Chapter 188: Changes
Translator: Dess Editor: Efydatia
As Kieran's attention was focused on the heart, information about the heart popped up in his vision.
[Name: Devil's Heart]
[Type: Organ]
[Rarity: Epic]
[Attributes: ?]
[Effects: ?]
[Prerequisites: ?]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a heart that once belonged to a Devil Lord!
...
Comparing the information that was given to him, Kieran stared intensely at the heart in the crystal box. His expression was serious.
Not just because of the many question marks he saw, but also because of the sudden change to the heart's beating.
The change was as obvious as a wild tiger turning into a tame rabbit.
Kieran believed that he would need a special method to keep the heart, but then what?
He didn't worry anymore. His mind was filled with thoughts about the reason the [Devil's Heart] was beating differently.
"Why did it change?"
Kieran unconsciously looked through the notification log, but there was no mention of it.
"Is it a bug? Or some hidden setting that I'm not aware of?" he guessed.
Without any further information, he could not come up with a reasonable explanation.
He frowned hard over his incompetence, but he had to bury the baffling question for the time being.
Meanwhile, he placed the heart on a clean spot in the garage.
Following Nikorei's advice, he did not recklessly transplant the heart into himself. He believed Nikorei was not someone who did or said anything without a reason. There had to be an explanation for her warning.
After setting down the [Devil's Heart], Kieran raised his head again to check the dungeon ratings.
[Special Dungeon: The Shaman's Partner]
[Dungeon Type: Mission Based]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Low]
[Main Mission: Be the shaman's assistant for three months]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating: F)]
[Sub Mission 1: The Shaman's Duties!]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating: F→E)]
[Sub Mission 2: The Shaman's Package!]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating: E→D)]
[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating D→C)]
[Exploration Performance: Normal]
[Special Rating 1: Fast Dungeon Clear Time (Rating C→B)]
[Special Rating 2: Completed an Extra Main Mission: Return to Alcatraz Island (Rating B→A)]
[Special Rating 3: Eliminated "Icy Killer" Wilco (Rating A→S)]
[Special Rating 4: Eliminated "Spectre" Gilfren Hatch (S→SS)]
[Special Rating 5: Eliminated "Usurper" Frostrill (Rating SS→SSS) Rep+1]
[Player Final Rating: SSS]
[Calculating Player Special Dungeon Rewards…]
[Player Final Special Dungeon Rewards are as follows…]
[Points: 10,000; Skill Points: 6; Golden Skill Points: 1; Golden Attribute Points: 1]
[Acquired Special Dungeon: The Shaman's Partner II]
[Note: Reputation has reached 5. You have earned some reputation to your name. Some natives will remember you.]
...
Since the Special Dungeon had a second dungeon difficulty, even though the final rating was SSS, the final dungeon reward was considerably lower compared to the reward of the fourth dungeon difficulty [Prison on the Island].
Different difficulty, different rewards. Kieran had realized this long ago, so after another glance at the dungeon rating to double check, he turned his attention to his newly acquired Special Dungeon [The Shaman's Partner II].
[Special Dungeon: The Shaman's Partner II]
[The Shaman's Partner II: Time flies. It's already two years since the last incident, and the mystic world has undergone some tremendous changes. Nikorei and the five major societies have faded away from common people's sight, and a couple of scoundrels have started to misbehave on the West Coast. Elli Jones had sent you a letter asking for help...]
[Main Mission: Starts after entering the dungeon]
[Remark 1: The Shaman's Partner II shares the same universe as The Shaman's Partner and Prison on the Island.]
[Remark 2: The Special Dungeon will not be counted towards the dungeon entries of the player.]
[Remark 3: This is the second Special Dungeon of the same universe, so the difficulty will be the same as the player's first Special Dungeon Entry +1]
[Remark 4: The Special Dungeon requires the player to clear a single player or team dungeon. After the cooldown resets, it will automatically begin.]
