Operation Ashbelt lasted two weeks in real time. Users could participate at their leisure, but in terms of setting, it was an urgent mission.
"The time limit is four days. Although the speed of progress varies from individual to individual, it seems that we will reach the border of the Kingdom of Vines in the next four days."
"Did you put honey on it or something?"
Turkam, who was holding the steering wheel, clicked his tongue.
"Why are there eight dangerous numbers popping up out of nowhere? No matter how I think about it, it's suspicious. What does our team leader think?"
I met Turkam's eyes in the rearview mirror. It was as if he was testing me.
Kim Yi-hyeon knew very well who the person who had been badmouthing him at the restaurant was. It was hard not to notice Asterike, who had been secretly wary of Turkam ever since the team was formed.
But he had no intention of keeping pace.
"I don't see it at all."
"yes?"
"That's not our concern. We just have to catch the monster we're told to catch and the job is done."
"…Oh, is that so?"
Well then, that's right. Turkam snorted inwardly, saying he hadn't expected that. The team leader's answer didn't please him at all.
'That's why you mercenary bastards.'
He was completely different from the elite agents that Turkam respected and followed. He had no sense of mission or anything about the activities of the lab, and he just did it because it was 'work'.
What's the difference between that and a machine? That kind of mercenary mindset doesn't fit with rap, Turkam thought sincerely.
The other two reacted differently.
"There's something, there's something professional about it."
These were Tatalia's words. She was quite impressed by Kim Ihyeon's straightforward attitude.
Finally, Shay didn't think much of it. He just sneezed, "Phuetchu!" Next to him, Asterique handed him a handkerchief while frowning.
'Haha. This is a mess.'
The team atmosphere was like that of the Tang Dynasty army. However, Kim I-Hyeon did not bother to touch it.
'Well, I didn't choose them from the beginning with the expectation that they would function as a team.'
The rarity of the three is that Turkam is 3 stars. The rest are 4 stars. They are all extremely poor characters.
Rather, the 3-star Turkam is said to be better. Even so, he is not easily used, so he is destined to never be able to escape the mines for the rest of his life.
There is a reason why I chose these lungs.
'You should look at the settings, not the performance.'
Through his experiences, he realized how important personal connections are as well as individual abilities.
Tatalia, who is treated as a waste, is the half-sister of a giant who appears later, and Shay is the adopted daughter of the boss of a large mafia organization.
'These are the guys who will be most helpful as long as it doesn't affect the main episode.'
It's a network that can be useful someday. You may feel dizzy from the sudden action, but think of it as insurance for the future.
Turkam? He was selected simply because of his driving experience.
In reality, having someone to drive you without getting lost is valuable, unlike games where you can get to your destination with just a few taps.
'It seems that Asterike has a real grudge against me.'
If only the car could drive well, it would be a good thing.
* * *
The journey took two days. Once near the Kingdom of Vines, the four teams split up, each taking their own direction.
As with the game, it was for individual defeat.
"I don't understand why we have to split up the personnel. Wouldn't it be easier to just handle them all together, one by one?"
It was Asterike's question. It was a common question among users. Naturally, the game company adjusted the probability to its own level.
"From our perspective, that's more convenient. But time is of the essence. We can't just deploy personnel, so we'll have to do some reconnaissance as well."
In Rap, protecting the Kingdom of Vines is the top priority, rather than quickly dealing with the dangerous numbers. It is a situation where we must respond simultaneously before the dangerous numbers reach the border.
"What if the agents get hurt?"
"We need to plan our strategy well to make sure that doesn't happen."
It was a phrase that ran through the entirety of Polaris. Whether it was an event or a main episode, you, the player, must lead well and protect the continent… … .
There are many ways to 'lead well'.
Thinking about it yourself or finding a strategy. Raising the level of the agent to suppress them. Spending money to create new agents or weapons.
The methods that Kim Lee-hyun will adopt this time are 1 and 3. They are no different from what he has done so far.
"I found it. Is this it?"
The person who broke the news was Chelsea.
Atop an abandoned transmission tower. Chelsea, who had been whining about not wanting to be dragged out on such a dangerous mission, was piloting a drone from a high place and exploring the surrounding area.
"Look here."
"Here you go."
As Kim Yi-hyun approached, Chelsea held out a tablet-sized display. It was a device linked to the camera mounted on the drone. The screen showed the image of the dangerous man.
A monster with scales that are as hard as iron armor and have sharp scales growing all over its body.
It looks more like a pangolin than an armadillo. It walks alone in the middle of the ruins without any group. It walks on two legs proudly.
"It matches the data I received. But..."
Chelsea trailed off awkwardly.
"What are we going to do with that among ourselves?"
"Hmm. It's bigger than I thought."
It was two or three times as big as a truck. It was as big as a building. Even just looking at it from beyond the display, its majesty was apparent.
"It's ridiculously large, and just look at that shell. It looks like it could take a hundred bullets to even get a scratch on it. But that doesn't mean the front looks soft either."
Even the parts not covered by the shell were well protected. The hairs sticking out like hundreds of awls had been stuck into them.
"Honestly, I don't want to touch it. Wouldn't it be better to wait until support comes?"
"There's no support. We've set up a communications network so we can cooperate with other teams, but don't expect much. I think everyone's situation is similar to ours."
"Then what are you going to do?"
Chelsea looked down after asking that question. The car was parked at the entrance to the building. The team members moved separately.
