I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

〈 Chapter 11 〉 10 ­ Body Check

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[Notice］Newbies Read This］A Guide for Newbies Starting Dark Zone [Part 1］

[2024.02.XX Recommend 7109 Dislike 98 Views 734991 Comments 1383］

Welcome, you noobs.

We all know why you came here, so don’t press the back button.

We know you’re here because you got lured into this shitty game that’s overloaded with users, so you might as well get a taste while you’re at it.

Since you’ve made it this far, you probably have a rough idea of what kind of game Dark Zone is.

Let me explain how to register your BCI connector and how to connect.

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There might be some fresh VR noobs who’ve never touched this kind of stuff before, so I’ll explain from the beginning.

I trust you know what this connection set is, as it’s been aggressively advertised on the internet and TV.

It’s basically a set of sensors you attach to your body and head, along with a neuron signal receiver. You just connect it and you’re good to go.

With so many users, it’s unlikely you won’t be recognized, even if you’re a giant at 220 cm or a fatso over 120 kg.

This device can cover even E2 or higher ranked users, so just rent or buy one if you’re rich and attach it to your body.

I don’t know if any EM-level users are reading this, but if you are, click here.

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A monthly subscription is essential to play this game, but most of you are probably paying it along with the rental fee for the connector.

Anyway, that’s enough about that. This game is basically the FPS virtual reality game you think it is.

For those who don’t know what FPS means, let me kindly explain that it’s a first-person shooter game.

And like all games of this type, you don’t have to worry about the recognition quality being shitty just because it’s a non-invasive BCI connect machine.

ICARUS has three data centers in Korea alone, each covering 25 square kilometers, so they take care of the graphics and server connections for you. It benefits you to use the latest, high-performance connector.

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Like most virtual reality games, Dark Zone allows character customization.

But those shitty ICARUS bastards have made it so you can use platform avatars, change your gender, and even have ears and tails. It’s like they’re trying to create a bunch of catfish.

Even if you use a female voice, your real gender will be revealed during verification, so please refrain from using excessively disgusting avatars, you assholes.

And if you’re going to use such avatars, at least don’t troll. Learn the game properly, please.

Still, if your character is pretty, people will get less angry at your face… Damn, it feels like Henslow was aiming for this too.

Just don’t do stupid role-playing and pull your weight unless you want to get your head bashed in by a rifle butt.

Even here, people use decent-looking characters but hate those who role-play.

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Because of the nature of the game, you might end up getting close to people you meet in-game, but don’t bring them to the forum.

If you want your squad and yourself to be doxxed and targeted, go ahead and bring them here, lol.

Getting targeted means you’ll get cursed out on the forum and your game experience will become a nightmare.

Enjoy the game, you bastards.

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“…Are they really coming?”

“They verified their ID, so they should be coming, right?”

ICARUS Korea Building.

Located in Yeouido, the building was entirely black, earning it the crazy nickname “Yeouido’s Nutritional Bar.”

Two employees from ICARUS Korea’s external publicity support team stood in the lobby on the first floor.

Normally, they should keep the company-issued tablet computers tucked under their arms or in their bags, only using them during work, but they were busily typing away.

They wore neat, black casual suits, which were necessary due to the frequent meetings compared to other departments. However, they couldn’t hide their anxiety and anticipation.

Multiple green lights and a few red lights blinked on the panel.

Their fingers moved busily, sending messages everywhere.

“Is there any place not ready yet?”

“All the employee convenience facilities are ready. There were a few errors during the simulation device checks, but we should be able to fix them.”

“What do you mean? We requested cooperation three days ago….”

“It happens. You know how delicate they are. It’s not the first time this has happened. It’ll be fine in 30 minutes.”

“Then it’s fine.”

After a few touches, the red lights were forcibly turned green, displaying a completion message.

They barely achieved 100% facility usage approval three minutes before the personnel they contacted arrived, but it was done. That was what mattered.

How long had they been waiting?

“…Ah, that must be them.”

“Where?”

“There. You can tell who it is right away.”

A single figure was walking toward the entrance from beyond the revolving door.