[Remark 5: The Special Dungeon has a single player or team dungeon option. A team dungeon will grant all teammates the same authority. They will work on the same side as the initiator, and the Main Mission difficulty will be determined according to the different dungeon entry numbers of the players.]
[Remark 6: If the player fails the Main Mission of the Special Dungeon, they will have to suffer a penalty equal to the player's current dungeon entries.]Another Special Dungeon based on the same universe, except that there was a slight difference compared to the first one.
However, Kieran's attention was on the background of the Special Dungeon.
"Rei and the five major societies have faded away? Is it because of that 'thing'?" Kieran mumbled.
He had approached Simones, but he hadn't asked him directly about the matter.
Simones had obviously known what that "thing" was, but he had brushed Kieran off by telling him he had promised Nikorei not to tell him anything.
When Simones had mentioned that "thing" though, his face had been smeared with panic and confusion, which was enough to prove how powerful that "thing" was.
The fact that even Nikorei needed to unite the five major societies to face that "thing", even though she was extremely powerful herself, also proved how terrifying that "thing" was.
By the time Kieran had left the dungeon, he still had not found out what that "thing" referred to.
"Powerful and terrifying means more rewards! Opportunity and risk always coexist, yet with my current power level, I don't have the qualifications to join them!"
Kieran could not help but squint over the background description.
After a couple of dungeon runs, he had understood the underground game's motives. The rewards were always correspondent to the risk he took.
If he was willing to risk it and he escaped death, his rewards would be great.
Kieran was a little annoyed about the fact that he did not have the qualifications to enter the new Special Dungeon.
"I wonder... If I finish the Main Mission, will there be a way to contact Rei?" Kieran muttered to himself.
Nikorei and the five major societies would not just fade away without a reason. There had to be some clues and traces left behind. For example, the last place Nikorei had been seen.
The time frame of the dungeon was two years later, which reduced Kieran's confidence to half.
Time was a terrifying element. As it flew by, seas changed into mulberry fields and mountains were easily toppled. A small clue was a difficult thing to survive in time.
Then there was also the terrifying power of that "thing". Was Kieran strong enough to face it?
Thanks to the [The Shaman's Partner], Kieran had a general understanding of his strength level in that world.
He was at best equal to the average member of one of the major societies.
There was still a wide gap between him and the elites of the societies though.
It was almost impossible to face that "thing" at his current strength level, otherwise Nikorei would have invited him to join the Main Mission herself.
Of course, this was also because of the dungeon difficulty. If the Special Dungeon had a seventh or eighth dungeon difficulty, even Kieran, who lacked the strength to face it, would have to do his best to survive.
"Strength… Strength!" Kieran mumbled softly, his light tone getting more confident.
He was someone who would stick to their decision once they made up their mind about something.
Anxiety only pushed him to advance further.
Taking a deep breath, Kieran looked at his biggest rewards from the dungeon. It would be the only way to increase his strength.
He saw the hidden books from the chamber, the lab's instruments and the crystal ball.
He had brought everything back. He had even considered bringing back the experiment table if its weight allowed it.
For Kieran, everything he didn't know had a certain value. Even if it could not be sold, it could still be worth a lot.
The parts of the books that he could understand were enough for him to achieve his long-term goals.
"I need to upgrade [Mystical Knowledge] to Pro Level, so now it's time to study!" Kieran said to himself.
Before he could flip a page though, he was flooded by continuous pings from his message tab.Chapter 189: The Troublesome Prison Break
Translator: Dess Editor: Efydatia
In Harvest Inn, Rachel was carefully inspecting every single one of the glasses she had just washed.
Although the inn was not as merry as during Kieran's last visit, he liked this peaceful atmosphere better.
Rachel disagreed, as this meant less business for her. The person who had caused it would definitely not be treated nicely by her.
"Welcome," she greeted Kieran with extreme coldness, not even turning her head around.
The system had notified her as soon as he had entered the room.
"Good day, Rachel!"
Kieran knew perfectly well why she was so cold to him, so he did not express any dissatisfaction. After replying politely, he walked up to the table where Lawless was sitting, which was the one furthest away from the bar.
