I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 493

"Ugh, uh..."

"It’s smaller than I expected. But... it’s not going to bite us or anything, right?"

"Sounds like a B-grade horror movie synopsis. A sea snake with venom stronger than a cobra crawling up a yacht anchored 30 km away from Hawaii’s mainland..."

"Stop saying ominous things like that—!"

Hahahahaha!
What the hell, now it's a sea snake after the shark? Hahahaha!
I thought I was tuning into a broadcast, but it’s just a circus.
Fact: That snake is a yellow-bellied sea snake, and it's one of the top four most venomous snakes in the world.
Eugene’s lost it, hahahaha!
Slink, slink. A snake crawled over my body.

It crawled up my arm and onto my chest, then twisted its body, meeting my gaze and flicking its tongue. The snake’s back was black, but its belly was yellow. From the chat, I realized it was a yellow-bellied sea snake, and confirmed it was one of the most venomous snakes.

But in reality… it was incredibly docile. It was said to be very gentle by nature. As the six people sitting around me reacted in various ways, I quickly searched "yellow-bellied sea snake" online and confirmed the information.

And as expected, this little friend only wanted a bit of water and food before calmly coiling around me.

As I had mentioned before, I was able to communicate with reptiles to some extent—though not exactly in conversation—through small gestures or body language, especially if they were creatures without hands or feet, like some types of snakes.

Anyway, the situation unfolded simply enough.

After breakfast and a short rest, while I was floating on the sea, this friend quietly appeared and climbed onto my stomach.

And so, I brought it along.

"I gave it food and water, so unless you throw it or step on it, it’s not going to bite. But if you’re uncomfortable, don’t worry, it’ll just play with me."

"Uh, um. Alright. I’ll just watch quietly."

"…Can I touch it once?"

"Sure, Dice, you’re the first one."

Of course, Dice, who loves snakes so much that she keeps them as pets at home, was the first to get involved—apparently, she had left her snakes with another owner for this Hawaii trip. So, she spent a little time making eye contact with the sea snake. This little friend moved a little and communicated something to me.

A brief summary of what it "said" was:

This person smells like you.
We’ve been hanging out together. Anyway, let’s play for a bit, then go down.
If you give me a few more pieces of salmon, I’ll do it for you, too.
Deal.
As expected, whether it’s people or snakes, you need to throw them a carrot for them to work.

The sea snake, eyeing Dice, quietly started climbing up her arm. Before a strange sound echoed, it reached her shoulder, slid over her hair, and reached the top of her head, where it looked around, then came back down.

With a mixture of thrill and excitement, it wrapped itself around her arm, poked its head through her fingers, and climbed back up, giving Dice a little headbutt on her face before returning to my arm.

Naturally, Dice let out a peculiar noise and collapsed onto the sofa.

"Are you satisfied?"

"I’d love to have a snake like this, one with so much affection."

"You already have one."

"Eugene?"

"At home."

Why is Eugene brought up? Hahahahaha!
More flirting, huh? Hahahahaha!
Dice is about to explode, hahahaha!
Did she just give a French kiss to the snake?! Hahahahaha!
??? : Why does this snake smell like a baby snake?
Baby snakes, hahahaha!
Ignoring the nonsense, I casually wrapped my tail around Dice’s waist.

She let out a soft squeal, then began fondling my tail. Around that time, I lightly tapped her forehead with the tip of my tail, signaling it was time to switch. Dice seemed to understand this and quietly got up, returning to her seat.

The sea snake had given Dice quite the show, so the others finally started paying attention. It was easy to guess that they'd be the next ones to get involved. However, the first ones to react were, of course, the first disciples, so naturally, they went first.

While the snake played with Harmony and Dice, I quickly headed to the yacht’s bar to grab a few chilled salmon cubes, ready to be turned into poke.

Thankfully, nothing went wrong while I was away. It could’ve been a bit careless, but since Lorentina was also around, I figured there was no danger.

Thus began the sea snake-eating show.

But not for me.

"It really eats well."

"It’s eating… so gracefully. The big snakes usually twist their whole body when hunting, but this one isn’t doing that."

"Well, it’s a sea snake."

"You eat pretty gracefully too, Eugene… Oh, sorry!"

"Just go ahead."

On the table, the salmon pieces were neatly laid out in intervals.

The sea snake wiggled around a bit before lunging forward and swallowing them up. After consuming about ten cubes, it seemed fully satisfied and climbed back up my body. Meanwhile, Minah, who had been quietly watching, made a joke and asked to be hit, so I obliged.

The yacht was abuzz with sea snake talk, and some people who worked in aquariums abroad even donated through the chat, adding extra information.

