Crackle!
A bright blue current struck the Ash Wolf directly in the torso, causing its bristling fur to quiver.
In the moment it froze, Kim Ihyeon kicked off the ground.
Thud!
He thrust the [Infliction Spear] into its gaping mouth. Resistance was felt the instant it pierced the soft interior. Bone. His strength wasn't enough to shatter it.
But there was no need to. Like the Speeders, the Ash Wolf was just another minion. It wasn't tenacious enough to keep moving after having its head pierced.
Thud.
Kim Ihyeon pulled out the spear and turned around. He met eyes with Layla, giving her a nod of thanks for her support.
'This is better than the game.'
Layla was a mage-type character who attacked with electric currents as her standard attack. It was a ranged attack that dealt magic damage. There was no paralysis effect.
Reality seemed to have its differences.
'I still can't quite grasp it.'
The line between reality and the game was blurred. He hadn't yet found a compromise. Thanks to that, he wasn't fighting with overwhelming fear.
'…Or am I?'
His hand holding the spear trembled. His insides churned. The wolf monster had a much stronger 'sense of reality' than the Speeders. A cocktail of emotions swirled within him.
"Hyun, what's wrong? Are you injured?"
Ghost approached him, a kukri hanging outside his sleeve. The blade was drenched in dull blood.
"No, I'm fine. But…"
Kim Ihyeon glanced behind Ghost. There were eight Ash Wolf corpses. They had piled up that much while he took down just one.
"Amazing. I see why you give advice."
"It's my job."
Ghost didn't use any flashy techniques. He dodged and slashed. Just fast and sharp.
Within that simplicity were dozens, perhaps hundreds of subtleties that a beginner wouldn't notice.
Pavel had taken down three on his own. Layla did an excellent job protecting the professor while providing support.
They were certainly not 4-star agents for nothing.
'It would've been a disaster if I'd come alone.'
They were above ground now.
They had just escaped the subway station. There had been a battle there too. This was the second fight since they had regrouped.
In other words, they had cleared the 0-3 stage. Ghost's death was approaching.
The agent who was two steps from death said,
"Is the spear the only weapon you can make with your spell?"
"No, it's just that this is convenient for now. I want to get used to it."
Kim Ihyeon was openly using his skills. He couldn't even think of fighting barehanded. And he didn't see the point in hiding his abilities from friendly allies.
'If I walked around barehanded, what would be different from the professor? I'd be a burden that can barely walk on my own.'
Why is he just standing there doing nothing?
Grumbling inwardly, he deactivated his skill. The [Infliction Spear] scattered into particles of light.
He had learned a few things about his skills. One of them was the duration.
If he let go of it, it disappeared after about ten minutes. But as long as he held it, it lasted longer.
The drawback came with prolonged use. Repeatedly creating the same weapon gave him headaches.
It was bearable, but… it was tough during battles. Two times was probably his limit.
"Good judgment. If you get the chance, it might be wise to also consider daggers and swords."
"Don't people usually stick to one weapon?"
"Yes, usually. But you're different. You have the ability to switch weapons during combat to suit your needs. It would be a waste not to use it. Each weapon has its own strengths and weaknesses."
He had intended to use various weapons from the beginning. Each weapon had a different special ability.
But he hadn't considered the advantages of the 'type' itself deeply. He just thought the spear was the perfect length.
"Once you get a feel for it, you can cover both close and mid-range combat. Do you know how to handle firearms?"
"I know how to shoot."
Originally a 26-year-old office worker. A military service veteran.
"But making them would be difficult."
Polaris's special weapons ranged from 1-star to 6-star. Given the variety in grades, the number of weapons per grade was limited.
There were no firearms among the 1-star weapons.
"In that case, it's enough to carry a pistol. Training is important, but skills don't improve overnight. Even if your abilities are shallow, having multiple options can be helpful."
"Where would I get a gun?"
"Come to Selbro Logistics Lab."
"You're going to give me a gun? What kind of job offer is this?"
"…Is it? Well, given the world we're in now."
As the conversation continued,
"Those two have gotten close quickly."
"Haha. Ghost was an instructor in the Harenhal Guard, so he must have a hard time ignoring good potential. Pavel often learns from him too, right?"
"What I mean is… they should be more cautious. There's a limit to meddling."
"Do you still suspect Hyun?"
"I can't help it."
Pavel said while rubbing his shoulder.
"What did he say? He was scavenging for scraps and exploring the area? Then how did he get to the station unharmed?"
That wasn't the only thing.
"Moreover, the place where the professor was found. To find that, he would have had to follow the tracks. Would a wanderer really bother to check such a place?"
"Hmm. I didn't think much of it. Hyun seems like a capricious person to me. He might have been curious. He has the ability to handle a few monsters if needed."
"…That's true."
Encountering a monster didn't mean he had to fight it. Especially if he was acting alone. Someone familiar with the area would know the safe spots.
"What do you think, professor?"
Layla shifted the topic. She had originally intended to ask the professor to lead the combat. To help him gain even a little experience again.
But the situation was ambiguous now.