As one of the accomplices that had caused the scene, Lawless had it worst than Kieran. The glass of water in front of him was proof enough.
To an alcoholic in a tavern, water tasted more like death.
As Kieran walked over, Lawless waved in low spirits.
"Here, 2567."
Unlike Lawless, on the other side of the table was another veteran player who greeted Kieran with passion. The man looked familiar
"Hi, I'm Hanses. We've met here before!" Hanses stood up and introduced himself, extending his hand for a handshake.
"2567!" Kieran introduced himself once more as he shook the man's hand.
Even though he already knew Hanses' nickname, it was good manners to do so.
Then he turned to Lawless.
"Lawless: There is a mercenary mission I need to discuss with u face 2 face. Harvest Inn!"
Judging by the message Lawless had sent Kieran and the fact that Hanses had joined them, it was easy to guess who the employer was.
Kieran was just waiting for Lawless to explain the nature of the job.
"Because of the killer organization you discovered, every player that knows what's going on has become cautious. See what Rachel did to me as punishment?" Lawless ranted bitterly, pointing at the glass of water before him.
Kieran looked at him in annoyance, but Lawless soon dropped the act and continued, "It's a good thing though. At least we know what's going on so we can raise our guard. I hope there will be no more victims after this. That incident also provided us with a chance to find the organization. Well, of course, there's also been trouble. Everyone has started to doubt each other, and easy mercenary missions have become even harder because of that revelation!"
"Hanses here has that same problem. He needs help getting through a troublesome dungeon, but he cannot trust anyone other than me!"
Lawless's manner became serious when he was discussing business.
A troublesome dungeon? Kieran was surprised.
It had to be a Special Dungeon. Otherwise, how could it already be troublesome, when it had not even begun?
No doubt Hanses already knew what he would have to face before going back into the dungeon. This was not possible for a normal dungeon. Only Special Dungeons allowed players some small insight into the upcoming dungeon.
Title Dungeons were the same, but they did not allow team entries.
Every single one of the participants needed to have an entry scroll in order to enter.
"Is it a Special Dungeon?" Kieran asked Hanses softly after taking another look at Lawless.
If Hanses was willing to trust him, then so was Kieran. Under the circumstances, he was willing to spill something that could be considered a secret.
Plus, Hanses seemed to react well to it.
Lawless was no stranger to Special Dungeons either. Considering his dungeon clearance, what would have sounded strange to a newer player was nothing to him.
Hanses looked at Kieran in surprise. He was astonished by the fact that Kieran was aware of the existence of Special Dungeons.
He had no intention to hide this though. As Hanses nodded, Lawless dropped his poker face.
It was not news to him that Kieran knew about the existence of Special Dungeons.
Lawless had interacted with Kieran the most, so he could guess his general status based on the items he put up for sale.
"A Special Dungeon that even Lawless needs help clearing? Seems like this Special Dungeon is even more special than I imagined!" Kieran added.
That's because this dungeon has certain limitations. One, we cannot bring any equipment and items with us. Two, we might start out as prisoners at the beginning!" Lawless nodded as he briefed Kieran on the situation.
They wouldn't be able to bring any equipment or items inside the dungeon? They'd be in jail?
Kieran's brow furrowed as he listened to Lawless.
Kieran had never denied the importance of his equipment and items.
He had relied on [Primus Arm] plenty of times to complete a mission, and he couldn't imagine removing all his other gear either.
If a player entered a dungeon unarmed, their power level would drop by at least six ranks.
That was the conclusion Kieran reached after a short calculation.
If he added in the limitation of being a prisoner at the beginning of the dungeon, he could understand why Lawless had called the Special Dungeon troublesome.
Kieran would have considered it lethal.
However, there was also a burning curiosity inside his heart, which he had no intention of hiding.
"Although Special Dungeons are somewhat different than normal ones, based on my understanding, it shouldn't be that hard to clear, right?"
Kieran looked at Hanses, who was the one who had called on them.
