Chapter 61

In this operation, while Hina was commanding the team members, the four of you quickly split into two groups and rushed into different buildings.

Renok, who cast a floating spell on his shoes, easily crossed over to the lower building, and Hina's voice echoed in his ear.

"Ban."

"I'm listening."

"There's one fact I didn't mention to those three earlier."

"What is it?"

"Don't hold onto the cipher key until the end; back off after a decent fight."

"......"

"They need to be made to believe that the cipher key is a dummy."

Hina's words made Renok think for a moment.

If they had intended to assign such a moderate task, they could have used any other freelancer.

But the reason she added this detail at this point must be because what she's saying is crucial to the operation.

"Did you tamper with the cipher key already?"

"Yes. Since I couldn't confirm which data was the cipher key, I overhauled all the databases in this building. You're quite perceptive."

"Do you plan to track their base using the dummy as a clue?"

"Even if a powerful mage like Ban is guarding here, the enemies won't doubt the authenticity of the cipher key."

"Everything was planned from the moment they obtained the information. Is this how the Agents operate?"

The espionage skills to infiltrate the enemy organization and directly obtain information, and the astonishing execution to overhaul all the servers in a 20-story building.

It's a level of expertise that's hard to believe was done by an outsider.

Perhaps because they are experts in this field, their thoroughness is on a different level from Dike's.

And to that extent, Renok's vigilance was also gradually increasing.

‘I can’t afford to be mistaken.’

The Agents were never allies from the start and could never become allies.

They only collaborated due to the unique connection with Evelyn.

The city government's hounds were certainly not friends Renok could get close to.

‘Let’s focus on the task at hand for now.’

He opened the rooftop door and immediately passed through the narrow corridor.

The floor where the shared office Hina mentioned was located was the 17th floor.

As he walked through the cold, empty rooms, Renok slowly gathered his mana.

Hummm!

The slow, rotating sound from inside his body.

Like slowly warming up an engine, he pumped mana to cover the entire building and sweep up all the sounds.

Whoosh!

"......"

After briefly closing his eyes and absorbing the incoming information, Renok nodded.

"About a dozen people are coming up from the third floor emergency exit."

"It's started. We've successfully blocked the initial entry on the opposite side."

There was no need to specify which ladder to kick next.

Standing in front of the elevator, Renok placed his hand on the button.

If he had no knowledge or experience, it would have been difficult, but with the understanding of magical engineering he gained from cracking the safe at City Bank, manipulating the elevator was not hard.

The mana he sent through the button flowed along the power lines and instantly cut off the power.

When the safety device, which should have automatically activated, was also destroyed, the elevator, which had stopped at the 15th floor, began to plummet.

Renok nodded, confirming the three life signals inside the elevator, who were frantically pounding on the door.

If they were physical ability users, they might have broken out of the elevator mid-fall, but if they were mages, there wouldn't be many ways to escape.

Now, there were seven people left, coming up the stairs.

They seemed to have realized their comrades were in trouble, and their speed had significantly increased.

At this rate, they would burst into the corridor and open the emergency exit door in less than 30 seconds.

Staring at the tightly closed iron door, he fell into thought.

To avoid raising suspicion that the cipher key had been replaced with dummy data, he needed to fight moderately and then hand over the cipher key.

'This is a tough job.'

It would be easier to overpower them head-on, but Renok found it hard to gauge how to fight while controlling his strength and pretend to be overpowered.

How much acting would be enough to fool the enemy?

Hina probably assigned this task to Renok, a mage, over other freelancers because of this issue...

But he thought he could figure something out after seeing their faces.

Boom!!

Just as he finished his thoughts, smoke rose from inside the iron door, and it burst open with an explosion.

Seven people rushed into the corridor simultaneously.

The two at the front were muscular, one holding a shield and the other a large-caliber energy gun, with three riflemen supporting the breakthrough from behind.

And a mage and a swordsman at the very back.

Although they all wore masks to hide their faces, they couldn't conceal the flow of mana.

Apart from the two superhumans at the back, the rest weren't particularly noteworthy.

