Fenrir Translations
"Die, you damned bastards!"
"Idiot, you dying American brats!"
Curses, gunshots, and screams.
It only took a few hours for the library, which normally tolerated nothing but the sound of pages turning, to become a ruin filled with blood, shattered stone, and splintered wood.
The future leaders of the U.S. military clashed with Russia's finest killing machines, piling up mountains of corpses that had lost all value.
In the midst of this, the ones being pushed back were none other than the officer candidates of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
As the Omega Virus spread across the globe, these candidates took up arms, standing guard and accommodating refugees, fulfilling their roles as officers. However, they were woefully underprepared to handle the Russian airborne brigade that had descended from the skies, equipped with heavy weapons and even infantry fighting vehicles.
Heads of those standing guard were shattered by sniper rifles, and the thick exterior walls of buildings, hastily erected barricades, were mercilessly torn apart by heavy weapons.
Like cutting through a cake, the enemies quickly pushed into the campus, tearing through their lines like a storm. The candidates, who were rapidly pushed back, struggled to continue sporadic combat within the buildings.
But their firepower and capabilities were no match for the enemy.
Despite sacrificing their sleep and dedicating themselves to their nation and people, it was incredibly difficult to face off against the meticulously prepared killing machines that came under the cover of night.
"The enemies are flanking to the right, urgh!"
"Damn it, Kevin's been hit! We need to fall back!"
"Leave me... I'm done for!"
A bullet had pierced his abdomen.
Blood flowed profusely from his stomach and back, soaking his shirt and pants, staining the floor red, but the bleeding did not stop. He was dying slowly.
Yet, he did not let go of the pistol in his hand. He was going to die here. And if he was going to die anyway, he would want it that way.
Over the symphony of metal and screams, a crackling sound added to the ensemble. It was fire. The flames from grenades, heavy weapons, and rocket launchers easily consumed the library’s collection.
The fire raged uncontrollably. The smoke rising to the ceiling carried the lives of countless people.
With a soft click, the slide of Kevin's pistol locked back. He was out of ammunition. The strength in his hand, which fumbled for more rounds in his pockets, was gradually fading.
"...Kevin, Kevin! Damn it, we need to retreat! Further inside!"
"Damn it, there's nowhere left to go!"
"Ha, we're royally screwed."
His vision blurred.
The floor was now covered in his own blood. The finger pulling the pistol's trigger was white. His whole body felt heavy, and the sounds around him were becoming a distant hum.
Thud. The impact of a bullet striking his shoulder sent him sprawling backward. The pain wasn't as severe as expected, probably because he was already dying.
He lay still, staring up at the ceiling.
The noise was fading. All the loud voices were gradually leaving his ears.
His comrades were saying something, but he could no longer move.
As his body was dragged somewhere, leaving a long trail of blood on the floor, his senses gradually faded.
Before long, there was no one left around him.
But,
───BOOM!
A vibration that shook his entire body.
As the wall shattered, sending thousands of fragments flying in all directions, two silhouettes emerged from the crater created by the explosion.
In the midst of the unfamiliar gunfire and corresponding screams that shattered against the walls, a needle pierced his thigh.
It had only been a few seconds, but as his senses slowly returned, the gunshot wound began to burn like it was on fire. It was a searing pain that reminded him he was still alive.
Even as he gritted his teeth, a scream escaped his lips.
Through his barely open eyes, he saw a figure.
"A medical nanomachine injector. Don't move. If you do, the wound will heal slower."
"...Ah..."
Eyes that seemed to glow with a blue light, even in the middle of the battlefield.
A flaming phoenix emblem.
As he took in the sight, his consciousness slipped away.
"We just finished clearing the library, so we'll be there in five minutes. Don’t force an entry, just deal with the approaching enemies as they come."
After swapping in a fresh magazine, there was one round in the chamber, and ten magazines left.
It seemed like there was quite a lot remaining, but in reality, a third of the total ammo had already been used. If it weren’t for the air support, it would have been all gone by now.
In any case, it was clear that there was more than enough left to completely wipe out the remaining enemies in the facility.
Taking a moment to catch her breath, Yujin checked to ensure nothing had been lost before pulling an IR marker from her pocket. She had heard that it emitted an absurd amount of infrared radiation when activated.
From deep within the library, people began to pour out. There were at least dozens, ranging from soldiers to armed civilians.
The script advanced automatically.
Yujin handed the IR marker to the leader at the front and quickly explained how to use it, then informed them that the support team was ready to depart.
Over the Hudson River, which dominated the right side of the map, dozens of boats were approaching to pick up the friendly forces. There was a wide variety, from ferries to motorboats.
Even as she moved briskly, she checked everything that needed to be checked.
[Current friendly forces: 91%.]
[Current enemy forces: 34%]
"For so many to have died, it’s surprising that we still have so many troops left."
Enemy forces at 34%.
However, after consecutive bombardments had wiped out their temporary command and communication systems, the battles had actually become much easier than before.
Without orders to move, the enemy squads’ movements became sluggish, and their small-unit tactics fell apart, making them easy prey. This was true everywhere they went.
Of course, it was necessary to remember that this was a game, and they were fighting against AI.
The distance to Washington Hall was approximately 150 meters in a straight line.
The rendezvous happened faster than she expected, and as the fragmented party regrouped into one, the airborne brigade crumbled like leaves in the autumn wind.
