Here's the translation of Chapter 267:

Clank!

"Oh my, everyone looks so well. Have you all been doing well?"

"A polar bear, a shark, the senior officer… and then the squad leader, Marcus, and Rapier too. If someone saw this, they’d think we were here for a strike operation. Have you all had your meals?"

"I never expected the room to be so lively after the match. Lorentina, is that you?"

"Hehe, who else could create such a gathering?"

On the fifth floor of Madison Square Garden, the VIP lounge.

The space, which was originally occupied by just two people, suddenly became bustling as double the number of individuals arrived. Six people, seemingly having no commonality, found their seats appropriately.

The lounge was clean and reminiscent of a first-class airport lounge. Various snacks and finger foods were neatly packed in containers to preserve freshness, with delicately arranged lighting welcoming the newcomers.

As Logan plopped down in a chair, the view of New York’s nightscape visible outside the window.

"My goodness, how many Juggernauts did I even take down? My shoulders are still aching."

"Want me to give you a massage?"

"I’d be grateful, ugh… ah! Not so hard!"

Lorentina’s thin, delicate fingers climbed onto his shoulder—but the moment they squeezed like a vice, Logan jumped up.

A scuffle broke out instantly, and Serkins, who had just poured champagne, opened his mouth with an incredulous expression.

"What kind of massage can someone with 300 kg of grip strength give? Just stop."

"The baseline unit for the manifestors is still hard to adapt to; 300 kg grip strength is no joke."

Of course, it wasn’t long before a proper massage began.

Buried in his chair and receiving a massage, Logan soon began to melt into relaxation. Unfortunately, today was not one of those days where he could rest smoothly. The former team members had already started inching closer, ready to fire off questions one by one.

The first to approach was Rapier, the only natural-born woman on Team Dagger, who quietly sat down in the chair across from Logan. Her movements were elegant and refined.

"I have a few questions I’d like to ask, if that’s alright?"

"If you don’t get answers, you’ll just stick around until you do, huh? It’ll probably be about 'that guy' whom Yujin cherishes, so go ahead and ask comfortably."

"What was it like?"

"Are you really asking me how it felt to face someone who could run away after fighting me?"

That explanation was where it ended, and there was no need for further elaboration. Everyone present knew of Logan’s prowess. There was no need to mention another teammate's name; she was a manifestor.

Of course, it had been well-established that not every manifestor could perform exceptionally in the Dark Zone, as proven by Yujin's acquaintance, Hotteok, which meant that Logan had built this experience through painstaking effort.

To be able to withstand that level of power through just a few months of hard training was something that shouldn’t be possible.

In any case,

"While I was wrestling with the Juggernauts, you can bet that foolish shark was probably busy figuring out how to send a U.S. Navy application via fax. Right, senior officer?"

"…."

Silence.

But the mere acknowledgment that it wasn’t a denial was enough for an answer.

Logan, chuckling softly, added,

"Wake up. You too, Rapier. Even if he flies in the Dark Zone, in reality, he’s still an ordinary person."

"I wonder if he knows that PMCs actually use VR more extensively than the U.S. military. At that level, he’d be quite skilled as a tactical advisor."

"So, are you trying to steal the youngest’s disciple?"

"Just joking."

Susan Rapier, a headhunter for the international PMC 'Blaze Company.' Though her personal desires were quite evident, she drew the line sternly in crucial moments.

Truly, had anything changed since the past? Logan, discerning the truth behind her seemingly innocent facade with her sharp gaze, quickly disengaged from the related topics. Though several questions still awaited her.

Of course, there were additional reasons why he chose to ignore them.

‘…That must be the extent to which her skills can reach.’

Dice had no more room for growth.

I had heard that despite being born of a gender that would have no relation to firearms, she had solely risen to the last year’s Final Championship through sheer talent and that her abilities had blossomed when she met Yujin around mid-year this time…

Of course, rather than saying her talent had blossomed, it felt closer to Yujin forcibly breaking through her limits.

In any case,

"So, when is our youngest coming?"

"Soon."

Knock knock knock!

