Chapter 266 – Logan and DICE
“I fought someone like that.”
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Stop reminiscing, pleasewwww
-Fought? More like threw a tantrum.
-Fights only happen between equals ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Is this the Final Championship or the World Martial Arts Tournament?
ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
As the seemingly eternal night receded, the sun’s rays scattered across the unmelted, hardened snow, breaking into fragments. The sky transitioned from dark to a deep blue, gradually brightening until the sun finally rose over the horizon.
On the 26th, as the world woke and the day began, the 8 a.m. wind was cold. Viewers who had braved the chill to keep their spots gradually began to disperse. The part-timers who had been hired with special allowances for the early morning were busy clearing away dishes and glasses left by the patrons.
Among them, the streamers who had broadcasted the Final Championship with unmatched enthusiasm also began to vanish one by one, preparing for the next day. Even those who were still chatting would find themselves in bed before the sun rose higher.
Cartographer was one of them.
But not just yet.
“I’m more amazed by Logan, who fights on equal terms with this person. I mean, back in the day, I used to half-give up the moment I faced Yoo Jin in the preliminary rankings… But how does he not budge an inch against someone like this?”
Sinking deep into his chair, he reminisced.
It wasn’t about strategizing or thinking of escape routes; it was pure surrender. The kind of surrender where the word ‘resistance’ was erased from the mind, akin to finding a way to fight an approaching typhoon – utterly futile.
And it wasn’t even their full power, which was quite a shock… or maybe not. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that shocking. Instead, the chat, with thousands of users who had never fought Yoo Jin, was having a field day.
People who hadn’t fought – correction, people who hadn’t.
It was definitive.
And there was something even more astonishing.
“That aside, the most surprising thing is DICE.”
-Seriously, lol
-This one I can’t disagree with.
-Honestly, the first impression was stronger than Yoo Jin’s.
-What did they do to turn DICE into a main character of an action movie? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-It’s hard to even comprehend how this chase happenedwwww
Exactly.
The day had just begun, but today’s real-time search terms were flooded with Dark Zone topics – mainly DICE and Yoo Jin, with the former being more prominent.
A fight that lasted about five minutes, with DICE being on the defensive for 4 minutes and 46 seconds. Despite taking several hits from a chain gun, she maintained enough durability to keep maneuvering her vehicle until the end, refusing to give up.
Thus, after holding out for so long, fortune finally came.
DICE delivered a single decisive blow, packaging and delivering her relentless pursuer to heaven, captivating millions of viewers with this extreme turn of events.
“Come to think of it, wasn’t there a synthesized video? I think someone put a Déjà Vu BGM over DICE changing gears and accelerating.”
And that video, within a few hours of being uploaded, had already hit a million views, which was also noteworthy.
He added, with an incredulous look.
“Remember the last interview Scrim? When Yoo Jin and DICE teamed up and fought 2:3. Despite the penalty of not being able to run, they were utterly trounced. But now, they seem much sharper than back then…”
<Bundang New Town Cement Thief Ham Fist Kato has donated 1,000 won! Thank you!
-Kato, do you have the right to evaluate others’ skills? Stop talking nonsense and bow down.
“Now that I think about it, that’s true. I haven’t even been to America… I apologize to the nation. I’ll refrain from streaming for a month.”
-?
-Are you crazy?! You can’t do that!!!!!!
-This guy’s talking about a break as a joke ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Fact: The break ends around Lunar New Year.
-Is he really planning a seven-week break? Insane.
The balance of power shifted quickly.
After a brief laugh, Kato checked the real-world time. 8:07 a.m. The Final Championship, synchronized with real-time, was progressing at normal speed, and he had adjusted his VR speed to match.
Having to wake up before the match started at 5 a.m. Korean time meant the actual streaming time was longer than expected. Both viewers and streamers were understandably exhausted.
Entering AFK mode, he checked outside the studio to see the sun creeping over the horizon.
It was time to sleep.
“…Anyway, everyone did great today. The next stream will start around noon, so rest up and see you later. Good job!”
With that, it ended.
Everyone who had stayed up from Christmas through to the next morning soon succumbed to sleep.
And then-
“The Korean team, envied by Japan, bringing China to tears, and feared by Russia, has landed in the Final Championship. The US and Europe send out an SOS to Korea… Wow. Dizzying, isn’t it?”
“Breaking news: An American superstar uses drugs to beat Yoo Jin. Korean ginseng is stronger than drugs and steroids… What are they even talking about?”
“…What is with this nationalistic nonsense?”
The next day, at 9 a.m., when Yoo Jin and the others woke up after their match, they were greeted with bizarre headlines.
“…It’s all nonsense, but some parts are surprisingly accurate, which makes it even more baffling.”
“It’s like a broken clock being right twice a day.”
Of course, Yoo Jin was imagining breaking the broken clock.
It was a day with 12 hours left until the start of the second day’s match.
