Cafeteria in the lab.
There were glances at the outsiders leaving after finishing their meal. One of them, a young agent named Turkam, spoke.
"Is that guy really helpful?"
Pawel was sitting across from him. The two of them were seniors and juniors who had joined the company at different times. Pawel took a sip of his soup and looked at Turkam.
"I took a peek at the training room last time, and it was a bit disappointing. I don't know why Mr. Ghost is so attached to you and teaching you. And lately, it seems like he's been doing something with Mr. Westcreek."
"Are you stupid? Why did you teach a strong guy from the beginning?"
"No, that's not what I meant…. I'm just asking if that person is worth it. After all, he's not even affiliated with a rap group, even with the contract and all."
I tried to lower the volume, but it wasn't so loud that I was whispering. The agents who were eating at nearby seats also listened in one by one.
The presence of external collaborators that appeared out of nowhere has been a major topic of discussion in rap recently. In particular, Kim Yi-hyun has drawn a lot of attention, as he is directly mentored by two elite agents.
'… … Here we go again.'
Asterike, who was moving the fork to her mouth, stopped moving her hand. Her eyes, glancing at Turkam, were filled with discontent and annoyance.
Although she had a good image thanks to Leila, the illusion about the Cellbrox Lab had long since disappeared from her mind.
After all, it is a place where people live.
Of course, they are kinder and have less evil intentions than most people I've met so far, but not all of them are as good-natured as Leila.
Should I say that there is a strong sense of belonging? There was a tendency to reject Kim Lee-hyun and his group, who maintained the position of 'collaborator' rather than a member of the rap group.
'Chelsea, she doesn't seem to have any clue.'
Chelsea, sitting in front of Asterique, ate her food regardless of what anyone was saying. Her face was as sullen as usual, but her jaw was moving well. It seemed that Rap's food suited her taste.
'The food is delicious, though.'
Asterique had already finished her second bowl. That was the reason why she and Kim I-hyeon had different timings for leaving the restaurant even though they had come together.
But my appetite suddenly disappeared. The agent's nagging voice continued.
"Isn't it possible to just suck the water out of it with rude language? Well, I think the director will take care of it, but I'm a little worried."
"Huh. Why are you worried?"
"Why? I'm also an agent of the lab."
Pablo accepted it and responded.
"Okay. Whatever you think, it's fine, but try to talk so that it doesn't reach my ears."
"So what? Do you want to attack me?"
"That wouldn't be the case, given Hyun's personality. He wouldn't do anything openly."
Still, he added.
"Be prepared. You might suddenly be called up for a dangerous operation... or your reputation in the rap world might plummet without anyone noticing, things like that."
"Huh? Hey, but we're colleagues who are supposed to work together, so why would you do something so shady?"
"You gave me the excuse."
Pablo snorted and wiped his mouth with the towel he had brought with him. Life in the lab was comfortable, but it wasn't enough to use disposable tissues freely.
"That guy's not the kind of person who would just laugh it off if a complete stranger ignored him. So watch what you say, kid."
"…Do you really say that?"
Pawel clicked his tongue inwardly at Turkam's discontented reaction.
He was a man who couldn't communicate. I wonder if he even knows what he's talking about. He's just putting a dent in the faces of Leila and Ghost, who had been helped by Hyun.
Pablo got up from his chair and glanced behind him. As expected, Asterike's expression was quite rotten.
This was a bad sign.
"Okay. Anyway, I don't know."
He ended the conversation and ran away. He had no intention of fighting with Kim I-hyeon. Even if you look at who was right and who was wrong, Turkam was at fault for gossiping first at a rate of 10:0.
It would be nice to say that it was fortunate for Pablo, who had been worried about a collision. Kim I-hyeon, who heard the story through Asterike, did not seem particularly angry.
"Aha. That happened?"
As Pablo said, I didn't laugh it off, but I couldn't take it to heart either. I thought it was a complaint that was completely understandable.
'Shadower, Snowfield, etc... Key information is not disclosed to all agents.'
Kushan said that he only relayed the details to the professor, Leila, and the elite agents. The chances of this being a lie were extremely low.
So, for most agents, Dustborne's perception is: 'Small, unofficial, but suspicious friends who will fight together anyway.'
It's bound to be hard to accept. There may even be some elite agents who don't like it.
'They're the ones who even gave a shit to the professor.'
In the game, there was a special situation where a ghost was sacrificed… but even now, it's not an ordinary situation. I expected some noise.
"Hyeon, don't you care?"
"I don't feel so good. I'm human too."
The problem was that I didn't have enough free time to get along with them one by one. It was a bit of a hassle to do backdoor work while avoiding Kushan's eyes.
"But it will calm down soon."
Kim Lee-hyun estimated the timing.
Five months after the battle in Metro City. The time is approaching. If the timing hasn't been delayed, the main episode 3 will begin next month.
