I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 25 Intermission

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I pressed the keyboard buttons and clicked the mouse.

My gaze didn’t leave the screen as I simulated in my mind how the overlapping cuts would look.

I clicked the play button and checked if each part, from a few seconds to several minutes long, flowed smoothly.

I made sure that the sound of any part wasn’t excessively loud.

I ensured that the occasional memes I inserted to prevent boredom weren’t awkward.

I checked if I didn’t emphasize the wrong parts.

Editing based on the given video was somewhat similar to the relationship between ingredients and a chef.

Ingredients could be delicious as they were, but a chef would cook them to be more palatable and serve them to customers, just like an editor provided cleaner and better-looking videos to viewers.

However, some days were particularly tricky.

Today, Harmony’s editor, Luddite, defined himself as being in the most burdensome situation of his few years as an editor.

“…What on earth did you do in the Dark Zone?”

Every hour, every minute, every second was literally legendary.

Considering that one of an editor’s tasks was to provide summaries for busy viewers who couldn’t watch live broadcasts,

a broadcast so rich and full that editing it itself was tricky could lead to backlash if not handled carefully.

He had accepted the extra money and pledged his loyalty, but….

“Damn it.”

He couldn’t help but stop editing and pick up his phone.

Despite there being only three members in the group chat of Harmony’s editors, the message count had surpassed 300+ as they conversed and shared information.

It seemed others were in similar situations.

– [Rubin: No matter how I think about it, I can’t fit this into four 10-minute videos????］

– [Rubin: ＠Luddite］

– [Rubin: How’s your estimate, Luda-nim? Even if it’s short, it seems like each will be 20 minutes］

– [Luddite: I’m handling the introduction part of the narrative］

– [Luddite: If I cut everything unnecessary, it’s 15 minutes, and if it’s to be smooth, around 22-25 minutes….］

– [Luddite: Even if we end at the party formation］

– [Waltz: More importantly, who is this Yoo Jin?］

– [Waltz: I’m editing the part from after the party formation to the entry into the unauthorized zone, and wow, is this person an expert in small unit tactics?］

– [Waltz: No one else can even show their face in the Dark Zone nowㅋㅋ;;］

– [Rubin: For realㅋㅋ］

Indeed, it was true.

Editors for Harmony, who positioned themselves as general game streamers, needed to be knowledgeable about the games she played, and the Dark Zone was one of them.

Frankly, there was no game they were more passionate about than the Dark Zone.

Everyone had the same reaction.

Whoever this Yoo Jin, who partied with their employer, was… they couldn’t help but wonder what on earth this person had done.

Even the editors wanted to stop their work and immediately ask Harmony, though their instinct was firmly held back by the understanding that it was ethically wrong and that she probably wouldn’t know either.

– [Luddite: Anyway, everyone, our boss sent us a few gifticons for caffeinated drinks, so let’s use them and work today］

– [Luddite: No one can escape here until it’s finished］

– [Waltz: ㅋㅋ Is editing driving us crazy?］

– [Rubin: She gave me the toughest part, damn itㅋㅋ］

– [Luddite: But you guys have more time. I have to finish and send it by today or tomorrow;;］

– [Rubin: ㅋㅋ That’s true］

Everyone had a similar workload and difficulty level. For now, Luddite had the hardest time because of the time constraints.

Still, chatting with each other seemed to boost their efficiency a bit.

With the message window open on one monitor, he refocused on editing.

On one side of his desk, three caffeinated drinks bought with Harmony’s gifticons were already piled up, half of which had gone into his stomach.

The hour and minute hands moved closer and then apart again as the night deepened.

Their day was just beginning.

There is a term called trigger happy.

As the name suggests, it refers to people who find satisfaction and happiness from pulling the trigger, that is, from shooting.

Looking back at my four-year past, these people were rare but occasionally seen. To be exact, it should be said they were seen.

While some felt satisfaction from shooting targets, those who felt satisfaction from putting lead into people… were either crazy or mercenaries, and such people usually died quickly.

