The audience might feel disheartened after the match ends, but the impactsts much longer.


    And this isn''t just for the busy club, Icarus branches, or advertisers vying for attention, but also for the twenty starters who, by all rights, should be resting.


    <strong>"Hey, why are you just sitting there on your phone while we''re out?"</strong>


    <strong>"Watching ads, watching ads. Don’t these shoes look good? We''ve got so many ads and sponsorshipsing in right now, it''s overwhelming. Should I ask for a few more to hand out to the rest of us?"</strong>


    <strong>"Nice… Oh wait, you’re allergic to shrimp. You have to turn this one down."</strong>


    <strong>"Oh, you''re right."</strong>


    Out of the twenty, each has their own struggles, likes, and dislikes. It’s because there were twenty people in total. So, whether it''s shoes, gloves, or anything else, the reality is that each ad must be tailored individually, going through Icarus, the club, and finally the yer''s approval. Take that food sponsorship just now as an example.


    Even Icarus or the club doesn''t monitor every aspect of the yers'' private lives. Especially not when it concerns personal preferences. What might be fine for most could be uneptable for certain individuals.


    Additionally, gender and physical factors also yed a role. One example was this:


    <strong>"Hey! Who’s the idiot that sent a pants ad to Eugene without any thought? Are you out of your mind? Are you nning to personally refit and repackage them?"</strong>


    <strong>"Ah, my apologies! I''ll resend the emails with confidentiality agreements and her body measurements attached. Once we get responses, I''llpile a list ofpanies willing to meet the requirements and send a detailed report by email."</strong>


    <strong>"Have it on my desk by 3 PM. If you''re sleepy, get some water and get back to work. Your sryes from managing these yers. Pay attention to every detail."</strong>


    <strong>"Understood."</strong>


    This situation was rtively fortunate.


    Eugene was one of only a dozen or so EM-ss Awakened worldwide, and she was almost the only one in Korea. It was rare to encounter such individuals in real life.


    So, even though the message was mistakenly sent, it was fortunate that the person was in the middle of a stream and didn’t check it. Only after the email was resent past 3 PM did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.


    Another fortunate aspect was that such mistakes weren’tmon, and female athletes were grouped separately on the roster—though the only women on the national team roster were Eugene and Dice, with two more women ranked as reserves, at 33rd and 27th.


    The individual ads and sponsorships tailored to each yer were distributed either to the club or directly to the yers, and there were severalyers of approval before anything was finalized.


    When you add up the 20 national team members and 20 reserves, that’s 40 people. And with the added stress of KTM preparation, the workload only increased.


    On top of ads and sponsorships, there were TV interviews, venue bookings for the Asia Qualifiers'' briefings, and coordinating with branches in Japan, the Chinese Federation, Taiwan, and Russia.


    There’s a reason these people earn what others might make in three days.


    Meanwhile, Eugene wasn’t exempt from all this.


    <strong>"Ads, huh…."</strong>


    Up until now, whether intentional or not—whether I publicly disclosed it or not—I hadn’t really thought about revealing myself to the public. But the higher you climb, the harder it is to keep things hidden.


    Besides, for the mainpetition, I would have to go to the U.S. because of the ping issue, which meant I had to show up in person. There would be a ton of interviews. That’s how it would go.


    But honestly, it wasn’t too overwhelming. If it had been, I wouldn’t have made that real-world promise with Harmony. For now, I just figured this was the threshold.


    Of course, I wouldn’t reveal everything—probably only to the peoplepeting in the Asia Qualifiers. Even if I didn’t say anything, there would likely be a gag order.


    In reality… maybe I’d mention it just before leaving for the main event. Either way, I think people would be excited. Now that I think about it, some people shoot vlogs for asions like this. Maybe I should film one tomemorate the trip.


    Not that I’m being serious. I tend to sketch out the big picture and handle the little things as theye.


    But that aside…


    <strong>"Instructor, I think we can start again soon. Or should we rest a little longer?"</strong>


    <strong>"Harmony, your real feelings tend toe outter."</strong>


    <strong>"Ah, hee-hee."</strong>


    <strong>"Let’s get going. We’re almost there."</strong>


    The mission to establish a forward base at Tidal Basin.


    In other words, we were nearing the end. It was the second-tost mission, so finishing it today wasn’t out of the question. Besides, the final mission was connected, so there wasn’t much need to divide them up strictly.


    And so, we’de this far. The main mission, which had dragged on for over a month, was finallying to an end. Aside from the UN Conference Center, which was a tutorial, every difficulty level had been set to “Very Hard,” and the only yers were me and Harmony.


    And with tournaments getting in the way, it had naturally taken a long time.


    It was time to put the final touches on everything.


    <strong>"Let’s go."</strong>


    <strong>"Yes!"</strong>


    I checked my weapon, making sure my ammo and grenade pouches were fully stocked, double-checking to ensure nothing was missing, and then we began the mission.