"Here, 2567. See for yourself."
Hanses smiled helplessly as he PMed Kieran a screenshot of the dungeon information.
[Player "Hanses" Final Rating: SSS]
[You have acquired a Special Dungeon]
[Special Dungeon: Escape from Morko Principality]
[Escape from Morko Principality: You were originally one of Grand Duke Morko's elite infantry troops, but you stole the Grand Duke's treasure from his vault during a time of war. This infuriated Grand Duke Morko, who sent out his best men and captured you, confiscating all the stolen treasure. You have been thrown into prison, and Grand Duke Morko is planning on executing you once the war is over…]
[Note: Because of your theft, all your items are running a risk of being confiscated. Please choose your equipment carefully.]
...
Kieran skimmed through the generic message, focusing on the important bits of information.
When he finished, his brow was furrowed even harder than before.
One of his questions had been answered, but another one had taken its place.
"You were captured before the dungeon ended? Or..." he asked.Chapter 190: Blade Kick
Translator: Dess Editor: Efydatia
At Kieran's question, the bitter expression on Hanses' face got even sadder.
"I calculated the time before entering the vault, just before the Main Mission finishes, and the five-minute countdown! The guards noticed that something was off though, and they came after me. By the time they entered the vault, my time was up!"
"I thought I'd accidentally gotten a huge reward out of it, but it was only an accident. There was no reward. My actions made my ratings jump up by three ranks and unlocked the Special Dungeon, but all the rewards I'd brought back were missing! I'd brought back an empty backpack instead!" Hanses said.
Kieran's heart dropped at his words.
"Returning to the lobby is not safe. Given the circumstances, and the fact that the natives are blocking your way, your abrupt return was just a suspended deadline. You may even suffer some kind of punishment."
Kieran debated about using the word punishment, because of Hanses' actions and the dungeon description, but that's what it struck him like.
He randomly recalled how he had gotten back from his own dungeon and how a fierce tiger like the [Devil's Heart] had turned into a tame rabbit.
Although the two cases were not related in any way, the random thought nonetheless formed in his mind.
He let out a breath before collecting his thoughts.
"Your next mission is to go back into that dungeon?" Kieran asked.
"Yes!" Hanses nodded.
"How much is the reward?" Kieran asked straightforwardly.
Lawless had already laid it all down. It was a mercenary mission, so naturally there would be a reward. The higher the risk, the more valuable the reward would be.
"This!"
A screenshot appeared in Kieran's PM tab. It was an orange Skill Book.
Its name was [Blade Kick].
A Rare Skill Book?
Kieran looked at Hanses in astonishment. He never would have imagined that Hanses would offer a Rare Skill Book as a reward.
From what Kieran understood, a mercenary's fee was usually around 30,000 Points and 7 or 8 Skill Points.
The Rare Skill Book far exceeded that kind of reward.
"Don't look at me like that. I am one of the most adventurous players. I have successfully cleared six dungeons. Of course I have something good in my hands! Besides, this mission has its own risks. If I don't jack up the price, I don't think you'll agree to it!" Hanses confessed.
Kieran was deep in thought, considering the gains and losses if he accepted the mission.
After another normal dungeon run, he would have to return to [The Shaman's Partner II] universe, and if he wanted to get anything good out of it, he would need to be at least three times stronger than he currently was. Otherwise, he would not even qualify to enter the dungeon.
Kieran was not confident enough to achieve that after just a normal dungeon run, but if another Special Dungeon was thrown in the mix… Then his confidence would be boosted.
Entering the Special Dungeon would consume one normal dungeon cooldown, which was not in the same category as a Special Dungeon.
As for the risk, Kieran always did his best to explore all Sub Missions and Title Missions, which were risky enough to begin with.
Besides, he would already have acquired a Rare Skill Book before even entering the dungeon, which was the kind of attacking skill that he lacked.
This was enough to convince him, yet before he could agree to it, there were still some questions that needed to be asked.
"All the loot from the dungeon will be mine, right?" he asked.
