I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 682

“…Hmm. If I do it this way and that way… Ah, done. I was a bit thrown off by this new gun, but its internal structure is definitely the same as most others. It's not that hard, heh heh.”

“…Oh, really?”

“It’s only been 5 minutes since you taught me, and I’m already getting the hang of it. I feel so at ease. I still remember how we spent days just learning the basics of handling a gun in basic training…”

"Is that all? One of my classmates once stuck his finger in the chamber and broke his index finger while the instructor wasn’t looking. Thinking about it now, it makes me want to lose my mind, honestly."

"Uh..."

...Well, actually, we have people like that in the Korean military too.

I once saw a buddy in basic training back in the day, clumsily mishandling a gun and getting dirt in the muzzle, causing us to get extra punishment. That was a great lesson in itself.

Also, I wouldn’t want to talk down on the U.S. military, but it's true that 5% of geniuses lead 95% of fools, and with the number of fools handling firearms in the military, it’s no surprise that things go wrong sometimes.

Of course, there are also plenty of people who are already proficient with firearms before joining, but I guess that's expected in a country where guns are legal from the start.

Anyway, both Lorenatina and Olivia are looking quite pleased with me.

The reason is simple. The disassembly and reassembly of the XM7 rifle I just received—well, I hesitate to call it "received"—was relatively easy. It was a nice change compared to the time spent learning the basics of live fire earlier today.

The real reason they were impressed was probably because I was able to do the disassembly and reassembly without them teaching me anything, but well... it was a pretty simple task.

It wasn’t a bullpup-style weapon with a magazine at the back… what was it called? A bullpup-style gun, or something like that? It wasn’t anything that fancy, and the internal mechanics are quite similar across most rifles anyway.

That seemed to catch their attention.

However, that was as far as my capabilities went.

In the U.S., there are all sorts of firearm accessories you won’t ever see in Korea, and these two women went on endlessly explaining everything about them as if they knew everything there was to know.

"An EOTech holographic sight. It's been proven reliable, though there was that lawsuit a while ago over reliability issues... but still, it's a fantastic piece of equipment."

"Sufire M600B Scoutlight? It's practically an antique by now. I’ve never used one. I don't usually use carbine rifles - short-barreled rifles - but how about you introduce CQB accessories instead?"

"True, PJs are usually deployed in open areas. Not that they don't get sent into big cities, though."

Things I once only knew as vertical grips or similar were now revealed to have so many names, it was kind of mind-blowing.

And that wasn’t even the end of it. Firearm accessories were endless. From sights mounted on the top of the gun, to lasers and flashlights mounted on the barrel, muzzle attachments, triggers, grips, stocks, and even magazines.

It felt like we were entering an age where you could replace any part of a firearm with exactly what you wanted.

But I quickly learned that wasn't even the most surprising part.

I always thought bullets were just generic items made in factories, but I realized that even bullets of the same caliber were produced in countless different factories, and there were high-grade and low-grade ones. I also learned that match-grade ammunition existed, specifically made for shooting sports or killing people, and they were quite distinct from each other.

And that’s when I understood why everyone in modern warfare doesn’t just use fancy-looking guns.

"Anyway, you don’t need to worry about the small stuff. Let’s focus on getting you used to the firearms first. You need to shoot often when you can. Getting used to the noise, recoil, and smell of gunpowder is the first goal for today."

"The ammunition’s pretty standard… and the new shooting range we built inside the restricted area is ready, so I’ll do my best to teach you. Let’s start with some dry fire."

"Yeah."

Click, click.

The .277 Fury rounds I had brought to the soldiers in Brooklyn were larger than my index finger.

Opening the box, I took several rounds about the size of a person's finger and loaded them one by one into the magazine. The sound of the metal clicking into place strangely calmed me down. The only thing that bothered me was the smell of the bullets.

I already knew the basics of handling a firearm and remembered the safety rules very well. Honestly, it was hard to forget them. Whether it was an instructor or a sergeant, there was always someone watching us closely to make sure we didn’t mess up.