Instead, the others seemed to heighten their senses and cautiously form a battle formation upon seeing Renok.

The mage at the back whispered.

"Everyone, focus."

"......"

"This is an incredibly high-level opponent. Given that the elevator was hacked and made to fall, they probably have hacker support. We need to deal with this as quickly as possible and extract the cipher key before they tamper with it."

Renok chuckled involuntarily at the completely different assessment from what he had expected.

Bait

It wasn't strange that they didn't know Renok had done all that alone, but it was quite impressive that they mistook him for a hacker.

The mage must have confirmed Renok's handling of the people clinging to the building's exterior, though he didn't know how.

The new shooting assistance magic, [Heat Line Tracking] and [Three-Point Shooting], must have felt threatening to them.

As he raised the revolver in his hand, he could feel the enemy flinch noticeably.

Renok smiled and twisted the barrel, pulling the trigger.

Not at the person maintaining the formation at the front, but at the floor and walls of the corridor.

[Deflected Shot]

Bang!

A single shot. The bullet, deflected by the impact, spun randomly and pierced the flesh of the humans, not in the head.

There was no need to specify the targets.

"Aaah!!"

"My, my leg...!!"

They saw the muzzle flash in the darkness but didn't expect Renok to use deflected shots.

In an instant, the three riflemen standing behind the two giants clutched various parts of their bodies and fell.

Cold ice, like white flowers, sprouted from their bodies, gradually freezing them.

The enchantment [Freeze Order] on the bullet.

The deflected shot with a freezing effect had far surpassed the simple power of a gunshot.

The eyes of the mage and the swordsman, who had lost three of their forces in an instant, changed dramatically.

As if waiting for that moment, the two giants simultaneously charged at Renok.

"Raaaah!!!"

One swung the shield like a blunt weapon, while the other charged his energy gun.

The mage began chanting a spell, and the swordsman slowly drew his sword and advanced.

Renok, who had taken in the four of them in a single glance, immediately moved.

[Upper Ground]

Boom!!

"Ugh...!!"

The corridor floor suddenly rose beneath the feet of the giant charging the energy gun, impaling him against the ceiling.

The energy gun, which fell from his hand, landed behind the other giant and burned his shoulder.

"Aaaaaah!!"

As the giant rolled on the ground in pain and the two hanging from the ceiling struggled, the swordsman, who had been waiting for the chaos, lunged at Renok with a straight flash of light.

Swoosh!!

A clean and precise strike.

Although he wasn't well-versed in swords, it was sharp enough to see that there was no excess.

But because of that, it was easier to disrupt.

Hummm!!

By applying mana interference to the swordsman's wrist, the blade's trajectory twisted strangely and narrowly missed Renok, who was standing right in front.

The swordsman's shoulders visibly shook at the strange sensation of his hands moving on their own.

Boom!!

Seizing the opportunity, Renok embedded a shock spell in the swordsman's back.

Turning his head, he saw the swordsman flying to the other end of the corridor.

The mage's incantation, which he had been preparing, was still incomplete.

Renok, who had been staring at the mage, asked.

"You don't seem to be a dark mage. Which faction are you from?"

"F-fuck..."

The glow of mana from the mage's hands was clearly different from the sticky, dark mana Renok knew.

They said he had collaborated with a terrorist organization, so he must be a mage from that group.

Although he wasn't particularly curious, there was a reason Renok suddenly stopped the battle and started talking.

The mage, realizing this, quietly canceled his spell and answered the question.

"...A shock mage. It seems you use shock magic too."

Shock magic is popular here, and it seems that statement isn't wrong.

This was the first time Renok had encountered two mages of the same type, including the one he met during the pharmaceutical company's request.

Still, he seemed to have some discernment, as he realized the magic Renok had just cast at the swordsman was similar to his own.

"Just by watching and learning."

"...Are you serious? That's ridiculous. No, you weren't a hacker to begin with."

The mage's eyes finally became clearer, as if he had regained his composure in the chaotic situation.

"Who are you? I've never heard of a mage like you among the freelancers in Sector 40."

"Hmm..."

