I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 46: Infiltration

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[Mission: Recapture West Point – Southern Infiltration // Recommended Party Size: 4]

[Difficulty: Very Hard (Hardcore Users Present)]

[Russian paratroopers are invading the U.S. Military Academy, massacring numerous officer candidates and destroying facilities. Reduce their forces and rescue the remaining personnel before it’s too late.]

[Due to a change in entry routes, the mission structure has been altered, and the difficulty is fixed.]

“This is the first time I’ve seen ‘very hard’.”

*very hard (early game)* hahahahahaha

“Do you know why no one plays hardcore, sir?”

*Pro tip: Hardcore users cannot adjust sliders.*

*Your chosen mode! Your chosen thorny path! It will never change, gamer! hahahahaha*

*(Basically means there’s no hope)*

The chat window was in chaos.

Before starting the mission, looking at the screen felt like observing a camp of people who took pleasure in others’ misfortune.

And I hadn’t even chosen hardcore mode.

Outside, it was dark.

Specifically, there wasn’t much light.

The Hudson River was to the right according to the map, and all the lights and buildings were wrecked.

The mission entry window was floating cautiously before my eyes.

As I started matching by moving my fingers a few times, the gears seemed to turn, indicating that it was waiting for a match.

Glancing at the comments, they were filled with opportunists who suddenly appeared to seize the chance for a participation opportunity, as if they hadn’t previously enjoyed my misfortune.

I also received a donation.

“By the way, are you a newbie? Where did you get all those guns and bullets that are unsuitable for a newbie?”

“A kind person gave them to me on the first day.”

*kind hahahaha*

*Fact: Looted*

*They’re war spoils.*

*Lies without batting an eye hahahaha*

*All the guns and equipment are top-tier hahaha*

It wasn’t entirely wrong.

Anyway, when villains die, they become kind and distribute the items they had in life to the living, benefiting many people, so wouldn’t that be considered kindness?

As I explained while watching the party window quickly fill up, the reaction was mostly filled with “Sir, don’t speak nonsense.”

How should I put it, there’s no one as straightforward as me.

One or two people started fast traveling to where I was.

And then…

“Everyone’s avatars are quite pretty.”

“Immediately hitting us with extreme criticism upon arrival, wow.”

*Your avatar is not bad either, but you pretend not to notice, huh?*

This was too much.

Perhaps this kind of reputation damage would continue until my actual appearance was revealed.

A brief mission briefing began.

At the beginning, the four members split into two groups.

They were called Alpha and Beta. The Alpha side split into a sniper and a spotter to assist Beta’s infiltration and share enemy locations.

Beta directly engaged to eliminate enemies on guard and open the infiltration route.

After meeting at the rendezvous point, they would clear the enemies inside, eliminate the armored forces of the paratroopers with the help of Reapers deployed from a nearby military airport, and defend the remaining USMA personnel while escorting them to the helicopter transport location.

“Does everyone understand?”

“Yes, we do.”

How should I put it, I couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting to see the face of the operation planner.

My head was spinning. I thought about taking on the role of a sniper or spotter, but considering I hadn’t done much mid-to-long-range sniping, there was no need to push myself.

“What will you do, Yoo Jin?”

“I’ll infiltrate.”

“Oh. We’re expecting a stealth assassination of all witnesses, teacher.”

*Is this the Neighborhood Watch from Bud Village? hahahaha*

*Anyway, it’s quite interesting hahaha*

*It’s hard to find a mission as tough as recapturing West Point on very hard, but you’re doing it in public matchmaking?*

*I smell disaster.*

*Do you have confidence! Can you handle it! Can’t you control yourself!*

Well, you’ll find out once you try.

Back in my day, there was no concept of “just one more.” If a team member went down, you revived them, and if the mission failed, you pulled it through somehow.

In other words, I’ll handle the helm.

[ISO: Good, it looks like you’ve arrived near West Point. Alpha Team, proceed to the designated location, obtain the hidden sniper rifles, and support Beta Team’s infiltration.]

[ISO: Beta Team, start at the visitor center to the south and slowly move north. Eliminate all visible enemies and send survivors to the Hudson River border. Don’t forget to give them IR markers.]

[ISO: If you don’t reduce the enemy’s strength sufficiently before the available time, the follow-up support team cannot enter, and the mission will be considered a failure.]

[ISO: Good luck.]

Thus began my journey of hardship.

[Haptic: I’m Alpha 1. Omega is Alpha 2, Yoo Jin is Beta 1. SoySauceChicken is Beta 2. We’re not good at sniping, so we’ll try our best to ping with drones.]

[Omega: Considering the size of this facility, there should be at least two airborne brigades. Think of everyone outside as enemies and eliminate them.]

The clear moonlight was covered by clouds, making it hard to distinguish the surrounding terrain, which was somewhat discernible a few minutes ago, as darkness enveloped the surroundings.

However, some parts were still visible, thanks to the emergency generators running and streetlights being lit since it was an academy. Night vision wouldn’t be necessary.

Of course, this was due to my physical traits.

My eyes, which could see infrared, and my senses, which could detect minute vibrations, gathered and processed information several times more than what human senses could convey in such situations.

───Beep!

[Omega: Three guards on the rooftop of the northeast building, two patrols near the front parking lot. We can handle the rooftop, so wait a moment.]

“Which direction?”

[Omega: I pinged it, and the movement path will be shown soon.]

Several enemies began to be highlighted with glowing outlines before my eyes.

Surely, the game had become more casual in this aspect. Originally, it wouldn’t have been possible to do it so haphazardly.

Extreme realism might not be good either. Perhaps it was to balance between hyper-realistic FPS and the accessibility of the game itself.

