Chapter 280 – Acid Gas
“Who would think of placing a skill activation device in a place like this?”
The air touching my body was hot.
It wasn’t just warm. Heat shimmered and flames, along with acrid smoke, rose all around. This map was probably the worst place for a thermal imaging scope. Such a useless thought flashed through my mind.
The building, half-destroyed by a direct hit from a volcanic bomb, was also surrounded by an underground tunnel leaking red lava. This place was both a skill activation zone at the edge of the map and a building touching a lava river flowing through the tunnel.
Of course, the river was like a line, and the lava sea, which was the kill zone itself, still had a long way to go before it covered this point.
───Rat-a-tat-tat!
───Boom!
However, even in such a situation, the users swarming nearby shot at each other on sight. At least in this map, lava wasn’t something to marvel at. It would be fascinating if one ended up face-first in it, though.
At this point, the battle was literally a game of nerves. Skills could only be activated in the designated zones, which meant no one had any skills yet. Therefore, this phase of combat relied entirely on physical abilities, individual senses, and luck.
But there was a new variable to consider: the fire. To be precise, the fire itself wasn’t much of a concern, but the toxic smoke that was already hard to see through was a problem.
Thus, many carried oxygen tanks and gas masks.
Of course, wearing one meant losing the other.
“Ugh-!”
Gas masks or heat-reflective material masks worked well in this area, but they significantly narrowed the field of vision.
Users who reached this level could handle such disadvantages to some extent, but this was only true against less skilled opponents. Facing other users with the skill to represent a country meant the outcome was somewhat predictable.
I just figured I could hold my breath or resolve things before falling into a serious state of impairment.
Throwing a flashbang in someone’s face and using a grenade in the right spot could completely disrupt the opponent’s vision and hearing. It was a pretty standard tactic now, but by compressing activation speed to the limit and adjusting timing precisely, it would become an unblockable attack pouring down on the enemy.
A dozen .300 AAC BLK rounds pounded the shield, eventually shattering it and penetrating the bulletproof vest plates. In the end, CQB was all about speed, speed, and more speed. At a certain point, it wasn’t about unique or extraordinary tactics but about who moved more nimbly that decided the victory.
Of course, once skills came into play, the range of tactical choices would widen crazily.
“About three more left….”
I muttered in a small voice that no one else could hear.
In fact, I could roughly gauge the enemy’s location from the small vibrations when they stepped on the ground. Still, since this was also a game, I preferred not to rely on such additional physical abilities—regardless, I attempted another recon of the surroundings.
Once the number of nearby users dwindled to two or three, I could seize the opportunity to activate a skill. Of course, leaving everything to chance and luck wasn’t my style and wasn’t a good idea, so there was no need to force it.
Jumping from a wrecked car onto an enemy vehicle and smashing the window to attack while it sped at 50-60 km/h, ejecting them into the lobby, was only possible because it had a chance of success.
Anyway.
“….”
I scouted the area a few more times to confirm the situation. The structure was quite simple, but the paths to higher levels were limited, and the stairs weren’t properly enclosed but open on all sides. If I recklessly ascended, I’d likely get shot in the back or the abdomen.
Moreover, climbing the temporary metal scaffolding and stairs scattered all around wasn’t ideal, as the sound of boots hitting the metal would echo everywhere, and with many materials around, setting traps would be very easy.
In short, I needed another method.
And I had enough strength to execute it.
“Huff…!”
Grabbing the iron pillar connected to the wall scaffolding of the abandoned lower building, I felt the heat as lava hit the first floor. The pillar was quite hot, and in a few minutes, it would be too scorching to hold.
I grabbed and pulled. The pose might have looked awkward, but pulling my late 200kg body, including equipment, wasn’t difficult. I quickly climbed the pillar and crossed the outer wall to the third floor.
Standing on a horizontal pillar on the third floor, I carefully tore away the flapping cloth used to cover the construction site and observed the situation. I saw a user moving cautiously, establishing a safe zone. Unusually, they even had a portable ADS to intercept throwables, indicating they were well-prepared.
But they didn’t seem to expect this situation.
So, a dilemma arose.
‘…Should I use a gun or not?’
Or if I used a gun, could I suppress them in the minimum time?
