I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 630

"Everyone seems to be sleeping very soundly. While on vacation, I would sometimes be invited to the homes of team members who were already married, and I would see scenes like this. Kids tend to nap a lot."

"...I hate to say this, but don't you think the wife might feel a bit uncomfortable when a senior visits their home?"

"That's not really a surprising question. I've been through it several times, so it doesn’t really bother me. Besides, they have an excuse ready before they get in trouble."

"What’s the excuse?"

"They say, ‘That person can flip a nuclear power plant with their bare hands, so how can we possibly seduce someone like that?’ Hahaha!"

"Cough..."

...Somehow, there seems to be a touch of hardship hidden in the joke, or maybe not, it’s hard to say.

Well, it’s not like Lorentina would suddenly become interested in late romance, though it’s possible. But then again, I’ve known her for quite a while, and if there had been any signs of that, I would have noticed by now.

I chuckled at the shark's words, forcing a bitter smile as I checked to see if the laughter would carry into the house. The time was around 3 PM, and it was the perfect time for a nap.

Neither the shark nor I would sleep, but the three of us, having had a fun three-hour swim, had unknowingly burned off some fat and were now sprawled out and peacefully napping in the house.

‘Well, after a morning workout and a big lunch, feeling sleepy is pretty natural.’

It reminded me of a similar event from the past. I don’t quite remember when exactly it was though.

I could have slept if I wanted to, but Lorentina stopped me this time. Normally, she lets me do whatever, but since she was stopping me, it was probably related to work, so I accepted without hesitation.

We were on the penthouse balcony now, with me lying on a sunbed and Lorentina lounging in the balcony pool, chatting.

"If you visit other people's homes too often, the kids' standards will just keep getting higher, especially when it comes to looks."

"This isn’t really something the youngest should be saying with confidence, though."

"...Yeah, I guess so."

"Anyway, the youngest raised everyone’s standards, but doesn't really take responsibility for it, does he? Just let it be. I don’t know who made this body like this, but we should enjoy what we can."

...As expected, the shark sure lives off entertainment, huh?

Looking at it, Lorentina’s self-awareness definitely felt different from others. Plus, it was so solid and unyielding, it was hard to measure its degree.

As I thought about this, chatting with her, the atmosphere slowly calmed down, and I met the shark’s red eyes. She was probably waiting for something to come out of my mouth.

But I had no idea what it was.

‘...I’m pretty sure this is work-related.’

I hadn’t checked my inbox in a while, so I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say.

Considering it was work, it was likely related to why Lorentina had come to Korea, so it would probably be about training... With the expo approaching, I figured it might be about that.

Once I figured that out, I decided to ask her.

"...Is this about the expo or something?"

"Nice guess. 70 points."

"Anyway, the humanoids will be patrolling on their own, and there will be drones, so... it’s more likely that you won’t be able to come due to training, right? So what is it?"

"Hehe, Eugene. Your way of thinking is a bit outdated. Let me give you a hint: try thinking the opposite."

...The opposite?

Where exactly should I think the opposite? Given that Lorentina suggested thinking the opposite, it was most likely about my previous statement.

If I assumed the statement "I won’t be able to come because of training" was true, the inverse wouldn’t necessarily hold, but it should still work in the contrapositive. If it’s not because of training, then she could come. But Lorentina wouldn’t be telling me to think in reverse just for that.

So, could it be... that training is the reason she might come?

Wait a minute!

Hold on!!!

"No way, no way, no waaaay!!"

"Hahaha! That’s the reaction I wanted, youngest! Exactly what I was hoping for! Ahahaha, this is a masterpiece!"

"Wait a minute. I haven’t heard a word until now!?"

"Of course you haven’t. The expo itself isn’t something you’re in charge of, right? So there’s no need for our seal friends in Korea to negotiate with you."

"Well, that’s true..."

Thinking it through, she was right.

