NoveLight ™
The sound of clattering echoed.
The giant called the base was dying. Though gunfire still rang out, the ground beneath was littered with bloody corpses. People with holes in their chests lay everywhere, unable to speak, gasping and dying in agony.
Amidst this, dozens of people wandered.
Their appearances shifted according to their actions. Those with weaponized, cold eyes would occasionally pull the trigger, shooting additional holes in the heads of the corpses beneath their feet. They were clad in black, from head to toe. Others, wearing mismatched clothes, would search the bodies, picking through the remains with nervous glances at the former group.
Through the cold, damp air, lips hidden beneath balaclavas moved.
"This is Twilight. The base suppression is about 30% complete."
"Identification. No change in objectives. Proceed to the server room."
"Confirmed."
Artemis Technology had already been torn apart, but these men were still a collection of PMCs with the kind of strength that could once negotiate independently with Russia.
So, having absorbed the scattered remnants of technology from northern New York and the broken Russian forces, they made their way to the Uncharted Zone, where anything could happen. They swept up the scattered military supplies and the many combat data they'd accumulated, completely rearming themselves.
Among them was a person named Maverick, not exactly a welcome addition, but some of the data he provided was valuable enough to make Artemis move its ass — information about a new weapon, the Unknown Exo Snake, commonly referred to as UES, which had fully entered the Uncharted Zone.
That alone was worth enough to shake the entire base.
The sound of clanking footsteps continued. Yet mixed with the sound of small motors was an eerie representation of the enemies invading the base. Their joints were mechanical. They wore exoskeletons that boosted their combat abilities many times over.
Artemis had mobilized almost all of its available power for this, but the higher-ups had deemed it worth it — and the Twilight squad on the ground had no interest in worrying about the bigger picture. Their only priority was following orders.
And those orders seemed to be progressing smoothly.
"All units, report in."
"Blackfox, no issues."
"Kreuzer, no issues."
"Violet, no issues."
"...."
"Zodiac, respond."
Silence.
But no one on the communication network was fazed. They simply followed their orders. Immediately switching channels, the order was given to check the operation zone where Zodiac team was assigned. The screen linked with the airborne stealth UAV flickered.
Through the tablet’s display, the operation zone expanded, showing the place where the Zodiac team had been. A truck wedged into the shattered base walls, and the complete disappearance of biological signatures. Considering the 5-minute interval between reports, it was clear that in that short time, a squad of twelve had been completely wiped out.
It ended with a frown, but if situations like this kept happening, what expression would I wear next time? The commanding officer, pondering that, opened his mouth.
"Have Kreuzer investigate the area adjacent to Zodiac's operation zone."
"Confirmed."
Thus, the second unit, made up of twelve men, headed for the now-turned no-man's land that had once been Zodiac’s operation zone.
Minutes passed. All they found were... fragments. Body parts so lacking in flesh and bone that they barely resembled humans. These men, dressed in high-performance bulletproof vests and exoskeletons that could block almost any modern bullet, had been reduced to rags.
One of them, as if struck by divine punishment, picked up a corpse with a gaping hole in its chest. As soon as he saw the upper and lower halves of the body separate, he couldn’t hold it in and threw up on the spot.
Had they been caught in the fire of a heavy machine gun? But even then, Zodiac team was far too sharp to fall victim like that. Considering they wore exoskeletons, they would have been faster than the rate of fire at this range.
Then what the hell happened—
—BOOM!
"This is insane!"
"Ugh...!"
"Shit, what the hell are they shooting?!"
"Take cover, take cover! It's a heavy machine gun! Don't hide behind concrete blocks! They'll punch right through them!"
The deafening roar that followed...
The noise was so massive it almost made you question whether it could even be classified as gunfire. As expected, the sound was proportional to the firepower, and the destruction was like a storm of thunder. Bullets fired from somewhere wiped everything in their path.
Except for the few hiding behind military vehicle axles or engines, the rest of the enemies, even those taking cover behind concrete blocks or tetrapods, were obliterated by the relentless fire.
And at the end of it, there was a silhouette, holding a machine gun the size of a human and firing like a mini-gun.
KPV. Vladimirov large-caliber machine gun.
Yujin was holding and firing a monster of a weapon capable of firing 14.5x114mm rounds at a rate of 10 rounds per second.
"God damn it, is that even human?!"
"Code black, code black! Archetype confirmed! Send all available power to this area now! Someone is holding and shooting a KPV!"
RATTA-TAT!
