Chapter 89

Chapter 89

It was hard to even call it a war anymore.
“What, what’s going on?”
“I get it.”
It’s a lie. Kim saw the current situation more clearly than anyone else. No, not only did he understand, but he had anticipated it to some extent.
‘That’s what happens. The godmother brought the soldier herself.’
The Godmother’s spells are unique among Polaris’ powers. It has a ridiculous upper limit on power, but once it crosses a certain threshold, it requires a ‘sacrifice’.
A chilling corpse.
The dying fires of life.
Blood soaking the ground.
Natural phenomena and even abstract concepts that prove human mortality are all driving forces.
And death abounds in this place.
“It would have been the same if they hadn’t fought for it.
You don’t need a division of pia to fulfill the condition. If she’s in a hurry, she’ll sacrifice one of her own. The Godmother has no qualms about killing her own people.
In the game, this is a boss that requires the sacrifice of allies. Special abilities are unlocked when 50 or 100 subordinates are killed. The fewer subordinates you have, the stronger the ability becomes.
It was just that the sight was more vivid and repulsive than I had expected, and I panicked. A living hell of madmen and monsters rampaging.
In instinctive revulsion, Turkam covered his mouth with his hand.
“Do I really have to go in there?”
“You can leave if you don’t want to. But leave your car behind.”
Turkam weighed the risks. He weighed the risks of being abandoned and returning on his own, and of riding in a vehicle with Kim to the command center…….
“I hate both of them, damn it.
Eventually, I had to pick one.
His eyes squeezed shut, then opened, and he gripped the steering wheel tightly. Just like he had when he’d been tasked with guiding the dangerous men in Operation Ashbelt.
“Hold on tight. I’m going to fucking step on it anyway.”
Clearly, Turkam has grown since then. Whereas before, he was dependent on others to keep him going, now he’s self-determined.
Although there were only two choices.
Boom!
A car with a dented bumper raced down the road.
The slime swamp was still expanding its territory. It didn’t take long for the tires to enter the swamp.
I had no problems driving.
But the moment it touched the slime, the heads of the nearby monsters snapped back. Without even bothering to observe, they began to run like mad.
– मम मुखं दर्शय।!
– मुख,ं दर्शयतु!
Monsters with limbs that flexed like mollusks clung to the windshield. Thump, thump, they slammed their heads together. The force wasn’t strong, but the sticky liquid smeared the windshield.
“You leeches…! Team Leader, how can I not do this, this!”
“What am I supposed to do here?”
“Erai, then……!”
Turkam boldly turned the wheel.
The car swerved sharply, shaking off the monsters. The legs that stubbornly clung to the body lengthened like rubber, then snapped.
The wipers activated, sweeping the window from side to side. Traces of the creature, whether blood or saliva, dribbled down the bars. The texture was as squishy as it looked.
Tongue!
They were pounding on the ceiling when they got on. The creature flew through the air like a molten iron, slamming into the side glass. Tires crushed his fallen body.
“You’re so uptight, you’re not even that close to the battlefield, why do you keep crawling over here, and it makes me feel like you’re saying something.”
“Stop thinking and focus.”
“I’m doing it!”
While Turkam drove frantically, Kim tapped his radio. The commotion hadn’t even had time to register their arrival.
Sorry, Hyun, but there’s no room here! He appeared out of nowhere, even in the tent…!
Mr. Pathfinder! Gyo… Please……!
It was clear that the lab’s command center was also under attack. I felt both devastated and relieved. At least, so far, there hadn’t been a catastrophic death of a professor.
“Okay, I’m on my way.”
I cut the connection and cast a sideways glance. There was no need for words. Turkam frowned, but stayed behind the wheel and drove on.
As it turns out, it’s not too late.
In the stronghold, agents were resisting the offensive. Most of them were on the battlefield, but there weren’t many combatants, and with fewer monsters, the balance was precariously balanced.
“…… Hyun, thank goodness you’re here just in time.”