• Always set the safety before shooting.
• Never put your finger in the trigger guard before you’re ready to shoot.
• Don’t aim at anyone unless absolutely necessary.

That was pretty much all you needed to know to prevent 90% of accidents.

The first shot was a sighting shot. I had a rough idea of how it worked. Lie down, shoot at a target set at a certain distance, and adjust the sights based on the bullet group.

The only problem was I didn’t know how to adjust sights on the various dot sights, but I figured they’d help me out. Eventually, I’d learn how to handle everything on my own.

One thing surprised me though:

"...Wait, is this gun really this light?"

"With all the attachments and a fully loaded magazine, it’s about 5kg. But at this point, weight doesn’t really matter. The recoil should be nearly nonexistent for you."

"Is that so?"

"Before adjusting the sights, why not try a few rapid-fire shots? Go ahead, give it a try."

…That’s okay, right?

Well, they gave me permission, so I shouldn’t worry. I simply changed the selector switch to "auto" with some awkward movements.

Back when I was in the military, I never had a chance to try rapid-fire, but I thought maybe it’d be fine here. I aimed at the target and focused on the holographic sight.

Just as I placed my finger on the trigger, a hologram appeared right in front of me.

It was the Icarus Gear.

• [Firing assistance program now running. This message will only appear the first time it's activated.]
• [Displaying the trajectory of the muzzle and predicted impact points.]
• [Noise cancellation and intercom amplification activated to prevent hearing damage.]
• [Breathing assist started. Optimizing heart rate and breathing pattern... installing data directly into the body. More information and theory can be reviewed later.]

As it said, all the sounds around me suddenly faded, and I carefully applied pressure to the trigger.

At that moment, I realized just how much of a cheat code this body was.

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!

Dozens of bullets flew without any recoil.

My 200kg body absorbed the recoil effortlessly, stabilizing it, and my overwhelming forearm strength easily handled the vertical recoil from the gunpowder explosion.

The first shot made the muzzle rise slightly, but from then on, the bullet groups were tightly grouped, almost like lasers. This slight horizontal recoil was no problem at all.

I was so amazed that I didn’t stop pulling the trigger until the 40-round magazine was empty, and when the gun stopped ejecting bullets and only emitted the pungent smell of gunpowder, I lowered the weapon and glanced at the two.

They were both chuckling, obviously amused.

"Well, of course. I was like that too."

"In theory, bigger calibers are better, as long as there’s no issue with recoil, noise, or ammunition storage... But now that I’m feeling it again, I’m nostalgic about it."

"Let’s just call it a win. I’m looking forward to teaching you more."

…They sounded a bit sinister, but I couldn’t tell if that was just my imagination.

I decided to stay quiet and pull the charging handle a few more times. Checking the chamber, I confirmed there were no rounds left and moved closer to the two.

With satisfied expressions, they even gave me a round of applause and patted my head.

"Honestly, it’d be strange if you weren’t an operator. You’ve got all the basic hardware. If you keep up the effort, you’ll be able to perform well in the field soon enough."

"...That’s a bit much."

"If the Eagle Team heard that, they’d be green with envy."

Was that so?

Well, it’s said that being too humble can be bad luck, so instead of continuing to protest, I decided to stay quiet.

I waited for the next sighting shot—only to find that the two of them had come up with something else to do.

"How about we check how your stamina is after shooting?"

"That sounds good. How about starting with a run around Central Park in full gear?"

"…Wait, isn’t that something you only do when you’ve messed up?"

"This isn’t punishment, it’s a training exercise for operators."

What was I supposed to say about that?

Still, I had no choice.

I learned that running around Central Park was about a 10km loop, and I realized that about 30 minutes ago.

"…Yujin?"

"Captain Parkson!?"

And while running around Central Park in full gear, I finally ran into a familiar face. It was truly a relief that nothing had happened in the meantime.

