Chapter 32
One of the most frequent warnings trainee soldiers heard during their training to become Space Marines was about the aftermath of battle.
“Never let your guard down. Even if the battle seems over, don’t relax. Mogs are incredibly tenacious. One you thought was dead can suddenly devour you.”
Kim Seojun felt that warning more acutely than anyone.
So, even in situations that appeared to be the end of a battle, he never easily let go of his tension.
It wasn't just him; Major Lee Hyena and everyone else felt the same way.
As they gazed at the corpses of the Mogdogs and thorn-worms, not one of them uttered the words, “Battle Ended.”
“I think the battle is over.”
In that situation, it was none other than Private First Class Park Boseop who declared the battle over.
And the moment they heard his words, everyone finally relaxed.
They knew.
“I don’t hear anything, sir.”
If Private First Class Park Boseop, now a Psycher with special Auditory Ability, said it, it was trustworthy.
Of course, Kim Seojun still didn't easily let go of his tension.
He still hadn't declared the battle over.
\[Battle Ended.\]
It was only when the System window spoke that Kim Seojun finally uttered the words.
“Battle ended.”
“Hoo-woo-woo-woo!”
*At that moment, a long sigh escaped Private First Class Park Boseop’s lips.*
Major Lee Hyena was the same.
She slumped to the ground and said, “It’s been a long time since I regretted becoming a Psycher.”
Everyone agreed with her words.
Kim Seojun was no different.
He looked at the scene before him, the corpses of the Mogdogs and thorn-worms, and thought, *“That was a Crazy Act.”*
In truth, the sight itself wasn't surprising.
In the War against Mog, a Mog Legion of 10,000 wasn't small, but it wasn't particularly large either.
For a Mog Legion to be called a Grand Legion, at least 100,000 individuals had to gather.
It wasn't uncommon to see numbers exceeding a million, and the highest recorded number in a documented war was 13.22 million.
During his Active Duty Days, Kim Seojun had fought not only Mog Legions exceeding 100,000 but also hordes of over a million.
And it wasn't even considered a big deal.
In places where the rank hadn't even been properly assigned, such as Unexplored Planets rather than Resource Development Planets, Mogs were often piled up in countless numbers, and the planets Kim Seojun usually went to were precisely those kinds of places.
In any case, Kim Seojun had faced an overwhelming number of Mogs before.
*“To think just four of us took them all down.”*
However, it was his first time facing a Mog Legion of nearly 10,000 with just a Battle Tank and a Psycher.
*“I was going to run if it didn”t feel right...’*
And naturally, Kim Seojun had no intention whatsoever of seeing it through to such an extreme conclusion.
He hadn't set any grand goals.
He had simply seen an opportunity.
The Tank Beetles' explosive deaths had thrown the Mog Legion into chaos, and in that commotion, the thorn-worms couldn't properly position themselves, which he saw as an opening.
Mogdogs were fearsome, but without proper support from thorn-worms, they weren't difficult to deal with.
Major Lee Hyena alone could handle hundreds or even thousands of Mogdogs if they were unsupported.
The Battle Tank was the same.
While a Battle Tank wasn't invincible against Mogdogs, it could certainly hold its ground if it needed to.
There seemed to be no reason not to engage.
*“Before the Stimpack Effect wears off.”*
Crucially, from Kim Seojun's perspective, having used a Stimpack, it was advantageous to keep the Mogs engaged for as long as possible during that time.
That was the extent of it.
Just take down a few more, and if it felt wrong, pull out—that was the plan.
But that "just a little more, just a little more, just one more time" mentality ended up seeing it through to the very end.
It was an unexpected outcome for Kim Seojun, and the reason for this result was simple.
“You two are truly amazing, sir!”
“The amazing one is Private First Class Park Boseop.”
“Me, sir?”
“Yes.”
Private First Class Park Boseop, he had shown it.
“Without you, this result would have been impossible.”
That was no exaggeration.
“It was an unbelievable driving skill.”
Kim Seojun, too, had never thought his driving was lacking, but his skill was in speed, not evasion.
Private First Class Park Boseop, on the other hand, was different.
In the Battle Tank, a space where visibility was extremely limited, Private First Class Park Boseop perfectly grasped his surroundings, weaving through the swarming Mogdogs without ever being encircled.
“Oh, it’s nothing amazing, sir.”
“Dodging the thorn-worms’ spines was certainly amazing.”
“Ah, even I was surprised by that, sir.”
He even displayed an unbelievable ability to evade the attacks of thorn-worms that had taken aim.
