I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 96: Nine Mile Point NPP

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As the official broadcast began, the AP soloing matches gained momentum, and among all the participants, the one who drew the most attention was Yoo Jin.

Her performance, which had initially spread through word of mouth among the teams during scrims and preliminary ranks, was now fully unveiled without any filters.

The shock and excitement were inevitable.

Most professional gamers, unless they were special cases, were highly perceptive individuals, and among them, the quickest ones were the first to openly praise her.

Specifically, the first ones to do so were the professional gamers from SSM Entertainment, who had participated in the same scrims as Yoo Jin once the embargo was completely lifted.

“Ah, Coach Yoo Jin? I knew this would happen. She’s absolutely, umm… I’ll stop here. As a tip, you’ll have to break your preconceptions first.”

SSM.

“It was a huge mess from the first scrim, actually. It’s a bit regretful now. If only Xi had been there… Anyway, as I just said, there was a lot of talk from the early days of the scrim. I knew it would turn out like this.”

Xi.

“She’s not human… Ah, I think I’ll get in trouble for this later. Can you edit my words?”

Even Dice.

As Yoo Jin’s presence started gaining attention, the statements from a while ago naturally began to resurface and became popular clips in no time. It was the perfect condition for popularity to grow. The nature of AP, which was suitable for showcasing individual physical prowess, also played a role.

Considering that what one needs to become popular is individual effort coupled with external mentions, Yoo Jin was on the verge of becoming a golden goose.

Whether she wanted it or not, she became a figure mentioned not only by viewers but also by professionals.

However, Yoo Jin never acted according to others’ thoughts. Her characteristic of not being swayed by popularity and external remarks was always valid. The path of using fancy titles to attract viewers was not her way.

Regardless of whether people came or left, if they came, they came; if they left, they left. Even when a flood of viewers bombarded her with countless questions, she answered only with lead bullets.

“On the left, there’s a grenadier and a sniper guard dog. On the right, a drone operator. Set your priorities and handle them as quickly as possible. Even if you retreat, always think about where and how to form the frontline while fighting.”

“Ugh, I feel like my head is going to explode…!”

“You have to do your part.”

Regardless of what others said, she was busy pushing the main mission while nurturing newbies.

[General] Isn’t Yoo Jin the type to not row the boat when the tide comes in?

If it were me, I would be busy spilling all kinds of stories, worrying about which team to choose and how to negotiate my salary. It’s so frustrating.

Taking a newbie and just doing missions is so boring. Not watching anymore.

[All Comments] [Order of Registration]

– Hahahahaha, does this guy think others will follow him and stop watching because of his post?

– Sure, don’t watch~ There are thousands of people lined up to watch even without you~~

– Fact) If that were true, he wouldn’t watch.

ㄴTrue though, hahaha.

ㄴThe contrast of doing all sorts of crazy things during the main match and then calmly pushing the main mission in personal broadcasts is what makes it good, idiot.

– It’s better this way, separating personal and official stuff.

– These kinds of people are always looking for attention, haha. They wouldn’t reveal their in-game nickname even if they were dead.

ㄴWho would care about someone obviously causing trouble?

– Still, it would be nice if she rowed a bit. It’s a bit disappointing. I wanted to hear her thoughts on her matches and if she has any plans to become a professional gamer.

ㄴYou should ask her during the chat later. Who would answer those questions while in the middle of a mission, haha.

ㄴTrue.

– Arrogant Yoo Jin… Possible…?

ㄴWhat?????

ㄴWhenever there’s a chance, these crazy people try to sexually harass avatars, hahaha.

ㄴNoted.

ㄴIt’s clear that you guys are living proof of the negative effects of virtual reality.

– Living Point) You can’t enter the finals without completing the main mission and reaching max level.

ㄴIs entering the finals a given? Hahaha.

ㄴSeeing her rampage during the preliminary rank, how can she not make it to the finals!

ㄴI can’t wait to see the reactions from other countries’ teams when they experience K-Tactical Hammer’s skill.

ㄴIn a day or two, there will be a compilation of Yoo Jin’s hammer actions.

[General] Recent pro interviews often mention getting beaten up, hahaha.

How is this even possible?

[All Comments] [Order of Registration]

– Although the details are different, the content is all similar, haha.

– At this point, it seems reasonable to suggest hitting in100 first for player protection…

ㄴHaha, please just stay put even if you don’t play the match.

ㄴDoes she play a match a day? That’s hilarious.

ㄴShe said she only gets two matches a day.

ㄴOn Fridays, she might get one match, haha.

– It’s funny how the context is similar.

ㄴExcept for those who witnessed and ran away, everyone else says they got shredded after shooting first, haha.

ㄴ??? : I should have run instead of shooting then.

– Watching them switch from their researched tactics to changing playstyles is a highlight.

ㄴThey’re avoiding engagement just in case, haha.

ㄴSuddenly shifting to extreme long-range meta.

ㄴWhat’s happening, haha.

ㄴ”??? : If you get executed up close, that’s just how it is.”

– For the pros, it’s a disaster, but for us, it’s exciting, haha.

ㄴWill she show us the finals?

ㄴTrue, haha.

ㄴWith her physical skills, she won’t struggle in the finals, looking forward to it.

ㄴThat’s the level we need, haha.

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“Recently, you’ve been going back and forth a lot in Upstate New York.”

“The Artemis PMC base is nearby. If you follow the lake about 300km west, you’ll reach Niagara Falls.”

“Oh, I want to visit!”

“Never been there, so I don’t know. Is this kind of thing implemented here?”

– Nope, hahaha.

