I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun-Chapter 799: Washington D.C (15)

"The Lincoln Memorial!?"

"It seems there's an issue with Commander Race's situation."

"This is something we can't solve. Focus on the current task."

"Where are you looking so intently?"

"!"

In an instant, some of the darkness that had engulfed Washington D.C. was tinged with a faint orange hue, followed by an explosion erupting from the Lincoln Memorial.

A massive barrage of multi-barrel rockets, numbering in the dozens, rained down on the 60-meter-long and 30-meter-high stone building. These were no ordinary missiles; among them were some that were as powerful as modern anti-ship missiles.

In just a few seconds, the 36 enormous stone pillars were shattered, and the outer wall of the Lincoln Memorial began to shake. Then, with an enormous sound, the entire structure collapsed, compressing like a pancake, and within 30 seconds, the once imposing statue of President Lincoln was reduced to rubble.

As the Hunter's focus was diverted towards the memorial, Chester allowed himself a brief laugh.

However, in contrast, as the Hunter momentarily looked away from Dagger Team, yellow currents of energy began to run across Chester's body.

With the nanomachines in overdrive, Chester boosted his firearm's rate of fire, and thanks to a function that stabilized recoil, he activated the tactical link.

—Zzzzzzz!

The explosive sound reverberated, and the barrel of the weapon quickly turned red from the excessive heat. Had it not been for the Icarus Gear, the pressure and friction would have caused the gun to explode.

But enduring it all, 40 rounds of 6.8mm Fury ammunition were fired at an astounding 1,300 RPM—literally a storm of lead, or more accurately, armor-piercing rounds.

The high-density firepower struck the enemy with the power of a shotgun, and though the Hunter was nearly knocked back by the sheer force, it only served to push them further away.

After swapping magazines, Chester gave a small chuckle.

"Do you still have time to pay attention to other things?"

"You’ve dragged this out too long. I’ll kill them as you requested."

Lancer Team's Hunter let out a small breath, gritting their teeth.

They were eager to understand what was happening at the Lincoln Memorial, but the Hunter's mission objective wasn't rescuing allies—it was neutralizing the Potomac Park surveillance base and collecting battle data on the Dagger Team.

Whether the data collection would be successful or if the mission would end with the Hunter's annihilation, no one knew, but for Black Eagle, who had already lost some of their operational capacity, the latter wasn’t a major concern.

Death wasn’t the issue. What mattered was that Black Eagle couldn’t afford to be caught off guard in the first engagement.

To be precise, Black Eagle wasn’t completely unable to gather data on Dagger Team.

From the engagements that happened before the Hunter exo-suits arrived, they had already gathered some insights. Aurora, Viper, Shark, and Owl’s combat capabilities were estimated to exceed that of Crow—meaning they were capable of going toe-to-toe with Artemis-level operators.

The primary focus was mutants, but non-mutants—like Owens and EX Squadron—along with operators from the Eagle Team, were also subjects of investigation.

Thus, Black Eagle had set up a tactical advantage, even if they couldn’t gain complete superiority, by assigning two Hunters per operator to ensure the operational goals could still be achieved with minimal casualties.

'...And yet, here we are.'

The difference in battle experience couldn’t be quantified by computers alone.

Having solved countless impossible missions using only the resources of a regular soldier was not just about being more combat-savvy than others.

It was more like performing acrobatics while having your head in the mouth of a tiger. In other words, while an ordinary person would freeze in a life-threatening situation, Dagger Team could casually orchestrate their next move.

So, even though non-mutant operators with weakened Icarus Gear were theoretically on par with, or even below, the Hunters...

—Chzzzzt!

"Madness."

"Should I take care of you?"

The real threat level was far beyond that.

As expected, simply increasing the number of Hunters deployed wouldn’t solve the problem. After all, humans were nonlinear computers capable of learning.

Dagger Team had poured all their resources into the first clash for a reason. Leaving any survivors meant the potential for a countermeasure to be developed.

For Black Eagle, gathering as much combat data as possible through the engagement was the best result, and that’s how it was supposed to go.

Once the Icarus Gear was neutralized through the master code, the Icarus operators would lose most of their effectiveness. At that point, the battlefield should have become a kind of combat laboratory.

However, once it became clear that even non-mutant operators could create variables by putting their lives on the line, Black Eagle’s carefully constructed model was shattered.

But it didn’t take long to realize that this wasn’t the end.

"...!"

"...Faster than I expected."

If the Hunter’s goal had been to gather as much battle data as possible or to capture the operators as prisoners, Dagger Team had no such need.

Data collection could be one of their objectives, but it could never be the primary one. The main priority was to eliminate the Hunter at all costs.

