I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 160 – Deceiver Yoo Jin

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“Hic.”

The sound of Dice hiccuping escaped her lips.

Her thin coat was crumpled and dirty from dragging on the floor, but she didn’t have time to worry about it. As she struggled to stand, covering her mouth with both hands, the reactions of the others weren’t much different.

Some craned their necks, trying to get a better look, while others froze mid-point, trying to indicate something. Many murmured words of amazement. It wasn’t just one or two people; there were dozens.

However, the atmosphere shifted the moment a man emerged from behind Yoo Jin. Wearing a suit, his lips firmly pressed together, his angular jaw and neatly slicked-back hair, and dark sunglasses—all giving off a strong bodyguard vibe.

The first to speak was none other than this individual.

“Excuse me, is there a briefing officer or a host here?”

“Yes, we have one. What’s the matter?”

“I need to have a brief word. Do you have a moment?”

While a discreet conversation was about to start in one corner, Yoo Jin approached nonchalantly and, upon seeing Dice, widened her eyes.

Her sharp eyes quickly formed an arch, changing her expression instantly. Despite her age, she looked like someone in their early twenties—a pure expression only that age could produce.

As Dice stammered, Yoo Jin walked over with a small smile on her lips. She was taller than expected. Standing about a finger’s length taller than Dice, who was 166cm, Yoo Jin must have been around 170cm.

Extending her hand smoothly, Yoo Jin spoke in a mature but gentle voice that resonated in Dice’s ears—a voice she had heard countless times over the past month.

“You weren’t kidding when you said I’d be surprised. I thought you were a woman, but I never expected you to look so much like your avatar. You don’t look much different from your in-game self.”

“Uh, um. Yoo Jin? Is it really you? That Yoo Jin?”

“Who else would be Yoo Jin if not me?”

Then, she added another sentence.

“This… this is a complete scam! Who in the world uses an identical VR avatar in real life? It’s like I’ve been swindled with my eyes wide open! This is unbelievable!”

“Hehe. But you’re still the same Dice as usual.”

In the midst of this, Yoo Jin casually murmured, “But doesn’t it make talking easier since I look the same as my avatar?” It was utter nonsense. If an EM-level manifestor, of which there were probably only about twenty worldwide, suddenly appeared, who wouldn’t be surprised? How would one even approach them?

Moreover, looking identical to one’s avatar was indeed a nationwide scam. Despite having a uniquely distinctive appearance, her avatar’s hairstyle and color were fairly plain, except for the eye color.

Meanwhile, after the denial and anger came the slow acceptance phase. Dice’s mouth slowly opened as she grasped Yoo Jin’s shoulders and scrutinized her.

Of course, reaching this stage didn’t mean everything was instantly resolved.

“… Wow, it really is Yoo Jin. My goodness….”

“How amazing is this? Pull yourself together.”

“Hic, what is this!?”

At the same time, a snake’s tail wrapped around her shoulders.

It was a sensation familiar in VR but entirely foreign in reality, something one would never experience in their lifetime. It was subtly squishy and smooth, yet conveyed a massive pressure as a sleek, muscular length coiled around her body.

Then it shook back and forth, a gesture Yoo Jin used to get her to come to her senses. It was akin to shaking someone’s shoulders vigorously.

However, even such an outrageous method couldn’t fully bring Dice back to her senses, so Yoo Jin had no choice but to speak up.

“Would you like to take a lap around reality until you score 85 in moving targets?”

“Ack, no! It’s really you, Yoo Jin! I’m sorry!”

“You make it sound like I constantly made you do impossible tasks.”

Which wasn’t entirely untrue….

Anyway, thankfully, the gap between Dice’s mental image of VR-Yoo Jin and reality-Yoo Jin, along with her various emotions, was completely bridged by that one sentence. Although it wasn’t entirely a good sign, the result was satisfactory.

Yoo Jin extended her hand smoothly. Dice carefully reached out and they shook hands. Then, Yoo Jin spoke again.

“… So, you’re really Yoo Jin in reality too? I’m Seo Ye-rin. As you know, Dice. Please take care of me today…?”

“Seo Ye-rin. That’s a nice name. Please take care of me too. I’m Lee Yoo Jin. I still remember you promised to buy dinner, so I’ll think about the menu. Is that okay?”

“Oh, right. You remembered that. I was wondering what to feed someone who looks like they’ve been working out for ten years… Do you have any dietary restrictions?”

“Do I look like someone with dietary restrictions?”

“Uh….”

She looks like she could swallow raw food like a snake.

Fortunately, that thought was suppressed before it left her mouth, saved by rationality. If she had spoken it aloud, she might have been subjected to a cobra twist in reality.

With that, the gap between Seo Ye-rin and Lee Yoo Jin was successfully closed. Yoo Jin, as if giving fan service, then walked toward the remaining 78 people who had been eagerly waiting for their conversation to end.

She greeted each one individually.

“Um, that! I’m Summit from TK1! It’s an honor to meet you!”

“Why so stiff? Anyway, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Yoo Jin.”

“Do you remember me? I’m Gambit from Clear Sky. I’ve been mindful of the feedback you gave during the public session.”

“Nice to meet you. Are there still any areas you find lacking? Since we’re in the same boat for the Asia Preliminary, feel free to ask for help. I’ll assist if I have some free time.”

However, there were still dozens who hadn’t spoken to her. Eventually, groups of at least five people came to greet her simultaneously, creating an unusual sight.

How much time had passed? By the time Yoo Jin had exchanged introductions with everyone there, the person who had come with her also finished his conversation and whispered something to her.

After a brief nod, he spoke.