Kim Ihyeon was included in their forces. His combat abilities weren't fully understood, and above all, there was a concern he might not follow instructions.
This wasn't necessarily bad. It lessened the burden on the professor. Ghost seemed to be concerned about Kim Ihyeon in a positive way too.
"I… I'm not sure. About fighting, especially."
"It's okay. Ghost specializes in combat. I just wanted to ask what you think of Hyun."
"To me, Hyun seems strong…"
His pale eyes turned to Kim Ihyeon, who was still talking with Ghost, looking uncertain.
"As Ghost pointed out, he doesn't seem used to it. Not just fighting, but his walking and observing the surroundings while moving… those things."
He then looked at Layla and Pavel.
"You two are cautious but efficient. Hyun, on the other hand, is overly cautious. Perhaps… this situation is unfamiliar to him. He doesn't seem as light-hearted as he appears."
Cough, cough.
The professor coughed, having spoken at length. Layla handed him a water bottle and then turned her gaze to Kim Ihyeon.
"…Yes. That's probably true."
Just because someone is a wanderer doesn't mean they are hardened. There are plenty of gentle souls.
They merely lose bits and pieces of themselves due to harsh circumstances.
* * *
Night.
They stopped moving, deeming it too difficult to continue. There was no need to camp outside. There were plenty of abandoned houses around.
The progress had halted at the point where they cleared the 0-3 stage. They had only encountered one or two more monsters on the way.
"Ha, I'm dead."
Kim Ihyeon threw himself onto a bed.
The mattress was thick with dust and had its stuffing sticking out all over. It was incredibly unhygienic, but he didn't care.
His body and mind were exhausted. The mattress's cushion felt too good to complain about.
No one else was in the room.
Thankfully, the house was quite large. Layla and the others had divided the rooms to rest, leaving him alone.
He turned over for no reason. Broken glass fragments were scattered on the floor.
Yesterday was a cramped studio apartment. Today, it was a spacious but trashed house. Such an extreme contrast.
'At least I'm alive.'
The sensation of killing a monster lingered in his hands. It was an indescribable unpleasantness. He would taste it many more times in the future.
It wasn't unbearable.
'I even ate without issue.'
Layla had distributed the food. Dried rations like jerky. The water had a slightly fishy taste. But it was still edible and drinkable.
Manageable. Bearable.
'Was I always this adaptable?'
Earlier, he had thrown a tantrum and screamed like a madman. But considering this, he seemed to be adapting quickly.
He felt he deserved some self-praise. But there was another concern muddling his mind.
"Should I save him or not?"
The impending future.
A powerful enemy would appear, and Ghost would die, teaching the professor the harshness of reality. That's how the real scenario would begin.
'Actually, it's hard for users to get immersed. The tutorial is too fast-paced from start to finish.'
Isn't that right? It's hard to feel sad or regretful about a character who briefly appeared in the tutorial dying.
It's more of a narrative device. Used to convey the 'kind of world' it is to the user.
'Even if Ghost
dies… I'll survive. I just need to follow the story.'
The critical point had passed.
As mentioned, he had adapted to some extent. Focusing solely on survival and living quietly, he believed he could make it to the mid-game.
However.
'Is it really good for things to go as planned?'
Ghost dies early on. A twist? Like he was actually alive or had his brain transplanted into a machine?
Absolutely not.
In this game, the dead stay dead.
Yet, there was a reason players liked Ghost despite his early exit. He still appeared in flashbacks.
'Polaris… how should I put it. The developers are cruel.'
The gacha system is nauseating. High dependency on weapons. No pity system, and the pickups are always doubly and triply in play.
'That's not even the worst part.'
The way they handle characters is ruthless.
These developers kill off characters first. Then they insert flashbacks to make players grow fond of them belatedly.
They show scenes of past glories… and then use these lines.
― Damn it, damn it! If only Ghost were alive, things wouldn't have turned out this way…!
― It's all… my fault. I should have died instead. Why did I survive back then? Why does a trash like me still live…?
― Professor, you're doing well even now. The reason the agents are dissatisfied isn't because you're lacking.
― Sure, I admit you're irreplaceable. But professor, Ghost died saving you. Just as you have your unique role, Ghost had his irreplaceable role too!
By that point, you find yourself exclaiming 'Ghost's the best'. How influential must he have been for the agents to burden the player with such guilt?
There's even a scene where the gaslighted professor monologues in a wasteland filled with corpses after the war, saying, 'Would things have been different if you were here?'
In short.
If things go as they should, every tragedy imaginable happens. I'm not sure how much one agent's life can affect the war, but.
'Still, if I save him, things should be better.'
Ghost is the mental pillar for the agents. He has connections in other factions. He would likely become a reliable figure for the player, the professor.
'There would be no discord between the professor and the agents, and the lab's growth would accelerate.'
The genre shifts from deep-dark fantasy to something distinctly milder. I liked the spicy elements, but that was when watching from behind a screen.
'In reality, mild is best.'
Decision made.
I'm going to save Ghost.
'Sorry about this.'
If someone lives, someone else has to die. 'Shabong' will have to make an early exit.