Chapter 88
1.
“The Sky Whale has been hunted!”
When that news was delivered, the reaction of the Survivors stationed at Busan Port was not joy nor cheers.
“What?”
Everyone, without exception, threw out questions.
They had no choice but to do so.
“They hunted the Sky Whale? What kind of nonsense is that?”
What kind of existence was the Sky Whale?
It was an existence of terror second only to the behemoth, and an existence that humanity had never once succeeded in hunting.
But they sought that existence?
So when they heard those words, this was the thought that almost everyone had.
“Did they take a stimpack or something?”
Either the person representing had taken a stimpack and lost their mind, or they themselves had been hit with a stimpack and lost their mind - it had to be one of the two.
And the higher-ups were similar.
The moment they received the report from Kim Seojun, everyone still couldn’t withdraw his or her doubts.
Even General Gu Byeong-seop was like that.
“Staff Sergeant Kim Seojun is an amazing soldier.”
He acknowledged Kim Seojun’s abilities.
“But even so, this is…”
However, hunting a Sky Whale was absolutely not something in the realm of being accomplished by such abilities.
Furthermore, the finances Staff Sergeant Kim Seojun was currently leading weren’t even at the level of a single legion. At best, it was platoon-sized.
Considering that the forces usually deployed to hunt a behemoth weren’t just division-sized but required nation-level forces in an all-out war, doing something with a platoon-sized force was impossible.
What reversed that atmosphere was a video.
“A video has arrived!”
Kim Seojun had sent a video, and everyone could see it.
“Oh my god!”
The endlessly massive corpse of the Sky Whale was sinking into the sea like a sinking ship.
Only then could everyone finally feel it.
The hunt had truly succeeded.
That they were now free from the terror of the Sky Whale.
At that moment, General Gu Byeong-seop spoke.
“Send it to the entire military.”
“Sir?”
“Deliver this video to the entire military. Announce our victory!”
To sound the news of victory.
At that moment, the Subordinate Executives immediately nodded and began to send out this joyful news.
And as that video spread, the expressions of the Soldiers waiting at Busan Port began to brighten.
“Waaaaah!”
Eventually, as if they had made a promise, everyone began to let out cheers.
It wasn’t a simple cheer.
They had gone beyond the level of being prepared for a death; they thought they were already dead, that they were standing in hell.
But the moment they escaped from that death, the euphoria they felt in that moment was incomparable to anything else.
Like that, Busan Port was heaving with cheers.
All of humanity was rejoicing.
Dududududu!
And the helicopter arrived, carrying Kim Seojun’s Group, who had brought joy to that place.
The atmosphere inside that helicopter was also good.
Everyone, including Kim Seojun, was filled with joy.
However, that feeling did not last long.
The moment they got off the helicopter, Kasaknat spoke.
[My hometown has been attacked by the Mogs.]
Everyone was surprised by those words.
Because it was an unimaginable moment of parting.
But it was different for Fina Kasaknat.
[I thank Kim Seojun and humans.]
He calmly conveyed his will.
There was no sign of emotion.
In the first place, the Xeno species did not have anything on their faces that could be called an expression.
[Thanks to you, I am now able to return to my hometown.]
However, the moment they heard those spoken words, everyone felt it.
What Kasaknat’s feelings were as he spat out those words while holding a compass that did not move even though it contained his own blood.
He intended to take revenge for the death of his child in his hometown, an unconditional and unpromising revenge.
“Hey, Kasaknat! How are you going to get there from here?”
At that point, Noah Winston asked a question.
“You don’t even have a spaceship, right?”
It was unknown where Kasaknat’s home planet was, but it wouldn’t be a distance he could walk.
Kasaknat did not answer that.
It didn’t mean there was a way.
However, the lack of a way did not become a reason for him not to leave earth and go to his home planet.
Therefore, Kasaknat was merely showing it here.
[Everything will become star dust. Through that, the balance of the universe will be restored.]
That he was already prepared for a death.
It was impossible to change that resolve with any persuasion.
And honestly, they couldn’t persuade him either.
Hadn’t Kim Seojun’s Group, the humanity that had gone out into space, just risked death and committed a crazy act to protect earth?
Kasaknat was simply doing the same.
In such a situation, there was only one thing Kim Seojun’s Group could do.
They said their goodbyes like this.
“Kasaknat.”
In that atmosphere, Kim Seojun spoke.
“Please wait a moment.”
And then Kim Seojun immediately moved.
“Where is the general?”
2.
“General.”
“Staff Sergeant Kim Seojun!”
The moment Kim Seojun arrived, General Gu Byeong-seop welcomed him more fiercely than ever.
