I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 168 ­ DICE, Michael

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“Aah, the player ‘LateNightChickenOnly’ vanishes in an instant! A literal gruesome death! They got hit with not one, but four rounds of .50 BMG and got ejected to the lobby!”

-Wow, f*ck, hahahahahahaha

-They really died horrifically, hahaha

-Is this a cooking show? Are they making minced meat???????

-‘LateNightChickenOnly’ has turned into ‘MincedCutletOnly’, hahaha

-Is this that thing called anvil and hammer? Hahaha

Well. It’s not anvil and hammer; it’s more like being crushed between two anvils like a dog – an irreverent thought that fortunately no one heard briefly crossed Michael and Gambit’s minds.

Hundreds of people were cheering. It was an event match, so the actual winner didn’t matter much – although, if the national team lost, there would be a lot of talk – but if the result of the match became dramatic, the story changed.

Starting with Yoo Jin’s powerful declaration that seized everyone’s attention, followed by Dice’s perfect covering fire that filled the gap.

The streamers’ attempt to exploit the scattered focus of the pro gamers crumbled completely. Of course, the loss of one team member was a painful blow.

“Wow, they took one down in just 40 seconds.”

“That’s expected when the national team’s top two are on the same team.”

Conversations among the spectators could be heard everywhere.

All results were etched into the viewers’ retinas.

Excluding the countless directly invited spectators, there were hundreds of thousands of real-time viewers. The expected views of the video, which would be edited and uploaded later to Yourspace, would be far more than that.

It was clear. The two were proving why they were called national representatives in real-time. At least for the viewers witnessing this scene, there was no reason to dispute their skills.

Meanwhile,

“They sync so well together, maybe because they’ve been together for so long. If I were on the same team, I wouldn’t be able to keep up….”

“It’s more amazing that Dice follows that normally.”

It’s fascinating every time I see it.

But their worries weren’t unfounded, due to the special method of forming teams in the event match. Four players appeared on a broadcast interview program, and all of them would be teamed up.

The first team was Yoo Jin and Dice, but in the next round, anyone could be teamed up with Yoo Jin. Of course, they could be teamed up with Dice, or Gambit and Michael could form a team as well.

Anyway, it was certain that sooner or later, they would be teamed up with Yoo Jin.

“The situation has become tied in an instant! The pro gamers’ immediate counterattack begins!”

“But it’s not easy. With powerful handicaps like no sprinting, no throwing weapons, and no skills, the actual power difference is expected to be similar. For example, the portable cover installed by the streamer team provides a significant advantage in engagement.”

───Bang! Bang! Bang!

Crack!

However, the massive sniper rounds that came flying demolished the cover, which was wide enough to easily hide two people, in just a few seconds.

While Flame, the commentator, was at a loss for words, Phoenix, the caster, couldn’t hold back his laughter and added a word.

“Haha, it doesn’t seem to be the case. The streamer team loses their advantage in an instant!”

“Overwhelming firepower is hard to beat, especially if there’s a shooting angle.”

Thus, the ensuing stalemate.

But time was on the side of the pro gamers, and the prediction that flashed through the minds of many became reality.

It hadn’t been long, but Kato and Espio were slowly cornered by Dice, who created new shooting angles several times while moving around with a Barrett and M6, and they were turned into minced meat by the Norma Magnum rounds fired by a machine gun.

It was a brutal and overwhelming victory produced by a straightforward yet stable tactic.

How much time had passed since then,

“Sorry. I tried to flank, but I just got shredded.”

“It’s like losing to a natural disaster, nothing to be sorry about.”

“That’s really true. If I’d known it would be like this, I should’ve suggested a handicap like making them use one arm.”

I knew this would happen.

No matter how much a single choice can turn the tide at higher tiers, there was still a significant gap between professionals who get paid to compete and amateurs – or was it just that those two were exceptionally good?

Anyway, coming back to the point, it wasn’t ‘LateNightChickenOnly’s’ fault. There wasn’t a major flaw in the strategy. Trying to cut off Yoo Jin, even at the risk, wasn’t a bad choice.

From the point when the strategy was being discussed, they expected at least two members to be picked off. But whether it was one or two, the plan was to deal massive damage to Yoo Jin, but it was perfectly anticipated.

From the moment one member became minced meat by .50 BMG without any success, the tide had already turned.

Meanwhile, preparations for the second match began, regardless of winners and losers.

