◈ Episode 093

A sniping shot from a distance. There shouldn't be any feedback on the skin, but Chelsea felt a tingling sensation in her fingertips.

I guess it would be better to express it as a kind of hand taste.

Something different from the feel of metal against your finger when you pull the trigger. Like the exaggerated hit sound you hear when a bullet hits an enemy in a game.

It wasn't an unfamiliar experience. It was something that happened sometimes when I was in a state of high concentration. It was the same when I shot Snowfield or Asterique.

The phenomenon was pointing to one fact.

'That's right.'

A feeling beyond expectation.

The moment you shoot, you are already certain of hitting the target, and the results follow.

Chelsea watched the bullet's path. Naturally, she couldn't follow its trajectory with her eyes. Through the scope, only the expected result was visible.

The godmother's long, slender body collapsed.

It wasn't a distance that I could tell exactly where it landed. I could only guess with my head. The left chest of the godmother. The margin of error was only a few millimeters.

Wheeeeeeee─!

A cold wind blew.

The snowfield soon regained its original color. Some parts of the Granada Line were soaked in blood, but this was only a small part of the whole.

There was an untimely silence.

"Gasp, huh."

The ghost let out a weary breath and stared blankly out. Even he, who had been through a lot in the past, could not help but feel agitated.

The Metunafs that drove humans crazy. The monsters that made people feel like they were dead disappeared like a mirage. However, I couldn't just pass it off as a nightmare or a hallucination.

It was such a vivid despair.

The agents were confused as they looked at the hell unfolding in the deep sea with their faces in the water, and then someone forcibly pulled their heads up.

Kim Yi-Hyeon didn't like that stupidity.

"You useless bastards…!"

Kim Yi-hyeon started running again. His left arm, full of holes, stung as it was hit by the winter wind. His legs felt heavy, as if they were slung with sandbags.

But it couldn't stop.

'I have to kill him for sure.'

The godmother must have been fatally wounded. This was a strategy that could never be used in the game. The boss's health was set high, even if its resistance was secondary.

It is impossible to completely reduce HP with just one shot. Since this is reality, the method of 'sniping' was effective. In a situation where spells are sealed, a human body cannot withstand bullets.

There are two problems.

First, time. [The Cripple's Index] lasts 5 seconds. The godmother's spell loses its function, and after Kim Hyun-i checks on him, Chelsea, who was instructed, shoots.

The whole process took place in less than 5 seconds.

This was possible because Chelsea's reaction was immediate. If it had been just a little bit later, the godmother would have come out of her abnormal condition and protected her body.

So, although we succeeded in inflicting the wound, it is too early to feel relieved.

'If it goes to phase 3, it's over.'

Phase 2.

After the preparation phase, a special ability is activated that deals instant death damage to all units deployed on the battlefield. If you stop this and reduce the mother's HP to less than 10%, you will enter the next phase.

The current lab does not have the capacity to take the next step.

'Me too.'

From the beginning, Kim Lee-hyun's target was 'skip'.

It didn't work in the game. The system was set so that HP wouldn't drop below 1. So the strategy of reducing HP to a dangerous level and then unleashing a single attack was impossible.

'But if it's reality.'

The source of power is the spell. If you kill her while the spell is not working properly, that's it. In other words, the key was whether you could kill her before the Matriarch recovered her condition.

"Chelsea, keep shooting!"

Even as I shouted, I felt confident.

'It's late.'

If by any chance the godmother had not died instantly, the third phase would begin soon. Although this was only a possibility, Kim I-Hyeon was already preparing for battle.

It's always been that way.

My bad feelings have never been wrong. Especially since I landed here. I was anxious the day I first encountered Snowfield, and the White Fang members died.

The crisis came as if everything had been prepared in advance. Even though it was the result of my own actions, it felt somewhat artificial.

Every time that happened, Kim Lee-hyun had to sacrifice something.

And that was a fucking fucking thing.

"Ha, shit."

As expected, the godmother was slowly getting up.

