Chapter 13
5. Kim Seojun was a good judge of character. It wasn't innate. Humans reveal their true nature when facing death, and Kim Seojun had experienced such predicaments countless times. In his eyes, Major Lee Hyena was still a decent person.
No matter the mission, she wouldn't have come to this planet alone.
The mere fact that she was undertaking a solo mission on Planet Amotia was proof that she was driven by a sense of duty. He also knew from their conversations that she tried her best to look out for Staff Sergeant Kim Seojun and Private First Class Park Boseop, and that such Psychers were rarer than one might think. Kim Seojun had overstepped his bounds to offer several opinions precisely because he knew this. He stretched his legs because he knew he could lie down.
“Are you delegating full command authority to me?”
“Yes.”
However, this answer was unexpected even for Kim Seojun. Granting command authority was an extraordinary move. It wasn't just a simple “Do as you please!” but rather meant that Major Lee Hyena would follow Kim Seojun's orders from now on.
It wouldn't be a way to shift responsibility.
Nor was it a trick to absolve herself of criminal acts. Military law wasn't so trivial as to allow such things. And Major Lee Hyena wasn't cunning enough to devise such a scheme. It was a decision made because she trusted Kim Seojun's abilities. Of course, that wasn't the sole reason. It certainly played a large part.
“Thank you.”
*She seems to be mistaking me for a Psycher.*
However, in Kim Seojun's view, another reason was also significant. The possibility was high. Considering the abilities Kim Seojun had displayed so far, it was reasonable to assume he was a Psycher. Moreover, it was common for Psycher Agents to conceal their identities.
There's no harm in it.
From Kim Seojun's perspective, there was no reason to refuse. It was far more convenient for them to just think, “He's a Psycher!” than for him to explain everything in detail. Problems might arise later, but “later” wasn't on Kim Seojun's mind right now. There was only one thing to do now.
“Then, we will move to the enemy Stronghold from now on.”
6. Planet Amotia was a wasteland. On the surface, that was all it seemed to be. However, if there was truly nothing, many nations wouldn't be desperately trying to develop it, even with the planet being orange level and overrun by Mog. Beneath this land lay countless valuable resources. There were just as many mining sites, and these sites became excellent hideouts for those operating covertly on the planet. In the labyrinthine areas, spaces that had been used as shelters could be utilized indefinitely, provided there was a proper power supply. This was why the thieves used the Hongwon Mining Site, which the Chinese Branch on Planet Amotia had developed and then closed, as their hideout. It was equipped not only with facilities capable of opening highly secure supply crates but also with defenses that could withstand potential external intrusions, specifically from the owners of the supplies. External surveillance was also well-maintained. There was only one problem. Psychers were not accounted for in their defenses. In fact, this was natural. If you were to bring a noble Psycher and ask, “Sir Psycher, it seems a supply crate has been stolen, could you please find it for us?”, the Psycher would likely laugh and reply, “Do I look like a joke to you?!”
CRUNCH!
“Clear.”
Thus, the moment Major Lee Hyena appeared, the defenses of the Hongwon Mining Site, owned by the Chinese Military, became utterly helpless.
And that wasn't all.
Tat-tat!
“Clear.”
Kim Seojun, who had entered the site, also played a significant role. No, more than just a significant role, he produced even more terrifying results than Major Lee Hyena.
Clairvoyance Ability is truly overpowered.
The value of Clairvoyance Ability in the winding, labyrinthine Mining Site was inestimable. However, Clairvoyance wasn't omnipotent. Clairvoyance Ability was affected by density. While it could penetrate through impurities in the atmosphere due to their low density, seeing through solid rock with Clairvoyance had its limits. Naturally, highly dense materials like iron sometimes couldn't be penetrated by Clairvoyance. Even so, its utility was immense. The combination of Major Lee Hyena and Staff Sergeant Kim Seojun was particularly powerful. One cleared the path; the other finished the job; there was no more perfect teamwork. Thanks to this, the situation was quickly resolved.
Tat-tat!
“Clear.”
