The halls of the Arena were quiet, despite the ongoing raid. The shift toward energy weapons had changed warfare yet again, allowing battles to attract less attention. This was technology's effect on war; something every intelligent species had gotten used to.
Following the path Min calculated in his brain, the two narrowly avoided many groups of mobilizing guards. The tunnel he had in mind was quite secluded, so all they had to do was be sneaky.
The two slowed at an intersection to check their surroundings. Min peeked around a corner to see an approaching guard just a few feet away! He quickly pushed Damira toward an open side door and closed it with his feet.
Though the sudden push did a little damage, she had entered the side room in time. The approaching guard, one of the higher-ranking grunts, stopped in front of Min.
"What are you doing out here? Wait… those are from the exhibit room!"
The guard reached for his audio-only communicator instantly. Min gritted his teeth before he drew his sword and quickly jabbed toward the guard's chest. His sword tore through the guard's uniform, quickly killing him. The uniform was meant to defend against laser blasts more than anything, so the sword was effective.
—-----------------------------------------------------------
You have dealt a fatal blow!
"-120"
You have killed Arena Specialist (Lv. 7) and gained 360 Exp.
—-----------------------------------------------------------
Before Min could feel relief, a voice sounded from the communicator's speaker.
"Who turned their communicator on to the sound of someone dying? All transporting personnel, report your condition."
Min frowned heavily before squatting by the guard and grabbing the communicator. The other people on the communicator reported their call signs and conditions. After 0-8 reported his condition, silence lingered for a few moments. Min knew this was his time.
"0-9 speaking. I am in transit to the stadium front."
Min inhaled tensely while he awaited the response. A short silence remained before a furious voice came from the speaker.
"1-9 has been terminated! I repeat, 1-9 has been terminated! Possible infiltration! All units, watch-"
Click.
Min dropped the communicator as his face darkened. What the hell is that call sign format? Now, the Arena command would be suspicious of infiltrators, so they would be reluctant to remain on that communication channel. Since Min did not know how to operate a communicator, he could not try to change to their new channel. In short…
His luck was too poor!
Shaking this disappointment away, Min shot to full height and returned to the room he had thrown Damira in. "Sorry for throwing you so hard. They've caught on to our plan somewhat, so we have to hurry."
Min grabbed Damira's hand before she could reply and ran down the opposite hall. A combat notice related to Damira popped up in the Interface. He was curious to see her condition, so he checked her Character Information
—-----------------------------------------------------------
Name: Damira Tsuryn
Level: 3
Main Class: N/A
Subclass: Civilian Lv.3 (112/150)
Race: Galaxy Human
Attributes: 2 STR, 3 DEX, 2 END, 7 INT, 1 MYS, 2 CHA, 93 LUK
Health: 18/20
Stamina: 15/24
Energy: 0
Energy Rank: 3-4 Ona
Grade: F
Abilities:
[Cooking Lv. 5]
[Medium-Grade Luck Glow] - Turn tragedy into opportunity.
…
—-----------------------------------------------------------
'Luck Glow!'
Min almost tripped after reading that last line. Damira had Luck Glow, and Medium-Grade at that.
'I am dragging a Main Character by the wrist! Have I already found my very own Feidin? I hope she won't mind what that entails…"
Min internally nodded at this information. He was glad that listening to his heart brought this boon, but then he began to wonder if his decision was an effect of her luck. Before thinking on it further, he realized that this train of thought would just become a loop, so he shook it off.
Anyway, given Damira's Luck Glow, they would probably- you know what, nevermind. Min was tired of raising flags. All the unlucky can do is trust in another's luck.
At least now he could check Damira's stamina to make sure she didn't overexert herself too much. She was now quite a valuable asset, so Min would be willing to sacrifice a lot more to keep her safe. Not that he felt it was possible to leave her behind due to the associated guilt, but that was a different story.
Their path was uninterrupted for about fifty seconds before a group of three guards came into view. Min released his companion and drew his sword without slowing down. Min's blade cut across the closest guard's neck before he could ready his firearm.
As the guard staggered back while holding his neck, Min spun around and grabbed another guard. His overwhelming strength advantage allowed him to use this guard's body to block the final guard's incoming fire. The final guard stopped firing and tried to reposition, but he soon found the second guard's chest in his face. The two guards fell to the floor, and Min stabbed through their necks like a kebab.
Min properly finished off the first guard before he swung his sword to fling some of the blood off. A disgusted frown accompanied a head shake. Killing had always been really yucky for him, but blocking out the tragedy seemed to work. So, Min looked forward and exhaled.
As he sheathed his sword, a system notice indicated that he gained around 900 Exp. While he rummaged through the guard's things, he reviewed his current plan from a cold, logical perspective.
'Level 5 guards like these fellas aren't a match for me, but if I fight too many, I'll become exhausted. We're only a few minutes' dash from the supply tunnel but we also have a time limit. The raid finishing would mess with my plan, but we'll test our luck.'
Min found one of the guard's laser pistols and inspected it. This sort of portable weapon would not hinder their speed much, so it would be good to take. He turned around to call for Damira, but she had conveniently placed herself behind him. He handed her the laser pistol with a smile.
"Wow, you already knew my intention. Could it be that we're twins or maybe soulmates?"
Damira was speechless. She took the pistol and put it in her back pocket while she rubbed her forehead. "Could you try being serious? This is a life-or-death matter!"
