I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 62­ Lecture

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­[Notification: Scrim ended. The winner is ‘Yoo Jin.’]

­[Notification: Session ended. All participants confirmed in the debriefing room.]

Silence filled the room.

Regardless of their status, position, or role, after the match ended, everyone who had been watching remained quiet, unsure of how to react.

For some, it was an unexpected turn of events, while for others, it was a somewhat predictable outcome.

Those who had been slow to receive news and information about the player named Yoo Jin, or who had not yet conducted sufficient analysis, were half-forced to confront an uncomfortable truth.

There were many rhetorical flourishes used to indirectly or directly belittle her: she had only been a Tier 2 user, she hadn’t been in the Dark Zone for long, and her skills shown so far had been overestimated.

But so what?

Regardless of their beliefs, the results etched onto their retinas did not change.

Conversely, those who had some insight into her potential and possibilities found this to be an occasion that turned their “what if” into “of course.”

It was just one match so far.

Of course, that could be said. The schedule, consisting of four parts, included 20 to 30 matches, and she had only won the first one.

However, that did not lessen the significance of the scrim. To trivialize this event with such words was absurd, and it did not negate the restraints that Yoo Jin had.

Her first participation.

Therefore, she hadn’t heard about the strategies or tactics directly taught by pro gamers.

Moreover, the scrim included not only Tier 2 members but also those from Tier 1 and Medal of Honor ranks – players ranked one or two levels higher than her. Additionally, there were over a dozen pros who generated value solely through their skills.

But how?

It wasn’t as if she had just hidden and won. In that session, one out of every ten participants lost their lives to her gun.

She wielded the ASh-12.7, a gun notorious for its difficult recoil control, from the research complex and turned those who stood in her way into minced meat.

She also demolished two Juggernauts with a Barrett, typically considered a half-joke weapon.

“…Huh.”

It might have been too early to make any definitive judgment.

However, given the magnitude of what she accomplished in the first match, it was hard to dismiss her.

Considering that pro gamers often debut after going through numerous ups and downs, one could say that this player was already beyond their control.

A poisoned chalice.

It might be a cliché or overly grandiose, but what other words could describe this situation?

The silence continued a bit longer.

Meanwhile, in the briefing room.

“Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin!”

“The god of battle royale walks among us─!”

“Everyone, calm down! Calm down!”

Unlike the external situation, which felt like cold water had been poured on it, the room was a pandemonium of cheers.

Of course, this wasn’t just for Yoo Jin; it was almost a customary reaction. Even in scrims, the winner was someone who had overcome 99 competitors, and in that context, showering them with praise was more than acceptable.
Moreover, even if it was customary, there was genuine sincerity behind it.

With a slightly awkward expression, Yoo Jin slowly walked into a room reminiscent of a state-of-the-art lecture hall. Above her head floated the word ‘1st’ in a rather sparkling font.

Her avatar, dressed in clothes that highlighted her body contours, had been completely disarmed. The appearance could be described as ordinary if you wished, but it was also unique in a certain way.

She had somewhat normal long hair, and as always, her delicate and beautiful face, which everyone considered most important. Her body line had pronounced curves in the right places.

The smooth tail, which extended from her back, was so captivating that most people couldn’t take their eyes off it until that point.

The excitement began to subside.

In the next moment, an analysis chart appeared in the air, far surpassing the usual data saved by the Dark Zone – it traced Yoo Jin’s steps.

A unique Korean analyzing engine that couldn’t be found anywhere else in the world.

As Yoo Jin shook her head, a pro gamer from Xi, who had generated a microphone in mid-air, approached her.

“Congratulations on your first place. How do you feel?”

“I came for the debriefing, but it feels like I’m suddenly standing on a podium.”

A brief laugh erupted.

As always, she spoke in her calm tone. Some of the people gathered here were familiar with her manner of speaking, while others were not. This implied that even some of her viewers were present.

From their perspective, Yoo Jin seemed as if she was unaffected by time and space. They wondered if she ever felt nervous or if she would ever show a big reaction.

Regardless, even if she had experienced many debriefings before, this was never for a scrim. Like an MC, the person standing next to Yoo Jin began the proceedings smoothly.

“Haha, everyone has a similar reaction the first time they debrief after a scrim. Speaking in front of a hundred people is quite a rare experience.”

