I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 677

"<...The weather has become much warmer. I don't think this is good news for Lauren, though.>"

"That's not something you need to worry about, kid... at least, not yet. But maybe soon it will be something you'll have to think about. Not in a good way, though."

"Maybe... that could be the case."

Central Park HQ, March 1st.

The bitter cold had passed, a season that had both killed many and shown how vulnerable humans become when modern systems—the very foundation of our society—are stripped away. Central Park had moved into the early days of March, after surviving the harsh, unmarked January and February. As for me, someone who had never set foot in America, who had barely passed the English test back in Korea with a grade of 2nd class in the College Scholastic Ability Test, it had now been six weeks since I arrived in the U.S.

To survive, to communicate, and to avoid disadvantages, I studied English with the desperate resolve to overcome it. Words that I couldn’t understand before became clearer, and though I still stammered, I could somehow convey my thoughts.

Today, March 2nd, which would have been the day in Korea, marked the passing of a day when the ancestors, who had never lost the longing for independence under any hardship, once shouted "Hooray!" On the opposite side of the world, modern people would lament the end of the holiday.

But the world—and the atmosphere around us—kept growing increasingly turbulent, with no sign of improvement.

"<Strictly speaking, Central Park hasn’t gotten worse. But when things get a little better, new things come into focus. Like the situation around here.>"

"...Ah."

"Documents that used to vanish from somewhere in the headquarters due to lack of administrative power are slowly surfacing. And we... we found out that the situation around here is worse than we thought."

I understood the gist of it, but still, following the speed of a native speaker was nearly impossible. I was desperately running the conversation back in my head. Lauren’s words were particularly hard to grasp.

She often used several archaic... and difficult words. Her rich vocabulary and excellent explanation skills meant I frequently missed words with my poor listening skills.

Anyway, I wasn’t supposed to be hearing this in the first place, but the reason she was explaining all of this to me was simple. After accepting Lauren’s offer not long ago, I had officially gone through the necessary procedures.

The purpose of those procedures was simple. I had joined Central Park in a way that felt somewhat like the MAVNI program.

In other words, simply put, I was now serving in the military, getting U.S. citizenship in the process.

Opening her laptop, Lauren added casually as she handled a few tasks.

"<If you change your mind now... oh, but that’s pointless to say. You already know it’s too late, and there’s an endless list of things to handle. So you’d better develop the ability to handle those troublesome situations as quickly as possible.>"

"...I’ll try."

"Of course. Now, let’s get moving. We have a lot to do today. The main thing is for you to wear the Icarus Gear... but there's also a new resident, and they might be able to give you another excellent military training."

"Ah, the other Alpha-class mutant you mentioned a couple of days ago?"

"Good memory."

I certainly remembered. Among all the things I could wonder about, this one was a no-brainer.

If I hadn’t been so tired, I probably would have asked Lauren about it sooner. Much sooner… but I didn’t need to beat around the bush. I was just genuinely curious, nothing more.

The key point is that I was that curious about the other mutants.

Moreover, these mutants were based on different animals, so I was a little curious about who would come next. I had heard Lauren was based on a shark. I couldn’t see it, but they said she had gills on her neck.

...Was a shark really someone with white hair and red eyes? Could you even call that a shark?

But there was no need to get hung up on such details. After all, we lived in a world where a person could suddenly change their gender from male to female, so this was just another rule-bending occurrence that ignored physical laws and thermodynamics.

I decided to just accept it.

Anyway, it was time to move on, and instead of thinking about the cold, I was now thinking about how cool the weather felt. The breath that had poured out like a waterfall just days ago had lessened dramatically.

Our destination today was a restricted area—specifically a highly classified section that few people could enter.

Walking with Lauren, I spoke up about one thing that had been bothering me.

"...By the way, I’m from Korea. Is it really okay for me to be entrusted with something like this?"

"That point was a concern too... but right now, the control of the gear is not in the user's hands. And the guys from the 107th Military Police Battalion have already given a detailed report about how you helped in Brooklyn."

"...Ah...."

"Did that tail mesmerize you?"

"No!!"

What was that even supposed to mean?

And by the way, this tail... in terms of visuals, it was probably more of a disadvantage! People love fluffy creatures like dogs or cats, but there aren’t many who like reptiles!

