Chapter 2: First Day in Office, The Headquarters Vanishes (1)

1.

“H-Headquarters?”

The Space Marines, who had been resting for eight hours, thought of the moment Staff Sergeant Kim Seojun, their Superior Officer, spoke those words.

*Is he joking?*

They thought Staff Sergeant Kim Seojun was playing a cruel joke to ease their tension. Of course, that wasn't the case. For one, Kim Seojun wasn't the type to enjoy joking around on the Battlefield, and besides, they had only met a mere 33 hours ago. Just three days prior, Kim Seojun and these Space Marines hadn't even known each other existed in space. This was hardly the time for exchanging jokes.

“I don't think we're close enough for me to be joking with you all right now.”

Indeed, Kim Seojun wasn't joking, and he made that clear.

“And I'm not so out of my mind as to joke when our Headquarters has been wiped out.”

Only then did the soldiers' expressions stiffen as they grasped the reality of the situation.

“I know it's hard to understand.”

Kim Seojun explained to them.

“But we are not on Earth right now; we are on a Space Planet, and the only wall protecting us was the Headquarters Base. But now that Headquarters has fallen.”

“Staff Sergeant Kim, isn't it too dangerous to go there right now?”

“It is dangerous. But at the very least, we need to know how our Headquarters fell, whether it was due to an accident, the Mog, or a hostile nation like China.”

“Ah.”

And the moment the word China came out of Kim Seojun's mouth, all the soldiers understood why they had to go to Headquarters. It was that important. It was no exaggeration. The reason Kim Seojun was able to return home after active duty, eat home-cooked meals, shout “Hey, water!” to his younger sister, and then have a playful spat with her when she asked “What?”—remaining physically and mentally sound enough to avoid serious injury—was his exceptional ability to assess situations.

“Whether it's the Mog or humans.”

Especially here, the method of future response would differ entirely depending on who the enemy was. Nor was it a low possibility. On Earth, wars were largely restrained by several international agreements, but Space was different. Space was not included in international agreements. Above all, Space Development was like a lifeline for nations, and crucially, Space offered a convenient excuse. A very good excuse, like: “Wasn't it the Mog that did it?”

“Or those *fucking Space Peace Activists*—we need to know the situation for sure.”

“Huh?”

In addition, there existed a crazy pan-galactic organization that caused all sorts of terror while advocating for Space peace. Anyway, the persuasion was over. No one questioned Kim Seojun's Headquarters Search. Their encounter with Kim Seojun had been brief, but at least all the soldiers gathered here knew.

Staff Sergeant Kim is our lifeline.

They knew how to act when a lifeline descended from the sky. Of course, apart from that, everyone was tense.

*Fuck, why is everything going like this?*

All the soldiers here were volunteers, but they hadn't volunteered for enlistment itself. They had come with the mindset of: *Since military service is unavoidable anyway, let's at least earn some decent money while we're at it!* None of them had come expecting death. Moreover, none of them were old enough to take death lightly. Everyone's faces were drenched with despair. Kim Seojun said to them:

Private First Class Park Boseop and I will go for this Search Operation, just the two of us.

2.

*Vrooom!*

The Military Truck, having finished charging its battery, started moving again. Inside the truck, there were only two Space Marines. That was all. The remaining seven of the eight soldiers, excluding Private First Class Park Boseop, stayed behind in the Bunker.

“Staff Sergeant Kim, isn't it too dangerous for just the two of us to go?”

The reason was simple.

“We're just scouting. Going in a group would only create more commotion.”

It wasn't about going to fight some massive battle. Of course, Kim Seojun didn't explicitly say it.

These guys are useless. No, they'd just get in the way.

He didn't say, "You seven are a burden to me." And for good reason, Kim Seojun had far more active duty experience than they did. So he knew well.

If they were truly useful, they wouldn't be stationed here.

