Chapter 27
Kim Seojun had never seen a Uryong. It hadn't existed during his Active Duty Days.
However, Kim Seojun was well aware of the significance of cutting-edge Battle Tanks in the Space Era.
*The purpose of a cutting-edge Battle Tank isn't the Mog, but other Battle Tanks.*
That their targets were other humans.
Otherwise, there would be no reason to spend ten times or more the cost of a lower-grade Battle Tank to create a product with slightly enhanced mobility, range, and radar capabilities.
*A Declaration of War has even been made.*
Considering the current stance of the Chinese Headquarters on Planet Amotia, it was highly likely that the Uryong's purpose was to target other nations' Battle Tanks.
*There's no way to stop it.*
And if that Uryong were to move, if its cannon were aimed at the Poland Headquarters, Kim Seojun had no suitable way to stop it.
Therefore, if nothing else, he had to deal with the Uryong now, while he still could.
And Kim Seojun now possessed that ability.
*With Stealth, there's no reason I can't get in.*
The ability to enter that place at this very moment.
“When the next vehicle comes in, that’s when I’ll move.”
The moment he steeled his resolve, Kim Seojun moved immediately.
He approached as close as he could and waited, and then he saw it.
Vrooom!
Two Military Trucks entering.
*At that moment, Kim Seojun moved with the Military Trucks.*
“Stealth.”
Becoming invisible to everyone.
The position of Branch Commander of the Chinese Branch on Planet Amotia was, in essence, like being a king of that land.
It was impossible to defy the highest Commander in Space, who, the moment they were expelled from Headquarters, would be powerless, unable to guarantee their survival for even a day, and whose deaths could be dismissed with excuses like, “The Mog must have taken them, they must have been hungry.”
China, in particular, took this to an extreme, and Senior Colonel Wang Lei was someone who used such authority without reservation.
He was like a tyrant.
And right now, Senior Colonel Wang Lei was in a worse mood than ever.
“Damn it.”
He couldn't be in a good mood.
The plan he had prepared to make a fortune had gone up in smoke.
*Zhang Wei, that damn bastard, betrayed me!*
Furthermore, Senior Colonel Wang Lei was convinced that this wasn't a simple accident, but that Major Zhang Wei had seen the goods, coveted them, and betrayed him.
*Something incredible came out. Something truly incredible.*
And he was certain that something eye-catching for Major Zhang Wei had come out of Hawk Eye's supply container.
*This is a huge problem. If they find out I lost the Uryong...*
Moreover, this situation could be fatal for Senior Colonel Wang Lei.
*If it falls into America's hands, it's over.*
The Chinese Communist Party didn't mind high-ranking officials lining their pockets as long as they paid their dues, but a cutting-edge strategic asset like the Uryong falling into another country's hands was far beyond a mere trifle.
*I have to deal with it now. Somehow. While communication with the outside is cut off.*
In many ways, Senior Colonel Wang Lei's stress had reached its peak, and everyone in the Chinese Headquarters became a victim of that stress.
Verbal abuse was common, and many became victims of physical violence.
Knock, knock!
A knock sounded at Senior Colonel Wang Lei's office door, and the moment he heard it, he yelled.
“Can't you see I'm working? Get out!”
He didn't even ask who it was, immediately spewing curses.
Knock, knock!
And then, the moment another knock sounded, Senior Colonel Wang Lei's eyes changed.
They were like the eyes of a shark that had smelled blood.
He intended to see blood today, so he walked directly to the door, which he could have opened with a single button on his desk.
To slap the person beyond the door the moment it opened.
Click!
The moment the door opened, Senior Colonel Wang Lei immediately reached out to grab the other person's collar.
Snap!
But the moment he made that attempt, a strange sound came from Senior Colonel Wang Lei's wrist, which was reaching out to grab the collar.
And then, Senior Colonel Wang Lei saw it.
“Huh?”
His left wrist dangling uselessly.
His face, which had been blank with shock at the sight, began to contort with the pain that rushed over him, the pain of a broken wrist.
“Aargh!”
A scream escaped him.
*At the same time, he looked at the person who had broken his wrist with an even more enraged expression.*
“You, you, you bas—”
He was about to blurt out that he would immediately send them into Space without a suit.
“Gasp.”
However, the moment he confirmed the other person's face, Senior Colonel Wang Lei's expression changed.
It was a woman.
A woman who, even if he estimated generously, looked to be in her late twenties.
A woman with short hair and sharp, keen eyes that left a strong impression.
She was a beauty difficult to forget once seen, and so Senior Colonel Wang Lei immediately recognized her.
“Ma-Major Lin Jia'ai?”
And the moment he saw her, Senior Colonel Wang Lei trembled.
The reason why Wang Lei, a Senior Colonel, was surprised to see a Major-ranked officer was simple.