It was a natural reaction.
Wasn’t he an existence who had achieved savior-like feats, going beyond the level of saving a country to saving humanity?
Therefore, General Gu Byeong-seop made preparations.
To change Kim Seojun’s position right here and now.
And this was a quite important issue.
Normal people naturally didn’t judge a person by things like rank, but there were more abnormal humans than normal ones in this world.
No matter what Kim Seojun did in the future, the moment those with higher ranks heard his rank, it was obvious they would discriminate against him and look down on him in various ways.
Most of those with high ranks were people whose rank was everything they had.
General Gu Byeong-seop knew that, and so he clearly intended to promote him.
He didn’t have that authority, but that wasn’t important.
Of course, General Gu Byeong-seop knew.
'With Staff Sergeant Kim Seojun’s personality, he’ll refuse.'
That Kim Seojun was not someone who coveted such formalities, positions, power, or seats.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
Kim Seojun said that to General Gu Byeong-seop.
“Can you stage a coup?”
“H-huh?”
The moment he heard those words, General Gu Byeong-seop froze without realizing it.
Because to any general in the world, the word 'coup' was a word that would inevitably make them freeze the moment they heard it.
Then, soon after, General Gu Byeong-seop realized Kim Seojun’s intentions.
A national decision is needed right now.
Furthermore, this wasn’t the first time he had heard such words.
When they built the shelter, the last bastion, at Busan Port, all the Executives had spoken in unison.
Since everyone, including the president, had fled to the moon anyway, it would be better for General Gu Byeong-seop to just become the president.
Even if he did so, there was no state power in existence to stop it.
And honestly, no procedures were needed either.
“I’ll do it, why not!”
With just that one phrase, just by spitting it out, the coup was practically attempted and succeeded.
As of this moment, General Gu Byeong-seop has become the nation’s Supreme Commander.
“So what is it that you want?”
“I request a deployment under your authority as the interim president of the Republic of Kinaea.”
The moment he heard those words, General Gu Byeong-seop made an expression of even greater incomprehension.
A deployment from here?
“The target of the deployment is the planet of the Alien race, the Xenos.”
“Alien race?”
It was that moment.
“Kasaknat.”
The moment Kim Seojun spat out the words, Kasaknat, who had been in a stealth state on the stage where they were, revealed his figure.
Naturally, the moment they saw Kasaknat, everyone, including General Gu Byeong-seop, froze stiff.
To think they would see an Alien race, not human, that had built another civilization here on earth of all places?
To everyone who was so surprised, Kim Seojun spoke.
“He has already given us a lot of help, from the behemoth hunt to this Sky Whale Hunt. Now it is our turn to help.”
“B-Behemoth? You hunted a behemoth too?”
At those words he was hearing for the first time, General Gu Byeong-seop was startled once again.
“No, no.”
Then he looked at Kasaknat soon and calmed himself down.
Because now was not the time to be surprised by such things.
So right now, Kim Seojun is saying that Korea had to help the Xenos.
The meaning was simple.
“Is their planet in danger?”
“Yes.”
Here, General Gu Byeong-seop racked his brain.
It was obvious, but going to help was something Kim Seojun could do as much as he pleased.
There was no one who could stop him if he said he was going.
Nevertheless, the reason Kim Seojun was speaking like this was simple.
“For us.”
If Kim Seojun were to suddenly leave here without a word, those left behind would feel great confusion in many ways.
“For me.”
Furthermore, from the perspective of General Gu Byeong-seop, who led them, it would inevitably be a burden in many ways.
“For humanity.”
Decisively, Kim Seojun helping Kasaknat and the Xenos as an individual had a different meaning than Korea helping them.
The distant future it might be a story for, but if the Xeno species and the humanity species were to interact, Korea would be able to receive overwhelming consideration compared to any other nation!
When his thoughts reached this point, General Gu Byeong-seop did not hesitate.
He looked at Kasaknat and spoke.
“Thank you for willingly risking your life for our humanity! Now we will help you!”
Along with his words, General Gu Byeong-seop saluted.
To that fact, Kasaknat did not reply with anything.
Actually, Kasaknat didn’t properly understand the current situation itself.
Because it would be rather strange for him to understand human political calculations.
Instead, he knew one thing.
[Kim Seojun.]
That the human named Kim Seojun wanted to help him right now.
At that fact, Kasaknat felt infinite gratitude.
Because it was the first time another species had risked their lives for him like this, in the distant space and the long time he had spent.
Kasaknat had even thought that the existence of humans destroyed the balance of the universe, and he had tried to kill them.
