I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 494

"Ah, nice to meet you. I’m Jin’s mother. Some of you I’ve seen before, and some are new. Our daughter seems to have called you all quite suddenly, but I hope you’re enjoying your trip to Hawaii."

"Ah, no! It’s been so much fun!"

"Thank you so much for this opportunity!"

"Don’t feel too burdened. This is my husband, the father of our beautiful daughter. Please, sit down and make yourselves comfortable."

How do you even say that?

Such thoughts passed through Hotteok, Limit, and Kim Stone’s minds. In the blink of an eye, the business card they had just received from Eugene lingered in their heads. It was almost like a subliminal effect.

Meanwhile, Eugene’s parents’ attire caught the attention of the three. It wasn’t entirely casual, but closer to business casual.

Having spent two days on the yacht living a carefree life, Hotteok’s group was understandably taken aback. But Eugene’s parents, with a small smile on their faces, added that “actually, the more casual attire seems better.”

After the storm passed, the scars remained.

‘Icarus International’s top executive? Not just a branch or subsidiary, but the headquarters...?’

‘So, it’s like the Deputy Minister of Defense and the Commander of the National Military Intelligence Agency showing up at a base?’

‘I didn’t serve in the military, but this seems way more serious than those surprise visits by division commanders that float around as internet jokes, right?’

‘Is that even a question?’

It was a different level. A different dimension.

Hotteok and Limit wanted to say to Kim Stone, "The Deputy Minister of Defense's protocol is equal to a general’s, and the Commander of the National Military Intelligence Agency is a major general. If either of these two shows up at a base, something seriously bad is happening," but given the situation, those words weren’t something they could say.

Had they not known, they might not have been so flustered. But, as somewhat popular streamers who had signed contracts with Icarus International Korea multiple times, Hotteok, Limit, and Stone knew at least the structure of Icarus International.

In Seoul, a city notorious for its expensive land prices, in the heart of Yeouido stood a black building around 500 meters tall. This Icarus International Korea branch, jokingly called the "Yeouido Yeonyanggang" (a reference to a famous sweet), was just one of hundreds of such buildings across the world.

This wasn’t just a branch handling VR—it was one of many subsidiaries that were rarely mentioned.

But the one overseeing all of it? Icarus International Headquarters.

Icarus International had no vice president or chairman. The current CEO, Mark Henslow, once stated in an interview that “he’s focused on business stabilization, while delegating almost all operations of subsidiaries and virtual reality gaming to the executive vice president.”

“Um, is this Executive Vice President Lee Hyunjin… correct?”

“Haha, being addressed by my title even here is a bit uncomfortable. Just call me Jin’s father, it’s easier. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”

This man stood at the very center of everything Icarus was involved with—including, of course, the Dark Zone.

As Limit desperately explained this to Stone, and Stone’s expression twisted in understanding, Eugene’s parents, still chuckling, approached the perplexed Viyam, patted her head, and added:

“Have you been resting well? By the way, I need to show those kids some pictures of when Jin was little.”

“…Did you bring them again?!”

“Oh! You mean the ones from last time?”

“Those wouldn’t be any fun. This time, I brought new pictures!”

“Yay!”

A cheerful voice rang from the other side.

Only then did Hotteok’s group turn their attention to Harmony and Dice, and through their easy-going conversation with Eugene’s parents, it became clear that they already knew who Eugene’s parents were.

Of course, no one was going to ask them about it openly.

However, that didn’t matter much. The next topic erased all thoughts from their minds.

Eugene’s childhood photos?

How could they hold back?

“…What’s this again?!”

“Ah, this was when she was two years old… Looks like it was taken in winter, judging by the thick blanket.”

“Wow, she’s so… cute… really noble…”

“Is that a bottle next to her? But why is it so big?”

It was a form of… public embarrassment.

Eugene’s pointed elf-like ears turned bright red. Her tail twitched, and she covered her face with both hands, letting out a cute little moan. Those who had known Eugene since she was young were well aware of her extreme shyness, and today was no exception.

Of course, there was a reason why Eugene’s parents revealed these pictures. Before the meal began in earnest, they needed to break the tense atmosphere, and they cleverly used the photos to do so.

Eugene, though embarrassed, understood the necessity, which made it possible.

