I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun
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Chapter 336 Table of contents

"Good heavens."

"Now I see why practically every major sport has strict rules barring manifestors from participating."

Among the over a million viewers, nearly 300,000 were international. Of those, at least 30,000—many of whom were associated with various sports—athletes, coaches, and other prominent figures who were familiar with global sporting events, watched the screen intently, either gasping in awe or exclaiming in shock.

Every year, every month, week, and day, they watched athletes who had long surpassed average human physical limits, and even those high standards couldn't stifle their astonishment. This was especially true for the United States, where top-tier physical talent emerged at an unparalleled rate.

"Weight…485 pounds? And only 172 cm tall? But can run at 83 km/h? At that point, we're talking about a dump truck, not a human."

"Just imagining that guy playing as a running back gives me chills."

"All I see is linemen getting carted off injured."

A 220-kilogram object charging at 83 km/h and someone actually stopping it? It was downright insane—a disaster on par with a traffic accident. Given the insane acceleration of covering 23 meters in a second, even NFL players would struggle to react.

It made sense, though, as Eugene's physical assessment was based on NFL combine standards, which is why quite a few athletes, aside from those seriously busy, were tuning in to watch.

And then—

"Damn, this is a harsh reality check."

"With how surreal this is, I actually find it entertaining. It’s not like they're going to become our competition."

"True, but…damn, look at the footprint they’re leaving. How much leg power does it take to do that?"

Of course, it didn’t end there.

Eugene’s vision and reaction speed had surpassed human limits long ago. She could catch arrows mid-flight and even track the close-range trajectory of a shuttlecock smashed by a top athlete.

Around then, the conversation shifted unexpectedly to Harmony and Dice.

"So, how on earth did she place fourth in the Final Championship?"

"And how did Logan even manage to beat her?"

Dice, who was blankly watching Eugene's various physical tests, was hardly ignorant of her skill level. In the Final Championship, she placed fourth, and apart from Logan and Eugene, she could even claim a narrow margin for second place. She was the only pro gamer to have ever beaten another manifestor, even if she ended up losing to a polar bear in a later match.

Beside her, Harmony, with her small frame and brown hair swaying, was known to most viewers as the streamer who had dominated the Partner Streamer Battle held alongside the Final Championship. She maintained a 30% winning rate against Dice, an impressive feat—even though it didn’t last long.

"Wow, damn. I'm going to shower. I can't watch this anymore."

"Hey, hey. When will you ever see someone lifting a literal ton again? Just relax and watch."

But relaxing wasn’t easy; the information on display was hard to process.

The colossal machine in front of them didn’t resemble any standard weight-training equipment. It looked more like a device used for crushing cars or lifting vehicles, with an area inside large enough for a person to lie down.

It didn’t take long for the advanced testing machine to display the numbers on its LED: 1247 kg on the bench press—a number unlikely to be forgotten anytime soon.

Next came squats and deadlifts. She effortlessly lifted weights equivalent to mid-sized sedans and, drenched in sweat, stepped back, joined soon by Logan and Lorentina, who delivered similar results.

There was a moment of silence.

How much time had passed since then?

───KA-BOOM!

"That’s not a punch; it’s a wrecking ball for demolishing buildings."

"The damage looks about right…."

The sound coming from the punching machine was insane. The impact had caused the wall to creak, and the entire room shook. The punch had a force exceeding 600 horsepower—the equivalent of getting hit by a foreign sedan.

After several more hits, kicking was mentioned, but before long, Logan and Lorentina, intrigued, joined in and started pounding the machine. About ten strikes later, the machine finally gave in with a loud noise, shuddered, and emitted a short puff of smoke before meeting its end.

"Oh…."

"...I apologize."

Eugene repeatedly offered to compensate, handing over her contact details for any potential follow-up. The staff, though baffled, reassured her it wasn’t necessary.

Finally, the active physical assessments concluded, and after a lunch break, tests with various devices resumed. Naturally, they couldn’t analyze everything—Eugene’s body was a black box that defied conventional anatomical data.

While the amount of data they collected was minimal, it hardly mattered. Eugene had now become, as of a few days ago, the only EM-level manifestor in South Korea, and parts of her physical data would be archived for the long term.

But, of course, that wasn’t the end.

"Now, we’ll proceed with manifestor-specific trait assessments."

The moment had come.

"T-tails…175 cm long. Can support 315 kg. Type: Green Anaconda…."

