NOVEL WEB Chapter 155 - Background Story
Chapter 155 Background Story
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“I wish I could have seen this from outside. It’s a pity, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
– These people are talking about something creepy, lolololololol
– ‘True madness’
– Yoo Jin and now even Harmony have become like colonels who love napalm, lololol
– Has the dictionary definition of special forces changed to shock troops???
– Looking at how they topple the enemy camp and cause chaos, it seems right, lol
The outside was filled with explosions and chaos.
In particular, missiles were a result of countless considerations on how to destroy the enemy’s power in one blow, and among them, surface-to-air missiles exploded and spewed countless fragments to ensure the destruction of enemy aircraft.
Not only did the fragments scatter, but some followed a trajectory that formed a line, slicing through aircraft like a saw. But that wasn’t important. What mattered was that these missiles were designed to destroy objects weighing tens of tons floating in the sky.
In other words, even if the same missile pod was used, it could inflict a significant impact on an M2 Bradley armored vehicle rolling on the ground. Needless to say, it would be devastating in densely packed infantry areas.
The external situation viewed through CCTV and drones was a mess.
Surface-to-air missiles, soaring about 100 meters in a parabolic arc, sharply descended and charged toward the attached patches. Of course, those patches were attached to an M548 cargo carrier equipped with a missile pod.
Missiles traced an inverse parabola, soaring into the air and crashing into the ground. As more than thirty such missiles launched, communication traffic surged to the sky. Naturally, the content was sheer pandemonium.
The enemy firepower loss rate displayed on the UI also skyrocketed. Originally, more than 30% meant a declaration of annihilation, but it slowed down at 78%, reached 84%, and then sluggishly stopped. This could be considered a resounding success.
At this point, the capital’s air defense had significantly diminished.
“Does this mean the mission is over?”
“We’ve achieved all our tactical objectives. And it says on the UI to head out of the Lincoln Memorial.”
“Finally, we can leave this dreary place. Phew.”
The elevator arrived as soon as they spoke.
After riding up for a few dozen seconds, the grand statue of Lincoln, solemnly seated, came into view at the entrance. Black smoke rose from all directions outside.
The familiar voice of ISO, which they hadn’t heard in a while, flowed through their earpieces.
– [ISO: Impressive. You’ve crippled their air defense to the point of no return. A fitting end for traitors. Although the Aegis system at the Pentagon is still operational, there are hardly any usable SAMs, so it’s practically useless.]
– [ISO: This means we can expect full air support in the next mission. However, we must remain vigilant as the remnants may pull out experimental weapons from the Pentagon and DARPA. Or we could head to the Space Agency to connect to the satellite network. Both priorities are similar.]
– [ISO: In any case, returning to New York will be difficult for now. But the facilities and support at the National Security Agency building are quite comparable. There’s no shortage of resources. But remember, the most important thing is your life. I don’t want to see a valuable agent perish in enemy territory. Be careful.]
“He sounds a bit like a tsundere.”
“Judging by what you’re saying, we should move on to the next mission.”
“Oh no…”
Whatever Harmony said, they were ready to move on to the next mission.
There were many missions to push through, all set to very hard difficulty. Normally, you could max out your level in a few days of intense play, but the reason they had been stuck on the main missions for so long wasn’t simple.
Each mission took one to two hours, and there were several of them. All of them required high concentration, making rapid progress difficult. There were dozens of missions, but just completing four or five drained you.
Of course, that was Harmony’s standard. I could run operations for twelve hours a day and still manage to continue for three to four days as long as I ate on time.
Though there were hundreds of times I almost died.
“The next mission… let’s head to the Pentagon and DARPA. It’ll be quick if we take the silent bikes we used earlier. Just call them here with the unmanned operation and wait a bit.”
“Sure. We can resupply the ammo there… the guns are working fine. It seems like it’s going to be a tough mission.”
“If we clear this, we can unlock our skills, so let’s push through until we establish a forward base. It’ll probably take around eight hours. If it gets too tough, just say so. We can rest or continue tomorrow.”
“Ha, not a chance.”
– Wow, eight hours????????????
– I’m gonna die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
– Is this how we’re filling the gap after KSM? Our Yoo Jin noona’s sense is incredible~~~~~
– Fact) If you go non-stop, it’s eight hours. If you take it easy, it goes over ten hours.
– Diet is out the window, lol. Today it’s pizza and beer!!
I couldn’t help but give in to Harmony’s eager eyes, shining at the chance they hadn’t had in a while.
Just then, the sound of two bikes cutting through the shattered missile pod fragments grew louder. Both bikes, without riders, approached autonomously. They stopped smoothly, fixing themselves to the ground.
Setting the destination as soon as we boarded, the bikes started off powerfully. However, the engine noise was barely audible. Special forces operation bikes are meant to be like that.
Braving the cold winter wind head-on, the two bikes crossed the bridge over the Potomac River. The once-majestic Pentagon now looked like a giant coffin.
Cutting through the icy wind, dodging stalled cars, and basking in the sunlight, a refreshing background music started to play.
The viewers were going wild, enjoying this.
– Fully armed and riding bikes through the US capital? This is epic, lololololol
– Are they shooting a movie? They have all the style in the world.
– If I could play a game like this even once, I’d have no more wishes in the world, lol
– How would it feel to fight from Yoo Jin’s perspective….
– Efficiency in words but playing with unmatched style, that’s… ‘Yoo Jin’
What was so great about just riding bikes to the target? I found it hard to follow the viewers’ sentiments.
