Chapter 177

Episode 177. Dr. Kim and the Seven (5)

****

Near the staff, a dark purple mana began to rise. Around Hasti, several ring-shaped defensive magic circles flickered.

Hasti charged forward as if sliding.

Are they underestimating me? Thinking that this much would be enough to subdue me… Hasti thought. Hasti wasn’t alone; they were moving with an army.

There’s no way they could subdue me with just this.

Another explosion. The heavy firepower damaged the Black Eyes, but Hasti still had plenty of cards to play.

A mage is one who prepares, and this was Hasti’s magic tower. At least for today. Black fog spread around Hasti.

“Reality Anchoring Device resonance. Situation under control.”

Hasti looked around, sensing something off.

Reality Anchoring Device… Is it a tool that seals supernatural abilities? Or a machine that prevents the use of such powers? Whatever, it doesn’t matter.

For now, avoid large-scale magic and focus on survival. Hasti used telekinesis to lift a ballistic shield from the ground.

Gunfire continued.

Judging by the lack of rapid fire, it might be a high-powered weapon. Bang, bang, bang. The ballistic shield around Hasti crumpled like cardboard hit by a fist. Ouch…

Guns are scary. Getting hit by one of those could easily put your life on the line.

No choice. Time to use that.

‘Blessing of Darkness.’

A method I didn’t use when I first arrived. The sphere floating above Hasti’s head transformed into something amorphous and attached itself to Hasti’s back.

Black wings spread from Hasti’s back.

****

Vixen, leader of Special Forces Ninetail.

The monster seemed to think it was advantageous to show off its monstrous strength. Of course, that’s not the case. Getting beaten by the Foundation is the daily life of monsters. It would’ve been better to fight as a human.

You can’t win just by the size of your supernatural power. The black wings were torn apart by gunfire, and the monster hesitated as it charged. Now—

Charge.

Ninetail’s main role is maintaining order within the Foundation. They fight in situations where catastrophic containment breaches or rebellions occur within Foundation facilities.

They often engage in combat at closer ranges and under more disadvantageous conditions than other special forces.

Most Ninetail members’ primary weapon is a gunlance.

A unique weapon where the barrel doubles as a blade. Of course, a regular army wouldn’t have much use for such a thing, but Ninetail often faces enemies that can’t be subdued with just bullets.

While its accuracy as a gun is lower, it doesn’t matter since Ninetail’s realistic combat range is within 10 meters.

Hasti, after all, isn’t a Foundation soldier and hasn’t undergone the corresponding training.

Regardless of the scale of their power, Hasti allowed Ninetail to surround them and fell right into their formation.

They can be killed.

“Subdue them!”

With a barrage of bullets, Ninetail members rushed in simultaneously.

Hasti instantly lost the initiative. The black wings were cut by the silver-plated blade of the gunlance, and four blades blocked Hasti’s path.

****

Hasti gritted their teeth. It felt like there was a solid wall blocking mana in front of them.

It might be due to the enemy’s Reality Anchoring Device, or they might have used other means.

Thud! A wing made of tentacles pierced one of the opponents, but the cost was heavy. Gunfire echoed from all directions, and the strange weapon combining a gun and a blade clashed against the staff.

Hasti almost lost their head when they turned around at the sound of an explosion from behind.

“Grenade!”

Was there a grenade launcher inside that gunlance, or did one of the eight pull out a grenade launcher?

The enemy was everywhere. Hasti defensively pressed the black wings close to their body, but they couldn’t block all the bullets.

Should’ve deployed more troops on the rooftop.

Ninetail pushed Hasti back.

This is what they always do. Driving away supernatural phenomena that threaten the Foundation. Hasti was too busy defending.

As always said, the scale of power is ultimately secondary.

It’s not easy to defeat the Foundation’s experts, who have spent their lives overcoming the gap between power and common sense. Hasti tried to counterattack by cloaking themselves in shadows, but—

What’s the countermeasure? If I get close, I’ll be subdued by multiple gunlances. If I create distance, I’ll be overwhelmed by firepower. So—

Tactical retreat.

Hasti spun the staff once, and a circular magic circle was drawn on the ground. The concrete beneath the magic circle turned black.

Hasti fell into the building. The magic circle Hasti had drawn on the rooftop floor was already gone.

Ninetail members looked at each other.

Ninetail’s adversaries eventually gave up on blocking their entry. Now they have to fight inside the building… It won’t be easy.

