I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 253 – Madison Square Garden

“Yaaahoo-!”

“End of term! Never again!”

“It was fun while it lasted, but let’s never see each other again, you damn campus!”

It was the third week of December.

In other words, it was the time when countless university students, who had been suppressed for so long, all poured out into society under the pretext of the end of the term. It was the moment when the goals of university students, who seemed to have nothing but assignments, graduation, practical exams, tests, and studying in their lives, transformed into how to laze around more thoroughly.

The name “end of term” spread regardless of the country. Those who needed money looked for part-time jobs, those with pre-arranged plans went on trips both domestically and internationally, and those who weren’t able to or didn’t want to move much greatly reduced their range of activities on the first day of the end of term.

Of course, there were always exceptions.

Especially this year.

“Wow, how come there are so many university students in New York? Where are you from?”

“California!”

“Pennsylvania!”

“I flew here from Miami as soon as the term ended.”

Each interviewee had a different hometown.

Those who were capable or financially very well-off rented the few remaining hotels in New York, those who were slightly less but still energetic roamed New York in RVs, and those who weren’t were content with just a few days of sightseeing.

However, no matter what – their purpose was singular.

They came to watch the match.

“Starting now, we kick off the final championship duo and squad match week!”

“Waaaaah-!”

The overwhelming firepower.

Madison Square Garden, built on the expensive land of New York, combined with nearby skyscrapers due to even more overwhelming financial power, resulting in a colossal complex in the heart of New York after two years of massive construction.

The Dark Zone Final Championship, which gained fame comparable to the Super Bowl in less than two years, recouped the construction costs in just a few years, an astonishing feat – indirectly proven by the tens of thousands gathered near Madison Square Garden.

Almost all unused spaces in the skyscraper connected to Madison Square Garden were opened as temporary accommodations and campsites, numerous traffic police were deployed to solve traffic problems, and food trucks, lured by the smell of money, squeezed into every available space.

It was a special farce in the world’s wealthiest city.

As the event officially started, numerous broadcasters from many countries, including ICARUS’ own station, began broadcasting the situation everywhere – spreading across TV and streaming sites alike.

Just those who gathered to watch the match numbered 630,000, and the number of people worldwide watching the opening of the Final Championship online reached nearly 200 million.

It was an unprecedented scene created by the conjunction of the special end-of-term season, a grand international match, and the glamorous spectacle fitting for it – even some New York officials who came to observe this situation told ICARUS, “You must get permission for the venue selection from next year on.”

However – unlike last year, Korea, located about 13,000 km away from New York, could enjoy this entire situation without worry.

“Wow, it’s like watching the World Cup finals.”

“Right. Harmony is there too, right?”

“This is crazy, wow….”

It was a strange but common situation of broadcasting a broadcast.

Streamers affiliated with Tree Wiki were broadcasting live the scenes around the stadium, and drones from various companies with prior flight permissions were capturing and broadcasting the surroundings even more actively.

It was a truly delightful chaos.

And about 400 meters away from there, six people were walking towards Madison Square Garden.

Of course, their expressions weren’t very good.

“…My goodness. Was it always this crowded?”

“Uh, it seems like there are twice as many people as last year….”

The more noise, the more it attracts noise. Simply by existing, it draws attention. And the number of people gathered to watch the Dark Zone Final Championship, which started today, was making even those who weren’t interested in games turn their eyes and even their steps.

That result was unfolding before Yoo Jin and her companions. New York, already known for its crowdedness, was teeming with people as they got closer to Madison Square Garden.

It was like a dense concentric circle made of people and machines. With food trucks, broadcast vans, traffic police, and a vast crowd. But it wasn’t impassable, and numerous temporary footbridges that seemed pre-constructed made the movement of vehicles and people smoother.

Since it was temporary, the holograms floating above the footbridges were checking the number of users in real time, and traffic police were monitoring them constantly, occasionally restricting movement temporarily.

“Is this cyberpunk?”

“Well, both make you feel dizzy just by looking at them.”

