Chapter 90

Chabak!
The winds have melted Metunaf. It lost its form and returned to the swamp. One by one, his enemies, no matter how many times he struck and slashed, died.
“Ha, ha, ha…! I did it…!”
“Good job, you’ve worked hard.”
“No, thanks for the cover!”
Four-star agent Keita exclaimed with a wistful look on her face.
A character with a very simple spell, which is to create a blast of wind. Like Turkam, he is not well-regarded. He suffers from a severely underpowered offense.
This is especially true in the real world. You’re better off with a knife or a gun than a fuel-inefficient spell.
However, there are times when you need them.
“There’s no guarantee this will be the end of it. Stay vigilant.”
“Yes. Don’t worry. I’ll keep my eyes open.”
He was a good-looking young man. Kim patted him on the shoulder in encouragement. The young man, who had been a reserve agent not long ago, was in full military gear.
‘Somehow, the characters who were in the lower ranks are playing small roles.
In a way, it was inevitable: five- and six-star agents with distinct personalities, many of whom didn’t fit together like water and oil.
Organizations don’t work with just one person with a strong ego. The reason Labs has survived to this point is because of the support of many people behind the scenes.
“Let’s see if we can get this straightened out.
The commotion at the command center had mostly died down. Not many Metunaf showed up here in the first place. They didn’t know what to do, so they just stood around.
It was time to leave it alone.
“The problem must be over there.
The battlefield was now divided into three.
Command in the rear. A front line of mixed Bastiterra and Legion soldiers. Rapp’s men attempt to flank the enemy, but are cut off by a massed Metunaf.
It’s a balance that could tip at any moment. We need to act quickly.
“I’m with the ops team.”
“Are you sure you’re okay, you don’t look good….”
The professor looked Kim up and down. His face pale, his hair matted with blood. His clothes were covered in marks from the beast’s bite, though he had no visible wounds.
Everyone could tell they’d been in a hard-fought battle. Time for a break. Not impossible, but it seemed too much to keep fighting.
“You gotta do what you gotta do.”
Kim dismisses it with a simple statement. “He said, ‘If I can do it, you can do it,’ but that’s about command.
Your role as an agent is separate.
There are things you can do with your knowledge of the game, with your spells that create special armor. That’s how this battle is set up.
You can’t save the best for last.
True to his word, Kim headed straight for the battlefield. The professor’s eyes followed the vehicles leaving the military camp, then looked down at his hands.
The trembling had stopped.
“How could they do that?
In a moment of crisis, in a moment of agitation, he’s always there to keep us centered. Without displaying any inimitable power, just a few words and a few actions.
While his demeanor may be cold and his methods may be a bit abrasive, Kim has always proven his worth. After this battle, she’ll be in a league of her own in the rap world.
And on a personal level, Hyun was a mysterious man.
‘I could do it if I were you…….’
He doesn’t trust your judgment, but he trusts you anyway.
The Lab’s agents have different expectations of the Professor: they know him before he lost his memory, and they want him to be the same person he was then.
Kim’s faith, on the other hand, was in her current professor, which was more than a burden, it was a comfort and a confidence booster.
Raise your head and puff out your chest.
The pupils of his eyes shone with a steady light.
“Sure. Why not?”
The professor took a step forward. He couldn’t stay at the mercy of the enemy forever.
* * *
– प्रियतमा……!
A shield suddenly intervenes in front of Metunaf as he lunges at Leila. He staggers back from the impact, his head slamming into the plate.
Attacks on faces that are not dots or lines were definitely valid.
“Ah, Mr. Hyun!”
“Finish it first.”
“Yes!”
Blue electricity shot from Leila’s fingertips. The Metunaf screamed in agony as it was struck. His flesh crumbled in agony, dripping like muddy water.
Both are the result of a spell. A phenomenon worthy of being called magic. In hindsight, it was a very dizzying world of powers and mutations.
“Okay. Any injuries?”
“I’m fine, but….”
Leila shifted her gaze, her words clouded.
Kim checked that way as well. There were a few wounded, but they were making the battle more chaotic with their rampage.
“The wounded are becoming delirious. Annoying spell.”
Ghost, the man behind Leila, stood beside Kim. The normally calm and cool man’s voice was tinged with a sense of loss.
“Well, at least it’s better than the first time.”
He was right.
Rosetta, guide the five in front of you. I don’t know what their sensory systems are like, but they’re reacting to movement. The bartenders should slow down as much as possible.
Me? …Ha, I can’t help it, there’s no one else to do it!
Do me a favor. Spriggan, I’m gonna count. When Botticelli backs off, shoot. Three, two, one.
Botticelli, who had been standing like a wall, leaped wildly to the side. A shockwave flew through the crumbling Metunaf. Three bodies collapsed at once.
Okay, switch with Team 3.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Got it!