Everything was reset from the beginning. Even the teams. The Yoo Jin and Dice team, which had shown an unbeatable performance, was disbanded back into individual players, and the drawing board started moving again.

But it didn’t matter. They were free now, and all that was left was to tell a long, detailed story on the upcoming broadcast about how those two defeated them despite the handicaps.

Meanwhile, the teams were decided.

“The second team! Dice and Michael are paired to face Catwalk, RamenNKimchi, and Rabokun!”

“From the start, I can guess what the handicap will be. But on the other hand, Michael can also predict it. A simple shield ban won’t be very effective.”

“But Michael’s shield is extremely powerful. If they don’t block it, there will be significant difficulties.”

How will it turn out?

The map was set. It looked like part of a desert base taken from NBV. Sandstorms outside made it impossible to go out. The complex multi-layered structure and artificially created caves made the map’s layout chaotic.

In the middle, a conversation in the hangar. But the streamer-normal person team’s expressions were nothing but confident.

Their mouths opened.

“The handicap we suggest is… the combined weight of the pro gamer team’s equipment must not exceed 12kg.”

What?

At that moment, my brain started spinning. The relationship between weight and stamina automatically calculated from playing Dark Zone for so long. But the huge restriction placed on us was holding us back more than anything.

The weight of the bulletproof vest with pouches, magazines, and grenades was about 10kg, even when thinking normally. Including the guns with attachments, 12kg was impossible. So, they had to choose a less effective bulletproof vest, which was a significant penalty.

Moreover, Michael’s shield operation was naturally sealed. Michael was used to carrying a shield in a fully armored state. The weight with the shield exceeded 25kg at the least.

The chat window, the audience, even the MCs couldn’t hide their surprised expressions.

A handicap that wasn’t just a simple restriction on a part of the body, but a more sophisticated and extensive limitation. Michael and Dice’s expressions hardened instantly.

It was clear that this time, the pro gamer team would face considerable burdens.

“Truly an unexpected and clever handicap. Pro gamer team, do you accept this penalty?”

“…Just one more kilogram, please.”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“The streamer-normal person team accepts the request. From this moment, the penalty is applied, and you have five minutes to adjust your strategies!”

Thus, the dramatic negotiation concluded.

While everyone, including Yoo Jin and Gambit, watched the upcoming match with great interest, the two began to discuss with serious expressions.

An unpredictable future was approaching.

“Sit down. I’ll tell you an amazing idea.”

“…Did you learn that way of speaking from Yoo Jin?”

“What are you talking about?”

At the same time, the conversation continued.

“I’ve thought of a basic strategy. They imposed the weight limit mainly because of your shield operation. If you were to face them without the handicap, you could draw their attention for a long time. Even if you took one down with you, it wouldn’t be impossible.”

“Thanks for the high praise. Hearing that from the person who destroyed my shield feels different.”

“Right. So, we need to keep that alive. Can you walk around with just the shield and a pistol?”

“…Are you crazy?”

“Not at all.”

Their eyes met.

Dice was trying to look serious, but why did it seem like the flames of madness were flickering between them – of course, I didn’t say that out loud. The opponent was the second-ranked madman from KSM.

Anyway, I decided to hear more.

“The ballistic shield weighs about 11kg, so with a Glock 17 and five magazines, it barely falls short of 13kg. You can at least provide minimal cover.”

“Five magazines, that’s pretty tight. Are you going with standard equipment? Or that insane large-caliber firearm?”

“…The latter might lack operational sustainability, but I think there’s a way to solve that.”

“What is it?”

“You’ll act as my bulletproof vest too.”

A real lunatic.

Spending a month with Yoo Jin turned her into a completely reckless person – but unless we used such extreme tactics, victory was uncertain. The weight of the penalty this time was the worst among all event matches so far.

Dice chose her weapon. It was an ASh-12.7. No bulletproof vest. Just a tactical vest with ammunition and explosives, tightly packed to meet the 13kg limit.

Seven large magazines holding 14 rounds each. Five grenades. The tactical vest’s MOLLE and pins were connected

, allowing them to be torn off and thrown simultaneously.

Once preparations were complete, her mouth opened.

“We’ll probably only get one chance. They know that too, so they’ll likely stick together. But no matter what, we need to separate one of them.”

At the same time, she marked several points on the map.

“These are the rendezvous points. If I cut off one and make it even, we should meet at one of these points and move together. Since neither of us has a bulletproof vest, staying together is better. You’ll patrol around here and draw their attention if they appear.”

