I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun-Chapter 789: Manhattan (1)

"Ugh, ugh, ugh..."

"Stop shaking, you idiot. Just protect me."

"It’s... It’s a burden, ugh... ughh...!"

"...TOC really is too much. No helicopters, sending a weakling like you."

It had been 10 minutes since Central Park was attacked, and now they were in the Upper West Side, just west of Central Park.

A vehicle was heading north toward Harlem. Inside the vehicle were six people, and all of them had patches on their shoulders that resembled the crests once worn by European nobility.

The inscription read "VANGUARDS OF THE EMPIRE," above a lily design, and the emblem of the now-destroyed World Trade Center. Together, these symbols formed the emblem of the 104th Military Police Battalion of the New York National Guard.

Their identities were four members of the 107th Military Police Company, Captain Parquson, and Lapland. In other words, they were the ones tasked with restoring the communication network, which had been destroyed by the EMP, by roaming around Manhattan on TOC's orders.

Of course, despite Captain Parquson sitting next to her, Lapland, sitting in the middle of the vehicle, was trembling like a phone receiving a call.

"Did you try contacting Dagger Team?"

"D-Dagger Team...?"

"Yes. If they’re not in the middle of a fight, we can ask them everything we need to and get a lot of help."

"Y-Yes... I’ll try it."

Captain Parquson said that while gently petting the wolf, which was trembling in his arms.

Of course, at this point, there was no need to care about the wolf's past, nor was there any reason to. After all, Captain Parquson didn’t even know what Lapland had looked like in the past.

He sighed. Despite receiving all sorts of training from Dagger Team, he hadn’t expected Lapland to be this scared. But then he soon realized why.

'...This kid, is she really realizing how much is riding on her shoulders right now?'

Objectively speaking, at this point where Task Force Aricon couldn't be removed as messengers, Lapland was HQ’s most powerful force available. Of course, her mental "software" was still a bit... immature.

Anyway, since Lapland, though still incomplete, was treated as an Icarus Operator, as long as the battle didn’t escalate too much, she should be able to make it out alive.

But this also meant that "everyone else except her could die," which, considering the place the 107th Military Police Company was heading, might not have been too far from the truth.

That was likely why Lapland was trembling so much.

Captain Parquson had known the wolf for quite some time and wasn’t the kind of fool to say something like, "I trust you" at this point.

Instead, he gripped Lapland’s cold fingers and helped her adjust the gear. A simple moment of enlightenment was enough—she needed to realize that there were reliable people ready to help her at this moment.

And then, after some time, a holographic screen appeared inside the vehicle.

It was a familiar face.

"Our wolf pup is heading north with Captain Parquson. I heard New York’s in chaos, but could you give me the details?"

"Nice to see you, Lieutenant Lorentina. I’ll keep it quick and simple. Due to the EMP attack, connections with our scattered forces across New York have been cut off. We’re blind and deaf, our limbs are broken off."

"Hmm. It’s rare for the wolf pup to be armed and heading out like this. Are you planning to use the Icarus gear as a totem to restore the communication network?"

"That’s right. Did you figure that out just by looking at me? Impressive."

"Not that difficult. But it would have been better if you sent two members of Aricon instead of the 107th Military Police Company. Looks like it hasn’t gone as planned."

She was quick to catch on, almost to the point where an explanation wasn’t needed.

With just a small hint, she pieced everything together in an instant. Lorentina, a Tier 1 special forces leader and operations team leader of the elite squadron, had a sharpness so keen that even Captain Parquson broke out in a cold sweat.

Through the screen, Dagger Team's actions started becoming visible. Fortunately, Dagger Team wasn’t in the middle of a mission at the moment. In other words, they could focus all their energy on supporting Lapland.

Her next words followed.

"Wolf pup, are you listening? Your heart rate is through the roof. Your sympathetic nervous system is going haywire. Looks like the stiff folks at TOC haven’t touched the gear's functionality... Let me help you."

"Remote control request?"

"Accept it. I can’t do much from this distance, but I’ll do what I can. Also, since you took Parquson out with you, if he dies somewhere in Newark, the pup would be terribly sad."

The screen rotated slightly.

Through the screen, Eugene’s face appeared, visibly anxious. She was even trembling from the legs up. The 107th Military Police Company could see this as clear tension.