The person, a woman, looked incredibly…flawless.

Her appearance wasn’t particularly unusual.

Unlike most of the Awakened in Korea, who often had unnatural stripe-colored hair or ears popping out of their heads like tigers,

She didn’t have any of those features.

However, as she approached, her appearance became clearer.

Her ears, sharply pointed on both sides, were quite horizontal, unlike the typical elf’s in fantasy settings.

And then.

“Wow….”

“I’ve never seen someone with such a long tail before.”

Her sleek tail, impressive enough to make even those who dislike reptiles admire it, swayed behind her waist, subtly moving their pupils.

She naturally stepped into the revolving door and entered the cool interior of the building.

It didn’t take long for their eyes to meet.

Carefully erasing the brief emotion of surprise from their faces, the two managed to tear their gazes away from the tail and greeted her.

“Are you Ms. Lee Yoo Jin? Nice to meet you. I’m Assistant Manager Lee Jin Chul from the PR Support Team.”

“I’m Han Seol Ah from the Support Team. Nice to meet you.”

“…I’m Lee Yoo Jin. Nice to meet you. I’ll be in your care today.”

After a brief handshake,

“It might be a bit much to say this beforehand, but today’s guidance might not be very smooth. Could you please understand in advance?”

“Why is that?”

“…Actually, this measurement is unprecedented for us as well.”

Special Body Examination.

Among the roughly one hundred thousand Awakened individuals scattered around the world, fewer than five thousand were of E2 grade or higher, and the EM grade individuals were so rare they weren’t even counted.

Nominally, this examination was created for such individuals, to collect physical data on additional body parts so they could function properly in virtual reality. However…

“There don’t seem to be many applicants.”

“…You are the second one in the world.”

“That’s impressive.”

Unsurprisingly, there were hardly any applicants.

Most of those with transformed bodies often followed their country’s national symbols, which were typically significant animals. The list included tigers, lions, bears, wolves… and many other animals.

However, it was common for these transformations to result in body parts that were too short to use, or, more simply, there was no practical use for their ears and tails in virtual reality.

This meant that this situation went beyond rarity; statistically, it was a scenario that surpassed the odds of winning the lottery.

It didn’t take long for a question, half-driven by duty and half by curiosity, to be asked.

“…If you don’t mind, could you show us how you actually use your tail?”

“If there’s a specific action you want to see.”

“Oh, any action will do.”

A moment of silence passed as their eyes met.

“We need to verify if you can use that body part in the game, so a simple demonstration will suffice.”

“Oh.”

How much time had passed?

“Is this enough?”

She smoothly raised both hands, showing her palms as if to prove her innocence, and stared at them steadily.

But then, at some point,

“Wow.”

Like a third hand, her tail smoothly extended forward, gently wrapping around a phone and moving it to where her right hand was.

She took it with her hand and waved it as if to show them.

The simple demonstration ended as she put the phone back into her pocket.

The two, regaining their senses a moment later, slightly nodded their heads, expressing their admiration.

“That’s amazing. I didn’t think there would be someone who could actually use it.”

“Is it okay if I just show this much?”

“Oh, can you do other things as well?”

“I can do more than you think.”

However, now didn’t seem to be the time to show it.

She didn’t perform any further actions, and the two employees who were to guide Yoo Jin didn’t spend more time watching.

Knowing when to cut things off was one of the most basic yet crucial skills in this world.

“…Then, I’ll briefly explain the schedule. To implement your avatar within our physics engine, we’ll need to input your measurements into the engine, and this will involve a physical examination.”

“For the physical examination… I assume fasting isn’t necessary?”

“That’s correct, as it doesn’t involve checking for diseases.”

The explanation continued as they moved to the elevator.

“The examination will verify various things, including the amount of muscle, and we’ll use these measurements to conduct a simulation.

After that, we’ll test your actual physical abilities to see how they compare to the simulation.”

“In this process, we’ll attach several sensors to your body.

Since this will help form the physical model to be used in the game, please let us know if you feel any discomfort.”

The door closed, and a strange sensation of floating enveloped them.

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