012: NERV Agents!

The sniper inside the left side of the apartment building was ready to shoot Zero at any moment. However, from her zoom scope, she saw that the target was not moving; instead, he was looking directly at her.

A faint smile appeared on the man's lips, and his gaze seemed to pierce through her thoughts. At that moment, she hesitated to pull the trigger. Suddenly, the man disappeared from her sight.

Panicked, she told her comrades to stay alert as the target had gone missing. She felt nervous, and adrenaline rushed through her body as something felt off.

She tried to scan several spots with the help of her zoom scope, but she couldn't find the target.

Meanwhile, Zero noticed several snipers aiming at him, with the woman inside the left building and her two other comrades being the closest.

Using his Survival Instincts and Who Is Hiding abilities, Zero detected the danger and cloaked himself in a temporary veil of invisibility. He moved into the left side of the building undetected.

The sound of metal dragging echoed through the corridor of the apartment. The woman and her two comrades flinched. 

The sound grew closer, but there was nobody in sight. The two comrades went out of the room to investigate.

After a few minutes, they had not returned, prompting the woman to check on them. She reported their situation to her leader before leaving the room.

Outside the room, she found her comrades lying unconscious on the floor. She became alert and checked her surroundings, wondering how she had not noticed the attack.

Examining her comrades, she found no signs of physical harm, indicating that the target had taken them as captives rather than harming them outright.

As she reached for her walkie-talkie to call for backup, a blade suddenly held against her throat, and a cold voice spoke, "What are NERV agents doing in this area?"

The woman tried to stay calm, not immediately answering the man's interrogation.

"You seem pretty calm and collected. No wonder you were chosen as a sniper," Zero remarked, touching the silver badge on her chest.

Attempting to buy more time, she asked, "What are you? How do you know our identity?"

Zero was surprised by her composure in such a life-threatening situation. "I'm sure you're thinking of stalling until backup arrives. But do you think that will happen?

Zero continued, "Two second-grade agents and third-grade agents like you. How much value do you have for backup to come and rescue?"

Taking Zero's words seriously, the woman considered her options. Angry and frustrated, she refrained from attacking, knowing it would result in her instant death.

Opting for a different approach, she asked, "What do you want? We're not here to make enemies of you. There's a Deathbringers nest in this area, and we're here to clear it out."

Zero acted as if he believed her, "How kind of you. I had never heard of NERV doing such charity work. How admirable."

Pressing the blade against her neck, a trickle of blood emerged. Nervous, her breath became irregular.

His voice cold, Zero stated, "There are a few things that I hate—lies and deception are two of them."

Zero whispered in her ear, "You better tell me everything, or else your head will roll outside."

Despite her efforts to remain steady, the woman couldn't stop her body from trembling. The man's assertive tone was laden with threats.

In the end, she spilled everything to save her own life. However, due to her low rank in the organization, She didn't have much detailed information to tell Zero.

NERV's mission in the eastern region was to plan the rebuilding of a new settlement for its people. It was a large organization governing the fortress city in the western region, but due to the high presence of strong monsters there, they planned to establish a new base in the east.

Listening intently, Zero noted the change in the woman's demeanor from calm and collected to anxious as she tried to save herself. She even divulged unnecessary information like her name, hometown, and other unrelated details.

Her code was 088 Viper, and her name was Jane, a twenty-two-year-old third-grade agent specializing as a sniper.

It was impressive for someone so young to reach a third-grade position. But it still wasn't enough for NERV to risk resources to save them, Zero thought.

Zero then instructed her to remove her outer clothes, shocking her. "What are you going to do?" she asked nervously.

With a smirk, Zero countered, "What do you think I will do to you?" He then grasped her chin and brought her face closer to his.

Jane, who had seen Zero's face through her scope before, found his appearance unworldly and handsome up close. His eyes, lips, and the flowery background around him seemed like a scene from a romance novel. 'Suddenly I Became the Villain's Girlfriend in an Apocalypse World?' she mused.

Lost in a daydream, Jane closed her eyes, forgetting her circumstances. If this was how her life would end, at least it would be in the hands of a handsome male lead.