Meanwhile, Lapland handed over control of the gear to Lorentina. As soon as the override began, the output from the gear intensified. Captain Parquson witnessed the light leaking from Lapland’s arm.

But despite the increasing output, Lapland's expression was much calmer than before. Whether it was because of pain, the remote control, or because she knew others were helping her, it was hard to tell.

But Captain Parquson didn’t care anymore.

Through the screen, Dagger Team’s actions sped up. They opened laptops or fiddled with their gear, starting to do something separately.

At the same time, Lapland’s eyes were covered by an interface, and she began to recognize that it was displaying various data.

[Alert: gear confirmed. Optimizing movement.]

[Alert: Skill // Drone and Tracking Mines // Temporarily transferring operation rights.]

[Alert: Starting reconnaissance drone link. // Cannot locate reconnaissance drone.]

[Alert: Icarus Operator Support Recon Drone launching. // Location: Central Park 3rd Drone Hangar. // Hangar control authority secured. Recon drone temporarily requisitioned under Dagger Team’s authority.]

[Alert: Sky Eye operating. // Setting movement route and automatically identifying nearby enemies.]

"What is this?"

"I wish I could go myself, but New York’s airspace is a mess. About 40 attack planes launched from Virginia."

"40!?"

"The 12th Carrier Strike Group has made up its mind. What’s certain is that thanks to the wolf pup, there won’t be any friendly fire near the Military Police Company. Just... the counterattack won’t be effective."

"Counterattack...?"

Because of Lapland, the Military Police Company had no reason to face friendly fire.

That meant that others outside the Military Police Company could potentially suffer from friendly fire.

This was clear. If Lapland’s group didn’t quickly update the positions of the scattered U.S. forces nearby, the carrier strike group’s aviation squadron would have no choice but to use old terrain data and drop bombs.

There was no time to waste. Sergeant Mitchell, the driver, didn’t even bother to ask for permission and slammed the accelerator harder, causing the Humvee to speed up even more.

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

Not long after, they turned toward Newark.

Although there was still a distance to the military base, continuing to drive in the vehicle could risk being attacked by the allied forces or U.S. troops who hadn’t recognized their IFF.

They carefully hid the vehicle in a nearby parking garage, and Lapland and the Military Police Company cautiously left the building. Lapland’s ears perked up, and she listened intently to the direction of the gunfire.

"...Looks like we’ve entered the heart of enemy territory."

"Keep using the pulse as much as possible. We can detect enemies moving outside with Sky Eye, but those inside the buildings are trickier."

"Does that mean enemies could be hiding in all these buildings?"

"Exactly. Urban warfare is always a nightmare. Take out all the drones you’ve got."

Clink!

At that moment, Lapland opened the large combat support device—filled with skills—that TOC had insisted she take.

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Hundreds of small drones inside quickly took off into the sky, buzzing like wasps.

It didn’t take long for them to spread across the sky, like fireflies. But the small pulses emitted by the drones indicated that they were far from being toys.

Within minutes, it spread everywhere and formed a kind of 3D map, which was then updated to Lapland’s vision.

That wasn’t the end of it. Although it took some time, the data was also transmitted to the small tablet worn by the Military Police Company members.

The previously unknown enemy positions and surveillance zones were now displayed in augmented reality.

'Is this being done from about 340km away?'

Though Lapland had always heard about it indirectly, witnessing it firsthand was still hard to believe.

Captain Parquson sighed and, while stroking Lapland’s head, added:

"After all this, we better live up to expectations. I won’t hold you back, so let’s get moving."

"...I won’t be responsible if I get hurt! Of course, I’ll try my best to treat you...!"

"Shut up, you bastard."

And they set off.

No one knew what hardships lay ahead for them.

Dagger Team generally preferred distractions.

There was no denying that it was an effective method.

No matter how far a bullet could kill an enemy from dozens of meters to several kilometers away, it ultimately relied on human senses, so the basic principle remained the same.

If humans were the ones in control, they could be deceived. Depending on the scale, even an allied patrol could be easily avoided.

Of course, there were times when this method couldn’t be used—like when they had to conceal their infiltration in enemy lines—but right now, it wasn’t one of those times.

Returning to the current situation.