Whether she knew what I was thinking or not, I was soon facing the familiar faces of the security gate workers, who had already gotten used to seeing me. Our appearance was our identity, so there were no special procedures.

Of course, we had to go through the virus check before entering.

We were now close to the Ark construction area.

The work wasn’t fully finished yet, but it wasn’t a major issue. The Ark was meant to excavate specific spaces for particular purposes, and after digging them out, they would connect power lines, water, and gas. So, even though excavation work was happening, the highly classified areas were operating just fine.

While descending slowly in the elevator, I couldn’t help but ask:

"...Is it painful to wear the gear? It looks like it would hurt a lot."

"It does hurt. But strictly speaking, it’s me who experienced the pain first. I started the process, and the scientists will refine the initial energy levels of the gear based on the strain on my body. You might not feel as much pain."

"...Is that so?"

"Based on the strain on mutants’ bodies, they’ll eventually make it safer for regular people to wear the gear. You probably should’ve accepted my suggestion a bit later."

"Ah."

A backstory like that.

But then again, it meant that the data they used came from someone else’s pain… and that was a little unsettling. The only thing I could do was thank Lauren for this.

The elevator doors opened, revealing a very rough corridor. The temporary closure was obvious, but at least the air conditioning was working, and the corridor was reasonably ventilated.

The destination was a large experimental area ahead.

There were no special security recognition devices, and the door opened automatically.

"...You’ve been here too, right, Lauren?"

"Of course."

No further words were necessary.

As soon as the door opened, dozens of scientists who were busy moving around among countless devices—most of which I’d never understand the purpose of—looked at me.

The room resembled an isolation ward. It was a large room that had been divided into two parts by a thick, glass-like wall.

I was probably meant to go into the isolated area.

And sure enough, less than a minute later, I was in the isolation room.

"Welcome, Eugene. I’m Dr. Joseph Finn, the lead researcher who will assist with the gear-wearing process and monitor your physical signals in real-time. Relax, and is your dominant hand your right one?"

"...Yes."

"We’ll fit the gear on your left hand."

He gave a small signal with his finger.

At that moment, the isolation room door opened, and someone entered with a small box. I briefly wondered if it was a Legion agent, but unfortunately, it wasn’t someone assigned to me anymore.

The box was surprisingly heavy, and it was placed on the table.

A black box with the logo of a phoenix rising from flames was placed in front of me. While I stared at it blankly, the agent and Dr. Joseph placed their fingers on a sensor and entered a password.

Now, it was my turn.

"To prove that you are opening the gear box of your own volition, we’ll start the fingerprint registration process. Are you ready, Eugene?"

"..."

I silently placed my finger on the sensor.

With a buzzing sound, the sensor blinked green, and the lock mechanism inside the box released with a hissing noise. Inside, several objects resembling watches—about four or five different types—appeared.

Should I choose one? I swallowed hard and carefully selected the black metal-strapped watch.

What kind of function could be inside this for it to be so strictly kept?

As soon as I took the watch out, the box clicked shut again, and everyone in the room—including me—opened their mouths, clearly tense.

"This is the Icarus Gear, equipped with a small nuclear fusion reactor. We’ll begin the wearing and user registration process now. Brace yourself."

"...This... really... does it hurt?"

"I don’t know for sure, but I just hope it doesn’t."

With a swift motion, the strap was undone and placed around my left wrist, then fastened tightly. In that moment, it felt like the watch had fused with my wrist.

And then—

• [DNA recognition starting. Automatically collecting the wearer’s DNA.]

• [Body scan in progress... Height 172cm, Weight 205kg.]

• [Matching the wearer’s data with the database... Eugene Lee, U.S. citizen confirmed. Social Security number lookup in progress. Starting Icarus operator registration and issue of registration number.]

• [Nanomachine body compatibility test in progress... Extremely good. Starting nanomachine adaptation process. This process may involve pain, and spinal thalamic tract function may be slightly slowed to suppress pain.]

• [Calculating the time needed for body enhancement through nanomachines... This process generally takes about a month. During this time, physical capabilities will increase by up to 45%.]

• [Scanning the nervous and circulatory systems. Measuring blood pressure... Estimated 180/110mmHg. Capillaries and arteries confirmed to be able to handle this pressure.]