While all of this was happening, an unexpected thought crossed my mind.

If I take Hotteok to the zoo later, will we be able to communicate when we’re in front of the tiger’s enclosure?

Pushing that useless thought aside, I added a few more comments for the drone camera broadcasting the amazing scene in real-time.

"Sadly, but not really sadly, this little friend will be touched by everyone, and then sent back to the sea. Its venom is twenty times stronger than a cobra’s, so we can’t keep it here for too long. Since it’s a sea snake, we have to send it back."

Eh, really?
??? : You said you were going to keep it!!
What are you even talking about, you liar. Hahahahaha!
Naturally distorting the facts. Hahahaha!
I gave it salmon as payment, though. Hahahahaha!
The snake seems like it’s giving some side-eye. Hahahahaha!
With those words, I glanced at the sea snake.

It seemed like it was really giving me an annoyed gesture. I could guess the reason. It probably just wanted to stay here, eat salmon, and enjoy its lazy life without doing anything. But that wasn’t going to happen.

Whether human or snake, everyone has to do their part, and since I’m the one who’s both human and snake, I wasn’t about to let anyone slack off here.

After swiftly handling the sea snake’s little tantrum, I spoke.

"Has anyone not interacted with this little friend yet?"

"I haven’t! I’m next!"

"I’m also surprised!"

It was truly impressive that the sea snake had become this popular.

Anyway, while Harmony, Dice, and Lorentina were busy having their turn, I leaned back on the sofa and answered Lorentina’s question in a soft voice.

"So, what’s next?"

"Those who want to nap can take a nap, and those who want snacks can eat some. There’s also a small fitness club inside, so some might want to work out. There’s not much else we all have to do together, except for one thing."

"I was just about to ask about that."

"Ah."

It was truly an uncanny intuition.

I didn’t respond directly, and instead opened my phone to show a group chat titled "Family."

At 7 PM Hawaii time, a helicopter carrying my parents was scheduled to land on the yacht.

"I’ll have to start getting ready to go home soon, so I thought I’d at least see my parents before then. That’s why we’re having dinner together tonight."

"Ah."

Lorentina, who had no idea what I was planning, slyly glanced at the group enjoying the snake and then added with a chuckle.

"Well, of course. The word ‘surprise’ always comes up when talking about the youngest."

Naturally, it was a fact I couldn’t deny.

I laughed awkwardly, while the friends having fun with the sea snake were looking at me with anxious expressions, unsure of what I was up to.

With less than five hours left, my mind was filled with curiosity about what my parents would say during the upcoming group dinner.

One thing was certain: I wouldn’t be broadcasting anytime soon.

“Alright, it’s about time we head out. It’s been a while since I’ve flown in a helicopter…”

“Before Jin sees, you’d better take some motion sickness pills, unless you plan on throwing up all over the Hawaiian waters.”

Meanwhile, on Oahu Island, Hawaii.

The two nuclear bombs were ready to depart.

“Eugene, did you hear the news? There’s a new raid coming out.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard. Something’s going down in Savannah, Georgia. I didn’t expect Artemis to still be around.”

“Well, Icarus has to keep releasing new content, so I guess they don’t have a choice.”

The sun set beyond the horizon, casting the ocean into a red glow as if the sun itself was melting into the sea, followed by the complete darkness that settled in.

Before long, the second night on the mega yacht passed. There was nothing within dozens of kilometers, and the only light visible was the faint glow from Oahu Island far in the distance.

The sea was pitch black, but the sky was filled with countless stars. Actually, they weren’t just stars. They were clusters of stars—gems embedded in the dark sky, shining brightly.

For some reason, around this time, everyone stopped what they were doing and lay back on the sunbeds, gazing at the sky. Me, Dice, and the others sitting next to me.

Perhaps because no one was interested in tanning, the sunbeds weren’t crowded during the bright midday sun but became busy after the sun had set. Everyone seemed to enjoy the cool sea breeze and the refreshing air.

But it wasn’t long before everyone started talking, unlike yesterday when they had been silent.

Unexpectedly, the topic turned to the new raid.

“I wonder what’s coming after this one. Maybe the European front will open up, and a Russian front too? If not, they’ll probably make something up.”

“…If there’s nothing, they’ll make it up. That’s how it works in games. By the way, are you interested in PVE too?”

“What? Haven’t you seen the steel shots released by Icarus? I wasn’t really looking for PVE content, but this one is a must.”

What’s this?

Actually, I hadn’t been keeping up with things much. I had so many tasks to handle since last night that I didn’t even get a chance to look at the proposal my parents sent me. I didn’t really know what was going on with the new raid.