– Natural scenery plus a massive waterfall that’s difficult to implement equals server lag.

– Even if ICARUS throws all the money they make into the server, that’s impossible.

– You can hear the servers crashing from here, haha.

– Real-time implementation is impossible.

Like many games, Dark Zone had a storyline and a timeline accordingly—of course, this was from a PVE perspective.

If the tutorial involved forming a temporary team of one or two and safely arriving at the Central Park HQ, afterward, it would begin with simple street cleaning, capturing gangsters and escapees around the area.

Later on, as one progressed, they would start to encounter airborne troops and special forces from Russia and China, and around the mid-point, they would first encounter Artemis PMC, who used even more advanced technology.

As explained before, these were the ones who had taken over the former tech valley of Upstate New York, killing anyone in their way, securing resources and technology from everywhere.

Leaving them unchecked was dangerous, and there was another reason for it.

– [ISO: Good. It seems like you’re almost at your destination. Judging by the lack of noise from the Geiger counter, the SCRAM procedure worked safely here. Or the last workers shut it down.]

– [ISO: The building ahead is the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Power Plant. Its most notable feature is that it’s a troublesome place for us to manage. Or it’s in Artemis’ territory.]

– [ISO: And the bad news is, that’s also why highly skilled agents like you are dispatched here.]

“Geiger counter… Isn’t that for radiation?”

“That’s right.”

“Always sending us to these godforsaken places just because there aren’t enough people.”

“Hey, that’s too harsh.”

– Hahaha.

– They’ve gone dark, haha.

– Where’s the green recruit who used to drop mags and cry?

– Yoo Jin devoured that one. Get your popcorn ready.

– Her eyes lose their light as time goes by, haha.

It wasn’t entirely wrong.

The nuclear power plant ahead was immensely large, and it was impossible for two moderately armed individuals to cover it all. Moreover, the fact that it was already swarming with Artemis personnel was another significant sales point.

You don’t need to ask what kind of sales point that is.

The Little Bird carrying the Geiger counter dropped us off near the power plant swiftly. The backstory was that we barely scraped together to get this counter to detect radiation beforehand, as no one could survive if the nuclear plant went into meltdown.

Anyway, it was quite nostalgic. The reason being, not only was it one of the missions I had actually carried out, but it also gave a glimpse into the massive authority of the ICARUS operators.

According to Halo Jensen, a former Delta Force member and our mission team leader, getting an attack permit on a huge facility like a nuclear power plant signified the importance of the personnel involved.

In short, it meant that each ICARUS operator held more authority than a Tier 1 special forces unit.

We activated our camouflage and walked into the eerily immense nuclear power plant site.

“Following you around, I feel like I’m witnessing all sorts of strange things.”

“The difference is, when you encounter such situations, your life or death depends on whether I’m present or not.”

“That, I can’t deny….”

– ‘Confidence’

– So cool, Yoo Jin!!!

– Fact) It means there are numerous deadly situations.

– No matter how cool you try to sound, it’s not working (wetting myself).

– I don’t know, but isn’t this going to end in an explosion?

– Anyway, looking forward to today’s nuclear power plant explosion.^^

“…If this place blows up, it’s a disaster. Don’t jinx it.”

…After escaping by collapsing the ceiling where all the water pipes crossed last time, I had to watch helplessly as yet another bizarre nickname was added to my list, which should be shrinking instead.

The nickname of today’s donation as well… If this person were here, I would have given them a good flick on the forehead. Pity.

I took a small breath and checked the message that just arrived before entering the entrance.

– [Notice: Preliminary Rank – 1 hour and 20 minutes left until the virtual reality session. If you do not enter the invited session, you will not be able to proceed with the game, which may result in disadvantages.]

“Hmm.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Hold on a moment.”

With that, I pondered various hypotheses in my head.

It was awkward to cancel the mission now that we had come this far. But the time of one hour was also awkward, so it was a dilemma. I wasn’t sure if I could finish this mission within an hour.

Recalling the old days, it took roughly an hour when I carried out this mission. However, it was possible because I was with team members who had more field experience than I did.

Although the combat here wouldn’t be as desperate as back then…

I asked just in case.

“Harmony.”

“Yes…?”

“Can you try to keep up with my pace?”

Pace.

It didn’t just mean running at the same speed—it meant that if she couldn’t keep up with my pace, she would have to endure my yelling and repetitive instructions to keep in step.

Of course, I’d consider her limits, but it would be tough for Harmony.

I also planned to maintain my concentration to the fullest.

With a resolute yet uncertain expression, she nodded slightly.

“I’ll try.”

“Good. Let’s go as usual.”

Then, straight ahead.

Several patrols at the parking lot entrance.

All further operations would proceed through my words and the images I transmitted.

“Three in front. Take out the one on the left. On my signal. One, two, three.”

“…!”

───Thud!

The muffled sound passing through the suppressor.

But without any time to rest or decrease our speed, I identified the enemies about 20 meters ahead on the right, who were distracted.

Simultaneously, I identified another patrol group coming around the corner on the left.

“Handle the left.”

“Got it!”

Bang.

The enemies fell to the ground like marionettes with cut strings following the repetitive pulling of the trigger. The right side was swiftly dealt with, but the left had about 1.5 enemies still alive due to Harmony’s slightly slower speed.

0.5 was an injured enemy.

I erased them as well and added,

“Don’t slow down, let’s go.”

“Ugh, why are we suddenly speeding up?”

“Sorry. I don’t have much time until the next preliminary rank.”

“…Of course.”

Crossing the indoor parking lot, Harmony just reacted with a ‘no wonder’ attitude.

Her tough journey was just beginning.

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