Loot (4)

11.

People say.

The history of humanity changed before and after the appearance of Dr. Space.

And Doctor Space said.

"The history of humanity changes before and after the appearance of the Prophet's Relic."

His own genius was merely modest compared to the miracles achieved by the Prophet's Relic.

That was a surprising thing.

Doctor Space had greater pride than anyone else, and at the same time, he was someone who knew the value of his own genius well.

At the same time, he was as arrogant as he was a genius.

In other words, the value held by the Prophet's Relic was limitlessness itself.

"I find the laws of Space better than anyone else does. But the Prophet's Relic ignores the laws of Space. So those lumps of jewels easily accomplish what I couldn't do in a lifetime."

The Prophet's Relic allowed one to reach what could not be achieved or reached through the advancement of science.

Naturally, for all nations, what was more important than anything else was grasping the Prophet's Relic.

Here, people raised a question.

How were they supposed to find the Prophet's Relic in this vast Space?

The one who found the answer to that was none other than Doctor Space.

"The Prophet's Relic isn't regular, but it occasionally sends out a powerful wavelength. If you catch that wavelength, you can find the location of the Prophet's Relic. Ah, of course, you guys wouldn't understand even if I told you. You don't need to know."

He created a radar satellite that found the Prophet's Relic.

"I'm going to make the tool anyway."

After that, he gave that Radar Satellite to every nation.

Of course, that wasn't given because Doctor Space loved Space Peace and meant for all nations to harmonize.

"And I'll give you each a Radar Satellite, so find even one more Prophet's Relic. I don't care who gets it. Just find it. In the end, no matter which nation gets it, Humanity will be the one to own it. That's enough."

The existence of Doctor Space transcended the concept of a Nation, and from his position, it was simply beneficial for as many Nations as possible to competitively search for the Prophet's Relic.

Anyway, that intention of Doctor Space often gave a great opportunity to many Nations.

Even from the perspective of nations with weak national power, an opportunity came to aim for a reversal of national fortune in one shot.

Korea was the same.

Luckily, Korea detected the wavelength sent by the Prophet's Relic on Planet Amotia.

And immediately, Major Lee Hyena was dispatched to confirm the existence of the Prophet's Relic.

Naturally, the operation was top secret.

If this information became known outside, people might be robbed of the Prophet's Relic.

At the same time, it was a very important operation.

It was far more important than figuring out the Queen's location and providing the bombing coordinates.

The reason was simple.

Even if they caught the Queen, there was nothing left for Korea, but the Prophet's Relic left them with a lot!

"I forgot for a moment."

However, Major Lee Hyena finally remembered her mission only after hearing Kim Seojun's words.

It was an absurd thing.

Could she really have forgotten the Recovery Operation for the Prophet's Relic, of all operations?

But at this moment, no one looked at Major Lee Hyena with an absurd expression.

"I'm sorry. But it was truly hectic."

"I understand."

Because they knew.

"I often forget why I came here too. While I'm hanging around with this guy, do you think something like a mission would come to mind?"

Because right now, they have Kim Seojun right beside them, who makes them lose their minds.

Even Kim Seojun understood.

"I only just remembered it."

His abilities were one thing, but honestly, Kim Seojun's Group hadn't had the luxury to think about the Prophet's Relic until now.

And that was the same even now.

"As the situation is what it is, we will move as quickly as possible."

The time given to Kim Seojun's Group was not much.

"So where is the location?"

12.

Kim Seojun's Group moved quickly, and it was able to travel to the area Major Lee Hyena had been informed of.

"It's here."

The place they arrived at like that was a desert full of sand.

"Ugh."

The moment he saw that desert, a sound similar to a sigh first came out of Private First Class Park Boseop's mouth.

"The desert is the worst, sir."

And rightly so, as a place like the Desert was overflowing with the worst elements.

First of all, the most headache-inducing thing was that it was hard for anything with wheels to move properly.

It was practically difficult to exert mobility in the desert, from the military truck to the battle tank, excluding the hoverbike.

For the Space Marines who had to run on their own two feet, the saying naturally came out that they would rather just cut off both legs and get a medical discharge than enter a desert.

The bigger problem was this.

"If there's even an Antlion here... it's going to be a headache."

There was a high possibility that an Antlion, one of the Mog species, existed in the Desert.

And the Antlion, just like the ones seen on Earth, hid inside the sand and dragged passing prey into the sand.

The difference from the antlions seen on Earth was that they were truly only big enough to eat ants, but the antlions encountered in Space were so large that the big ones could even eat a Battle Tank.

Furthermore, even a Hoverbike couldn't be safe in front of such an Antlion.

Anyway, it wasn't a good place.

"So where is it?"

It was a place where finding the Prophet's Relic and escaping as quickly as possible was the best option, and Major Lee Hyena, filled with such a wish, answered Private First Class Park Boseop's question.

