-[Intercepted Comm: We've lost contact with Gamma Team stationed at the backup power facility. Report the situation.]
-[Intercepted Comm: An Icarus Operator has infiltrated the facility. We’ll gather all available forces to expel them.]
-[Intercepted Comm: Ensure the facility remains undamaged. It’s slated to beco a key strategic asset for Artemis. Do you think we can just find nuclear plant staff easily in a world where it’s hard to find any living people?]
"It seems even this place isn’t completely deserted."
"In so ways, you could say that."
───Pew!
A burst of light exploded forward, spreading a thin veil centered on Harmony. The pulse revealed the positions, numbers, and weak points of the enemies on the UI, even those hidden behind walls. The path leading to the diesel generator, the heart of the backup power facility, was littered with iron and blood.
The objective was simple: clean out all the enemies inside, then hack the facility's security to seal all the doors, ensuring no one could enter until Icarus's backup team arrived.
Destruction wasn’t an option, and unless they wiped out every enemy in the plant, the situation couldn’t be fundantally resolved. Therefore, this drastic asure was the only choice.
With a chanical click, Harmony pulled out a uniquely shaped launcher. A small module, about the size of a pebble, was mounted on the front. Its sleek curves and white handle gave it the appearance of a sci-fi laser pistol.
However, it was actually one of the most straightforward devices in the Icarus skill set—a sticky bomb launcher. Designed more for penetration than explosion, its piercing capability was unmatched.
With a thump, the device launched the module, which stuck to the side of a UGV.
Boom!
Instead of a traditional explosion, a brilliant flash of light marked the impact, boring a cylindrical hole into the machine, causing it to collapse. The device was a concentrated technological marvel, using the principles of a shaped charge combined with extre heat.
While Harmony efficiently neutralized one target without causing a large explosion, Yujin continued firing .338 armor-piercing rounds, dropping the exosuit-clad soldiers attempting to charge them.
Enhanced strength ant these soldiers could carry heavier armor. However, they had concentrated all that weight into armor, which unfortunately for them, wasn’t enough to stop the special armor-piercing rounds laced with depleted uranium. The bullets easily penetrated their thick plates, silencing them with a single shot.
The sa went for machines. UGVs, which had compromised their defense to maintain mobility, couldn’t withstand the devastating power of Lapua Magnum rounds, let alone lighter calibers like 5.56mm.
It didn’t take long for the noisy corridor to be enveloped in silence.
"MoldyGarlic donated 1,000 won!"
"Why is the main mission so fun? Seriously, why?"
"Ah, thank you for the 1,000 won donation, MoldyGarlic. Maybe it’s because I’m doing it with the teacher?"
"Don’t flatter too much. It’s embarrassing."
"LOL"
"Even if you say that, 140% of us here are HarmonyYujin shippers~~"
"She really plays the ga like a pro, lol."
"Back in my day, we twisted our bodies for hours in public matches~~~."
"Fact: These two haven’t gotten lost even once during their missions."
A fact that no one could deny.
What many overlooked was that the appeal of Dark Zone stemd from its natural flow. Smoothly transitioning to the next objective after completing one was more important than people realized.
Conversely, many players, even with the UI’s guidance, tended to act passively, engaging in unnecessary discussions before sluggishly moving on to the next goal. It wasn’t necessarily bad, just typical of a public match with uncoordinated parties.
In this context, Yujin’s thod of leading a seamless transition to the next objective, as naturally as breathing, provided an uninterrupted stream of entertainnt for everyone.
Before long, the two had delved deep into the backup power facility. To ensure maximum safety from external threats, the facility’s underground areas were much larger than those above ground.
The interior had more of an analog feel, with only the most necessary places incorporating so digital technology, like scanners for identification.
Slowly but surely, the enemies were being cleared out. Even if they had sent only essential personnel to critical parts of the plant, 1.5 companies’ worth of troops was still a small number. Since this wasn’t the main control center but rather a backup power facility, there were naturally fewer PMC personnel here.