“Come, the three of you seated, come over here and take a look. Isn’t she adorable, our daughter?”

“Wha—oh, wow, so cute.”

“The hairpin she’s wearing is just too cute.”

“Do you have a digital version of this picture? I’d really like to keep just one copy.”

“Sorry, but that’s not going to happen.”

In an instant, the atmosphere loosened.

From being ranked 12th in the world’s largest companies, with a very high probability of breaking into the top 10 within two years, Eugene’s parents went from being distant figures to becoming just parents of Eugene, who was just like everyone else. In less than a minute, the image of people so high up in the social hierarchy transformed into that of Eugene’s family.

As the picture made its way around everyone’s hands and finally back into Eugene’s parents' jacket pocket, the mood softened, and everyone sat down.

“Though the seating is a bit odd, I’m amazed that our daughter has made so many friends. I’m sure there are more people who couldn’t make it here.”

“…Some couldn’t come.”

“Having too many people could be a bit of a problem. Anyway, this was a sudden visit, but I really appreciate everyone understanding. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I might even leak some details about the next bundles coming out, haha.”

With that, everyone laughed a little. As they looked around, the mechanical serving began.

On the plates, appetizers for nine were laid out—the portions for the manifestors were much larger. Then came the next comment.

“Seems like, except for Lorentina, everyone here has at least once trained under our daughter, right?”

“Ah… the knowledge you gain will always be useful, after all.”

“Don’t take everything the youngest says too seriously.”

“Haha, sharp as always.”

Lorentina, who was about to turn 40 next year, easily conversed with Eugene’s parents.

This was part of a plan, a prior discussion. Given their social standing, if Eugene’s parents were to talk to others during dinner, there was a high chance it would disrupt the flow of the meal, so Lorentina, being the eldest and most experienced, was taking the lead in the conversation. Meanwhile, the others could naturally follow along—so the main conversation was guided by Lorentina.

“I heard there’s a new raid mission coming out, and it sounds pretty interesting. Can we talk about it?”

“Of course, we can. I know everyone here is fairly tight-lipped. Just keep in mind there’s a four-week embargo.”

“Did everyone hear that?”

Aside from a few people who froze, the conversation continued.

Lorentina started subtly probing for more details about the raid, and Eugene’s parents happily started sharing.

At first glance, it seemed like a “can we really talk about this?” situation. But the risk assessment had already been made—they were essentially treating everyone at the table as QA testers or beta testers. This real-time feedback about anything that didn’t quite add up or seemed unrealistic was valuable.

Still, there were no actual issues. There wouldn’t be, of course.

The conversation continued, and so did the meal.

But, of course, there were a few unexpected events.

“Anyone else want to request something?”

“The tutorial for this game is too hard.”

“Hehe, how about a discount if we buy multiple bundles at once?”

“Please, let us buy the old skins for the guns that are no longer available…”

Real ‘gamer’ complaints—again, only those who truly loved the Dark Zone would have come up with these ideas.

Once the conversation opened up, suggestions started pouring in, and Eugene’s parents, with serious faces, began taking notes. The point wasn’t whether the suggestions would be accepted—it was about voicing everything out. The people in front of them were the ones in charge of the Dark Zone, after all.

Then came more answers.

“Actually, we’ve been closely watching the feedback on the Dark Zone tutorial. We even tried it ourselves not long ago. We’ll likely make improvements within two weeks. We’re considering adding a skip feature after the first character and reducing the difficulty for new players…”

“As for bundle pricing and discontinued skins, if you have any good suggestions, we’ll consider them positively. I’ll give you my email, so feel free to send me a report…”

“...Mom, Dad. Your professional instincts are showing.”

“Oh, dear.”

Of course, when it came time for real feedback, the vice president or executive mindset naturally came out. But for the streamers, it was an experience they’d never had before—the sharp, piercing gazes from those who had reached the pinnacle of society were like lasers that could strip bone and flesh. Harmony, Dice, and Hotteok’s group, caught off guard, shivered in their seats.

But that didn’t last long. After showing their more normal side, there was no turning back.

As the night grew deeper, the initial tension Hotteok’s group had felt had long since melted away.

The last day of the yacht tour was drawing to a close.

“…Guys. It’s great that Jin and Rain are back, but why are they coming to me again!? Is it so fun for me to be dragged back to Eugene’s school!?”