And a little before that, there is an 'event'.
The opportunity to prove his skills will come soon. Kim Lee-hyun plans to use this event as a springboard to solve various problems.
* * *
the next day.
I went to the research institute director's office after receiving a call from Kushan. Inside, Leila and the professor were waiting for Kim I-Hyeon along with Kushan.
After exchanging greetings, we sat down. After a while, Kushan began explaining the situation.
"We received a request from the Kingdom of Vines, which has relations with Lab. They say that 'dangerous beasts' have appeared simultaneously near the border."
"Dangerous?"
When the professor reacted with a puzzled look, Leila added.
"A dangerous beast is a special type of monster. They may have certain abilities, like spellcasters, or they may simply be large in size. Either way, they are threatening."
"Yes. It is said that only eight entities have been confirmed so far. It seems like it would be burdensome for the Kingdom of Vines to deal with them."
"That's… strange. Shadow clearly controlled monsters with spells too. Could it be that Legion is involved this time too?"
"That investigation will be the end of this mission. This is the video data sent by Vines."
The projector shot light and displayed pictures on the screen. The Kingdom of Vines was physically close, and there was active exchange with Lab, so an electronic communication network was established.
The photos were all taken from a distance, so the quality was not clear. However, they were enough to convey the majesty of the dangerous beast that the Kingdom of Vines was on high alert.
Nepenthes, a body as big as a building. A black horse with flames attached to its hooves. A wolf with horns on each of its four heads… … .
They were all monsters that looked formidable. The professor and Leila held their breaths.
Kim Lee-hyun was rather relieved.
'The lineup is the same.'
It's a common subjugation battle. Another important piece of bait appears here. In the game, the truth is revealed only when the users have forgotten about it.
He knew all the details of the event. It seemed like the development of this part was not wrong.
Kushan's eyes fell on Kim Ihyeon.
"We're going to send out four teams. One of them will include Dustborn. Is there a problem here?"
"It's not a problem, but what about command?"
"...I was thinking of putting Dustborne's three on Professor or Ghost's team. Didn't you say you would listen to the command in an emergency?"
"Don't misunderstand. I don't intend to throw a tantrum because I don't want to listen to you. But I think the reason you sent us here is because you want to test our skills."
Kushan shut his mouth with a look of discomfort. It seemed as if he had been hit on the nail on the head.
"I guess that's right. So, wouldn't it be better to just leave it to one team?"
"Mr. Hyun, are you okay?"
"I guess I'll have to go see if it's okay. If I can't give you a proper estimate, I'll call for help."
"Yes, we will do that too."
Leila smiled bashfully, seeming to like the feeling of cooperation. The professor, on the other hand, was giving her a strange look.
'It's been like that all along.'
I met the professor again a few days ago. We didn't talk about anything special then either. We just exchanged the usual greetings.
Even when we met occasionally, we never had in-depth conversations. I kept the things I wanted to say to myself in my heart, but judging by the way, it seemed like she felt the same way.
This was also an issue that needed to be addressed before moving on to the next episode.
"…If you say so, I understand. But three people would still be too few. Let's choose from the reserves. How many do you need?"
"Three people will do."
"It's just right."
After Kushan agreed, he gave a request.
"We will provide you with the equipment you need for the operation. However, do not expect any more support than that. Of course, we will prepare a follow-up response team, but this will only be insurance in case you fail. Keep that in mind."
"Okay, I understand."
Kim Yi-hyeon answered seriously, smiling inwardly. It was a chance to legally establish ties with the agents.
* * *
Operation Ashbelt.
This is the first event stage to be opened after the game opens. It is a kind of warm-up event before the main episode 3 update.
'We all had a hard time back when we were newbies.'
It was a time when all users were equally lacking in agent pools. This was because there weren't many characters available to begin with.
In the meantime, you have to deal with eight dangerous numbers. Two each in the east, west, south, and north. In other words, this is an operation that requires the use of four teams.
'I somehow managed to fill up to three teams… but there were many cases where the last team was empty.'
Kim Lee-hyun was also one of the users who had a headache. At the time, he was only able to clear the event towards the end.
But now?
'What's wrong with just two?'
Special weapons up to 3 stars. Chelsea and Asterique. Supported supplies and up to three reserve agents.
It is a condition that cannot fail. Unless something ridiculous like Snowfield happens.
We had already decided who to take. When I suggested they join the operation team, citing the director's orders, they readily accepted.
"...Oh my. What kind of combination is this?"
Turkam, a former driver.
"Whew, hoo hoo. Finally, for such an important operation…!"
Tatalia, a retired rifleman who hits the target with an average of 7 shots out of 20 in live fire.
"Phu, phew!"
Prosecutor Shay has a special condition that causes him to sneeze whenever he gets nervous.
The three musketeers, as the users call them. In the game, they are a trio that boasts trash performance.
It was a very satisfactory arrangement.