"It's here."

"Pardon? I must have misheard, ma'am."

In response to the following question, Major Lee Hyena told him again.

"It's here."

"If it's here..."

At that point, Private First Class Park Boseop looked at the desert spread out so far that its end truly couldn't be known, and then said,

"Do you mean all of this here?"

"Um, Private First Class Park Boseop."

At that point, the expert Jo I-Hyeon stepped forward.

"The thing is, the satellite radar function that discovers the Prophet's Relic is extremely outstanding. It's at the level of finding where a thorn is stuck in the palm of a hand. But there's one problem."

Jo I-Hyeon, who had been speaking, looked at the sky and then said.

"The size of that palm is Space."

"Ah."

Only then did Private First Class Park Boseop finally understand.

The range the Satellite Radar claimed as 'here' far exceeded the level of an ordinary person's common sense.

At that point, Private First Class Park Boseop became dazed.

So they had to find the Prophet's Relic, which was hardly bigger than a fist, on top of this vast desert.

A daunting task.

"Don't worry too much. It won't take as long as you think."

The one who solved such worries of Private First Class Park Boseop was Noah Winston.

"The Prophet's Relic harbors very powerful energy. Thanks to that, it's very popular, so it's rarely ever alone."

"What do you mean it's popular?"

"It means whether it's a Human or a Mog, the moment one sees it, one just eats it first. And usually, the Mogs eat it. So if we catch the Mogs around here, one of them will have the Prophet's Relic."

Noah Winston smiled faintly as he spoke.

"If we catch the Mogs, we'll be scoring loot."

At her words, Private First Class Park Boseop couldn't say anything more.

It was an even more daunting task.

And it was actually true.

If this were an easy task, there would have been no reason to send a skilled psycher agent to recover the Prophet's Relic.

Kim Seojun knew that too.

He had come with his own resolve.

However, the moment he saw the stage called the Desert, Kim Seojun thought.

"Private First Class Park Boseop, don't worry too much. I think it will be resolved more easily than expected."

The moment they heard those words, everyone tilted their head.

To them, Kim Seojun said.

"For now, everyone go inside and rest. I think I will be enough on my own."

At those words, everyone wore an even more questioning expression.

However, there were no counter-questions.

If Kim Seojun said it like that, it meant there was definitely some method.

Above all, given Kim Seojun's abilities, stepping up to help him would only be a hindrance rather than a help.

"Alright, we'll go inside and rest, so call us if you get bored! Come on, let's go inside and watch a movie!"

Like that, everyone including Noah Winston went inside the Inventory, and after confirming that, Kim Seojun boarded the Uryong that he took out.

And then he looked straight ahead.

The moment he saw the endlessly stretched desert, a few memories came to Kim Seojun's mind.

The memories of fighting the Mogs in this desert remain.

‘It was hell.’

Among those memories, there was none that wasn't hell.

That was how much the Desert was one of the worst stages for a Space Marine.

Even when he boarded the spaceship leaving Earth, for money, he prayed not to be deployed to a desert.

He hoped there would never be a day he had to do something here again.

But it was different now.

Kim Seojun, looking at the desert, didn't feel dizzy.

There was no reason to.

The thing he had to do was to find the Mogs here, that was all.

This was because Kim Seojun had the best ability to find Mogs hidden in a desert like this.

"Minimap."

At that moment, the minimap popped up in front of Kim Seojun's eyes, and then he could see.

The Red Dots are located all over the place.

13.

The hardest thing in Space was the inability to relax one's tension.

Falling asleep properly in a place that wasn't the Headquarters Base was very difficult.

Even if it was a bunker, it was the same. Relaxing tension in a situation where one didn't know when or at what moment one would suffer a Mog Attack was the same as a crazy act.

So no matter how strong people were, once they started carrying out a mission, their mental strength would quickly be consumed.

That was the same for psycher agents as well.

The combat abilities of psycher Agents were overwhelming, but ultimately their mental strength had no reason to be special compared to a regular space marine.

Furthermore, there were not a few who couldn't sleep deeply even at the Headquarters Base.

Someone confidently declared that there was no safe place for Humanity in Space.

But now, an exception to that has appeared.

"This place is truly the best."

Kim Seojun's Inventory was the safest location in Space.

First of all, there was absolutely nothing to worry about regarding a Mog Attack.

Because Kim Seojun closed the Inventory, nothing could enter it.

Of course, there was a fatal flaw.

If Kim Seojun died, they all died together.

However, there was no one who worried about that part.

Because if it were an incident that would kill Kim Seojun right now, it would be an incident that would kill him anyway even if he were outside.

Anyway, for that reason, Kim Seojun's comrades were able to take a more pleasant rest inside the Inventory than ever before.

