I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 476

??? Kiiing!

"Looks like the automatic loader is working without any major issues."

"That's a relief. Everyone, bring the magazines and ammo cans. If you don’t want to struggle loading bullets into each magazine one by one, that is."

Indoor… shooting range???
What the hell, this shooting range is the size of a soccer field lolololololololol
Wow, I’ve never seen a place like this before ??
The ceiling is dozens of meters high, is this really a shooting range???
Fact: There’s a huge open area next to it where long-range shooting up to 1500 meters is possible.
Buildings and wide open spaces.

After packing all the equipment from the gun shop, we loaded everything onto a thick truck that looked like a small armored vehicle, and after driving for about twenty minutes, we arrived in an isolated area. I heard on the way that, even though the place was in a remote location, it was incredibly popular.

As proof, the reservations for all the other days, except today and tomorrow, were completely booked. Right after today’s shooting ends around 6 p.m., after we pack up and leave, others would come and use the range until midnight. It was pretty impressive in many ways.

Anyway, back to it.

I started loading bullets into the machine eagerly.

??? Kara-rack!

"It almost feels like I’m pouring fuel."

"Yeah, it does."

Of course, it wasn’t fuel—it was the seed of death.

The large automatic loading machine was shaped like a giant cylinder. After pouring the bullets into the top, I quickly inserted dozens of empty magazines into place and pressed the button. That was it. The internal sensors displayed whether the loading was complete, how many rounds were inside, etc., on the LED screen.

Regardless of the type of bullet, I dumped them all haphazardly into the box, because the machine would sort them out anyway.

As this metal-smelling process took place on one side, I was laughing while watching Harmonie and Dice, who were experiencing the insertion of ballistic plates for the first time in their lives.

The plate carriers we bought this time were not separate from tactical vests but rather, the carriers themselves were pre-fitted with MOLLE, ammo pouches, and other attachments. The two of them were freely tearing off pouches and separating ammo pouches attached with MOLLE to adjust the carrier into a comfortable form.

As expected, they looked just like they did in the Dark Zone in the game.

Seeing this, Jon Rack—who provided us with all the weapons and was a former DEVGRU operator—came over and added,

"You seem quite familiar with this."

"I had them turn off all the fitness corrections in the virtual reality game. Aside from fitness, they’re the type to do well without much instruction."

"Haha, I can see that."

The two of them were already wearing holsters and knee guards.

Since I had told them beforehand that we were going to shoot today, both of them were dressed in easy-to-move clothes rather than dresses or skirts. After staring at them for a while, I told them to adjust the touch fasteners (Velcro) to fit their bodies after trying them on.

Fortunately, thanks to modern materials, the ballistic plates wouldn’t be as heavy as they thought. Every time the touch fasteners were ripped off and reattached, they made a zipping sound, and both of them securely wore the plate carriers.

"Please tighten this part here."

"After we’re done, can you help me adjust the shoulder straps?"

Wow, this is so natural lololololololololol
Teacher, you can't lie and turn on the Dark Zone while saying you're going to shoot!
You guys went to the shooting range without telling Eugene, didn't you? lololololololololololololololol
Fact: These guys are PMC scouts’ dream talents.
Only lacking in stamina and mental fortitude, operators www
Hmm, of course. The tough parts are shared with teammates.

Dice and Harmonie finished adjusting without any issues, and each grabbed a rifle that still didn’t have a magazine inserted, then began to check their stances and aim at an empty spot. They already knew that wearing a plate carrier would make shoulder bracing more uncomfortable compared to when they were unarmed.

Simply adjusting their aim, they finished a few rounds of sighting, checked their chambers, and then moved back into high/low ready positions, putting the rifles back where they had been and re-adjusting the plate carriers so the shoulder bracing would be more comfortable.

Before long, stacks of magazines filled with 9mm and .45 ACP rounds started to pile up on one side.

"Maybe we should start with handguns?"

"Yeah. Everyone, lay out some handgun accessories on the table. Compensators, suppressors, flash hiders, dot sights, and anything else. I’ll set up around ten shooting lanes, so those who aren’t busy can shoot while waiting."

"Got it. Johnson! Bring the A-06 and 07 boxes from the floor! Those are all handgun parts!"

Since we bought over 700 magazines, the tables were soon crowded with magazines filled with various types of bullets.

Maybe this is heaven for gun enthusiasts. Anyway, Laurentina and I thought so, and Harmonie and Dice, who had thrown off their plate carriers, also agreed as they approached. Meanwhile, a drone camera floated around and hovered over the tables.

