Clearing the Game at the End of the World

Chapter 167: Lead and Silver Coins (21)

****

Ezel usually thought of himself as one of the most stable and high-survival individuals among the wasteland survivors.

Where does he live? In a Dome. Specifically, an official residence in the 40th Area Dome, which is considered the most suitable for survival. There's no risk of sudden attacks or assassination.

Which group does he belong to? Dome. Among them, the Investigation Bureau of Area 47, which has been making a great name for itself recently.

Personal abilities? As an agent of the Investigation Bureau, he had developed skills close to an expert in shooting and close combat, and he thought he was better than the average scavenger in terms of search, tracking, and stealth.

A veteran. A survival expert himself! He thought he wouldn't have to worry until the average lifespan in the wasteland, 35 years old, if he continued living like this

It all happens in a moment, doesn't it"

Seeing the five black gun barrels aimed at him, Ezel cried inward tears.

Before these small fries, who could be dealt with in 5 minutes if seriously intended to kill, his situation of walking in unarmed was too pitiful.

"Affiliated with the Administration Bureau. Researcher Ezel Raiden, right So, you've volunteered to help us from the Administration Bureau, is that it?"

In front of the radio tower, outside the security entrance.

Perhaps because it was an old building, Ezel stood with his hands raised in front of a security door that was laid out with devices whose purposes were hard to guess at a glance.

"Yes, yes! That's right! That. There was a lot of talk within our Administration Bureau, and after all, it was the Investigation Bureau that enabled us to secure research funding, and most of us are cooped up in the lab all day, whether it's suitable for overseeing the city. There was some disagreement among us, hehe!"

"There was a disagreement Isn't it too sudden, though? Why all of a sudden!"

"That, that's because!"

Ezel desperately searched his memory. He had a list of excuses written by Professor Park tucked inside his clothes, but how could he unfold it with a gun barrel pointed right in front of him!

[Well they give it to you if you ask. Just improvise. Just go along with it. It won't be that hard.]

A note hastily scribbled with one hand and given to Ezel after he begged desperately, thinking he had memorized it before being deployed on the mission. But the moment the cold gun barrel touched his forehead, his mind went blank.

It's not easy at all! How can I think when my life hangs by a word!

Kuuk-

The gun barrel pressing against his forehead became even more forceful, capturing all his consciousness there. He had to speak. Anything, just some excuse! Open your mouth, move your tongue! Damn it! That guy is frowning! Quick!!!

As the guard's expression grew more and more frowny, Ezel desperately racked his brain. All he could think of was dying, and no matter how much he pressed the pin signal implanted under the skin of his palm, there was no sign of Professor Park and his team appearing.

Tremble, tremble!

As the atmosphere became more and more hostile, other guards sitting nearby started to approach as well.

"Something's fishy, huh? Hey, what's the reason you suddenly came here?"

"That, th-th-th, um.ah."

His tongue was frozen, unable to speak. The guard's hand holding the rifle tightened. The sound of the safety being released echoed in his ears. His trained body screamed to leap in and subdue the guard.

Charge in? The moment gunfire sounds, it's an all-out war. Mission failed. Dead. Just like that? Lift the gun barrel and strike the throat. Security systems would activate, surely. The mission would be a failure. Why isn't the sniper shooting him? Is there still a chance? Answer? If you answer! If you answer.!'

Screaming!

"I, I thought I was going to die! Die! I came here because I didn't want to die!"

The moment the guard's thumb released the safety catch on the gun, words that had been swirling inside him burst out uncontrollably.

It, it works! Words are coming out! I've found my voice!'

It was merely a declaration of not wanting to die, but the fact that his tongue was now loosened was what mattered.

"Ha, what a funny guy. Hey, who's dying? Why did you come? Suddenly changing your attitude, what's the reason for that, huh? The reason!"

Ezel's eyes sparkled in response to the guard's question. [When asked about the sudden change in attitude.] This situation is written on the paper. The exact same sentence, down to the last detail, reminded him of Professor's nagging 30 minutes ago.

Ugh. Giving a veteran badge to someone like this. Listen. If they're not fools, they'll try to probe at least once. They've been drawing a parallel line, and suddenly they surrender. Suspicious, right? In such cases, you need to look as terrified and desperate as possible'

Suddenly!

"Ugh, ugh!"

"The Enforcement Bureau! The enforcement guys are blatantly trying to kill us! They're holding guns, talking about cleansing for justice, cutting off rotten flesh, trying to kill us all and seize power!! I want to live! I want to live!"

"Ah, got it! Got it, so let go! This guy, what kind of strength does a researcher have. Jimmy! Come and peel this guy off!"

The guard, taken aback by Ezel charging at him with tears streaming, honestly thought he would shoot immediately when charged at, so he had dodged and tackled without expecting any response, realizing the man really had no intention to shoot and was genuinely asking out of curiosity.

