Chapter 35

Chapter 35

No Face paced back and forth, scanning the alley. There were no prying eyes this way. The camera’s location was already in his head.

It’s a blind spot that’s not captured by any camera. It’s too much of a coincidence.

The opponent is no ordinary homeless man. A moment of heightened alertness in No Face’s heart.

“You can check it out.”

Kim took a few steps back as if to say, “Have at it. After staring at her for a moment, No Face approached and began to look at the goods.

A knife that looks as good as it is. The firearm seemed to be in good shape. It was well maintained with no scratches or breaks.

The biggest advantage is variety.

The weapons were all from different places.

They differed in form and manufacture. If there were firearms in the style of the Xilan Empire, there were also knives that would have had limited circulation in the lands of the Far East.

When operating in the city, NoFace was mindful of eliminating commonalities among its members. Even in terms of identity.

Makashal’s abilities are scrutinized before replicating appearances. Avoid being associated with the “originals” of other organization members as much as possible.

To minimize the damage if someone is caught. Different identities, different weapons.

For them, it was an attractive proposition.

“Sure, but this is just a sample.”

“How ready are we?”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll be enough to satisfy you. More than that, I don’t think this is the right place to discuss the details, and I don’t think you’ll mind if I don’t.”

After a short silence, the answer came back.

“…… Wait.”

“How much?”

“Shut up and wait.”

NoFace darted down the alley. Soon he was out of sight.

We don’t know what he was thinking, but it was a good opportunity. When Kim was alone, he gripped his weapon once and then released it.

This was to update the spell duration.

‘If he took it, it would have ruined my day.’

When an Agent’s rating increases to 3 stars, their skills change. Increased the amount of time it takes for dropped equipment to disappear.

Up to 30 minutes for 3-star equipment. 1-star lasts up to 1 hour.

I only have 1 and 2 star items. I’ve even included physical objects that have nothing to do with spells.

‘That’s still a long way off.

You don’t want to lose it in transit. Sooner or later, you’ll realize it’s a trap, but in the meantime, you’ll need to learn something useful.

When NoFace returned, it was about 30 minutes later. He was alone when he left, but now he had two companions.

“Can I take this person with me?”

NoFace nodded in response to the man’s question. The man nodded in understanding, stepped behind Kim, and placed the mask on his head.

In his obscured vision, he heard the clinking of iron, and another, apparently a porter, came to carry the weapons.

“Not a no-face, but a handyman?

The two had a look on their faces: they were judged to be beggars, living off odd jobs in the back alleys. While he was thinking, Kim was tied up to his wrists in front of him.

“Follow me.”

He could feel a slight nudge from No Face’s direction. Kim began to walk as he was led.

* * *

Luckily, I stopped before the spell broke. The cloak peeled away of its own accord, and my vision cleared.

Kim cleared her throat and looked around. Indoors. No windows in sight. Just a long hallway leading somewhere.

It was eerily quiet all around. No Face’s voice rang out low as my eyeballs rolled back and forth.

“Walk, don’t run, you two.”

“Oh, yeah. Sensitive.”

It wasn’t Kim’s words, but the complaints of the man who was dragging him, or rather, guiding him. They didn’t seem to be in cahoots after all.

“By the way, things are easier than I thought.

I had planned to approach slowly, disguised as an arms dealer, but instead I found myself drawn to a strange building. I was suddenly drawn to a strange building.

“It doesn’t look like a legitimate establishment.

You didn’t even get very far from your original location. Several times walking down the stairs going down. As expected, it appeared to be a hidden building underground.

The hallway led to a series of rooms. No Face opened the door to the left and nodded inside.

“You stay inside, the rest of you follow me.”

Kim followed his instructions without question. As soon as he crossed the threshold, he saw the wall with less-dried paint.

“It smells bad.

It was an unpleasant stench, mixed with the smell of paint. It was a bloody odor I’d smelled over and over since the Polaris crash, especially in Kilikia.

And less than three minutes later.

-Taang!

Gunfire drifted in from beyond the door No Face had closed. Twice. The same number as the thugs who’d been hired for this job.

Duck.

A moment later, the door opened. Noface walked in, his legs covered in drops of blood.

“……What about those two? Did you kill them?”

“No, I just immobilized him. I’ve got some urgent business to attend to.”

Oh, and then he adds.

“It’s a good gun.”

Noface had [Ivory] in his hand, but he didn’t shoot Kim. Instead, he threatened him at gunpoint.

“Kneel down.”

“I thought you wanted to trade.”

Kim slowly dropped to his knees. Then NoFace grabbed the camera in the room and started filming.

“A deal is a deal. We spare your life, you hand over your weapons. Don’t you think that’s a pretty good price to pay?”

“If you hold me, who brings the weapons?”

“Your coworkers, your family, your friends. You can walk around looking like a dirtbag, but there’s at least one person who wants you to stick your dirty neck out.”

“Haha. That would be nice to have.”

