───Drrrrr!
 

The muzzle flash pierced through the darkness, and the sound of gunfire shattered the silence.

The area was filled with a network of buildings constructed deep within the forest to manage the thick gas pipelines stretching from California in all directions. Two silhouettes darted between the structures, their roles of predator and prey constantly shifting with every minor misstep.

It was a fight that seemed one-sided but wasn’t, a continuous back-and-forth. As they moved away from the skill activation zone, weapon drop rates noticeably increased, allowing Case to keep Yujin at bay more effectively than before.

In contrast, Yujin’s weapon situation hadn’t improved much since earlier. That was the downside of Hardcore Mode.

‘No time to switch out body armor or reload.’

Even though her backpack had a quick-reloader attachment, there was no room for such luxuries in the middle of this chase. Despite Yujin's overwhelming skills, Case was a top-tier player, rated as one of the best in Asia last year. If fully equipped, he could have pushed back much harder, but they had both started in the same compromised position at the skill activation zone.

Unlike Case, who had at least managed to find a couple of guns, Yujin only had her trusty fire axe.

Pew!

"Urgh..."

A sharp sound pierced the air, sending stone fragments flying. The difference between someone with a gun and someone without was enormous. Yujin’s almost inhuman speed, raw strength, and perfect timing allowed her to keep Case under pressure, but the situation had changed now that they were out of the skill activation zone. Other players could quickly replenish their ammunition, while Case played on this advantage, keeping Yujin at a distance.

His plan was clear: wear her down before she could close the gap.

‘It’s not impossible to turn the tide.’

The best option would be to find a high-powered weapon, like a linked machine gun. But so far, none had appeared. High-performance weapons like that were rare and had a low drop rate, so they were unlikely to be found in this area.

If Case found himself in a tight hallway or a complex room, he wouldn’t hesitate to use grenades and flashbangs to force Yujin out. He had long since decided that he needed to eliminate Yujin here, no matter how much time it took. Yujin, for her part, seemed to understand his intentions.

More bullets came her way.

-[Warning: Nanomachine reserves below 50%.]

Case's aim was exceptional. His ability to engage effectively at mid-range without overextending was proof of his skill as a seasoned tracker. Every time Yujin tried to lure him into a more complex area, he remained cautious, avoiding obvious traps.

From the window, Yujin could see that the situation outside wasn’t improving. Flames were creeping closer. It wouldn’t be long before the fire engulfed the building. She pressed her back against the shadowed wall and listened, feeling the vibrations of Case’s footsteps approaching. The only light came from the emergency exit sign above the door.

"..."

Her gaze drifted downward to a red object on the floor—a fire extinguisher, the most common item in the California Gas Plant.

Suddenly, Yujin’s mind went blank, only to be repainted with new ideas. The cogs in her head began turning in reverse, generating new thoughts and strategies in real-time. She grabbed the fire extinguisher, gave it a shake, and smiled in satisfaction.

Without hesitation, she doubled back, closing the distance between her and Case.

It was time for a bluff.

Clink!

Yujin picked up a discarded rifle from the floor.

It wasn’t loaded, but that didn’t matter. The important thing was making Case believe she was scrambling for a weapon. Whether he tried to keep his distance or not, it didn’t matter—he would certainly try to interfere.

And sure enough...

Pew!

Yujin’s keen hearing picked up a faint metallic sound—the telltale noise of a grenade being thrown. It wasn’t the exact sound of a pin being pulled, but the result would be the same. The grenade arced toward her position.

Though the metal object should have been invisible in the dark, Yujin’s hidden skill allowed her to spot a faint red glow on the grenade’s surface—thermal detection, a trick only she had up her sleeve.

Clang.

Yujin’s reflexes kicked in. With a swift swing of the fire extinguisher, she sent the grenade flying back. The sharp sound of metal echoed through the air, followed by the brief flash of light and the supersonic spray of shrapnel.

Boom!

But it wasn’t over yet.

The next moment, Yujin hurled the red cylinder-shaped object straight at Case. He instinctively fired his gun, but instead of a blinding flash, the extinguisher exploded in a cloud of white smoke. It wasn’t a flashbang, fortunately for him, but the fire extinguisher still covered him in a thick layer of powder. It only took Case four seconds to clear himself off and regain his focus, but that was all Yujin needed.

By the time he recovered, Yujin had already found something else on the floor and prepared herself.

Clack.

Out of the darkness emerged the long, bulky barrel of a shotgun. It had no rifling, and there was no visible magazine either—well, not one that was immediately obvious. It was a tube magazine, hard to spot.

A Benelli M4.

Yujin loaded the shotgun with a chambered round and six more shells in the tube magazine. Thanks to her speed-reloading technique, the entire process took less than four seconds.

With a flick of her finger, twelve pellets tore through the air.

"Ugh!"

Case barely rolled out of the way, cursing under his breath.

The speed at which Yujin reloaded her shotgun was unreal. Even back when Case trained with Delta Force, it was rare to find someone who could reload that fast, especially in such a dire situation.