I’m not the one in charge of the Dark Zone Expo. That’s more up to Icarus International, and my parents’ influence will certainly play a big part in that.

In other words, the expo couldn’t happen without me, but that doesn’t mean I’m involved in every single process of organizing it.

So, where would the seal friends from Jinhae go to negotiate? Of course, they’d send emails to Icarus, not to me.

As I was processing this, Lorentina added:

"I heard that this time the expo will be at the lowest part of Songdo International City. Among the four large buildings there, they’re seriously considering using Building D, the large exhibition hall, as the training ground."

"...From the way you're speaking, it seems like the procedural issues have already been resolved. How did that happen?"

"They decided to use the entire training session as a military android advertisement for Icarus. The combat will be done using MILES, and Icarus International has agreed to cover the expected building damage costs. Thanks to that, the negotiations went smoothly."

"Just make sure to get proper consent in advance and block any unauthorized access around the area. It should be a decent advertisement."

I nodded along.

When I thought about it, neither side really had much to lose.

For the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, since Icarus is covering the building damage costs, there won’t be any headaches about repairs. For Icarus International, it’s another chance to skyrocket their humanoid robot sales, which are already flying off the shelves.

For the UDT soldiers participating in the training, it’s a great opportunity too. They’ll be able to gain urban combat experience without any distractions.

In the end, everything was going pretty smoothly.

‘...Compared to the chaos in Los Angeles, Lincoln Heights, back in 2019, this is a lot better.’

It was exactly on February 3rd or 4th, 2019, I think.

Anyway, on a Monday night, the U.S. Army conducted a series of urban combat drills without any prior notice, and thousands of Los Angeles residents were startled by the sounds of helicopters flying low, gunshots, and explosions.

‘Mock invasion drills’ weren’t that uncommon in the U.S. In 2013, armored vehicles mounted with machine guns patrolled Boston, and in 2014, thousands of U.S. Marines conducted drills in Los Angeles.

In 2015, there was the "Jade Helm 15" exercise in Southern states, and in 2016, the Air National Guard held mock invasion drills in Tampa, Florida...

There were no proper announcements, and chaos broke out, with thousands of calls to 911 from frightened citizens who thought they were witnessing a real attack.

All of that came from stories I heard from the shark.

"Anyway, that's what happened. I thought you'd be contacted once the schedule was confirmed, but it seems like it’s not entirely finalized yet."

"Well, you don’t need to notify me about how the operation will proceed, but I’ll need to know when and how long the facilities will be occupied... Anyway, I guess we should enjoy it. Jin, Rain, Mav, Nasty—everyone will get VIP seats."

"As for Gaia... that’s up to you, youngest. It seems like there might be some related talk during this expo."

"You're sharp."

Anyway, thanks to the shark, I was able to get some expo-related information more quickly than I would have otherwise.

I briefly wondered if I could send out the mech Biams to deal with the UDT and shark, but that was probably impossible. It was just a silly daydream.

I didn’t really have much to say. I just hoped everything would end safely without anyone getting hurt.

Of course, the shark had different thoughts in mind.

"Wouldn’t it be fun to take those friends sleeping over there to Jinhae?"

"Please stop with the crazy talk."

I knew it was coming. Seriously.

No more kidnapping!

"...Ugh, no...!"

"I don't want to be dragged off..."

"Shark's coming...!"

And from tens of meters away at the Biyam house, in the bedroom.

The improvements from becoming a Manifestor were always accompanied by warnings, something that would show up at any time.

It was just an ordinary day.

"Oh, right. I was walking around recently and saw a message in the company messenger, and there was something I couldn’t ignore."

"What is it? Could it be some special incentive?"

"Not really. It’s not that special. How should I put it... To put it simply, it looks like Stella Universe has been quite interested in Iris."

"I have no idea what you mean."

Shortly after, somewhere in virtual reality.