    Every avable aircraft and assaultnding craft from as far as New York dropped cargo and troops. As soon as the containersnded at Ronald Reagan Airport, they split open, revealing automated assembly machines one by one.


    However, there was no avoiding losses due to the remaining anti-aircraft defenses. The sky was aze with streaks from anti-aircraft guns, asionally filled with SAM missiles. res from the aircraft lit up the sky as they shimmered.


    The positions where the missiles and anti-aircraft guns were firing from were across the river, and further beyond—from ces like the U.S. Congress, Roosevelt Ind, and Arlington, which we hadn’t yet dealt with.


    In short, they had hastily brought in LAV-ADs and other vehicles to desperately plug the holes in their crippled defenses. The remaining anti-aircraft capabilities were because of thesest-ditch efforts.


    All this was due to the Omega Virus, which had shattered the U.S. military into scattered warlord factions.


    Meanwhile, for the first time in decades, a severe cold snap had struck.


    With temperatures dropping to around minus 25 degrees Celsius, the frozen Tidal Basin was now littered with automated anti-aircraft guns and SAM missiles.


    Operating tracked or wheeled military vehicles on the frozen surface was incredibly difficult, but it seemed they had no intention of retrieving themter, as they were left scattered there.


    While observing all this, I heard a familiar voice.


    <strong>-[ISO: Their anti-aircraft guns and SAMs are distracted elsewhere. Good news, the upper brass believes the weakened air defenses are enough for air support now. We’re sending an MQ-20 Avenger your way. Thanks to the engineers’ efforts, we’ve managed to add four more CBU-110s to the external weapon bays. Granted, this has increased the RCS significantly. Use them all before it gets shot down.]</strong>


    <strong>-[ISO: The callsign is Skyfire. As mentioned, it’s equipped with eight cluster bombs. Please avoid damaging anyndmarks. I’d prefer to see them in one piece.]</strong>


    <strong>-[ISO: I’m sending over the GRG grid for the mission area. Airspace is designated Lima. Good luck.]</strong>


    <ul>


    <li>


    “Fire support! Fire support! Fire support! Fire support!”


    </li>


    <li>


    “Are we going to see a Nine-Line?”


    </li>


    <li>


    “I’m already losing it! This is insane!!!”


    </li>


    </ul>


    <strong>"Wow! A Nine-Line! Should I grab some popcorn?"</strong>@@novelbin@@


    <strong>"…Do whatever you want."</strong>


    Alright.


    It was time to roll my tongue once again.


    <strong>"Skyfire, this is Alpha 1. Radio check."</strong>


    <strong>-[ISO: Skyfire here. Radio check confirmed. Switching frequency to 3.7.3.]</strong>


    <strong>"Switching to 3.7.3. Radio check again."</strong>


    <strong>-[ISO: Radio is clear. Mission number 0466. Time on station is 50 minutes. Targeting pod is AN/DAS-1 MTS-B. Abort code is ''Firestorm.'']</strong>


    <strong>"Mission number 0466, time on station 50 minutes. Abort code is ''Firestorm.'' Received. Updating battlefield situation."</strong>


    <ul>


    <li>


    “Oh my God, this is what I’ve been waiting for!!!”


    </li>


    <li>


    “Her English pronunciation is perfect, LOL.”


    </li>


    <li>


    “I was so stunned I spilled beer on my pants, LOL.”


    </li>


    <li>


    “This is legendary, hahaha!”


    </li>


    <li>


    “Do we really need to go this far, LOL?”


    </li>


    </ul>


    I sighed.


    As I exhaled, a cloud of cold breath poured out.


    These days, I often climbed the Washington Monument. Its height offered a wide view of the surrounding area. As before, the method of attaching a drone to my gun and firing it into the air to scout the surroundings worked well.


    The main difference this time was that Harmony was climbing with me, covering potential MANPADS threats with her sniper rifle. But I wasn’t sure if any forces remained. She might have to aim at a tiny dot 10 km away.


    Anyway, I continued speaking.


    <strong>"The target location is Section 6 ANC, the entire EPP, USC, and TRI. Friendly forces are positioned atop the WM. We are at least 800 meters from all targets. No clouds. Do not fly below 25,000 feet. Requesting Type 1 control. Are you ready for the Nine-Line?"</strong>


    <strong>-[ISO: Skyfire, ready to copy the Nine-Line.]</strong>


    <strong>"Approach from IP Bluemont. Heading 90. Distance 3.3. Elevation 42. Multiple infantry and LAV-AD, SAM. DK 424866. Lines 7 and 8 are N/A. Continue loitering in the designated airspace."</strong>


    <strong>-[ISO: Roger, confirming target coordinates. Heading north to south from IP Bluemont, will loiter upon arrival… Damn, who would’ve thought we’d end up bombing our ancestors’ graves? Horrifying. Codeword for weapons release is ''Steel Rain.'' Confirmed?"</strong>


    <strong>"Confirmed."</strong>


    <ul>


    <li>“Heuuuung, heuuuung, heuuuung….”</li>


    <li>“Ahh, noona, I’m getting tactical chills here!”</li>


    <li>“Holy crap, they’re bombing a cemetery, LOL.”</li>


    <li>“Isn’t this the ultimate insult to the dead?”</li>


    <li>“These guys are ruthless, LOL.”</li>


    </ul>


    <strong>DK 424866, or Section 6 ANC.</strong>


    Arlington National Cemetery.