This moment reminds Jane of her days spent in a library inside the fortress city before joining NERV. The library contained many surviving pieces of literature, including a romance novel where the female protagonist tames a wild male lead. 

Experiencing a similar scenario in real life made her heart race with excitement.

Eager to share her first kiss with the villainous male lead, Jane offered her lips, her cheeks flushing with anticipation.

However, Zero was confused by her reaction. He had intended to intimidate her, not receive such a response. He realized that with her outer clothes and her two other comrades, he could give the clothes to players in Eden.

Nobody could save her now, Zero thought. 

Releasing his hand from her chin. Zero's voice turned colder as he instructed, "Take off your outer clothes along with your two comrades."

Jane snapped out of her daydream, finding Zero standing before her with his blade pointed at her throat, his gaze piercing her soul. 

She felt subjugated by the dominant aura the man was emitting. Jane complied, stripping her comrades' clothes as well.

Jane didn't understand her actions. She just did it as instructed. Zero then instructed her to pack the clothes into a bag where Jane stored her ammo and supplies.

"I don't need the weapons. Just fill the bag with the clothes," Zero commanded,

He paused for a moment as he noticed a few cans. "What are these cans?" he inquired.

Jane replied obediently, "They're processed meat made for NERV members."

Zero's eyes lit up as he found something interesting. He asked, "Who made this thing? Is it one of the businesses the Thomas family had?"

Surprised that Zero knew about the prominent Thomas family. How does the man know the family who runs a Major business in Fortress City? Although Thomas's family is well known. She never thought someone from a remote place in the east would know them.

Jane looked at him intently. From head to toe, this man was incredibly handsome. Jane still wondered how his ears were pointy like that, and his red eyes were also uncommon.

The woman stared at him intently. Somehow, the woman's stare resembles Seoyeon. They both gave the same vibes, Zero thought.

Zero said, "I'll take the cans as well. You'll be fine without them, right?"

Jane answered immediately, "Yes, yes! We will be fine without it." Jane felt something was wrong, but she couldn't refuse the man.

After Zero got everything he wanted, he asked her, "How many of you are in this area? NERV requires three people to form a team."

His tone of speaking was casual now. Jane didn't feel that the man threatened her like before. She also thought the man knew a lot of information about the organization and the fortress city, which made him suspicious. But that didn't matter now, she thought.

She then answered, "There are ten groups of teams deployed for this mission. So it's around 30 people."

He heard Jane's answer. It seemed NERV was serious about building a new base in this area, Zero thought.

While Zero was deep in thought, a system notification appeared on his face.

[Congratulation! The Administrator has completed the mission.

A mysterious threat is lurking near Eden.

Mission: Investigate the danger in 67th Street Avenue Magnolia.

Reward: 5 ES coins.

Status: Accomplish

The reward mission will sent to the administrator account balance. 

Current Balanced: 10 ES coins.]

Zero frowned and sighed as he looked at his balanced account. There was nothing he could do about it.

[Don't worry, our dear Administrator. Once more players come here, you will be rich in no time.]

The system sent a thumbs-up emoji. Zero was not comforted by the system.

Jane watched as the man suddenly frowned and made such an expression, finding him even more handsome.

Zero noticed Jane's intense gaze and sensed a certain thirst in her eyes.

He then said,

"I'll let you go now. But before you leave, I want you to deliver a message to your leader. I wish to speak with him. Can you relay this to them?" Zero asked.

Jane nodded, eager to comply. She then inquired, "How can I contact you?"

"I'll be staying in this apartment building for a while. You can come here and deliver the message," Zero replied.

He added, "As for your two comrades, let them stay with me."

Despite their low rank, Zero needed the two of them as hostages. Nothing wrong with being prepared. Just in case it is not going as he planned.

Jane, however, interpreted his request differently. She believed that Zero wanted her comrades to stay because he didn't want her to carry their baggage.

Jane's eyes gleamed with gratitude towards the man she perceived as a considerate villain. Her misunderstanding was inevitable, given the circumstances.

Rushed outside with only her inner clothes, Jane was grateful she still had something to cover herself with, unlike her comrades who were left with only pants like boxers.

Zero is thinking if he should also take their boxers with him. What if he sells them to players for 2 ES coins? He thought deeply.