"You look rather intrigued."

"To be honest, I never imagined I’d be examining a manifestor…."

-Hahaha, is this a snake checkup? No, it’s an EM-level snake lady checkup! -Should they call in a vet or a doctor? LOL. -The vet’s expression is killing me wwww.

Gently.

I felt sensations along my tail, nearly as long as my body. Sitting with my tail resting on the seat, I felt oddly at ease. I was mostly curious if there were any issues with my tail.

Thankfully, the answer was no.

"What’s your shedding cycle?"

"Usually once every six months."

"I see… I’ve never asked anyone this question before, and it’s also my first time hearing an answer. I hope it wasn’t too sensitive?"

"Not at all."

-Just an innocent question: What's your shedding cycle? -I know there’s nothing wrong with the question, but why does it sound so weird? -Yujin snake lady shed auction incoming!

It wasn’t surprising—no one would normally ask another person such a question. After all, the female vet had just arrived from a major zoo’s large animal department.

While I was mulling this over, she continued speaking.

"The tail has a rich color, and there’s no foreign material between the scales. Usually, snake scales get dirty from slithering on the ground or in water, often leading to parasites between them…."

"Ew."

"Since it's both your tail and part of your body, just continue your usual care routine."

"Understood."

There was a pause.

I glanced at the mug of hot chocolate provided for calorie and sugar replenishment. Wrapping my tail around the handle, I took a sip, noticing the vet’s surprised expression.

And then she said:

"Technically, Eugene, your ‘tail’ doesn’t fit the usual criteria for a snake’s tail. Snakes generally have a clear separation between the body and tail, marked by the cloaca, which isn’t present here. So, it’s safe to say that the structure attached to your tailbone doesn’t match that of a green anaconda exactly."

"Ah, I see."

"But then again, what does it matter? It’s essentially an extra arm. It's thousands of times better than people who can’t even use their existing limbs properly. No need to worry."

-Sudden roast LMAO. -The vet with the brutal honesty LOL. -As long as Yujin’s here, I don’t need anyone else!

With my fanbase’s usual mix of weirdness and TMI commentary in the background, I moved on to other tests.

First, the ears. Given their resemblance to elf ears, there wasn’t much out of the ordinary—just slightly elongated.

Next was the mouth.

"Say ahh~."

"Ahhh."

"Yep, not as extreme as a viper, but those fangs are fairly long. Just bite down on this gel for an accurate measure."

Bite.

The gel, with a faintly sweet scent, bore the distinct marks of my fangs, which were at least twice the length of a regular person’s. The vet jotted down measurements before moving on.

"All confirmed."

Finally, the eye exam.

When all the tests were complete, she said:

"As you may already know, EM grade is an international standard, typically assigned when someone exhibits at least three animal traits. You have at least four."

"Hmm."

"Based on our collected data, physical abilities seem to increase proportionally with grade. While the limits remain unclear, there’s no telling if someone beyond your level will emerge."

Somehow, today felt like a day for strange revelations.

And as my physical abilities, once just a rough estimate, became precise figures, it felt real. Clearly, detailed numbers made more of an impact than any lengthy explanation.

Just then, the vet commented.

"We also brought in a bear specialist…."

"If I raise my middle finger here, what happens next?"

"...Just decline politely."

-What are these guys even talking about LOL. -Why are they so entertaining?

I let out a snicker, partly out of exasperation.

I politely asked Logan, who’d made the remark in Russian, to refrain. Lorentina, meanwhile, looked restless, muttering about trying out some tests herself as she affectionately patted Harmony.

When the vet looked puzzled, I explained.

"Not interested."

"Understood. That concludes the physical examination. You did very well!"

"Thank you for your efforts."

With a final handshake, today’s schedule wrapped up.

Since we’d filled up during lunch, no one was hungry, and it was past 2 p.m. Without much attachment, it was time to leave the Olympic training center, where we’d spent part of the day.

Everyone climbed into the five-seat Range Rover, and Logan, maintaining a nonchalant expression, drove us out of the parking lot.

Before heading onto the main road, I left a quick note to resume the broadcast later, ending the stream.

Simultaneously, Logan spoke up.

"So, where to next?"

"Sounded like you had something fun in mind."

"Indeed."

I held up five tickets in the air.

As everyone looked at me curiously, I grinned and spoke.

"There's a well-known zoo and aquarium nearby. Let’s go check it out."

Having just talked about animals, it was now time to go see some.

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