Even with the weight of the ammo belt attached to the side, this person didn't slow down at all. With every blink of an eye, they vanished, and when they appeared again, they unleashed ferocious firepower from unpredictable positions. The firepower pouring into Kreuzer’s team was not something a standard operation team could withstand.
As dozens of centimeters of reinforced concrete shattered like tofu, a piece of tetrapod’s upper structure, having been struck more than ten times, shattered and pierced through the left shoulder of one of the men hiding behind it.
Of course, that’s if you could call it a "piercing."
"AAAAAH!"
"Henson’s hit! Left arm lost!"
"Move to the side, move to the side! Deploy smoke and move left, damn it!"
"Two guys got shredded mid-air while doing that!"
Naturally, unlike a mounted machine gun, which can only fire within a limited range, holding and firing this weapon gave a level of accuracy that was nothing short of devastating. When pulling the trigger, even with exoskeleton power, the recoil was immense.
Two members of the squad that had taken flight, their exo suits charged with energy, were now a twisted heap, their bodies no longer recognizable after landing.
And even more tragically for Kreuzer’s team, the archetype—Yujin had a loader standing right beside her.
"Reload!"
"Ugh, these rounds are heavy. One of these 100-round belts weighs dozens of kilograms."
"Still, with every shot I take, it gets lighter, doesn’t it?"
"That’s what I like, hehe."
Cartographer.
He had long since switched roles to become a loader, watching in amusement as Yujin held the KPV, firing rounds as if it were second nature. He laughed, realizing once again the wisdom of not messing with Yujin.
Aside from that, Carto couldn't help but be astounded by the sheer destructive power of the 14.5mm armor-piercing rounds. The KPV, capable of penetrating a 32mm steel plate at 500 meters, was demolishing everything in its path, regardless of the target.
Even the enemies hiding behind abandoned armored vehicles or taking cover behind debris were obliterated by the continuous fire. Yujin had managed to reduce Kreuzer’s twelve-member team to just three in under two minutes.
After the deafening noise of gunfire subsided, the voice of Yujin came through the comms.
"It seems we have new friends. Leave all the remaining ammo next to you. It's time to start working on their sides."
"…Yeah, sure. Though I doubt anyone will be left by the time I circle around."
"Maybe, but it’s worth a try."
Was it possible?
That ridiculous thought crossed Carto's mind as he mentally mapped out the interior of the base. Without a care for being discovered, they took the side route, having realized that no one would be paying attention to them, considering the havoc Yujin was causing with her weapon.
Still, as Carto moved, he couldn't help but wonder if they could truly remain unnoticed...
Eventually, after navigating several hundred meters, they found themselves in a massive pile of rubble, where they could hear enemies shouting in the distance, unaware of their approach.
"Let’s move quickly."
"Got it..."
With that, Carto followed Yujin as they sprinted toward the next objective, the chaos and gunfire continuing around them.
The battle for the base was just beginning.
After several minutes had passed since charging through the shattered base walls with the truck, the situation was summarized as follows: they had prevented additional bandits from entering through the same breach in the wall, but the situation inside the base had yet to be resolved. As the front windshield of the vehicle was shattered, the sight that greeted them was nothing short of a wasteland.
The deployment of 120mm mortars had turned the area into complete chaos. To confirm the base’s structure, they had walked around the vicinity and found the bodies of what appeared to be defense forces, along with several KPV large-caliber machine guns scattered around. Several hundred rounds of ammo, each belt weighing dozens of kilograms, lay soaked in the golden blood of the fallen defenders.
With no way to ignore the situation, Yujin knew that these weapons had to be used.
"I’ll need to modify it to make it usable. You handle perimeter security," she ordered.
"...What?" Carto replied.
Time was pressing, so Carto’s minor protest was easily ignored. Yujin quickly dismantled the weapon, detaching its uniquely designed buttstock and flipping the button designed for the shooter’s convenience. She then used belts from the dead soldiers, tying them together with wire and fishing line to make a makeshift handle. With this quick DIY project, the large-caliber machine gun was now portable.
After finishing, she aimed the gun at the regular enemy forces she’d been clearing out and, with her feet firmly planted on the ground, she pulled the trigger.
Thunder exploded from the ground as the KPV roared to life.
The recoil was even harsher than when she had fired the Dektaryov machine gun, but it didn’t matter. Yujin’s shots were steady, aided by her precise targeting and the trajectory adjustments, and she kept firing.
