Out of the Ashes
Race against time through a burning building as fire and structural collapse threaten to consume everything. Prioritize survival over stealth in this high-tension extraction mission.
Contents
Mission Overview
Out of the Ashes returns you to the MI6 Operations Center following the Slovakia operation, where you must undergo debriefing and acquire your next critical piece of equipment: the laser belt. This 18-20 minute mission combines Ops Center navigation with a field test exercise that simulates hostile extraction conditions under fire. The laser belt is a cutting-edge multi-purpose tool that becomes essential for late-game missions featuring reinforced barriers, security grids, and emergency cutting scenarios.
Investigation site entrance
The mission structure mirrors the earlier dagger shoe acquisition (Mission 7) but with increased difficulty reflecting your progression as an agent. The Ops Center environment has been modified since your last visit — additional security measures have been installed following a recent (unrelated) security scare, and the simulation arenas have been reconfigured for advanced training scenarios. You will also encounter new NPCs including an Ops Center intelligence analyst who provides critical information about Phoenix movements that will influence upcoming mission choices.
Key Objectives
Mission objectives:
- Attend the Slovakia debriefing with M and the intelligence analyst — Review what was learned at the Grand Hotel Pohronie and receive updated intelligence about Phoenix operations.
- Complete the laser belt certification in Simulation Arena 1 — Demonstrate proficiency with all three laser belt modes against hardened targets in timed exercises.
- Pass the hostile extraction field test — A live-fire exercise simulating escape from a compromised facility while pursued by simulated enemies.
- Receive the laser belt from Equipment Vault Section D — Collect your new gadget along with technical specifications and maintenance protocols.
The Laser Belt — Gadget Overview
The laser belt is a deceptively simple-looking accessory — a standard leather dress belt fitted with a concealed high-energy laser emitter integrated into the buckle mechanism. When activated, the belt projects a focused beam capable of cutting through metal, glass, ceramic composites, and certain synthetic materials. The device draws power from micro-capacitors woven into the belt strap itself, providing approximately 60 seconds of continuous cutting time before requiring a 2-minute recharge cycle.
Laser belt capabilities:
- Cutting Mode — The primary function projects a continuous beam for slicing through locks, bars, grates, and reinforced doors. Aim by facing the target surface and hold R2/RT to activate. Cutting time varies by material: padlocks (2 seconds), steel bars (5 seconds), reinforced safe doors (15 seconds), vault-grade titanium (30 seconds).
- Welding Mode — A secondary setting that heats rather than cuts, useful for sealing doors shut (preventing pursuit), disabling electronic components through heat damage, or creating temporary bridges across gaps by melting materials together. Toggle using D-Pad Right.
- Distraction Mode — The lowest power setting creates brief flashes of light and popping sounds useful for drawing guard attention without causing permanent damage. Effective range of 25 meters. Each use consumes minimal charge (approximately 1 second of cutting equivalent).
Certification Test — Simulation Arena 1
The laser belt certification takes place in Arena 1, configured as a mock secure facility with multiple barrier types arranged in increasing difficulty order. You must complete five cutting challenges within a 6-minute time limit: sever three steel bars blocking a window exit (basic), cut through a reinforced door lock (intermediate), weld a ventilation grate permanently closed to create an alternate route (welding mode), slice open a safe containing the final challenge key (advanced), and disable an alarm panel by melting its internal components (precision task).
Critical technique note: the laser beam requires steady aim during cutting — moving the camera while actively cutting causes the beam to wander and reduces cutting efficiency by up to 50%. Position yourself carefully before initiating each cut, and maintain stillness until the material separates. The game provides visual feedback showing cut progress as a glowing line that intensifies as penetration deepens. For welding tasks, the beam must be held at consistent distance from the target — too close causes excessive burn-through, too far fails to achieve proper fusion temperature.