“Why does it feel like I’m the only one having a hard time in this Final Championship…!”
Bang, pew!
Bullets chipped away at the concrete wall, whizzing past my ears with a menacing sound. The sound reminiscent of a whip was the supersonic bullet breaking the sound barrier near my ear.
And there, in the midst of it, was me – DICE.
I’ve played Dark Zone for so long that I can’t even count my first engagement on my fingers, but every battle is always exhausting and mentally draining. Perhaps it’s also because of the mental and physical fatigue from yesterday’s furious buggy chase.
Anyway, today’s prospects weren’t looking good either.
“Hu…!”
Snap!
A grenade linked to a molotov. When I literally tore and threw it, the enemy finally stopped shooting and moved from their position – but by then, I had long risen from leaning against the wall.
The moment the grenade crossed the air and landed near the enemy, the moment the shooting stopped. In other words, the moment to strike was when the enemy moved from one cover to another. This was one of the basic methods Yoo Jin had taught me.
Sure enough, the moment I rounded the corner and aimed, I saw the enemy’s new model right in front of me. The enemy was also an ICARUS Operator, so naturally, their durability was quite high.
In other words, there was no reason to switch to single fire mode.
───Pew, pew, pew!
“Ugh…!”
Thud, and then a crash.
I exhaled lightly and lowered my gun. The enemy dissolved into a heap of polygons, leaving behind several fully loaded magazines, two guns, various explosives, and armor. However, I didn’t go to pick them up.
There could still be unidentified enemies around.
I quickly leaned against a nearby cover, savoring the acrid smell of grenade powder, and surveyed my surroundings. The ceiling lights were shattered, adding to the already dim underground research facility.
About a minute passed.
Fortunately, nothing happened.
“…Sigh.”
Reluctantly, my faith in Yoo Jin continued to grow.
Engagements with those not in the top 20% were resolved easily by simply using or adapting the basics I had learned over the past few months, and this time was no different.
I tightened my grip as tension began to slip from my arms and approached the pile of items. I still had plenty of bullets, and the caliber of the bullets in the enemy’s gun didn’t match mine. I only needed to replenish my grenades.
I cut the fishing line attached to the molotov. Since I had already ripped it apart, only the safety pin remained. I opened my pouch, took out a piece of fishing line, cut about 15 cm, and skillfully tied it to the grenade.
With that, I was ready.
As I checked the enemy’s multi-purpose pouch for anything else useful, I found a PDA.
“Oh.”
PDA’s were scattered around high-value research facilities like this. In this map, you needed to use the PDA to locate the Juggernaut, which acted as the kill zone.
Occasionally, a more sophisticated PDA would pop up, often with special functions, and this was one of those cases.
With a few manipulations, the screen displayed a message.
-[Notification: Special Rescue Team Dispatch Function Awaiting Activation.]
-[Notification: Activate?]
Special Rescue Team.
The name sounded grand, but it essentially meant that the system could dispatch one or two Juggernauts to the location of the PDA. Originally designed to extract high-level executives during the destruction protocol within the facility…
Naturally, in the game, it was used differently.
To disrupt the battlefield and break stalemates. It was akin to calling for an airstrike in the past – though it took 1 minute and 30 seconds to activate, timing it well could be very effective.
But with good things, bad things also come.
The reaper came for me.
───Rat-tat-tat!
“Whoa!”
Bullets flew at me in an instant. Their accuracy was unusual. Three bullets hit my head, rapidly depleting my shield. My remaining shield was below 25%. Regretting my carelessness, I quickly retreated, only for more bullets to shatter the spot I had just vacated.
I could roughly gauge the enemy’s location from the angle of the shots. However, the nearby area had wide and long corridors and lobbies, making it difficult to gain any advantage in a firefight. Fortunately, further ahead, the real research facility began, so it shouldn’t be a significant problem.
And no sooner had I thought this than…
“…This looks bad…!”
The enemy was closing the distance at an alarming speed.
I attempted suppressive fire several times, but each time my position was revealed, and the enemy’s counterfire, with frightening accuracy, forced me back. Clearly, this was one of the top 20%, the ‘real deal’ that Yoo Jin had repeatedly emphasized.
Fight or survive? Before I could decide, the 100-meter distance between us began to close rapidly.
The enemy had already landed three shots on my head, breaking my shield. In other words, they could confidently charge at me. The enemy had a precise understanding of how the Dark Zone, specifically the Apex Predator game, worked.
The unsettling feeling persisted, eventually converging into one emotion.
‘…I’m screwed.’
Extreme helplessness.
The usual competitiveness when facing a confrontation vanished, and the accumulated experiences of how to handle fights were laid bare, with my mind delivering the most accurate explanation.
Yoo Jin or Logan.
Either one was someone I definitely didn’t want to encounter.
-[Notification: Activating Special Rescue Team Dispatch Function.]