Renok wasn't the type to boast, so he didn't ask if the mage had heard of Ban.

Unable to answer, Renok crossed his arms and tilted his head.

Even if it was a ploy to buy time, it was unusual for someone to make such a proposal in this situation.

He must be a thick-skinned one.

"Is your organization that wealthy to make such an offer?"

The mage, who had been baited by Renok's question, immediately replied.

"Of course. I can't give you the details, but a huge amount of money will soon flow into our organization. Enough to change its foundation. Recruiting someone as skilled as you won't be difficult."

"...Is it wise to tell me this now?"

Renok replied with a look of disbelief, but inwardly he was certain.

'It's definitely about Rayson.'

The dark mage's knowledge of the senator's slush fund.

If they hadn't decided to share a portion of that money with the terrorist organization, such an answer wouldn't have been possible.

The mage, realizing this, smiled meaningfully and replied.

"Because... I have no intention of giving you a single penny...!!"

"......"

Now, it was finally over.

Renok slowly turned his head, thinking.

The swordsman, who had been hit by the shock spell and flown behind Renok, was picking up something that looked like a USB port from an office.

"Run!!"

The moment their eyes met, the mage shouted, and the swordsman turned and fled like lightning.

Boom!!

The mage, who seemed to have been waiting for this moment, started casting shock spells at Renok to buy time.

The swordsman, who had wiped the corner of his eye, boldly threw himself out of a nearby window.

Crash!!

The shadow of the swordsman quickly disappeared far below the 17th floor.

Renok, who had witnessed this desperate camaraderie, looked bewildered.

"......What are you doing?"

"As long as we can steal the cipher key, it's enough... I have no more attachments."

"......"

The mage, who was trembling and clasping his hands, closed his eyes as if waiting for the end.

Renok couldn't help but chuckle.

It seemed they had planned a diversion as soon as they judged that a frontal assault would be difficult.

If they knew that everything had gone according to Renok's plan, what kind of expression would they have?

"They've escaped safely. The real-time tracking is perfect. Good job."

Hearing Hina's satisfied voice, Renok asked.

"We caught a mage from the terrorist organization. What should we do with him?"

"......!"

Although unseen, the mage's forehead began to bead with cold sweat, sensing that this was a life-or-death moment.

"Well... Since our objective is achieved, it's not a big issue. If you want to kill him, go ahead."

"What do you think of me?"

Renok isn't a bloodthirsty killer or someone who enjoys the thrill of battle.

He's doing this because it's necessary and the most efficient and risk-free way given his circumstances.

If he were handling this request alone, he would have killed the mage to avoid complications, but with the backing of the Agents, things were different.

Smack!!

Hitting the mage's head with a shock spell, Renok watched as he fell unconscious.

"Knock him out and take him away. Do what you want with him, whether you interrogate him or not."

"Hmm... This is unexpected."

"What?"

"It's fine. We'll handle the cleanup. After all, we had to restore the internal network we tampered with during the cipher key operation. Once you're out of the operation area—"

Boom!!

A powerful explosion drowned out Hina's voice.

Renok, thinking Hina might have been hit, quickly realized the noise was coming from the window and turned his head.

The 30th floor of the Trade Center, the operation's rendezvous point.

From the building where the three other freelancers, excluding Renok, were supposed to coordinate, red flames were dripping like blood.

The firepower was intense enough to illuminate the night sky.

The fact that this happened right after the swordsman successfully escaped with the cipher key was not a good sign.

After a moment of silence, Hina's voice, now heavy, echoed.

"....We've been hit."

Renok, taking out a cigarette from his pocket, muttered.

"It's our side, then."

"It seems they had a skilled person hiding as a precaution. They must have attacked the Trade Center to ensure the safe escape of the forces that stole the cipher key... It's beyond our expectations."

"What about the other team members?"

"Their communication is cut off. Based on the remaining life signals, I assume they are all in combat."

"Hmm...."

Exhaling the smoke from his mouth out the window, Renok raised his left wrist.

The watch he received from Agria naturally transformed into a telescope, aiding his vision.

Looking through the telescope at the Trade Center and continuously using mana detection, he began to piece together the situation.

