I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun
Chapter 204 Table of contents

[Streamer War Sub Gallery]

[General] If you're hyped for this Domination streamer match, drop an upvote!

<Random Meme Image>

I’ll start lol.

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[General] Unpopular opinion: Noccola is definitely overrated. Y’all are dumb for hyping her up.

<Captured Image of Yu-jin, Dice, and Harmony>

??? : Then why don’t we turn that overestimation into reality?

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"Harmony, why do you keep gaining more viewers every time you go live?"

"I know, right? I wonder why…"

 

 

The number of viewers: 113,348.

Even if each person only typed one message, that would still be over 110,000 words flooding the chat—a staggering figure, spread across five different streams. Icarus’s chat moderation system handled it smoothly, but the real issue was with the human moderators.

It was the first time even large-scale teams had struggled to manage such numbers. The original goal of today’s stream—to receive feedback—was all but forgotten. The participants, now reduced to flustered rookies, were overwhelmed by the sheer scale of it all.

Still, the stream had been going for hours. Harmony, with a practiced hand, cycled through the waiting list of players. Since the custom server for Domination had a requirement for players to be ranked SOF or higher, the list filled up slowly, which gave them time for a debrief.

"Alright, Harmony, come over here. You’re the one who needs to hear this the most."

"Ugh…"

Harmony trudged over and plopped down in her chair, while Yu-jin stepped back and tapped Dice’s shoulder with her tail. Dice, deep in thought, lifted a page filled with notes and looked across at the four participants.

It was his analysis of their gameplay in the Domination mode.

Yu-jin listened carefully, approving Dice’s correct assessments, pointing out errors, and opening discussions on debatable points. This method, designed by Yu-jin herself, provided valuable insights not only to the players but also to the viewers.

Dice, after taking a breath, began.

"Like I mentioned earlier, everyone except Harmony stuck pretty closely to the expected gameplay. Let’s focus on personal practice for the next two weeks."

"Okay…"

"Two weeks sounds a bit short, though. Is that enough time?"

"This person can make mountains move in two weeks, so don’t worry. As long as you follow the plan, you’ll at least place mid-tier. Oh, and Harmony, I reviewed your curriculum. I’m impressed; you’ve got a great eye for identifying weaknesses."

"Hehe."

The chat buzzed with excitement, but Dice, fully in Yu-jin's apprentice mode, ignored it and continued.

"Like I said before, I’m not sure if you’re excelling as squad leader yet. But when things go south, your ability to handle crises and support your team with your shooting skills is solid. It's standard but effective."

A brief silence followed as Dice surveyed the group before continuing.

"You should practice briefing more. Being able to identify key cover points and issue clear, concise commands during chaotic fights is harder than it seems."

"That’s true."

"And your team often misses your orders during intense skirmishes because they’re under pressure. With more experience, you’ll all get better at it."

"Got it…"

Dice glanced at Yu-jin, but she didn’t offer any comments. The debrief continued, with clips from the recent game being reviewed. Despite all that, Yu-jin remained largely silent, leaving Dice increasingly anxious. Finally, after everything was discussed, Yu-jin spoke up.

"You did well. There weren’t any major missteps. Just have more confidence in presenting your opinions."

"Wait, so I did well? Then why didn’t you say anything? That’s stressful!"

"It’s part of your mental training."

"Ugh, that’s a stretch…"

 

A familiar part of their routine. Meanwhile, the queue flashed, signaling that all twelve players—six on each side—had been gathered. As everyone stood to prepare, Harmony’s eyes caught one of the team names.

"Vulcan Boy Scouts…?"

What kind of ridiculous name is that?

She shook it off and clicked the game start button, visualizing the upcoming battle in her mind.

But then—

WOOOOOOSH!

"What the hell? How do you bring a minigun to this fight?!"

The sound of a literal bullet storm filled the air, as Harmony’s exasperated voice rang out.

"This is quite an interesting strategy."

"I almost got turned into ground meat, what’s so fun about that?!"

 

 

Bzzzz.

The moment the gun was properly set up, it emitted an eerie sound, transforming into an impregnable fortress. The low vibrations shook the air in the dead city of New York, sending chills down one's spine.

Six barrels. A thick ballistic shield in front, with a bulletproof camera replacing the operator's line of sight. This minigun, capable of firing an average of 4,000 rounds per minute—66 rounds per second—was inexplicably covering the entire roadway connecting capture points A and B, creating a deadly kill zone.

Of course, that wasn't the most important thing. The real question was how such a tactic was even possible in a Domination match.

"The key requirements for operating a minigun are power and ammunition supply..."

With 7.62mm NATO rounds, 2,000 bullets weighed about 40 kilograms. The minigun itself weighed around 20 kilograms. It used a 1.5kW motor, so to power it, they'd need a small generator, which would add another 40 kilograms or so.

Add extra ammunition, the ballistic camera, power lines, the ballistic shield, and the total weight would easily come to around 130 kilograms. On top of that, personal equipment like guns, magazines, and body armor would add another 20 kilograms or so.

Regardless, a four-person squad could definitely handle that load. Once the minigun was set up at point B, their load would lighten significantly.

"Surprisingly practical. But I doubt anyone would try this in a streamer tournament."

As I spoke, I quickly assessed the situation.

We had spawned at point A, and the enemy at point C. Interestingly, they abandoned C right away and rushed for A and B—sending three players to A and nine to B. That’s how Harmony’s team got crushed during the initial fight for point B.

Dais and I were covering Harmony's squad when she ordered us to retreat to A and deal with the enemies making trouble there. We handled them, snapping their spines metaphorically, but the tide had already shifted. The enemy had captured B early, giving them time to set up the minigun.

<"Take My Hand" donated 10,000 KRW.> -But isn’t the solution just to avoid the minigun area?

"Consider this: the enemy knows we’ll avoid the main road. This gives them a huge advantage, as they no longer need to defend the most critical route."

“They’re flanking us,” Dais warned.

I already knew.

I pulled three grenades from my pouch, simultaneously removing their pins with my tail, and cooked them briefly before tossing them. The steel orbs arced through the air, transforming into a blinding flash, scattering thousands of high-velocity fragments in all directions.

The 3-man enemy squad screamed as they scrambled for cover, but Dais and I were already sprinting across the snow-covered road, closing the gap to less than 15 meters.

Rounds clattered as shells hit the ground, sinking into the thick snow, melting it with their residual heat. In moments, the three enemies lay sprawled across the cold ground.

This would buy us a few more minutes to block any enemies trying to bypass A.

While reloading and scanning the area, Dais added, “Now then, let’s hear your expert opinion, Yujin.”

"Combat shines when you don't play into the enemy's hands. Let them have their minigun, but we don’t have to engage them where they expect."

The next target was C.

If the enemy was dead set on holing up at B, we’d trap them in their fortress.

Of course, things rarely go according to plan.

-Waaah, teacher! There are too many enemies on the flank as we head for B!

"Harmony, you'll have to learn how to buy time while minimizing your team's losses."

-LOL -Harmony has a long way to go. ))) -When you have a decoy squad but their timing is off… smh -As expected, the core doesn't change. -Our clueless cat, forever.

Right. Even though her skills had improved, Harmony was still Harmony.

Tucking away the thought of how I’d need to push her training even harder, I turned and sprinted toward C. The crunch of snow under my feet echoed with each step.

The Dark Zone’s season might have been summer, but the Domination map was a winter wonderland.

It was a perfect day to raid the enemy's rear lines.

 

 

Chapter written by
Fenrir Translations
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