At that moment, the knock came as if on cue.

Then the door opened with a clank, and just as everyone awaited, Yujin walked in.

However,

"…Huh?"

Behind the familiar figure of Yujin, there was someone else who looked strangely familiar to Logan.

With cascading blonde hair and wall-like blue eyes that closely resembled Yujin's—this person scanned the lounge with slightly anxious eyes before locking gazes with Logan.

The subsequent shock.

‘…Why are they so startled?’

But Logan’s sharp mind quickly realized who had called Dice here.

"This crazy shark bastard."

Of course, the person showed no signs of regret whatsoever.

For Yujin, it was a Dagger Team assembly, but for Dice, it was the beginning of a forced attendance at a terrifying gathering of unforgettable older siblings.

"…You said you came to meet someone important, but why is Logan here?"

"Uh…."

Brain freeze.

At the moment of opening the door, half of the situations I had anticipated clashed with the unexpected. My mind literally froze in place—I held tightly onto Yujin’s hand, whether from tension or something else. Thankfully, the durability of a manifestor didn’t seem to be ticklish under the weak grip of reality.

Anyway, upon seeing the scene through the open door—I guessed that the destination called the VIP lounge would not be too different from a lounge, and I was right.

And that thought didn’t change until I locked eyes with some of the people who had been waiting for us inside.

‘…Who are those people?’

A well-dressed couple seated at a table with finger foods, and to their left, another couple sitting on plush-looking chairs. Uniquely, the woman among them had hair that looked as if it was made from melted silver, and blood-red eyes.

But as soon as I shifted my gaze a little more to the left—everything returned to square one.

That was the case.

Logan was there.

And only then did Yujin glance at me and continue speaking.

"…I should mention that my former colleagues seem to have wanted to see you quite a bit."

"Uh, why…?"

"Perhaps it’s because of the confrontation at the high-value research facility a few hours ago…."

Then why not at least give me a heads up?!

I wanted to retort, but Yujin didn’t explain my curiosity and introduced me directly to Logan. He was slightly taller than me and similar in height to Yujin, but, of course, the pressure unique to manifestors… or should I say, I could only see the fluffy, cute polar bear ears twitching above his head.

In any case, it was quite a sudden opportunity, but facing it like this, Logan looked completely different from the image I had constructed in my mind. How should I put it? He felt cuter than I had thought?

His appearance looked far more innocent than Yujin.

Of course, I quickly realized that this thought was a misjudgment.

As the person approached with heavy footsteps, the aura was no joke.

"Ah, um, nice to meet you…."

"Nice to meet you. Is this your first time meeting in reality?"

"Y-yes."

"You don’t need to be so tense."

What can I say? The moment I shook his hand… it felt like gripping a warm steel H-beam. Both he and Yujin had that incredible density of manifestors that created an unavoidable sensation.

After an awkward handshake, I think I sat down at a decent table with Logan and Yujin.

"Wow, all the gazes…."

"Because of the confrontation at the high-value research facility, there are many people interested in you."

Then a glance.

Logan lightly patted Yujin on the shoulder and added,

"Since Rapier, Serkins, and Marcus came all the way here just to see your face, go greet them at least. I’ll be talking with this friend for a bit."

"Wait, Yujin…? What if you leave me behind!?"

"If you don’t go over there now, those guys will openly approach you, waiting for an opportunity to talk. If you’re fine with that, then good."

"Ah."

Indeed, if I thought about it, that was probably the more reasonable statement.

Earlier, Yujin had clearly said that 'her colleagues' were waiting for me, and from that perspective, it seemed most of those waiting over there wanted to have some sort of conversation with me for some reason.

…Well, if it was a weird situation, Yujin wouldn’t have brought me along in the first place!

Similarly, this person wouldn’t introduce me if they were strange!

And perhaps it was only natural, Logan fell into the category of being quite sensible.

"I can bet the youngest has talked your ear off about it. For the most part, I told him to avoid it."

"…."

"I can see that he probably laid down the basic groundwork for coping… but it’s still just a foundation, so I don’t think he would have explained it in detail. After all, he doesn’t have overwhelming skills to explain in detail."

