I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 566

"Looks like there's no such thing as a bulldozer, huh?"

"Well, we’ve gathered the best fighters in this world, so it’s no surprise."

• Who the hell is pushing through the front yard this fast? HAHAHAHAHAHA
• What the heck am I watching right now?
• Teachers, this is a Dark Zone, not a cyber-telekinetic show!!!!!!
• Again with the weird stuff that ordinary people can’t keep up with, HAHAHA
• I love how refreshing these people are, HAHAHA

It doesn’t take long for the front yard to become a sea of flames.

In fact, it was practically an inevitable event. If the limit, Hotteok, and Kimstone, who I used to teach, were the weakest, then that’s saying something. Half of the party consisted of pro gamers, and a smaller number had combat skills far beyond even those pros.

Moreover, looking at the bigger picture, everyone here had shared and learned from the same curriculum. No one was unfamiliar with what actions to take at specific points in time, and at that moment, the operation team became something more than just a collection of twenty people.

Angles that others couldn’t see were filled in the blink of an eye, enemies jumping out from blind spots were immediately reduced to scrap metal, and grenades flying out of nowhere were resolutely blocked by ballistic shields, only to explode against them.

If such miracles kept happening, every enemy standing in front of us would be incinerated.

That said, the enemy’s reactions were undeniably sharp, likely due to the high difficulty of annihilation missions... But unfortunately for them, we had a significant advantage today compared to the past Operation Ouroboros.

What I was wearing on my wrist was the Icarus Gear, capable of performing at full capacity.

“I’m a little worried, though. How long has it been since we started and they're already whining like this? The weapons they're using are quite troublesome too.”

“Ah, optical weapons... That’s true, didn’t expect them to come out armed with high-performance laser weapons.”

"Considering the weapon attached to the third tail, it makes sense, though."

Glance.

Before long, I could see the factory’s front yard, which was almost finished being demolished. There were scars all over that could never have been made with explosives or guns alone.

Part of the steel frame was melted and bent like taffy, the iron that had melted and was now cooling down still glowing red and dripping, the blackened ground, and more. Among them, there was a steel pillar completely melted due to the medium laser turret the enemy had brought.

I felt the front of the ballistic shield I was holding slowly regenerating and added,

“I’m glad we gave one ballistic shield to each squad. Without them, we’d have had quite the headache from the start.”

“…That’s something that can even block tank cannons several times. If we can carry them around, it’s definitely a win, right?”

“Looks like Dice is still feeling pretty relaxed, huh.”

“Ah, that’s not it, kyahhhhhh!”

• Dice just says one word and gets struck by lightning, HAHAHAHAHAHA
• Why pick on the poor dice, HAHAHA
• Bold statement: Dice is probably trying to act tough near the biyaam, pretending to get hit on purpose
• Dice’s face is priceless, HAHAHAHA
• Why does he like it so much, HAHAHAHA

...He really does like it.

Anyway, after gently placing Dice, who had half-melted, down beside me, I sent a simple signal in front of the factory entrance. Soon, our allies, who had been on lookout, gathered in front, and at that moment, I sent the factory blueprint into the air.

The twenty men split into four teams of five and quickly checked the paths they needed to take.

Just before the operation began, four members from the Dagger team arrived as reinforcements, which led to a slight change in the team arrangement I had set up earlier – specifically, Alpha Squad, which I was in charge of, was affected the most.

The four remote controllers of the Dagger team, who were lined up in front of me, were now all assigned under me, so our squad was tasked with breaking the farthest generator tower.

...Well, it didn’t matter much.

Thinking that, I scanned the four remote controllers lined up in front of me and spoke up.

“…By the way, don’t these remote controllers look a lot like me?”

“Hm…”

“Uh…”

“Why is everyone avoiding my eyes?”

• HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
• Bold statement: These just look like mecha versions of me with masks on
• Mecha Byaam without tails, HAHAHAHAHAHA
• Byaam, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
• A flatter Mecha Eugene, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

...It’s true, isn’t it?

What can I say, if you ask whether they look alike, not exactly, but the shape of their outlines does remind me of myself. I actually think if I seriously asked someone, they might give a 50-50 answer.

I don’t blame them for making it this way. If they only needed the necessary functions, there was no need to make the remote controllers any bigger. In fact, if they’re small and slim despite having all the features, that’s even better.

Still, somehow... it made me feel a little awkward. And the moment I said that, everyone started avoiding my gaze, and that was game over.

While I sighed, it seemed like everyone had finished familiarizing themselves with the internal terrain, taking deep breaths.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the factory raid wasn’t primarily about movement or clearing paths. After taking control of the entrance and establishing a foothold, the plan wasn’t to destroy the first generator tower and split the team into two groups to advance. Instead, we could split and deploy the team right from the start.

The reason this was possible was simple.

As soon as we stepped inside, a deafening noise erupted, and the surroundings started dividing in real-time.

"Woah...!"

"See you in a bit, everyone!"

"I’m seriously going insane!"

• "See you in a bit" as if nothing’s wrong, HAHAHAHAHAHA
• This is crazy, HAHAHA
• How can they say it so calmly, HAHAHAHAHAHA
• Who comes up with this stuff? Is Artemis really real in this world???
• Byaam is unshaken, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

This wasn’t just about gates or things like that closing and dividing us.

Literally, as soon as we set foot inside, the interior split into multiple paths, and we started moving, each of us growing farther apart. Just like last time inside the factory platform, it was Artemis’ unique way of reshaping the interior as we went.

