There were three differences from before.
First was the time. Shadower appeared six minutes early. Kim Yi-hyeon did not know why, but it was not enough to worry about. This much fell within the margin of error.
Second was the target of the surprise attack.
‘Originally, he attacks Leila.’
This time, he had targeted Kim Yi-hyeon first. It was likely to reduce their numbers in advance. He had judged Kim Yi-hyeon easier to deal with than Leila.
The most defenseless people were Pavl and the Professor, but Shadower’s goal was not extermination. He intended to deal with the side branches first, then attend to his business.
And the third change.
Whoooosh!
Two daggers raced through the air. One toward Shadower’s face, and the other toward his right leg. Both were areas where flesh, not shadow, was exposed.
There was no probing conversation.
The moment a human figure appeared, Ghost threw his daggers, and Leila also took a combat stance instead of asking the obvious questions.
A shadow. Ash Wolves.
A Spell user.
Even if Kim Yi-hyeon had not mentioned it last night, they would have guessed that much. However, by directly exchanging opinions, they had clearly recognized him as an “enemy.”
Tsssss!
A pitch-black wall rose from beneath Shadower’s feet. The daggers bounced off the darkness. The shadow had been given physical force.
By the time that result appeared,
Ghost had already kicked off the ground. His upper body was lowered so the shadow wall would hide him. He approached with a motion that seemed to slide.
When Ghost reached right in front of him, he instantly changed direction and burst out. He drove his kukri into Shadower’s exposed flank.
CRUNCH.
The blade was blocked by darkness and crumpled. At some point, Shadower’s entire body had been completely covered in shadow.
Ghost swallowed his disappointment and leaped far backward. A sharpened shadow swept through the empty space.
Several exchanges passed in an instant.
‘That scared me.... I thought he was going to beat him by himself.’
Kim Yi-hyeon was beyond startled. He was aghast. Ghost really was an elite operative. Kim Yi-hyeon had not even properly seen what had just happened.
However, there was one thing he could say for certain. There was a large gap between the two of them.
‘Ghost is overwhelmingly outmatched.’
It was a difference in compatibility.
Ghost’s physical ability was certainly astonishing, but Shadower’s Spell rendered physical superiority meaningless.
He was no different from the natural enemy of close-range operatives. One-on-one, Ghost could die and come back to life ten times and still not win.
There was no need to fight him head-on from the start either.
“Stop wasting time and run!”
Kim Yi-hyeon immediately began running. In the opposite direction from Shadower, without taking out even a single weapon.
They were no match for him. Forget one-on-one. Even if all four of them rushed him, they would not be able to scratch that bastard.
Ghost seriously wounding him in the game? That had only been possible because he pretended to be dead and stabbed Shadower during the opening when his guard was down.
Literally speaking, fighting now was a waste of time. Unless they could unleash a wide-area bombardment, there was no answer.
“M-Mr. Hyeon?”
“Come this way, hurry!”
“Has he finally lost his mind......?”
Pavl, you fucker. One day, I’ll definitely send you back to the mines. I don’t care if I don’t get the work rewards. I won’t let you sit out for even ten seconds.
“Follow Hyeon! I’ll buy time—”
“Why are you leaving yourself out, dumbass?!”
To save Ghost, Kim Yi-hyeon had vomited five times before dawn. From partway through, he thought blood was coming out instead of stomach acid. It was a miracle he had not collapsed.
‘If he dies like a dog, I’ll die from resentment too.’
He would save him no matter what!
Kim Yi-hyeon urged his steps onward with firm resolve. His destination was the garage he had found last night. He remembered its location clearly.
Only then did the operatives begin following him. Leila, Ghost, then Pavl, in that order. Someone’s mouth, obviously Pavl’s, let out a fuck.
“You do have something in mind, right?!”
“I do! So shut your mouth and focus on running.”
“O-okay!”
Sssssss.
Shadower did not simply watch either. His body was swallowed by shadow. The clumped shadow crawled and chased after the group.
Pavl fell the farthest behind. After all, he was carrying the Professor on his back, and his start had been late as well. A strand of shadow stretched out, aiming for his leg.
Bang, baang!
Two gunshots.
Ghost drew a hidden pistol and fired. One bullet flew behind Pavl, and one flew toward Shadower.
Both struck shadows. However, the results were completely different.
The thin one chasing Pavl was pierced, and its shape collapsed. Conversely, the bullet crumpled against the shadow that held Shadower.
‘There’s a difference in durability too?’
The loss of the kukri hurt. The only weapons Ghost had left were a dagger, two throwing knives, and a pistol.
The instant Ghost thought he needed a cutting weapon,
“Ghost, use this!”
Kim Yi-hyeon, who was running at the front, tossed him a machete. This was no time to talk about how crudely he handled blades or anything of the sort.