The professor was being escorted by several people, including elite Pathfinders, and she looked around, breathing heavily.
“Oh, I think we’re going to have to retreat, the odds are stacked against us, and even if we manage to hold them off, we’re going to take a lot of damage, and I was too complacent.”
“You need to calm down first.”
“I made a mistake, I didn’t know there was such a thing as…….”
The unexpectedness of the situation shook him to the core. I felt bad, but it didn’t matter. The professor is still growing. You can’t hope for a finished product.
“Let’s get this out of the way first.
First and foremost, the professor must regain his composure. Kim scanned the camp with his eyes. But he didn’t see anyone he was looking for.
“And Asterike?”
“Huh? Well, I’ve got them queued up in the barracks….”
My head jerked up at the answer.
“In the middle of all this, you’re just sitting there?”
“I’m sorry, I said I’d wait until you got here.”
“Why are you apologizing for that?”
My head is spinning.
Problems that had been put off were coming to the forefront. The dissonance created by Kim’s behavior that didn’t exist in the original scenario.
The change couldn’t be all positive.
I approached the command barracks and pulled back the cloth. Sure enough, Asterike was crouched in the corner. Like a dog waiting impatiently for his master to return.
“String?”
Her dull eyes have come alive, her face brightens like a flower bud. The expression that I had thought was pleasant to look at before was now bitter.
I had to think about what it looked like before the change.
It means he’s always so expressionless in front of other people. He might open up to Chelsea, but only to a degree.
If there was a precursor, it was there.
Kim wasn’t completely oblivious. Asterique is still lapping, and she remained aloof against Ainoa.
Of course, you don’t have to be nice. At first, Kim didn’t think much of it. Even if he was mean to others, he was good at following himself, so there was no problem.
But it was at this moment that it became clear.
Asterique has no self-awareness. There is no awareness that he is ‘doing’ anything. They don’t react to external stimuli on their own, and they don’t make decisions.
‘Ast was supposed to be blunt.’
Not this one. It’s dangerous as it is.
“……I’m not in a position to comment.
We’ve always relied on Asterike when it matters. This time was no different. Using her was the most effective solution I could think of off the top of my head.
It always ends up like this.
“Asterike, wake up.”
Asterique scrambled to her feet without a word. She walks right up to me and smiles broadly. Despite the screams and gunfire outside.
“What can I do?”
Where.
Once again, I hesitated.
I don’t know if I should really hold the sword, if I should lean on Asterike as I always do, reassuring her that there’s nothing wrong with her as she is.
The importance of Kim Yi Hyun in her life has grown out of control. Even if she completely loses her independence and becomes a puppet.
It may be a valid strategy for survival. You have a powerful agent at your disposal. You don’t have to worry about disobeying orders, you’re like a machine.
“……I can, is that okay?
Do you truly want to be the Asta you’ve been watching from beyond the display, the Asteriske you’ve been holding closest to your heart.
The answer came quickly.
“No, thanks.”
“……?”
Kim searched through the medicine cabinet in his tent. Command barracks. There was one medicine here, just in case.
Plastic bottles without name tags.
I looked down at the Helixibir in my hand.
This is the third time, and the second time today alone.
My mouth is dry and my heart is beating faster. I feel like I’m standing on a cliff.
Maybe, maybe.
If you take one step further.
I wonder if there’s no turning back.
“What is that?”
“Nutrition.”
He casually shoves the helixivir into his pocket, not that it’s urgent enough to administer immediately. There are many agents on the battlefield.
If you put it together, it might work.
“If you don’t want to fight, stay here.”
Kim turned on his heel.
* * *
……Ah, crap, you jingling bastards. The saw blade won’t eat!
Mr. Pathfinder, is your professor safe!
Keep your eyes peeled, Leila!
It was like a marketplace.
I could understand it. Even the command center has been invaded by the black liquid, and unidentified creatures are attacking the agents. The battlefield would be even worse.
