I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 58 – Engage

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Meanwhile, as Corvus had expected.

Others were not reacting in an entirely detached manner either.

Although the game’s rank was the most credible indicator of a person’s skill, there were points that couldn’t be easily identified just by looking at it alone.

For example, playtime.

If the user started from scratch and reached the rank of a master or grandmaster within just ten days?

Or, the content of the match.

Not just the shots and instincts, but the choice of terrain, luck-based lead shots, and the many variables inherent in battle royale games.

If someone overwhelmed all these elements with sheer skill, maintained an average of 13 kills per game, and never lost a single match.

Even for a professional, it was an almost impossible feat.

Therefore, regardless of gender, pro gamers were aware of what ordinary people might overlook or take for granted.

Even those who had become coaches—a new social role for former special forces members—were glued to their screens, meticulously analyzing the movements of the player named Yoo Jin.

They recorded and simulated whatever they could learn from it, processing and distributing the data.

While the pros were engrossed in their work, Yoo Jin was becoming a recurring hot topic in Korean communities, regardless of the viewer count.

As always, Koreans were second to none when it came to engaging in heated debates and vocalizing their opinions. If there wasn’t a topic, they would create one.

Some speculated that if Yoo Jin went pro, they could break the APEX ecosystem and dominate tournaments. Others argued it was premature since the preliminary rank matches hadn’t even started yet.

People debated what would happen if Yoo Jin faced off against professional gamers.

Who was this person, really? Was Yoo Jin a guy or a girl?

What if Yoo Jin sparred with a special forces member?

What kind of abilities would Yoo Jin have if they were an awakened being?

Yoo Jin’s extreme reluctance to reveal personal information provided plenty of fodder for speculation among both viewers and the community at large.

While not the whole world, many people, including those in gaming communities and related to the Dark Zone, were paying attention to Yoo Jin’s actions.

So, what was this hot topic doing right now?

– [Notification: Approaching R&D lab. Continuous bio-scanning signal detected.]

– [ISO: Can you see it, Agent? That’s… definitely the bio-scanning device Artemis was supposed to deliver to the Department of Homeland Security. Simply put, it’s a ‘skill’ module. The record name is Pulse.]

– [ISO: After sending all nearby enemies to the Reaper, if you retrieve the data related to that module or extract the module itself, you’ll be able to access the skill category of ICARUS gear.]

“Oh, finally, a skill! So, this is how you get it!”

“Exactly. It’s time to bury some enemies.”

She was in the middle of the main mission.

It was indeed a situation that suited her calm demeanor.

───Boom!

“Whoa, Yoo Jin! They’re shooting rockets at us! Are they insane?”

“Ugh, they’re really going all out.”

With a sharp sound of firing.

A bright light streaked through the air, leaving a trail of white smoke, and with a resounding crash, it blew away the object where two enemies had been hiding.

As fragments of metal and flames danced in the air, black smoke rose above the pristine area that couldn’t be accessed without passing through a sterilization chamber.

High-tech equipment whose purpose was unknown to the uninitiated, and primitive firearms designed to kill people.

Two incompatible situations were coexisting here.

“Do you roughly know the rocket launcher’s position?”

“Yes. With the Pulse active…”

“I’ll draw their attention with suppressive fire. Take them out during that time.”

– The number one duo enjoying the Dark Zone, according to Forbes

– What was that mindless play I did in matchmaking…?

– Suddenly, the Dark Zone looks so appealing, lol

– Since when did Harmony become the Dark Zone ambassador, lol

– Edit this footage slightly and upload it to Yourspace, and it’ll look like a trailer.

A chaotic chatroom.

Sound effects and intermittent donations, along with interactions and the crackling sound of whips and enemies’ English voice lines, created pure chaos.

In the midst of it, someone dashed across the cover to the other side.

As lead shot fired half a beat too late sprayed the area where Yoo Jin had just passed, Harmony peeked out from behind cover.

She could see it.

An enemy, who had just finished reloading and lifted the rocket launcher, was tracking Yoo Jin’s footsteps, oblivious to her presence.

Through the hybrid sight, the enemy’s silhouette magnified. The red dot on their body moved slightly in sync with her heartbeat.

As she pulled the trigger, the enemy was hit almost instantly.

And then—

───Bang!

“Aaah!”

The 5.56mm bullet tore through the wrist, causing a near-severing wound and disappearing into the air. The enemy’s grip on the rocket launcher weakened.

The next moment, the enemy, along with those taking cover nearby, exploded into countless polygons.

A voice rang out over the intercom.

“Well done. Great sense.”

“The enemy met an unfortunate end.”

– Lololol

– Did you see that? That’s what happens when you mess around without sufficient suppressive fire.

– Why is Harmony suddenly so good? Has she been practicing a lot?

– This is how Yoo Jin turns someone into a soldier…

– Is this… a crash course?

Of course, there were no major problems after that.

