Henry was so close he could taste it.

After months of planning, he would soon reap the rewards of his hard work.

If he listened closely, he could make out Seunghyo’s slow breathing while his heart beat out of his chest. The fool had played his part perfectly, even if he didn’t realize it.

When the corporation tasked Henry with this mission, he chose his team carefully along with a backup team. While Seunghyo had proven himself worthy in many respects, it was obvious to all who knew him that he wasn’t the caliber of player the corporation normally invited into their ranks.

The men and women Henry fought with prized power over all else. In comparison, Seunghyo was weak.

But in the end, Seunghyo was the only one to survive. And he would be the reason that the Cha Bell Corporation could finally put the partnership with the north behind them.

Over the years, the northern barony’s overzealous research and discoveries were met by more annoyance than approval by the Cha Bell Corporation. His corporate overlords secretly wondered if their investments were worth the trouble. That is, until reports of the Frostbitten reached their desks. And then, there was ‘sin’.

The shadow walker took a moment to observe his surroundings. By his estimate, the catwalk under his feet was about 40 meters underground. Far enough that he could still see the shield doors above his head. Below he could see the wide, perfectly circular cavern go another 40 meters further still.

The silo had been designed to launch something big, but it sat empty at the moment. More than likely, the weapon it was meant to house and potentially launch had never been built. But Henry liked to imagine that somewhere nearby, there was a weapon of unimaginable destruction just waiting to be discovered.

While he would have preferred to explore other sites, he had spent the past month learning every inch of this one. The upper floors had research stations and data processing centers while the deeper levels housed processing labs. Deeper still, at the base of the missile silo were secured facilities which housed among many things, the open gate guarded by four very angry sin wraiths.

Henry smiled.

For weeks, he looked for a way to get past the wraiths. Henry spent sleepless nights watching the facility, inside and out learning the monsters’ habits. While the monsters left the facility at night to hunt above ground, one or two always stayed behind to guard the gate.

The last time he attempted to get past them, Seunghyo and the entirety of his team paid the price. Two others had survived the initial encounter but eventually succumbed to their injuries.

Henry still remembered the day he awoke to find that Seunghyo had slipped away.

Maybe Seunghyo really had left to find help. Or maybe he was planning on heading south when he ran into his ex-wife. Regardless of the reason, the boy had returned and brought help along with him.

And, in the process, he brought together everything Henry needed to complete his plan.

For Henry, the north was freedom. There was no Player Society to answer to and his employers at the Cha Bell corporation didn't care how he dealt with obstacles so long as he completed their objectives. Even if the obstacles happened to be other people.

Henry smiled and breathed in deep. He was almost sorry to leave, but victory would taste so sweet. Corporate had promised riches and influence beyond his means.

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He had struggled, tooth and nail, to pull himself forward. And now, with this one job, he could make a major leap forward.

It seemed ridiculous now, but in the early days of the Break, rogues were considered a support class. The majority of early skills were geared towards perception or movement. This allowed players to scout and map out dungeons or move quickly through dangerous regions.

Unlike fighters, they had no close quarters offensive skills and they lacked the range of sharpshooters or scholars.

Instead, rogues had access to three passive skills: [warmth], [dark sight] and [second step].

Henry smiled at the thought. He’d spent so many years killing that he’d forgotten how his career had started.

Henry had adopted quickly to his role. [Warmth] increased resistance to all non-physical attacks or effects from poison to the arcane. It even made him warmer in cold environments. [Second step] was a simple skill that made him faster and quieter while [dark sight] improved his night vision.

Above his head, the blast doors remained shut but he could hear the air outside. A slight rustle told him that the wind had picked up, dropping the temperature a few more degrees below freezing. Henry continued walking down across the catwalk and down the set of stairs leading deeper into the dark.

The control room was emptier than he imagined. There was plenty of machinery covered in a thin layer of dust, but the dim glow from the control panels told him all he needed. Beyond the control room was the base of the silo where the soft unnatural glow of the gate threw wavering shadows across the walls.

Then he heard it.

Shraak…

A low shriek coming from outside the control room. Then another.

Something had clearly sensed his presence. Henry stopped and waited.

The wraiths slowly moved along the catwalk outside and Henry stepped sideways into the shadows. Eyes that didn't see scanned their surroundings and passed over the spot Henry stood. As a shadow walker, this was his environment. Years of experience allowed him to melt into the inky black shadows, enough that most monsters never saw him there.

But these things clearly knew he was near. Their heads bobbed and their stance grew more aggressive.

"You can't see me, but you know I'm here, don't you?" he whispered.

If they heard him, the monsters didn’t react.

This was the furthest that Henry had ever ventured.

The intel he had gathered told him his prize lay just beyond, in a laboratory located near the gate itself. But the gate, and the wraiths, stood between him and his prize.

After a moment, the wraiths moved out of view and Henry brought his attention back to the panel in front of him. A few swift taps and the screen slowly came to life.

Launch control.

Root access… granted.

It had been ages since Henry used a computer, but he was surprised at how quickly it came back to him. The system was clearly designed in the 80’s, but it was relatively easy to operate. It was only a few seconds before he found what he was looking for.

Launch pad controls… operational.

(No armament found on lock)

Access maintenance protocols (Y/N).... Y

Maintenance protocols…

* Payload assembly (non-operational)

* Security access (non-operational)

* Duct maintenance (non-operational)

* Shield doors (operational)

Henry smiled in satisfaction, a wicked and savage smile.

“Too easy.”

Shield doors… selected.

Operational parameters accepted.

WARNING. Operating the shield doors poses a danger to nearby personnel.

Proceed (Y/N).... Y