I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 723

"Is this all the progress we've made?"

"Apologies, Mr. Carlton. The body was left in such a unique state that determining the cause and time of death has proven to be difficult. Because of that, we had to completely replan the troop movement route from the beginning."

"So the delay in unmanned drone transport is because of that?"

"Yes."

"Then tell me what you know so far. My patience is not that strong."

Northern New York, Syracuse. Day 6 of the Dagger team’s operation.

It had been about two days since Eugene suggested hacking the large unmanned drone operated by Artemis, and while the Eagle team was still keeping a close watch on the "Suit Guy" near the factory complex, Carlton, who had been responsible for sending Artemis forces and Dr. Dexter's subordinates to Grand Central Station several months ago, frowned.

The reason was simple. The current situation was far from favorable for Artemis — to put it politely, it was disastrous.

"We haven't even transported half of the Avengers yet. The grand strategy is failing from the very beginning. Do you want to see a bullet in my head as soon as the Russian-Chinese alliance lands in the North? Is that what you’re hoping for?"

"No, Mr. Carlton."

"Then catch the bugs wandering around the area and tighten their leashes. You can’t even do something that simple? The guys we sent to the Bronx captured around 5,000 people in just a week!"

One of Artemis Technologies’ ongoing plans involved the transport of MQ-20 Avengers.

As expected by Central Park, the 174th Combat Aviation Squadron at Hancock Field Air Base had about 30 unmanned drones and the infrastructure to operate them flawlessly.

If they could retrieve all of them, it would not only recover the losses in New York City, but also be a huge gain. Joshua Carlton and his PMC, which had been modified for a long time, were in the process of making it happen.

Naturally, things weren’t going smoothly. The Dagger team had been obstructing the plan from start to finish.

But Artemis wasn't composed of fools.

Even if the bodies were horrifically "dissected" by some mysterious attack, without signs of an explosion, it was possible to roughly predict the type of attack — however, there were issues. Despite being hit by a long-range sniper, there were no traces of bullets nearby, and even if it had been a .50 caliber, could it really dismember a body like that?

It didn’t take long for Artemis to realize it had missed the mark.

"Currently, the analysis team is… they’re speculating that it was a long-range sniper shot with at least a 25mm round. They’re investigating the eastern direction, where the body’s destruction seems to have originated, but all the sensors have been destroyed..."

"...What about the analysis of the unmanned combat vehicle (FCSUGV)?"

"Regarding that, the bullet marks are much smaller than expected. The penetration shape suggests a different weapon was used, and the data clashes with the analysis team’s predictions, so it’s taking longer."

"Kill all those worthless idiots in the analysis team. They’re useless."

"Understood."

The command was given with the ease of a child squeezing an animal’s wrist, and the modified PMC personnel executed it without any sign of emotion.

Meanwhile, Carlton’s mind was racing. The opponent was taking out Artemis targets from a distance of at least 3 km. It was highly likely that a railgun or something similar was involved.

But just because there was a general direction, that didn’t mean they were anywhere near the right conclusion.

"...A weapon with this kind of destructive power would require a large amount of energy, and the sniper positions would be varied. It’s highly probable that it’s some sort of railgun mounted on a vehicle."

"We’ll add that variable to the logic engine and send out a separate reconnaissance drone. Once we identify tire tracks or thermal images, we’ll try to pinpoint the sniper's location and attempt a long-range strike."

"Good. Anyone who can’t even come to a conclusion like this should be sent back to combat units. It’s better to use them as cannon fodder when we sweep eastward after removing their limbs."

It wasn’t entirely accurate, but it wasn’t wrong either.

The Dagger team, despite not bringing a single vehicle, was equipped with gear that could easily supply the power required for a railgun, and they could move incredibly heavy firearms by hand.

Small entities, far smaller than a vehicle, could break through rough terrain that vehicles couldn’t access and travel at speeds that vehicles couldn’t match, destroying their targets cleanly before either returning or continuing their reconnaissance.

No one could imagine this, but the Dagger team wouldn’t pass up on exploiting such an obvious vulnerability.

If they had already discovered another vulnerability, or if all their preparations were complete, the Dagger team would strike faster than anyone could anticipate.

"Within the next 3 days, we’ll round up every last bug in the Syracuse area and comb the east. If there’s no result by then… you know I don’t have to spell out what happens next."

"Understood."

