<strong>Yujin</strong>:
“Enemy machine gun post straight ahead! Throw a smoke grenade andunch the sticky bomb!”
<strong>Harmony</strong>:
“Are you saving the pulse radar for soup or something? Hurry and use it!”
<strong>Dice</strong>:
“Alpha 2-5 has been hit. I’ll activate the defense link and hold the shield—everyone, fall back!”
Urban warfare, also known as the nightmare of modernbat.
Even with the limitless reinforcements of Icarus Operators, reiming the sprawling expanse of Los Angeles County—spanning thousands of square kilometers—was a daunting task. Every building was fortified, with 10 to 30 structures heavily defended within eachpany-sized operational zone. Though 100,000 Operators seemed like arge number, they were scattered across zones, often leaving small squads or toon-sized teams to infiltrate booby-trapped areas.
Operation Sunrise was designed as a grueling challenge, not something to be tackled with clever tricks alone. It was no surprise that other-world U.S. forces hesitated to set foot in Los Angeles.
And if that wasn’t enough:
<strong>[Alert: Missile detected. Impact in 30 seconds. Missile type: OTR-21 Tochka]</strong>
<strong>Operator</strong>:
“Missiles iing! Get out, now!”
<strong>Harmony</strong>:
“What?! They’re bombing us even though their own troops are still here?”
Russian tactical surface-to-surface missiles, forward-deployed from San Jose, came into view. Though useless against the respawning Shadows, these missiles had cooldown periods. With missiles raining down indiscriminately, holes were sted along the front line. Yet, the Icarus Operators pressed on. To them, death was irrelevant, and this attack only backfired on the enemy, who found themselves fighting an immortal force.
As the battle raged, urgency grew at the U.S.mand base in San Diego.
<strong>Commander</strong>:
“Tactical ballistic missiles already? At this rate, they’ll beunching nukes within a day or two. If we don’t intercept them, L.A. could be leveled.”
<strong>Strategist</strong>:
“Deploy more UAVs with IRST tracking. Focus on intercepting tactical missiles, and position interceptors at Santiago Peak. It’s time to mobilize our standby forces.”
Thus began a historic operation: mounting a division-level anti-aircraft force on a mountain. Engineers and emergency workers raced over 130 kilometers in a single day, leveling sections of Santiago Peak to establish a base. Anti-aircraft missiles, radar, and even container-based tactical missiles moved along California’s coastline, benefiting from disrupted global infrastructure that blinded enemy reconnaissance satellites.
Nothing was impossible. The steady barrage of missiles from the Russian forces only strengthened the resolve of those building the new mountain base.
<strong>Observer</strong>:
“Oh no…”
<strong>Another Observer</strong>:
“It’s a full-on nuclear war now.”
<strong>Observer</strong>:
“L.A… it’s…”
From miles away, a mushroom cloud could be seen. A 15-kiloton tactical nuke had slipped through and detonated in Torrance, vaporizing everything within the st radius in a blinding sh. With radioactive contamination close to zero due to the Americanser-fusion hydrogen bomb technology, the sight was still devastating.
Driven by the chilling knowledge that every dy meant more ttened city blocks, engineers worked at a pace only matched by the pulse of caffeine tablets. Three dayster, theypleted the base on Santiago Peak.
<strong>yer</strong>:
“Wait… they’re moving on their own to build a mountain base?”
<strong>yer 2</strong>:
“No wonder the missiles have been fewertely. Are they intercepting all of them?”
<strong>yer 3</strong>:
“So, in other words…”
The oue was clear.
<strong>yer</strong>:
“I’m going to be the first to set foot in L.A.!”
<strong>Another yer</strong>:
“Drive! Floor it! I don’t care if the tires blow; just ram through!”
The full-scale assault on Los Angeles had begun.
Suddenly, everything shook violently, and with an ear-splitting roar, the vehicle lifted off the ground, sending its upants into the air. Time seemed to stretch as they tumbled back down, the car flipping on impact.
A Russian-fired RPG had exploded mere meters away, flipping the vehicle and sending it crashing to the ground. Dizzy and shaken, the three upants finally felt the calm after the storm.
With the car half-turned, the right door pointed to the sky. Amid the chaos, someone called urgently.
<strong>Harmony</strong>:
“Wake up! Harmony!”
<strong>Yujin</strong>:
“Ugh…”
She woke to see Yujin tapping her cheek with her tail. Yujin then used abat knife to slice through the seatbelt and kicked out the broken door.
<strong>Yujin</strong>:
“Pull yourself together. It’s time to move.”
<strong>Harmony</strong>:
“Got it.”
<strong>Yujin</strong>:
“Dice too.”
As they exited, a missile struck a nearby building, sending chunks of concrete raining down. Dust filled the air, and in the haze, they caught a glimpse of the chaotic ruins of Los Angeles.
<strong>[Objective: Destroy the jammer-equippedmunication facility.]</strong>
The team didn’t have to pursue this objective, but it was unlikely they’d choose the easy way out.
