I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 61 – Rapid Fire

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Once a day – 4 hours in real time, 12 hours in-game time.

When it was released five years ago, it gained explosive popularity, and within just two years, professional gaming teams were established around all PVP categories. Over the following three years, the methods of scrims for Korea’s Apex Predator category became somewhat established.

This cycle, implemented when there was about a month left before the competition schedule, was divided into four parts, each lasting twelve hours, and reset daily. It was almost like grinding professional gamers to the bone.

Anyway, each of these four parts had different levels of importance, but among them, Part 1, except for debriefing, was arguably the most crucial time when no feedback or tactics could be received from professionals.

Whether the feedback received from professionals the day before was well integrated into Part 1’s play.

Or if new play styles had emerged based on the feedback or combined with it.

If not, at least check if there were any players doing well in that one round without worrying too much about such details. In a way, this was not just preparation for the competition but also preliminary preparation for the FA (Free Agent).

It could be said that those playing were unknowingly being interviewed. Beyond their actions and skills, it was also evaluated whether they fully applied the tactics suggested by the professionals.

Therefore, the focus held by the evaluators was not on physicality but on the complete execution of routines and tactics.

In the end, unless they had been exercising or were familiar with firearms, the top-tier physical abilities were pretty much similar for the average infantryman. This meant that there were factors impacting when fighting at that rank as much as individual skills.

Besides physicality, there were intangible differences that could give an edge in strategic mental battles.

Considering that a battle involves a hundred people in a specific battlefield, it was hard to say that physicality alone could dominate all variables and guarantee a complete victory.

However.

───!!!

“…Wow. What’s that…?”

Even though it was a 12.7×54mm bullet for assault rifles, shooting with almost no recoil while moving – what could one call such near-insane physicality?

Someone’s unfiltered words represented everyone’s thoughts.

The sound of pulling the trigger was always different.

When pushing bullets into the magazine, inserting it, and pushing it into the chamber to hit the primer, the sound differed depending on the type of bullet.

The amount of gunpowder in the bullet caused slight differences in recoil and noise, it varied by caliber, and whether there was a flash hider or silencer attached, depending on the surroundings and terrain conditions…

Furthermore, besides the ear-splitting noise of the gunpowder exploding and spreading everywhere, there was also the clear metal sound of the bullet casing hitting the ground.

And today, that sound was particularly heavy.

───Tududududu!

“Kuh, argh…!”

When usually firing a gun, the noise of the shell casings hitting the ground sounded like dropping coins.

The casings, ejected briskly from the chamber while still retaining high heat, would spin randomly and roll around the floor as evidence of having killed someone.

In the case of the ASh-12.7, the coin-dropping sound turned into a lower pitch.

To put it simply, the sound transformed into a seemingly beautiful tone, like a doorbell ringing, lingering in the ears.

It started with fireworks and loud explosions, ending with the sound of bells, as if holding a funeral.

-[Notification: Current kill count – 9.]

-[Notification: High-value target designated and maintained.]

“…Is it over?”

There wasn’t much to gain from the fallen enemies.

While there was a reason to call it a scrim, I was also gradually feeling the strain of playing half-heartedly compared to before.

Some enemies had decent detection and aiming skills, and while I was wandering around, I got hit by several bullets. My quick movement speed prevented any fatal injuries, though.

Anyway, I made sure to take down all those who shot me. I thought they must have had that level of determination when they fired at me.

Even if not, there was nothing I could do about it.

-[Warning: Lower area patrol ended. Minigun and Maniac Juggernaut additional entry.]

Minigun Juggernaut.

A Juggernaut armed with a minigun, simple yet formidable. It was a crazy unit combined with an exoskeleton system that could support its own weight and the weight of the ammunition box to handle the minigun’s recoil.

Maniac Juggernaut.

A cyborg ninja wearing an exoskeleton, wielding a dagger, and running around at 50km/h, taking down hostile units.

I could curse its insane concept, but considering that my past was filled with such crazy messes, it was just absurd. I still wonder how I managed to survive.

I was positioned between the middle and upper levels.

True to being a research ‘complex’ rather than just a facility, the underground of this place was a gigantic space, artificially excavated by digging out millions of tons of earth, connected like a spider web. Among them were not only simple experimental facilities but also an artificial combat room.

This place, artificially forming various combat terrains by overlaying holograms on bulletproof structures, was too vast to just pass by, and it was common for more than two enemies hidden in different locations to team up to take down a Juggernaut and then betray each other.

Conversely, this was the first-choice area for Juggernauts, so I didn’t want to waste firepower here.

Therefore, my target was not a big deal…

───Piiing!

“Ough.”

It was about knowing that point roughly and neatly cleaning out those who were positioned in the surrounding terrain to catch enemies inside or trying to exit the artificial combat room.

Seeing them shoot bullets confidently like that showed their confidence.