As the facility's authority was overwritten by Icarus, the bulkheads, controlled solely by Icarus commands, began sealing the entrances, starting from the closest ones. No one but the rightful operators could escape.
However, this also ant it had no effect on the Artemis personnel gathering outside.
The cara on the ard buggy they had parked earlier emitted a sharp warning tone.
[Warning: Large enemy force gathering outside… Confird presence of 47 individuals with at least 15 different types of firearms stationed at the entrance.]
[Warning: Enemy comms synchronized.]
"…I didn’t think of that. The enemies are gathering outside."
"It seems so."
Still calm and composed, as if nothing could rattle her, Yujin added.
A voice crackled over the comms.
[Distorted Data: The good sheriff has graced us all the way from Manhattan. Why don’t you co out and show your face? We’re not just so nearby thugs digging through trash with a pistol and a shotgun. There might be room for negotiation.]
[Distorted Data: Oh, you don’t have to co up. It’ll take so ti, but I can break through all these bulkheads and flood the underground with water from the nearby lake. The bodies will swell up and look quite unpleasant, but hey, what can you do?]
[Distorted Data: I don’t have much patience, so I’ll give you three minutes. See you at the vehicle hangar.]
"Hmm."
"God Crow! King Crow! Crow is the best!"
"Is this really the sa Crow who was such a pushover? His first appearance is legendary, lol."
"The King of Artemis, handing out items to freshly maxed-out newbies."
"His entrance is flawless, lol."
"Wait, what? Isn’t he the boss who gets his head blown off by a Barrett in one shot?"
It seed Crow wasn’t faring much better here.
Yujin nudged Harmony, who was tilting her head in confusion, and spoke.
"Just in case, check if there’s another underground passage leading outside. We’ll need it in a few minutes."
"Oh, okay. But are you really going to et them?"
"The bulkheads are too thick for them to breach quickly, so it’ll be fine. Now, lend a hand, will you?"
At the far end of the underground facility, Yujin and Harmony began making their way back to the ground floor.
[Distorted Data: Ah, finally, the damn noise is gone. I appreciate that you didn’t open the hangar doors just yet. We haven’t built enough trust for that. But when there’s a significant power gap, it’s better to show so sincerity, don’t you think?]
As always, the missions in Dark Zone had multiple endings.
While they weren’t quite "multiplayer endings," the various outcos could significantly alter the tiline, depending on the player’s skill and how they handled unexpected situations.
This also ant that not only were there various routes, but so-called "classic" routes that everyone favored naturally erged.
For example, in this mission, the standard route would be for one person to hold off the enemy from behind the bulkhead while the other escaped through an alternate underground path.
Since many players had used this route before, it wasn’t particularly special. So, instead of marveling at their playstyle, the viewers focused on other aspects of the ga.
With the bulkhead between them, Crow and Yujin faced each other. Both could see the silhouette of their opponent through their respective thods.
The difference was that Crow could see only one person on the other side of the wall, while Yujin could see the dozens of enemies preparing to breach the bulkhead.
With one side clearly at a disadvantage, a half one-sided conversation began.
[Distorted Data: No response? Hmph. Anyway, I’m really grateful you crawled out here. With the world half-ruined, nobody listens anymore, so I’m always sweating bullets just to get anything done.]
[Distorted Data: Anyway, since you’ve crawled to the negotiation table, let’s get to the point. I’m offering very generous terms. So generous, even my estate manager, who’s probably six feet under by now, would jump out with a stamp in hand. Listen carefully.]
[Distorted Data: It’s simple. Pack your bags and leave right now. Don’t worry, I’ll let you live. I won’t even ask for compensation for the lives of the team mbers you Swiss-cheesed. That’s just how PMC operations work. When a team mber dies, the others’ shares increase.]
[Distorted Data: Or, if you join Artemis right now, the story changes. We’re a bit short on manpower after soone torched two of our branch buildings.]
"Fact: If you surrender, Artemis will turn you into Swiss cheese before you even get on the helicopter."
"This guy’s a master at trash-talking... which makes him even more likable."
"He talks so much crap, lol."