With Kim Seojun's final gunshot, no further signs of life could be detected anywhere. Of course, the real beginning would be from that moment on. The fact that they had infiltrated this place would surely be reported to the Chinese Headquarters on Planet Amotia, and reinforcements would undoubtedly be dispatched immediately.
“Grab what we can and let’s go.”
So Kim Seojun and Major Lee Hyena went to the Warehouse where the stolen supplies were gathered. Thankfully, the Chinese Military had neatly organized and stacked the supplies in the Warehouse. From there, they only took what they could carry. Overgreed always leads to problems.
“Staff Sergeant Kim.”
“Yes, I see it.”
However, the moment they saw an unopened supply crate, they couldn't help but stop. They understood. It was a very large supply crate.
“It looks like Psycher Supplies.”
There was no “This belongs to a Psycher, do not touch!” sign, but it wasn't hard to confirm its identity. If it had been a Regular Supply Crate, it would have been dismantled long ago. But far from being dismantled, there were clear signs around it that someone had been trying to open it just moments before. Major Lee Hyena pondered. The value of Psycher Supplies was immeasurable. Of course, transporting this from here was greedy in many ways. First, it was too big. While transport itself wouldn't be difficult, they would have to sacrifice an equivalent amount of food or ammunition. Crucially, even if they took it, whether they could open it was uncertain. Trying to force it open could even lead to an accident. In the case of Psycher Supplies, some were set to detonate if forced open, as a security measure. Kim Seojun thought the same.
Even Clairvoyance can't see through it well.
Kim Seojun couldn't even confirm what was inside. In many ways, he was about to pass it by.
*A Dial Lock?*
However, the moment he confirmed that the safe's lock was a Dial Lock, which opened by turning and matching numbers, his expression changed. Surprisingly, this was a frequently used method. Biometric Authentication offered the most secure protection, but this method had poor durability. Crucially, Biometric Authentication had the disadvantage that only the authorized person could open it directly. If that person died or was incapacitated, it became useless. Keys also carried the risk of being lost. In contrast, the Dial Lock had its own advantages in these aspects. Of course, what was used wasn't the important thing. The important thing was this:
*Can I use Clairvoyance on this?*
For Kim Seojun, who possessed Clairvoyance Ability, a Dial Lock was a trivial locking mechanism. Kim Seojun didn't hesitate. He immediately used Clairvoyance. To his surprise, the inside of the dial, the inner workings of the security device, began to become clearly visible. Kim Seojun didn't hesitate. He began to turn the dial.
Drrr...
The dial made hardly any sound when turned. Unlike what's often seen in movies, where one listens to the clicks to guess the Password, it gave no such opportunity. But for Kim Seojun, sound didn't matter. because he could see. The moment a specific number was reached, he could see something aligning perfectly with a groove on the disc beyond the dial. He stopped there and turned it again. After repeating this process ten times, that was the moment.
Pshhh!
The supply crate began to open with a hiss.
“*Crazy.*”
*At that moment, Major Lee Hyena, who had been inspecting the supplies from a distance and was unaware of what Kim Seojun was doing, let out a startled cry.*
She immediately rushed towards Kim Seojun and shouted.
“Get back!”
She acted as a shield. She had assumed the sound was a bomb or some dangerous device exploding or activating. Of course, the reality was soon understood.
“Ah.”
The moment she realized, Major Lee Hyena's face began to stiffen. Half from embarrassment.
“H-how?”
Half from disbelief. As she looked at Kim Seojun with that expression, Kim Seojun said.
“I got lucky.”
“You got lucky?”
Kim Seojun immediately replied to Major Lee Hyena, who wore an expression that clearly said, “You expect me to believe that?”.
“It’s my ability. I have a clairvoyance ability. I’ll only explain this much.”
Major Lee Hyena was surprised at that answer but soon understood. After all, nothing a Psycher did would be considered strange.
“Let’s check the contents first.”
