Chapter 92
5.
When the space age arrived, naturally, most of the things humanity faced were firsts.
And the discoverers wanted to give them names they had coined themselves.
Also, when they accomplished something, they wanted to be the ones to standardize it.
It was the same for the mog.
When everyone felt terror at the existence of the mog, there were those who, amidst that terror, tried to study the mog.
Then, when they realized there were special individuals among the Mogs, the scholars who learned this were unanimous.
“How should we determine the grades?”
There were many opinions.
And usually, when there were many opinions, it was the history of humanity to just use whatever they wanted.
Like England, which always caused problems in America by saying it would use the imperial system because the metric system was too bothersome.
But fortunately, the space age had him.
There was a clear reference point named Doctor Space, and after listening to the proposals, he said:
“It would be good to divide them into eight weight classes.”
To attach weight classes.
Of course, when those words came out, that question naturally arose.
“What do we do if an individual above heavyweight appears?”
To that question, Doctor Space spoke without hesitation.
“Isn’t it fine? Heavyweight itself doesn’t refer to a specific range in the first place, but an existence above a specific range, right? There’s no real need to worry about existences beyond that. Does everyone worry about a magnitude 13 or 14 earthquake? They don’t, right?”
He meant that if one just appeared, one could just assume they were dead.
Fortunately, since humanity faced the space age, it had never encountered a heavyweight individual even once.
Kim Seojun was the same.
Although Kim Seojun had seen all sorts of things, he too had never even once met a heavyweight individual since drifting through space.
Kim Seojun hadn’t encountered heavyweight, let alone the grade below it, the light heavyweight.
It was the same for humanity.
light heavyweight individuals had only been confirmed seven times in the not-so-short history of the space age.
But now, a Heavyweight Mogdog appeared right before Kim Seojun’s eyes.
[Seojun! It’s a heavyweight!]
The moment its appearance was recognized, Noah Winston’s telepathy entered Kim Seojun’s mind directly.
The moment he heard those words, Kim Seojun’s mind didn’t become complicated at all.
It wasn’t a matter of that.
“Everyone retreat. As fast as possible!”
Because staying in this spot any longer was by no means a wise decision.
From then on, all operations were carried out swiftly.
“Private First Class Park Boseop!”
[I will head out immediately!]
“Inventory.”
The moment Kim Seojun opened his inventory, a military truck immediately appeared from within.
Vroooom!
The truck immediately began to charge toward where Kasaknat and Priest Babamut were.
Dudududu!
Meanwhile, the attack helicopter piloted by Brigadier General Lee Yeong-jun descended low, and Kim Seojun immediately used teleport to stand atop the helicopter before pulling the trigger to support Private First Class Park Boseop.
Guaaaargh!
And around that time, the Heavyweight Mogdog that had been holding its breath beneath the ground revealed itself.
It revealed an overwhelming presence.
Screeeech!
A short while after that, Private First Class Park Boseop’s military truck arrived in front of Kasaknat and Priest Babamut.
“Get in right now!”
At those words, Kasaknat turned his head and looked at Priest Babamut.
An urgent situation.
Even so, at this moment, Priest Babamut did not tell the children beneath his feet to come out.
He couldn’t.
It was because of his agony.
Was it truly a natural endeavor to save their lives by receiving help from an alien race they were seeing here for the first time?
Was that the balance of the universe?
And could they be trusted?
In truth, if Priest Babamut had been alone, it would have been a matter he wouldn’t have agonized over even a speck.
He wouldn’t have even shared a conversation with this race he was seeing for the first time.
But right now, Priest Babamut was not alone.
[Priest Babamut.]
And at this moment, the time given to Priest Babamut is not much.
[It is a matter of saving the children.]
Kasaknat brought up those words to Priest Babamut, and in that moment, Priest Babamut remembered.
Kasaknat’s bloodline is here in Kakom City on Planet Pora.
This means that the one in front of him right now was not someone who had simply come to save the Xeno, his kin.
That the one more desperate than anyone else in this moment was not himself, but Kasaknat.
[Jumara, please forgive me.]
The moment he finished those words, Priest Babamut brought his two hands together.
Rumble!
Then the ground beneath his feet shook, and a giant box that had been buried in the ground revealed itself just like that.
[Priest!]
From inside that box, voices calling out to Priest Babamut began to flow out immediately.
Priest Babamut placed that whole box onto the military truck that Private First Class Park Boseop had.
“Staff Sergeant Kim, they’re on board!”
Vroooom!
At that moment, Private First Class Park Boseop stepped on the accelerator with all his might.
He began to charge.
Kieeeek!
Of course, in a situation where all directions were filled with Mogdogs, doing a proper charge was impossible.
No matter how great Private First Class Park Boseop’s driving skills were, he couldn’t run on a path that didn’t exist.
And he had no intention of needing to do so.