In the blink of an eye, the other three teams disappeared, and the communication started cutting off. This meant there was a high-powered jamming field inside.

I took a deep breath, looking around, and met the eyes of the four members of the Dagger team who were watching me.

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like there was much time for a conversation.

Raising my shield, I added,

“Looks like we’ll have to talk later. Don’t you think?”

“Unfortunately, looks like that’s the case.”

“We’ll have to survive until we reach Alpha Gate...”

"When we make it back safely, I’ll have to ask why the voice synthesis module still hasn’t been fixed."

Boom!

At the same time, a flash of light exploded in front of us. With enough intensity to blind us, the shield heated up instantly, but still, we held our ground. This meant the autonomous combat unit set up on the wall was activating and targeting us.

With the shield glowing red, shooting began. The four men behind me immediately took cover and started firing with calm and precise aim, sweeping everything in sight. Some even fired lasers through the energy lines connecting their weapons and mechs.

Constant flashes of light and bright lights, the surrounding temperature soaring with ionized or plasma-formed air.

Sirkins muttered in complaint.

“Such lavish treatment.”

“Be careful, it’s getting faster.”

Yeah, this is what an Artemis raid feels like.

Leaving behind the feeling of returning to the past, the factory block we were riding in continued to move endlessly.

The start of the third Byaam raid.

Alert from Sector Gamma: Combat with the enemy has begun.

Alert from Sector Beta: Enemy firepower is strong, no additional support needed.

Antimatter bomb used in Sector Delta.

“10 minutes of the 40-minute duration passed. Progress 33%... Not bad.”

“We should call in the escape helicopter. With this progress, it’s unlikely we’ll make it on time… The Archetype doesn’t seem to care much about the first attempt, though.”

“The situation’s different from Operation Ouroboros. There are several chances to attempt it...”

Meanwhile, several kilometers away, at the forward base near the Savannah.

Two mechs, eerily resembling someone, were looking at the screen, analyzing the situation in real time. The four-part screen showed a total of sixteen people, and explosions and flames continued to erupt across the other side.

Not everyone was like this, but nearly all of them were dismantling Artemis’ resistance with terrifying precision, advancing steadily. Behind them, a lone figure in the control room took control of the facility, manipulating the complex internal panels.

The process was reminiscent of Operation Ouroboros. The panels placed like shields blocked the ion cannon at the perfect moment, and intense heat filled the interior.

The only good news was that, unlike last time, there were no additional Mecha Eugens controlling the tower.

“What do you think?”

“…It may sound odd, but Artemis’ technology seems to have advanced even more than Canada’s back in the day. Also, back then, because of prototypes, the facility itself was more like an ordinary building, but now…”

“Exactly. That’s why the operation time is so short. If we exceed this, it’ll turn into a war of attrition.”

The facility itself had clearly shrunk compared to the Ouroboros operation, but that made it more convenient to fiddle with the interior.

The goal was simple: crush the enemy as quickly as possible, break the third’s head in the final room, and reclaim control of the facility. If we failed to do this, everything would fall apart.

But the situation seen through the screen wasn’t very favorable.

“This being the first attempt, there might be some deliberate parts, but the owner must also feel it. If we don’t step up the pace, we won’t get good results from this operation.”

“From what I see, the Archetype seems to be focusing more on the operational area’s measurements. I don’t think they’ll leave without gathering as much information as possible from the first attempt.”

“Right. It seems like they’re more focused on the exit than the mission itself.”

In the past, we didn’t need information, and we just kept pushing forward.

This time, however, the extermination difficulty was set uniformly for all users, so—though only a few minutes—some had already faced the third.

A few things could be inferred from this. At least, the door wouldn’t close unless all twenty people entered the last room, and if everyone entered, the door would close, trapping us inside.

Because of this, Eugene’s expression looked noticeably more at ease.

“...So that’s why, it feels like I’m trying things out too easily.”

“The Archetype has separate Artemis access rights. They’re probably doing something with it… Maybe there’ll be some mention of it soon.”

“I guess so?”

They didn’t leave any extra words, but these two had already gotten a feel for how the situation would unfold.

Their master preferred safety, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t take risks. If it weren’t for that style, Operation Ouroboros wouldn’t have been possible.

The issue wasn’t whether it would happen, but when and how.

That’s why these two were deep in thought, continuously fidgeting with their fingers like humans would.

“If the backup mechs get produced quickly, we can go out with peace of mind.”

“We’ll have to wait a little longer.”

“Right.”

Meanwhile, Eugene continued investigating various things.

From generator recovery times, reinforcement timings, to how the tower’s presence would affect the third’s power… As several minutes passed, Eugene and the twenty others stopped in front of the room where the third’s youngest was.

Communications were restored as most of the control towers collapsed.

Jin and Lane took a deep breath, waiting for Eugene’s orders.

After a brief silence, words followed.

“Please call the escape helicopter. Also… I’ll need to call two more people, so please get ready as quickly as possible. During the combat, I tried a few things and was able to get meaningful results.”

“What should we do, Master?”

“It’s not that hard. I’m calling them to check if two people can connect to the generator tower.”

As expected, the expression on the Archetype’s face was genuinely bright.

“Stealing the enemy’s weapons, or something similar, and using them for our own team—that’s an age-old Dagger team methodology. It’s time for these two to experience it.”

At the same time, several images were sent by the Archetype. The expressions on Jin and Lane’s faces turned strange as they saw the huge generator tower on screen.

“Don’t you ever wonder what it would taste like to take someone else’s stuff?”

The expression on the Archetype’s face was painted with a bright smile.

It was truly a beautiful smile.