“What if three of them come at once?”

“The map is big, so you can just run away. I’ll be scouting around there, and if the enemies scatter, I’ll try to take out at least one. Just buy time.”

“Hah.”

But then her expression changed.

“That’s my specialty.”

“Then let’s start.”

As soon as they pressed the end of the discussion button, the surroundings changed.

The dry scent of the battlefield filled the nostrils. Evidence of sandstorms could be found throughout the artificially created caves. As the sound of footsteps on sand faintly echoed, Michael led the way with a shield in his left hand and a pistol in his right.

The advance was extremely slow. Dice had asked him to check the surroundings for a while instead of moving forward.

Michael, waiting patiently without worrying about what was happening behind him, resumed movement, and they soon reached the middle of the wide-open hangar. Still no sign of life. Dice, who examined the surrounding terrain, tapped Michael’s shoulder and spoke.

“If anything happens, run back to the cave we came from.”

It was time to split up.

Dice left to scout the predetermined point, and Michael also began to check the terrain around the rendezvous point, wandering here and there.

How much time had passed,

───Rustle.

‘…They’re coming.’

What would normally be a situation I wouldn’t worry about felt unusually frightening today.

Three figures cautiously emerged from the opposite cave. All were systematically scouting. Preparing to retreat back to the cave we came from, I added to Dice through the comms.

“…Identified enemy. Approaching from the cave opposite Alpha Point. Scouting around at about 1 meter per second.”

-If you think it’s bad, retreat to where we came from. There are three tripwires in the middle, so be careful.

What was she doing earlier? Setting up traps, this crazy woman.

But even that thought was a luxury now. The enemy had already approached closely. Moreover, those who mainly use shields knew very well how much distance to maintain, and so did I.

In other words, it was time to retreat, even if it meant revealing my position.

───Click!

“There he is!”

“It’s Michael! Throw the sticky bomb!”

Boom!

A bomb flew almost simultaneously with the identification. It didn’t hit the body precisely, but it was still powerful. Especially because I was unarmored except for the shield, making me more vulnerable than usual.

I fired the pistol rapidly and widened the distance. The accuracy of hip-fire was quite high due to daily practice. But with an ordinary Glock, it wouldn’t break the shield even if I emptied a magazine, so it wouldn’t help much.

‘Damn, I believe…!’

Running with my back to the enemy was unthinkable as a shield user, but they could at least give me some body armor. Then, at least I could face them.

I dashed back the way I came. A narrow, long cave. In other words, the perfect place to set traps. But the enemies wouldn’t let me go easily, as indicated by the long metallic sound.

Seeker mine. If it exploded in the cave, the tripwires would be destroyed.

I had to stop it.

───Bang! Bang! Bang!

Rapid fire with the pistol.

I poured bullets into the predicted path of the tracking mine rolling furiously on the ground. I fired twelve rounds, but only one hit. But that alone was enough to disable most of its functions.

Rumble! Massive flames, debris, and stone dust hit the shield, pushing me back. As soon as I felt the pressure pushing me back, I started running again, using the dust as cover.

“Ugh!”

The tripwire set diagonally came in at some point.

I barely avoided it.

Three tripwires set at roughly 5-meter intervals. The grenades were hidden in the floor or ceiling lights. Did she learn this from Yoo Jin too? I thought, hearing the sound from behind.

The communication continued.

-One entered the cave. Another is bypassing through the side passage. One is waiting outside, but I’ll handle that one soon.

“What?”

───Aaaah!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Boom!

A sound too heavy to be called gunfire. But it was familiar – the same gun that ground down my shield in the burning department store on Atakaya volcanic island. The ASh-12.7.

But the difference was, this time, it wasn’t a shield but a person being ground down like a grinder. And with the sound of grenades exploding, it seemed like she took down the enemy instantly through a literal surprise attack.

Yoo Jin came to mind during that process. She repeatedly emphasized how important it was to reduce time during the kill-catch process.

Seeing an enemy disappear in just three seconds….

‘…You’ve learned well.’

Boom!

The thought was broken by an explosion hitting the enemy caught in the tripwire.

Dice had just finished dealing with the outside enemy, but I needed her support. It was now a time race. Whether I got sandwiched or the enemy that followed me got sandwiched.

The answer was, of course, Dice.

-I’ll be there soon.

I thought this round might end easier than expected.

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