It was dizzying that such an event was happening in New York, which already had a massive floating population, and at Madison Square Garden, no less.

But unlike those thoughts, the crowd of countless people was invigorating just by looking at them. Maybe because the population density was so high, it felt like the perceived temperature was rising little by little too.

Vehicles were passing under the temporary footbridges. Despite the surrounding chaos, the fact that there had been no related accidents so far was a testament to the NYPD’s capability.

“I wonder if we’ll be able to get in later.”

“Maybe if we stick close behind Yoo Jin, we’ll be fine….”

With such jokes, they barely passed West 34th Street. With car horns and NYPD’s whistles, along with the flashing police lights, it felt like they were in a club. Thankfully, there were no outdoor performances.

It was only 10:30 in the morning, and it was already this chaotic. I could only imagine the mayhem when the main event started around 7 PM.

Maybe that’s why our esteemed New York State Senator Brayton sent a text this morning.

-[H.M.B: Sorry for bothering you while you’re so busy. If possible, could you assist with traffic management around the area using ICARUS Gear? If any casualties or minor incidents occur, I can’t imagine how regretful I’ll feel towards you.]

From his perspective – successfully hosting the Final Championship, giving the solo match’s opening speech, and finishing it smoothly would be a huge boost to his political career.

Conversely, if any casualties occurred, it would put a big brake on his path to the presidency. I could already guess the headlines. A disaster brought on by an overly ambitious large-scale event, or something like that, with the Republicans bashing our Henry gleefully.

I didn’t care much for such political logic, but still… I also wanted to end this trip to the U.S. with only good memories.

After scanning the surroundings briefly, I released the pulse at maximum output.

-[Notice: 4,731,741 electronic devices identified.]

Simultaneously, I gained access to all these electronic devices, partially bypassing their GPU usage to establish a network hub to assist the NYPD, fire departments, and anyone else struggling to manage the crowd within a 3 km radius.

The additional computational assistance was requested from the ICARUS International headquarters at Two Bridges, specifically the deepest section – the secret space where the two individuals who helped me resided. This should be a significant help.

By filtering out unnecessary traffic generated by the tens of thousands gathered here, we alleviated the load on the broadcasting stations and provided essential information to those who needed it most, aiding their situational judgment.

How much time had passed?

“It seems quieter around here now. Just a moment ago, there were car horns blaring everywhere.”

That was Dice’s comment.

Indeed, it was true. Traffic congestion and the complexity of the floating population had improved by at least 17% compared to before, and in a few more minutes, it would improve twice as much. If that wasn’t enough, I’d have to use different methods.

As we approached closer to Madison Square Garden, the delicious smell was pervasive. Of course, there was no space near the food trucks. But the amazing menus they offered were undeniable. Eating them would definitely add 1 kg to Dice or Harmony by the next day.

However, what I overlooked while assisting the NYPD was-

“Yoo Jin.”

“Yes?”

“I think we’re in big trouble.”

And before I could agree,

“Hey, hey! Isn’t that Yoo Jin over there?”

“It’s the Korean soloing team!”

“I’m a fan! I flew from Korea to see you all-!”

“Communicate with us!”

“Sigh, really.”

That call for communication.

I wondered when we’d be recognized, but of course. The world didn’t seem to want to let us go easily.

The first visit of the Korean team to Madison Square Garden began with a bit of cold and a large crowd.

“…What is this, teacher?”

“These are the destroyable areas of each map and the amount of explosives and chemicals needed to implement specific destruction patterns.”

Destruction is an art of precision.

In short, the study of demolitions discusses how much explosives need to be inserted at what angle and point to achieve a specific goal.

Protecting allies, blocking retreat routes, and creating new paths. However, the goal of demolitions deepened several times as the combat zone moved from barren fields to urban areas where finding a proper building was rare.

Yet, the unchanged premise in this study is that the basic task is to create a favorable situation for the allies. It was fundamentally different from throwing grenades, firing rocket launchers, and requesting CAS.

And these were the points I had drilled into the ears of those before me countless times even before coming to America.