Smoking a cigarette. Waiting in the car. Looking around with exaggerated gestures and being on guard.
In Chelsea's eyes, they were all equally trash.
'What on earth were they thinking in bringing those people here?'
I had doubts, but it was difficult to find the answer. However, Kim Lee-hyun seemed satisfied.
Even so, it was hard for Chelsea to trust those agents. After all, there were only two people she could rely on here.
Kim Lee-hyun, who always seems to be plotting something.
And of course, the remaining one… … .
"Are you using Mr. Asterike again?"
"I don't really like that kind of talk."
"Well, that doesn't feel good."
Chelsea said, recalling an earlier memory.
"Even though I sometimes, no, often act like an idiot… I do feel a bit grateful to Mr. Asterike."
"Because you earned money for me?"
"I lost more money, right? Anyway, that's a separate matter. I think I've been blessed as a citizen of Cilicia. But now I'm outside of Cilicia."
A look of discomfort came over her face.
"I don't want to shoot Mr. Asterike twice with my own hands. I think I would shoot him if I had to, but that's my intention."
It was the first time I had heard Chelsea's true intentions, at least in relation to Asterique.
"Do you think I did it because I liked it?"
"Wasn't it?"
"…Do you think I'm some kind of psychopath?"
"Yes, a little bit."
Chelsea burst into laughter when Kim Yi-hyeon wrote Oman-sang.
It was a nice expression. In Cilicia, he always seemed like a gambling addict. After all, people need to live a healthy life.
"Anyway, don't worry. There won't be any more situations like last time."
"That would be great. If I were to live like you, sir, I'm sure something terrible would happen once a month."
"I'm saying this with that in mind."
Of course, I won't let Asterike just play around and eat. Didn't I say so myself? I wanted her to use me for her good.
Asterike was still the most effective tactic Kim Yi-Hyeon had. If she actively utilized her power this time, things would be easier… .
"There's no need to use Asterike now."
There is a simpler way.
* * *
Rattling, rattling!
The tires rolled over the bumpy asphalt. The military vehicle raced through the ruins, winding like a snake.
It was to avoid the piles of trash. If you think of it as a racing game, the player was none other than Turkam.
"Fuck, shit. F**k!"
Turkam's mouth was constantly swearing. Blood was rushing to his head, and his hands gripping the steering wheel were trembling.
The rearview mirror of the car showed the image of an abandoned city. The buildings were covered with strange gray sand. It looked like a sandstorm had passed.
And now, the city was falling apart.
Boom, bang!
A loud noise erupted from behind. The building on the corner was shattered, revealing a dangerous number.
The thing rolled its huge body around and rolled between the collapsing buildings, chasing the vehicle in a straight line.
The building blocking the road was being rammed. The building collapsed and the debris fell like a meteorite. The dust from the collapsed building was everywhere.
"어째 싸하다 싶더라니, 이 개새끼! 이러려고 날 데려온 거였어!"
Chijijik, chijik.
There was a sound from the radio, but it was unintelligible. The noise from behind almost drowned out all other sounds.
― … … up to the point of … 80… .
"I can't hear you, so just shut up!"
Turkam had been running away from the danger for ten minutes. He was given the task of getting the danger's attention and then moving to the target location.
It was extremely dangerous to even hear about, so Turkam naturally objected, but it was no use. The person in command was Kim I-hyeon.
It was a condition that allowed for the use of somewhat drastic means.
There were plenty of ways to make him listen. An operational area where no one other than his teammates could see him. The excuse that he had disobeyed orders. That wasn't all.
"Shay, Tatalia! You are all the same kids."
Everyone except Turkam agreed to the operation. Turkam, who had experience as a driver, took charge of the decoy. It was a reasonable decision.
"'Operations are always risky' is a piece of crap…."
Fight!
The roof caved in with the impact of the car shaking. It seemed like debris from the building had fallen. It wouldn't have been strange if it had overturned at any moment.
"I'm the only one in danger, you bitches!"
After the complicated course, an open road appeared. Turkam stepped on the accelerator boldly. The speedometer needle pointed to 120 kilometers per hour.
At the same time, it was an easy path for dangerous numbers to roll around. Even though the distance was gradually increasing, it wasn't enough to shake them off.
You shouldn't have ignored them in the first place.
'I did all this, but just try failing…!'
Turkam ground his teeth and drove the car. After a while of driving, his destination came into view.
A bridge connecting two regions. A river stretched out beneath the bridge. On the surface of the water, various animal carcasses and sand were floating.
The vehicle began to cross the bridge. The dangerous man also doggedly pursued its tail. He rolled over and ran across the bridge with great momentum.
Kim Lee-hyun was watching the whole thing.
Just before the vehicle ahead leaves the bridge, the danger zone is only halfway across.
It's perfect timing.
"Blow it."
The instructions were concise.
-Whoah!
A thunderous explosion shook the world. The heat energy generated by the rapid combustion phenomenon transmitted flames and shock waves in all directions.
A chain of explosions swept through the bridge. The central section, where the bombs had been placed, collapsed terribly.
There was thick black smoke. There were things visible beyond the smoke.
― … … Foot! Dying… Got it… … !
It was a scene of a military vehicle escaping safely and a dangerous watercraft floundering in the air, helplessly falling into the sea.
"It's finished."
Remaining allocation, one more to go.