In a room where three similar Biams were gathered, the discussion continued without any risk of leaking. This was a highly private matter, and they were far from the outside world.

The three students of Stella Universe, who had recently been riding high on the Biyam concept - Sonia, Salus, and Evelyn.

Leading this discussion was Sonia.

"From what I can gather, the message said ‘Iris didn’t join.’ It seems that either it was an advertisement or she didn't join Stella Universe, but something seems off."

"...That’s unexpected. If it’s about the ad, there’s no need. I guess it’s more likely about the latter? But even then... doesn’t it seem pointless? She’s doing just fine already. She could easily get a schedule manager."

"Well, you know what they say... You have to strike while the iron’s hot, right? Why not give it a try?"

"That’s something you say when you want to shut down an opportunity rather than pass it on, Salus."

The three students reflected on their time since joining Stella Universe, realizing this wasn’t as unrealistic as it might have seemed.

Hologram idols, like those in Stella Universe, usually gave up around 50% of their earnings, and if they were popular enough, this number could drop to 40% or even less.

The reason was simple. Once selected through an audition, the company provided all the support necessary for the debut, but that came with a hefty fee.

On the other hand, those recruited from outside without any support received a far more favorable deal.

"Honestly, with the company bringing in ads and managers, you wouldn't need that. Just being under Eugene would mean they'd line up to request ads for you."

"True, but honestly, Iris could’ve passed any audition and made it to the top. She hit 200K subscribers in less than half a year."

"I heard her avatar and accessories were made by her friends... But even then, it’s hard to keep the concept while applying it in streaming."

"Exactly. It’s tough to get used to the avatar, let alone the tone of speech..."

The hologram idols’ struggles, and Iris—who managed to overcome them—had come so far in her career. This success had made the others want to collaborate with her.

Even though the Biyam concept was widespread, only a few had succeeded without self-satisfaction, but Iris had managed to make it work, albeit not completely on her own.

However, just two weeks ago, Iris had surpassed 1.5 million subscribers, and any chance of joining them was now a distant dream. They couldn’t help but feel that way.

And now, their focus turned to the crucial point—how could they get back in touch with Iris?

???Beep beep beep!

"Whoa, what’s going on?"

"It’s a message from above. Since everyone’s gathered, we should probably take a video call."

"Is something happening? I hope it’s something good."

They accepted the call.

On the other end, a mysterious figure appeared, and their voice, completely contrasting the ominous atmosphere, filled the room.

"Oh, the three students are all gathered. That’s great. You know, it’s always nice when you get along so well. Anyway, I have something to pass on to all of you directly."

"What’s going on, boss? From the sound of it, it doesn’t seem like something bad."

"Right, right. It’s not bad at all... but it might be a bit hard to handle if you can’t handle a slightly horror-like atmosphere."

"Horror game? Don’t tell me it’s a collaboration on a horror game ad or something. I’m terrible with that kind of stuff."

"How about we calm down and listen first? We haven’t even heard what it is yet, Evelyn."

"Good point, Sonia. You really are the break of the group."

Clearing their throats, the person on the other end continued.

"Let’s get straight to the point. It’s about Eugene’s team. His schedule manager made a request for a game they want to try with you three."

"Whoa-!"

"Ah, of course. We have no choice but to bow down to the goddess serving the gods..."

"...Forget what I just said, Sonia. Anyway, here’s the important part. The game Iris requested."

Suddenly, four English letters appeared in the air, with the genre below them—FPS, horror, and cooperative. Four people were shown, stepping into the grotesque world, preparing to crush bizarre creatures.

Going in, Tracking it, Finding it, and Out—abbreviated as GTFO.

A hardcore horror FPS that Iris had picked, with intricate interactions and cult-like popularity among certain fans.

As expected, it didn’t take long for someone to speak.

"...Iris, that’s a pretty hardcore taste..."

No one disagreed or countered.

The three of them had been dragged into a suspicious underground facility just a day before.