◈ Episode 36

The expansion of the upper limit of physical ability. This was the message that appeared when the agent's record was updated. Kim Yi-Hyeon had recently personally experienced the blessing.

'I could feel it even when I was 2-star... ... .'

To put it into words, at that time, I was just at the level of not feeling any lack of freedom. Would it be okay to say that my body moved as I thought?

'Actually, that's pretty great too.'

Modern people who lack exercise do not tire easily even in intense battles. Above all, their five senses have become noticeably sharper.

And when he reached 3 stars, the changes became even greater. Kim Yi-Hyeon felt his body becoming stronger day by day.

It was like that even now.

Thud, thud!

Every time I took a bullet with my shield, the recoil was transmitted to my hand. It wasn't this light a few months ago. I even had to grip the shield tightly to avoid dropping it.

There is no need for that anymore.

Kim Yi-hyeon ran towards Noface, who was shooting inside the room. He hit him with his shield and shot him in the incapacitated body.

The series of events went by very easily.

'I wonder what the structure is.'

In fact, Polaris' character ranks are nothing more than in-game distinctions determined by the game company.

A higher rating does not mean that it is superior in all aspects. Although ratings are usually given to match the setting, there are often cases where this is not the case.

For example, a 6-star agent in the setting would be defeated by a 5-star agent in close combat. Chelsea, for example, is a 5-star agent with very weak physical durability.

In the end, the settings are more important than the in-game performance. The problem is that the agent named 'Kim Lee-hyun' was not in the game.

'I want to see my abilities at least.'

Based on his track record so far, he seems to be a balanced type.

A hexagonal character different from Chelsea or Ast, who are specialized in shooting and spell firepower respectively. From a gamer's perspective, it would be an 'ambiguous character that can be used anywhere'. However, from a realistic perspective, it was a good direction for growth.

'Because the skills and compatibility are good.'

No matter what equipment you use, you can achieve the minimum performance. There is no particular type of weapon that you are particular about. In the future, you will use whatever suits the situation.

'by the way.'

Kim Yi-hyeon poked his head out the door. As soon as he did, a bullet struck the wall. The hallway was now filled with No Faces.

'About six people.'

Including the numbers processed so far, there are ten people. There may be others who haven't come out yet.

'I thought it was just one of several strongholds. It looks like it's almost like a headquarters.'

There can't be three or four bases with this many people in residence. If there were, the underworld of Cilicia would have been taken over by No Face long ago.

It seemed that the power was finally being expanded. The passive attitude of keeping an eye on Asterike and just watching was understandable.

It's a good time to break it.

'I have to work hard now.'

Kim Yi-hyeon sighed and leaned his shield against the wall. He picked up the pistol that No Face had dropped and checked the ammunition. 7 rounds. There was more than enough for immediate use.

Then, [N13 Flash Grenade] appeared in the other hand. My bone rang out. My spells were also nearing their limit.

If I had made duplicates here, I might have collapsed from the recoil. Since I had already suffered the loss, I had to use it effectively. I mentally drew the locations of the enemies I had just confirmed.

'Should we start by dealing with the ones close to us?'

Kim Yi-Hyeon threw a flash grenade into the hallway. After a brief delay, an explosion occurred. The absence of unexploded ordnance was a great advantage of [Special Weapon Production].

I used the door frame to expose half of my upper body and aimed at the opposite side. Since there was no accuracy correction, I had to shoot carefully.

One shot hit Noface in the chest. He turned the gun to the right while controlling the recoil. The second. One shot to the side and one to the stomach.

There was also a guy who was approaching while sticking close to the wall in the same line as Kim Yi-hyeon. The flash grenade that exploded in front of his eyes shook No-Face's semicircular canal. He calmly shot the bullet into his staggering body.

That's three. There are three numbers left.

Kim Yi-Hyeon threw away the gun he had taken from No Face. He picked up the shield again and took out the [Webbly Mark] he had kept in his bosom.

'Even though Zantan only has two legs, this is better.'

In order to shoot accurately with one hand, I needed to adjust my ability. I was planning to deal with the two of them with certainty and then take the last one to close combat.

I ran boldly into the hallway. There was a gap of about ten meters. It was just as the No Face Three were about to shoot.

Rattling!

A crash of metal rang out from above. Soon the ventilation shaft was torn open, and a person fell out through the vent.

A tall man wearing a distinctive face mask. Ghost landed behind the No Faces.

Phew!

The blade pierced Noface's neck from the side. Ghost immediately released the dagger and extended his arm to the next enemy.

He grabbed the nape of his neck and pulled it in, using it as a shield. Bang, bang! No-Face's limbs fell limp after being shot by his comrade.

And the last enemy's face was hit with a bullet. Kim Yi-Hyeon removed the last [Webbly Mark] and approached Ghost.

"What about other people?"

"This is a three-story motel. Jenna and Pep have entered through the front door, and the rest are keeping watch around the building. If we chase down the escapees, we can find other strongholds."

"okay."

Kim Lee-hyun nodded with satisfaction.

It was a proper distribution of personnel. Support was sufficient with just Ghosts. It was also an environment particularly conducive to Ghosts' activities.

'I'm a specialist in interpersonal combat.'

This is the evaluation of an agent belonging to the lab. He also has experience working in the security force. Unless the opponent is someone with abilities beyond the standard, it is rare to find an agent as dependable as this one.

"If it doesn't come out, that means there's a hidden passage inside, so we should search here thoroughly. Hyun, have you found anything?"

"Not yet."

Noface's contact network. A list of organization members. A link to the companies that will hire them. Something crucial is needed.