"That's an unwritten rule among players. All the loot will be yours. All you need to do is fulfill your duties and keep me safe throughout the dungeon," Hanses confirmed.
"Deal!" Kieran extended his right hand to shake his.
"Rachel! Some wine here! We just struck a big deal, a celebration is due!"
Lawless, who had been quiet for quite a while, suddenly raised his voice in delight.
"Any drinks and food you and 2567 order will cost double!" Rachel said coldly.
"Double? Come on, Rachel! How can you be so cruel? This is not fair, darling! Come on, for old times' sake! Please..." Lawless begged her like a puppy.
"This is for old times' sake! You boys can still enter my inn. And you will pay me double interest on what you owe me as well!" Rachel told Lawless in an even colder tone.
"Oh, nooo!" Lawless ranted out loud before laying down on the table helplessly.
Kieran smiled over their little drama.
He felt nothing but gratitude towards Lawless, the only friend he had made in the game.
Even without Hanses' reward, if Lawless had tried to persuade Kieran, there was a high chance that Kieran would still have agreed to enter the dungeon. Lawless had not tried to persuade him though.
Instead, he had let Kieran finish the deal with Hanses by himself.
Kieran felt another wave of fondness for Lawless, the way he conducted business, and the rules he abode by.
As for Lawless' weak behaviour when it came to Rachel, only a blind man would not have been able to see that there was an awkward history between the two of them.
Kieran was sitting at the table drinking beer. The beer's price had been doubled despite Lawless' dramatic, childlike begging. The three of them continued their discussion and set up a time to enter the dungeon.
Since it was a team dungeon, they would need to enter it with team dungeon settings.
Kieran had just completed the [Prison on the Island] team dungeon two weeks ago, and it was still on cooldown, so he would need at least two more weeks to reset the cooldown if he wanted to enter another team dungeon. The same applied to Lawless as well.This new plan did not clash with Kieran's original plan though.
His mind was filled with all the things that he had to do in the next two weeks. He quickly finished his beer and left the Harvest Inn after saying goodbye to Hanses, Lawless and Rachel.
He boarded the train without delay and rushed back to his in-game home, 13th Wallway Street.
As Kieran approached the door, he picked up a sense of malicious intent.
"Who is it? Show yourself!" he shouted in the intent's direction, which was one of the dark corners of his garage.
One of his hands gripped his [Python-W2] as a new speculation formed in his mind.
"Is it the Killer Organization?"
It was a simple, quick conclusion, as he did not have many acquaintances or grudges against anyone in the game. The only ones who had a grudge against Kieran and wanted to rip him apart were the members of the Killer Organization.
However, their impatience had exceeded Kieran's expectations. Lawless and the other veterans were looking for them, yet they had boldly appeared before Kieran.
They probably wanted to make an example out of him.
The sudden thought made Kieran stare intensely at the dark corner, his ears open wide to listen to any movements around him.
He was afraid that he was not facing just one person.
If he had been one of them, he would have sent more men just to be on the safe side.
Chapter 191: Surprise Attack
Translator: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Haaaa!"
A strong, fierce shout revealed a giant, towering shield in the shadows.
The shield was huge and it blocked Kieran's vision from the person that was behind it. The pressure coming from it was intense.
Within the blink of an eye, it almost reached Kieran in a rush.
Kieran instinctively tried to dodge the incoming shield, but before he could make any maneuvers, he felt another malicious intent come from behind him.
Another attacker had appeared, creating a deadly formation with the shield bearer in front of him.
Kieran stood still for a moment. If he wanted to dodge from both sides, he would have to head towards the garage door.
But would heading towards the door really allow him to dodge both men?
Although behind the door was the game lobby, unless he succeeded in reaching the room, Kieran would not be safe.
The situation before him was clear. The attackers wanted to force him into the garage because that was where they were planning on delivering the killing blow.
Taking that into account, the area around the garage door had to be the most dangerous one. Kieran would only be safe if he managed to enter the room.
Even if he was one step outside it, he would be exposed. It would be no different than him being out in the open.
