I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 230 – Sniping

—

“Haigu, our employers are at it again. I didn’t even know there was such a route.”

“I already uploaded that part as a shorts clip.”

“Should we try doing that too from now on….”

The sound of helicopter rotors slicing through the air in New York. The constant lock-on warning alarms filling the cabin and the two pilots shouting countless communications back and forth. The growling of the minigun. The Mjölnir’s firing sound hammering at the heart. The metallic clatter of shell casings rolling around the floor, not yet expelled outside.

The explosion from the 30mm chaingun and Hydra rocket pods hitting the battlefield.

The thunderous roar of the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle’s rifled cannon and machine gun.

Orders being relayed busily and screams heard beneath it all. Flames erupting from an armored vehicle shattered by a direct rocket hit.

Perfect chaos.

A symphony of warfare performed over the grand concert hall known as New York. The extremely primal and captivating destruction and violence poured into the eyes and ears of hundreds of thousands of viewers.

Of course, among them, there were those who couldn’t look at such a situation favorably.

“If all the editors and thumbnail creators join forces, maybe we can beat one of them? Somehow achieving even one victory. Then we can plead for them to take it easy on the broadcasts.”

“Feels like we’d all have air holes in our heads within 30 seconds.”

“That’s probably true, huh…?”

In the world, there were things that were possible and things that weren’t.

The editors’ actions were simple to understand. They too were Dark Zone players, and having experienced the newly added New Incursion scenario from a recent update, they keenly understood just what kind of madness their employers were engaging in.

First, the word “Incursion” attached to the scenario. It meant raid. Just from the name, it was clear – it was a sort of ultimate content. The kind that would make you feel “if you don’t know it, you die.”

To progress the story, you had to repeatedly throw yourself into combat situations to figure out the conditions, and you needed to achieve the objectives presented through ISO or various indirect circumstantial evidence to move to the next stage.

Even if the scenario was proceeding, it might not be the result intended by ICARUS International – in other words, there was a different intended outcome, known as the True Scenario.

Unlike other urgent missions or regular missions, there was a reason why it was highlighted in crimson on the map.

───Buuuuuuuuung!

Every time hundreds of 7.62mm rounds pounded the ground, dust clouds rose. With dazzling and exhilarating helicopter maneuvers reminiscent of a movie scene repeating several times, flashes of light flickered from the helicopter’s sides as enemies disappeared one by one.

A single modified Black Hawk helicopter and its two occupants were literally tearing through two mechanized infantry battalions. Of course, everyone knew the main firepower projection came from the helicopter, but without the two onboard, it would have been shot down by MANPADS long ago.

Once the situation was somewhat under control, voices and conversation began to replace the continuous firing sounds.

“All flares expended. Given the enemies reached here, flying on the existing route would mean crashing in the middle of Brooklyn before we even get halfway. Returning to HQ. Requesting landing permission.”

-[ISO: Permission granted. Nightstalker 1-1 and 1-2, and the two operators may reboard the Stealth Hawk at the adjacent helipad after landing. You’ve pounded the enemy enough to reduce the threat level. The rest will be handled by Central Park HQ’s response force.]

Flight time was a mere 7 minutes.

But considering the IED exploded and hit two mechanized infantry battalions just 30 seconds after takeoff, it was as if the engagement had been ongoing for quite a long time.

As soon as the helicopter swiftly landed at the helipad, a swarm of people attached themselves to it. While replenishing the minigun rounds and flares, the two pilots and Harmony and Yoo Jin disembarked from the Black Hawk and headed to the adjacent helipad where another helicopter was still preparing for deployment.

Unlike the combat-oriented Black Hawk, this helicopter was sleek and agile. A stealth helicopter partially utilizing camouflage technology.

As the side hatch opened, dozens of ammunition boxes and anti-materiel sniper rifles came into view. These were pre-positioned to replenish the two operators’ ammo or to support sniping.

Leaning back against the seat, the two thought they could finally rest, but the chat window exploded into chaos once again.

-(Fact) Less than 10 minutes into the mission, and there’s no overlap with any other Dark Zone streamer’s broadcasts

-ICARUS must be crazy to set up all these variables ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Well-made, but how the hell are we supposed to do this

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Wasn’t the original plan to crash-land and then drive?

