I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun
Chapter 111 – Offer
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[General］What’s with the plutonium knife, damnㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Anyway, that bastard Henslowe is obsessed with Easter eggsㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[All Comments］[Sorted by Registration］
– What’s more surprising is how she ignores the sudden appearance and puts a bullet in its head without flinching
ㄴSeriouslyㅋㅋ
ㄴI told you she’s not human, she’s made of steelㅋㅋ
ㄴThe person who got killed screamed every possible scream while she remained unfazedㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴShe’s just so cool
– Living Point) To catch a monster, just put 5 S&W M500 bullets in its head in less than a second
ㄴThat’s incredibly useful information
ㄴTried it and broke my wrist, thanks^^
ㄴThrowing the gun away right after using all the bullets is also cool
ㄴShe’s just… so awesome! King God Yoo Jin!
– Breaking News) Yoo Jin ignored the knife and left
ㄴWhat, she didn’t take it?????
ㄴFact) If it was an axe, she would’ve taken it
ㄴTrueㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴIf it was a fire axe, she would’ve taken itㅋㅋ Yoo Jin lacks sensitivity
ㄴDo people call breaking heads with an axe ‘sensitivity’ these days?
– The one who fired at Yoo Jin got stabbed by some strange creatureㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴEither way, it’s the worst outcome, right?
ㄴOh, but at least she didn’t bring any melee weapons today~~
ㄴFact) If she doesn’t have a knife or an axe, she uses the gun stock
ㄴIt’s not about preference, it’s pure rational judgment, which makes it scarierㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴTrue
– [Notification: Yoo Jin ？？┻┳？？━ ExcitementFilledExcitement］
– [Notification: Yoo Jin ？？┻┳？？━ ASDF］
“Ah! Player Yoo Jin! She wipes out Excitement and ASDF on the map in just 30 seconds! What precise aim tracking! She doesn’t even allow time for them to take cover──!”
A sudden series of kill counts.
The name Yoo Jin was etched into the retinas of the 70,000 people in the stadium. Having always demonstrated what close combat in AP meant, the kills she racked up in a proper shooting match naturally stood out.
It had been 12 minutes since the match started. For Yoo Jin, it was a notably late start, but considering her recent notoriety in the Preliminary Rank, it was a natural conclusion.
The UI only displayed in-game information, with the kill count being the sole indicator of someone’s presence in the same session.
And one six-letter word appearing at the top during the game was enough to instill fear and burden, transforming into an image that evoked terror just by its existence.
From Monday, the Preliminary Rank began. With her power, filtered through the tournament rank and scrims, fully unleashed, more people knew they had to avoid contact with Yoo Jin as time passed.
Those who had direct confrontations with Yoo Jin, and those who had heard of her notoriety, all alike. Only those who had lost their sense of fear, or those who were least aware of the situation, would stand before her.
Thus, Yoo Jin’s first kill gradually became delayed.
Until the safe zone shrank to the point where encounters with other users became inevitable.
“Wow.”
All those scenes flickered before Harmony’s eyes.
The match, which she had missed for various reasons. In other words, it was the first time Harmony witnessed Yoo Jin’s combat firsthand. Not a sophisticated AI created in virtual reality following a certain logic, but a sharp blade aimed at actual users.
There was plenty to watch. As Yoo Jin’s name appeared at the top of the UI, users began to panic, and some started scouting from high buildings to locate her position.
What had she been doing in the game until now for them to react this way?
However, those questions had been resolved long ago.
A black rain of death gradually surrounded the city. Although only a few stages remained until the final circle, about 40 people were still surviving, but each time the circle randomly shrank, around eight people were picked off.
In the midst of this, a figure darted through the hail of lead. She was remarkable for her sharp, thick tail. To break through heavily guarded areas, suppression fire armed with deadly accuracy was required.
What began as a one-sided attack gradually balanced out and eventually tilted in the opposite direction. Exploiting weaknesses in overwhelming disadvantage, she overturned critical elements one by one.
‘Wow, in that situation… like that….’
All of it was a series of problems and solutions.
The countless hours spent with Yoo Jin, indirectly or directly, conveyed to Harmony what height and perspective she viewed the battlefield from. Even the seemingly impregnable solid rock was slowly being split apart by the torrent and hammering.
Harmony’s own hard limits were slowly crumbling under the intense current and pounding.
Before long, the small circle reached its final stage. Eleven people were hiding in various locations, ready to tear each other apart. A scene only seen in AP soloing.
Bullets flew, concrete fragments shot into the air. The desperate yet artistic battle continued. One by one, shadows fell onto the wet soil. The number representing their rank mercilessly judged them and tossed them into the lobby.