Inside the prepared air tent, Noah Winston was truly watching a movie while drinking a canned cola.

The other three just stared blankly at the sight of Noah Winston.

Of course, the three knew.

For a soldier, it was very important to rest properly when rest time was given.

Only by firmly loosening the string of tension could they pull it more firmly.

‘It's for us.’

Furthermore, Noah Winston's current display of letting go of tension to that extent was to send a message, a stimulus, to the remaining three that it was okay to be like this.

The three tried to respond in their own way to such efforts of Noah Winston.

They tried to loosen the string of tension as much as they could.

Of course, that wasn't something that happened just because they wanted to do it.

"Staff Sergeant Kim will be okay, right?"

Even when they tried to talk about other things, worried words about Kim Seojun inevitably came out in the end, and whenever such talk came out, Noah Winston smiled and said.

"If some problem arises, he'll come inside here."

Swish!

At that moment, something came inside the Inventory, and everyone immediately tightened the strings of tension and looked at what had entered.

The one who entered was naturally Kim Seojun.

"Everyone, focus."

Kim Seojun, who appeared like that, said to everyone immediately.

"I need help."

At those words saying he needed help, all four of them moved immediately.

"What's going on?"

Noah Winston, who had put on his agent suit surprisingly fast, said in a voice overflowing with leisure.

"Did a guy who's hard to catch appear?"

However, unlike her voice, her eyes were shining more coldly than ever.

Because she knew.

That Kim Seojun was requesting help meant that something harder than expected had appeared.

"No."

To everyone like that, Kim Seojun showed what he was holding in his hand along with that answer.

"This?"

Only then could everyone finally see.

A single diamond-like jewel the size of a baby's fist on Kim Seojun's palm.

"The Prophet's Relic!"

The moment they saw it, everyone's eyes grew as big as saucers.

To think he really brought this back all by himself?

"H-how did you get it?"

To the question from Private First Class Park Boseop, who was surprised by that fact, Kim Seojun answered.

"I was lucky."

At those words, everyone let out a hollow laugh.

"Luckily, I got it when I caught the 255th Antlion."

"Pardon?"

However, the moment they heard the following words, everyone could tell that it wasn't lucky.

Catching 255 Antlions, when meeting even one was the worst, was absolutely not lucky.

To everyone who was surprised like that, Kim Seojun said.

"Can you figure out the ability of the Prophet's Relic?"

"Ah!"

Only then could everyone finally understand what the request for help Kim Seojun mentioned meant.

Each Prophet's Relic had a special ability, and to know that ability, a Psycher suitable for that ability was needed.

Even if they were a Psycher, they couldn't know if they weren't an apt user.

So it meant that all the Psychers had to step up and check it at least once!

That task was soon carried out.

"Give it here."

Starting with Noah Winston, Major Lee Hyena and Private First Class Park Boseop touched the Prophet's Relic in turn.

And they could tell.

"I don't know what it is."

That was a very positive thing.

"That means there's a high possibility it's a special ability rather than something simple like Strength Enhancement."

In this field, not knowing was a good thing.

It was around then.

"Um, could I try touching it too?"

At that time, Jo I-Hyeon stepped forward, and at that, everyone's eyes grew wide.

"Uh, well."

Under those gazes, Jo I-Hyeon said.

"I'm actually a Psycher too."

A surprising truth.

"Ah, it's nothing amazing. I am a Psycher, but I really have no talent. There's no relic I can use properly."

In front of such interest, Jo I-Hyeon told them a few more of her secrets.

Actually, that wasn't a special thing.

The Ability Difference among Psychers was very large.

While there were Out-of-Spec Beings like Hawk Eye, there were also levels where they were Psychers in name only and no different from ordinary people.

And for those without proper Psycher abilities, the title of Psycher was rather an obstacle.

Jo I-Hyeon was like that too.

She had never told anyone, not even her grandfather, that she had Psycher abilities.

Yet the reason she said it now was simple.

‘I want to be of help, even a little.’

"Here you go."

To her like that, Private First Class Park Boseop immediately handed over the Prophet's Relic he was holding, and Jo I-Hyeon held it.

Everyone looked at that sight.

Of course, there were no big expectations.

As Jo I-Hyeon had said that her abilities weren't great with her own mouth.

If so, even if she was an Apt User for this Prophet's Relic, there was no possibility of her accomplishing something great on the battlefield.

It was then.

"Huh?"

she let out a somewhat surprised sound, and everyone looked at Jo I-Hyeon.

Amidst those gazes, Jo I-Hyeon said.

"Excuse me, could you perhaps think of one of the three—rock, paper, scissors—in your head right now?"

The moment he heard that question, Kim Seojun made an expression as if he had noticed something, and Jo I-Hyeon looked at that Kim Seojun and said.

"Uh, I think it's right. I can hear Staff Sergeant Kim's thoughts."