“Skills can be used to break walls and create paths, destroy ceilings to block views or attack with falling debris. Sometimes, you can grab onto a drone and reduce fall damage. You all need to realize how much these combat support tools have expanded the horizon of engagements.”

Everyone seemed to understand. They had trained with me several times in VR long before setting foot in New York and had clearly witnessed the various innovative skill usages I demonstrated.

But just watching wasn’t enough. While momentary intuition can’t be mimicked, proficiency can be built through numerous experiences. In that regard, my goal was to expose them to as many diverse engagement scenarios as possible before the Final Championship soloing match began.

It was a form of building muscle memory.

“…Ugh.”

“Is there a problem?”

“They actually gave this to me….”

Meanwhile, Harmony was happily grumbling.

Of course, I had long prepared both carrot and stick.

“Harmony isn’t directly participating in the match, so just watch as much as you want.”

“Really? Awesome!”

She’d be happy with a little leniency now.

But starting tomorrow, when Dice, Ink, Michael, and Gambit start beating her, she’ll crave to read the reference book I provided.

I wasn’t forcing her to sit and read. If Min Ah suddenly felt a desire to study, who could stop her?

Anyway, that was all I had to say for today.

There was too much to do.

For example-

“Oh, oh? Get up! My goodness, the special coach is here!”

“How did you manage to get here through this crowd?”

“Indeed. Nice to see you. Did you all practice well?”

IRL or Vlog, whichever you call it.

South Korea, located about 13,000 kilometers away, had great interest in the players’ lives, wanting to see even trivial things like their daily routines or pre-match preparations in a simple edited video.

From that perspective, me, half implicitly as a South Korean team player and acting as a visiting coach, meeting the South Korean representatives for the Final Championship duo and squad matches could easily make for good video content.

Maybe that’s why there were cameras set up all over the break room.

Anyway, they didn’t have much time left. They had to get into the match in just a few hours.

As Dice and the others, scattered around, gathered near me, we started talking.

“How many operational plans are there?”

“They’re divided into four based on the quadrant where the safe zone is located. There’s a 1 in 5000 chance that the safe zone lies exactly on the quadrant boundary, so we’ve just made simple preparations for that.”

“Good. The red dots marked in each quadrant are waypoints or hubs, right?”

Eight maps floated in the air through the hologram.

Choosing one, I ran a simulation. It was a mock battle of sorts, but the precision was on a different level compared to a simple imaginary scenario on a board.

“Installing flamethrower turret.”

“If installed alone, it can be easily neutralized with a foam grenade. Install another standard turret as well.”

A well-thrown foam grenade quickly formed a thick polyurethane wall, temporarily blocking the flame, and half the enemy squad infiltrated the building during that time.

And there was one point that could be missed.

“Burning polyurethane walls release hydrogen cyanide gas, so without gas masks, you must be cautious using flamethrower turrets. Wooden buildings could burn entirely….”

“It’s quite risky.”

“But in certain locations, it can be extremely effective.”

At the same time, I made a few suggestions.

“The building has predictable entrances and stairways. After securing positions beforehand, block the emergency exits elsewhere, and place the turret’s fuel and explosives on the floor below. When the enemies come up….”

Boom.

The retreat was blocked by flames, and the enemy squad was trapped and burned.

The simulation reformed. The third floor of the four-story building exploded entirely, flames swirling like tongues. The fire spread upward rapidly, burning the enemy squad infiltrating the fourth floor.

“Of course, this requires careful placement of explosives and securing definite escape routes. Like using grappling hooks or ladders, various preparations must be made… but that depends on your capabilities.”

One example. But there was no time for admiration; they nodded, analyzing it themselves.

And then someone spoke up.

“If only you had come a day or two earlier.”

“It’s a squad-level trap you can come up with. The important thing is always securing an escape route in any situation… Let’s move on to the next.”

Thus began numerous “IF” scenarios and their countermeasures.

But one thing I overlooked was-

───.

The cameras here weren’t just recording; they were broadcasting live.