I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 196 – Ending Comes

“Wow, is that what they call the Fire Snake?”

“If I were in Dice’s place, I’d strip naked and beg for my life.”

“Please, can’t you keep such thoughts to yourself?”

The waiting room was crowded with those who had already been eliminated.

The ongoing match was an excellent source of entertainment for those who had already been knocked out, and thus, there was an unspoken rule within the Korean national team. The first player to be eliminated had to set up the waiting room with twenty chairs, snacks, drinks, air conditioning, and screens.

Initially, this was a joke and felt like a half-punishment, but after being implemented several times, it became apparent that it was quite effective – notably, it prevented disruptions in the flow of the game even if someone was eliminated.

In other words, players who arrived after the setup could quickly and naturally see where, how, and why they died, and how the game flowed afterward.

Additionally, when Yoo Jin joined the room, it naturally transitioned to a debriefing session without any resistance.

However, today’s atmosphere was a bit different.

“How long does it usually take for a shield to break when it’s hit directly with napalm?”

“About 10 seconds? But before Dice got there, he was already fighting someone and was battling in a forest fire, so it would’ve been about 5 seconds at most.”

“So, when he fought at the end, he was literally burning?”

“Exactly.”

“That’s crazy.”

Despite their words, they had all experienced combat under flame and napalm status effects – thanks to Yoo Jin.

However, flames that didn’t stick directly to the body inflicted relatively minor damage on shields, while napalm, which adhered and burned with high heat, was a completely different

story. Even a fully charged shield, which could withstand bullets, would be completely consumed in just 10 seconds.

The fact that he could remain so composed even after being directly hit with something like that – and not during practice or a regular game, but in the first match of a tournament – was almost unbelievable.

It was clear he either had enormous guts or was just naturally that kind of person.

And Yoo Jin was undoubtedly the latter.

───Click.

With a swish, eighteen heads turned towards the source of the noise. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Yoo Jin or Dice who appeared with the eerie metallic sound, but one of the task force’s coaching staff.

Familiar with each other, they exchanged friendly greetings. As he placed a thick stack of papers on the table, he shared some brief internal news before Yoo Jin arrived.

“Well, the first match on Sunday made a strong impression. There was a lot of speculation about how Japan and Russia would perform, but now it’s clear they’ll be more focused on competing for second place rather than reclaiming the top spot. It looks like we’ll secure first place without much trouble.”

“What’s the situation in other countries?”

“Details are scarce, but it’s likely they’re in a somber mood. The bottom three countries are already talking about preparing for next year. Other than that… Taiwan is performing better than expected.”

“Looks like they’re effectively utilizing scrims and tournament data.”

“Indeed.”

Thanks to the advantage gained from their disastrous last place finish last year, Taiwan’s players were visibly exhausted with dark circles under their eyes, having spent countless nights reviewing matches.

Though not as detailed or individually tailored as the analysis received by the Korean national team, they still managed to gather substantial insights. Compared to other countries, they were practically overflowing with useful data.

And they made sure to put what they learned to use. Taiwan was fully prepared, and this proved highly effective in their engagements with China, where they were typically at a significant disadvantage.

That’s what he was talking about.

Soon, after the coach finished delivering his brief update and left, the eighteen people in the room, forgetting that Yoo Jin and Dice hadn’t arrived yet, began to chat among themselves.

“Taiwan? How far does their data access go?”

“It includes everything from first-person views to movement data. But it’s not a big deal. Yoo Jin didn’t analyze them all individually….”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true.”

“Please, I just want to be in the top ten. Even as a substitute, I want to go to America….”

“Oh man, I’m already confirmed as a substitute. I’m just going to enjoy a good steak over there.”

“You? Confirmed? Don’t get cocky. I’ll take that spot.”

“No chance, buddy.”

Banter and bickering.

Unlike other countries, the atmosphere in the Korean team’s waiting room was quite relaxed. According to AP solo ranking, ten of them had to stay in Korea until December – in case of unexpected incidents, those ranked 6th to 10th would take a different flight – but still.

After a few minutes of glancing at the papers on the table, eating snacks, drinking beverages, and sipping coffee, their movements slowed down.

Feeling the absence of the two empty spots, one of them spoke up.

“So where are those two?”

Where did they go?

“Wake up!”

“Ouch!”

Slap!

Feeling a sting on my butt, I hurriedly took off my VR headset and turned around. It was Dice, breathing heavily behind me. My butt was stinging, so he must have slapped me. Rubbing it gently with my hand, I added.

“Ow, that hurts. Why is your hand so spicy? If you have a complaint, just say it.”

“Seriously, who fights with their body on fire? I almost had a heart attack!”

“I’ve told you before, napalm grenades can’t kill through shrapnel like high-explosive grenades, you need to review more. If you really wanted to finish me off, you should have aimed for the head- Ouch!”

Another slap.

As much as my butt might be attractive, this was too much. I quickly changed my posture to protect my butt and tidied my slightly disheveled hair. I wasn’t angry because this was still within a tolerable range.

Then, I finally noticed Dice letting out a sigh of relief. It seemed like he was worried about something, so I asked.

“Is there something wrong?”

“Is it okay for hardcore mode users in such situations?”

“Is that what it was?”

This person sure worries about the smallest things.

Still, I’ve never had anyone worry about me so openly since I got here, so it felt a bit strange. I had to reassure him. I added with a small laugh.