He had approached them as an enemy.
Even so, they were stepping up like this?
[Even if I become star dust, I will remember you.]
Therefore, Kasaknat showed the utmost courtesy he could send to Kim Seojun.
However, that was it.
[I am grateful for your intentions.]
Kasaknat refused Kim Seojun’s help.
There were several reasons, but the biggest reason was a realistic problem.
[But from now on, I will spend an unpromising amount of time. It is too long a time for humans.]
It was unknown how long it would take to get to his home planet from here.
Also, it was unknown what dangers would come along the way.
There was a high possibility of becoming star dust even before taking revenge.
Taking Kim Seojun and his Comrades along on such a thing was too dangerous and meaningless.
“I am not a human who does things just with my heart alone.”
Of course, Kim Seojun knew too.
Nevertheless, the reason he made this proposal was simple.
“I act when I can produce results. That is the reason I have survived amidst all kinds of disasters in this space.”
He was confident.
“If it’s me, I can help you right now, Kasaknat. I can travel to your planet, see what has happened there, and provide an answer.”
Of course, there was a condition.
Kim Seojun spoke.
“Kasaknat, if you become a member of my legion, we can go to your hometown right this instant.”
The moment he heard those words, Kasaknat recalled it.
The nonsensical miracles Kim Seojun had shown that denied the laws of the universe and providence.
And the miracle of coming here to earth from Planet Kingclench.
When he reached that fact, Kasaknat did not show any reaction.
He fell into thought.
From Kim Seojun’s perspective, it was an understandable dilemma.
“Becoming my legion is no ordinary matter.”
He didn’t know much about the Xeno species, but entering the military of another species couldn’t possibly be an easy thing.
Even looking at it from a human perspective right now, if one suddenly entered the military of the Xeno species, there was a high chance that problems would arise in many ways.
Of course, they could just hide it.
However, looking at the actions the Xeno species, or more accurately Kasaknat, had shown so far, they were not existences who could easily commit falsehoods.
It was then.
The needle of the compass he was holding in his hand began to move, the silent Kasaknat.
At that movement, Kasaknat immediately checked the compass, and the moving needle stopped just like that.
Stiffly.
Looking at it, Kasaknat spoke.
[Oh, Jumara!]
Spitting out those words, Kasaknat hesitated no longer.
A moment later, Kim Seojun could hear it.
[Xeno Kasaknat has joined the legion.]
[Kasaknat]
- rank: Private E-1
- species: Xeno
- physical Performance: A
- Psycher Performance: E
- Blessing of Ares is being applied.
- Blessing of Hestia is being applied.
And at the same time, Kim Seojun asked.
“What is the name of the planet?”
[Pora.]
Afterwards, Kim Seojun was able to confirm it.
“Pora… travel is possible.”
At that moment, Kim Seojun’s mind was now filled with only one single thought.
'Supplies.'
With filling his Inventory.
There, Kim Seojun’s worries grew.
He wanted to take all the supply materials and move, if it were up to him, but if he did that, the military left here would have nothing to use.
The materials on Planet Kingclench were the same.
Since it was unknown when Kim Seojun’s Group would return, he couldn’t just haphazardly take war materials.
'Considering the strength of the Xeno species, the difficulty of the crisis they’ve fallen into is… unprecedented.'
Also, there was a high chance that the situation on planet Pora was worse than any place he had encountered, in Kim Seojun’s view.
He didn’t just need a lot of firepower; he needed cutting-edge weapons incorporating humanity’s technology.
Here, Kim Seojun didn’t harbor worries for nothing.
“We need supplies.”
“Supplies?”
“Yes, not just a simple ammunition resupply, but enough supplies to change our combat power itself.”
He sought advice, and the moment he heard that advice, General Gu Byeong-seop immediately opened his eyes wide and spoke.
“There is one place. A place we’ve been keeping an eye on in preparation for when we lack supplies.”
It was obvious, but General Gu Byeong-seop had been devising methods for resupply ever since settling down at Busan Port.
Because if supplies disappeared, Busan was practically finished too.
For that, he gathered all the remaining personnel, and in that process, General Gu Byeong-seop learned of one place.
“By sheer luck, there was someone from the National Intelligence Service among the Survivors, and that National Intelligence Service agent told us.”
As he spoke, General Gu Byeong-seop also took action.
“That there is a place where they secretly researched and stockpiled military supplies.”
He pulled out a map, and at that point, Kim Seojun also asked a question.
“Where is that?”
At that question, General Gu Byeong-seop immediately pointed to a spot on the map and spoke.
“It’s Shanghai.”