    Today, there was no need for a detailed exnation. All of the bombing targets werendmarks in Washington, D.C.


    Roosevelt Ind, Arlington National Cemetery, East Potomac Park, and the U.S. Capitol—all locations where the enemy had gathered thest of their forces. Skyfire must have been as shocked as anyone to be bombing these sites.


    I nced at Harmony.


    <strong>"Wow…!"</strong>


    <strong>"…What is it?"</strong>


    <strong>"This is so cool. Do you know how many times I’ve watched this in the reys? I even saved a clip of it on UYourSpace."</strong>


    <strong>"…."</strong>


    Sigh, seriously.


    Anyway, there were still more important things to handle.


    <strong>"Skyfire, this is Alpha 1. Before entering IP to attack NN 722216 and NN 762001, give us a heads-up. I’ll guide you withsers."</strong>


    <strong>-[ISO: Skyfire here. IP Bluemont reached. Approaching from the northeast. Targets identified, confirmed.]</strong>


    <strong>"Alpha 1 to Skyfire, permission granted to engage."</strong>


    <strong>-[ISO: Skyfire to Alpha 1, ''Steel Rain.'' Approaching second IP in 20 seconds.]</strong>


    The codeword for weapons release, ''Steel Rain,'' confirmed.


    At the same time, I shifted my gaze to the other side of the Potomac River.


    A single cluster bomb dropped from the sky, scattering like glitter as it exploded. Momentster, a massive explosion echoed even from kilometers away, reducing everything in its path to rubble.


    If this footage were to be uploaded to UYourSpace, Americans would surely be horrified—their Arlington National Cemetery had just been obliterated.


    Although there wasn’t a need for BDA (Bomb Damage Assessment), I checked out of habit. Judging by the drastic drop in enemy strength from 100% to about 70% on the UI, I could confirm a direct hit.


    It was time to clear the central area.


    The process was the same, but this time there were two coordinates. The expanse of East Potomac Park was significant, so it was necessary to annihte all enemy forces clustered there. Once again, Iunched a drone from my gun to pinpoint the targets.


    Two CBU-110 cluster bombs sliced through the air and dropped.


    <strong>──BOOM!</strong>


    <strong>"Whoa, even the wind reached here…!"</strong>


    <strong>"That''s just because the wind’s strong… Ah, it’s freezing. Standing still like this makes it even colder than I expected."</strong>


    <strong>"Wow! My anaconda squeeze, argghh!"</strong>


    <strong>"And whose fault is that, exactly?"</strong>


    One of my weirder nicknames, "Anaconda," was something thisdy hade up with. She wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a yful squeeze, causing a bizarre sound to escape from my mouth.


    Harmony’s neck was quite warm.


    Meanwhile, the chat window was, as always, in chaos.


    <ul>


    <li>“LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL!”</li>


    <li>“Tactical proficiency with humor, perfection.”</li>


    <li>“Oh no, it’s falling!!!”</li>


    <li>“Wow, Yujin-noona wrapping her neck around like an anaconda? That’s high-level y.”</li>


    <li>“Don’t ruin the cool tactical image with this nonsense, LOL.”</li>


    </ul>


    Sigh.


    A few minutester, the MQ-20 Avenger finished unloading its remaining bombs, obliterating East Potomac Park, Tidal Basin, the U.S. Capitol, and Roosevelt Ind before flying off to rearm.


    At the same time, a donation notification popped up.


    <strong><10,000 won donation from SapSapKimSapSap!></strong>


    <strong>"Aren’t you supposed to teleport around for two hours to clean up all the remaining forces? LOL."</strong>


    <strong>"SapSapKimSapSap, thank you for your donation. You see, the most efficient way to bezy is to work smart, heh."</strong>


    <ul>


    <li>“Sure, sure, LOL.”</li>


    <li>“Efficient? Yes. Lazy? No.”</li>


    <li>“Of everyone here, you''re probably the most diligent, LOL.”</li>


    <li>“Your jokes are on point today, Yujin!”</li>


    </ul>


    Ugh, these people.


    Anyway, it was time to head down. ISO’s familiar voice chimed in.


    <strong>-[ISO: Now, for the grand finale. Let’s go see what’s happened at the White House.]</strong>


    There was no response.


    It was time to bring the main mission to a close.