"Nice to meet you. I’m Captain Edward Parkson of the 107th Military Police Company, 104th Military Police Battalion, New York National Guard. It’s an honor to meet the hero who helped retake the UN Headquarters."

"The hero of Brooklyn, huh. I heard our little snake has been indebted to you. Please call me Lorenatina."

"I’m Olivia. I’ve heard a lot about you. You’ve had a tough time."

"That’s thanks to the honor of the youngest member of our unit, ha ha. Without this kid, we wouldn’t have made it this far to Central Park. A truly remarkable person. Strong in the face of adversity."

Why did things turn out this way?

The reason I was saying this now was simple... I was unexpectedly caught between Captain Parkson and the two mutants having their first meeting.

It wasn’t impossible. The meeting between the mutants and the Captain didn’t happen in an alpha-class mutant accommodation or restricted zone but in a Central Park coffee shop, of all places. I had no idea how it had survived, but it did.

Anyway, as you can see, I was just trying to keep a low profile. From here on, it was clearly an adult conversation. A youngling like me should stay quiet.

"I know the content of the emergency directive distributed to all units around Central Park. I can guess what your positions are... I trust you’ll teach them well."

"Of course. I wouldn’t want this cute kid to die somewhere. The mom of the unit will teach them well."

"...Mom? Where’s the mom?"

"That would be you."

"Seriously, what kind of nonsense are you talking, you damn fool!?"

...Well, that was a bit too much. But I couldn’t really argue against it. Olivia had been the one taking care of me the most recently. Although it did seem like she might have been mixing in a little personal interest, I figured if I had a problem with it, she wouldn’t have done it.

The atmosphere, however, shifted in a different direction. Olivia, who had just been playfully laughing about being called "mom," was now sitting next to me, hugging me, and gently patting my head as I was calming down. It felt... peaceful.

As the conversation gradually came to a close, I couldn’t help but reflect on the complexities of my current situation. This was all technically part of the job, with the higher-ups having officially approved it, but it was clear that Captain Parkson wasn't quite in the same situation.

He looked me over briefly and then added:

"Your English has improved a lot, Yujin. I’m glad to see you’re following my last order, though I have to say... I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. You’re now walking a thorny path."

"...It’s a tough road, but thanks to the soldiers, I made it this far to Central Park. Now it’s my turn to repay the favor."

"I hope that spirit doesn’t falter. And... remember, history has always been written in blood. The important thing is not wasting the time and resources bought with others' blood. You, of all people, should understand that."

I closed my lips as he spoke.

"I have a lot more to say, but as you mentioned before you left Brooklyn... time is the most valuable resource right now. I hope you don’t waste it. Just like the 107th Military Police saved your life, you too will do the same for them."

"...Yes."

"I’ll see you later."

With that, he stood up.

It felt a bit awkward to say this, but I could faintly sense the fatigue that was embedded in his voice.

When he disappeared, Lorenatina, who had been watching his back, added:

"He’s a good person. Responsibility is a virtue that’s hard to find in these chaotic times. You’ve met a good one, Yujin."

"Yes, he’s a very good person."

"In America, they say that when someone dies, ‘God wanted him close, so He called him early.’ I hope that doesn’t happen now, though."

"..."

"It’s from experience. Too many comrades have been taken away by God."

Lorenatina's words carried a deep sadness.

I wondered what kind of experiences they had gone through to get here. Everyone had their own story. I couldn’t help but think that my future self might have to prevent someone from ending their story prematurely.

Or, perhaps not my future self, but rather my near future.

I just hoped that I would be well-prepared when that time came.

And, of course, the events I had feared came to pass quicker than expected.

The sunlight pouring down from the sky grew increasingly harsh, and by the time I learned more about the delicate matters at hand... around a month later, we received news that some of the 107th Military Police, who had been assigned to a supply mission, had gotten caught in a firefight.

It was when I was first assigned to the emergency strike team.