NoveLight ™
"What's with that guy... carrying a hammer around? Only wearing a bulletproof vest, though. What a free spirit."
Click.
I fiddled with the first gun I acquired after switching to EU mode. It was in decent condition. The magazine handle moved smoothly. After adjusting the sights and modifying the stock length, I was ready for the next battle with my new companion.
I heard footsteps approaching from the outside containers. I figured they'd be heading this way, so I slung the rifle across my chest and drew my handgun from the holster. The footsteps grew louder, but I wasn't sure if it was a player or not. Either way, if they came closer, I'd just send them back to the lobby.
Using echo-location and vibration sensing, I roughly pinpointed their position. With my thumb securing the safety pin, I quietly pulled out a flashbang. After waiting a moment, I tossed it against the wall, and the resulting white explosion was followed by a deafening sound.
"Ahhh!"
I quickly moved into the hallway.
I checked both directions, quickly scanning for anyone else, before pressing my back against the wall and approaching the player firing indiscriminately. I grabbed the barrel of his weapon with my left hand and carefully removed the safety pin and lever from a grenade in my pouch.
It looked like a bandit. Most avatars in Dark Zone weren't as haggard as this one. The bandit's ears seemed to be adjusting back to hearing from the initial shock of the flashbang. I gave him a quick tap on the shoulder.
"Live a kinder life in your next one."
"Uhhhhh!"
I swiftly threw him toward the stairwell, watching him bounce a few times before hitting the ground with a thud. His inevitable bad outcome followed, and with that, the kill count was 3/15. The goal was still far, and I wondered if I had to take out all the targets in one round. That could get a bit tedious.
Anyway, I started moving around faster. The guy with the hammer who had been chasing someone earlier piqued my curiosity as well.
First, I decided to familiarize myself with the map layout.
Screech!
Following the outside containers, I made my way toward the front yard. The structure wasn't quite a factory, but it was easy enough to identify, as the front yard was essentially a large rectangular space with various things stuck together.
I had about 30 minutes left. I’d heard earlier that if I didn't escape before the time was up, I'd be classified as missing and killed. So, I quickly confirmed the escape route, which was nearby. I’d wander around for a bit and then head out.
I kept my eyes moving rapidly, trying to memorize the layout. The goal was to remember the shape of the map, especially areas that were devoid of other players. Once I identified something unusual, I’d just avoid it.
"There he is."
Bam!
The gunshot rang out as flames erupted from the barrel. I shot three blacktip rounds at the head of the player who had just noticed me from behind a door. He didn’t even have time to react before his head exploded into polygons.
That brought the kill count to 4, but I had definitely attracted some attention. It seemed there were about two other bandits nearby, swearing loudly and creeping closer.
I hid behind a container and pulled the pin from a grenade, tossing it toward their direction. It was a simple tactic, but throwing it in such an obvious way reduced its effectiveness.
Bang!
I quickly closed the distance and shot. Unfortunately, the container wasn’t thick enough to stop the bullets, and with the armor-piercing rounds, the bandit on the other side was quickly brought down.
That left just one more to deal with. A shot to the ankle of the retreating bandit kept him pinned, and within ten seconds, the final bandit was reduced to polygons, leaving behind only items.
The Icarus-like gear on my wrist displayed the loot list: a bulletproof vest, tactical vest, guns, ammo, and some basic supplies. Of course, I didn’t have a clue about what to do with most of it.
"Everything looks like junk, huh."
It was a junk-collecting game. I’d heard something similar about the Dark Zone PvE mode, but it seemed to be the same here. The difference being that while the former involved loot-shooting, this mode was a bit more hardcore.
In the end, what was expensive and hard to get wasn’t something I needed to worry about just yet. Right now, I needed to focus on racking up kills.
Bang!
As I thought about this, I wasn’t paying attention and nearly got caught off guard. A series of shots rang out, and although the shots were light, sparks flew around the landing spot. I felt a sharp sting in my left arm as I reflexively retreated. The container didn’t seem strong enough to withstand shotgun blasts.
It was a flechette round, I could tell from the distinct marks left on the floor.
A brief thought ran through my mind. The blacktip rounds were nearly used up, but I still had plenty of grenades and flashbangs. Then I remembered the guy with the hammer. I’d thought earlier that he was carrying a shotgun...
The solution was simple.
"Let’s take that guy down."
I was curious to see how tough he really was.
Screech!
"Ah, he’s got a shield. That’s unexpected."
As the bullet flew out of my gun and hit his knee, sparks flew, and the shield didn’t shatter. Upon closer inspection, it looked like he had several Icarus gear pieces attached to his body—someone who had likely taken out several before me.
It seemed like he had activated a shield using his Icarus gear. I didn’t know how much firepower it would take to break it, but it looked like one full clip might do the job.
If not, I still had plenty of grenades.
The remaining ammo was fifteen rounds. Hearing the sound of a bandit reloading, I simultaneously pulled the pins on both a grenade and a flashbang and threw them into the air.
The blast sent shockwaves, and the shield was visibly disturbed. At that moment, I unloaded the rest of my bullets. The shield finally collapsed, and two Icarus gear pieces overloaded, sparking and exploding.
Grabbing my pistol from the holster, I aimed for the knees, face, and torso, but he didn’t even kneel, as expected from a boss.
"This is supposed to be a hardcore game, right? Why the hell can he still move with a shattered knee?"
As expected, my pistol ammo was used up. I had brought about three clips, but now they were all gone. Life was never easy, but I couldn’t blame the world. I had to accept the environment and work with what I had.
And I was pretty good at that.
Screech!
With no more rounds left, I threw the empty pistol at his face. The hammerhead was wearing a thick helmet, but throwing something at it could work, especially if it hit his faceplate.
"Let’s see how you handle the hammer."
After a few exchanges, I finally gained the upper hand.
That was the last of it for now. I was already moving on to the next objective.
Would you like me to continue or adjust anything in the translation?
After a few exchanges, I finally gained the upper hand.
I managed to bring the hammerhead down with a precise move. The shield had been disabled, and with the final blow, he was no longer able to continue. His body collapsed, leaving behind a heap of loot scattered across the floor.
"Well, that was... intense."
I quickly gathered the items left behind. Among the spoils were several useful items: flechette rounds, a modded MP-155 Ultima, and some extra gear that looked like it would come in handy. I carefully packed everything into my bag, glancing around the area one last time.
I still had a long way to go before I reached my kill count goal, but with the hammerhead taken down, it felt like I was getting closer.
A few minutes passed as I wandered through the area. The tension was palpable. Every sound had me on edge, every corner could hide another threat. But I was used to it by now. This was the game — you had to stay alert, or you’d end up dead.
Finally, after some more careful movements and strategic planning, I found myself nearing my final target. The game’s pace had picked up, and the remaining enemies were getting more aggressive.