“Of course it is, you idiot. Hahaha!”
“Kato can’t be happy! Kato can’t be happy! Kato can’t be happy! Kato can’t be happy! Kato can’t be happy! Kato can’t be happy!”
“The time has come for Kato to pay for his sins after drooling over Mecha Viyam, lol.”
“What did he even do to deserve a reckoning? Lol.”
Meanwhile, thousands of kilometers away in South Korea, Kato couldn’t be happy.

As always.

<ViyamTailThiefKato donated 10,000 KRW! Thank you!>

“Whether I went to Hawaii or not, I was going to get kidnapped by Viyam anyway, so why was I holding my breath when Hotteok’s group was getting kidnapped? Hahaha!”
“...Thanks for the 10,000 won... ughhh….”

“Hahaha, hahahaha!”
“Fact: It’s true.”
“Take it easy, hahaha.”
“If that’s the case, you should have made an impression on Viyam, haha.”
“He got to enjoy Hawaii, a place he’s never been before, did a shark tour with Hotteok, ate delicious food, went on a yacht tour, and just watched as others shot guns? And he couldn’t even enjoy it. Oh well, he was going to be kidnapped by Viyam anyway?”
It was chaotic.

The result of the new Dark Zone PVE raid trailer released at midnight Korean time and the aftermath it caused could be summed up in three words.

And that was the outcome when the "unconfirmed zone escape mode" — Artemis Raid, which Kato was currently playing — collided with Kato’s situation. The outcome was inevitable, especially considering that Kato was one of the nine people who had cleared the "eradication" difficulty Operation Ouroboros after being half-forced into Eugene School.

As always, the high quality of the trailer, which looked like Icarus was spending all its money just making trailers, and at the end... a silhouette of something glowing green and blue.

This could only mean one thing.

Jin and Rain are coming back.

Once again.

“If this was going to happen, I should’ve just gone to Hawaii, shot some guns, and came back…”

“It’s too late now! Hahaha!”
“What a loser hahaha.”
“?? : You had the chance to go to Hawaii, but since you didn’t, we’ll be giving you extra special training instead.”
“Others at least got to enjoy Hawaii before they started Viyam training, but Kato just watched, hahahaha.”
“Kato, let us know when you buy stocks so we know not to buy them.”
A bombardment of facts hit Kato.

What’s more, Eugene was returning to Korea in just a few days. He was already way past late. And to make matters worse, according to the stream so far… Eugene had provided everything to the three who departed: round-trip flight tickets, 5-star hotel room bookings, and even this yacht tour.

There were many other things, but to sum it up simply:

Kato was a loser.

“...Well, what’s done is done, guys. Let’s talk about the trailer. I wonder if Jin and Rain will remember me…”

“The loser won’t be remembered hahaha.”
“Kato trying to change the subject, loser Kato! Cut!!”
“From the new raid description under the trailer, it looks like Dagger Team won’t directly participate in the combat, maybe they’ll act as NPCs?”
“Living point) It also said that Jin and Rain’s dialogues will differ depending on the player.”
“Kato trying to act like he knows Mecha Viyam, hahaha.”
A barrage of mockery began again, but Kato’s mind was focused elsewhere.

Among the many comments flying by like machine-gun fire, there was one that stood out, and as he checked the translated version himself, he understood the result. Jin and Rain, in the Unconfirmed Zone Escape Mode raid — they would most likely answer differently depending on whether the players had played Operation Ouroboros or not.

It was effectively official.

‘...Whether I like it or not, people are going to flock to the Ouroboros Raid, so I’ll have to carry the ones who still haven’t cleared it while capturing the raid leader until then.’

When Eugene returns and the new raid is released, it was certain that Kato would be dragged along.

Since hell was already on the horizon, it was better to do what he wanted until then, right?

Thinking this, Kato leaned back in the virtual reality chair and added:

“Sigh, I don’t know. It’ll work out somehow. You all just watch me stumble around again and laugh.”

“Hahaha.”
“Koi just gave up lol.”
“KatoGraph is just a walking comedy show lol.”
“The end of someone tangled with Eugene hahaha.”
“????? : I’ll become the clown.”
KatoGraph.

He was a man who gave up quickly.

It was just another day.