The fact that Dagger Team could counter and retaliate meant a disaster for the non-Icarus operators. The U.S. soldiers lying dead all around proved this.

The major setback for Dagger Team had been the retreat of two Lancer Team members, critically wounded after being caught in the crossfire of Eugene’s 50-caliber rounds, which left them in a vulnerable position.

They couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity.

With the distance between them narrowing, a flash of light ignited.

"Ha...!"

With the Icarus Gear’s functions significantly weakened, the shields and nanomachines that would normally enhance the body’s ability to defend against heat were malfunctioning.

Yet, as always, no one could engage in combat at their peak condition.

The chilling blue blades clashed with the dull-colored tactical tomahawks that reflected no moonlight as they crossed several times.

—Kaga-ka-ka!

The Hunter had sustained many injuries but still possessed overwhelming hardware. As they continuously adjusted the distance, they tried to block Chester’s attacks and inflict as much damage as possible on the enemy.

But as indicated by the callsign 'Caduceus,' he was not only a medic but also the team's support, and he had the authority to use various stimulant drugs that had only just passed their risk assessment.

There was no need for syringes or elaborate equipment. By the time he made the decision, the drugs were already rushing into his bloodstream.

As the Hunter realized that their movements, once weakening, were now becoming increasingly agile and faster, it was already too late.

Chester had decided that no matter what, the Hunter had to be eliminated, and this decision would soon become reality.

"Lancer Team 3, retreat. Where are Lancer 2 and 4?"

"They’re leaving the combat area via the Arlington Memorial Bridge. Due to heavy injuries, they haven’t gotten very far."

"Damn it...!"

Every time the blue blades struck, the axe blades melted slightly and deformed.

As the blue crescent arcs passed over the exo-suit, the wires snapped, and the exo-suit’s frame began to discolor—until the blade skimmed the portable EMP device strapped to the Hunter's back.

In preparation for the worst-case scenario, the smoke grenade automatically activated.

At that moment, the two surviving members of Lancer Team knew they had no choice but to retreat.

However,

—Zzzzt!

"You... these damn bastards...!"

"Left arm lost! You crazy bastards!"

As the smoke was pierced by the spinning daggers and axe blades, the two were unable to stop the intense pain as their weapons were thrown aside.

Yet, even in the dark, the bright blades were impossible to conceal and acted as beacons. Chester and Eugene finally found their opening, reloaded their firearms, and opened fire.

In just a few seconds, several 6.8mm Fury rounds and 50-caliber armor-piercing rounds tore through the smoke.

And—

"...!"

"Gkk...!"

The Hunter’s defense, weakened after blocking multiple rounds, finally reached its breaking point. The final blow, a barrage of ammunition, pierced through the armored alloy that would have been impossible to penetrate without an exo-suit.

As the rounds tore through the body, the shockwave created a cavity, damaging several vital organs, but that wasn’t the end.

Although the entry point was the front, the exit wound at the back was still intact, resulting in a ricochet.

Inside the body.

Visit freёnovelkiss.com for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience.

"Kuh, aah..."

"..."

As the upper body was shredded like a blender, the remaining two had no chance of survival.

Of course, the EMP device had been destroyed, and the performance of the Icarus Gear was slowly returning. However, the Hunter’s fate had already been sealed.

As the smoke cleared, the two survivors, amid the carnage, picked up their weapons and focused on their communications.

"[This is Aurora. Two have been killed, but two have escaped. It’s unfortunate.]"

"[This is Shark. Same here. Communication’s just been restored... are there any casualties or critically wounded?]"

"[None.]"

"[That’s a relief.]"

And how much time had passed? Someone finally spoke.

"[Let’s wait until Olivia, who fell into the Potomac, returns safely.]"

Dagger Team began recovering the dog tags of the dead U.S. soldiers, leaving behind the stench of blood.

Olivia had crossed the Potomac with immense difficulty, her skills nearly as clumsy as a beer bottle. It had been ten minutes since she had barely made it.

"Goddamn it, I’m soaking wet. Almost drowned in the river. How do you guys swim so well with bodies heavier than mine?"

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

"Considering the absurd things happening in this world, it’s not surprising. Your battle data was just as ridiculous."

"...Let’s skip that part."

Thud!

After attempting ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) a quick evasive maneuver, Olivia had fallen into the Potomac River. Now, on a cold April morning in Washington D.C., near the Pentagon, she was shaking off the water, with everyone gathered, not in the best of shape. The ones near Potomac Park looked barely alive.

I was no different.

The Pentagon TOC, which had been in deep slumber, was forced to wake up about three hours early.