[Caries].
A 1-star Special Armament that reduced physical resistance by 1 percent for 10 seconds on normal attack. It might look broken, but it could only stack up to three times.
In short, it was trash. But even rotten, a prized fish remained prized, and its blade was keenly sharpened.
Ghost easily caught the handle and swung it in a reverse grip. The shadow as thick as an arm was cut by the blade and scattered.
As he deflected the attack, Ghost naturally took charge of the rear. While running forward, he twisted his upper body and extended the machete behind him.
Compared to the sight of him standing alone against Shadower, it looked unsightly. If the developers of Polaris saw it, they would foam at the mouth.
‘Still, isn’t staying alive more important?’
Kim Yi-hyeon had no room to spare.
Even though the situation itself was flowing smoothly according to plan, Shadower’s power was more threatening than expected.
‘Does this make sense? That garbage is a normal attack?’
Bosses that appeared in Polaris had skills, just like operatives. Shadower, the first boss, was the same. He simply had not used his yet.
‘He must be frustrated too.’
From Shadower’s perspective, this was also a situation where he could not recklessly push forward. His special attack affected a wide area.
If things went wrong, it would lead to annihilation. That went against Shadower’s objective.
‘I don’t know how long his patience will last, though......’
The speed at which he approached was not that fast. Shadower could separate shadows and implant them into monsters or create radar, but there were various restrictions when it came to controlling shadows directly.
That was why he was only chasing their tails even now.
‘Although that’s a weakness only revealed in Episode 6.’
What was wrong with using it in advance?
‘I need to arrive before that bastard gets serious—’
Heat.
Kim Yi-hyeon sensed boiling heat. He did not stop his legs, but without realizing it, he turned his head and checked behind him.
And he witnessed it.
—Fwoooooosh!
Black flames flicked their tongues. Every object they touched was swallowed by shadow. Not only the building debris, but even the asphalt melted down.
That madman! Was he really trying to kill them all?
“Don’t touch it!”
Kim Yi-hyeon shouted urgently. Ghost’s hand, which had been swinging the machete, came to a sudden stop. Seeing that, Kim Yi-hyeon’s heart dropped for an instant.
‘That was close.’
If Ghost’s fighting strength decreased, Kim Yi-hyeon could not even guarantee his own survival.
Ghost sacrificing himself like in the game? The moment Shadower brought that out, that kind of option disappeared.
Special attack, “Flare.”
Its principle was complicated and endlessly long-winded. Something about compressing solar heat into shadows, and so on—a game of unrealistic settings.
However, its effect was simple.
It inflicted massive magic damage on enemies within range. It was on a level where even a fully raised 6-star tank had difficulty enduring ten seconds.
‘Though this is a game where tank value is low to begin with.’
When applied to reality, that tendency stood out even more. No matter how thick a shield was, a person was still a person. If a bullet was put into their head while they slept, they died.
In any case, the fact that Flare’s power was threatening did not change. From a newbie’s perspective, the difficulty of 0-5 was truly despair itself.
Once you learned the strategy, he was nothing but Shaeboong. But they still could not let their guard down yet.
They had to survive somehow and reach the garage.
Creeeak.
The base of a utility pole melted, and it slowly began to tilt. Old buildings collapsed with a crash. Black flames clung here and there.
‘It’s hot......!’
It felt as if the skin of his back were burning. He imagined his melted shirt sticking to his burned skin.
Even if it was not that serious right now, if he misstepped even once, he would suffer something far worse.
“M-Mr. Hyeon. Any more than this is...!”
Leila was panting up to her chin. She was an operative with a high dependence on her Spell. It would not be strange if she was inferior in terms of stamina.
Damn it. When in a hurry, there was Ghost.
“Ghost, carry her!”
Since dealing with the rear had become impossible, there was no need for him to insist on taking it.
Ghost understood perfectly and increased his speed, catching up to Leila. He grabbed the back of her neck, then adjusted his posture and lifted her into his arms.
Leila was handled. Now it was Pavl and the Professor.
‘God, those useless bastards.’
At least Pavl was around 4-star, so he was running well enough with the Professor on his back. The problem was that the Professor’s expression did not look good. The heat seemed painful.
......He had to make a decision.
‘I have a way to draw Shadower’s attention.’
The problem was that he would end up drawing suspicion afterward. Even if they did not ungratefully interrogate him, there was a high chance he would experience a headache-inducing situation.
Rather than that, it would be cleaner to part ways. He would have no choice but to live his own way.
‘Can’t be helped. Joining the Lab is out of the question now.’
His decision was quick.
“Get out that way, Pavl.”
“Hoo, hoo! What nonsense are you saying now...!”
“I said get out, unless you want to see the girl on your back die!”