"We’re going back. If anything goes wrong due to the analysis team’s failure, they’ll be in for a rude awakening. We’re resuming unmanned drone transport within the next 3 days. Spread the orders."

"Confirmed."

The one-sided communication ended, and Carlton stepped outside.

As soon as he did, the air hit him. The sky was overcast, and it seemed like rain would fall soon. The air had a faint scent of damp earth, and the road in front of the factory was bustling in various ways.

Fully armed soldiers, and a dazzling array of unmanned combat vehicles that didn’t even have the American infantry fighting vehicles, all under remote control — 40mm grenade launchers, 20mm chain guns, active defense systems, and 60mm mortars.

There was no need for humans to ride in them, and the internal weapon storage was packed with ammunition and explosives, while the advanced fire control systems allowed for fire support at any range.

At least three of these vehicles were in operation.

However, despite Artemis’ latest unmanned combat armored vehicles, which were equipped to deal with long-range strike weapons, the automated defense systems (ADS) were activated as soon as Carlton approached.

Once activated, the ADS could intercept any object approaching faster than Mach 1, as long as it was within the allowed bullet speed — railgun defense was impossible. As the system powered up, Carlton looked around and then checked the vehicle he was going to board.

With a screech, the vehicle arrived, and he calmly stepped inside as the door opened.

"...Hmm?"

At that moment, Carlton felt a strange shift in the air around him.

Those deeply involved with Artemis had long since ceased to be fully human, and this fact had not escaped the attention of the company’s board members either.

In fact, the opposite was true. Cutting-edge cyberware, which even high-ranking U.S. generals didn’t know existed, had been implanted in their bodies, and Carlton was one of the people who had undergone the most of these surgeries.

His body, now full of sensors, prototype weapons, and enhancements, felt a slight, unstable air flow and naturally turned his head in that direction.

But that wasn’t the right moment.

A brief moment of silence passed, and then the final unmanned combat armored vehicle, Polaris 3, lazily began to move.

"...What’s going on?"

"Is it a malfunction? Go check it out."

"No... it seems like the connection to Polaris 3 was lost. We might need to manually reboot it... wait, I think I just saw the weapons move—"

— Trrrhh!

— Boom!

In an instant, multiple events collided.

The 20mm chain gun spun around, the 60mm mortar on the rear of the Polaris 3 vehicle fired into the air, and the high-speed grenade launcher aimed at a dense area of soldiers.

Within seconds, half of the twenty or so soldiers nearby were reduced to bloody puddles.

"Fuck, what the hell was that!"

"Attack, attack!"

"ADS is online! The close defense system is activating! Get away from here—AAARGH!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions erupted before their eyes, and in the blink of an eye, more than twenty explosions erupted from Polaris 3. The proximity defense system triggered a volley of explosions, similar to claymore mines.

As Artemis enemy forces exploded, the battle began. Polaris 3 took the initiative, while the ADS began blocking 60mm mortars and 40mm grenade rounds.

However, the initial assault had its impact. Since they were lined up, Polaris 1 couldn’t attack Polaris 3 directly, and Polaris 2 was caught off guard.

It didn’t take long for Polaris 2, in the middle, to become a burning pile of scrap metal.

Of course, the result for Polaris 1 wasn’t much better.

— KWAANG!

A deafening roar rang out, and in a split second, something invisible to the eye streaked across the scene, piercing through Polaris 1. The ADS shattered, and the axle was completely destroyed.

With Polaris 1 rendered useless, Polaris 3 emitted a heavy noise as it broke formation and began to move sideways. The chain gun and high-speed grenade launcher started aiming at a specific spot.

Everyone knew that the barrel was now aimed at the vehicle carrying Carlton.

No matter what systems were applied, a single vehicle could easily be shredded by the firepower aimed at it.

The 20mm chain gun roared to life, and the 40mm grenade struck the rear of the vehicle. Even a sedan, comparable in durability to an armored vehicle, couldn’t withstand it.

Once the mobility was lost, there was only one outcome awaiting it.

— KWAANG!

How long had it been? Seconds later, a cyborg rolled out of the burning wreckage of the vehicle.

Miraculously, despite being engulfed in flames, Carlton’s appearance hadn’t changed much. Instead, fine white powder was falling around his body. It was nanomachines.

He struggled to get up, then ran in the opposite direction of Polaris 3 and quickly entered the building he had just come from.

Silence fell.

And then—

"…The Eagle team has confirmed that Carlton has entered the building. We’ll begin the capture operation now."