"Artemis Fanboy Crow, communicate with us ^^"
"Honestly, with this level of banter, I’d consider joining Artemis, lol."
However.
Surprisingly, Yujin didn’t say much.
Harmony’s voice crackled through the slightly noisy comms. She reported that it would take 2 minutes and 37 seconds to finish scouting the route and secure the escape path, while she quietly made her way back to Yujin.
One of the ways to build tension and curiosity was to deliberately hold back on speaking. Yujin excelled at this, and it didn’t take long before the chat was filled with questions about why she wasn’t responding.
No one realized she was quickly checking the weapon safety procedures on her UI.
Unable to wait for an answer, the voice spoke up again.
[Distorted Data: Do you think we’re just poking around for fun? In a world gone to hell, survival is inevitable. Not everyone has the luxury of holding on to what’s left like you do.]
[Distorted Data: I don’t want to deal with any more trouble, and I won’t repeat myself. If you don’t want to beco minceat, make your choice quickly. Drop your weapons and open the bulkhead. Surrender or flee.]
At that mont, the screen filled with rapidly scrolling network logs.
Yujin finally spoke.
VFFS resynchronization complete.
Fire control system: All Green.
Remote driving mode operational.
"Icarus prefers to resolve things through dialogue with cooperative individuals, but…."
A soft hum filled the air as a hand signal appeared in Harmony’s view, instructing her to arm herself and aim forward. A ssage was sent with just a thought: when the ti ca, she was to plant a sticky bomb on the grenade box in the back of the vehicle.
As Yujin quietly retreated, her gaze shifted to the outside—the grenade launcher’s targeting scope. The launcher, now in rapid-fire mode, was aid at the very team mbers who had once been her allies.
Hiding behind the wall, she continued.
"When individuals occupy a nation’s critical infrastructure and enter negotiations, they’re typically called terrorists, not intellectuals."
[Distorted Data: What?]
"There’s no negotiating with terrorists."
And then, there was light.
And a bit of an explosion.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Bzzt!
The sound of the comms cutting off echoed through the corridor, followed by a trendous vibration and explosion from the other side of the bulkhead.
No one had paid attention to the ard buggy they had parked after ramming into an enemy vehicle and casually pushing it aside. Still linked to the system, it could be remotely controlled once it returned within a certain range.
In other words, Yujin was hiding behind a wall, effortlessly massacring the surrounding enemies.
"WTF, lol!"
"Yujin! Yujin! Yujin! Yujin! Yujin! Yujin! Yujin! Yujin!"
"What just happened???????????"
"Teacher, what kind of 0-100 acceleration is this? Please, lol!"
"I was gone for three seconds, and you turned the place into a bloodbath, lol."
However, there were still too many enemies.
In just a few attacks, nearly twenty enemies had been taken down, but just as many remained, and those whose lives were on the line responded with imdiate counterfire.
Bullets, grenades, and even missiles flew toward the ard buggy. The VFFS, not to be outdone, scattered grenades in all directions, and the siren attached to the outer wall blared as the bulkhead began to open.
As the engine roared and the ard buggy moved, Harmony caught sight of it.
She instinctively knew it was the timing Yujin had ntioned.
Thud!
A sticky bomb lodged itself precisely into the grenade box. It wouldn’t detonate until Harmony pulled the trigger again.
The ard buggy, now a mobile bomb with a 0-100 acceleration ti of just three seconds, was driven by Yujin straight into the densest cluster of enemies.
A heavy thud echoed from beyond the opened bulkhead.
Harmony recognized it as the second signal.
The mont her small fingers moved, the sticky bomb detonated.
Click!
Boom.
A high-explosive shaped charge at the front of the buggy expelled a tal jet at a speed of 10 km/s, while a mixture of thermite, C4, and other substances burned within a specially designed cylinder, emitting temperatures up to 5,000 degrees.
The detonation of the grenade box was inevitable.
And so, an explosion of unprecedented magnitude erupted.
"Wow."
The air filled with not screams or gasps of shock, but pure awe, as the flas painted the sky.
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