I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 227 – Dagger Team Again

—

-[Laurentina: I was too lenient.]

-[Morganandwine: You should’ve ditched that insane hammer earlier and picked up a sword. You know what I’m talking about, right?]

“Damn it, take the control of the avatar and fight the next match yourselves. These damned folks.”

It was so noisy, it was driving me crazy.

As soon as the first scrim ended, a horde of backseat gamers swarmed in. They talked as if they could split mountains and part seas with just a word.

But it was true that I needed to ease the tension. Even though it was VR, my hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Maybe it was because it had been so long since I experienced combat close to the real thing, or perhaps I was straining every ounce of my energy to show a good performance after so long.

Maybe it was because the excitement hadn’t worn off yet, but I couldn’t help but respond to their nonsense. I had just faced off with someone wielding a tomahawk capable of nearly 230 horsepower with a mere punch – of course, I wasn’t incapable of that level of destruction either.

The moment I snapped back, everything went silent.

Except for that damned shark.

-[Laurentina: North Carolina gentlemen sure are delicate. Since polar bears are good swimmers, how about coming to Virginia Beach, where it makes everyone tough regardless of age or gender?]

“I’d rather go back to West Point than switch to a fish market. Where’s that fishy smell coming from…?”

-[Laurentina: Anacondas, polar bears, all love water but why do they shy away the moment DEVGRU is mentioned? Is Delta giving brainwashing education these days?]

When will the recruitment attempts next door ever end?

Anyway, the first round was over. There were still 30 long minutes until the next match started. I could have continued chatting with these spectators, but that wasn’t an option today.

I gave the avatar creation authority to the four spectators. They accepted it with slight pauses, and avatars began appearing around me…

Are these people not interested in customizing avatars at all?

“Everyone knows what ‘avatar’ means, right?”

“I know that using your real appearance is also a form of an avatar.”

“…That’s true.”

Of course, that wasn’t what I meant.

After a brief hesitation, instead of adding embellishments, I took a short breath and smiled.

Except for one person I often hung out with in reality, it was the first time we were meeting formally like this. Originally, we shouldn’t have had any acquaintance.

But at this point of mentioning it, no one here was unaware that it had fallen into a mere IF. Therefore, instead of awkwardness, I included a smile and patted the shoulders of those who had come this far.

“Well, anyway, the reason I gathered you all here isn’t a big deal… focus. We have something to do from now on.”

“Something to do?”

“Of course.”

I pulled up the list of participants in the scrim and scrolled. Among the names made of English words from A to Z, I clicked on a name proudly sitting in the E section. Several UIs popped up. Whisper, friend request, mute, report… there were many options, but only one thing needed to be done.

Session invitation.

It was time to give the joy of reunion with Yoo Jin to those who didn’t know anything yet.

“As I said, it’s no big deal… you should all think about what kind of first greeting to give Yoo Jin.”

“Wait, what? Are you going to call her right now?”

“I never imagined our reunion would be this unceremonious.”

“This time, let’s hope it’s a joke.”

Of course, it wasn’t a joke.

Even as the faces of the four people, who had been making dumbfounded expressions, contorted into brilliant expressions, I was sending a private message to Yoo Jin.

As if not wanting to miss a moment, the situation of immediate responses as soon as the messages were sent continued several times. Even through the simple message window, I could feel the recipient’s anticipation, joy, and restlessness.

Then, making someone wait too long wasn’t a good idea either.

And I had already said my first greeting.

“Alright, then, I’ll invite her.”

“Damn it, what should I say first? Recommend me something good, and I’ll buy you a drink. Please!”

“Of all the people gathered here, is there anyone more distant from elegance? If I knew that, I would’ve gone to the California Institute of the Arts, not the Navy!”

“Typical shark head.”

“What?”

However, it didn’t take long for such a display of commotion to come to an end. The reason didn’t need much explanation.

In an instant, everyone’s attention focused on one point. The mouths that seemed like they’d never stop chattering even until the end of the world suddenly shut as if muzzled, and silence fell over the scene. The eyes that were frozen on a single point squinted and widened repeatedly in a desperate attempt to see better.

It gradually grew larger, forming a specific shape from a simple human form, into the image of a particular person who had never been erased from memory.

No more explanation was needed.

“Jin.”

Someone added briefly. All eyes remained on Yoo Jin.

With tightly closed lips and wandering eyes. No one there didn’t know what it meant, but no one spoke of it.

Leaving Yoo Jin’s reddened eyes behind, everyone silently opened their arms. Many things had happened in the meantime, but not mentioning it was the best consideration they could give.

Watching quietly, Owens was the first to step forward and speak.

“Thank you for staying alive.”

“…Senior Officer….”

There were no further words.

Owens’ shirt was stained black.

—

“Always crying a lot, just like before.”

“You cried the most at the youngest’s funeral, let’s get the facts straight, Mr. Wellerman.”

“I cry when people die. When else would I cry? I wasn’t the only one crying; even that Christopher guy cried his eyes out. Shouldn’t that be taken into account too?”

“Are you out of your mind, grabbing me here and now?”

Huff-huff.

I could hear Yoo Jin’s laughter, which she couldn’t hide, while being held. Christopher, who was holding her, patted her back and laughed with a truly classical tone. It was the result of about ten minutes of relentless consolation.

Morgan, who had been quietly laughing, added.

—

“Is there something… different when you become an awakened being?”

“You don’t need to phrase it so roundabout. If you’re asking if I suddenly become overwhelmed with maternal instincts. Of course, I have nothing to give to any dark-hearted men besides the youngest, so don’t look at me with such impure eyes.”