After signaling the nickname SoySauceChicken to stay put through hand signals, I heard a click in the intercom.

It was the sound of three gunshots overlapping simultaneously.

Two sniper drones and two sniper rifles—although they were spotters, this was a precaution for when there were too many enemies.

[Haptic: The rooftop is clear, but we can’t see the enemies in the parking lot.]

Opposite the main road, on the cathedral’s rooftop.

The fields of vision that the two snipers could cover were also shown to us. The areas they could see were faintly glowing gold, while the rest remained dark.

But just marking it was enough.

“The sniper drones can handle it. If we take out the two, the remaining four are within our reach.”

[Omega: Never tried it before, but… I’ll give it a shot.]

*It’s my first time seeing the southern route, why is it this difficult?*

*Who would enter through here? hahaha*

*Wasn’t this a hit-and-run mission via the river?*

*That’s what the game was designed for, you idiots.*

*Sir, why are you playing a different game from us? I will report this.*

A specially designed silent drone was looking down on the ground from the black sky.

As numerous position control propellers rotated, the sniper rounds were loaded into the chamber, and the camera rotated. At the end of the crosshairs was a Russian soldier patrolling slowly along the designated path.

Below, two personnel moved to a point where they could form a crossfire.

Fingers were placed on triggers, ready to fire at any moment.

There was no need to worry about noise. The combination of subsonic rounds and suppressors would drastically reduce the firing sound, allowing us to eliminate the enemies before any other patrols noticed.

After timing and selecting the targets to kill, the countdown began.

───!!

One of the patrol teams of three simultaneously fell to the ground.

Simultaneously advancing, I pulled the trigger on the trailing patrol before they could notice, who were about tens of meters apart.

Although a half-beat late, Beta 2 also moved in and began firing alongside me. The sound of shell casings hitting the ground echoed clearly.

The second skirmish used more bullets, but we weren’t detected.

[Haptic: There’s a platoon-sized enemy unit 100 meters northeast, at the campground. They haven’t noticed us yet, but can you hide the bodies?]

“It’d be better to leave before the bodies are discovered.”

[Haptic: Then… okay. Where should we go next?]

“Come down and head 400m north. There’s a cluster of public spaces. There’s a hotel on a hill opposite, it would be good for sniping support.”

I remembered that everyone received a map with contour lines during the briefing, but unfortunately, they seemed to lack the sense to read maps and occupy proper positions.

Considering they’re just gamers, I should take that into account.

After designating the next move, we began to move.

[ISO: It seems you’ve successfully infiltrated. But the real challenge begins now, so brace yourselves.]

[ISO: As you move north, you’ll come across a cluster of government offices, sports centers, and offices. This was once a training field for officer candidates but is now a base camp for the enemy.]

[ISO

: I’ll support you with a Reaper. It’s a beast equipped with cluster bombs and detachable Hellfire missiles that can devastate an area the size of a soccer field.]

[ISO: Be cautious when using it, as improper use might harm civilians or friendly forces inside buildings. Scan the surroundings carefully before guiding it accurately.]

[ISO: The call sign is Valkyrie 1-1.]

*Oh, so this is how you use it? hahaha*

*Let’s give an upvote to those who failed by firing missiles randomly, not knowing why they were given.*

*This happens because you always take the easy route haha.*

*Public matchmaking always shows idiots, what do you expect?*

*Is this public matchmaking (hope edition)?*

[Omega: Wow, I didn’t know this existed since I’ve never come this way. I always wondered where the enemies were coming from.]

[SoySauceChicken: Everyone takes the easier route for the mission, so it can’t be helped.]

Along with the sniper team that descended using a pre-installed fast rope, we moved to the designated location.

As we passed through a city that felt so desolate that there wasn’t even a trace of human presence, distant gunfire continued to be heard.

It subtly implied that some remaining allied forces were still fighting.

Before I knew it, I naturally stood at the forefront. Though it was quite absurd to be playing the roles of both point man and squad leader, everyone seemed to treat me that way.

I hadn’t done much yet, but why, I wondered, then immediately dismissed the thought.

As the main road split into two, I saw a field crowded with numerous enemy personnel busily moving about.

At least ten armored infantry vehicles and a battalion of troops bustling between them, setting up communication antennas, and deploying guards—it was chaotic.

After ordering them to take cover, I opened my mouth quietly.

“…They said it’s a base camp full of enemies, and we chose the wrong entry point. I bet the hotel is in a similar situation.”

“Well, we haven’t been this way either, so we don’t know… but it seems impossible to proceed on either side.”

“They didn’t provide a Reaper for nothing. It can be handled more easily than you think.”

I roughly organized the situation in my head.

The field full of enemies would be completely dealt with by dropping a couple of cluster bombs, and the truly difficult part was the hotel with no prior information.

The only thing left was to prioritize our actions.

“I’ll adjust the cluster bomb range from the hotel rooftop. Once the bombs drop, snipers should move to the opposite building rooftop and take out any surviving enemies.”

“Understood, we’ll do as you say, just tell us.”

“SoySauceChicken, follow me. Our main task is to clean out the hotel. You’ll have to match the pace rigorously.”

“You’re playing the game more brutally than I expected….”

*Where’s the mindless shooting game I knew, sir?*

*I always saw you dabbling in PVP, but this is new haha.*

*It’s no joke when they say the mission freedom is incredibly high.*

*Mindless strategies didn’t let you know, damn it haha.*

*I won’t do it~ I’ll just watch~*

After saying that I would explain in detail as we moved, I began moving the team through a brief briefing.

Perhaps the word “teacher” means someone trustworthy and dependable, even in unprecedented situations.

I think so.

Or maybe not.

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