The destination he was taking the Xeno children to was very close by.
“Inventory.”
Vroooom!
Kim Seojun, who had appeared at some point, had the truck go straight into his inventory.
The moment it entered, Kim Seojun immediately closed the inventory.
With this, they rescued the children, and naturally, in this moment, Kim Seojun’s Group looked at the remaining Kasaknat and Priest Babamut and spoke.
“We are retreating.”
This meant they shouldn’t stay here any longer.
There was no opposition.
Priest Babamut also knew better than anyone that there was no longer any meaning in staying here.
At that moment, Kasaknat and Priest Babamut quickly fled, leaping over the swarming Mogdogs.
“Ascending.”
Dududududu!
And Brigadier General Lee Yeong-jun began to increase the helicopter’s altitude.
He began to widen the distance from the Mogdogs.
Guaaaargh!
At that moment, a sound filled with dread covered Kim Seojun’s Group.
“Ugh.”
At that sound, Brigadier General Lee Yeong-jun let out a long sigh and spat out words.
“I feel like I’m going to piss myself.”
That wasn’t a simple metaphor.
Among the Mogs, powerful individuals and special individuals made the targets they faced paralyzed with fear.
And it wasn’t just simple fear but a fatal terror, and excluding a few who had resistance to it, there were quite a few cases of not only losing consciousness but also having one’s heart stop.
At least in Brigadier General Lee Yeong-jun’s case, he was able to endure it thanks to his innate resistance and a lot of experience.
“I feel this every time, but Staff Sergeant Kim is truly amazing.”
Among those present right now, Kim Seojun was the only one who could maintain his sanity in front of a heavyweight individual.
Because Kim Seojun’s innate talent was extraordinary in that aspect.
Of course, it didn’t mean Kim Seojun could be completely unaffected either.
Kim Seojun’s hands were trembling, albeit faintly, as he looked down while riding the helicopter.
He was trembling in fear.
Even so, Kim Seojun was not turning his head away.
In response to that, Brigadier General Lee Yeong-jun spoke.
“Are you seriously trying to catch it? Crazy!”
Brigadier General Lee Yeong-jun surprised himself after spitting out those words.
He couldn’t help it.
Because engaging in combat right now against a heavyweight individual they were encountering for the first time was a crazy act.
They had even accomplished their intended goal.
They had rescued all the targets they needed.
There was no reason at all to overdo it here.
But Kim Seojun’s thoughts were different.
“There are 100 million Mogs here.”
So he thought.
“Right now, when there aren’t many Mogs here, this is the best opportunity to catch it.”
That the Heavyweight Mogdog appearing here right now was a stroke of luck.
And that if they encountered a Heavyweight Mogdog not in this situation but one where there were 10 million Mogs in a mine, they wouldn’t even be able to attempt to do anything.
“Well, that’s…”
At those words, Brigadier General Lee Yeong-jun and everyone else couldn’t say anything.
It sounded insane, but it was exactly as he said.
If they fought the battle now, they could practically focus solely on the Heavyweight Mogdog, and there was a high chance an opportunity like this would never come again.
But there was no one here who could shout, “A Heavyweight Mogdog, how lucky!”
[A Heavyweight Mogdog has appeared! How lucky!]
Except for just one person, Noah Winston.
[Lucky?]
Because of her telepathy, the others sent their astonishment through telepathy.
[Yeah. You heard Seojun, right? Next time, the opportunity to even catch it won’t come. And everyone, don’t forget.]
Noah Winston said to them.
[Seojun has me, Hawk Eye.]
Her own existence.
[Penetration!]
In that moment, everyone simultaneously recalled Noah Winston’s ability through telepathy.
And they recalled the newly acquired Philastergun.
[The laser gun is too fast, so catching the timing is a bit tricky, but whatever, we have nothing to lose, right?]
Of course, the Philastergun’s light bullet was so fast that it could pass through the target while penetration was active.
[And even if it’s not the laser gun, who cares?]
But that worry was something they could just try first, and if it didn’t work, they could worry about it then.
There was nothing to lose by trying.
And the people gathered here were those who had navigated through Battlefields where they would try things even if they seemed impossible.
From then on, there was no hesitation.
Kim Seojun opened the Inventory, and Noah Winston came out from within it.
Having finished all preparations for sniping.
“Now, hold on.”
Wearing a scope helmet dedicated to shooting, she aimed her sniper Gauss Gun at the Heavyweight Mogdog below from atop the shaking attack helicopter.
And then, after leaning her back against the support placed on the floor of the attack helicopter, she spoke.
“Alright, it’s going to shake a bit. Hold on tight.”
With that brief warning, the moment she pulled the trigger, the attack helicopter shook lightly.
At the same time, the intense sound unique to the Gauss Gun squeezed through the attack helicopter’s propellers.