<strong>Dice</strong>:
“Lucky the car was wrecked before this. The roads seemed oddly intact for the past few days…”
<strong>Yujin</strong>:
“Which means now it begins. Let’s go.”
Every step deeper into L.A.’s core revealed crumbling barricades, destroyed vehicles, mounds of rubble, and barely standing roads. The city was a wastnd, littered with barricades and broken streets that forced yers to rely solely on their skills.
It reminded Yujin of her first encounter with the Dark Zone—a day long ago when she’d first entered a dead New York, armed only with a single pistol, facing gangsters with little more than a desperate grip.
Memories of the past met the present, and instinctively, she loaded her magazine, each action smooth and reflexive. Taking aim, she squeezed the trigger.
With a gunshot, one enemy dropped.
Countless others lurked nearby. Adjusting her aim, she fired another round, then another, dropping her target like a puppet with its strings cut. With a natural ease, Yujin’s team cut through the mass of enemies, paving their way to the Ritz-Carlton Residence.
<strong>Dice</strong>:
“Look out! They’re shooting from there!”
<strong>Harmony</strong>:
“Of all ces, they’ve set up on the tallest building around here. That’s going to be a problem…”
It wasn’t just the machine gun fire. A mortar thumped, sending a distant rumble through the air before detonating nearby. The enemy’s precision was telling; they had mapped the area and zeroed in on the terrain.
<strong>Harmony</strong>:
“Yujin! We should get out of here!”
A mortar exploded in midair.
Viewers watched, confused, as Yujin said nothing. But Dice and Harmony were stunned—she had shot down a mortar shell with pinpoint uracy. This wasn’t a fluke; she repeated it two, three times before finally speaking.
<strong>Yujin</strong>:
“4.2-inch caliber. Get inside a building; staying on the road is suicide!”
The three dashed into a nearby structure. After a 30-second bombardment, they assessed the situation. From the machine gun’s angle and the mortar’s impact, it was clear they had avoided direct hits by retreating behind cover.
Around them, however, was an ocean of enemies. They saw neither allies nor other Operators, just a swarm of foes, which could mean only one thing.
<strong>Harmony</strong>:
“Looks like we’re right in the middle of enemy territory.”
<strong>Dice</strong>:
“Most likely. sting through every checkpoint has brought us deep into hostile lines.”
<strong>Comments</strong>:
-What in the world? ??????
-They always end up in trouble!
-Yeah, they were charging in way too happily ??
-If it were anyone else, we’d be worried, but with these three? No idea who’ll win ??
As the chat went wild, the ominous sound of a tactical missile echoed. Even from within the building, the sound was unmistakable—a sonic boom followed by a distant explosion. The mini-map confirmed a st 15 kilometers south.
<strong>Harmony</strong>:
“Wonder what guides those missiles?”
<strong>Dice</strong>:
“Probably a targeting system. Why do you ask?”
<strong>Harmony</strong>:
“Just a thought… someone must be coordinating those strikes. Could be apanymander or HQ contact?”
Suddenly, everyone exchanged nces.
<strong>Yujin</strong>:
“We could interrogate the nearby enemies while you guys check for their radios.”
<strong>Dice</strong>:
“I’ll scout the area and mark the enemy hubs for artillery strikes.”
<strong>Yujin</strong> chuckled, shaking her head.
<strong>Yujin</strong>:
“You’re all ready to graduate at this rate.”
No one had ns to “graduate.” They were just getting started.
<strong>Harmony</strong>:
“For the viewers, it’s simple: remember Yujin’s operation with Lorentina after the Bluefield mission.”
They were going to turn the enemy’s weapons against them. Tactical ballistic missiles required precision, and a centralizedmand in L.A. was likely providing the coordinates. If they could disrupt or confuse thatmand…
<strong>Harmony</strong>:
“Time to make the enemy rain fire on their own troops.”
Suddenly—
<strong>Sound Effect: tatatatata!</strong>
<strong>Dice</strong>:
“Take cover!”
An enemy strike team closed in, bing prime sources of intel. Yujin signaled for non-lethal takedowns, and in unison, they struck. Seven soldiers cried out, firing aimlessly, until Yujin deployed a smoke grenade and knocked each one out cold.
Taking them device from the squad leader, Yujin put it to her ear.
<strong>Yujin</strong>:
“Is there a problem?”
The voice on the radio replied, the trantion appearing onscreen. In a wless Russian ent, Yujin continued:
<strong>Yujin</strong>:
“No, no problems. Returning to base in 15 minutes.”
<strong>Comments</strong>:
-Russian???
-She’s wless ??????
-The voice though!! She’s killing it ??
-This game is insane ??
<strong>Dice</strong>:
“Since when do you speak Russian?”@@novelbin@@
<strong>Yujin</strong>:
“Basic skill, of course.”
As Yujin surveyed the scene, Harmony thought, “Just what kind of person is she?” Months of teamwork, and yet Yujin was still an enigma, revealing newyers with every mission.