The MCX Rattler was a superb firearm, but ICARUS Operators had shields. It was a technological marvel, developed to ensure survivability in any situation, protruding like a spire from the linearly evolving modern technology.
One magazine was enough to break the shield and deplete HP, but every shot had to hit. And the noise generated in the process would likely echo everywhere. In other words, it was time to choose between speed and accuracy.
Adjusting my gear to prevent noise from items clashing, I carefully pulled out the tactical spike hammer from the multipurpose pouch. This time, I would use the blade part instead of the hammerhead.
Activating an EMP grenade, common in any map, I held it in my left hand and detonated it.
It was nicknamed ‘useless trash’ because the shield only went down for three seconds, but it was incredibly useful in this situation.
And-
───Boom!
A heavy but much quieter noise compared to gunshots.
As soon as I rammed into the enemy with sudden acceleration, they let out a sound, expelling all the air from their lungs. It was a type of shock the shield couldn’t block. Of course, that wasn’t the end; before they hit the ground, the blade at the back of the hammer pierced through their jaw and palate.
In that state, the ground and their face came closer centimeter by centimeter. In other words, they fell flat. I stomped on the struggling enemy’s body, then swung my right hand from above. The blade at the back of the hammer drew a neat arc and pierced through the cervical vertebra, causing the body to tremble.
But only for a moment, the enemy was ejected into the lobby.
“…Huff.”
Indeed, melee attacks were more certain than guns. You could see the enemy dying up close—not that I enjoyed it, of course. It was more for the purpose of confirming the kill.
Anyway, it seemed that the area around the skill activation zone was mostly cleared.
And there was an unexpected gain.
───Clank!
After carefully folding the trophy system and placing it in my bag, I began to move in earnest.
Knowing that there was only one enemy left around here meant I could activate the skill even if I got shot in the process, and I could also locate the enemy simultaneously—and once I knew the enemy’s position, I was confident in my tracking more than anyone else.
The risk was significantly reduced.
The final match still demanded the lives of many more players.
“Um….”
Someone seemed to be following me – Dice.
I continued to scout the area, but nothing particularly stood out. It was just a conclusion drawn from intuition, but it couldn’t be ignored. It was embarrassing to say, but my judgment and sense were among the most harsh, strict, and sharp in the Korean representative team, and it had been further enhanced by Yoo Jin’s curriculum.
It was a conclusion drawn from that. It felt like a skilled tracker was following me. I wasn’t sure, but there was a bullet that came from an impossible direction while fighting another user. Once or twice could be attributed to a nearby third party, but if it happened again, the story would be different.
The distance was about 200 meters. It didn’t get any closer or farther. Despite trying to approach and deal with it, the enemy concealed their location while accurately pinpointing mine.
Perhaps it was a user utilizing cloaking pulses and a drone for a portable UAV function.
“At least it’s not Logan….”
Although I said that, I didn’t think that person was intentionally following me. It seemed more likely that I ran into them by chance and got beaten.
With that thought, I opened the map. After marking a 200-meter radius, I searched for a place where a shooting angle was possible. Thanks to years of experience and improved map analysis skills, it didn’t take long to deduce a rough location. But it wasn’t without problems. In fact, it was full of issues.
First, the presumed enemy location was at a higher elevation. The path there was a winding slope, making it even more troublesome. Moreover, the terrain behind was submerging. This was another form of kill zone. The tunnels running under this village were likely filling with water.
In short, I had to pass through that path if possible. Since there were no vehicles around, running away would likely result in getting shot by a sniper.
“My skills have improved, but why does it feel harder than last year?”
What could I do? That’s how the world worked. Or maybe it was because last year’s me wouldn’t have survived such situations. Perhaps I’d developed the ability to objectively assess how dangerous a situation was.
Anyway, my concern was how to shake off this user sticking to me like a mosquito. Although it was more like a gatekeeper than a mosquito now, it didn’t matter. This game didn’t have electric fly swatters or mosquito coils.
So, what should I do—not.
Wait a second.
Mosquito coil?
‘It’s not exactly a mosquito coil, but…’
This is what I meant.
All maps and cities of Atakaya Volcanic Island were connected by underground tunnels. Of course, these tunnels weren’t made for people to walk through. They were designed to direct lava to the sea during a volcanic eruption, reducing the eruption’s impact.
