, her javelin was flawless, even in her precarious position.

The thrown spear met the flames. Then the ice spread out. The melted ice evaporated in an instant, billowing smoke like a steam train.

“I’ve seen this all my life.

For Kim, it was a breath of fresh air. There were plenty of players who used Ast for snowfields. Kim was no different.

‘At least it wasn’t one-on-one.

The idea of beating a boss by yourself is absurd in the first place. It’s basically designed to be a team effort.

A gimmick breaker, a buffer and debuffer, a tank to sustain enemy attacks, and finally, a dps to deal damage. There are many ways to cheat, but these are the basics.

However, the setup didn’t officially determine who was stronger. Users could only speculate and make their own rationalizations.

Boom!

Some of the ice vaporized, creating bubbles in the lava. The bubbling and eroding ice resembled a writhing mass of blood.

Ice and fire. At first glance, these spells seem to be polar opposites, but they don’t have the right chemistry to work together.

The phenomena that occur with spells are not necessarily the same as something that exists in the natural world. Those two spells are prime examples.

Snowfields surround armor with frost to increase physical and magical resistance, or conversely, to reduce the defense of enemies or structures.

It gets even more bizarre with Ast. It’s actually more of a liquid lava spell than fire, and it doesn’t contain any minerals.

“Well, it’s a game setting.

Their spells are the ability to manipulate something that resembles ice or fire, so Kim didn’t care if what was happening in front of her was scientifically correct.

“……, is this your plan?”

“I’m trying to do something, and you’re not here for the money.”

“What if she dies too?”

“I’m not dying.”

To Bryce’s question, Kim cut to the chase.

This wasn’t a reluctant gambler; this was a man who understood the value of Ast more than anyone else in Polaris.

They’d managed to smash through eight floors of the basement before they reached the lowest level. The black smoke had been largely carried away by MetroCity’s ventilation.

The bounty hunters have not yet regained their senses. They were caught in the crossfire, frozen and burned to death as they feasted on the corpses of my companions.

Boom, boom!

The Outlaws, still on the lowest floor, hurried up the stairs. The killer was an unapproachable battlefield.

Kim heard [Ivory]. He fired at a walker aiming for the lowest floor from the other side.

It was out of effective range, but the threat was enough. As the walker turned his muzzle, Bryce spat an expletive and backed up Kim.

“Damn it. Can’t you at least talk to him and shoot him?”

“Maybe it’s the one who got bruised in the fight?”

“…… is done, I’ll take that one.”

Kim glanced downstairs in disbelief.

In less than five minutes, about half the area of the lowest floor was frozen solid. Sticky magma flowed over the ice.

It was time to refocus.

I told Bryce he couldn’t die, but that didn’t necessarily mean Asterique could overpower Snowfield one-on-one.

On the contrary, the consensus among users was that snowfields were favorable. Ast has a major setup flaw.

So Kim had one more trick up his sleeve.

“Next is the last.

For now, I had to hold my breath.

* * *

“That’s weird.

Snowfield detected some changes.

The flames surrounding the enemy grew in size. While the temperature was rising, the pressure was easing.

Unlike the first time, the flames didn’t form a clear shape. It’s a distorted shape, rushing at you from the front with no real plan.

“Ha, ha, ha…!”

Its fiery yellow eyes were slit vertically across the pupil. It had the savagery of a flying beast, not a human intellect.

“Runaway.

It could have happened. No, it was more unorthodox to use spells with this much power without restriction.

Castus’s hardy physicality seemed to keep his body’s tissues from disintegrating. His mind, however, was not so fortunate.

Things are getting easier, Snowfield thought.

A towering wave of fire crashed down before his eyes. Snowfield did not retreat, but charged, his sword scraping the ice.

Kigigigig!

Ice shards splashed with a friction sound. Each tiny grain seemed to have a mind of its own, caught by the sword and began to spin at high speed.

The gap shrank in an instant.

Three steps. Just before he was swallowed by the Chapter, Snowfield swung his sword in a sweeping motion.

With a burst of power condensed to the limit, thousands of ice crystals rose up, densely packed together to form a barrier.

It was the most intense collision ever. The heat alone melted the ice, creating puddles everywhere.

Snowfield didn’t watch the results.

Blame!

The uphill ice wall blocked their view of each other, and she whipped her sluggish body into a run for the wall.

This was Snowfield’s game-changer.

His already exhausted body demanded rest, and he couldn’t afford to take any longer. It would be chipped away at bit by bit, and it was better to end the adventure in one fell swoop.

As I reached the top, I could see waves of searing fire pounding against the ice wall. The wall was crumbling under the unbearable heat.

The distance to the enemy is about 30 meters.

Snowfield kicked his footstool, extending his bent knee. His body shot like an arrow that left the protest.

You have 20 meters to go. Asterike still hadn’t caught the approaching snowfield. The rampaging flames reveal living flesh.

Snowfield tightened his grip on the sword.

“Shoot.”

No one heard the voice. Except Chelsea, who wore a small receiver in her right ear.

The order was carried out with little delay. Ever since the battle began, Chelsea had been waiting for this moment.

From somewhere in the station, a stealthily fired bullet traveled diagonally. The sound arrived long after the bullet.

As we saw in the previous game, Chelsea’s shooting was on point. The shots landed on target without missing a beat.