As winners and losers were determined one by one, one thing was certain.
None of them could escape Yoo Jin.
“Please welcome with a big round of applause, today’s Apex Predator! The one who makes the impossible possible! Yoo Jin!”
Thunderous applause and cheers shook the stadium.
The dust and concrete powder on the equipment disappeared first. As she moved, her footsteps dissolved into the air one by one. Headset. Multipurpose pouch. Bulletproof vest. Bag. Spare gun….
It didn’t take long for an avatar in casual clothes to appear.
The center of the stadium transformed, creating a kind of booth. It was for interviews. A large screen floating in the air showed the conversation between the caster and Yoo Jin.
Yoo Jin naturally sat in the chair. Her expression was somewhat awkward. Surrounding her, tens of thousands of people were watching only her. It was remarkable that she wasn’t more nervous.
A curtain surrounded them. The viewers could see the interview scene, but Yoo Jin and the caster couldn’t see outside. It was a way to reduce the interviewees’ tension while providing viewers with a spectacle.
Their eyes met.
The interview began.
“Ha ha, nice to see you again. It feels like we meet very often. It seems this seat is no longer just for the first place but reserved for you. Nevertheless, congratulations on taking this place prepared only for the strongest.”
“Thank you. I always meet really excellent opponents. No matter the game, I always did my best, and I think that’s why I got these results.”
“I agree. The result of two best efforts clashing always delights the viewers.”
A small talk to open the interview.
It was time to bring up the episodes from the game.
“I guess it was most surprising when you encountered the sudden strange creature this match. But we need to hear directly from you. What do you think?”
“…You’re right. When I first saw it, I wondered what it was, but fortunately, I managed to kill it without much trouble. Luckily, I had the powerful M500 revolver at that time.”
– Don’t lie, teacher. You would have taken it down barehanded even without the revolver
Of course, the donation flying through the air was a well-recognized excellent retort.
Yoo Jin gave a bitter smile and added quietly.
“I avoided picking up a machete to shed that image.”
“Haha, it might be rude to say this, but… your close combat scenes are very impressive to us. I think it was to make sure you finished off your opponent.”
Yoo Jin nodded silently.
The questions continued.
“Many have asked about your combat tactics and positioning. But from a strategic perspective, how would you summarize your play today?”
“Well. I don’t usually set my routes in advance, so I can’t say much. But if there’s an enemy on my path, I don’t overlook it.”
– Summary) Remove all obstacles
– She bulldozes through anything in her way?
– That’s so like herㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– “Won’t overlook” sounds so scaryㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– Haha, it’s their fault for blocking the Queen’s way
Of course, there was no guarantee the interview would go smoothly after a question was asked.
The chat was full of mischievous distortions. Seeing the playful messages floating around, even the caster conducting the interview couldn’t help but laugh.
Meanwhile, Yoo Jin’s expression remained the same.
She looked at the chat and spoke softly.
“I’ll check this out when I get back.”
The chat quieted down.
The interview continued. Her presence itself provoked questions, and curiosity about her skills and training methods joined in.
Even after cutting off personal questions, there were plenty of queries.
As questions came and went, the interview gradually approached its end. As always, the final questions were similar. Questions about her intentions to become a pro gamer. The answer was, of course, negative.
The following question about which team she was interested in dissolved into thin air before seeing the light of day.
“We’re almost at the end. I hear voices of regret from many. But farewells lead to new meetings. So, I’ll ask the final question now.”
“Yes.”
“Yesterday, ICARUS mentioned Yoo Jin. They said your track record
is so solid that missing a game or two won’t affect your ranking, and they suggested you participate as a special caster instead of playing on Sunday. What are your thoughts on this?”
Their eyes met.
In that moment, the caster read an emotion from her seemingly expressionless face—this could be summarized very simply, even shorter than words.
A question mark.
Her expression revealed she really hadn’t heard anything about it.
The caster was the one who became flustered.
After a moment of silence, he spoke.
“…Oh, have you heard nothing about it?”
“I was up until dawn after the broadcast, organizing my curriculum….”
Indeed, she had an unusual lifestyle.
Yoo Jin thought briefly before speaking.
“…I’ll consider it.”
Surely, the world was running fundamentally absurdly.
Even ICARUS.
– [Notification: Operator Yoo Jin has passed the Preliminary Rank.]
– [Notification: Moving to the next stage.]
– [Notification: Partial memory synchronization initiated.]
A shushing emoticon is working
I considered using a tail but thought it might look strange visually. Anyway, it turned out so pretty and sexy.
I’ll see you all when it’s complete~
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