Hostile Extraction Field Test
Following certification, the Ops Center initiates an unscheduled "hostile extraction" drill that combines laser belt usage with combat and evasion skills. The scenario simulates escape from a compromised facility: alarms are sounding, simulated enemy teams are advancing from multiple directions, and you must reach the extraction point (helipad on the roof) within 5 minutes while using the laser belt to overcome obstacles that block conventional routes.
Crashed plane evidence
The field test route requires creative laser belt applications: cutting through a barricaded stairwell door (standard cut), welding an elevator shaft door shut behind you to slow pursuing forces, slicing a hole in a ceiling tile to access maintenance ducts above, cutting power cables to disable automated turret systems (distraction mode to draw attention, then cutting mode to sever), and finally breaching the helipad access door which has been sealed with emergency lockdown bars. Each obstacle appears in sequence, and failure to clear any one within the time limit adds pursuing enemies who complicate subsequent obstacles.
Stealth Approach Tips
During the field test, stealth efficiency directly impacts completion rating. The laser belt's cutting mode produces visible light and audible humming that can alert nearby enemies if used carelessly. Position yourself behind cover or around corners before initiating cuts on obstacles in patrolled areas. The distraction mode is specifically designed for stealth applications — use it to draw guards away from positions before silently moving through the area they vacated.
Stealth through campsite
A particularly effective technique for this mission is "cut-and-move" — approach a barrier, begin the cut while positioned in partial cover, then immediately move to the next position as soon as the cut completes without waiting to see the result. The laser belt continues cutting for approximately 0.5 seconds after releasing the trigger due to residual energy discharge, allowing you to initiate movement while the finish cut happens automatically. Master this timing to minimize exposure during each cutting sequence.
Combat Tips
If the field test escalates to combat, the laser belt offers limited offensive utility — its beam can injure enemies at close range (within 2 meters) dealing moderate damage over the 2-3 second exposure needed to cause serious harm. However, this consumes cutting charge rapidly (approximately 10 seconds of cutting capacity per enemy incapacitated) and should be reserved for emergencies only. Standard weapons remain more efficient for combat encounters; save the laser belt exclusively for barrier-related obstacles.
One valuable combat application worth noting: the laser belt can cut through enemy body armor if you can achieve sustained contact. This requires the enemy to be stunned or restrained (via dagger shoe stun mode, for example) since no opponent will stand still for 5+ seconds while being lasered. In practice, this technique is most useful against stationary heavy enemies like turret gunners or entrenched positions where targets cannot easily evade.
Collectibles Locations
This mission contains 4 collectibles hidden within the Ops Center:
Collectible locations:
- Intel Document — Located in the intelligence analyst's office, on her desk. Contains decrypted Phoenix communications revealing their next major operation location (foreshadowing Mission 10).
- Playing Card (Eight of Spades) — Hidden in Simulation Arena 1, inside the safe you must cut open during certification. Only obtainable by completing the certification successfully.
- Memento (Burned File Fragment) — Found in the debriefing room, in the wreckage of destroyed documents that M mentions were recovered from a Phoenix safehouse.
- Postcard — Located on the wall of the Equipment Vault corridor, featuring artwork of the MI6 building at sunset.
Challenge Tips
This mission features 8 challenges covering certification and field test performance:
Available challenges:
- Precision Cutter — Complete certification with zero wasted cutting time (no overcuts or restarts)
- Field Expert — Complete the hostile extraction drill in under 3 minutes
- No Combat — Pass the entire field test without engaging any enemies (pure evasion)
- Full Charge Remaining — Complete field test using less than 30% of total laser belt charge
- Efficient Router — Find the optimal path through the field test obstacles
- Analyst Friend — Complete all dialogue options with the intelligence analyst
- Thorough Agent — Find all collectibles during the mission
- Completionist — All objectives, all collectibles, all challenges
The laser belt charge remaining at mission end carries over to the next mission. If you plan to immediately undertake a mission requiring extensive cutting (like Mission 12 Knightfall), conserve charge during this mission's field test by finding alternative routes around some obstacles rather than cutting through every single one.
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