She belonged to the Space Peace Committee.
The Space Peace Committee, which operated independently even within the Chinese People's Space Force, was established for the purpose of promoting Space Peace.
Of course, its true nature was different.
Under the pretext of Space Peace, they could do anything by any means necessary, and they received Full Support from the People's Republic of China.
Moreover, that justification was truly one that could be twisted to fit any narrative.
If they claimed to be conducting research for Space Peace, they could do anything, and if an individual before them was deemed an obstacle to Space Peace, they could use all means and methods to Eliminate them.
Thus, for the Chinese People's Space Force, they were a terrifying presence.
Because if the woman before him reported Senior Colonel Wang Lei as an obstacle to Space Peace, Senior Colonel Wang Lei would cease to exist in Space.
*N-No way?*
And Senior Colonel Wang Lei had done countless things that could be considered obstacles to Space Peace.
He couldn't help but feel guilty.
“Senior Colonel Wang Lei, don't worry.”
Major Lin Jia'ai said with a smile to Senior Colonel Wang Lei.
“I'm not here for the reason you're thinking.”
“Huh?”
“I'm not here because you stole another country's Psycher's supplies, personally appropriated them, and in the process lost a Psycher and the Uryong. So, don't worry.”
Upon hearing her continued words, Senior Colonel Wang Lei's face turned ashen.
He was so terrified that he didn't even feel the pain in his wrist.
“Th-Thank you.”
He could only express gratitude.
Major Lin Jia'ai did not respond to Senior Colonel Wang Lei's words.
“I'm here to inform you of a few facts. Soon, several operations will begin on Planet Amotia.”
At the mention of operations, Senior Colonel Wang Lei nodded.
“Yes, understood! I will provide Full Support. Just say the word!”
He tried to somehow make amends for what he had done this time.
Major Lin Jia'ai smiled and replied to Senior Colonel Wang Lei's words.
“It's not necessary. No, please don't get involved unnecessarily.”
“Huh?”
“I'm only here today to inform you of these facts.”
As Major Lin Jia'ai spoke, her eyes gleamed chillingly.
“Our preparations are perfect. So no one will be able to interfere.”
Outwardly, it was an abandoned Mining Site, but the moment he entered, what met his eyes was a Base.
Not a crudely built Base, but one that clearly had significant budget and resources invested from the entrance! It was a Base that could easily be called a Headquarters.
The moment Kim Seojun entered this second Chinese Headquarters, this Multi, he immediately began his attack.
KABOOM!
He detonated bombs and continuously pulled the trigger, firing at everyone in sight.
It was a natural course of action.
*Stealth Duration is 10 minutes.*
Kim Seojun didn't have much time, and it was impossible for him to figure out the secret plans happening in this Multi within that time.
All he could do was inflict as much damage as possible before Stealth wore off, then escape.
*Even just this once is enough. To earn Hawk Eye's favor.*
And even if he couldn't inflict significant damage, from Kim Seojun's perspective, it was still a profitable venture.
*Eliminating the Uryong would be best, though.*
However, there was one thing he hoped for, and so Kim Seojun moved towards it.
He tried to find the Uryong.
It wasn't difficult.
The Uryong was massive, and the transport vehicles carrying such a Uryong were even larger. The paths and spaces through which such a massive object could move were necessarily limited.
Kim Seojun followed that path.
“Enemy attack!”
“Respond!”
*Meanwhile, the Chinese Space Marines stationed in this Multi moved.*
Of course, from Kim Seojun's perspective, they were not difficult opponents.
First, Kim Seojun's current armament was far from ordinary.
Wearing the Agent Suit that a Chinese Psycher had worn, he was unharmed by the average Space Marine's gunfire.
*At the same time, he had taken a Steam Pack and was now operating in a completely different temporal dimension.*
“Where are they?”
Crucially, the Chinese Space Marines couldn't see Kim Seojun, the Space Marine.
“Where are th—!”
Splat!
The moment the Chinese Space Marines made a sound, their heads exploded.
For Kim Seojun, it wasn't even a game.
So, his only concern was one thing.
*As long as it's not a Psycher.*
For that, Kim Seojun had sharpened his senses more than ever.
Of course, he didn't forget.
*Remaining time: 6 minutes.*
How much time he had left.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
As he counted down the time and gunned down the approaching Space Marines, Kim Seojun's eyes soon found it.
*Found it.*
He discovered the Uryong undergoing maintenance.
Upon seeing it, Kim Seojun naturally intended to approach the Uryong, open its hatch, and place the explosives he had brought inside.
Complete destruction might not be possible with that, but even rendering it inoperable for a few days or weeks would be a profitable venture.
And he had enough explosives for that.
His Inventory, that space, was filled with ammunition and explosives.
Now, only execution remained!
