Side Character Who Became the Pseudo-Protagonist

Chapter 26: Abandoned Playplace

[Spell Sequence Initializing: Tier 1 Physical Enhancement Type—]

[Boost]

I launched myself toward the broken escalators like a cannonball.

Thankfully, a Spell like [Boost] didn’t really lose out on any power due to not being cast through a Spell Driver, which allowed me to climb up the steps in one go and reach the first floor of the mall.

By the time my vision adjusted from the speed, I could already see the White Noise member disappearing into what looked like the kid’s playplace section of the mall.

But before I could try to run after her, a few guards stood in my path.

"Tch...get out of my way."

Well, me warning them does not equate to them listening to me.

Reaching into their pockets, they produced a small device in one hand and a piece of Red Logicite in the other.

The guards placed the crystal in front of the device and turned the thing on.

VMMMMM—!

A sudden wave crashed over me, causing me to suddenly lose power in my leg and almost collapse on the floor.

’Shit...what the hell did they just do?!’

But as I thought about it, I suddenly remembered what the device was. It wasn’t something that Players had access to, but was widely used by enemies in the game.

A Logos Jammer.

Using Red Logicite’s property to absorb Logos, some kind of sonar device is placed behind it, causing the waves to pick up said property.

This causes those waves to jam any Logos sequences or Spells that try to pass through the zone it was used on, hence the name.

I had always wondered—at least logistically anyway—how they were able to keep this many Operator cadets kidnapped, leading to Leon having to rescue them.

Turns out, this was how.

And as if the situation couldn’t get any worse, the Ygg civilians on the lower floor, who still had grudges against the Astaron cadets, started arguing with each other.

Even though the same cadets had just got them out of their bindings a few minutes earlier.

I couldn’t tell if the hate was systemic, or if they were genuinely scared of the Astaron cadets more than their kidnappers.

Because at this point, the line was starting to blur.

Still, I’ve got to get through this ordeal first.

Looking around, I found a nearby chair and decided to throw it at the two guards.

Because hey, if Spells don’t work, why not just use something physical?

Their eyes widened as an unexpected chair went flying towards them, but the distraction was just enough of an opportunity to close the distance.

I ran onto the railing, barely avoiding the Logos Jammer waves before delivering a kick to the first guard’s stomach, sending him stumbling back into a railing.

Just after that, I dodged a punch from the other guard, retaliating with my own chop in the neck, knocking him unconscious as well.

It wasn’t like I was good at fighting or anything, but they were already so weak that I was pretty sure a strong gust of wind could’ve blown them away.

Which, honestly, wasn’t too good on my conscience...but I didn’t really have the luxury for that now, did I?

After that was handled, three Astaron cadets managed to make their way up to me—the hot-headed jock, the timid girl, and the one in glasses.

The girl placed both hands together, nodding softly. "N—Nolan! Let us help out somehow. We can’t just leave Colette!"

"Here, they dumped them in the security office near the escalators. No one was watching it once the breakout started."

The one in glasses pulled out a bag and handed it to me. Inside were all of the confiscated Spell Drivers, all neatly collected.

’Did he manage to nab these during the fight? That’s pretty impressive.’

Still, I hadn’t really brought any Spell Driver of my own, so I decided to borrow somebody’s Gun-type Spell Driver and call it a day.

"Alright," I nodded, trying to memorize the layout of this area. "If I remember correctly, that woman should be headed towards the rooftop through the Eastern escalators."

Pointing at the three of them, I nudged my head in the direction. "You guys try to cut her off from there, I’ll follow from behind and try to corner her inside the playplace."

"B—but what if she’s stronger than us...?" the girl asked hesitantly.

"It’s fine," I looked at the Red Logicite pieces on the floor next to the unconscious guards. "White Noise is an Anti-Operator group. They’ll mainly use pre-loaded Spells and Logos Jammers."

"Just look out for that."

With a not-so-confident nod, the three of them sped off towards the Eastern escalators while I sprinted right toward where I last saw her.

Stopping right in front of the sign, it sort of baffled me how this kind of setting was used.

"Beaver’s Playplace, huh?"

Obviously, I sent the other three to cut her off as a secondary plan, but during this event, well...I knew the boss fight would happen in this very playplace.

Sigh...

I really wished I told them to come with me...

But well, they would be liabilities anyway. And I wasn’t trying to be egotistical or anything, it was just how the boss mechanic worked.

So with every cell in my body telling me not to go in, I took a step forward, into the abandoned playplace.

And immediately, I regretted my decision, as the entire place looked like some kind of haunted theme park filled with the souls of dead kids.

Hell, I half-expected a man in a yellow beaver suit to crawl out of the ball pit with a kitchen knife, but when nothing of the sort happened, I finally let out a breath.

Still, the place was probably abandoned for what seemed to be decades. Apparently, the place was Midgard and Muspel’s attempt at trying to revive the area?

But well, it was an ill-fated attempt from both Nathan Midgard and Lord Muspel, who were pretty tone-deaf to the people honestly.

’Wait...how did I know this again?’

It seems like Nolan Midgard’s memories are slowly returning to me one by one...

But just when I was about to get complacent, a sudden static followed by music started playing out of the decrepit speakers of the place.

"Ahem...testing, testing..."

The voice seemed amused. And I knew this wasn’t a recording from the way she was speaking.

"My...what an unexpected guest! For such an important guest like a Midgard to be participating in our little game...it’s such an honor!"

’Is she...toying with me?’

No...she’s trying to buy time.

But why?

Well, I found out soon enough.