Although the game tooltip explained it this way, in reality, the lava alone wasn’t enough to form kill zones quickly. They intentionally blocked paths or used city sewers and subway tunnels to direct lava, creating circular kill zones.
Anyway, that wasn’t the problem. The important thing was that as the island submerged, seawater flowed back into the tunnels. When seawater met flowing lava, chlorine gas mixed with fine glass particles would billow out. And the enemy’s high ground would allow the gas to escape easily.
If things went well, I could suffocate the enemy or, at the very least, disrupt the UAV with the gas, buying enough time to escape.
Therefore, the target was the underground control room in the city.
The two skills I chose this time were chemical – a nanite launcher, and a holographic decoy. Fortunately, I could use the latter to deceive the enemy roughly.
I threw the decoy on the ground and hurriedly moved. Time was of the essence now. From here, the route and area weren’t visible from the high ground, so I didn’t worry much about hiding. Holding only the AAC Honey Badger, I descended into the underground tunnel, feeling a cold breeze brush my skin.
I thoroughly checked the surroundings, but as it was an outer village close to submerging, there were no people. Just a few AI enemies. Within seconds, I put a bullet through their heads, not bothering to pay much attention as I entered the control facility.
“Ugh, it’s complicated.”
But there were only a few things to touch.
Through the hologram panel floating in front, I could see which gates were open or closed and where the lava was. My current position was already marked, so I quickly prepared to open the gates.
One, two, three… After marking the points I wanted the lava to reach, the system indicated which doors to open and close. I immediately authorized it. Signals to simultaneously open multiple doors were sent out. If there were no contrary signals within the next 10 seconds, the gates would automatically open.
Next was opening the door holding back the seawater. Although unknown liquids had entered the discharge passage, and the door wouldn’t open, I installed the nanites around the door and fired the last shot at the lock. Amidst the ominous noise and spouting water, I returned to the control room and shut the triple-lock doors.
As soon as the nanites activated,
───Boom!
With a heavy noise, the door was torn off, and water slowly rose.
The water, like a living creature, surged into the tunnel, which extended so far it was invisible, while lava quickly flowed down from above. Since the lava remained liquid due to being insulated by the tunnel, it wouldn’t take long to reach the marked points.
I had done my job. After grabbing a set of protective gear, I left the control room and ascended, once again enveloped by the eerie silence. After detonating the decoy, I entered a nearby building, observing the high ground while continuing to wait.
How much time passed?
“Of course.”
Thick white smoke billowed visibly from the high ground town.
Finally, I went outside, started the engine of a silent ATV, and watched as the UAV, which had been hovering low, corroded and crashed.
The situation was entering a new phase.
-[Warning: Toxic acidic gas detected. Impurity concentration lethal. 99.9996% chance of fatal respiratory damage if inhaled for more than one minute. Immediate evacuation from the area is advised.]
“What on earth is this….”
It was a bizarre situation. I had no clue how it happened, but the message was clear. The warning that I would suffocate within a minute without a gas mask was truly chilling, so he hurriedly put on the mask he had and exhaled.
From the moment the UAV crashed, any thought of recon was out of the question.
The skin that couldn’t be covered by the mask started itching slightly. Since it was virtual reality, the pain was blocked, so it was only a slight itch, but in reality, it would have been quite painful. It was a reaction caused by chlorine gas touching the skin.
He hurried outside, but the surroundings were literally chaos. White smoke from sewers and everywhere else made it hard to see ahead.
He barely found the buggy he had parked for a smooth escape, opened the driver’s door, sat down, started the engine, and stepped on the accelerator. As the wheels spun vigorously with a roaring sound, he desperately checked ahead, which was hard to see, and tried to steer.
But no more than four seconds had passed.
───Boom!
“Ugh!”
An explosion from behind.
The vehicle turned into a fireball, and he was thrown to the ground with his shield shattered. With his mask broken, toxic gas crawled into his respiratory system.
In the midst of this, through the thick white smoke, he saw a figure wearing a gas mask and full protective gear staring at him.
She seemed to smirk.
The muzzle was raised.
She muttered a few words and then flicked her finger.
Thus, his Final Championship came to an end.