****

Escaping alive was a success. Hasti hid their body with magic and activated the radio. They needed to inform their allies of the situation.

“This is Hasti—no, Dr. Kim of the Anomalous Phenomena Response Bureau. The mission has failed. Ninetail is now entering the headquarters.”

[Understood. It’s still manageable. The Special Forces ‘Moon of Seoul’ from the Seoul Branch are entering the area. They will eliminate Ninetail and protect the facility.]

[This is the on-site command post near the Bureau.]

[Situation report: We failed to stop Ninetail, and currently, the Foundation’s Special Forces are engaging them inside the Bureau headquarters.]

[So far, it’s within the plan. Allies of the Foundation at the Bureau, please calmly eliminate the intruders.]

The radio traffic was busy.

Hasti, and the Bureau, couldn’t stop the enemy from entering the building. That was an unrealistic goal from the start.

Headquarters expected Ninetail to kill Dr. Kim (Hasti) and take control of the Bureau headquarters.

It’s no surprise that the first line of defense was easily breached.

****

Ninetail successfully entered the headquarters.

In medieval times, important facilities were placed in high locations. But with the advent of artillery, air forces, and missiles, that trend disappeared.

The Bureau’s headquarters, its commanders, and Dr. Kim were likely on the lowest level. The question was how to get down there.

Vixen pondered for a moment.

“This is Gumiho-1. We will now use the replica ‘Spear of Longinus.’”

[Permission granted.]

“Then, operation briefing. The headquarters interior is fortified like a bunker, with thick walls and thinner walls. We’ll break through the thin walls to move.”

The center of the headquarters was organized like a donut.

In case of emergency, the central space allows for smooth gunfire from the defending side, with the surrounding areas fortified.

It’s a damn variation of the Panopticon structure.

There’s a space in the center of the headquarters building, and in the center of that space is a tower. Just looking at it… There are dozens of vantage points for snipers in this narrow building.

“First objective: Move to the basement as quickly as possible and eliminate the facility’s commanders. If we encounter Dr. Kim again during this process, subdue them.”

“Facility breach as trained.”

“Good luck.”

Vixen took out the replica, and soon, the artifact took shape. The spear that killed gods.

A simple metal cylinder with a blade on one end, no decorations.

“Again… Commence combat.”

****

Inside the headquarters, chaos ensued. Originally, about 10 allied units from the Foundation were assigned to Dr. Kim (Hasti).

But with the Bureau’s defenders, soldiers, and troops sent from the Seoul Branch to defend, there were hundreds inside the building.

“This is Dr. Kim. Uh, I’m really sorry for failing to stop the enemy’s entry… I’ll do my best to protect you. Good luck.”

Begin.

Hasti was once again standing guard at the Panopticon tower in the center of the building. The tower had shrunk, but its purpose hadn’t changed.

This time, the situation was different. Ninetail couldn’t take down the Panopticon built like an anti-air tower, so they had to slowly descend while engaging in gunfire from the center.

That’s how the building was designed.

Gunfire erupted from all directions. Bullets concentrated on areas where Ninetail was thought to be stationed, and the concrete crumbled under the intense barrage—

[5th floor defense line breached.]

Hasti changed their mind. They weren’t an opponent to fight from the Panopticon. They had to face them head-on to win.

[4th floor, enemy encounter.]

Hasti steadied themselves and flew from the Panopticon back to the 4th floor. Their power was visible.

Whatever the enemy had pulled out, the trajectory of their power was instinctively palpable.

****

Vixen sharply turned her head.

“Dr. Kim has reappeared. Buy as much time as possible; I’ll handle them with the spear.”

Something with black wings flew past the edge of her vision. The surroundings were dark, but Ninetail paid no heed.

Something closer to a monster than a human. Like a black angel from ancient legends, it moved at a grotesque speed with tentacle wings…

Black. They were already used to fighting darkness. The trap was set.

“Detonate the claymores!”

Claymores filled with silver powder exploded to kill the darkness. The monster hesitated, seemingly displeased. Did it hit?

Whether it was Dr. Kim or something else, the thing Ninetail was hunting showed no signs of injury even after the claymores exploded in its face.

But its feet were bound.

At this distance, there’s no reason to miss. Vixen steadied herself and threw the spear, and the Spear of Longinus pierced the mage who wielded darkness.

Bang!

This time, there’s no way to dodge. With a loud noise, Hasti was impaled by the spear and slammed into the wall.