The fedora he was wearing was no longer visible, as if it had fallen off. His face was covered by long hair, and his joints were limp, as if they had fallen out. Blood and mucus were pouring out of his chest.

The godmother quickly moved her lips, revealed through her hair.

The liquid that flowed to the floor split into drops and rose into the air again. Some of them climbed up her skin and drew thick lines.

Srrrr.

The bullets fired late were swallowed by the mucus. The area covered by the clothes became smaller, and the mother's entire body gradually turned a dark red. Tiny facial features appeared above the skin.

It felt like hundreds of creatures had been squeezed into one body. Kim Yi-Hyeon felt a sense of disgust and defeat at the same time. It was a battle with a single entity, unlike anything he had ever fought before.

To be honest, the odds of winning are slim.

'This is such a crappy game.'

I've been thinking about it for a long time.

The conditions are ridiculously unfavorable.

In the first place, the existence of special weapons is semi-essential in a game called Polaris. It is based on the premise that you will fight by equipping your agents with the free equipment that is distributed, no matter how bad it is.

'So, we usually organize groups of 10 and catch 200 to 300 people.'

On the other hand, what is the reality?

Special weapons are a piece of cake, most agents fight with general supplies. With Kim Lee Hyun's current abilities, he can't even arm everyone.

The balance is off. The difficulty is unreasonable. You have to throw yourself into it to break through.

'It's not too late.'

If you're aiming for it, now is the time.

The godmother's condition is not perfect.

Kim Yi-hyeon took out the Helixivir with his good right hand. He bit the cork with his teeth and pulled it out. He gripped the bottle with the needle exposed tightly in his hand.

Suddenly, a feeling of anxiety reared its head. I couldn't tell where I was standing. I might fall off the cliff as soon as I took a step.

But it was not the time to be picky.

"Fuck, I'm going to die."

It was the moment when the needle was put to my neck.

It started suddenly.

Boom, boom.

Raindrops fell.

The water soaked my cheek. It even touched the tip of my nose. It felt strangely rough.

"...what?"

Kim Yi-hyeon half-consciously ran his index finger over the bridge of his nose. When he looked down, there was a translucent purple liquid on his finger.

Inside the water droplet, there were unidentifiable grains floating around. They were a bright blue powder, like cyanide.

The rain suddenly became heavier. The weather became dark as if time had passed without my noticing. The dry air became humid and heavy.

"Tongue, hun. Look at that."

Hedwig, the only one who followed Kim Yi-hyeon, muttered. He was looking up at the sky with his neck bent. Kim Yi-hyeon looked at Hedwig and then looked up.

And I was shocked.

The blue color changed to a dark purple. The cumulonimbus clouds descended in a circle as if they had their own will. Inside the hollowed-out circle, blue powder poured down along with heavy rain.

Wh, what… … .

The professor's breath could be heard over the radio.

The series of unexpected events had already occurred. It seemed that he had lost his composure long ago. This time, even Kim Yi-hyeon could not maintain his composure.

However, this does not mean that there is no explanation for this phenomenon.

It wasn't just Kim I-hyeon. Everyone would have vaguely guessed it. Rather, the natives would have felt it more deeply than the foreign substance in Polaris.

… … It's a disaster.

The owner of the trembling voice was Leila.

"Fuck, back off!"

Kim Yi-hyeon shouted as he turned his back. It was not the time to deal with the godmother. He had to run away even one step farther than the time to shoot a gun and swing a knife.

Disaster. Unexpected weather change.

At present, it is not known exactly what phenomenon is occurring, because it takes various forms each time it occurs.

There have been cases of sandstorms hitting tropical regions, and even, in extreme cases, cases where lightning literally struck.

If I had to pick one thing in common, it would be just one thing.

Every disaster that occurs in the human habitat has caused countless deaths.

… … All parties, stop fighting and retreat! Right now!

The professor, who had finally regained his senses, gave urgent instructions. The agents threw away their weapons and started running away one by one. Their faces were filled with fear.