After thorough consideration, Kieran realized he only had one option left. He had to face them head-on.
Kieran was certain that his decision was predictable. The attackers must have prepared some countermeasures.
They would not be expecting his strength though. That would be the wild card.
The shield produced a strong wind pressure, blowing hard against Kieran's face and messing his hair. It made him squint his eyes.
Both men were less than a meter apart.
Although the shield was not sharp, based on its sheer dashing force, no sharp edge was needed.
The sheer brute force of it would be enough to turn its target's bones into dust.
At least that was what its wielder knew to be true. Therefore, when Kieran raised his foot towards the shield, the second attacker could not help but laugh.
This was way too easy!
Although their target had discovered the traps they'd set up for him, he was not that bright after all.
Still, nothing would have changed, even if Kieran had been smart. They had prepared tons of other traps, and every single one of them was capable of taking his petty life.
From the second attacker's point of view, the traps did not matter anymore. Everything was about to come to an end.
With a malefic grin, the man tried to go over to his partner to celebrate the success of the mission. Suddenly, something shocked him into remaining still.
Kieran's right foot had collided with the shield, yet Kieran was still standing there with one foot up. He had not been sent flying from the collision. He was standing on the spot, firmer than ever.
On the other hand, the tremendous shield had been stopped abruptly, as if it had crashed into a big wall. It had even let out an eerie screech.
The shield wielder had suffered a blast from the collision.
He had staggered away, the shield covering him exposing a tiny part of him.
Kieran's sharp eyes seized the opportunity in an instant as he raised his gun for a shot.
Bang! Bang!
Blood splashed out from the attacker's body.
[Shooting: Inflicts 150 Damage to Target HP, Armor Penetration Lvl 1 higher than Target's armor, 150 True Damage inflicted to Target, Target is Moderately Wounded…]
[Shooting: Inflicts 200 Damage to Target HP, Armor Penetration Lvl 1 higher than Target's armor, 200 True Damage inflicted to Target, Target is Lethally Wounded…]
The first shot had landed on the attacker's thigh. The sudden pain made the man expose himself to a bigger extent, almost rendering his intimidating defense useless.
The second shot struck him on the waist.
Suddenly, a bright white whip latched onto Kieran's right hand at air-breaking speed.
The second attacker had come to his senses and reacted to Kieran's attack.
Kieran did not dodge or budge. The whip had bound his hand.
The attacker's intention had been to stop Kieran from firing, but it was a futile effort.
The silenced [MI-02] appeared in Kieran's left hand right before he fired the lethal shot.
Bang!
The trigger was pulled with a loud noise.
[Shooting: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target, Target dies…]
[Player Killed: Shielder]
[Treated as self-defense through authentication]
[Categorized as an Honor Kill]
[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the player…]
[Total: 7,000 Points and 3 Skill Points]
[Received the player's house key]
[Granted the right to use the player's house]
[All the player's belongings are in their house]
[Honor Kills: 2]
...
The second attacker had witnessed the death of his partner with his own eyes. Without a second's delay, he turned around and ran as fast as lightning.
He was certain that, without his partner, he could not inflict effective damage on Kieran.
After only a few steps, a black chain latched onto him, binding him on the spot.
[Shadow Chain: Target's Strength failed authentication, Bound on the spot for one second, Target will suffer 15 Negative Corrosion Damage per second for three seconds…]
One second was not long, but sometimes it was the difference between life and death.
With the shadow chain's eerie touch on his body, the attacker's face turned pale in an instant. He took out two items and immediately used one of them with a shout.
"Don't fire, I'm telling you..."
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Repeated shots interrupted his words as a total of five bullets broke the Force Field Shield around him.
As soon as the Force Field Shield was gone, a shallow glow appeared all over his body, dissipating the [Shadow Chain]'s latch in fractions of a second.
With his bindings gone, the attacker started running again, even faster than before. He could not resist being bound by the [Shadow Chain] once again though.