Since this wasn't a real-world engagement, the enemies' movements weren’t exactly smart.
As a result, Yujin’s finger kept pulling the trigger, and the speed at which her magazines emptied was nearly proportional to their advance.
The percentage of remaining forces was now dropping into the low 20s.
Given that a unit is generally considered annihilated after losing 20% of its strength, they were essentially obliterated.
To be specific, the remaining allied forces could easily mop up the scattered resistance without her intervention.
As the operation time in-game exceeded one hour, a flare shot up into the sky.
The Hudson River was filled with boats, and dozens of Black Hawks were landing wherever there was space.
The civilians, officer candidates, and the professors and instructors who taught them were all boarding various transport vehicles, disappearing into the darkness over the river and beyond the blackened sky.
Amidst the gusts from the helicopter blades, which made it difficult to even keep her eyes open, messages began to pop up, signaling the end of the mission.
They were notifications indicating mission completion.
[ISO: Incredible performance. Over hundreds of people. I didn’t expect we’d be able to rescue so many, the base won’t have a moment’s rest for a while. We’ll have to convert some nearby buildings into accommodations.]
[ISO: I’d like to pop a bottle of champagne to celebrate, but unfortunately, the people involved aren’t here, so it’s a bit premature. Let’s meet after you return. Thanks to this mission, the range of support the base can provide will be much wider.]
[Mission: Retake West Point - Southern Infiltration // Recommended Party Size: 4]
[Difficulty: Very Hard (Hardcore User Present)]
[Current Status: Completed]
[Clear Time // 01:13:02]
[Friendly Forces: 89%.]
[Enemy Forces: 13%.]
[Mission Clear Rank: Omega]
[Base Function Unlocked: Gunsmith / Firearm Production]
[Blueprints Acquired: RPK-16 / AK-74MR / AK-12 / AS-Val / MK18 / MCX………and 18 more.]
[Accessible Ammunition Production Lines: 7N39 / M995 / SSAAP…………and 11 more.]
[With the addition of more support operators, the chances of obtaining extra rewards during missions increase slightly, and the probability of clearing difficult mission routes is higher.]
"...They’re giving a lot."
While the words were familiar, Yujin could only be dumbfounded.
She hadn’t started the game with any prior knowledge; she was just pushing through it in her own way... but whatever. She decided not to think too much about it. She’d figure it out later.
Amidst the loud noise of the Black Hawk that was still waiting for them, the three others who had played the mission with her approached.
Yujin greeted them casually.
"Good work. It must have been tough, did you manage to get anything out of it?"
"Oh… we got everything we could have. Thank you for your hard work too, Yujin. Are you planning to do any other missions?"
"If I do, it’ll probably be through random matchmaking like this time."
So, please put away those regretful expressions.
With that feeling, Yujin carefully sat down in the helicopter’s seat as it prepared to return to base. The door closed, and before long, the clear night sky emerged faintly through the window.
And so, another mission ended.
They returned to base.
"Well... If I can enter, I’d like to, but I don’t know much about the events or the qualifications."
This was the beginning of a heated debate.
While Yujin showed an unbeatable level of skill in actual gameplay that others couldn’t hope to match, she knew almost nothing about these kinds of things.
This lack of knowledge, despite her extensive gaming experience, sparked intense interest among her viewers.
Soon, a flood of donations and chats started pouring in.
It became so overwhelming that Yujin had to move to her personal room, the one she had started her stream in, because handling it in-game became impossible.
For about 30 minutes, chaos ensued, and the gist of it was as follows:
The PVP categories are Survival, Apex Predator, Team Six, and Fallen Angel.
Of these, Team Six and Fallen Angel are team games with five and four players, respectively, so you need to find compatible teammates or join an esports team.
Survival and Apex Predator are modified battle royale games that can be played solo, and during the esports period, ranked games with tournament rules will be held.
Thus, Yujin’s options were Survival and Apex Predator.
As for the tournament rules, they were basically about drastically increasing item drop rates and adjusting various variables to encourage intense early-game combat.
This was to help players adapt to the tournament rules instead of regular ranked matches. The abbreviation was “Tournament Rank Server,” or simply "Tournament Rank."
"So, when does the Tournament Rank open?"
Ah.
Then… Yujin counted the days. It was mid-August, which meant there were only a few weeks left before the tournament started at most.
She took a deep breath and read the posts online.
To participate in the tournament, your rank needs to be TIER 2 at minimum, which is roughly equivalent to Master in other games.
The ranks go from WOL 1, WOL 2, WOL 3, Recon, SOF, TIER 2, TIER 1, and Medal of Honor, which corresponds to the Bronze/Silver/Gold/Platinum/Diamond/Master/Grandmaster/Challenger tiers in other games.
Hmm. So, she needed to grind her rank as much as possible to get to where she could qualify. She wondered what the benefit of doing this would be, but anyway...
To be honest, she had already made up her mind about the category.
After logging back into the game, Yujin clicked on Apex Predator without hesitation.
It was essentially a mix of that chicken dinner game she’d dabbled in long ago, that game about duty and calling, and that battle royale game that shared a universe with falling titans.
As she pressed the button for the tournament ranked game, she opened her mouth, as always, without much thought.
"Then... I’ll try this one today."
Survival is too cold for my taste.
nice