Once the momentum shifted, his chances of winning plummeted. But Yujin didn’t let up, closing the distance even faster than before. The outer layers of Case's shield disintegrated under the barrage of buckshot.

Clack. Yujin’s shotgun ran out of ammo. But by then, the distance between them was nearly closed. With one more pull of the trigger, Case fired his assault rifle set to full-auto, sending a third bullet just as Yujin was within arm’s reach.

The butt of her shotgun swung toward him.

Crack!

"...!"

Case barely managed to block the blow with his rifle, reacting with animal-like reflexes. There was a flicker of surprise in Yujin's blue eyes, quickly replaced by a burning competitive spirit.

Case gritted his teeth. His arm was already numb from the force of the impact. He fired the remaining rounds from his rifle, but Yujin dodged with a roll, throwing the spent shotgun aside.

As soon as he dodged the spinning shotgun, the fire axe came swinging upward. Case blocked the blow, but his rifle bent like a pretzel under the impact.

He dropped the now-useless rifle and switched to rapid-firing his pistol. Yujin took the shots to her body, closing in with a force that seemed ripped straight from a superhero movie.

With a crash, Yujin rammed into Case, slamming him into the concrete wall.

As the heavy thud of their collision echoed, a sharp metallic sound cut through the air.

Pew!

"...That method of pulling the pin on a grenade and holding it is... quite interesting."

Case had ripped a grenade from his pouch and clenched it tightly in his right hand. His left hand firmly gripped Yujin, showing a clear intention to go down in a blaze of glory.

But Yujin pressed her left hand against the grenade and twisted his arm. Using her superior strength, she forced his arm behind his back, pinning it between him and the wall.

Two seconds.

Before Case could even wonder how she was so strong, Yujin pulled away, and a violent explosion erupted from Case’s trapped hand. The blast sent her flying backward, while the concrete wall cracked under the pressure.

Case's body was gone.

Yujin, recovering from the explosion's shockwave, muttered quietly to herself, words only she could hear.

"Seriously... no royalties for using my moves?"

Even with her nearly indomitable stamina, Yujin needed a moment to catch her breath. She collapsed to the ground with a heavy sigh.

The match was now entering its mid-phase.

"Is she even human?"

-Yeah, whatever you say, LOL. -Fact: That person Yujin just took down was a top 10 finalist last year. -Just make her play alone against 99 people, lmao. -She’s definitely getting her payback for missing out on the Aurora match yesterday. -Did you see that shotgun reload? Insane.

The excitement was palpable.

Of course, the official Dark Zone broadcast wasn’t the only one showing the matches. Tons of fan streams popped up everywhere, with viewers sharing their favorite moments as they watched with their favorite streamers. It was a different way to enjoy the tournament—by sharing it with others.

Naturally, the brutal combat scenes were unfiltered and displayed for all to see. The kind of lethal close-quarters combat that no one thought they’d ever witness in a tournament was now etched into the retinas of millions of viewers.

Highlights of the match quickly spread as the broadcast continued, with clips of Yujin's shotgun reload being the first to make waves.

Clack!

Four seconds.

After reflexively shooting at the fire extinguisher Yujin threw, Case was momentarily blinded by the cloud of white powder. That’s when the timer started ticking.

Yujin grabbed the shotgun from the floor, scooped up the scattered 12-gauge shells nearby, and began reloading. The first shell went straight into the chamber, then two at a time into the tube magazine. Even after filling it with seven shells, she still had spare ammo in her fingers, standing up as she completed the reload.

The warehouse, illuminated only by the light from the flames outside, flashed repeatedly as Yujin fired.

The resounding blasts shook the battlefield, and despite the rapid depletion of her ammunition, she continued reloading seamlessly, each shot rattling her opponent’s bones.

-True pros are built different... -Fact: Case isn’t just a pro, he's still active military. -I’m starting to get why Yujin keeps her identity secret, lol. -Wait, do they know some classified stuff or something? -Snake-tail girl (Former Black Ops agent).

The number of highlights from the match grew overwhelming. Case and Yujin weren’t the only ones fighting. A hundred players scattered across a vast map, engaging in skirmishes everywhere.

As in previous years, many spectators found themselves wishing they had more eyes and brains to process everything happening. By the time the Asian Qualifiers ended, it seemed like the highlight reel would stretch for over 24 hours.

Meanwhile, after her brief rest, Yujin cautiously stood up and began surveying the area. Now that she was out of the skill activation zone, she found several unopened crates filled with useful items.

She could now do the things she hadn’t been able to just moments ago. Yujin picked up an MK47 rifle from the ground, opened the ammo crate, and filled her magazines. It was like drawing water from a fountain—quick and efficient. In no time, she had eight 40-round magazines ready.

Feeling much more comfortable, Yujin stepped out of the warehouse.

But just then, a massive explosion erupted beyond the ridge, accompanied by blaring alarms.

-[Warning: Massive explosion detected.]

"No way... who messed with the gas pipes?"

Pillars of fire and searing heat shot into the sky, like the end of the world.

The situation had taken a dramatic turn.