"The prototype plasma blade is functioning normally. We’ll retreat in five minutes."

FZZZT!

With the pulse dissipating through the walls and ceiling, the shadows of the Dagger team moved forward. Five members entered the building.

The operation had begun.

"The guy’s got something on him. Let’s hit him with an EMP first."

"Scanning."

"There are multiple exits nearby. We don't know which way he might try to escape. Considering Valerie’s case, he might even just blast through a wall. Make sure we’re ready for bombing runs, just in case."

"Understood. Olivia, lead the way."

"Heh, nothing gets done without me, huh?"

BZZZT!

The pulse raced through the walls and ceilings, its vibrations echoing in all directions. Unknown machines hummed to life as the sounds filled the space.

Bright lights burst from the ceiling, casting sharp shadows as the Dagger team moved. In this environment, where natural light was scarce, artificial lighting was a rare sight.

The factory’s interior was designed in a way that made it extremely difficult for humans to navigate. The layout of machinery and spaces clearly hadn’t been intended with human movement in mind.

But the Eagle team pressed on, using the pulses to guide them toward the figure moving inside.

"Anything showing up, rookie?"

"If the machines were operating properly, we might have had a shot, but the place is so chaotic right now... Nothing’s registering."

"We entered the building at almost the same time. It’s more effective to rush them while they’re still trying to regain their composure. Even if they’re far, they’re probably on the other side of the building. Let’s keep searching."

"Maybe you don’t need to carry that Titan around anymore."

"It’s going to be useful later, trust me."

Eugene continued to scan the area from the back of the group. The long barrel of his sniper rifle, the Titan, swung through the air, just barely missing the ground.

The sniper rifle’s barrel glowed with a faint blue light, the enormous energy it contained pulsing around it. The strange hum from the weapon signaled that it was on the edge of discharging at any moment.

Eugene hadn’t just brought the Titan for show. The weapon was the most powerful firepower the team could rely on right now.

After some time, the Pulse’s scanning capabilities finally locked onto a human-shaped figure inside the factory.

"Want me to take the shot, rookie?"

"...Honestly, I’m a bit nervous, but I think if I keep doing this, I won’t make the same mistakes next time. I’ll take it."

"Got it. A shot to the thigh will make the capture much harder. Just know I’m not trying to put pressure on you."

Eugene’s eyes narrowed for a moment, and Olivia, sensing the shift in his focus, subtly avoided his gaze.

When she saw Eugene relax a little, she smiled to herself and spun the plasma blade in her hand. The air around her shimmered as the blade heated up.

The Pulse was tracking the enemy's movements through the walls in real-time, and the speed was steadily increasing. The enemy knew they were being scanned and began moving in response.

This shift in behavior told the team something important.

"...He realized the Pulse caught him. Good instincts. Or…"

"It’s unlikely he’s sensitive enough to pick up on it after bouncing off the walls. But the fact that he noticed means he’s artificially heightened his senses."

"It’s probably not doping. The most likely case is something like Valerie’s situation."

"Well, that’s why you brought this thing with you. Anyway, let’s keep moving. Who do you think is trying to escape?"

The factory was full of machines and walls that could block a shot after just 10 meters, but Eugene’s Titan was ready to cut through anything that got in its way.

Special ammunition, including segmented thermite cylinders, loaded into the rifle’s chamber, and the enemy's location began to crystalize as it pierced through the multiple walls.

Eugene kneeled down. Even with a .50 caliber sniper rifle, the massive weapon required him to stabilize his position to avoid the overwhelming recoil.

With the Icarus gear’s compensation, Eugene could track even the most agile targets, like a cyborg moving far beyond human speed.

Subtly, Eugene’s aim shifted, and the next moment, the factory was hit by the storm.

BZZZT!

A deafening sound, something that couldn’t be described with words, filled the air as a flash of light erupted. The speed was so extreme that, outside of missile-like speeds, it was beyond human reach. When it collided with the walls, thick walls were pierced again and again.

The sound of an explosion followed as the bullet, hitting Carlton's right leg, vaporized everything below the knee before exiting through the factory wall.

After the flash, Eugene confirmed the hit.

"Right leg disabled. I got him."

"I had faith in you."

There was no cheer or praise, as if the team had always expected Eugene to make the shot.

They simply knew he could do it, and Eugene delivered on that expectation.

The time to catch the big fish was fast approaching.

Feel free to let me know if you need any more sections translated!