Exactly, Asterike had hit the nail on the head.

“What happened?

Snowfield felt as if time had slowed down, and she couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.

Sniping has been the enemy’s specialty since the beginning of the battle. Snipers from all sides of the station relentlessly targeted the Legion and Outlaws.

No matter how I calculated the angles, it couldn’t have been Legion. In an instant, several theories came to mind.

Misfire, infighting, or a ploy?

It was a mixed bag.

Snowfield remembered his place. I move forward and extend my sword when I enter the gap. With such clarity, there was no reason to hesitate.

It seemed like slow motion as his kin fell, and Snowfield watched.

‘……$?

Instead of blood, fire leaked from the wind holes the large-caliber rounds had torn. Not the ominous red of before, but a clear orange fire.

It was not like the hateful Chapter that had burned his home. It was unlike the pale flames that had been ghastly; it was like a clean beacon of life-.

Thinking becomes disconnected, like a film break.

When he woke up again, Snowfield noticed a number of changes that had come over him.

I didn’t feel the weight of the armor. My eyes lowered. The sensation in my body was faint. His throat was raw and deafening, as if he’d been slit.

The spark was nowhere to be found.

In his dark, blurry vision, he saw countless guns pointed at him. For what seemed like forever, he was in someone’s arms.

“You still have a mind. What a body.”

Kim said in a fed-up tone.

Snowfield’s skull was a hideous sight. The molten metal of his once-armor clung to his body like candlemarks, exposing bone in some places.

It’s an invoice, no matter how you look at it. It was almost bizarre to see that it was still alive and functioning.

But he could only catch his breath. Snowfield dropped to his knees and flailed about. He didn’t have the strength to lift a finger.

‘You’ve been hit squarely in the face.

Ast’s Talent [Regenerative Fire] is a passive skill that triggers when certain conditions are met.

Once per battle, when Ast drops below 25% HP, he deals a fixed amount of damage to an area. After the attack ends, Ast heals all of his HP and falls into a stunned state.

“The problem was, it wouldn’t go off if I died.

It doesn’t trigger if you get killed by a boss in one hit. Also, it only activates when you’re using the [Blood Armor] skill, which makes it difficult to use in many situations.

Tricky conditions if you ask me. However, there is a way to definitively unleash Ast’s talent.

Use an agent that buffs an ally by slicing their health. Give Ast a piece of equipment that has a similar effect.

This is what we call “self-destructing art.

“Well, that’s not quite right, because I’m not dying.

A standard tactic that isn’t particularly unique. [Chapter is also a high DPS skill, but if you’re desperate for an instant kill, this is the way to go.

It was the most likely game plan.

Asterike’s combat sense, physical prowess, and spell control are no match for Snowfield. The only thing she has an edge in is spell power.

So I had no choice but to use it.

“I hope I never have to use it again.

It felt terribly dirty. Kim stared at Snowfield’s one remaining eyeball, then turned away. It wasn’t safe here yet.

Bang, bang!

Gunfire rang out.

Behind him, he heard Snowfield’s body collapse, and the words that followed blurred before his eyes.

[ERROR!]

[confirms the death of the character “Snowfield”].

[Calculate the damage rate for the scenario].

[Now Loading…….]

It took longer than last time.

In the meantime, the fighting was winding down. The riot police descended on the city and quelled the mob.

The Outlaws were not infinite in number. By the time Asterike and Snowfield began their battle, they were already less than half that number.

Every time he forced his way up a floor, aiming for the ground, his power was sapped. There weren’t many walkers left, thanks to Whitefang’s division.

It was a sugar rush.

“I don’t understand how it happened, but it sounds like she was a big part of it.”

“Buy me meat later when you wake up.”

“Haha, if you make it to the end.”

Kim climbed back up to the cargo level, escorted by Whitefang. He laid Asterique down carefully in the storage room and helped clean up.

“Shit, shit. This isn’t right. I…!”

I shot the Outlaw in the back as he tried to flee underground. There was no hesitation. Too much has happened for me to feel guilty now.

There were fewer people in White Fang than there had been a few hours ago. One by one, they disappeared, until only six remained, including Kim.

[Loading Completed!]

[during the damage rate of the main episode 2 “Jun Dong”].

[from the damage rate award in the main episode, “Change”]

[Damage rate award in Main Episode 4, “Turbulence”].

[Best Damage Rate in Main Episode 11, “Sackwind”].

[during the damage rate of the main episode 12 “Frightened”]

The message continued. Even the scenario after Episode 11, where Snowfield dies in the game, was broken.

It wasn’t just Snowfield’s early exit, it meant that Legion’s future was upended. This was something to look at positively.

“I did this, I did that, and it worked.

It was a big deal.

In the end, we defended Kilikia, and the crew is alive and well, albeit a few of them. Asterike is unharmed and unharmed and…….

[The presence of agent “Kim” becomes apparent].

I did a good job, or so I thought.

“I’m still a little tired.

[Agent ‘Kim’ gets a rating increase].

[Skill ‘Craft Special Weapons’ is enhanced].

[The stat’s cap is expanded].

[Update Agent Record].

[Agent name: Kim Yi Hyun].

[Rating: ★★★]

[Talent: Unknown].

It’s been a long day.