“Can everyone wait just 10 minutes? I’m going to beat this guy to a pulp and bring back shark fin as a trophy.”

“You sound like a crazed Red Squadron grunt.”

Chuckling.

The more the conversation went on, the louder the laughter coming from my arms grew, and the snake’s tail wagged like a dog. The speed was slower, resembling seaweed waving in the water more than a dog’s tail, but everyone knew it was something Yoo Jin did when she was happy.

Of course, Yoo Jin was a great member of ICARUS… but she was also a beloved mascot and a cherished niece to the Task Force Dagger team uncles.

As the shark mentioned, surrounded by men busy boasting about their testosterone levels, Yoo Jin’s presence naturally stood out. Even Christopher and Logan, despite their different appearances and genders, couldn’t escape the deeply ingrained special forces customs.

In short, there was no reason Yoo Jin wouldn’t be adored.

“…Everyone, how have you been?”

“Same as always here. How can people who make a living protecting the country live comfortably?”

“Judging by how you’re asking about the team first, you must have rested well in Korea. You’ve put on some healthy weight. Your expression has brightened a lot too.”

After wiping her eyes once, taking a deep breath, and stepping out of Laurentina’s embrace, she looked at everyone again. It was hard to tell if she was crying or laughing, but at least she didn’t burst into tears like before.

She smiled softly and spoke.

“What about the others?”

“Sirkins is the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Kissinger is with the Secret Service. Marcus and Rapier are PMC military advisors. Chester… that idiot is in the hospital after the rope snapped during rappel training.”

“Everyone’s still the same.”

“Some things never change, even as the times do.”

Logan approached and sat down.

Patting Yoo Jin’s back once, she added cautiously as if she remembered something.

“Did you teach that blond kid?”

“…Yes, that’s right. I remember you catching him yourself.”

“Indeed. We had a skirmish early on. He fought just like you, so I was a bit surprised at first… but I guess you don’t want to hear that.”

Yoo Jin nodded slightly and took a deep breath. Although she somewhat expected it, the tension began to surge as she reverted from a teacher’s role to a learner’s role.

Logan, laughing lightly, started to list her observations point by point.

“You’ve created a second Yoo Jin from scratch. In the second match, can I check your movements more closely?”

“Are you crazy!?”

“Since it was the first match, the movements were a bit stiff. You should be more careful with the final confirmation.”

Nodding.

Of course, this was just the beginning.

“If you lose your temper, flipping the board is your specialty. But that only works for someone at your level. If there’s a gap in skill, it’s just a desperate move. It looks like you recommended an aggressive skill set to counter that, which is quite a sophisticated approach.”

“…I need to try out more things.”

“That’s the best. With about six weeks left until the Final Championship, that’s enough to complete an SFAUC cycle. You shouldn’t worry too much; the relevant data should be in the gear.”

Logan glanced around, but everyone was subtly nodding. Well, of course, who raised Yoo Jin? She was a kid everyone had helped to grow, a proud member of Dagger, and they had no doubts.

As long as they provided the right direction, she would handle the rest herself. Thus, the topic shifted again.

“It seems you’ll be in the U.S. around mid-December. Do you have time after Christmas?”

“I’m planning to stay for over two weeks, so I think I’ll return on January 1st.”

“That’s good to hear.”

A QR code floated in the air. Scanning it revealed several 3-star restaurants. However, none of the reservation names matched any of the five gathered here.

Henry M. Brayton.

Christopher chuckled and added.

“A certain senator seems quite interested in you.”

“…I heard he would attend the Final Championship, but isn’t he in the middle of a campaign? Why is the walking judiciary here?”

“He’s in the Democratic primary. But during the fifth debate, he knocked out all the other candidates and stole all the support. So now he has enough room to try to gain support from gamers.”

“You sound a bit sharp…?”

“How could I not be? His intentions are clear as day. He says he’ll support us, but…”

A brief silence. Yoo Jin, puzzled by the suddenly odd atmosphere, soon saw Logan pointing at the clock.

Only 5 minutes remained until the next match.

She added.

“Your trainees will be waiting. I’ll stay here until the scrim ends, so come back after the next round.”

“…Okay. See you at TOP 2.”

“Dream big. Go do your job.”

Yoo Jin disappeared smoothly. There was no hesitation in her expression. It was the face of someone who had shed her burdens and doubts, a subtle change that no one here missed.

Once she was completely gone, the conversation resumed.

“It looks like the youngest will be the first to receive the Medal of Honor.”

“She came back from the dead, so she should get one. If she goes on a combat deployment to the chaotic Pakistan side these days, she might get one- ouch, ouch! I’m sorry! It was a slip of the tongue! Our base is in the north!”

“This guy has gone nuts since becoming an awakened being…”

And thus, Laurentina’s avatar was left with bruises and bloodstains.

Then the shark spoke.

“…Still, we don’t really want to see someone else getting the Medal of Honor, do we?”

“….”

Everyone nodded silently.

Seventy percent of those who earned the Medal of Honor didn’t even live to see it placed around their necks and were buried in Arlington, and only the remaining 30% with at least one limb nearly destroyed managed to see the next day’s sun.

From that perspective, in a world where the U.S. was half-destroyed by a virus, these people deserved to wear the medal around their necks many times over.

A small sigh.

Breaking the silence, someone spoke cautiously.

“Yoo Jin deserves it. It’s a reward for her dedication.”

And no one denied those words.

There were only 2 minutes left until the next match.