“Maybe when I get a hole in my hand, I’ll remember.”

His tone was as calm as it gets. Except for the opening and closing of his mouth and eyelids, not a muscle in his face moved.

“Tell me where you stashed the weapon, which will be transported by your friend who will receive this video. The address is 15 Woodside. You’ll need to box it up and take it to the warehouse behind the factory.”

“…….”

Indeed. I finally understood the intent.

‘What a bunch of crazy bastards.

That means they weren’t going to pay for it in the first place. I could see where NoFace was coming from with the “I’ve got a use for it” part.

‘You’re going to use your face.

Maybe you’re a no-face who’s been caught and needs to change your identity. Or maybe you just want to keep him alive as insurance.

It’s a mystery. It was just as vicious as it was in the game.

“I’m a bit of a coward, I guess, and now that I’ve done what you said, you’re going to tell me I’m not worthy.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep you alive at least until the package is delivered, but if you want to keep yourself occupied until then, I suggest you don’t try any tricks.”

I’ll have to cut this off, No Face muttered to himself. Next, he tucked his gun into his belt and drew his knife.

“That’s enough small talk. I’m going to count to ten and give me your location. I hope you’ll cooperate. I don’t want to do anything nasty.”

“Bullshit. What the hell are you doing being polite now?”

NoFace didn’t react to the smirk. He just started counting, just like he said he would.

“10, 9, 8, 7…….”

The voice was flat, with no pitch. It sounded like a number-crunching machine. Or an android from a sci-fi game or movie.

Time passed quickly. Kim didn’t speak until the count was over.

“Before I count the next 10 seconds, I need you to be honest with me.”

No Face pointed the blade downward, and without hesitation, he slashed at Kim’s thigh. No, he tried to slash down.

There were no screams. There was no blood. Just bare fists pounding the air.

“……what is it?”

The [Glitch Knife] in No Face’s grasp turned to dust and disappeared. The sudden turn of events brought his thinking to a halt.

Despite his panic, his body moved reflexively, and the wobbly No-Face corrected his center of gravity and immediately attempted to subdue his opponent.

Thump!

He takes Kim down and gets into mount. Naturally, NoFace looks down and catches sight of an object.

It was a revolver. His hands, bound with cable ties, were somehow holding a gun.

“Fuck off, asshole.”

tang-!

The muzzle of [Webley Mark]’s gun spewed fire. The bullet pierced his skull, pierced his brain, and then went through the back of his head and into the wall.

It was a force to be reckoned with.

NoFace crumpled to the floor after taking a direct hit to the head. Kim pushed his heavy body off of him and fumbled to his feet.

First, I had to untie it.

“This is how it’s supposed to be done.

I untied my shoelaces and tied a new knot. I hooked the laces through the narrow gap in the center of the cable tie and rolled my foot like I was riding a bicycle.

The heat of friction snapped the tie. Kim sighed as she rotated her tingling wrist.

“I’m learning, so I can use it.

Of course, it’s not something she’s always known how to do. The White Fang crew imparted all their knowledge to Kim.

“Someone told me about this.

Robben? Or one of the dead men, I couldn’t quite remember. I mentally thanked him.

Before heading out the door, Kim picked up NoFace’s dropped camera. When she checked it, it was still recording.

“Thanks for the evidence. Self-defense.”

I captured the corpse’s face in the lens. After stopping the recording, I put the camera in my pocket.

“Ghost, Bryce. Do you copy?”

When I checked the communicator on the back of my belt, all I could hear was a hissing noise. I wondered why they weren’t patting me down. There must have been some kind of device that interfered with the radio waves.

I wouldn’t call it a failure, because I know they’re not going to sit on their hands and wait. I have faith that they’ll figure it out.

“I should just mind my own business.

Kim dragged the body to the corner. He crouched against the opposite wall for a moment. Footsteps began to echo down the hall.

‘Here they come.

The sound of the [Wembley Mark] shot was distinctly different from the two shots No Face had fired earlier, and the weapons Kim had brought with him had all but disappeared.

Other people in the building may have noticed something strange. It’s time to do something about it.

Footsteps cut off. After a short silence.

Boom!

The door swung open and someone entered. Two members of the gang scanned the room, guns drawn. They noticed a pool of damp blood on the floor.

“…….”

Without a sound, the No-Faces entered the room. One saw the body of his comrade. The other saw the approaching shield.

Bam!

Noface was sent flying as he collided with a thick plate of steel, and the man behind him was crushed by his Zolzie companion.

Bam!

Kim pulled the trigger. The raised Hammer was immediately lowered again. He fired two shots in quick succession at the wrapped body.

It quickly stopped moving. Once you’re sure he’s dead, pick up the gun that No Face dropped.

“Six shots is a lot.

The [Webley Mark] had only two rounds left in it. It was in no condition to be rebuilt. The over-spelled recoil was coming.

I mean, it was a moderately punchy one. than if I’d gotten punched in the face by Snowfield.

“I’m going to take a week off when this is over.