The real talents weren't deployed to places like Planet Amotia, which were essentially disposable cards. First off, those who volunteered to become Space Marines generally had clear objectives, and that objective was usually money. Among those seeking money, the skilled ones were quickly reassigned to better units after a few battles. In an era of Space warfare where talent was always scarce, the value of a good soldier was immeasurable. And Planet Amotia was, naturally, not a “good” unit. During this battle, he also realized it. That they were just ordinary Space Marines. In any case, Kim Seojun didn't have the luxury of looking after such ordinary individuals in the current situation. However, Private First Class Park Boseop was different. As a Military Driver, he was useful to Kim Seojun in many ways. For one, the moment Kim Seojun became unable to drive, only a Military Driver could save his life. There were many other reasons why he was needed.

“Um, Staff Sergeant Kim Seojun.”

“Speak.”

“W-What should I do?”

Of course, Private First Class Park Boseop had no way of knowing Kim Seojun's intentions.

Wasn't Kim Seojun the one driving right now anyway?

“Park Boseop.”

“Private First Class Park Boseop!”

“How much money do you need?”

“Huh?”

Private First Class Park Boseop reacted with surprise to Kim Seojun's question. Kim Seojun said to him.

“Didn't you volunteer to be a Space Marine and come here because you needed money, and not just a small sum, but a large one?”

Private First Class Park Boseop hesitated at Kim Seojun's question.

“Do you perhaps need money for surgery or something?”

“N-No, Sir.”

In response to Kim Seojun's follow-up question, Private First Class Park Boseop immediately shook his head inside his Battle Suit helmet and said.

“I-I want to race.”

“Racing? Car racing?”

“Yes. It was my dream. But I needed some money...”

Private First Class Park Boseop's voice grew softer as he spoke.

I must be crazy. I'm *fucking* volunteering for the Space Marines just to race, you *fucking idiot Park Boseop*.

He couldn't help but think that Private First Class Park Boseop's choice was a crazy act even to himself. He had said he would “risk his life for racing!”, but now his life was truly on the line. Naturally, Private First Class Park Boseop expected Kim Seojun to scoff at his words. He thought that his goal would seem trivial to the eyes of an obviously seasoned veteran.

“That's cool.”

“Huh?”

“Risking your life for a dream, that's not an easy thing to do.”

However, in Kim Seojun's eyes, Private First Class Park Boseop was a remarkable individual.

“R-Really? D-Doesn't it seem too foolish?” “What's foolish is coming here because you gambled or bought a sports car without insurance, killed someone, and ended up in debt.”

As Kim Seojun spoke, cases of people becoming Space Marines for truly foolish reasons came to his mind. And most of those who became Space Marines for such reasons didn't last long and died.

“It might seem funny to talk about this in such a situation, but I'm glad it's you, Private Park.” “Huh?” “Cases like yours tend to live longer, Private Park.”

On the other hand, those who risked their lives for a dream didn't die easily. From Kim Seojun's perspective, this was good in many ways. In a situation where death could come at any moment, meeting such a genuine Military Driver could only be considered a stroke of luck. Of course, even during that conversation, Private First Class Park Boseop couldn't understand why he was there. It was then.

*Whoosh!*

Suddenly, Kim Seojun sharply turned the steering wheel, and the moving truck also swerved dramatically.

“Uh, uh!”

Private First Class Park Boseop let out a bewildered sound, and Kim Seojun spoke to him. Kim Seojun didn't answer there. He couldn't. Because he saw it. Dozens of Red Lights flying towards the vehicle he was driving.

Seeing projectiles, I realize they're not just my own.

And what that meant was this. His prediction soon became reality.

*Swoosh!*

With a sharp *swoosh*, a pitch-black thorn, a spear-like thorn a meter long, impaled the spot where the Military Truck had been moments before.

Private First Class Park Boseop, seeing it from the passenger seat, cried out in horror.

“T-Thorn Snake!”

Thorn Snake! It was a type of Mog, a snake about 5 meters long. Of course, it wasn't like the anacondas seen on Earth. Rather than a snake, it gave the impression of a self-propelled gun barrel walking around, making even an outsider think, *We're fucked!* And it was true. Normally, it would crawl, but the moment it spotted a target, the Thorn Snake would raise its body and launch the thorns within it. Like artillery! And the thorns launched by the Thorn Snake were powerful enough to pierce even tank armor. That's why Thorn Snakes were a nightmare for Space Marines. Being able to pierce a tank meant they could destroy Space Marines' Battle Suits, as well as their Bases and Bunkers.

