[RETURNER FANTASY SYSTEM]

[Quest 23 – 18th Birthday Celebration]

[Reward – Veena's Archive Update 1]

[Objective – Celebrate Veena's 18th birthday away from her family]

[Countdown – 1 hour]

---

The celebration party continued as the clock slowly approached midnight, and the countdown of Quest 23 came down to an hour left.

Jeff thought that Quest 23 would be completed as the day of Veena's 18th birthday came to an end, thinking that all he had to do was keep Veena at their home—away from her family, her mother, stepfather, and stepbrothers—until the countdown reached zero.

Or so he believed...

—BANG!—

A gunshot echoed from the street, silencing everyone's cheers and praises, leaving only the music playing—until even that was overwhelmed by a loud shout that followed the gunfire.

"Where are you, Veena!"

The angry, drunk voice of a man instantly froze Veena in her seat. She looked at Jeff, who was sitting beside her, fear written on her face and her eyes already welling with tears.

Jeff didn't need Veena to tell him who the man was; even an idiot like him could figure out that it was most likely her stepfather. The only thing he wondered was how the man found out where Veena was—or, to be exact, where he lived.

Veena's mother could have told her stepfather about their conversation during the earlier phone call. But to find Veena's exact location in just a few hours...

"Her mother probably checked the GPS on Veena's smartphone, idiot," Jess said, understanding the thought behind Jeff's confused, worried expression.

Just how much of an idiot can I be... Jeff sighed silently, disappointed at how he tended to rely on the Returner Fantasy System to warn him of every danger, especially when it came to protecting those important to him.

Regardless of his carelessness, something he needed to correct, dealing with Veena's stepfather came first.

As they all gathered from the backyard toward the inside of the house to take shelter...

—BANG!—

—Crash!—

Another shot was fired from a shotgun, but this time, it wasn't a warning shot aimed at the night sky. It hit and shattered one of the second-floor windows of Jess and Jeff's home.

"That freaking bastard!" Jess snapped, grabbing a wine bottle and rushing toward the front door, only to be stopped by her mother gripping her face to restrain her.

"And what can a bottle of wine do against a gun, you idiot?"

"Both are ranged weapons, so let me handle this."

"Shut it! Besides, that wine is good and expensive!"

While Jess and her mother were squabbling, Jeff left Veena in the care of his parents and proceeded to take care of the situation with Kris, Marc, and his brothers.

"For starters, how about giving Luke-senpai a call?" Jeff said, referring to the police officer who was a senior member of their Iron Rod Legion brotherhood.

"I'll give him a call," said his older brother, "so don't do anything stupid until Luke arrives."

—BANG!—

—Crash!—

Another shot was fired, this time breaking the large glass door at the balcony on the second floor. At the same time, the number of wine bottles in Jess's hands increased, and she was now being restrained not only by her mother but by Mira and Mina as well.

"Come out now, Veena! Or I'm gonna burn this house!"

"Let's go home, Veena!"

"We're your real family, so you should come with us!"

So that shit bastard didn't come here alone, Jeff thought, hearing two more different drunk voices—most likely Veena's stepbrothers—aside from the drunk stepfather.

The threat to burn the house was possibly just a bluff, but Jeff wouldn't take the risk of endangering everyone important to him—or losing Jess's old house, which he had just bought back from the bank.

"Jeff!" His mother called, scared upon seeing Jeff walk toward the front door.

"What do you think you're doing!?" his father followed, grabbing Jeff's shoulder to stop him.

"It would be a shame if he set the house on fire, so I'm just gonna talk to him," Jeff said as he freed himself from his father's hold.

"Besides, I doubt that man really has the guts to shoot someone." He added, reassuring them and everyone of his safety.

Jeff assumed Jess would disagree and stop him, but she didn't say anything—or rather, she was already gone, probably dragged into the guest room by her mother, Mira, and Mina to restrain her from rampaging. Or so he thought.

"Jeff-senpai..." Veena cried, scared that Jeff might get shot again.

"Don't worry, Vee. I'm gonna be careful this time."

