"So, Ace is very powerful, but he is also reckless and often makes mistakes. You'll need to take advantage of that if you want to take him down," Helena said, and I nodded.
"I understand, and I'll do my best to take him down," I said, and she gave me a slight smile.
"Good, but it is not going to be that easy. In this world, they created a system that is programmed into almost every human, but it is more than that. Humans have become cyborgs. This means that they have combined technology with their bodies. This allows them to get stronger, but it has also infected the rest of the world with a disease called Mechanized. Now, the entire world has been consumed by the Mechanized, and Halo is the last standing city. The city of Halo is over 1000 miles wide, and humanity doesn't seem to understand that they are on the brink of destruction, but the Mechanized is starting to gather in places," Helena explained.
"So, what does that mean for me?"
"That you will enter the world infected with Mechanized, and that you only have a limited amount of time before the world destroys itself. The other problem is that Grimora doesn't know what we do about this, and she is still staying close to Ace. This is just going to make things speed up even faster, but I already have a place for you to gear up. Ace is a seasoned hunter, and he has a team that is always with him. You are going to have to get rid of them, but you can't kill them. This is one of the more tricky targets, making this job even harder. I had been trying to get close to Ace, but Grimora got to him first, and then they hunted me down. Just know that Grimora is a Dark Divine Being, not a good one, and she will do whatever it takes to stay close to him."
I leaned back and scratched my head at that. There were ways to deal with people without hurting them, but that was going to be hard. Most of the plans that came instantly to mind would take some time or would see me as the dead one. On top of that, it sounded like these people were all trained killers themselves. This was a very large step up from my last job, but it looked like every job was going to be much different than the last.
"Okay, but it sounds like these guys are trained killers, right?" I asked, and she nodded.
"Yes, but you will also be infected with Mechanized, and you are a divine being. This means that buffs are four times as effective, and any debuffs as four times less effective on you. You take four times less damage, and you deal four times as much. You are going to have to work on killing some of the Mechanized first, so you can get stronger, but you will have a guide with you. Chloe will help guide you and act as your partner," Helena explained, but I narrowed my eyes.
"Chloe? the same useless woman that left me to do my last mission alone?" I asked incredulously, and Helena sighed.
"Yes, I know she is not the best, but she is the best I can provide. She isn't the greatest, but she has her uses, and she will help you. I will make sure of it. Now, do you have any questions?" Helena asked, and I nodded.
"Yes, I have a few. What do you mean by four times more effective and four times less damage? How do I use buffs and debuffs? What are the Mechanized? And lastly, what kind of weapons should I use?" I asked, and Helena nodded.
"Very good questions. I will explain all of that to you. First, the buffs and debuffs. You can use abilities that buff your stats, such as strength or speed, which will make you stronger and faster, respectively. You can also use abilities that debuff enemies' stats, such as their defense or accuracy. Those abilities will weaken them and give you an edge in battle. As for weapons, I suggest something like a spear or sword since those are the best against Mechanized. Also, the Mechanized are creatures that have been heavily infected with a virus created by a man named Dr. Malcom. The man is still alive somewhere and might hold the key to stopping the Mechanized from stampeding into Halo. Or he might just want to make it worse. I was never able to find him before I was killed," she said.
I nodded, taking in all of the information and storing it away in my head. I stood up with a sigh, feeling overwhelmed by what I had heard. It was clear to me that this mission was going to be incredibly hard.
"Okay, is there anything else I need to know? Or do you want to arrange some way of contacting me?" I asked, wanting to get everything taken care of before Chloe showed up and started asking annoying questions.
Helena smiled at me before standing up as well.
"No, I think we are finished here. Just be back here in three days at 9am. It would be best to arrive at least 30 minutes early so I can debrief you one more time. I am sure that my father will be in contact with you before then, and we will have another meeting face to face, but we are done for now," Helena said as she stood up and walked from the room, leaving me alone.
Man, my first day in this place was hectic, and I was pretty sure it was not even lunch if I had read the clock in the office right.
I leaned back in my chair and tipped my head back, using one hand to rub my temples. Then I sat up, and reached into my pocket, pulling out my black card and a small white disc. I checked my other pocket, but the Chaos Trigger that Jim gave me was gone. Or maybe it had changed into this white disc? I didn't know or care at that moment as I held my card in front of me. I still found it hard to believe that this was mine!