“I just heard the sound and instinctively ducked back, but I didn’t know it would actually dodge it, sir.”
It was possible because of his Psycher ability.
However, Kim Seojun knew.
Not all Psychers could achieve that just because they had the ability.
Moreover, the Battle Tank itself generated immense noise, and Mogdogs were swarming everywhere.
In that situation, Kim Seojun was continuously firing shells from the Battle Tank and relentlessly blasting its auxiliary machine guns.
To detect the sound of a thorn-worm and react in such a situation?
It was only possible because of Private First Class Park Boseop, and thanks to him, Kim Seojun only had to focus on shooting without any worries.
“That’s what makes it amazing.”
\[Settlement begins.\]
The moment he uttered those brief words, Kim Seojun heard the notification in his ear, and he snapped back to attention.
*“It”s going to be huge.’*
From now on, dozens of notifications would surely ring in his ears consecutively.
\[Due to the large number of notifications, only the Total Points will be displayed.\]
\[You have acquired 73,463 Total Points.\]
*“Ah.”*
However, at the brief notification that followed, Kim Seojun looked momentarily blank before nodding in understanding.
From Kim Seojun’s perspective, the detailed breakdown didn’t matter anyway.
Even if the System window had made a calculation error, it wasn't as if complaining about it would make the System window say, *“Oh, the settlement was wrong! We apologize! As an apology, we’ll secretly give you 100,000 points, so please don’t report us to the Consumer Protection Agency or the media!”* and then correct it, right?
More than anything, the minor details didn't matter to Kim Seojun right now.
First, Kim Seojun said, “Let’s return to Headquarters.”
With his words, Kim Seojun opened his Inventory once more.
He then placed the massive Battle Tank inside his vast Inventory and pulled out a Military Truck.
Everyone felt a sense of wonder at this fact, and at the same time, they felt that the end had come.
“Private First Class Park Boseop, it’ll be tough, but please take us to Headquarters.”
“Yes, sir! Please rest well!”
Then, Kim Seojun and Major Lee Hyena slumped into the cargo bay as if collapsing.
Major Lee Hyena couldn't resist the surging fatigue and simply closed her eyes.
Kim Seojun was the same.
His eyes felt like they would close at any moment.
So, with his microphone off, Kim Seojun said, “Status window.”
He had to finish everything he needed to do before his eyes closed, before he passed out.
\[Kim Seojun\]
- Strength: 33
- Stamina: 33
- Mana: 23
- Owned Skills: Clairvoyance (D), Inventory (A), Stealth (F)
- Owned Talents: Dynamic Visual Acuity (C), Hawk Eye (E)
- Owned Points: 73,641
- Owned Tickets: Skill Upgrade Ticket (A)
As Kim Seojun looked at his status window, his eyes changed.
The 5,000 points he had gained from defeating the Lightweight Cyclops last time were all spent on purchasing Bronze Tickets, which had increased his Mana by 10 points.
*“It”s highly likely that I can only buy 7 more Bronze Tickets.’*
And once Mana reached 30 points, it was highly probable that Bronze Tickets would effectively be unable to raise any stats.
His prediction soon became reality.
\[You have purchased 7 Bronze Tickets.\]
\[Mana has increased by 7 points.\]
\[All stats have reached 30 points. You can no longer purchase Bronze Tickets.\]
Kim Seojun felt a pang of regret at the notification.
*“No new skills or rank-ups came out.”*
Considering the cost-effectiveness of Bronze Tickets, it would have been beneficial to get as many skills and rank-ups as possible from them.
*“From now on, only Silver Tickets are possible.”*
Naturally, Kim Seojun used his remaining points to purchase all the Silver Tickets.
\[You have purchased and used 23 Silver Tickets.\]
\[Mana has increased by 5 points.\]
\[Stamina has increased by 6 points.\]
\[Strength has increased by 9 points.\]
\[Skill Upgrade Ticket (D) has appeared.\]
\[Talent Upgrade Ticket (D) has appeared.\]
Out of 23 tickets, 22 were Silver Rank.
However, there was no regret about that fact.
There couldn't be.
Because he heard it immediately.
\[Congratulations! A Platinum Rank reward has appeared!\]
\[Teleport (F) skill has appeared.\]
“What?!”
The moment he heard it, Kim Seojun involuntarily gasped in shock.
“What the—!”
Kim Seojun cried out, and in that instant, realizing the situation, he immediately checked his surroundings.
Fortunately, his microphone was off, and Major Lee Hyena, who was in front of him, had her eyes closed, half-asleep.