"…Well, that’s true."

"Well, the point is that you’re outstanding."

A brief silence.

Then he glanced back.

"Those guys over there want to suggest you do something other than being a pro gamer."

"Something else?"

"Want to know?"

At the same time, a silence followed.

The lips were smiling, but the eyes were not. Considering that the person saying this was Yujin’s senior officer… it seemed that the work I was doing was no longer just a game.

Well, I would politely decline that.

"It’s a shame to smell gunpowder even in reality."

"Is there a reason to say it’s a shame? And those guys are not seriously suggesting it, but at least I’m not someone who welcomes such talk."

"Ah."

Slurp.

Logan took a sip of the chocolate latte placed on the table. For some reason, that relaxed my tension a little. What can I say? It was clear he was of the same kind as Yujin.

Then came the following words.

"To be honest, I don’t have much I’m curious about regarding you. Having faced you in combat, I already know the intentions behind your decisions at every moment."

"But why?"

"Seems there’s a misunderstanding. I didn’t invite you here. Instead…."

Swish.

At that moment, the air suddenly shifted?

A strange sweet smell, along with silvery shining hair, suddenly poked into my sight. As I cautiously looked up to the side, a very elegantly beautiful woman approached near me, in stark contrast to Logan.

…Not a single sign of her presence had been felt.

"…I’m here to cut in the middle and clarify this curious intruder who suddenly popped up."

"Oh my, how cold-hearted."

"Who’s the one who invited an ordinary person like me here in the first place?"

"May I sit for a moment?"

"Uh…."

An utterly chaotic flow.

Meanwhile, the one whose name I didn’t even know carefully pulled up a chair and sat next to the table—our eyes met. Blood-red jewels… no, even more than that, the eyes were as red as blood. Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes were not.

An unstable atmosphere hidden within elegance. Her mere presence infused tension into the atmosphere, creating a feeling of unease that seemed like someone you shouldn’t engage with.

But the newcomer, without a care, took something out to show Logan—and as soon as that item, appearing to be a phone message, caught his gaze, the anxiety hidden in laughter turned into seriousness.

"…This is quite a headache. Lorentina, did you account for this…?"

"Finally catching on, huh? You seem to be making a face as if you wish you had told me this back in advance."

"Did you really think otherwise?"

They were bickering about something, but the flow didn’t seem bad at all.

At this point, it seemed necessary to explain—just as I thought this, the following words came.

"It’s nothing much. A kind of… countermeasure, you could say. Winning against Logan is a bigger deal than you think. Thus, before this topic gets any larger, we decided to intercept and arrange this meeting."

"…Is it really that big of a deal?"

"This year, there are more higher-ups watching than you might think. Essentially, the main cause is us, though."

Then she added cautiously.

"So, just know that there’s no need to feel too pressured here. There’s no intention or reason to harm the youngest or her acquaintances."

"Uh, um… thank you."

But aside from that, one thing intrigued me.

If the term "youngest" refers to Yujin…

"…You seem to care a lot about Yujin, don’t you?"

Then there was a moment of silence.

Only the sounds of Yujin chatting with others filled the room, but even that was barely audible in the stillness. Logan and… Lorentina? I was only vaguely guessing the name since this person hadn’t formally introduced herself, but anyway, these two suddenly plunged into a swamp of thought.

As I sat there, I suddenly realized I didn’t really know what Yujin had done in the past. Of course, she had mentioned being part of a special forces unit, so I never really expected to hear stories about where she was or what she did back then.

But perhaps I might hear stories about what kind of person Yujin was back then from these two.

With that slight sense of anticipation, I locked eyes with the two.

"Our youngest, huh? Where should I start explaining?"

"It sounds like it could be quite a long story…."

An entirely unexpected answer.

But even so, one fact was clear.

‘Ah, these people are fans of Yujin’s uncle.’

And that instinct was, of course, correct.

I would probably not be able to leave this place until Yujin finished her conversations and came to pick me up.

The world was truly a strange place.