One mage, one warrior.

Although the composition was the same as Renok's assignment, their level was clearly different even from a distance.

The warrior seemed to be from the terrorist organization, and the mage from the dark mage side, pushing three people almost overwhelmingly.

The bulky giant and the young man with chlorination abilities were barely holding the front, while the woman, holding two blades, was trying to find an opening but seemed unable to engage in close combat.

The man, who had modified his arms with unknown machinery, was accelerating while emitting steam like a madman.

Seeing the incredible speed, Renok's eyes naturally narrowed.

"......"

Putting down the telescope, he asked calmly.

"Shouldn't I intervene soon? If you're managing the operation, managing the team members is also important."

"......"

Hina didn't speak first.

This was their first operation, and their collaboration through Evelyn's assistance.

It's understandable that she didn't want to give up control.

But there was no reason for Renok to complain first.

If anything, Hina should have been the one to make the first move in this situation.

A moment of silence. But the decision was inevitable.

"......Reinforcements will arrive soon. If you can buy some time until then, Ban, it would be appreciated. They are valuable forces that shouldn't be lost over just one operation."

That's not wrong.

Although they were struggling against an unexpected strong enemy, the team members fighting there were clearly skilled, even from Renok's perspective.

On par with the skilled individuals he met at the madam's place.

If they were kept alive, they could be useful in some way.

After calculating, Renok stood up.

"Do you know which account the success fee for these guys should be deposited into?"

"Of course."

That was enough.

Renok immediately turned and headed towards the corridor.

Support fire

One mage, who had been subdued and knocked out, and other combatants groaning in pain.

Various equipment they had brought was scattered on the floor, regardless of type or size.

Renok, looking around, immediately picked up what he wanted.

The long rifle carried by one of the riflemen.

Although it wasn't intentional, this was the best tool for the current situation.

The rifle, which felt a bit heavy, was laboriously moved to the window.

Fixing the barrel and slowly bringing the stock to his shoulder, he exhaled.

"Hmm......"

It wasn't unfamiliar, but it wasn't a new sensation either. It reminded him of the military.

Even if it wasn't a good memory, it naturally brought back thoughts of Earth.

The sudden nostalgia from an unexpected moment.

Shaking it off, he adjusted his stance.

Although he had obtained a long-barreled weapon, Renok knew the range of a rifle.

Even in a world with magical engineering, the specifications and capabilities of guns were not much different from what Renok knew, as he had confirmed multiple times.

The rifle alone couldn't reach the building.

So he began to gather mana.

[Aim Correction=2nd Level]

[Range Amplification]

[Concentrated Fire]

Hummm!!

Only three auxiliary spells, but each was clearly more powerful and advanced than before.

A faint blue glow slowly flickered around the barrel, forming a subtle spiral.

Firing.

Bang!!

The moment he pulled the trigger, a single bullet pierced the frozen air and crossed the gap between the two high-rise buildings.

The small metal projectile, spinning along a wire, hit the man's temple, who was charging forward with a glare.

Boom!!

Seeing the man's figure fall sideways from the unexpected impact, Renok immediately turned the barrel.

The next target was the mage, who was staring out the window in shock. The magic combination was the same as before.

Quickly reloading and firing.

Bang!!

A single shot that even the warrior couldn't react to.

However, the mage successfully blocked it with a wobbly black wall.

The heightened senses from mana detection and the resulting reaction speed can surpass physical ability users, albeit temporarily.

The same principle that allowed Renok to face someone like Beck Clinton.

A smile naturally formed on his lips.

"This is fun."

The subsequent battle was a simple repetition.

Reloading, firing. Reloading, firing.

Although the efficiency and functionality were greatly improved, the mana consumption of the shooting assistance magic was still minimal compared to general public magic, causing no burden to Renok.

Shooting, spitting out the spent shell, switching to another gun when the barrel heated up.

If the long-range sniping was just a few shots, they might have been able to handle it, but how many could withstand consecutive shots of such power?

Usually, specialized snipers have powerful single shots but come with various penalties, but Renok, with his