“I will temporarily take control. Please enter the convention hall and take your seats. Once everyone is seated, we have some confidential information to share, so we ask for your understanding. Please proceed inside.”

Creak.

The large doors to the hall opened.

Inside, there were about ten tables. The size was as expected. Each table could comfortably seat at least eight people. Above each table, the names of different teams floated, indicating where to sit.

Thanks to the friendly UI, it didn’t take long for everyone to be seated. The man then ensured everyone was settled and closed the doors completely before carefully walking to the stage and receiving a microphone from the host.

After a brief microphone test, he spoke.

“First of all, I apologize for the sudden confusion. Before the preliminary briefing starts, the reason I am here is to request an embargo. In other words, a request for non-disclosure of information. Think of it as similar to Dice’s case.”

Of course, the slight difference was that if anyone disclosed information about Dice, they would be visited by SSM’s legal team, whereas if they spread information about Yoo Jin, someone in a black suit might come to their house.

He smoothly elaborated on this without making it sound burdensome.

“As some of you may have already realized, Yoo Jin is one of the only two EM-level manifestors in South Korea. She plans to reveal her identity herself in about three months, so we ask for your cooperation in not mentioning this until then.”

In other words, don’t talk about it until then.

He then changed his expression to a more cheerful one and spoke in a light-hearted tone.

“That concludes my announcement. Also, I sincerely congratulate all the pro gamers here for making it to the Asia Preliminary. As a fellow Dark Zone user, I genuinely hope for great results. Thank you for representing Korea!”

With that, applause erupted.

After handing the microphone back to the host and exiting, the cheerful host clapped and added.

“Now, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to everyone who has qualified to be here, and we will officially start the Asia Preliminary briefing in five minutes!”

Simultaneously, numerous carts entered through the side doors of the hall. They were snack trays piled high with snacks and drinks, which were placed on the tables with perfect stability, followed by a clean setup.

Just as she was wondering what was happening, an explanation followed.

“We thought you might get hungry, so we prepared this as a performance. Haha!”

In the midst of the bewilderment, a crunching sound.

“Hmm, this is delicious.”

Yoo Jin was extremely laid-back.

Dice had to take another moment to acknowledge this.

Glancing.

And then slowly.

“Here.”

“Huh? I didn’t say anything.”

“Even if you don’t say anything now, later you might awkwardly ask if you can touch my tail. If not, never mind.”

“Oh, no, that’s not it.”

Suddenly, the tail climbed onto her lap.

At the same time, she tapped it with her fingers.

It was soft and firm. The scales glistened as if well-maintained. When she carefully grasped it, it wriggled. Was the entire thing muscle? It was cold and cool. She fiddled with it, trying to gauge its reactions but didn’t get the expected feeling.

Rather, she was more curious about the sensation. Given its thickness, it felt like a cool lap blanket, but it was

quite heavy. She wasn’t sure if the snack was going into her mouth or her nose.

With that, she wondered.

“… But why suddenly?”

“People usually ask to touch it sooner or later. So, I preemptively allowed it. Harmony asked within three minutes of meeting me.”

“Harmony? Ah… you met her much earlier. Didn’t you meet in-game almost a day after the game started? When did you meet in reality?”

“You know well. We met around the end of August. It’s been quite a while.”

Listening to the host’s words, they continued their casual conversation.

Since they only had to pay attention to the differences compared to last year, it was much more relaxed than the previous preliminary briefing, where they tried not to miss a single word.

“… Therefore, considering overall accessibility, we have decided to hold the Asia Preliminary and the competition venue at the Esports Stadium in Yongsan this year. The following is the match schedule. The matches will be on Saturdays and Sundays, similar to KSM, with each player….”

The period between the end of KSM and the Asia Preliminary was about four weeks.

To break it down simply: the first two weeks were for individual skill enhancement and maintenance, as well as handling various advertisements and sponsorships. The two weeks’ duration was due to coordinating schedules with players from other countries.

Since the preliminaries were held in Korea this year, this wasn’t an issue, but for players from other countries, there were factors like visas, accommodations, and other support elements to consider.

Once all these were coordinated, from the third to fourth week, it was back to scrims and training. Meanwhile, players from countries as far away as China or Russia had already entered Korea.

“… The Asia Preliminary, as mentioned before, will have twelve matches. Like KSM, there will be six matches each on Saturday and Sunday. The main tournament is similar, with seven matches each. The number of matches and the players’ skills will change drastically.”

“How does the main tournament feel?”

“It’s intense. There are no easy opponents. Since people from all over the world gather, there are players from countries with less developed esports infrastructure who make you wonder, ‘How did they get here?’ But anyway, the top 20 players… they’re unbelievable. It felt like playing against you, Yoo Jin.”

“This year, we have to aim higher.”

“That’s easier said than done. Right now, Japan has Keith, and there are players like Sahara from the Federation and Zvezda from Russia… They’re all formidable. Taiwan, well, I hate to say it, but they’re not much of a threat.”

Speaking of skilled players.

Instead of asking more, Yoo Jin added.

“This time will be different.”

“… Of course. Who did I learn from?”

“So, stop touching it now.”

“Oh, sorry. I was just too curious…!”

She had been stroking, pulling, fiddling, and feeling the scales, like a pervert.

Dice, realizing what she had done, blushed. Yoo Jin lightly tapped her head with the tip of her tail and a mechanical voice echoed in her ears.

At the same time, Seo Ye-rin said, “It’s starting.”

[Alert: Communication with the outside is now blocked.]

“Now, let’s proceed with the briefing on the information that cannot be disclosed externally.”

Only then did Yoo Jin nod and turn her gaze.

She finally understood why it was called a preliminary briefing.

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