Anyway, you probably have an idea of the purpose of this debriefing… We would like you to talk us through the scrim you just participated in, from start to finish, from your perspective. Don’t feel too pressured; just speak comfortably.

Others may ask questions from time to time, but you can answer briefly. Even if you say you just went with your instincts, that’s perfectly fine.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Simultaneously, a huge screen was projected into the air. It showed the landing of all participants, their entry into the facility – essentially, the very beginning of the match – but with the unique perspective of Yoo Jin’s point of view.

A smaller video screen appeared in front of Yoo Jin, with a progress bar showing several pause markers.

The other 99 players who had watched her gameplay had picked out specific segments to ask questions about.

Barely a few minutes into the replay, questions began pouring in.

At that point, Yoo Jin was selecting two guns from the high-caliber weapon storage.

< Q: Why did you choose a high-caliber gun with difficult recoil control among all the available firearms? >

“Recoil control wasn’t a major issue for me, so I chose a weapon that could incapacitate enemies quickly. Besides… it was the first gun I grabbed from the gun case upon entry.”

In simple terms, she had picked up the first gun she saw when she walked in.

Some people felt the urge to ask if she would have used a pencil to attack if that had been available instead, but they showed more patience than her regular chatroom viewers.

As the video continued, there was a curious concentration of pause requests near the beginning of the progress bar – at the point where Yoo Jin and Dice were facing each other in a cornered hallway.

Naturally, among the clustered questions at this point was one from Dice.

Her question was the first to be selected.

< Q: What were you thinking at this moment? >

“To put it simply, the moment I identified the enemy, I instinctively knew a grenade was coming my way. So, I deliberately controlled the timing to throw off the enemy and seized the opportunity.”

In the video, Yoo Jin could be seen deliberately kicking a wooden plank scattered on the floor.

As Dice, reacting to the noise, cautiously pulled out a grenade from the opposite hallway, Yoo Jin precisely caught the sound, tensed her muscles, and prepared to sprint.

The instant Dice’s fingers pulled the pin, Yoo Jin’s avatar shot across the hallway at an incredible speed. Specifically, she crossed the distance before Dice could remove her fingers from the pin and raise her gun again.

What followed was simple. Dice, who had half-disarmed herself, was easily killed… to put it bluntly, she died with a squawk.

From a lead bullet. She was struck in the chest and exploded.

For her, it was simply baffling.

No matter how much this Apex Predator match could turn on the smallest variables, predicting the entire situation and seizing the moment?

Frankly, it was a psychological battle against a pro. And the result was Dice’s brutal demise.

Even so, she didn’t feel anger, a sense of defeat, or even a burning desire for victory.

It was just, well… as a pro, she shouldn’t think this way, but,

‘…Well, she deserved to die….’

She couldn’t help but think that.

For some reason, she felt a sense of relief. The suffocating feeling she had been experiencing started to ease a little.

Naturally, she began to be drawn to Yoo Jin’s words.

Her fingers moved.

< Q: Was there a specific goal you aimed for in this scrim? >

“Well, um… I didn’t specifically aim for first place; rather, I focused more on overturning the situation.

The research complex fundamentally forms kill zones through Juggernauts, so it’s hard to guarantee that everyone will be uniformly funneled to a single point, like with electric fields or radiation.

Additionally, Juggernauts can be killed if positioned well. This often results in survival being more emphasized than engagement within the research complex.

Therefore, I eliminated the premise of a safe zone… but honestly, I didn’t exactly plan for that. My combat principles, to put it bluntly, are improvisational, and to put it nicely, they are adaptable. I usually choose actions that bring the best outcomes for me.”

‘Easy to say, but how many people in the world can actually do that….’

Frankly, what she said implied that she instinctively chooses the best possible outcome.

Though difficult to express, her words indirectly demonstrated that Yoo Jin’s thinking was well-adapted to combat, proving she was optimized for it.

In other words, she always acted with a bigger picture in mind.

While it was obvious that no one could claim this was something only Yoo Jin could do, the higher one climbed in Apex Predator, where survival and stealth were crucial, could anyone really act while continuously envisioning the big picture every second?

Dice herself, at the moment she sensed Yoo Jin’s presence, had her vision narrow and her heart race.

“…Who is this person?”

Muttering unconsciously, Dice tucked her disheveled blonde hair behind her ear.

The debriefing was not over yet, and the scrim had just begun.

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