"...So you guys have been doing this every time you go to reserve training, huh? I respect you, guys... well, no. Since I'm at a reserve training center in Hawaii right now, I guess I won’t respect you that much."
"Just enlist yourself. I’ll write a non-commissioned officer application for you, just give me your thumb."
"Sorry, guys. I’ve already made a bunch of visits to see my younger brother... Hey, hey! Don’t grab my wrist! Don’t make me sign it!"
"Sigh, you little brats."
Hawaii was lively again today.
A thought like that passed through my mind as I watched the situation unfold before me.
Before long, the handgun turned into a submachine gun, and then into a carbine. However, even though the magazine was inserted, something uniquely shaped was attached to the muzzle... it was a kind of laser launcher. When firing blanks, a laser would shoot out.
I had borrowed some of the guns that Dice and Harmony used, so the mods were a bit different, but there were so many guns available, it didn’t matter... What was more important was zeroing in the sights and doing various practical shooting drills to loosen up. That would make for a much more interesting story.
Now, to talk about that for a moment, of course, the friends who came here today were in for quite a shock with this amazing lineup of firearms, which was on an entirely different level compared to their reserve training.
By now, don’t they shoot stuff like this even at reserve training?
No way. They just tie up a K2 to a fixed mount, shoot 10 rounds, and then call it a day. During mock battles, the guns don’t even have rails, and the sights are off.
Uh... sounds tough.
...But at least now they use K2s instead of M16s at reserve training.
I could feel the progress in the world. It’s been a while, but... anyway, let’s skip over that part. As I’ve said before, for these people, this was their first time firing guns like these in the real world. Given that VR calibration doesn’t provide any help beyond theoretical data, it made the experience even more intense.
For that reason, Lorentina and I stuck close to Hyun-ah, giving as much help as we could. Naturally, we struggled together. In virtual reality, unless the calibration was changed, even a complete beginner would have more stamina than a real-world operator, and my curriculum had been designed with that in mind.
On the other hand, helping someone with poor physical stamina—like this... not as much.
So I added this line:
By the way... has Harmony ever suggested working out together?
Hihi.
She has, huh.
Seeing how soft and squishy everything was around Harmony’s touch, it was clear she wasn’t the type who’d go for intense workouts—of course, I’m not crazy and didn’t touch anything weird. The limit was something like her cheek or side.
Anyway, it was a direct hit, and Hyun-ah quietly added, "I’ll try my best..."
R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.
As expected, there was no need to criticize her for not having enough stamina or having gained weight. From that point, Lorentina took over and started giving more direct help.
Alright, let’s try practicing firing in single shots. That should be good enough, right?
Yes, I’ll try.
Let’s get used to the recoil. It’s not as difficult as you might think. After all, our little newcomers were able to shoot a .50 cal sniper rifle with stable accuracy.
As expected, the person who spent most of their time training others in Team 6 without even eating meals was a bit different.
That said, Lorentina’s words were right. Just recently, Minah and Ye-rin were happily shooting Barrett and AX50 sniper rifles, so it wasn’t like Hyun-ah would be restricted in any way when it came to shooting. Of course, controlling the recoil would be "slightly" more difficult.
Anyway, boosting her competitive spirit with a “If our friends can do it, what about you?” mentality worked well, and Hyun-ah, under Lorentina’s guidance, quickly started to show the form of a seasoned expert.
Alright. Lean your upper body slightly forward, and always pay attention to where each foot is positioned. Make sure your stance is firm, only take this much strength in your hands... and fire.
Ugh...!
You’re doing well. What you need to remember is: Don’t try to tense up your body when absorbing the recoil. Think of keeping your body lightly tense so that you’re ready to move forward at any moment. Got it?
Ah, like this... Wow, this is really it. This makes it so much better.
Excellent. One last thing: Don’t overexert yourself when handling the initial recoil.
What can I say, the sight brought back memories of my past.
If I swapped the sunny Hawaiian background for the incredibly cold snowstorm of New York, it would almost be the same. Back then, Lorentina had trained me, too. Once I gained a bit of expertise in shooting, I was immediately sent to Owens for supplies, but that’s another story.