Since he would be alone when directly confronting Veena's stepfather face to face, Jeff was sure that the Returner Luck would activate and protect him from getting shot—at least not on his vitals that would endanger his life.

It would hurt a lot, since a shotgun blast wasn't a single bullet like a handgun. But all he had to do was endure the pain to buy time until the police arrived.

Or he could simply take cover to avoid getting shot.

—BANG!—

Another shot was fired, breaking the lock on the gate as Jeff opened the front door and stepped out, finally confronting Veena's stepfather and stepbrothers, who had already entered the front yard after kicking the gate open.

"And who the fuc' are you?"

With the shotgun pointed at him, even Jeff felt a bit intimidated. However, his concern shifted to Veena's stepbrothers, who were each carrying a gallon—most likely filled with gasoline.

So these shit bastards are serious with their threat.

Regardless, a few gallons of gasoline were much better than if they had more guns.

Still, Jeff thought the three shit bastards were either really drunk or idiots to believe they could get away with shooting at someone else's house and threatening to burn it down. It wasn't like they were wealthy or influential enough not to fear the number of crimes Jeff could report them for.

"Just give Veena to us and no one has to get hurt," said the older-looking stepbrother. Followed by an idiotic perverted remark from the younger one:

"If you want to have Veena, then get in line."

"So you're that fuckin' Jeff?" Veena's stepfather said, reloading the shotgun and aiming it at Jeff.

At that instant...

---

[RETURNER FANTASY SYSTEM]

[Returner Luck – Activated]

---

Aren't you convenient this time, Jeff thought, seeing the empty bullet shell stuck in the ejection port of the shotgun, disabling it and preventing another shot.

Disregarding his anger that Veena's stepfather was seriously about to shoot him—since Returner Luck had activated—and knowing the two stepbrothers didn't have guns, Jeff rushed in, aiming to grab the shotgun from Veena's stepfather.

Of course, Jeff appeared outnumbered at first glance, but that wasn't the case since Kris and Marc had already taken their positions, hiding on both sides of the house even before Jeff stepped outside, waiting for the same opportunity.

Kris and Marc rushed toward the stepbrothers alongside Jeff. But before the three of them could reach their chosen opponents—

—BAM!—

A bottle of red wine came flying from the second-floor balcony, landing straight on Veena's stepfather's face, breaking the bottle and knocking him unconscious—mixing red blood and red wine as he fell to the ground.

—Crash!—

Two more wine bottles came flying, but unfortunately missed their marks and shattered upon hitting the ground. Not because the aim was off, but because Kris and Marc tackled the two stepbrothers, saving their faces from getting smashed and restraining them on the ground.

"He's not dead, is he?" Jeff murmured, crouching down to pick up the shotgun and check if Veena's stepfather still had a pulse.

Thankfully, he was still breathing.

Jeff looked up at the balcony—at Jess, who had thrown all the wine bottles and was still holding one more.

"That freaking bastard is still alive, right?" Jess said, directing her question to Jeff as she brandished the last bottle, preparing to deliver the final strike.

"Please don't waste any more good and expensive wine, Jess."

---

[RETURNER FANTASY SYSTEM]

[Quest 23 – 18th Birthday Celebration (Complete)]

[Reward – Veena's Archive Update 1]

[Objective – Celebrate Veena's 18th birthday away from her family]

---

A few minutes later, the police arrived and arrested Veena's stepfather and stepbrothers, charging them with multiple crimes.

However, despite it being an act of self-defense, Jess herself was bound to be charged with serious physical injury.

"Then let me break those two's faces as well if I'm gonna get arrested either way," Jess snapped, angry over the ruined birthday party and the damage to their home—until Jeff embraced her to calm her down.

Veena, meanwhile, embraced Jeff from behind, still scared and hiding from her stepbrothers who were shouting and begging for help.

"Do you want me to handle the rest for you?" Luke said, hinting far more than what his words expressed, earning a scared look from everyone.

"You don't have to, Luke-senpai. After all, that man surely won't bother Veena anymore."

---

[RETURNER FANTASY SYSTEM]

[Returner Eternal Curse – Vengeful Karma (Activated)]

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