-I’m witnessing history again today

-Historically mind-blowing indeed ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

“Less than 10 minutes into the mission, and it’s already insanely tough. We won’t crash this time, right?”

“Who knows. Now that you’ve mentioned an ominous future, it might happen.”

“Wah, we won’t crash, right? Even if we do, wouldn’t the teacher handle it somehow?”

“What kind of image do you have of me?”

Well, a disaster god? Or something similar?

But Harmony’s words were cut off. Halfway into their rest period, donations started pouring in madly. Some messages couldn’t be ignored as they weren’t from ordinary viewers.

Like standing in line at an autograph session, donation messages piled up one after another. As the two responded to the accumulating support messages, a phrase floated in the air.

<(Luddite, Rubin, Waltz, KkoriEditor, and many others) have donated 100,000 KRW! Thank you very much!>

-Save me!!!!!! I’m imprisoned by two ruthless slave drivers who churn out video content within 10 minutes!!!! I’m doing the poppin dance with a carrot!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Guys, go get to work. What are you doing? Yoo Jin’s editors are already uploading shorts and everything. You know the drill? I don’t interfere as long as you keep things in order. I’m not saying don’t take breaks.”

-Why does it feel like Harmony is a weekend duty officer????

-Argh, stop it!!!!!!! PTSD!!!!!

-Not an editor but a solidier? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Black company ON

-The downsides of working from home are all coming to light

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

As the door closed amidst the chaos, ISO’s voice flowed through the intercom.

-[ISO: Due to the virus and hostile nation’s invasion, most of EADS, the Eastern Air Defense Sector’s air defense forces, have been completely decimated. The surviving fragments are barely gathering under the 177th Fighter Wing in New Jersey, but our available air defense power is less than 30% of peacetime compared to a few years ago.]

-[ISO: Most of the states above New York have lost contact during peacetime, so the first line of air defense will now precariously encompass New York. In other words, New York is now the most likely target for the enemy’s air power. We shouldn’t have closed Montauk Air Force Base, damn it.]

-[ISO: First, go to Kennedy International Airport, currently Kennedy Air Force Base, and check the situation. Clear out any obstacles.]

The helicopter was lifting off.

A light illuminating the path that no one had taken before rose up.

—

“Hey. They say the Incursion True Scenario is out this time?”

“What? It’s out already when even the normal map strategy hasn’t been released? Are you sure? Who is it? Cerberus Strategy Team again?”

“No, it’s Yoo Jin and Harmony.”

“Haigu.”

When the gears inside a complex machine turn by external force, the interlocking gears also turn – and today, everyone dealing with Dark Zone PVE began to turn forcibly by the gear named Yoo Jin.

If there were users, streamers, and Yourspace channel managers who specialized in PVP, there had to be the opposite as well. Those who enjoyed item farming more than engaging with other users, or those who outright disliked PVP… The vast content of Dark Zone wasn’t confined to user battles.

Furthermore, humanity’s intrinsic drive for struggle and competition, imprinted in our genes, encompassed not only PVP but also PVE. Thus, just as many enjoyed battling AI enemies and solving difficult problems through operator cooperation as those who enjoyed user confrontations.

However, today.

Mid-November.

All eyes of those who specialized in PVE strategies, and naturally those influenced by them, focused on a single point.

-[ISO: Damn it. Someone please tell me this ruin I’m looking at isn’t John F. Kennedy Air Force Base. What kind of mess happened here?]

Black smoke billowed from the desolate base.

Over the ruins resembling a scene after a natural disaster, hundreds of enemies were engaging our allies on the runway.

Dark Zone’s Incursion scenario flowed organically.

Triggering an outcome from one engagement led the background scenario of the next battle to be B if it was result A. If it triggered result C instead of A, the next background scenario was D.

Moreover, the newly opened Incursion scenario was only recently accessible. All viewers watching Yoo Jin’s broadcast envisioned a Kennedy Air Force Base with no survivors. After all, none who played earlier had reached the base faster than Yoo Jin.