• [Identifying additional capillary clusters that are not found in humans. It is suspected that these are used to regulate blood pressure within safe limits.]

• [Nanomachine release starting.]

"...Ugh? Ow? Wait, my arm is starting to hurt—"

"We’re monitoring the pain adaptation process in real-time. Four hours remaining. I’ll leave painkillers here. If it becomes unbearable, please request sleep gas."

"Ahhh, Lauren tricked meeee!"

In that moment, my left arm burned, and a light erupted.

It was the beginning of a long, painful ordeal.

"Ugh...!"

"Looks like it’s really painful."

"My left arm hurts so much...."

Central Park HQ, 4:30 PM.

As the sun began to set, I was walking with Lauren back to the Alpha-class mutants' dormitory, frowning.

My left arm was throbbing relentlessly. It hurt a lot. What should I compare it to? It felt like I’d had surgery on my hand. Only now, it seemed like the painkillers weren’t quite doing the job anymore. I could tell this would seriously affect my daily life.

I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to sleep in this condition, but fortunately, Lauren had said that with the spinal adjustment, I should be able to sleep well, even if it was just temporary.

But there was something interesting that Lauren and the researchers had raised.

"Since your left arm is hurting so much, what about training that long tail so you can use it in daily life?"

"...I don’t know. Is that even possible? I’ve always thought of it as just a decoration. I’ve never once imagined using it to grab something...."

"In Korea, there’s a saying: ‘You don’t lose by trying.’ If things go well, you might get a third hand."

"Two hands are enough, but... I don't know how much a third one would help, honestly."

The suggestion to use the tail for something more than decoration.

But other than myself, no other mutants had this, so I had no idea what to do with it. What did it even feel like to move a tail?

Sadly, right now... and probably for the rest of my life, there wouldn’t be anyone who could give me advice on how to move my tail. I was my own Columbus.

The awkward situation was relieved a little as I focused on the tail, and by practicing how to move it, I could distract myself from the pain in my left arm.

A sudden scream escaped my mouth.

"Was that really such a sensitive spot?"

"No, no. I just got surprised."

Lauren had just brushed the tail with her finger.

I was startled and screamed. Later, I learned that it was some kind of muscle-mind connection exercise... but I could see how it would help to feel the movement while doing it.

Anyway, moving the tail was a bit tricky. It wasn’t easy to move the tail in the direction I wanted without seeing it. I guess I’d need to improve my spatial awareness.

By now, we had reached the mutants’ dormitory, where we were getting quite familiar with the place. Apparently, they would soon reassemble the shabby building to make it more proper... but Lauren seemed skeptical about that. I felt the same.

What mattered today was something else.

"...Phew."

"Why are you nervous about everything?"

"Who’s the new one? Are you really not going to tell me?"

"Heh, it’s more fun that way."

"Ugh...."

Today, I would finally meet a new mutant other than Lauren and me.

The only thing Lauren had told me was that this person worked in the same field, which is why they would share the same floor. She hadn’t told me whether they were male or female, what animal they were based on, or how old they were.

I stood by the door, feeling my heart pounding. The glass was blocked, so I couldn’t see inside.

How much time had passed?

I opened the door.

"...Wow."

The person who appeared was nothing like I had expected.

It was, of course, a woman. Her fluffy hair looked like bird feathers, and her yellow eyes were the first thing I noticed. Right after, I spotted a tail feather-like structure on top of her head.

Her clothes were tight, almost bursting...

She was taller than me, and looked like a bird of prey.

I was taken aback for a moment and finally spoke.

"...An owl."

"...You should introduce yourself when you meet someone, you little rascal. I didn’t expect you to guess it right away. I’m Olivia."

"Ah, e-hello. My name is Eugene..."

"I’ve heard a lot about you from Shark. Let’s get along from now on."

I didn’t know exactly why, but I had a feeling I could get along with this person.

It was an afternoon where I wondered if all mutants looked this beautiful.

"<...Lauren.>"

"What's up?"

"That one’s really cute. I think I’m developing some maternal instincts."

"Ha!"

A few hours later, evening.

Lauren learned that Olivia had a particular fondness for Eugene.

What consequences this would lead to, no one knew.