A few moments after Chamber confirmed that it needed 90 seconds, Kai froze.
His senses noticed something. The faint echo of footsteps reached him from the corridor beyond.
"Humans..." he muttered under his breath.
"Wait, Chamber! Stop!"
Chamber immediately did so and even without instruction, it pulsed softly.
[ Three signatures detected. Approaching rapidly. ]
Kai’s eyes narrowed. His senses were right...
They were most likely mercenaries.
Their movements weren’t like those of high-level Survivors.
As they stepped into view, he recognized the insignia stitched onto their armor... Cancer Faction’s crest.
’So they’re Cancer’s hired blades...’
Kai took a deep breath.
He didn’t really like these people...
So, if the depot door opened now, they would see everything inside. And mercenaries, especially those not yet bound to a Zodiac, would fight tooth and nail for resources.
"Can you estimate their level or their status, Chamber?"
[ Sure. ]
To be honest, he wasn’t really sure if Chamber could do it.
Kai didn’t even dare to order this A.I. Assistant to analyze Cornelio a while ago since the man was Level 80. He was afraid that the man would notice Chamber.
But now, he felt a little more comfortable seeing how these guys didn’t have the best equipment out there.
Thankfully, Chamber actually succeeded!
[ Target 1: Male with Twin Daggers ]
[ Level: 39
Health: Unknown
Spirit: Unknown
Active Skills: Phase Shift Lv1, Phantom Step Lv6, Dual Fang Slash Lv5
Passive Skills: Quick Reflex Lv4, Opportunist Lv3 ]
[ Assessment: Speed-based combatant. Relies on feints and rapid strikes.
Weakness: Overextension during chain attacks. ]
’Huh? You can tell their Gene Skills?!’
Kai was shocked, but he didn’t voice his thoughts!
’Still, they only have four skills? No... Maybe Chamber can only detect four Skills. It’s possible that there’s a limit to how many skills Chamber could detect.’
After taking a deep breath, Kai controlled his expression and checked the other two.
[ Target 2: Female with Crimson Blade ]
[ Level: 39
Health: Unknown
Spirit: Unknown
Active Skills: Phase Shift Lv3, Crimson Edge Lv5
Passive Skills: Spatial Awareness Lv4, Adaptive Instinct Lv3 ]
[ Assessment: Phase ability allows passage through solid matter for 3 seconds. Vulnerable during re-materialization.
Weakness: Predictable timing after phasing. ]
’Phase Shift? Isn’t that a bit too good?’ Kai thought as checked the last.
[ Target 3: Male with Heavy Axe ]
Level: 39
Health: Unknown
Spirit: Unknown
Active Skills: Phase Shift Lv1, Titan Swing Lv6, Iron Crash Lv5
Passive Skills: Hardened Muscles Lv5, Berserk Fury Lv4 ]
[ Assessment: Strength-based combatant. Devastating power but slow recovery after heavy swings.
Weakness: Easily countered during cooldown windows. ]
Chamber’s voice followed.
[ Conclusion: All three are capped at Level 39. Combat strength comparable to user.
Probability of hostile engagement: 87%. Recommend caution. ]
Kai’s eyes narrowed as he absorbed the data. So they’re exactly like me... capped, waiting for Level 40. Mercenaries without a faction yet. If they see the depot open, they’ll fight for it.
He exhaled slowly, tightening his grip on his lance. "Alright... I understand."
At Level 39, they were capped just like him, waiting for the threshold of Level 40 to force them into choosing a faction.
Unless, of course, they were like Kai... building their own path, their own organization.
The three stopped when they saw him. Their eyes lit up as curiosity flashed across their faces.
"Well, well," one of them said, a tall man daggers...
"How did you get here so fast? This place isn’t exactly easy to reach."
Kai didn’t answer immediately. He studied them carefully...
Another mercenary, a woman with short crimson blade, tilted her head.
"Did you loot something already?" she asked, her tone deceptively casual.
Kai shook his head slowly. "No. I’m leaving."
But the three exchanged glances.
They knew how difficult this section of Citadel‑09 was to access.
The only reason they had managed to get here was because of their Gene Skill... It was Phase Shift. It was an ability that allowed them to phase through solid objects, slipping past barriers that would have stopped anyone else.
At this time, Kai’s warriness made them feel that he was hiding something.
"I’m sure he’s lying," the scarred man muttered. "Nobody gets this deep without finding something."
The third mercenary, a broad‑shouldered brute wielding a heavy axe, stepped forward.
"Then we’ll just have to make sure. Capture him. If he has loot, we’ll take it."
Kai’s grip tightened on his lance. As expected, the people from the Cancer Faction could not be trusted...
He had no choice.
Chamber pulsed again, its voice calm and analytical.
[ Threat assessment: Three opponents. Estimated combat strength equal to user. Weaknesses identified. Recommend immediate engagement. ]
The mercenaries charged forward.
The scarred man struck first, his twin daggers were soon in action!
He moved with speed, aiming for Kai’s throat!
They were not just planning to capture him, they were here planning to kill him!
Kai dodged with his lance, intercepting the strike!
Clang!
Sparks flew as steel met steel.
The crimson-haired woman, who also had a crimson blade, followed!
Her Gene Skill activated!
Her body turned corporeal, phasing partially through Kai’s lance, before reappearing behind Kai. She swung her blade in a downward arc, aiming to cleave his back.
Kai spun... Not expecting that this Phase Shift could be used like this...
Still, he knew that it had a limit!
Soon, his Lance swept in a wide arc. The weapon’s shaft caught her strike, deflecting it with precision.
He kicked forward, forcing her back.
The brute roared, charging with his axe raised high.
His Gene Skill enhanced his strength, the weapon glowing faintly as he brought it down with crushing force!
Kai sidestepped; the axe smashed into the floor!
Boom!
Dust and fragments exploded upward.
"You keep dodging! Just stop moving!"
Kai obviously didn’t listen as he thrust his lance forward, piercing the brute’s shoulder. The man bellowed in pain, staggering.
But the mercenaries weren’t ordinary fighters.
They regrouped quickly, circling him.
"Not bad," the scarred man hissed. "But you’re alone. You can’t win against three."
As soon as the man said this, he injected something into himself, turning his skin red!
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