The synergy between Yoo Jin’s quick responses and Harmony’s growing familiarity as a shooter couldn’t be denied, and the significantly easier difficulty compared to an actual battlefield helped.

Leaving behind the fallen enemies like autumn leaves, the two of them reached a module that looked like it belonged on a space station and connected to a nearby computer.

Two servo arms moved and began separating the device inside.

– [Notification: Pulse module detached.]

What should I say?

It was about the size of a large plastic container used for storing kimchi. In any case, the module was carefully separated and placed on the table.

At that moment, the facility’s lights went out,

───!!!

Intense flames erupted from the upper wall of the facility, starting from the main control room.

– [ISO: Agent, are you okay? It seems we have uninvited guests.]

– [ISO: The ICARUS device provides better and safer body enhancements and stable item transport than what Artemis offers. The module should attach securely to your bag.]

– [ISO: Hopefully, the module remains undamaged. I’d rather not have to revisit this place to secure more skill data.]

“I’ll carry it. If Yoo Jin carries it around, the outcome might not be great.”

“…I can’t argue with that.”

– Now Harmony’s being cheeky, lol

– Does she want PT exercises?

– She’s not the Harmony who dropped magazines and hurt her shin anymore, lol

– But she’s right, lol. If it breaks during a fight, we’ll have to do it all over again.

– Summary: I’ll carry the module and hide, so go fight.

“Hey! Are you going to keep slandering me!?”

“It’s fine, it’s not exactly wrong.”

Regardless, their actions were swift.

There was plenty of cover around, and the faster they divided roles—the more effective they were. Harmony immediately strapped the module to her back and started running.

Well, it might be more accurate to say she tried to.

“Ugh, this is too heavy…!”

Despite the module’s potential, it was, after all, a large chunk of advanced metal packed tightly into something the size of a big kimchi container.

Even though she had maxed out her stamina adjustment, she couldn’t completely reject the system that imposed load on her movements.

As she made a deep, guttural sound that wasn’t suitable for a woman, she found cover amidst the barrage of laughter from the chatroom, while Yoo Jin’s gun blazed.

Bosses, elites, veterans, and regular enemies alike melted away equally.

Seeing the situation clearing up within a few minutes of taking cover,

Harmony, who had expected to fire at least one shot, found herself lying on the ground, staring at the sky.

“Figures…”

– Teacher, Harmony’s just taking a ride now, lol

– Is this a method to reduce enemy strength through air wastage? Brilliant.

– She’s lying on the bus, lol

– But at least do some damage to the boss, lol

– Harmony the freeloader, lol

But, as said, doing absolutely nothing didn’t feel right, so she picked up her gun and started practicing shooting as Yoo Jin had taught her.

Unlike a few hours ago, this time the targets were real enemies. Smaller and moving more unpredictably than the human-shaped panels.

The trigger was always set to single shot.

Concentrating on each shot like a delicate task, she waited for the enemy to enter the predicted path rather than tracking them, pulling the trigger at the precise moment like a rhythm game.

Bang.

With a heavy firing sound, her shoulder slightly shook. The enemy fell, struck through the head.

She rolled her eyes to find another enemy. There was one particularly noticeable target. A boss clad in a full exosuit, armored plates all over, firing grenades and machine guns.

Due to the weight, its speed was slow.

Tapping its head leisurely.

If it seemed like she was drawing attention, Yoo Jin switched to full-auto and emptied a magazine into the boss, taking back the priority for dealing damage, repeating the process until the boss fell.

When the boss finally collapsed, a dazzling effect obscured their vision.

Harmony was gradually becoming a full-fledged Dark Zone user.

– [Xi IMPRESSIVE scrim announcement]

– [Preface]

Hello, this is the enforcer from Xi Impressive.

The last week of August is approaching. Despite the hot and humid weather, we send our sincere support to all the users honing their skills through relentless Dark Zone gameplay.

There are two weeks left until the KSM – Korea Selection Match for the Asian preliminaries, and three weeks until the Asian preliminaries.

As always, scrims will continue during designated times as long as possible, and those intending to participate in the preliminaries are likely already part of various Dark Zone communities for scrim purposes.

All custom matches will include not only members from Xi but also pro gamers from other active teams.

The list of pro gamers assigned to each match room is updated daily, so those looking for feedback can visit the relevant rooms.

After the scrims, there will be debriefings from the pro gamers and the match winners. Those aspiring to compete in the tournament should not miss this opportunity.

To ensure overall skill improvement among tournament users, if the number of participants exceeds expectations, those who have participated in a certain number of scrims may be removed from custom matches to give less frequent participants a chance. Please keep this in mind.

The opening time and password for custom match rooms will be individually provided to users belonging to the relevant communities one hour before the scrim. If lost or deleted, participation in the scrim for that day will be impossible.

For detailed information, custom match rules, and participation details, please check below.

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