I checked the Juggernaut’s position with a PDA easily obtained nearby. They were still far from here. This meant I had time to pinpoint the locations of the hidden enemies before they arrived.

So, how to accurately locate the enemy?

-Clang!

Just push forward with a bulletproof shield.

Normally, the shield’s size and weight would only allow one to hold a pistol, but I still firmly held the ASh-12.7 on my shoulder and advanced.

The pressure of the bullets hitting the shield was quite significant. While suppressing the enemy’s firepower with covering fire and approaching, I continuously attracted attention and lured nearby users.

Since stairs connected each floor everywhere, at this point, the users here had to weigh the pros and cons of even one engagement.

It was not uncommon to let an enemy go even if there was a perfect chance to kill them, especially when the remaining enemy count was around thirty.

So, I turned everything upside down.

No more safe places.

-[Warning: Multiple Juggernauts approaching within 100m radius.]

At the point when the shield was half broken, I restored it to its nanomachine form. It would take a few minutes to repair.

I checked the remaining number of magazines and used the pulse that had just cooled down to accurately identify the enemy positions. There were at least ten users around, all moving busily.

Since the tactics I anticipated were crushed, it was inevitable.

All that was left was to either tie them down so they couldn’t escape or bring the Juggernauts to this point before they could prepare to escape.

Achieving the major goal of drawing Juggernaut’s aggro through this engagement was practically done. Another skirmish would occur while changing positions, reducing the number of survivors.

But the ability to anticipate and navigate unforeseen situations was what all participants needed.

Taking advantage of pushing the enemy outside the control room with the shield, I entered the general control room and inserted the high-level key card acquired from a researcher.

-[Notification: Artificial combat room facility control acquired.]

-[Notification: All isolation doors open simultaneously. Part of the heavily armed facility control troops’ objectives change to the current location. If you do not undergo proper identification procedures with appropriate prior preparation, you will be immediately eliminated.]

The game was ruined.

Now, it was the beginning of desperate survival instead of a battle royale.

“Even though it’s a research facility with frequent engagements, you pour gasoline on it.”

Golden hair down to the waist.

Under the blue hairband partly surrounding her bangs, her elegant eyes looked like sapphires embedded in them, delicate enough to seem soulful.

However, she was making remarks that didn’t quite match her appearance while watching the real-time scrim spectator video in front of her.

Dice.

A professional gamer belonging to SSM Entertainment, who had met an abrupt end when encountering Yoo Jin early on, watched the match’s progress with a rather baffled expression.

And naturally, her interest remained focused on Yoo Jin.

It was beyond imagination.

Originally – and speaking of other games – there was no reason to have much interest in users between Master and Grandmaster. Still, due to the recent countless rumors, she knew a fair amount about Yoo Jin.

And from that one match, she felt all her preconceptions shatter.

This person…seemed beyond measurement by her standards.

While thoroughly rational, she moved with almost animal-like instincts at times. Generally, she was unpredictable.

To put it simply, it felt like she was playing knowing she wouldn’t die. It was hard to explain any other way.

She glanced around. Contrary to expectations, everyone was focused on the overall battle structure.

Actually, she should also do that, but for some reason, she couldn’t take her eyes off this player’s gameplay.

The situation had already become extremely intense.

In just a few minutes, the number of participants had halved from nearly thirty to around thirteen. Those camping in the artificial combat room who failed to escape in time were all wiped

out.

Juggernauts formed a grotesque circle, driving the users into one spot. Some were caught in small-scale encirclements and died as if captured.

Amid this, her gaze returned to Yoo Jin.

Perhaps terrified by the insane physicality, the remaining users were desperately trying to lure the Juggernauts towards her.

Though one failed to manage aggro and was brutally slaughtered by a Maniac Juggernaut, they succeeded in trapping Yoo Jin in a small-scale encirclement.

The other Juggernauts were relatively far, but the ones brought straight towards her were, unfortunately, the two most troublesome ones on patrol.

…but.

-Click!

“…What, no way.”

A Barrett M107CQ, which had never been used during the scrim, and…an object that looked like an EMP grenade.

Despite its grand name, the EMP grenade was nicknamed ‘junk’ for its mere 3-second duration, yet – in the next moment, it floated through the air and emitted electromagnetic pulses everywhere.

And then,

───!!!!

Kneeling, with no recoil as if there was none, the semi-automatic anti-material sniper rifle emptied its 10-round magazine in 2 seconds, swiftly reloaded, and fired another 10 rounds.

In just 4 seconds, the two Juggernauts disappeared.

As Yoo Jin threw away the spent sniper rifle and crossed the completely shattered corpses, Dice could only blink and stare blankly at the scene.

She then opened her mouth.

“…Phew, fine. Do whatever you want….”

The world seemed full of unimaginable crazy people.

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