Chapter 49 (2/2)

But he had not calculated this much. They had built a tight defensive ring in the warehouse. The mutants had taken it apart completely.

Groups 1, 2, and 4 of 60 people had been focused on the passage. Group 4 was made up of the Lifers who had accepted Hocheon guild’s invitation.

Since group 3 was put up against the Spectres, they could see the damage situation upon their return.

“How many people died?”

“9 people from group 1, 2 from group 8, 6 from group 4. Group 4 includes the snipers. It seems a lot of them survived because their skill and equipment are at the level of raid leaders.”

Oh Min Ho looked haggard as he gave his report. 23 people died in 3 groups. It is not what they had expected, but it is better than failing the mission.

-[Master, we handled the Spectres.]

-[Losses?]

-[….. 1 raid leader, 3 guild members, and 6 external members died.]

That is 10 people.

Then combining 20, 23, 10 people, there were a total of 53 dead.

47 survivors. He almost laughed out of disbelief. They can consider the first 20 as people they had sacrificed with consideration for the future.

33 people! His warning that it could be annihilation if they let their guards down, was real.

-[What’s left?]

There is nothing. Since they took care of the passage, they had killed all mutants that the nest had produced. Now if they kill the nest and cross through the rest area, the mission is complete.

-[Did you figure out how they got in?]

-[They ripped through the ceiling of the cargo lifts we came in.]

This experience made the large guild understand how it had met a strong opponent and had suffered such severe damages in their first attempt.

If they had known that the mutants would go around the warehouse to come in, they would have distributed the power instead of focusing it at the passage. If they had done that, the mutants would not have gotten through.

‘I’m confident we can reduce the losses to under 20 in the next challenge.’

Information is power that is not visible. If large guilds that had completed the mission before Hocheon, had shared this information, they would have gone through it comparatively easily.

-[Who killed the Spectre?]

-[The chief killed one and number 617 killed the other.]

-[Number 617?]

-[Yes. And he and number 429 took care of 10 Snatchers.]

2 people taking on that many mutants? Chun Myung Ik remembered seeing Cha Jun Sung fighting the Spectre with his sword before he moved away.

-[Uh….. Master.]

-[Speak.]

-[I think number 617 went through body modification.]

-[Iknow that much too. You think it would be his bare body when he is running at a Spectre?]

He had gone at a level 3 mutant with cutlery. He is either brave or crazy. But neither are applicable. It has to be body modification.

-[I believe it is the 2nd stage.]

-[What?]

The raid leader gave his explanation with a mix of what he saw and his personal opinion.

Cha Jun Sung jumped from a 7 meter high, 3 story container box and while avoiding the Spectre’s attack, stabbed it in the head with his sword.

‘There’s someone other than that guy who’s gone through the 2nd stage of body modification?’

From what Chun Myung Ik knows, there is only 1 other person who has gone through the 2nd stage of body modification. There could be other Lifers, but it was hard for him to believe that.

-[Alright.]

They are holding on for now. They need to complete the mission first. As the situation became stabilized, the scattered Lifers gathered in the passage. They all looked battered.

There were a lot of injured. They take medicine out from their packs and space compression bag to treat their wounds. Unfortunately, none of the Lifers have medical equipment.

“Not even a large guild has a medic.”

“It was a unique profession even in the virtual version. If you do that, you get sick from anger.”

A medic is a non-combat job specializing in treatment, but its ability to attack is terrible.

In the virtual version, they are at the lowest ranking. It is a time when points push back money. Is there a Lifer willing to purchase expensive medical equipment to give free services?

They need to save all of the points they would have used on weapons and equipment to be able to purchase middle standard medical equipment from level D. It is not easy even with help from a large guild.

-[The injured rest, and everyone else will go to kill the nest. It’s tired. The only mutants it’ll be able to produce are level 1 or 2.]

The nest does not produce on nutrients alone. As it is a hermaphrodite, it needs the cells corresponding with the level. If it is freshly evolved, 2 mutants is its limit.

-[Let’s end it. This mission.]

The force follows Chun Myung Ik. The time to end it is approaching.