As Kim Seojun approached the Uryong, closing the distance and looking at its cannon, his eyes wavered slightly.
*Could this be...?*
He couldn't help it.
*A Railgun?*
This Uryong had been modified with a Railgun instead of a typical Battle Tank cannon.
For anyone facing it, that was a terrifying prospect.
The destructive power and range of a Railgun were in a realm that ordinary Battle Tanks couldn't even dare to approach.
The difference was like the height gap between middle school players and NBA basketball players.
If this thing were to move?
Something unimaginably horrific would have happened!
*I have to destroy it, no matter what.*
The moment Kim Seojun steeled his resolve even further at that fact, that was the moment.
A sudden jolt!
Suddenly, Kim Seojun felt goosebumps all over his body.
It wasn't just a shiver down his spine; it was the feeling a creature gets when it faces a predator, like a mouse seeing a cat.
Gulp!
*At that moment, Kim Seojun thought.*
*There's something here. Something powerful.*
Whatever it was, he couldn't just let it pass.
The moment he realized that, Kim Seojun naturally cut off all his focus on the Uryong.
He moved away from his position.
Then, holding his breath, he looked around.
*Where is it?*
It was highly likely to be a Psycher, so he tried to find that Psycher.
Around that time, Kim Seojun felt it.
*There it is.*
In the opposite direction from where the Uryong was being maintained, from an entrance visible there, he felt the thing that gave him goosebumps.
From there, Kim Seojun aimed his Gauss Gun towards that entrance.
Here, Kim Seojun hesitated for a moment.
To run, or to fight.
The risks and merits were clear.
If he ran, he'd have to leave the Uryong alone.
Conversely, if he caught the Psycher? He could destroy the Uryong too.
Kim Seojun, pondering what would be more beneficial for his survival, immediately found his answer.
*I'll take it down.*
After all, if he left China alone here, his life would be on borrowed time.
*At the same time, he had confidence.*
*If I shoot first, there's no reason I'd lose.*
With that tension, Kim Seojun moved towards the passage, minimizing his footsteps.
Soon, he entered the passage.
The moment he entered, even more goosebumps rose all over his body.
*This is...*
And at that fact, Kim Seojun's expression changed.
Kim Seojun realized.
*It's not a Psycher.*
During his Active Duty Days, Kim Seojun had encountered far more Psychers than the average Space Marine, so he knew.
Psychers certainly gave him goosebumps, but not this kind of feeling.
Instead, only one thought came to Kim Seojun's mind here.
*This is a Mog.*
A Mog, and a *Special Individual* at that.
*Definitely not Fly-class. At least Feather-class...*
It was a high-grade case, and from there, Kim Seojun began to search his memories.
*...No, not even Feather-class.*
Soon, Kim Seojun recalled a memory.
*It's clear.*
One of the memories from when he almost received a Medical Discharge.
*This is a Lightweight.*
And the moment he recalled that memory, Kim Seojun could see it.
A Mog, a *Cyclops*, existing inside a specially made glass case.
The body of that *Cyclops* was not normal.
All its tentacles had been removed, and eerie iron spikes were embedded in its body.
Also, through tubes connected to those iron spikes, an unknown liquid was being continuously injected.
As a result, the *Cyclops*'s single eye had lost its focus.
It appeared to be in a drug-addled state.
*...They were experimenting on a Cyclops.*
The moment he saw that, Kim Seojun understood the entire situation.
*China was up to something strange again.*
And he accepted this situation, given that this was a Chinese Multi.
*At the same time, Kim Seojun aimed his Gauss Gun and immediately pulled the trigger.*
Hiss!
An eerie sound came from the Gauss Gun, and the fired bullet pierced through the specially reinforced glass and then through the *Cyclops*.
There was no hesitation.
*China wouldn't be doing anything good.*
There was not a speck of possibility that this experimental research would benefit Humanity's future.
Having Eliminated the *Cyclops*, Kim Seojun quickly exited the area.
*I'll just take care of the Uryong and leave.*
Now, he moved to Eliminate the Uryong.
That was the moment.
Kim Seojun's footsteps paused briefly.
Kim Seojun's expression hardened.
He couldn't help it.
\[You have Eliminated a Lightweight Cyclops. 5,000 points have been awarded.\]
\[You were the first to Eliminate a Lightweight Cyclops. A Platinum Ticket has been awarded.\]
The notifications had appeared.
Kim Seojun didn't hesitate for long there.
There was only one thing for him to do.
*Use it immediately.*
To seize this opportunity right now!
“Use Platinum Ticket.”
*Bring it on, whatever it is.*
Kim Seojun, immediately using what he had obtained, soon heard:
\[Congratulations! A Diamond-grade reward has appeared.\]
\[A Skill Upgrade Ticket (A) has appeared!\]