However, after spending a long time in a completely different place… where human life was as cheap as bullets, even people who normally didn’t change easily, changed.

Specifically, my hobbies and ways of finding peace of mind changed completely.

───!!

Moving targets.

Stationary targets.

Targets hiding behind non-targets.

All of these had to be subdued as quickly as possible, with a handful of tactical maneuvers in between.

The only things to trust were my judgment, reflexes, dynamic vision, and muscle memory. Engagements were fast, fast, and fast.

With the mindset to finish all engagements before entering a room, I pulled the trigger, reloaded when out of ammo, and switched to a secondary weapon if jammed.

Among countless methods and types, this was practical shooting.

Ah, pain. As you never leave me, I have come to respect you – like a verse from a Francis Jammes poem,

Eventually, I stopped labeling this as pain and integrated it into my life.

Thus, even though war and gunfire had completely left my life, I found peace of mind through this process that had become part of my life.

…Even if I seemed crazy, I couldn’t deny it. In my mind, I could only offer the excuse that maybe it was unavoidable in that situation.

Anyway, it had been two days since I started this game. Of course, in real-time. Since the in-game and real-time differed, I had to clarify this.

So, if I were to give a brief review of the game… there wasn’t much.

The only thing I noticed while wandering around was that there were many users? Frankly, any feelings about it ended after a few hours.

Seeing avatars with all sorts of body colors – silver hair and red eyes, silver hair and blue eyes, white hair,

and all sorts of avatars wearing tactical gear made my head spin.

If there was someone else from my world, they would probably go crazy seeing this.

In the meantime, I felt a gaze.

“Don’t just stay there, come out.”

…It seemed the streamer I was with yesterday was quite famous.

Even yesterday, some finely sculpted-looking people greeted me saying they enjoyed the broadcast when I went to register as an operator, and some proposed doing the main mission together.

A delicate, slender girl who looked like she couldn’t fire a shot peeked her face out from behind a wall and smiled brightly.

Just knowing that her appearance and substance were different made me lose my appetite.

“Ah, sorry. I, um, enjoyed your broadcast!”

“…Thank you.”

“I’ll watch it if you stream later!”

Then she vanished.

I was a bit taken aback by her type, but she was still one of the better people I’d met in-game.

However, what I noticed over the past two days was that I was asked surprisingly often if I streamed. Whether it was because the game was famous or for some other reason, I didn’t know….

Anyway, my body loosened up as I walked around the kill house.

I thought about doing a mission next as I stood up.

But,

– [Kill House Training Area – Alpha Sector Cleared.］

– [Time Taken = 1:03:41. // Time Attack Ranking Updated.］

– [Currently, Username: Eugene is ranked (3).］

“…This makes me competitive.”

The thought of trying something else melted away like snow at the sight of the ranking window.

Today, all time attackers are done for.

──────────

[General］Live) Hearing the time attackers cry ㅋㅋ

The rankings you desire!!!!!

The time attacks you set!!!!

Absolutely!!!!!

You can’t maintain them, gamersㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[All Comments］[Chronological Order］

– What the hell is this????

ㄴ[Author］What else? It’s the sound of time attackers being ruined ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– It’s good to see the guys who always hang around shooting ranges trying to set records get wrecked ㅋㅋ

– Obviously, it’s either a fabrication or a hack~ Seeing them drool and tear at this shows the level of this galleryㅋㅋ This is why they say the concept articles are trash

ㄴWelcome, the Yudong Knights who guard Dark Gallery instead of living real lives ㅋㅋ

ㄴHaving nothing to say, so you can’t refute and just call us Yudong Knights? Typical Dark Gallery standardwwwwww

ㄴ[Author］Is this… the average of time attackers????

– How on earth did they cut 1st place by a minute? Are they really insane?

ㄴ For real, the position and target locations change every time, so I quit

– Isn’t that the crazy person who soloed a fully armed 5-person party last time?

ㄴWhat’s that, you bitch

ㄴWhy curseㅠㅠ

ㄴSorry

ㄴWhat’s going onㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋSo cute, idiots

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