As my lack of knowledge began to spread inside the yacht, everyone slowly turned their heads toward me. Dice’s eyes sparkled, and she moved closer.

She then showed me the steel shot on her phone.

“…Wait, this coloring…”

“Right? I thought you’d notice right away. It’s Jin and Rain, right?”

...Why are they here?

Thankfully, or not, as I scrolled down the steel shot on Dice's phone, I found new details about the raid, including a general synopsis of the upcoming battle. While it wasn’t too different from what I already knew, seeing a familiar face in it changed things.

It wasn’t even a face. The teal and blue light outlined the shape of a person. And the only ones I knew who could create such silhouettes... were just two people.

Jin and Rain.

And, of course, if they’re involved, the Guardians—the Dagger Team—would have to come along, and they would most likely be participating in the battle again.

But to my surprise, I was mistaken.

“…It looks like the Dagger Team won’t be directly involved in the battle this time.”

“Looks like you really haven’t been keeping up. You’ve been pretty busy these past couple of days.”

“Right… Anyway, if they’re saying they’ll definitely participate, Minah will probably join in too. I don’t get what’s so great about Mecha Eugene…”

“Go! Losing faith in Mecha Eugene is the same as death… Aaaah!”

Where did that nonsense come from?

I immediately wrapped my tail around Minah’s waist, who was lying next to me on the sunbed, and yanked her up. In a second, Minah was on my sunbed, and as soon as she screamed, I pinched her cheek and gave it a good squeeze.

After the "lesson," I returned the phone to Dice, stood up from the sunbed, and began checking the detailed data. I also checked the comprehensive data my parents had sent. Only then did I realize how the situation regarding the new raid was unfolding.

The new raid coming out, and Jin and Rain’s involvement in it, was simple. The goal was to raise their recognition for eventually bringing them into reality as humanoids.

After all, it would take at least six months, or more likely a year, to bring them into the real world. So, this was just the beginning of the buildup, letting off some steam before the real work began.

I nodded. There was no need to ask my parents unnecessary questions tonight.

As I was looking through the relevant information, I heard a voice.

“Dinner is ready. Please head down to the large table.”

Perfect timing—it was time for dinner.

It was 6:50 PM, and the lights on the mega yacht, which had been turned off for stargazing, were now switched on. The seven of us hurriedly made our way down the stairs or took the elevator.

The small banquet hall appeared. In the center was a table large enough to seat up to 10 people, and on it were nine sets of plates, wine glasses, water glasses, and plates, arranged neatly at intervals.

As we walked in, the rich scent of food wafted in the air, and our names appeared above each seat. The seating assignments were clear.

Naturally, no one could avoid noticing that two seats were left empty.

Actually, let me correct myself.

Except for Harmony, Dice, Lorentina, and me, everyone else was puzzled.

“Eugene, there seem to be two extra seats here.”

“Don’t tell me you’re bringing a shark and the sea snake we saw earlier to the dinner?”

“Please, don’t say crazy things, you lunatics…”

At that point, I had to decide how to phrase things, but I decided to speak plainly.

After all, Harmony, Dice, and Lorentina already knew why the dinner had turned out this way.

“Although I’m bringing this up a little late, the three of you are here tonight thanks to the help of two people. From the round-trip flight tickets to Hawaii, the suite reservation at Icarus Residence, and this yacht tour.”

“Ah… I thought Eugene was covering all of it.”

“Do you know the keyword that connects the car you’ve been driving for a few days, the Icarus Residence, and the yacht tour?”

“…Icarus?”

“Correct.”

At that moment, the expressions of Hotteok’s group froze in a weird way.

But even their wildest guess wouldn’t have fully captured the essence of the situation. They probably just thought I had rented a bunch of stuff cheaply because I won first place in the Final Championship last year.

But that wasn’t it.

I handed two business cards to Hotteok, Stone, and Limit.

When they saw the positions translated into Korean, their eyes widened, and the sound of a helicopter’s propeller from outside grew louder.

“I-Icarus International… Vice President and Head of Management Support…?”

“Y-You’re telling me these people helped with this trip?”

“Eugene, how do you know people like this...”

“Everything has a way.”

I turned my head slightly.

Harmony, Dice, and Lorentina were trying to suppress their laughter, their faces turning red.

I spoke.

“They’re my parents.”

“…Huh?”

At that moment, the three of them were frozen in shock, but no one heard their stunned mutters.

The helicopter landing lights came on, and the sound of the propeller, which had been a mere hum, grew louder inside the yacht.

I thought about how to handle the situation and then spoke again.

“I’m sorry for suddenly inviting you to a family dinner.”

There was no answer.

Later, I would have to explain everything in detail to them.

After dinner.