The [Shadow Chain] latched onto his legs this time. A loud gunshot followed.
Bang!
It was Kieran's last shot at the attacker. It seemed like the man had run out of tricks to protect himself.
[Shooting: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 400 Damage to Target, (200 Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm)(Musou) X2, Target dies…]
[Player Killed: Correy]
[Treated as self-defense through authentication]
[Categorized as an Honor Kill]
[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the player…]
[Total: 4,000 Points and 1 Skill Point]
[Received the player's house key]Granted the right to use the player's house]
[All the player's belongings are in their house]
[Honor Kills: 3]
...
After killing the second attacker, Kieran rolled swiftly to the left.
Bang!
Just as he rolled away, a huge bullet was shot at the spot where he had just been standing.
There was a sniper!
Chapter 192: Cyber Law Enforcer
Translator: Dess Editor: Efydatia
After a side roll, Kieran landed on the ground single-handed, clenching the muscles of his arm.
The sudden boost of strength turned into strong force as he pushed himself back towards the spot he had just gotten away from.
Bang!
The bullets were a fraction of a second too late, but the sniper, who was hidden far away, did not give up.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three more shots were fired. When Kieran made his way behind a wall, the firing stopped.
The tremendous destructive force of the sniper was like a mini cannon, blasting the ground where Kieran stood. It was inferior compared to a real cannon though.
Still, Kieran was astonished by what he saw from his new hiding spot. The wall that he had just been taking cover behind a moment ago had been blasted into pieces along with a big chunk of the building.
It was not a rocket launcher, but a real cannon.
"There are players that can use cannons?"
Kieran could not imagine how a player could even use a cannon inside the dungeon world.
The sheer size and weight of them was not something a single person could handle. There had to be a whole team.
This was the only possible explanation.
Kieran's speculations made his heart tremble with delayed panic.
If he had not been thinking about counterattacking, he might have taken a cannon blast on the face.
Kieran knew what would have happened to him if he had still been at the spot when the almost eight-meter wide cannon crater had eliminated all obstacles.
Even with [Primus Scale], he would have still been crushed to bits. The attackers would not have prepared just a single shot after all.
Kieran took out his [Jagdtiger-X1] and tried to spot the sniper through the scope. He believed the sniper was also looking for him.
The Musou Level [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)]'s special effect [Unparalleled Aim] boosted his Intuition to B- rank in an instant.
Kieran's view was becoming clearer by the second, his enemies now more obvious than ever.
Bang!
Kieran pulled the trigger before quickly moving away from his current spot.
[Shooting: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 400 Damage to Target HP (200 Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)(Pro) X2), Target has Magnetic Force Field, Bullets are ineffective, 0 True Damage inflicted to Target…]
...
The notification that popped up shocked Kieran, but he did not dare stop just because he was surprised.
The roaring sound of the cannon was heard again.
Boom!
The huge shockwave sent Kieran flying.
The moment he fell on the ground, he rolled quickly to the side and stood up. He kept running towards his original destination to take cover.
Musou Level [Evading] not only allowed him to dodge incoming fire, but it also helped him minimize damage if he could not avoid it.
"Magnetic Force Field? What the hell is that?"
Kieran was not familiar with the term, but he understood what it could do. The Magnetic Force Field had negated his lethal attack and rendered his bullets useless.
Kieran was in awe of the attacker's equipment.
This new wave of attacks was completely different from the previous two, otherwise they would have taken the chance when Kieran and Shielder brawled it out with brute strength.
The strength of this new wave of enemies shed light on the situation.
Kieran was hiding in a dark corner checking his own wounds.Shock Wave: Target inflicts 150 Damage to your HP, Protective Tessirot Blessing resisted a portion of Damage, 100 True Damage inflicted to HP…]
...
The damage from the cannon shockwave exceeded Kieran's wildest expectations.
Even though Kieran had gotten away from the blasting range, he was still affected by the after wave and had suffered an amount of damage.
The high damage and the negation of his attacks left him only once choice. He had to call reinforcements.
He would need at least one more person to help him locate the cannon.