Wow, this is tactical lololololololololololololololol
Are they preparing for a 5-day military operation or something lolololololololololololololol
Opinion: I’m so jealous.
This is really hard to resist lolololololololol
What the hell, what even is this?
And now, it was time for free shooting to begin.

We were thinking of starting with fixed target shooting, so I pulled out the translucent holographic pad I received when I entered and glanced at the area that was wider than a soccer field.

The floor was patterned with a grid design. What this was, was—ballistic panels hidden under the floor. When touched and raised, the grid pattern would rise up to form some kind of structure.

Of course, depending on where you place the panels, you could create a great CQB (Close-Quarters Battle) training environment. With enough time, you could even build a three-story temporary building.

This was why people paid 100,000 won per hour to rent this place.

By now, preparations were nearly finished.

On both walls, there were about 30 gun cabinets. Rifles, handguns, automatic rifles, sniper rifles, SMGs, shotguns, and many other imaginable weapons were standing vertically, waiting for us.

On the tables spaced about 30cm apart, there were piles of magazines separated by type. I looked at them and handed Harmonie and Dice tactical hats to commemorate this trip, along with headsets that had noise-cancelling and communication features, and ballistic glasses.

Laurentina and I, along with Rack and his staff, had already worn them around our necks.

When most of the preparations were done, everyone started sitting in the chairs that the staff had set up.

Rack, who was the most knowledgeable about Hawaii, came over holding a whiteboard and began the pre-shooting training.

"Some of you may be more familiar with firearms than I am, but assuming no one here is unfamiliar with guns, let’s go over safety first."

The lesson began with the fundamental rule of firearm safety: treat every firearm as if it’s loaded.

Then, of course, the usual reminders—things you should always keep in mind, no matter how well you know them.

Aside from dry firing to show there’s no round in the chamber, don’t touch the trigger unless you intend to shoot, don’t point your gun at people, don’t wander around the shooting range, don’t fire at the floor to avoid ricochets or damaging the facility, and so on.

Lastly, if anyone notices a danger, they can halt the entire shooting session.

Then came the real explanation.

"Next, I’ll tell you where the CO2 powder extinguishers are placed, how to operate the ceiling extinguishers, emergency contact numbers for hospitals, and the first aid room number."

Laurentina and I had already memorized that list on the way here.

I looked back and saw Harmonie and Dice, who were sweating and diligently taking notes despite their discomfort. It was really fulfilling to see them perform so well.

After about five minutes of safety training, Rack crossed his arms in an X shape and then spread them out as he added,

"Alright, that’s it. Now you can start shooting. Feel free to take as many targets as you like, and if you want to shoot from a table rest, ask the staff for help."

"Got it."

"Alright, then, let’s get started?"

Rattle.

While about four or five people rushed to gather the chairs, most of us quickly headed to the section where the handguns were sorted. I casually looked around, chose a P226, and Laurentina picked up the same handgun as she added,

"Of course, the Mk.25 is the best. Did you unconsciously think that, rookie?"

"…No matter what you say, I’m not going SEAL."

"Too bad."

I wasn’t really concerned with which one to use, so I just picked the one that fit well, but Laurentina had to tease me about the handgun the SEALs used—specifically, one they once used as their standard-issue pistol.

Anyway, now it was time to modify the gun. While vanilla was fine, my preference leaned toward something more tactical, so I first removed the standard sights and slide, placed them in a multi-purpose pouch on my right thigh, and began searching the tables for one with a rail.

As I passed the table, I grabbed a slide and worked on it, preparing it to fire .40 S&W. By the time I had checked all the tables, the gun was almost assembled, and soon after, I slipped a suppressor into my pocket and grabbed three magazines. I planned to load them later at the shooting range.

The parts that were disassembled were carefully set aside so that no parts would get mixed up, and the staff would come to collect them after confirming their origin.

The mini dot sight, a blue triangle shape, was attached to the slide. The dot was smaller than I had expected, but it was sharp, so aiming wouldn’t be an issue.

As everyone moved around like they were at a buffet, handling their firearms, I was the first to reach the shooting lane.

I pulled the slide back,

Inserted the magazine,

Moved forward,

And switched the safety to fire.

I checked to make sure a round was in the chamber, adjusted my headset, and scanned the area. Everyone had already put on their headsets with noise-cancelling features, so it was time to begin.

I naturally held my breath, counting the beats of my heart.

I aimed at the head of the target 25 meters away.

When the blue dot overlapped with the head—

??? Bang!

The shooting began.

It was the first day in Hawaii.