Of course, the actual appearance wasn’t

significantly different from what they imagined.

Except that there were still surviving allies.

-[ISO: There are still many friendly vital signs. Provide support as quickly as possible. We need to ask the living about what happened here, not data files.]

And the two faithfully carried out their mission.

Given the base’s enormity, disembarking and moving around was excessively inefficient, but at least sniping support was more than feasible.

The helicopter began hovering in camouflage mode. As a specially designed stealth helicopter, the blades were engineered to minimize noise, and the structure was designed to suppress vibrations to the bare minimum.

Meanwhile, a small side of the helicopter opened. It was a kind of gun port. Of course, no muzzle protruded.

The distance was about 600 meters. But that wasn’t a major issue. ICARUS Gear, integrated with a digital scope, aided in targeting, and advanced technology made it stable as if on solid ground.

Most importantly, the numerous ammunition boxes and three anti-materiel sniper rifles on one side of the helicopter provided plenty of additional opportunities.

The two took suitable positions. Harmony lay prone on her belly, and Yoo Jin secured her firearm to the fixed mount in the floor and wall. They aimed at the distant moving dots through their crosshairs.

Since ancient times, a joyful thing was to beat enemies one-sidedly, and even more joyful was to beat enemies one-sidedly when they couldn’t respond.

In accordance with the wise words of the sages, the two’s index fingers pulled the triggers.

It was time to force the enemies into an exhilarating tap dance.

───Toong! Toong! Toong!

-[ISO: Good shot. The enemies are still swarming. Reminds me of hunting wild boars from an old helicopter. Can you make a spot for me too?]

-[ISO: Bullseye. Watching them flee in panic is pathetic. But we still have a long way to go.]

-[ISO: Nicely done. The enemies are gradually breaking down. Even without precise hits, continuous harassment alone will buy our allies enough breathing room.]

Of course, that wasn’t the end.

As Harmony, who had been continuously firing the RSASS, shook her head and looked at the three anti-materiel sniper rifles hanging on the wall, her expression changed to that of a mischievous child, and she asked Yoo Jin.

“Want to use them?”

“Sure.”

-Totally in their element ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Oh, look at those gleaming eyes, Harmony’s eyes

-They were waiting for this ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Seriously, they’re doing all the fun stuff themselves

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Let me do it tooㅓㅓㅓㅓㅓㅓㅓㅓㅓㅓㅓㅓㅓㅓㅓ

The two grabbed an AS50 each. Due to the length, it was impractical to shoot while lying down anymore, so they installed another fixed mount to secure it firmly inside the cabin like Yoo Jin did.

Meanwhile, Harmony pulled out one very futuristic-looking ammo box among several. The .50 BMG rounds inside looked a bit odd, with the words DARPA / EXACTO prominently displayed on the box.

An ultra-miniature guided missile with a .50 caliber. The product of technology with an unimaginable price per round clicked into a 10-round magazine. After handing the first magazine to Yoo Jin, she quickly filled another from the box as if someone was urging her.

Meanwhile.

───Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!

The seeds of death sliced through the air at Mach 3, tracing a peculiar trajectory unimaginable for bullets, and struck the erratically moving enemies. The enemies turned into twisted polygonal shapes immediately after.

Each shot took out one enemy. Within minutes, the pace doubled as Harmony joined in.

After about 4 minutes, the enemies started to counterattack, but the situation had already shifted. Those who barely held the defensive line within Kennedy Air Force Base began a full-scale counterattack.

Amidst the enemies getting hit from both inside and outside and starting a disorderly retreat, a stealth helicopter circled the outer line of the base and landed near the defensive line.

The hatch opened, and the two operators stepped onto the ground between the glowing barrels of anti-materiel sniper rifles.

-[ISO: After a quick check, the runway itself isn’t much of an issue. Instead, the air defense system and control room near the base are almost completely destroyed. I can’t fathom what happened to cause such a disaster.]

-[ISO: We either tear apart all the enemies lurking around here and interrogate them or break all their jaws and check the CCTV. Your choice.]

-[ISO: Good luck.]

A faint smile appeared on the two’s faces.

With the setting sun, the two operators joined the allies.