Herald of death

Specter nine pauses, his gaze sharpening as he considers their limited options. "Yes, but it's risky. We need to intercept Najjar before he gets here. If we can get the engineer, we can delay their plans."

Ethan grumbles, "The place is on high alert. We can use the fields to prepare an ambush, but the second we act, all hell will break loose. We'll be shot at from every direction, and neither of us can dodge bullets."

"Then we get to their improvised lab. They will probably park along it, and we'll be able to use their cars to escape," Specter nine proposes.

Ethan asks, "How many of them are in the lab? And how many more are coming with Najjar?"

"Five that I know of, maybe more now. I don't know about Najjar's escort, but their leaders usually have a three-man entourage," Specter nine guesses.

"Where is the lab?" Ethan asks.

Specter nine points to warehouse on his map; they only need to march along three buildings and cross a small palisade.

"Get Tombstone to agree, and we're doing it. Otherwise, I will extract you. Even if I must drag your unconscious body to do so," Ethan orders.

Specter nine immediately calls, explaining the situation to Tombstone.

Ethan moves upstairs. The building stayed empty, but he can hear steps outside. He waits for a path to clear and orders, 'Come, sneak,' with his inner voice.

Waiting on either Russ or Specter nine, Ethan rests his back on a wall. He has had little time to himself since yesterday morning. The world now includes leveling, abilities, gods, and monsters straight out of a fantasy game. For someone like him, a hitman entrenched in the shadows of the underworld, it throws into question the relevance of his painfully honed skills.

The infiltration and ambush tactics he's using feel almost primitive compared to the powers some individuals now wield. Yet, here he is, relying on old-fashioned tactics: hiding, lying, poisoning, and ambushing his targets.

His thoughts are interrupted as he sees Russ' heartbeat approaching. He opens the door to let his companion in, who immediately sniffs around. "Leave it," Ethan orders, pointing at the crate of opium.

Specter nine joins them. "Tombstone approved," he says. Ethan's phone vibrates, and Najjar's target package appears as a confirmation.

Russ lies down in front of another crate, his front paws crossed.

"What is he doing?" Specter nine asks.

Ethan moves to the crate and lifts the lid, revealing a stash of C4 bombs. "He just found us a wonderful distraction," Ethan praises. Each explosive is tied to a Nokia with a phone number labeled on it. "Take those; we'll split on our wait to the laboratory. Hide them under their vehicles and where it will do the most damage," Ethan says as he enters the numbers in a group chat. He leaves one of the bombs in the opium crate. And empties a bottle of cleaning alcohol on it.

They leave the building, each choosing their own path to the laboratory. 'Follow, sneak,' Ethan orders.

Russ rushes flat out between hiding spots as Ethan uses predator's sight to know when to hide. They pass three hurried patrols, each time hiding behind vehicles and decor. On his path, Ethan sees a gasoline tank and throws an explosive behind it.

As he edges the laboratory, he uses predator's sight, discovering that five people are waiting inside. Specter nine is at the corner of another building. Ethan signals him to come over.

They wait for Najjar's arrival, hiding in bushes near the laboratory back door. "What class did you get?" Specter nine asks in a hushed whisper.

"I choose Harbinger. It lets me grow stronger for ten levels, and then I'll be able to choose another class," Ethan explains.

"Choose? It just told me I was a Warrior," Specter nine asks, surprise in his tone.

Ethan guesses, "You must have had only this option. I had more than ten to choose from. And those who unlocked no class became Villagers."

Two loud engines approach, most likely 4x4s or small trucks. They park in front of the laboratory. "Get in!" Najjar's voice orders as cars' doors open.

Predator's sight reveals seven people: Najjar, two soldiers, a man, a woman, a child, and a giant soldier. The last man is easily two meters high, with a massive heart that pulses only once every two seconds.

"Your eyes are glowing red," Specter nine yells in Ethan's ear. He did not really yell, but Ethan perceived it as an all-out scream.

Ethan shakes his head to make the ringing disappear. "In addition to the five soldiers inside, Najjar brought three, including a man built like a tank. … Thanks for telling me about the eyes. It would have been a problem if I used my ability while undercover," Ethan says.

They move, placing themselves on each side of the backdoor. As the front door locks, Ethan sends a message in the group chat and initiates a call.

The quiet hum of the farm shatters as thunderous detonations turn the compound into a battlefield wreathed in smoke and debris.

Specter nine flinches at the first blast but quickly regains composure. As the thick smoke billows and the scent of burning gasoline fills the air, Ethan counts down on his fingers: three… two… one. He kicks the door open, and Specter Nine rolls in.

The room erupts in gunfire. Specter Nine fires short, controlled bursts, aiming for surprised, out-of-cover guards. Ethan advances, dispatching enemies who scramble for makeshift covers.

Russ bites the ankle of the first enemy in sight, dragging him behind cover to finish him.

The three civilians dive to the ground, shaking in terror. In a desperate bid for escape, Najjar dashes towards the front door. Ethan aims and fires, hitting him in the leg. The giant, caught off-guard by the ferocity of the attack, lifts a M249 and unleashes a tempest of lead towards Ethan.

Specter nine empties his magazine at the giant, but the bullets fail to pierce his skin. He redirects his fire at Specter nine who dives behind a crate to protect himself.

Ethan, not hesitating, pulls his shotgun from the haversack as he charges the giant. Spotting Ethan, he swings the machine gun in his direction. Just as the giant pulls the trigger, Ethan dives, avoiding the bullets, and fires his shotgun. The twenty-three millimeters slug strikes the base of the giant's skull, splattering his brain on the ceiling.

"I'm wounded!" Specter nine yells from his cover.

Ethan glances at the vehicles outside; one of them received an imposing shard of metal from the gas tank into the engine, but the other is intact. 'Their leader was driving this one,' Ethan recalls. Najjar raises a handgun at Ethan, but Russ shatters his wrist with a bite. 'Kill,' Ethan thinks as he takes the car keys from Najjar's other hand.

"Russ leveled up. You leveled up."

Ethan grabs the civilian man lying on the ground by the collar and raises him to his feet. "Get your family in the truck and start the engine!" Ethan orders the man, placing the keys in his hand. He's in shock. Ethan slaps him with the back of his hand. Falling on the ground, the man seems to understand and starts dragging the two others outside.

Ethan rushes to Specter nine's side. He received three bullets in the vest, two of which penetrated, one close to his heart. "I can't move you. And if you take a healing potion, it could push the bullet into your heart," Ethan thinks aloud.

"Then just give me my rifle and leave me here," Specter nine says.

'The dungeon stones teleport your entire party, and she said that both allies and bonds are part of it,' Ethan thinks. He moves to the window and breaks it with his stock. He yells at the man as he ignites the truck, "Leave! We have another way out."

The driver hesitates for an instant, trying to say something. Ethan disappears inside the building and hears the truck driving away.

"That's righteous of you, but now we'll both die here," Specter nine says.

Ethan pulls out the Abyssal Keep dungeon stone but refrains from shattering it. 'Russ appears alongside my status; do I have to ask him to join it, like in video games? Invite, … party invite,' Ethan thinks, his hand on Reaper nine's shoulder.

A window appears before the wounded man, and after a quick glance, he says, "Accept."

"Russ, come," Ethan orders. His dog near them, Ethan shatters the dungeon stone. A blinding light englobes them as Ethan places his hands to hold Specter nine in place.