The professor’s command is sharper than before. His use of spells is impressive. He seems to have internalized the characteristics of each agent.
To use a gaming analogy, it makes good use of “turns”. It’s a strategy of coordinating multiple teams to buy time to avoid running out of brewers.
“The downside is that it’s too detailed.
Staffing and directing individual behavior. They even set the timing. It’s a long process. Depending on the importance of the task, some teams will naturally have their hands full.
This is something that needs to be covered by someone who can.
“Professor. Can I use Team 5?”
What are you going to do?
“We have to take care of the wounded.”
It seems like it’s better not to mess with it… Is there anything I can do?
“If it keeps you awake. Though we’ll have to treat your wounds separately.”
That’s enough, I’ll leave it to you.
I finished the exchange and looked away.
The location was already known. Operation 5 was having a dogfight in the corner of the ranks because they hadn’t gotten any orders.
Bam!
Rushing forward, Kim struck Metunaf with his shield. As he trampled over its sprawled body, it extended its tentacles. Before the tentacle could impale his leg, a blunt instrument appeared in his right hand.
A club with a light at the top, like a street lamp. Kim plunged the club into the metunaf’s perforated face. The head of the baton immediately sparked.
───!
Methunaf, who had been shrieking and shuddering, Chaptered into slime. [ZX1 Prototype]. The only weapon up to 3-star to have a magic damage modifier.
It’s almost useless. Not only is it underpowered, it’s a piece of garbage that drains after two uses.
“Go, thank you.”
Hedwig, a five-star elite agent, breathed a sigh of relief. He wiped the mucus from the tip of his nose with the back of his hand. In each hand, he held a pistol.
“No matter how many times I shoot at it, it won’t go down. Damn, what a pathetic little creep.”
“It’s nothing to be pessimistic about. It’s just a different role.”
It’s just a matter of preference.
Hedwig has a spell that accelerates her bullets the moment she fires her gun. A physical dealer with unorthodox penetrating power, even with 7mm bullets.
It’s said that tinkering with his equipment can help him overcome some of his weaknesses. This is not possible with Kim stuck at 3 stars.
“The professor has been informed. Team 5 will be under your command. Give me your instructions.”
“Leave those to the other team, bring in the injured.”
“Injured?”
Hedwig looked around and grimaced. Agents cowering and howling, screaming and swinging knives everywhere. His comrades were falling apart.
“I don’t think he’s going to come quietly.”
“Cut off limbs, beat them up.”
“……Hmm. I get it.”
Hedwig relayed orders to her teammates. The five teams paired off in pairs and headed for the rampaging wounded. Soon, a familiar figure was pulled in front of Kim.
“Black, black. Shamach, why have you forsaken us….”
It was Ismail.
Tentacles pierced his thighs. The man who had once looked so determined to die on his home turf was now sobbing and sniffling.
“Why did this guy come all the way out here and do this?”
Kim chuckled and emptied his hands, and a pair of pure white cloth gloves appeared over his palms, which he roughly removed and replaced.
“Hold it straight.”
“Well, what are you trying to do?”
“I know it when I see it.”
“That’s right, too. Sorry to interrupt.”
Hedwig, mouth agape, gripped Ismail’s arm tightly. It was just right. Kim muttered as he squeezed and unclenched his hand.
“Don’t feel bad. It’s all for your own good.”
Voila!
He slapped Ismail’s cheek without mercy.
“Meh, crazy, what the hell did I do…!”
Hedwig’s eyes widened at the sudden violence. He hadn’t even touched it, and the fact that he was holding it showed how sincere the blow was.
Hedwig quickly checked Ismail’s condition. His cheek was red from the blow. As his face swelled rapidly, a strange phenomenon occurred.
Ismail’s eyes come back into focus. His head jerks frantically from side to side and he takes a deep breath. Like a man who has just woken up from a nightmare.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, yeah, I’m on Bastitera…….”
It was the perfect moment of sanity.
Hedwig couldn’t understand the situation. How could a man who’d lost his mind after being slapped by a household appliance return to his senses?
It wasn’t that great, actually.
[Compassionate Touch].
[Rating: ★★★]
[Category: Auxiliary Equipment].
[Description: Ceremonial gloves blessed by a St. Lucian saint. Displayed in a museum, its power has waned over the years, but its blessing has not].
[Effect: Attack has a 30% chance to clear 1 Ailment on the target].
It’s more of an entertainment item.
It requires an attack on an ally and has only a 3% chance. In the game, you could also equip it to a special character that could attack allies, but…….
“Because reality is a little different.
People die from friendly fire. A punch hurts, and while you can be considerate and give it with less force, it’s meaningless if it’s not ruled an “attack”.
So I hit it with all my might.
Ismail was lucky: 30% of the time, it popped.
“Well, it’s just a piece of equipment.
Kim said to Hedwig, who looked up at her blankly.
“Next.”