"2567: Under attack, help!"
Kieran quickly messaged Lawless for help, but it was not Lawless who came to his aid first.
It was a squad of a dozen cyber law enforcers in black and blue, with an obvious police badge on them.
The cyber law enforcers appeared out of thin air and approached Kieran. One of them spoke in a mechanical voice, "Please remain calm. Your safety is our priority."
It seemed to be establishing its credibility.
The robot opened its hands and a 10-inch hologram appeared before Kieran.
The projection was showing two scenes at once.
One of them was someone carrying a sniper rifle and running for their life, and the second one was four men swiftly dismantling a cannon.
No matter how quick they were though, the cyber law enforcers were one step ahead.
In the projections, Kieran could clearly see two squads of cyber law enforcers surrounding the sniper and the players dismantling the cannon.
The sniper put his hands up in the air, but two of the four players around the cannon tried to resist.
The cyber law enforcers fired a bright red laser beam from their eyes and pierced the players' bodies with ease.
"Laser weapons?" Kieran shivered a bit.
Back in the real world, the Union's most elite force of law enforcers were using laser weapons as well.
Kieran kept an eye on the news because his army service would be due soon, but he would never have thought he would get to see a laser weapon in the game.
"Player 2567, the attackers assaulting you have been captured. Any resistance has been eliminated."
"You are safe again. You have 3 Honor Kill Points, and you will receive 3% of their total wealth as compensation!"
After the mechanical voice finished speaking, the squad of cyber law enforcers left.
[Authenticated player has 3 Honor Kill Points, Player will receive 3% of the attacker's total wealth as compensation (including but not limited to equipment, items, Points, and Skill Points)]
[Calculating Compensation…]
[Player's Final Compensation: 15,000 Points.]
...
"Is this what Honor Kill Points are for?"
Kieran was extremely surprised when he found out what the real use of the mysterious Honor Kill Points was.
With a sudden heartache, he realized that if 3% of the players' total wealth equaled 15,000 Points of compensation, then 100% would have equaled 500,000 Points.
Ugh! The thought alone made Kieran's heartache stronger. He was having trouble breathing. He felt as if something important was just beyond his grasp.
"Honor kill... Honor kill..." Kieran mumbled softly.
When Lawless rushed to the scene, Kieran looked at him with an immensely serious expression.
"When you go after the Killer Organization, you have to take me with you!" he said, emphasizing each word.
"Wh… what? Are you okay, 2567?" Lawless asked worriedly, baffled by Kieran's sudden gibberish.
"I'm fine, just a little hurt. So, any news from the Harvest Inn?" Kieran shook his head, asking a random question.
"A couple of my buddies searched the area, but nothing!" Lawless sighed.
Kieran frowned. If the attackers had known where to find him, then there had to be someone following him, not only at his own house, but at the Harvest Inn as well. A spy from the Killer Organization had to be somewhere around.
This was the conclusion he had reached, yet he did not suspect Lawless.
If Lawless said so, then his team must have been searching hard, but not come up with anything.
If the Organization was out there though, its members must have left some traces.
"I want to go have a look. Is that okay?" Kieran asked.
He believed Lawless, but that did not mean that he would not use his [Tracking] to his advantage.
Kieran was sure his special skill would be particularly useful in this case.
"Sure, of course. Let's walk over. I'm curious about what happened here though."
Lawless nodded with a smile before pointing at the blasted ruins and debris all around them.
He did not mind Kieran volunteering to join his crusade. It was what he wished for as well.
Even though Kieran had a low dungeon entry number, he had seen his formidable strength with his own eyes.
Lawless was about to turn around and leave.
"Hold on, there's also something else!"
Kieran went inside his room. He had not forgotten the methods the first wave of attackers had used.
He was curious about how Correy and Shielder had rigged up his door.
Before Kieran could venture another step deeper though, he was pulled back by Lawless hard.
"Wait!" Lawless said with furrowed eyebrows.
His eyes were locked on the entrance to Kieran's room.