Half an hour later, Achilles' Heel had quietly surrounded the guesthouse where Loshu had just checked in.
Located on the edge of a nearby village, this guesthouse was an ordinary residential building—far from the grandeur of the "Baron Manor Resort Hotel." The only surveillance was a single camera at the entrance, making it a poor substitute for Site-CN-02's secure facility.
Loshu had chosen this place out of necessity.
It was the closest lodging to Site-CN-02.
If he wanted to infiltrate the site again tonight, this was the most convenient base of operations.
By now, dusk had settled in. Loshu planned to rest here for a few hours before making his final infiltration under the cover of night.
From here, the hotel was just 20 minutes by bike—or less than 5 minutes by car.
Loshu couldn't stop thinking about Anomaly-CN-1451. Other anomalies could wait, but the Game Activation Stone—he had to get his hands on the real thing.
The Trap Closes
Meanwhile, "The Master" was finalizing his strategy.
"Aeolus has already infiltrated Loshu's vicinity. Once he strikes, 'Power', you breach the door and reinforce the restraint! Then Ares—"
Before he could finish, "White Eyes"—who had been monitoring Loshu—suddenly collapsed, clawing at his own skin.
This time, Barbie reacted faster than The Master, slamming her palm into White Eyes' neck to knock him out.
"Again! He must've spotted us!"
The Master paled and immediately barked into his comms:
"Aeolus! Status report! Move now!"
No response.
Inside Loshu's room, Aeolus was kneeling in a corner, tearing at his flesh just like White Eyes, blood streaking his arms.
Loshu's Counterattack
A few minutes earlier:
Knowing Site-CN-02 was compromised, Loshu hadn't let his guard down.
He'd used his mechanical animation ability on the guesthouse's two surveillance cameras.
Through them, he quickly spotted Achilles' Heel closing in.
If they'd tracked him here, "White Eyes" was undoubtedly involved.
The moment he realized this, before "White Eyes" could report, Loshu activated Martyr's Radiance.
The ability worked flawlessly.
"White Eyes" was hit a second time, and in the process, Aeolus—cloaked in Inverse-Distortion—was revealed.
Loshu froze when he saw Aeolus standing right beside him, holding a gun (likely loaded with tranquilizers).
He picked up the fallen weapon, hesitating for a moment before deciding not to shoot.
Aeolus couldn't die.
If Loshu killed him, Achilles' Heel would hunt him to the ends of the earth.
The Foundation would escalate, deploying MTFs like Nine-Tailed Fox, Red Right Hand, or Front Runners in a full-scale manhunt.
His days of easily slipping through identities would be over.
There was another reason: Loshu didn't want to lose the Inverse-Distortion ability.
Though he could only use it twice, it was a lifesaving complement to his Unobservable Antimemetics.
If Aeolus died, the ability might vanish forever.
Killing was a means, not the goal. Survival was the goal.
When means and goals conflicted, the goal took priority.
With a sigh, Loshu stashed Aeolus' gun and knocked him out.
His cover was blown. Time to leave.
If he stayed, he'd be forced into a direct confrontation.
He bolted for the door—only to see the elevator rising toward his floor.
Through his surveillance feed, Loshu spotted Ares inside—the same Achilles' Heel member who'd guarded him in Tel Aviv.
He immediately swerved toward the fire escape.
But as soon as he entered the stairwell, he heard rapid footsteps ascending.
At least two people were coming up.
No doubt, more Achilles' Heel operatives.
Loshu still had one use of Unobservable Antimemetics left.
But he saved it.
If he held out until 11:30 PM, he could use it for his final infiltration of Site-CN-02.
Combined with tomorrow's two uses, he'd have a full 90 minutes to operate.
One last heist before leaving.
Loshu sprinted upstairs instead.
The guesthouse had six floors, with the owner's family living on the top level. The rooftop was used for drying laundry.
He burst onto the rooftop, scanning the surroundings and Achilles' Heel's positions below.
The sun had half-sunk below the horizon, casting long shadows.
If they didn't find him soon, he could wait until full dark, then use Vertical Climbing to descend the outer wall.
The Master's Gambit
Downstairs, Ares reached Loshu's room and found Aeolus unconscious.
"Boss, 'Master', I'm in position. No sign of Loshu—just Aeolus!"
Barbie's voice crackled over the comms: "'Power' and I are in the stairwell. He didn't come down."
The Master analyzed the situation.
"Loshu's still in the building. Ares, sweep this floor. 'Power', hold the stairs. Boss, head up. Everyone else, hold your positions."
Standing at the guesthouse entrance, The Master glanced up—
And locked eyes with Loshu.
For a split second, The Master felt an overwhelming urge to kneel and pledge loyalty.
He wrenched his gaze away and roared into his comms:
"Target spotted—rooftop! All personnel, do not look directly at him! Mental resistance below 50, take haloperidol NOW! He has visual cognitohazards!"
Haloperidol—an antipsychotic that blocked dopamine receptors—was the Foundation's standard countermeasure against mental hazards.
Every MTF member carried it.
Hearing the order, the three operatives inside the building swallowed the pills and charged toward the rooftop.
Within moments, Loshu was cornered.