Dagger Team did everything they could to ensure Lapland’s safe infiltration.

Extremely so.

Boom!

"Explosion from the north! Check!"

"What are the snipers doing? We haven’t heard from them!"

"...Is this really okay?"

"It’s luck. Don’t rely on it too much. Annoying situations can still happen."

Explosions were always an effective way to divert attention.

As soldiers speaking in an unknown language disappeared beyond the explosions, Lapland’s team, hidden inside a building, carefully moved out once the area cleared and resumed their movement.

Their destination was almost within reach, and they were continuing to move along the tracks.

Around them were abandoned trains, trailers, and vehicles that looked more like scrap piles.

As always, people caught in these situations tended to think the same way.

Lapland, in the past, had even mentioned missing the old world when she first opened up to Captain Parquson. Of course, Captain Parquson wasn’t immune to such thoughts either.

Once, Manhattan, the very center of the world, was just a few kilometers west along a railway track. Now, such places were no longer in use.

'How much longer will it take?'

It had been the same yesterday, and today, and it would continue to be nothing but silence here.

When would this place return to functioning as it was originally intended? The only thing that was certain was that it would likely never happen within the next ten years.

But, unfortunately.

Relying too much on visual and electronic information was always prone to unexpectedly biting someone in the back at the wrong time.

Especially with traps that could be easily overlooked unless checked extremely carefully, even by drones.

And then—

Vrrrrrk!

"...!"

"Ugh...!"

The sound of a click came as Lapland stepped on a hidden trigger beneath the gravel road.

Being a mutant, Lapland had heightened senses, but that didn’t necessarily translate to quick reflexes for self-defense. Her combat experience was close to zero.

In contrast, Captain Parquson, despite his rank, had combat experience and didn’t miss even the smallest danger signal.

Instinctively, Captain Parquson sprang into action, slamming into Lapland, and dozens of bullets passed by them, skimming the ground.

And then—

"Damn...!"

"Captain, you’re bleeding...!"

"Calm down, it’s just a graze... damn, it hurts. I wish I had the meds I brought..."

Lapland's hand, shaking, suddenly stopped trembling unnaturally fast.

At least Captain Parquson knew what it meant. Lapland, or rather, someone who had taken control of her body, smoothly reached into her thigh pouch.

Lapland took out something that looked almost like a superhuman syringe and pressed it against Captain Parquson's side, where blood was pouring out from the bullet graze. With a refreshing sound, the medicine flowed into his body.

Surprisingly, as soon as the mysterious substance entered, the excruciating pain sharply decreased, and the bleeding started to stop.

Captain Parquson, taking a deep breath, struggled to get up and ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ looked around. The 107th Military Police Company, who had been through thick and thin with him, were confused, but they prioritized the mission and carried out perimeter security the moment the trap triggered.

"...Damn. Should’ve asked for a gear upgrade when we went back."

"Are... Are you okay, Captain?"

"Not explosives, but a machine gun... whoever set this up really is a thoughtful bastard. Thanks to that, I’m still alive... but be more careful from now on."

"...No, it’s not your fault. Booby traps are meant to kill for sure, and if we’re going to blame anyone, it’s those bastards who came into America without a visa."

He said this while slowly standing up.

However, unable to resist the pain, Captain Parquson knelt down, clutching his right side, and Lapland walked toward him, pale.

But even before that, a strange smell began to reach Lapland's nose. It was a smell that didn’t belong in America.

The enemy was closing in.

"...Get on my back."

"No, you idiot. Don’t step on any more booby traps next time..."

"...Forget it, just get on quickly! We don’t know how long it’ll take to recover, so we need to get out fast!"

"Ugh, you’re ridiculously strong..."

And at that moment, Lapland grabbed Captain Parquson and swiftly hoisted him onto her back.

The enemy was getting closer, and soon even the members of the Military Police Company could hear the sounds of their approach.

While Dagger Team, operating the drones remotely, sent suicide drones toward the enemy, the Military Police Company began to run.

"We’re going as fast as we can...!"

"...Is the wolf pup mistaken, thinking Captain Parquson is seriously injured?"

Of course, Lapland, half-conscious, couldn’t hear it clearly.

This wasn’t a mission led by Dagger Team, and it was complete chaos.