Other guards forcefully separated Ezel from the baffled guard. Seeing their snickering faces made him feel like he had safely overcome the first hurdle.

[When facing multiple enemies. If you want to deceive the eyes of the enemy, you must appear as weak and pathetic as possible.]

A sentence he had read over a hundred times when studying for the Investigation Bureau exam. The content of Spy 12-3 Chapter' that he had memorized so well he could shout it out in his sleep came to mind, and Ezel, thrown to the ground, knelt down and cried out with a voice filled with sincerity.

"The Administration Bureau has decided to assist the Investigation Bureau! That's why we came! What, civilian technicians? The four researchers including me are far superior to those idiotic tin cans! Look, here! The person behind me was in charge of maintaining cutting-edge equipment during the Great War, and Kennis! This guy was an engineer at NASA! I guarantee that if you let us in, we can figure out and fix whatever the problem is in just one day!"

Shivering-

His fingertips trembled with excitement and tension. Was this the right move? Would they really fall for this clumsy act? Wouldn't it be better to take advantage of their current complacency, slit the throat of the guard in front, and spray bullets with the stolen gun?

It was hard to just watch the guards giggling among themselves after hearing his earnest plea. Now was the chance to secure the entrance safely. If it weren't for the constraint of having to enter quietly, missing this golden opportunity could make it impossible to turn back.!

Zap, zap-

Then, a prickling sensation was felt from the pin signaler inside the palm. Short words formed in Morse code.

[GOOD]. You're doing well.

.Ugh!'

That brief word. Relying on a signal that allies were watching, Ezel managed to suppress the legs that were about to spring out.

The sentries, who had been showing their backs, turned around to face Ezel and the researchers again. The opportunity had vanished. Now, only judgment awaited.

"Hey, you four ink spots."

"Yes, yes?"

Clank!

The sentry threw something in front of Ezel. It was handcuffs.

"Put these on each other, and follow me. Looks like the boss wants to see you first."

Grinning, the sentry tapped Ezel's head with the barrel of his gun.

"Coming here claiming to be allies, huh? What are you so afraid of? Huh? First time seeing a gun, ink spot?"

"Ha, haha It was the tension. Afraid of being killed, unable to hold back and killing"

"Huh?"

"Afraid of dying, thats why! Ha, haha! Hahaha!"

"Weird guy."

The sentry, having a rambling conversation with Ezel, shook his head and headed towards the radio tower's main gate. Ezel, who had been gathering strength in his legs to charge full force, staggered and followed behind.

Click, click-click, click, click!

[Fuck! Fuck! Help! Fuck! Delayed!]

His hands, cuffed, were relentlessly sending curses through the signaler.

****

Crunch!

"Mmm, yup. Doing well."

"Right? Just look at that guy, Ezel. Looks exactly the kind whod be good at this, all sly and crafty."

"Indeed. Good for him, keeping his aggression in check in such a situation. Wouldnt have been easy."

"Thats my pinpoint lecture working wonders, then. Vex, some water."

"Ah, he just knelt down. Wow, getting serious, huh?"

As Ezel was navigating between heaven and hell in front of the sentries, insignificant in size.

Professor and his group were observing Ezel from a not-too-distant rooftop through a telescope.

Gulp, gulp-

Ugh! Thought I was gonna choke to death just now.

And yet youre eating again?

Doctors orders, you know. If you dont eat properly and keep using your left hand like that, you could actually die of malnutrition. Its like fueling up the equipment before battle.

Such a monster, truly.

Here.

Wasak!

The forcefully thrown calorie bar, instead of hitting Professor's face, was sucked right into his mouth. A fellow with fine skills.

Its the trend these days. Look at Ians jaw, and those Raptor folks replacing limbs; Im just following the trend.

Khhhh. Still, my jaw doesnt have the same functionality as yours, does it?

Why not? You only have to brush half as much.

With such frivolous banter, they waited on the rooftop for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, Professor had already consumed 20 calorie bars. Eating so much yet feeling barely full, except for a bit of bloating, clearly indicated his body had indeed changed.

[Let's look on the bright side. Needing calories for strength means our bodies havent transformed to the point of defying physical laws like that W guy.]

Does being uncomfortable mean were closer to being human?

[Exactly.]

Crack.

Hydes comment prompted a squeeze of his large left hand. The immense grip strength and the texture of the tough exterior were palpable, even without holding anything.

Some time had passed since this hand had formed, and it had been quite a while since he started to consider it not alien. He had also thought about how it could be useful in combat.

Facing the Artist Union, they were absolutely the underdogs, planning to use everything at their disposal, including this left arm.

Click, click-click.

Hm? Vex. What are you doing?

Oh, just. Seems like Ezel is pretty nervous, so I sent a message to cheer him up.

To make such a fuss over that. Hes not that great, just fooling five sentries, thats all.

Saying so, he lifted the telescope, and at a glance, he looked like a soldier about to charge into a battlefield with gunfire, pressing down hard on the ground with the balls of his feet while dripping with cold sweat.