*Swoosh!*

Such Thorn Snakes were now targeting Kim Seojun's group and launching thorns. Despair was setting in. Just as Private First Class Park Boseop entered a semi-panic state at that realization, it happened.

“Private Park, it's time to work.”

“Huh?”

“You asked a question earlier, didn't you? What should you do? Drive.”

Kim Seojun said, taking his hands off the steering wheel as he spoke.

“Meanwhile, I'll take care of them.”

The reason he had brought Private First Class Park Boseop.

3.

Kim Seojun knew well what Space Marines were in the Space Battlefield.

“The most important thing for a Space Marine is to return. Don't think about achieving military merits or anything like that. Just come back alive. Because if you return alive from the Battlefield you're deployed to, military merits will naturally follow.”

Furthermore, Kim Seojun exemplified the value of such a Space Marine better than anyone. That is, Kim Seojun never engaged in reckless battles. Quite the opposite. He protected himself better than anyone. That was why he was able to finish his service well and return home healthy. In other words, entrusting the steering wheel to Private First Class Park Boseop and moving to the spacious cargo bed of the Military Truck wasn't due to some immense resolve. Kim Seojun was certain.

This is an opportunity.

He could catch the Thorn Snakes.

The Thorn Snake pack is moving alone right now.

For now, only Thorn Snakes were visible to Kim Seojun in the distance. Even the vehicle's radar, though not high-performance, didn't indicate the presence of other monsters like Mogdogs nearby.

They must have been stragglers on their way back after a battle.

Furthermore, among the Mog monsters, slow-moving ones like Thorn Snakes often separated from their packs.

And the fact that they attacked us is true.

Moreover, the Thorn Snakes were now attacking Kim Seojun's group. This wasn't an easy feat for the Thorn Snakes either. Thorn Snakes had powerful ranged attacks, but to use them, they had to embed more than half of their tail into the ground. They weren't like some overpowered monster that ignored balance patches, capable of moving and attacking effectively at the same time. This meant they were fixed targets.

*No Sandstorm either.*

In addition, the Sandstorm had stopped, ensuring clear visibility.

Of course, the most reliable thing was this:

I have an ability.

The moment he raised his gun, a red light emanated from Kim Seojun's muzzle. Infinitely far. Hundreds of meters, even beyond a kilometer.

*Vrooom!*

Even though Park Boseop, who was now at the wheel, was driving wildly at this moment, it wasn't a problem for Kim Seojun. He didn't even need a stimpack. He moved the muzzle, and the moment the Red Light touched the body of a Thorn Snake, he immediately pulled the trigger.

*Tat-tat-tat-tat!*

He pulled the trigger, ready to empty an entire magazine, and a hail of bullets struck the Thorn Snake's body. Due to the distance, he couldn't hear what happened to the Thorn Snake. Instead, a notification appeared.

[Thorn Snake defeated.]

[10 points acquired.]

A notification announcing the successful hunt of a Thorn Snake.

*Good.*

Upon that fact, Kim Seojun cheered inwardly. It was then.

The First Thorn Snake was defeated. A Silver Ticket was awarded as a reward. *Huh?*

A notification appeared.

The first target was hunted beyond 1 kilometer. A Gold Ticket was awarded as a reward.

One after another. The moment he heard that, Kim Seojun wore an expression more of bewilderment than joy. He had certainly not expected such a situation. However, his surprise didn't last long. With dozens of Thorn Snakes still in front of him, there was no time to be flustered. Nor was there any reason to hesitate.

“Use both tickets.”

Kim Seojun immediately used both tickets, and then he heard.

Stamina was obtained from a Silver Ticket. Current Stamina is below 30 points. A Stat Bonus was applied. Stamina increased by 3 points.

One notification.

[Congratulations! Platinum Rank obtained from Gold Ticket!]

[Clairvoyance Skill (F) acquired!]

And then the second notification came. It was then. Suddenly, Kim Seojun's vision began to turn brownish. At the same time, Private First Class Park Boseop's voice came through the earphones built into his Battle Suit helmet.

- “Staff Sergeant Kim Seojun, it's a sandstorm! I can't see anything!”

At those words, Kim Seojun turned his head to look. Simultaneously, he murmured.

“Clairvoyance.”