The deadly light poured out at nearly Mach 3, cutting through anything in its path. Enemies within the kill zone were shredded as if struck by an ultra-high-pressure cutter. Though it was a video game, the destruction was so visceral that it left a lasting impression.
The 14.5mm rounds tore through everything they hit — concrete blocks, 1-meter cubes of earth-filled barriers, or anything else in their way, reducing it all to rubble.
Yujin couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of power in the moment.
The situation returned to the present.
In perfect timing, Carto, having knocked out an enemy special forces soldier with a swift strike to the side, approached with a triumphant grin on his face.
"Looks like you’ve made your mark. Well done."
"Of course. When it's my turn, I always get the job done," Carto replied, his confidence growing as he showed off his work.
The heavy machine gun, now clumsily strapped to Carto’s body, rattled with each movement. After a quick check, Yujin confirmed there were no major issues. It was a temporary setup, so if it broke, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
It was a good thing, though, that they were at least somewhat prepared. The remaining ammo belts were now down to three: one would go into the gun, one would be stuffed into Yujin's backpack, and the last one into Carto’s.
Having brought a large bag was definitely the right choice.
After walking a few dozen meters, Yujin grabbed a corpse that still looked intact in its upper body, searching through its belongings. She found a PDA and a map, then connected her Icarus Gear to the enemy communications network, tapping into their transmissions.
After analyzing all the gathered data, she spoke up.
"Archetype…?"
"Someone sounds like they're talking about Yujin... Ah, shit!"
"Stay clear of the machine guns. You might get shot in the crossfire."
It was truly a coincidence. As Yujin muttered "Archetype," Carto turned to ask her something, and in that moment, the large-caliber machine gun’s muzzle pressed firmly into his side. With a strange noise, Carto fell to the ground, though it wasn’t an intentional punishment.
The chat exploded with comments like, "Carto got punished! Lol."
But despite the distractions, Yujin continued her task. Artemis had sent in four assault teams, along with mercenaries they had paid off, to invade the base. Monitoring the communications, Yujin and Carto had confirmed that they had already wiped out two of the assault teams.
The time had come to crush the remaining half.
"Let’s move quickly."
"Got it..."
Yujin and Carto took off, running with urgency. Of course, before even starting to run, Carto's heavy ammo belt swung wildly behind him, and Yujin took the opportunity to teach him another basic lesson — when carrying heavy gear, make sure it’s as close to the body as possible to avoid unnecessary movement.
The base was large, having been built around an abandoned airstrip, but the sections with dense buildings weren’t that big. This meant they could reach a combat zone with only a short sprint.
"Did the communication network say anything, Yujin?"
"Anyone outside the buildings is considered an enemy," Yujin replied.
"Hah, looks like Carto’s about to show his real strength again... Ugh! Stop hitting me!"
"I said get out of the machine gun’s range."
It was another strange coincidence. Although Carto’s protests were harmless, they couldn’t afford to waste time. Yujin repositioned the machine gun and Carto took cover behind some debris, adjusting his LPVO scope to line up with the enemies.
The cleanup of the bandits had begun.
—BOOM! —KACHING!—
The sounds of two different guns echoed as bandits searching the area were swept away like dust in the storm. Some fired back with cheap rifles like the VPO, but most, lacking proper bulletproof vests, fled, only to be hit and lose parts of their bodies.
The frontlines quickly began to shift. Special forces dispatched by Artemis to block their rear emerged from buildings, but unfortunately, all they had were the same 14.5mm machine guns.
Yujin’s fire was so precise and deadly that even the most seasoned special forces members couldn't dodge it. Every shot they fired was the difference between life and death.
In a short amount of time, the battlefield had become a massacre, with every enemy reduced to fragments.
"Look at the barrel heating up," Carto commented.
The chilling and damp air of the Uncharted Zone swirled around the red-hot muzzle, steam rising from it.
Just then, a donation alert popped up, and Yujin briefly checked it. To her surprise, it was a clip of her in action, with the gun’s steam enveloping her, looking like a scene straight out of Terminator — it even resembled a movie poster.
Ignoring the ecstatic reactions of the viewers, she tossed the used ammo belt aside and focused on the next move.
"Yujin, you back? We’ll reward you as much as possible. Clear the enemies out of the base!"
It was the commander.
With a quick laugh, Yujin responded.
"I'm on my way."
Five minutes later, the merchants faced Bi-yam, who had entered the base wielding a vehicle-mounted machine gun.
The base was restored to normal in just 15 minutes.