Shadower. Kim Yi-hyeon could not know what that madman was thinking, but at this rate, he did not know what would happen to the Professor. Even if she did not die, what if aftereffects remained?
‘It’ll be trouble if she keeps collapsing during operations.’
She already had the setting of being frail. There were many things the player had to do from now on. She could not stumble in a mere tutorial.
“......Damn it!”
Eventually, Pavl changed direction. When the group split in two, the shadow stopped moving.
It was making a judgment. If it chased Kim Yi-hyeon’s side, then they could simply run as they were.
If not......
‘Of course.’
Shadower chose the Professor according to his original purpose. A look of dismay appeared on Pavl’s face.
Do not worry. You are scheduled to die from overwork in the mines, not here. After I return to reality.
Kim Yi-hyeon muttered inwardly, then,
“Carib!”
He shouted Shadower’s real name.
“This way! I have ‘EDA-031’!”
The reason Shadower attacked Leila’s group. It lay solely with the Professor. In the past, he had been forcibly implanted with a “Factor” as a test subject.
That mighty Spell was also power he had gained because of it. However, as a side effect, he always felt pain as if his entire body were being torn apart.
Afterward, he joined a certain organization and obtained important information. The information that the one who had created the Factor inside his body was the Professor.
From Shadower’s perspective, it was enough to make his eyes go bloodshot.
And now.
RUMBLE—!
The flames visibly intensified. Ignoring the Professor, Shadower chased Kim Yi-hyeon.
It was a desirable situation. Because he had briefly hesitated just now as well, the distance had widened further.
“Mr. Hyeon, what do you mean by......”
Kim Yi-hyeon pretended not to hear.
Not only could he not think of an answer, but from now on, he had to focus even more than he had until now. He could lose his life to an absurd mistake.
The garage was gradually drawing near.
“Hah, hah!”
How many minutes had they been running? Ten minutes? Twenty?
‘Is this fucking level of exercise really something an ordinary office worker can handle?’
He had been sprinting at full speed and even shouting until his throat nearly burst several times. Perhaps his physical abilities had been boosted because he had become an operative, even if only a 1-star.
Whatever the reason was, it was fine.
What mattered right now was that he felt as if he would collapse from exhaustion, could barely feel the sensations in his back, and was panting like some dog... but still.
He had somehow arrived.
BANG!
He kicked open the entrance door he had checked in advance and entered the garage.
A sealed interior. From the side, it was a foolish act, as if he had walked into a deathtrap of his own will.
Even so, Ghost followed Kim Yi-hyeon. It was not because he trusted him. What Kim Yi-hyeon had said a moment ago had planted suspicion in Ghost as well.
Because of that, all the more. Ghost believed he had a plan to break through this crisis.
“Hoo, hoooo!”
Kim Yi-hyeon gasped like mad. Not only was saliva coming out on its own, but his stomach also churned.
He ignored it. This was not the time to take care of his body yet.
“Ghost, get ready.”
Kim Yi-hyeon crafted [Glitch Knife] and handed it to Ghost. Its performance was not much different from [Caries]. As a weapon, it was enough.
Kim Yi-hyeon’s gaze fixed on one place. Not the entrance door, but the garage shutter. He was certain Shadower would come through there.
The stronger the sunlight, the clearer shadows became. In such a case, Shadower would try to break through a wide space. So that the area touched by sunlight would grow larger.
After checking the shutter, Ghost drew in a breath.
“What is that?”
Green paint had been applied without leaving any gaps. It was not only the iron plate. Green was visible on the floor and ceiling as well.
Messy splatters stood out in every corner. As if he had simply dumped the whole thing everywhere.
THOOM!
A roar echoed from outside. One second, two seconds, three seconds. The sound of destruction drew closer by the moment.
To Kim Yi-hyeon, it sounded as gentle as a campfire crackling. The breathing that shook his skull. The beating of his heart. Everything else was nothing but noise.
—RIIIIING!
Tinnitus.
For an instant, the world seemed to go still.
BOOOOM!
The shadow collided with the shutter. After the explosive sound, the thick iron began melting in an instant. Inevitably, the shadow touched the paint.
[Sticky Brush].
A 1-star Special Armament with a name that was not even funny. At the same time, an item many users had relied on.
‘It’s overbalanced for a 1-star.’
It was something newbies with shallow operative pools often brought out for boss battles. In particular, in 0-5, it was safe to say it was used out of necessity.
[Sticky Brush]
[Grade: ★]
[Classification: support equipment]
[Description: Once per operation, applies sticky paint to 1 tile. Inflicts a 10-second 10% Slow effect on the first enemy to pass through a tile painted with sticky paint.]
The exploit discovered here.
Sticky paint could be installed multiple times on a single tile.