After that, a sense of silence settled, and within that silence, Noah Winston spoke.
“Huh?”
She spat out a sound, not knowing what was going on.
“What is it? What happened?”
Brigadier General Lee Yeong-jun threw a question at that, but Noah Winston couldn’t answer it.
“Uh, uh.”
She only wore an expression filled with bewilderment.
In such a situation, Kim Seojun gave the answer.
He said.
“It couldn’t use penetration.”
“Did it fail?”
“No.”
To the subsequent question, Kim Seojun said.
“The ability didn’t work on that bastard.”
6.
Thanks to the appearance of the Prophet’s Relic and Psycher Agents, humanity was able to discuss the word 'Advantage' in the war against mog.
So some people whined.
“What if the Psycher Agent’s ability doesn’t work?”
Most snorted at that worry.
Saying that if they worried like that, why not just worry about getting struck by lightning and dying tomorrow morning.
That it was a needless worry.
“The day will come when it doesn’t win.”
However, Doctor space was among those who had such worries.
He spoke as if certain.
“It’s a realm we can’t understand in the first place. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. And the Prophet’s Relic is an object older than humanity, to the point where even measuring its regiment is unfathomable. The mog have also existed longer than humanity. Would we really be the first to encounter the Prophet’s Relic? Or would it be the mog? Are the mog too stupid to use the Prophet’s Relic? Well, when I look at the kids showing off as Psycher Agents, they don’t seem to have much superior intellectual ability.”
A case would definitely come where it didn’t win.
It wasn’t just Doctor space who had such thoughts.
The Psycher Agents operating on the front lines also thought that a day would come when their abilities wouldn’t work.
Noah Winston was the same.
“Damn it, of all times!”
But to think it would be at such an important moment?
It was a situation that could only be called a trick of fate in many ways.
And in this situation, there was only one thing Kim Seojun’s Group could do.
“Then we move!”
To leave this place as fast as possible.
Brigadier General Lee Yeong-jun made that exact choice.
Of course, he didn’t move.
There was only one person giving orders here.
“Staff Sergeant Kim, we’re moving?”
Kim Seojun didn’t answer those words.
In his view, the fact that this was the best opportunity to catch the Heavyweight Mogdog hadn’t changed.
And Kim Seojun has caught many Mogs without penetration until now.
To just blow this opportunity away solely for the reason that there was no penetration was a regrettable thing.
Of course, that didn’t mean he was vaguely wondering if there might be a way.
It was rather the opposite.
There was a way.
“Brigadier general.”
“You’re going to suggest another headache-inducing method, aren’t you? Tell me.”
Even so, there was one reason he hesitated.
“Do you know the principle of laser procedures?”
Would that truly be possible?
“Principle? Isn’t it just continuously shooting?”
“That’s incorrect.”
“Wait, so you’re saying you’re going to focus the Philastergun on a single point right now?”
“Yes.”
“Like removing a mole on our skin?”
“Yes.”
And Brigadier General Lee Yeong-jun, who came to have the same opinion as Kim Seojun, couldn’t say anything.
First of all, this was a crazy act.
“…What was the damage when you attacked with the Gauss Gun a moment ago?”
“It was just enough to leave a scratch on its exoskeleton. It’s not easy with firepower on the level of a Gauss Gun. But the Philastergun is different. It’s easier to hit than a normal gun. Much easier.”
But apart from that, with the Philastergun’s power, piercing that Heavyweight Mogdog’s hard exoskeleton wasn’t entirely impossible.
Of course, there was a condition attached.
He had to accurately aim at one spot from a distance far enough not to encounter the Heavyweight Mogdog.
That was the reason for his hesitation.
Because Kim Seojun could do that.
There was one minor thing here.
“There is the thinnest part. I will aim for that spot.”
Through clairvoyance, Kim Seojun could aim for the thinnest spot in that exoskeleton.
At that point, there was only one thing Brigadier General Lee Yeong-jun could say.
“…Right, if I’m going to hang around with Staff Sergeant Kim, I should at least do this much.”
The okay sign was given, and from there, Brigadier General Lee Yeong-jun began to catch his breath.
In this moment, it went without saying, but Brigadier General Lee Yeong-jun’s role also became important.
They couldn’t do hit-and-run attacks against that monster on the ground, so they ultimately had to attack from the air.
And naturally, the Mogs on the ground wouldn’t just stand by and watch Kim Seojun’s Group do that.
“Thank you.”
Therefore, Kim Seojun expressed his gratitude to Brigadier General Lee Yeong-jun and began to take his position.
At the same time, he spoke to everyone through telepathy.
“The Heavyweight Mogdog hunt is starting.”
And at the same time, an alert was heard in Kim Seojun’s mind.
[An event mission has occurred.]
[A reward will be given upon defeating the Heavyweight Mogdog individual.]
[The mission reward is the “Item Shop”.]