Thornton

Biodata

Appearance

Thornton is a very tall man who arrives at the pier by speedboat alongside Gale. He wears a black trench coat and carries a distinctive silver handgun whose surface appears to ripple with shimmering light. 5

• Very tall build 5
• Black trench coat 5
• Silver handgun of unusual appearance 5

Personality

Thornton is pragmatic and mission-focused, dismissing a potentially high-ranking hidden quest because his boss considers the main quest the priority. 6 He remains composed during the initial standoff with Fang, offering a mutual withdrawal before engaging in combat. 6

When the fight turns against him, Thornton recognizes that he cannot defeat Fang directly and attempts to escape rather than die pointlessly. Cornered, he relies on a high-cost final shot and an incendiary grenade rather than approaching Fang himself. 8

Abilities & Skills

Marksmanship

Thornton wields a modified handgun with tremendous recoil, requiring a two-handed grip. Its shots are powerful enough to blast Fang sideways and leave a large wound in his abdomen. 6 8

• Fires accurately while coordinated with Gale's positional callouts. 7
• Can shoot based on sound even while blinded by a flash grenade. 7
• Maintains aim while leaping over a meter into the air during pursuit. 7

Gun-Fu: Curved Trajectory

Thornton's signature technique allows a bullet to curve around intervening structures and strike a target outside his direct line of sight. 8

• Used from behind a building to hit the pursuing Fang. 8
• The shot drains him severely; afterward, he is drenched in sweat and temporarily struggles to hold his pistol. 8
• The technique wounds Fang but does not stop him. 8

Equipment

• Modified silver handgun — A high-recoil firearm used for powerful shots and Gun-Fu: Curved Trajectory. 5 6 8
• Incendiary grenade — Thrown into the warehouse where Fang falls after being hit by Curved Trajectory. 8

Relationships

• Gale — Combat partner. They operate with practiced attack-and-defense coordination, including a prearranged coordinate code that lets Thornton fire while blinded. 6 7
• Fang — Enemy competing for the Retroviral Vector Injection. Fang kills Gale, survives Thornton's Curved Trajectory, and kills Thornton with a cursed severed finger. 6 8
• Fang Linyan — Hidden observer of Thornton's battle with Fang and Gale; later identifies Thornton by name while analyzing the encounter. 6 10

Story Role / Major Arcs

Retroviral Vector Injection conflict

Thornton and Gale arrive by speedboat after Fang has already attacked the people at the pier. Thornton initially believes they are too late, then finds that the cracked silver case containing the key quest item remains. 5 6

He and Gale confront Fang in a coordinated formation, with Gale defending using his shield while Thornton keeps his pistol trained on their opponent. Their attempted truce quickly collapses into combat. 6

Thornton shoots Fang after Gale's shield sends him crashing into a vehicle. After Fang blinds Thornton with a flash grenade, Thornton continues fighting through Gale's coordinate calls, forcing Fang to evade a shot that would have hit him. 6 7

After Fang kills Gale, Thornton attempts to flee. He stops behind a building and uses Gun-Fu: Curved Trajectory to wound Fang, then throws an incendiary grenade into the warehouse where Fang lands. 8

Fang emerges from the flames, sacrifices his own ring finger, and hurls it through Thornton's forehead. Thornton dies and dissolves into 0s and 1s, leaving behind a blood-red key. 8