Of course, the elements confirmed so far alone can prove that this place is a den of criminals. However, this is not evidence that it is No Face's base.

It doesn't suit my taste.

I've gone to the trouble of pretending to be homeless, so shouldn't I have more achievements to make? I plan to properly pay my debt to the National Assembly.

"Let's go for now. I don't see the other two."

"Who are you talking about?"

"The people who came here with me."

Ghost sank deeply at Kim Yi-hyeon's words. He seemed to be reluctant.

"Now, this is something I often say to Leila, but things take priority. Those people weren't innocent civilians. It's like reaping what you sow."

"Of course. Who said what?"

"Didn't you mean to save them?"

"What are you talking about?"

I was having some strange illusions. Kim Yi-hyeon gestured to the rear of the Ghost and told me to look over there.

"You can see the blood down there. That's what they shed."

Aside from the blood of the No Faces, other bloodstains were visible. They continued all the way down the hallway.

"What happened?"

"At first I thought it was two gunshots. I thought they were going to take care of it their own way since they had already done their business. Judging by the marks on the wounds, it looks like Noface dragged them away. If you follow them, you'll find something."

"...That's what it was about. I understand."

I'm glad the misunderstanding was corrected.

The two of them followed the blood trail that had stuck to the floor. They needed to move quickly as time was running out.

Ghost also used firearms actively. He even shot a door while passing through the hallway. No-Face, who was peeking outside through a crack in the door, fell down.

Not only the sword, but also the gun handling was perfect.

'It's definitely different.'

He is bold yet cautious. He moves without making any noise. Even though he is a former assassin, he doesn't seem out of place.

These were the skills that Kim Yi-Hyeon had to have. Although he had learned various things from the White Fang members, their know-how seemed to be focused on group combat.

'My personality is more towards ghosts.'

I prefer individual tactics rather than organic linkages. It starts with skills. It's a method of creating variables by utilizing various equipment.

'There will be situations where you have to act alone, just like before.'

Ghost will be a good textbook. Up until now, I've been fighting as I thought, but it's time to start getting organized.

Once the main episode starts again, I won't have time to worry about my skills. I'll have to get used to it as much as possible until then.

29 people.

Ultimately, it was Kim Yi-Hyeon and Ghost who took down the number. The No-Faces within the stronghold were massacred by just two people.

The blood trail broke off in the middle.

The two thugs were lying sprawled in the hallway, having been abandoned by the No Faces and run away. Each had a knife wound carved into their chest.

But that was enough guidance. Ghost was also capable as a guide. After exploring the nearby rooms, I was able to find the basement.

"Still doing disgusting things."

The ghost clicked his tongue and showed his contempt for some reason. It was understandable. The inside of the basement was quite a sight.

"Fuck! Save me, save me! Open this!"

Boom, bang!

Inside the prison, a man was banging on the iron bars like crazy. There were more than one or two. There were thirteen people in the left-hand section. There was no separate pigsty.

The right section, where there were fewer people, was in a relatively better situation. Three people. Familiar faces. Kim Yi-hyun approached the bars and called out their names one by one.

"Bounty Hunter Camilla, Outcoast's Bale, and Blueback. Is that right?"

"Yes, that's right. Are you from the police?"

"Similar."

It matched the data that Kabak had sent while explaining the incident. The spellcasters who had gone missing. Although there were a few missing, they were still able to be found.

Suddenly, something caught my eye. It was a strange necklace hanging from the necks of three people.

'… … So that's how it happened.'

That was a device to restrain those with abilities. It was a structure that reacted to the special substance secreted when using a spell and injected poison into the body.

This is a restraint used in the research nation of Ishrad, also known as the 'Ivory Tower'. In other words, Noface provided capable individuals to Ishrad companies.

It was called an offer, but in reality it was human trafficking.

Even though it is a first-dimensional inference, it is probably correct. At this point, when the Legion has withdrawn from Cilicia, they are the only group that would buy spellcasters like lab rats.

'Oh my. What a messy thing to do.'

I can understand why you're interested in Asterike. She showed off her outrageous abilities in the battles in Metro City, so you must be drooling.

'Then is the one on the left a standby for Noface?'

This clears up all the questions. The evidence of the crime is so overwhelming. Even in the Congress, he can swing his sword without restraint. It was a rather bland ending.

Yes, that was the conclusion. Now that the truth and the mastermind were known, the remaining process was up to the council and the police.

Kim Yi-hyeon came out of the basement, saying he would call his colleagues. The ghost that followed him also came up and asked about his intentions.

"Wouldn't it have been okay if I didn't let you go right away?"

"It's a bit too much for us to control. What if we wander off and run into Noface?"

"You're so cool."

"To be honest, we're just trying to help each other and survive. It would be nice if the police came and rescued us."

The police can give the citizens a series of speeches, and Dustborn leaves them with the annoying cleanup in exchange for leaving them with a pie.

It's a win-win business.

"We'll get our promised salary from the council. No, we'll get three times as much. For making us do this crap."

"Is that so? Noface had his eye on your colleague first. Even if the council hadn't requested it, there would have been conflict."

"You've been saying a lot of strange things lately."

Kim Lee-hyun snorted.

"That is that and this is this."

"...hmm."

Ghost shut his mouth and stared at Kim Yi-hyeon. It seemed like he had something to say. When he urged him with his gaze, Ghost shook his head.

"Now is not the time. Let's talk after I finish taking care of business and catch my breath."

"Huh? Well, okay."

Kim Lee-hyun, who had given an appropriate answer, rubbed his sore shoulders. The commotion in the middle of the night was slowly coming to an end.