Thanks to this, no one knew of Kim Seojun’s surprise, and no one spoke to him.
He could only hear it.
*Thump-thump-thump-thump!*
\[Heart rate has increased.\]
The sound of his own heart beating like crazy.
Kim Seojun was that surprised right now.
*“Could it really be that Teleport?”*
If this skill was the one Kim Seojun was thinking of, then what he could achieve from now on would be on a completely different level than anything he had shown before.
*“Wait.”*
Moreover, Kim Seojun still had something left.
*“I still have a Skill Upgrade Ticket.”*
A Hidden Card that could instantly raise any skill to A-Rank.
It was a moment that could lead to deep contemplation in many ways.
However, Kim Seojun didn't fall into contemplation here.
He didn't have the luxury.
*“It”s coming.’*
He felt that he had reached his limit.
After all, he was already exhausted from the Stimpack and the long battle, and just a moment ago, he had been too shocked.
As the saying goes, his heart had dropped.
Having suddenly accelerated in a precarious situation, it would be strange to expect his body to hold out any longer.
And that prediction soon became reality.
*Thud!*
Kim Seojun’s body jolted and he collapsed.
“Huh? Staff Sergeant Kim!”
Private First Class Park Boseop, who heard the sound, urgently cried out, and Major Lee Hyena, who had somehow opened her eyes, laid Kim Seojun on the floor and said, “He’s fine. Getting him to Headquarters as quickly as possible is best for Staff Sergeant Kim Seojun.”
*Vroooom!*
In response to her words, Private First Class Park Boseop immediately floored the Accelerator instead of replying.
Private First Class Park Boseop’s efforts paid off.
When Kim Seojun opened his eyes, he found himself in the Infirmary of Poland Headquarters.
“Staff Sergeant Kim Seojun!”
And he heard it.
“Something big has happened!”
It was Private First Class Park Boseop, rushing towards him with a grim expression.
Seeing that, Kim Seojun wasn't surprised.
He wasn't surprised.
“It’s not that Poland Headquarters is in danger, is it?”
“Huh?”
“If a Mog Legion were targeting Poland Headquarters or the Chinese Military were coming, you wouldn’t have come to me after I woke up.”
Of course, saying that didn't mean he was underestimating the situation.
Quite the opposite.
If Private First Class Park Boseop was making such a fuss even though Poland Headquarters wasn't in trouble? Then it was likely a problem of an even greater scale.
“So, what is it?”
“Well, Jennifer Jo has sent another Rescue Request signal.”
And his prediction soon became reality.
“But the content... I think you’ll understand if you hear it yourself.”
At his words, Kim Seojun nodded, and Private First Class Park Boseop immediately played the recorded file.
Soon, Kim Seojun could hear it.
— This is American Headquarters, this is American Headquarters. I am Jennifer Jo, I request rescue from anyone.
The Rescue Request was not significantly different from what he had heard last time.
That Rescue Request was repeated three more times.
Around that time.
— *Fuck!*
Suddenly, a Korean expletive burst out, and then the person claiming to be Jennifer Jo said,
— Do you think you’ll all be safe if I die? I’m the only one who can fix this broken Gate! If I die, you’re all finished! So if you want to live, save me! There’s not much oxygen left here! In 120 hours, I’ll be finished too!
After those frantic words, Private First Class Park Boseop stopped playing the file.
Private First Class Park Boseop’s expression was even grimmer.
Certainly, last time, Kim Seojun and Private First Class Lee Hyena had said there was a high possibility that Jennifer Jo was a fake.
“Uh, Staff Sergeant Kim. If this is true...”
But if, by any chance, all of this was true, then if Jennifer Jo died, returning to Earth might become impossible.
Just then.
“Everyone!”
Major Lee Hyena suddenly arrived and said, “Jennifer Jo has sent a new Rescue Request signal.”
And then she immediately played a recorded file.
— I’ll tell you the proof that I’m Jennifer Jo. China is researching Featherweight Cyclops on Planet Amotia. The reason for the research? For Space Peace. China wants to artificially manipulate Mog attacks and Retreat Commands using Cyclops for Space Peace! If successful, it would greatly contribute to Space Peace! And I guess I can’t travel to China anymore!
To others, it would have sounded preposterous, but to the three gathered here, it was different.
The moment he heard it, Kim Seojun was convinced.
It was highly likely to be Jennifer Jo.
“...We will hold a Strategy Meeting for the rescue.”
And now, it was time to seriously consider rescuing her.