"I was just trying to lighten the mood…" Min grumbled while picking up another pistol and hooking it onto his belt. He wanted to use this as both a last resort and a distraction. If they ran into a strong enemy, he could make them think this was his trump card.
He could also sell this weapon whe- ahem, if he gets out!
…
The two were finally only a few seconds from the door. Apart from a few distractions, the journey had been smooth. Min slowed down at the corner and let go of Damira. He leaned around the edge and saw a small group of men by the door. A large man stood out from the rest and seemed to be commanding them. It was Chad!
'They're just standing around the door. Did they anticipate my path and want to ambush me? Even though Chad's a strong fella, I have my own tricks. I'll show them an ambush…'
Min sighed before stepping out from the corner. He drew his sword and activated [Basic Internal Circulation] before rushing the group.
The whole group turned in Min's direction, but he was already close enough to do something. The ornate katana pierced a surprised guard's neck before leaving it to spin around and cut another guard across the chest. His opening attack was effective, but they had prepared now.
Chad's eyes narrowed as the two remaining guards withdrew behind his back. The guard's levels ranged from 10-13, so they could be considered elite. One of the two remaining guards was the one Min slashed.
"Are you the one who killed Ramsey? You're a Halmet too… the Cockroach may have let us capture him so he could infiltrate us. Ready yourself, boys."
Min picked up the dead guard's body by the uniform's upper back and held it in front of him while his enemies drew their rifles. "If you're talking about the raiding force, I have nothing to do with them. Why would I be trying to escape on my own if I did?"
"We'll see."
Chad's eyes focused as he and his crew drew their laser rifles and began firing at Min. Using the guard's body to soak up damage, the Elf quickly approached the group. Carrying a body reduced mobility but its higher resistance to laser fire made an approach less risky.
Meng Min threw out many feints with the body in his hand; one time pretending to rush out from its protection before stopping; another using the previous' momentum to jet in the other direction. However, the latter ended up being another feint that turned into a twirl of sorts that left him vulnerable yet in a prime striking position. However, this was not taken advantage of as Min brought the body to cover himself again.
"Stop playing around, Cockroach!"
A roar accompanied Chad's charge toward Min. However, as he readied the his rifle's energy blade function, a blonde flashed past the body. The real attack!
The katana's tip cratered into the injured guard's neck but was unable to pierce it entirely. Min ducked below the upward-turned blade that stuck out the poor guy's nape and grabbed his new shield. While resistant, these uniforms couldn't take an infinite amount of abuse. They required frequent changing.
"He's faster than before! Ezhilarasan, you know what to do."
Seeing the new development, Chad groaned as he tossed his large rifle to the floor. He slowly drew the long, thin sword on his hip and pointed it at Min.
The last guard, Ezhilarasan, steeled his resolve and backed away. He trained his aim on Min but did not fire. Min squinted at Ezhilarasan and saw that he was quite pretty. For some reason, this stood out.
'Huh… well, anyways, it looks like they plan on doing some sort of double-teaming. Don't know where Chad got the confidence to… oh, he's level 20. He's also got 600 hp…'
Min returned his full attention to the battle, having only looked at Chad's stat page for half a second. His own energy was already below 100 and his stamina only around 75%. If not for his buff, he would be extremely disadvantaged here.
This was the gap in accumulation. Regardless, since Min had a subclass, there were some pros on his side.
What felt like an eternity passed as the fighters clashed. Meng Min had entered a peculiar state of focus that was reserved for only his most intense battles. Earlier, his body's instincts hadn't caught up to his mental experience, so this state couldn't develop as easily. But a year of forced combat had basically aligned his body's and mind's experience.
His background in martial arts could finally shine. But before Min's energy ran out, a sudden variable affected things.
A dropped communicator suddenly began to broadcast once again.
"Argh! The bastards are in! F*ck all of you traitors who ran aw-"
The communication was cut short, and everyone paused. Min hopped to his feet and kept the two enemies in his line of sight. Hesitation spread across Chad's face before he spoke.
"Cockroach, let's make a truce. If we keep this up, we'll be captured for sure. If you really have nothing to do with the raiders, you'll accept."
Min debated the merits of this offer in his mind. It only took him a moment to decide his answer. "Fine. But remember that I have a hell of a lot less to lose than you do if we get captured."
Min deactivated [Basic Internal Circulation] and banged on the supply tunnel door. "This was the exit I planned on using. Damira!"
He called out to the corridor that he came from, and Damira nervously walked out. Her steps were unstable and her breath heavy. Despite not fighting, the stress from being unable to affect her fate exhausted her. Min opened the supply tunnel door and pointed at its dark depths.
"This should be an exit. 'Less you got other ideas, we should get going."
Chad stared at the hall before huffing out a breath and passing through the door. Ezhilarasan followed Chad while looking at Min suspiciously. After everyone had passed through, Min followed, swiftly closing the door behind them with a thud. Following a short, awkward silence, Chad was the first one to speak.
"We should run at the same speed so no one gets out of our sight. Understood?"
Seeing Chad act like the leader, Min rolled his eyes and spoke with a mocking tone. "Whatever you say, boss."
Min sped up into a jog, which Damira mimicked. Ezhilarasan and Chad copied Min, and the four new companions moved through the supply tunnel at a steady pace.