-[Notification: 00 // 01 // 30…]
1 minute and 30 seconds.
Could I hold out?
Could I escape after holding out?
I dismissed those thoughts. It was a matter of life and death – as I took aim from the box and fired, I quickly loaded a sticky bomb into the launcher with my left hand. Thump. With a faint recoil, it lodged into one of the pieces of cover in the corridor.
The corridor was quite wide, with various items obstructing the view here and there. The enemy, using these as cover, was approaching at a frightening speed – but from now on, it would be difficult to advance recklessly.
I pulled out a grenade while firing suppressive shots. The enemy was about 60 meters away. It was a distance hard to reach just by throwing, but by consuming part of the ICARUS Gear’s computational power for partial body enhancement, it was no problem.
With a click, the safety pin connected to the molotov was pulled, and the grenade flew through the air at a reckless speed.
The enemy drew closer to the trap.
The grenade exploded, followed by the sticky bomb detonating. An explosion erupted a few meters away from the enemy’s new model – but at that moment, a piece of metal flew through the blinding light and dust toward me.
It was the enemy’s grenade!
───Boom!
“Ah…!”
It became clear.
The sound and flash, the two methods that easily confused a person’s senses, activated simultaneously as the enemy slyly set up their next move. It was either Yoo Jin or Logan.
My whole body was tingling, but I forced myself up. Whichever one it was, they would be closing in quickly during this opportunity. I twisted my body over the cover and fired, white hexagons bouncing off the blurry figure. As expected.
The distance was 30 meters. I switched the lever to single fire and steadily fired suppressive shots while gradually retreating. I tossed remaining grenades in succession on the floor, hastily widening the distance.
But the enemy, not one to be outdone, scattered a few objects into the air.
“….”
Whoosh!
Three smoke grenades quickly filled the corridor – simultaneously, an explosion from the opposite side. I knew this tactic. The plan was to circle around quickly while my attention was diverted.
In that case, I just had to run at full speed without looking back.
However, I needed some precautions. As I tried to combine a sticky bomb into the launcher with my left hand again,
───Rat-tat-tat!
“Damn it…!”
Sure enough, through the smoke filling the corridor, bullets flew, and at the same time, a white new model began sprinting at full speed. The in-game avatars were slightly blurred to make it difficult to identify the enemy just by their avatar alone, but I knew exactly who it was.
It was the person Yoo Jin specifically told me to run away from if encountered.
Holding the launcher in my left hand, not yet fully assembled, I hurriedly lifted my gun and fired suppressive shots. But it couldn’t stop the charge.
As I descended the dozens of stairs, I threw my last grenade upwards, but Logan, seemingly expecting it, stepped on the balcony and – jumped!?
“Whoa-!”
Bang!
Logan, using the grenade explosion as a backdrop, stepped on the balcony and leaped while shooting. I had just emptied my magazine. There was no time to reload, so I lifted the sticky bomb launcher in my left hand.
But it didn’t fire, perhaps because it wasn’t properly assembled. Time seemed to slow down as the distance between Logan, who was slowly losing momentum and falling due to gravity, and me closed in. It was reminiscent of the “Hug Me” emoticon Yoo Jin had sent through the engram, but the outcome would certainly be different.
My mind had long since gone blank.
Just as I thought I would be eliminated, a warning window appeared on the UI.
-[Notification: Emergency Trigger Request Recognized]
-[Notification: Detonating Sticky Bomb]
───Bang!
Then, a flash and explosion erupted from my left hand.
Just 2 meters away from Logan stomping on DICE, the sticky bomb exploded with a loud bang and shockwave, detonating right above the launcher. Both players were blasted in opposite directions.
The two of us were thrown over 5 meters from ground zero, but DICE recovered first – she had her feet on the ground until the end, allowing her to channel much of the impact through the ground.
However, even though she was the first to stand, she couldn’t shoot.
“…Ugh, cough.”
Countless status effects appeared before my eyes. Among them, my hands were not just red but blackened. I wouldn’t even be able to pull the trigger of a pistol until I received emergency treatment and first aid in a safe place.
Moreover, there were only about 10 seconds left until the special rescue team dispatched by the explosion arrived. DICE quickly dragged her battered body away from the scene.
How much time had passed?
“…Phew, I never saw this coming.”
The status effect ‘Stun’ that lasted for 30 long seconds.
Is that DICE? I should praise the youngest later – I thought, but unfortunately, there wasn’t much time for that.
-[Notification: Special rescue personnel dispatched to sector A-32. Unauthorized personnel are prohibited from approaching. Commencing hostile force clean-up.]
“Trying for a coup de grâce is commendable, but you should have finished it yourself.”
From the balcony, Logan saw the Minigun Juggernaut, part of the special rescue team, and chuckled – then pulled out a monstrous anti-material sniper rifle from behind.
That day, Logan earned three Juggernaut skulls.