Anyway, we were almost at the Pentagon. Even if the inside was heavily fortified, as long as the power wasn’t cut off, it didn’t matter—no, this was too realistic. Since it was a game, it would be convenient in such aspects.
After dismounting the bikes, we hid them behind some vehicles and entered through the entrance. The interior wasn’t spacious. Important parts were always underground.
Just then, a communication came through.
– [ISO: Good. Fortunately, there’s no traffic detected yet. If there are no enemies, it’ll be easier. Send as much information as possible to us. You also need to shut down the ground-based Aegis system in the Pentagon.]
– [ISO: Of course, things won’t go as smoothly as planned. The underground is full of bizarre prototype weapons overseen by the Department of Defense. Hopefully, no one else has messed with them yet.]
– [ISO: We need information on how the Pentagon screamed in agony and fell during the Omega Virus. Start by scouting and heading to the data server.]
– [ISO: Good luck.]
“Always dumping everything on us.”
“Well, I’m here, so don’t worry too much. Besides, these are missions originally meant for a four-person team, right?”
“Now that you mention it, that’s true. I wonder how it ended up like this.”
Still, the objective wasn’t far.
According to the internet search, the main mission ends by securing the D.C. satellite network through the Space Agency and establishing a forward base at Tidal Basin, then securing the White House, etc.
After that, northern New York, the coastline, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and California will open up, starting the endgame content. The endgame content marks the true beginning of the main story.
Anyway, coming back to the present, we were at about 84%. Not much left.
“Let’s go. Who knows, it might be easy this time.”
“Do you realize how unconvincing you sound?”
“Haha.”
Of course, I didn’t believe that either.
And so, how long had it been?
───Peww!
“Whoa! What is that crazy gun on the wall! Is this a sci-fi world!?”
“It’s a prototype railgun. The identification AI is crude, so use grenades to make it waste ammo and pass through.”
“Whoaaaa!”
– Noobs always freak out when they come here.
– There’s no easier farming spot than here, lolololol
– So fun, lololol
– It’s more dangerous to stay in one spot here, lol
– The railgun effect is super scary.
As always, there was no rest for us.
Of course.
“So, let’s start the discussion on the agenda mentioned beforehand. Please speak freely.”
Meanwhile, while Yoo Jin and Harmony were pushing through the main mission.
Dice, who had been napping, woke up yawning and pondered what to order for dinner. Summit, suddenly realizing he had an appointment the next day, headed to a nearby large mart to prepare.
Those preparing for the KTM five days later were tirelessly creating and discarding numerous tactics, while those selected as national representatives through KSM were resting, and those who weren’t had to wait for next year.
Around the same time, numerous coaching staff and directors from
each team gathered to begin discussions.
“Instead of solely relying on one side, can’t we combine it with the team’s strategy? Based on analysis, there doesn’t seem to be any strategic conflict.”
“There’s less than a month left. Do you think the players can adapt to both sides in that time? There may be Dice, but that was because the user received close training for over a month.”
Can the players balance Yoo Jin’s curriculum with the team’s feedback?
The SSM members, including Dice and Blue Ming, and the overall skill level of SSM Entertainment, which was growing again, owed everything to one person’s presence.
That’s why the discussion arose. No one knew how much Yoo Jin’s presence would affect the preparation for the Asian preliminaries.
Regardless, those in the meeting were focused on analyzing and researching Yoo Jin’s tactics, getting familiar with the latest meta as quickly as possible.
In other words, there were no complete oppositions, only concerns.
“We need to ensure the players can meet Yoo Jin’s practice requirements. If there are two curriculums, the workload will inevitably increase even if we adjust.”
“We should test it as soon as possible. Shouldn’t we start this Thursday?”
“Then we’ll prioritize Yoo Jin’s feedback for 1-2 weeks. Would that be okay?”
“1-2 weeks? That seems too long.”
“Even if we take the team’s feedback, results won’t show in a shorter time. That’s why I’m suggesting this.”
Debate ensued.
Even without total opposition, there was no complete agreement. Determining the delicate balance was the main reason they gathered today.
Moreover, many issues remained. What if a player refused Yoo Jin’s proposal? Even if possible, what if too many people joined later? And no one here had experienced her curriculum.
This was why they were struggling.
“Instead of overanalyzing, let’s send Summit and Crossline to Yoo Jin. Without Yoo Jin, we’ll end up with similar results as last year. Our team’s feedback hasn’t significantly improved.”
“That’s a good idea. Based on SSM’s results, skill improves even without team feedback, so there’s no regression.”
“Feeling a bit bitter, making a living off this.”
“I figured as much since analyzing Gambit.”
More importantly, the training wasn’t led by the coaching staff.
They don’t actually play the game. They analyze play, correct bad habits, and create more refined curriculums.
In other words, coaching staff were detached from the players’ struggles.
So, what does this mean?
“With a month left, let’s try everything. With Yoo Jin’s curriculum or not, the practice cycle will return in a week at most. Scrims will resume.”
“Let’s inform the two. Ask Yoo Jin’s intention and decide more precisely.”
“Isn’t it better to secure the players now? Contact Yoo Jin ahead of other teams.”
“That’s difficult.”
A screen was displayed simultaneously. It showed Yoo Jin, tirelessly fighting even after KSM ended.
Of course, she was in the middle of the main mission.
“She’s currently streaming, so contact will have to wait.”
“Oh dear.”
Whether as a player or a streamer, her professionalism was remarkable.
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