I wasn’t just thinking about this for no reason. Lorentina was looking at me and Hyun-ah with the same expression she had back then.
That being said...
I’m just the newbie, Minah and Ye-rin are the new newbies, Jin and Rain are the Mecha newbies, and this friend is... the New Newbie? You sure pick names easily.
Haha. Isn’t it easy to understand?
Can’t argue with that.
As usual, it might seem like a lazy naming, but maybe it’s something only this person could pull off—seeing through the essence of things.
Anyway, a variety of modded guns were now in the hands of everyone except Lorentina and me. Unfortunately, there weren’t going to be any manifesters in this mock battle. When I pointed that out, the viewers on the stream were going wild, making all kinds of excited noises, but there were a few reasons for that.
First, the more external reason: this mock battle was being used as a sort of... Asia qualifier and streamer competition practice. Of course, unlike last year, 1:1 pro training in virtual reality wasn’t possible, but it wasn’t like we weren’t allowed to do it in real life, right?
If we weren’t just watching but actually participating, it would be hard to properly give feedback on the overall battle scene.
And the second reason...
"...If Lorentina and I get involved, the balance will be off."
It wasn’t about putting one of us in each team to balance things out. If you put it this way, the likelihood—no, it wasn’t even a probability, it was inevitable—that it would turn into a one-man show between Lorentina and me was high.
I couldn’t really explain it myself, so today, I was just planning to watch.
Anyway, the meta for today was:
"There’s no more practical training than facing strong opponents head-on. Are you all ready?"
"...Huh?"
"Oh, I thought we were past this..."
"Alright, guys, Eugene School is starting. Brace yourselves."
Through impact and collision, we get stronger.
A sharp sword isn’t easily forged.
Today, Hotteok’s group would become Harmony and Dice’s excellent EXP capsules.
Of course, the same could be said for weightlifting.
"...One Harmony. And explosives are blocked. 1:3, don’t you think it’s worth a try?"
"I don’t know... I’m not sure."
"Minah might not have the best stamina, but with Hotteok and Limit, we should be fine. Instead of just shooting head-on, we should wear them down slowly. Maybe we can make it work."
1:3 raid, what is this? Hahahahahahahaha
Harmony against those three? My heart is racing... is this the same green-haired rookie who used to drop magazines?????
If it’s Dice + Harmony against Hotteok and the others, they’re going to be minced! Hahahahahaha
This time, without grenades, it should be quite tough, right?
Surprisingly good balance here, haha
1:3.
The three of them took deep breaths in front of a temporary building stacked three stories high.
Somewhere inside that building, Harmony was waiting.
The broadcast had started, and their goal was simple: kill Harmony by any means necessary. The operation hadn’t officially begun yet, so they each speculated on the chances of winning or losing. They didn’t care what the viewers thought.
But no clear answers emerged. It was only natural. They’d never had a combat scenario like this in the game. The only way to simulate this situation might have been with a bouncy hammer faction civil war, and even then, there were no guarantees.
"I don’t know. Anyway, as we decided earlier, let’s first scout with the drones and then go in. Everyone, get your drones out. Have you memorized the blueprint?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn’t I have?"
"If this were a game, we could rappel down or jump in, but... not sure if I should be disappointed or relieved that we can’t do that..."
"Hey, hey, don’t fall now."
Do you think this is a game????
That’s something only manifesters, who wouldn’t get hurt even if they fell from a building, do. Hahahahahaha
Team Six Mode (Can’t do it)
The drones are similar to what we’ve seen before, haha
If they don’t act reckless, this could work.
And so, each one took their position.
There were three entry points. As they placed the drones on the ground, they began to operate their tablets. A two-wheeled cylindrical drone started moving into the building. The layout wasn’t overly complicated, but that didn’t mean they could easily find their way.
They replayed the blueprint in their minds, checking the building’s layout with the drone. The sound of the drone rolling through the silent first floor was the only noise. Naturally, there was no one on the first floor. So, the three drones ascended to the second floor via the two staircases.