And now was not the time to question Kim Seojun's abilities. Both simultaneously inspected the Psycher Supply Crate. The first thing they saw was guns, and there was a considerable variety: three pistols, three Assault Rifles, and one Sniper Rifle. There was no suit. Instead, the remaining space was filled with ammunition. Of course, there was nothing strange about this. Supplies were, quite literally, items Psychers additionally requested during mission training. If their suit was intact and other equipment was fine, there was no need to request an additional suit. Instead, most requests were for consumables like ammunition and guns. Moreover, the value of this supply crate, even with just these items, was beyond what an ordinary person could imagine. The guns, naturally, incorporated Gauss Technology, and the ammunition consisted of Special Rounds specifically designed for such Gauss Guns. Their worth was immense. From Kim Seojun's perspective, it was enough to make his eyes spin. However, Kim Seojun's gaze fixed on one particular item.
*No way, that's not...*
A single can of Space-Exclusive Cola sat in the corner. The moment he saw it, in Kim Seojun's mind, a memory from a while ago resurfaced, and he immediately spoke.
“Have you heard any talk of Hawk Eye being here?”
The moment she heard the name Hawk Eye, Major Lee Hyena's expression changed. She was aghast. The name held such overwhelming weight for those living in Space.
America's best sniper.
Hawk Eye was the best Sniper among all humans in Space.
“Staff Sergeant Kim Seojun, are you saying these are Hawk Eye’s supplies? How can you be so sure?”
Of course, what were now before them were supplies of a general standard. There wasn't even a Nation emblem on the outside. There was no clue anywhere that would suggest the name Hawk Eye. Moreover, Hawk Eye was no ordinary Psycher. He belonged to America, held the rank of Colonel, and wielded power far exceeding his rank. He was not someone who would be deployed to a mere Orange Level Planet. Kim Seojun knew this too. Nevertheless, his reason for saying this was simple.
“There’s cola.”
“Cola?”
“Yes.”
As he spoke, an old memory resurfaced in Kim Seojun's mind. It was the memory of his second encounter with a Behemoth. Hawk Eye moved to capture that enormous monster, and including Hawk Eye, the US Space Defense Force succeeded in the Behemoth Hunt. Of course, Kim Seojun hadn't personally met Hawk Eye during that process. Far from meeting him, Kim Seojun was busy fleeing from the Behemoth at the time. He heard the story after the battle was over, when he returned to the Space Station on a rescue ship. His Company Commander approached Kim Seojun and said: “Seojun, Hawk Eye called you a *crazy bastard*!”
Leaving a Behemoth behind and flooring it with a burning planet next to me was indeed a crazy act.
Hawk Eye had witnessed Kim Seojun's desperate escape at the time. And he had given Kim Seojun a gift, which was cola. That was when he knew.
“Hawk Eye likes cola.”
That Hawk Eye, a being whose name was known but whose face was not, enjoyed cola. Of course, cola wasn't something only Hawk Eye could possess. You could see it at the PX to your heart's content.
“That’s all. It’s not definitive. I just asked in case.”
So Kim Seojun ended the discussion there.
There was nothing certain anyway.
Kim Seojun merely thought.
*...Please don't be here, please.*
If Hawk Eye was here, Planet Amotia was likely a hell beyond imagination. Regardless, Kim Seojun's hand reached for the supply crate, and Major Lee Hyena gasped in alarm.
“Staff Sergeant Kim! You said these were Hawk Eye’s supplies? If you steal them!”
Kim Seojun replied to her warning, “If you steal this, *we’re fucked*!”
“It’s not certain. And I’m not trying to steal it.”
“You’re not?”
“No, the Chinese Military stole it. If we leave it here, it’ll just become their property.”
And then he added.
“So I’m just taking it to return it to its previous owner.”
The moment she heard those words, Major Lee Hyena’s eyes wavered. Kim Seojun said to her.
“Of course, there might be a few problems in the process of returning it.”
Kim Seojun paused for a moment, looked at the scattered bodies of the Chinese Military around him, and then continued.
“It’s not our fault.”
At that, Major Lee Hyena could no longer say anything.
Nor did she have the chance to speak.
The radio crackled.
“Major, Staff Sergeant!”
Private First Class Park Boseop, who was waiting outside, spoke urgently.
“*We’re fucked!* A Tank Beetle has appeared!”