Large-scale operations involving dozens of operatives are rare, let alone this one. Most have never seen war. Only a few have military backgrounds.
I get it, but still.
“You guys shouldn’t be doing this.
Rosetta, Leila, Pathfinder. That’s what elite agents who are supposed to lead their men do. I could see how confused the others would be.
“I don’t like it.
Once I started to look at them, I felt like they were all troublemakers. The professor, who was supposed to calm them down, didn’t trust my judgment, and it was aesthetically pleasing.
It got a little unbearable.
“Shut up.”
So I said out loud.
“You’re all sitting around talking on your radios, do you even have your heads screwed on straight, and your professor is broken because of this shit.”
You asshole, what are you saying now…….
“I’m not done, shut up. Why are you guys on the battlefield in the first place? Your default stance should have been to wait until something happens or you see an opportunity.”
Kim snorted.
“I’m guessing you’re the ones who worshiped the professor. If you’re going to do his bidding, why have him command you?”
I felt a sense of relief after I said it.
This was a common problem in the community. I’m not sure if it’s the placenta or the fact that my boss is a dick.
Name-calling during operations is standard. The professor’s instructions were interrupted on more than one occasion, and while this was done to give the characters a sense of development and personality, it also came across as uncomfortable.
In real life, there were times when I felt like I was being a bit of a dick, so I let it slide. But the thought of plugging in Helixivir twice a day made me nervous.
A quick shot and the noise was gone.
Then Kim got down to business.
“Gathering intel first. I told you the weapon doesn’t work well.”
That’s right. Chapters are useless. Blades rarely work.
Ghost got back to me right away.
The hits seem to be valid, but they’re better than that. Tricky to play against.
I know.
The Godmother’s spell opens a ‘sanctuary’. This is a setting that calls forth creatures that exist somewhere separate from this world. The creatures that emerge from the Sanctuary are named Metunaf in the game.
‘It’s time for the physical dealer gorosh to start.
Each one has unusual physical immunity. Even Rosetta, which has a higher hit point than West Creek, can’t handle them easily. Just in time for free-to-play users to feel the wall once again.
The key unit is the Magic Dealer.
“Leila, how’s your spelling?”
It’s working pretty well, I don’t think I can kill them outright, but I can stall their movement.
“Alright, fight with spells as much as possible. The rest of you focus on cover. Even if you don’t have the means to attack, you’ll be a good meat shield.”
The distinction between physical and magical damage in the Polaris universe. In general, ‘magic’ is applied to attacks that are inflicted directly using spells rather than physical enhancements.
Leila’s Blitz is a prime example. and,
“Tongue, strings. What should I do…?”
Asterike asked hesitantly as she followed Kim out. She looked very nervous as she gingerly fiddled with her collar, waiting for Kim to give her instructions.
“I can hit an astro counter.
Polaris is a game where damage and resistance calculations are the foundation of your strategy. With massive magic damage and fixed damage from talents, Ast’s presence is invaluable.
But we shouldn’t go there for now.
It only reinforces the perception that it’s okay as it is. It’s not only bad for Kim and Asterique, it’s bad for rap.
You have to feel the need to change.
“Protect the professor, that’s all.”
Kim pulled her hand away from Asterike’s. She handed it to the professor, who rolled his eyes and watched her carefully. Uncharacteristically, he didn’t offer her a sword, but empty-handed.
From that alone, Asterike understood what Kim meant. She’d decided she wasn’t going to be used. She’d been deemed useless.
“……Yes. I will.”
I didn’t say it was okay, or that I could do it, because I was afraid of being thought of as annoying. If I was hated, I would have nothing to fall back on.
What she didn’t realize was that this dependent thinking was a problem. She wasn’t the only one to blame; Kim was also responsible for what happened to her.
It wasn’t something to think about now.
“I leave it to you from here.”
He looked the professor squarely in the eye.
“Get your shit together and take command. If I can do it, you can do it.”
It was an obvious statement.
As a former player.