Around this time, they heard faint noises through the tablets. The sound of sneakers. Through messages, the three drones coordinated, gathering at a specific point on the second floor, dividing roles on who would be the decoy and who would hide the drones.
Hotteok’s drone led the way, and the other two drones hid behind objects to observe the wide hallway and stairs from a safe vantage point.
And after a while...
Tudududu!
"...Ah. My drone’s out. Harmony’s in the central room on the second floor."
"Confirmed. Let’s start the operation. Entry team 2, prepare."
"Entry team 3, ready."
"...Entry team 1, ready. We’re moving in."
Team 1 was Hotteok, Team 2 was Limit, and Team 3 was Stone.
With a click, the door opened, and the three of them started slicing the pie in the same way from different positions. None of them were complete novices when it came to CQB; they seemed to recall their memories of virtual reality with ease.
Theory doesn’t die. It simply sinks into the body. Loading the magazine, aiming—it all moved automatically.
They quickly searched long hallways and side rooms. They checked for holes big enough for a person to fit through, behind doors, under tables... They also made sure to listen carefully for any unanticipated footsteps through the headset’s audio function.
But despite that, they heard something from above.
"...Is someone up there?"
The continued sound of footsteps.
A faint... metallic sound, something like it.
What on earth could they be doing up there? Since this wasn’t a game, they couldn’t use explosives... But the thought didn’t last long, and before even a minute passed...
"...First floor clear. Heading to the second floor now. I’ll take the square staircase, so Team 2 and Team 3, use the central staircase. Watch each other’s fronts and backs."
"Shouldn’t we support you from there?"
"We checked with the drone earlier. The angles to cover are limited, so just one person should be fine."
"Don’t die up there."
The three of them regrouped at one point and scattered again.
Limit and Stone headed toward the central staircase, while Hotteok took the square staircase route. The red laser mounted on their rifles scanned the walls, making a clicking sound. They could hear shoes scraping the floor.
As soon as Hotteok stepped onto the second floor, an eerie silence wrapped around him. It felt strange. His brown eyes darted around, scanning for anyone nearby. He was only a few meters away from the central room where Harmony had last been spotted.
His mouth dried up, and his heart pumped fiercely, but oddly, the extremities of his body felt cold with tension.
But at that moment...
Clang!
"...!"
A metallic sound.
But this came from right under Hotteok’s feet.
He’d been so tense that the noise seemed to come at him like thunder. Hotteok looked down and realized the sound was from several brass shell casings that he had kicked aside without noticing.
At that moment, an alarm siren in the corner of his mind began blaring.
And as expected...
Tududududu!
Out of nowhere, Harmony, who had been hiding in an unexpected spot, pulled the trigger and popped out.
She had pre-fired after hearing the shell casings being kicked.
Almost ten laser shots tore through the air. Hotteok, with his exceptional reflexes, managed to avoid most of them, but a few shots grazed his side and leg. The injuries weren’t large enough to be fatal, but they were enough to prevent him from continuing, so he ducked into a room for cover.
However, Harmony had already long since abandoned her plan to finish Hotteok off in the first room.
"...Hmm."
Clink.
Harmony heard the metallic sound coming from the central staircase and chuckled quietly.
She took advantage of Hotteok, who was busy yelling into his comms while performing self-administered first aid, and swiftly moved around to the opposite side. By then, Limit had cautiously opened a half-closed door with his hand—clink. The brass shell casing that Harmony had placed on the door fell to the ground.
"Left! The room on the opposite side!"
"Ahhh-!"
Padadduk!
Harmony fired first, and it didn’t take long for Stone, who was covering the rear, to be shredded.
"Harmony’s moved to the back! She’s in the central room light wing! Kim Stone’s down!"
"Hold on for a minute! Hyun-ah, go down, reset, and respawn to come back!"
Naturally, this wasn’t just a battle; it was the beginning of chaos.
Harmony’s attack had begun.