“There’s no problem, it’s fine. In truly dangerous situations, the sensory blocking function automatically activates. It’s just a game, after all.”

He might ask if I didn’t feel cold in survival mode, but that’s different. Specifically, it wasn’t a direct threat to my life.

In survival mode, I just get cold easily.

Once, when Harmony and I were separated, I saw her playing. She was out in a blizzard with just a few clothes on, wrestling with AI enemies for her life.

When I asked if she wasn’t cold, she said she felt the cold to some extent, but it wasn’t enough to interfere with gameplay – although hardcore mode users would feel it much more intensely, they wouldn’t feel it to a life-threatening degree.

If they did, the game would have forcefully ended earlier.

Explaining it in this way, Dice soon seemed convinced.

“…I see. I figured as much.”

“You’re not saying you lost at the end because of that, are you?”

“It’s just that my heart nearly jumped out of my chest!”

Was he really that scared?

I’ll have to check what kind of visual it was later. Judging by his reaction, I could guess somewhat…

Anyway, I was starting to regain my composure. The quick interview after the match seemed to have taken a bit longer. Moreover, this Asian preliminary round was being broadcast at normal speed for smooth viewing in reality… about five minutes had passed since it ended.

It was time to prepare for the debriefing.

I glanced around and saw that Dice seemed to have something on his mind.

“So, how was your firsthand experience of the importance of CQC?”

“Damn it, fighting an armored vehicle as a human being, what kind of experience is that?”

…Well, when he puts it that way, I don’t have much to say.

But what’s important lay in a slightly different direction.

“When people think of CQC, they often imagine fighting with melee weapons, but it’s actually best to use a pistol. Landing one more shot instead of swinging a combat knife is more advantageous.”

“Really? In movies, you see people rolling around without even firing their guns.”

“That’s because they don’t control the distance properly and end up within melee range. And if the bad guy gets shot before the close combat, the movie would be too short, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s true.”

Naturally, there was a lot to talk about and train for regarding CQC. There were classifications of combat methods depending on engagement distance, various pistol shooting techniques including Center Axis Relock, and practical martial arts…

Of course, I didn’t learn martial arts. I could just dodge punches and knives, and anyone who tried to use joint locks or ground techniques on me ended up in the afterlife. So that part might not be very helpful.

Personally, I preferred to teach how to reload a pistol with one hand during close combat, fast reloads, and other such techniques… but for those competing in the finals, this would just be one or two subcategories among many.

Dice’s gaze was sharp.

“…Why did you suddenly go silent? Are you thinking about what to teach next? Is it what you just explained?”

“You know me too well now. Scary.”

“Maybe Yoo Jin is just too much of a workaholic.”

“Haha.”

But if necessary, being a workaholic is inevitable.

As we exchanged such looks, Dice seemed to give up, thinking ‘of course.’ As I mentioned earlier, this was one of the essential skills for those competing in the finals. After all, the US would have many experts far better than Dice.

According to the data I had recently read about the finals, North America’s competitors numbered eight. From ordinary gamers to special forces veterans who had been deployed over a dozen times – those who made it through the selection were the ones who would compete.

Furthermore, the Dark Zone was a game, and thus, the entry barrier was lower, meaning a myriad of skilled individuals would gather. No preparation would be too much for Dice. Even finishing in the top five would be an incredible feat.

Dice’s ultimate goal, as he once told me, was to be in the top five, so I had to prepare diligently to help him.

I opened the door in front of me.

───Screech!

“Wow! Fire Snake! Fire Anaconda!”

“Goddess of Napalm is here-!”

“I didn’t say anything, Ms. Yoo Jin.”

At that moment, a flood of thoughts filled my mind.

Countless emotions coursed through my body, difficult to list one by one. Unfortunately for them, I knew very well how to inflict a bit of pain without leaving physical scars.

After a quick stretch, I added.

“The debriefing is a bit late, so let’s finish it quickly.”

Brutal methods were always effective.

Some voices spilled out as the sound leaked outside.

So, an infinitely short but for some an infinitely long time passed. What was certain was that a few people in the waiting room probably had their shoulder and waist stiffness significantly reduced after receiving my special massage. It might be a pain-sharing arrangement, but oh well. Let’s call it a punishment for loose lips.

Moreover, since it was Sunday, unlike yesterday, although the debriefing itself was necessary, the need for a ‘long debriefing’ was gradually diminishing.

So…

“…Please stop replaying the same video. It’s irritating.”

Do they think this is the time to replay my mad movie?

Besides, it wasn’t even a third-party who died; it was Dice – of course, while analyzing the video, she made some appropriate threats, saying she’d crush the upcoming opponents in the next match, and all those under Dice ended up shrinking.

The second… no, the breath of my second disciple was this powerful.

Anyway, this casual attitude was possible thanks to the bonds formed over the past month and the fact that we were currently leading. In other words, it was allowed because we had built some familiarity.

However, unfortunately, time could erode many things – this relationship included. Moreover, as a member of the task force, I couldn’t completely bury this.

So, a story that couldn’t be told at any other time began.

Taking a small breath, I added.

“Then, judging that further debriefing is unnecessary… based on the AP solo participation, a preliminary curriculum guide for those preparing for the end of this year will be provided.”

The end of this year.

The third week of December.

And the finals, also known as the final championship.

It was just around the corner.