"Ah, right."

Come to think of it, it was Ezel's first experience of this kind. Although the details of his past were unknown, he had gone into a bunker with his family during the war, somehow became an orphan, was in Dome's orphanage, and had become a novice agent of the Investigation Bureau just before meeting us. No, since he didn't run away and held out until the end when fighting a Raptor, maybe he was more like a seasoned soldier?

"Um It seems like it was a bit of a tough mission for an inexperienced soldier."

"And you're thinking of that now, you bastard?"

"Still, he was the only one who could go in, right? It's not like I could sneak in with these arms. Same goes for you and Ian."

Monster arm. Steel jaw and muscular build. Short stature and an aged face.

Even if someone wrote [Suspicious Person] on their foreheads, they would be less suspicious than us.

Even if we were to force our way through, who knows what kind of grotesque defense facilities might be there, considering the radio tower was no different from an old command center. This was the best course of action for now.

Click. Click-click. Click.

[Fuck! Fuck! Help! Fuck! Delayed!]

"Oh. He's going in. Let's start to follow. We move as planned. Everyone's memorized their entry point, right? The moment Ezel accesses the exhaust system, we secure the area from our respective positions and go in. Okay?"

"Go as planned even though he's asking for help?"

"He's been like that for a while now. It's a habit, a habit. He'll manage on his own."

Crunch!

With me tossing the last calorie bar into my mouth as the signal, the group began to grab their equipment and bags, quickly moving downwards.

Our preparations were complete. Now, all we could do was hope that Ezel would do well.

****

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

The corridor inside the radio tower was reinforced all around with metal plates. As it was used as a war command center, indeed, it looked like it wouldn't budge from any ordinary attack.

All the way through the corridor, sentries came up to talk to Ezel and the group of researchers.

"Well, now that you're inside, welcome. It's an old facility, so there are quite a few places that have gone bad?"

"Hehehe. Exactly! We're different from those blockheaded enforcement guys. If you've got the skills, you get the treatment. You know the 13th passage, right? The sewer there is completely blocked."

The talk about most of the eastern section of Dome being blown away and the foundation being completely moved here. Complaints about the facility being heavily damaged and inconvenient. Promises that life here would get easier if they treated them well.

It seemed like an attempt to ease the tension, but none of it entered the ears of Ezel and the researchers.

Whirringwhining

Because, above their heads, very futuristic yet somewhat clumsy security turrets were ceaselessly moving.

"There."

"Hm? Why."

"That turret. Is it safe?"

As the turret moved towards them, the group of researchers flinched, hunching their bodies as much as possible, listening to Ezel's words.

The sentry, now realizing why the researchers were moving like that, smirked as if he had just understood.

"Ah, that's why? Silly me. Of course, it's safe! We are not fools. Look!"

"What, what are you trying to do. Eeeek!"

Whisk! Whisk!

Whirringwhirring

The sentry, as if to assure safety, waved his gun above his head, and the turret agilely followed its movement.

"Hahaha! Scaredy-cats. No need to worry, ink-squirts! The first thing our Chief did after taking over this place was to secure the security system. Civilian technicians flocked and solved it in a day, they said. Isn't the fact that it's not shooting us right now proof that it's safe?"

No! No, you idiot! So please stop waving that gun! We'll all die, you moron!!!'

Ezel lay flat on the ground, screaming internally every time the sentry waved his gun.

Non-reflective semi-gloss lenses. A turret that folds in three layers. Even the steel plate on the muzzle is made of the same material as the wall.

If Ezel was right, that was the latest 3rd generation security turret. Usually hidden within the walls, it would spring out to wildly attack when it detected an enemy.

The fact that it was out in the open, and not just moving back and forth but reacting so agilely, meant.

It's set to guard mode, not recognizing friend or foe! Whoever modified it like this, just one hostile action input into the autonomous response circuit, and.'

A dreadful future was envisioned. Even the building's connected security facilities. If one security turret identifies hostility, all turrets target that entity.

This is already a damn killing field. These idiots, really using the facility without knowing anything!'

Like Ezel, the researchers lying on the ground murmured names of their families, Jesus, Buddha, as if in a moan. It meant the technicians also knew exactly how the turrets reacted.

"Our Father in heaven, please forgive our sins."

"Uhuhuhu! We're going to die. It wasn't support! Amy, daddy, daddy won't be able to this birthday."

"Hey, hurry up, what are you doing!"

"My, my legs gave out! I'll be right there!"

They absolutely did not want to move, but appearing suspicious was a death sentence in itself.

I heard that automated security facilities leave important places like control rooms empty to prevent hacking. Let's just make it there, please! Just safely make it there! God!'

Click, click-click-click-click-click-click-click-click!

[Help! Danger! Help! Danger! Security facility! Crazy! Help! Help!]

All Ezel could do was encourage the researchers to crawl and frantically press the palm of his hand.

****