It was different from the crisis just a little while ago. The phenomenon that the godmother caused was a hell that I had never seen or imagined in my life. That was why I could only watch in amazement.

Meanwhile, the disaster felt particularly realistic.

Something that anyone living in Polaris would fear. When you hear that a disaster has occurred somewhere, you feel sad, but also relieved to know that you are safe.

An absurd ending that you've probably imagined at least once.

"You never know what effect it might have on your body. Cover your head and skin with your outer clothing!"

"What the hell are you doing, you punk! Get up quickly!"

Even though they were terrified, the lab's agents behaved relatively rationally. It was a result of their training. As part of the organization's policy, the Cellbrox Lab thoroughly trains its staff in disaster evacuation procedures.

Kim Yi-hyeon also received the same training. He forcibly took off his jumper using only his right hand, leaving his left arm unmoving as he wished.

While running with my head covered, my body started to sway.

"This is such a dog…."

My body wouldn't listen to me.

I was still tired from the battle with Camellia. On top of that, I had used [Lame's Index] four times. My remaining HP was going to hit rock bottom.

'If I had taken Helixivir, I might have really died.'

Should I be relieved? I couldn't really tell. The only thing that was certain was that it would be difficult to evacuate on my own.

At that moment, Hedwig, who had overtaken Kim Ihyeon, shouted.

"Hey, Hyun! Come on, give me a piggyback ride!"

"What, up, what?"

"There's no time. Hurry up!"

He squats down with his back exposed. Kim Yi-hyeon made a sour face. It seems that he felt repulsed when he was sober.

But the situation was what it was. There was no time to chatter.

"…Thank you, I'll ask you."

"What's the big deal?"

Without saying a word, I climbed onto Hedwig's back.

Although the difference was not that big, it was quite uncomfortable because the person carrying it was smaller. However, there was no problem running.

In front, several people, including Leila and Turkam, were watching this way. I could see them sighing in relief. It seemed like they were worried about my health.

Sir, are you okay?

"Oh, don't worry."

I'm the boss? I was worried about my salary.

Chelsea muttered to herself, "I can't have no one to give me money." Kim Yi-hyun burst into a hollow laugh without realizing it.

My body was covered in wounds. I also had an uneasy question. A disaster was approaching. Even though the situation was extremely serious, I felt strangely new.

'When did it get to this point?'

The self that he had thought of as a foreign substance had somehow melted into this place. The 'characters' naturally worry about the safety of the human named Kim Lee-hyun. As comrades who crossed the line together.

That also meant that he had not been able to escape from Polaris for a long time. There was no guarantee that he would be able to return in the future. It was a factor that always made Kim Yi-hyun anxious.

Still, my heart feels a little lighter.

Kim Yi-hyeon looked back. Hedwig's body shook with every step she took.

With my vision wavering, I stared at the distant goddess.

The godmother was glaring at Kim Yi-hyeon with wide eyes. Her eyes, exposed through her mucus-covered skin, were emitting a sinister glare. That was how they looked at each other.

For the second time already, Kim I-hyeon made a pledge.

'See you next time.'

Mithril and the Great Mother. The next one is something you definitely won't want to miss.

If you say it out loud, it might sound like a villain's cliche, but it wasn't a random empty promise.

I will never let you come back alive.

"...."

The godmother also harbored the same murderous intent. The anger directed at the Cellbrox Lab was concentrated on Kim I-hyeon. She finally realized. Who was the being that had been interfering with the Legion at every turn?

'I want to rip your throat out right now.'

The godmother tried hard to suppress her anger. The disaster was a threat to her too. Finally, she looked at Kim Yi-hyun's face and then moved her gaze.

Soldiers on the front lines. He took in his subordinates who would have been swept up in the 'end' together. They had already lost their morale and were running around like crazy, causing a commotion.

The godmother's eyes narrowed with contempt.

'I guess I have to leave Bastetira.'

Chewing on her failure, she turned around and walked away.