Chapter 77
4.
Before using Warp to Earth, Kim Seojun was given a long, peaceful time, for the first time in a while.
During that time, Kim Seojun truly rested well.
And as he did, he thought.
"What do you think is the worst-case scenario?"
"Worst? Worst of what?"
"The worst-case scenario that we might face when we go to Earth."
In his heart, he only wanted to imagine good scenarios, but Kim Seojun knew.
He had to think of the worst to be able to prepare for it.
"There are probably many bad cases. First of all, there's no chance the guys from China will just sit still."
And the possibility of Earth's situation being bad was much higher than its being good.
Because there was no chance that China, which was shaking up all of Space, would be shouting love and peace and conducting a non-violent resistance movement on Earth.
Even if China did stay still, there was no way the other nations, having learned of the signals coming from space and China's schemes, would stay still.
War was inevitable.
"I suppose the worst-case scenario would be nuclear war."
Among them, the worst war imaginable was naturally nuclear war.
If the nuclear weapons possessed by humanity were to detonate in a chain reaction, it would be highly likely that human civilization on Earth would regress from the Space Age back to the Stone Age, no matter if it were the Space Age.
"Nuclear war is less likely than you think."
"True, since Earth officially doesn't have nuclear weapons."
The fortunate thing was that in the current Space Age, producing or possessing nuclear weapons on Earth was prohibited.
"Doctor Space really did a great job."
When the Space Age began, Doctor Space spoke to the nations around the world.
Since there were plenty of places to fire nuclear weapons, let's not bother leaving them on Earth.
It was something countless pacifists had said before, and the powerful figures who possessed nukes hadn't even pretended to listen, but it was different when it came to Doctor Space.
Especially since Doctor Space didn't say it nicely.
He added the words, “Behave well after I say this if you don”t want to die.'
Naturally, no nation could refute those words, and from then on, nuclear weapons officially ceased to exist on Earth.
Of course, it wasn't impossible that China had secretly hidden some and detonated them, but it was highly likely that nothing would happen that would send humanity back to the Stone Age.
"Earth being destroyed is by no means a pleasant thing from China's perspective either. The Chinese side wouldn't want nuclear weapon use either. And even without that, it has a card that can sufficiently shake the Earth."
Above all, Kim Seojun thought China didn't even need to use nuclear weapons.
"What is that?"
"Mogs."
"Mogs?"
humanity's fear of Mogs was indescribable, and the fear felt by those living on Earth was stronger than anything else.
"Yes. Even if just one Mogdog appeared in New York Manhattan, humanity would fall into a panic."
Also, just as Kim Seojun said, there was no need to bring a massive number of Mogs.
Releasing just about a hundred Mogdogs into a densely populated metropolis would inevitably cause humanity to experience immense chaos.
"In a chaotic situation, it's impossible to blame China."
From China's perspective, it meant they could buy a tremendous amount of time at a low cost!
"China is also overflowing with confidence that it can control the Mogs."
"It's terrifying just thinking about it."
"The problem is."
"Problem? There's another problem?"
There, Kim Seojun thought of one worst-case scenario.
"It's the case where China loses control over the Mogs. Just like it did on Planet Kingclench. And no one knows what changes will occur and what kind of appearance uncontrolled Mogs will take on Earth."
And now, that situation has occurred.
Kieeeek!
The moment they arrived at Earth's South Pole via Warp, what welcomed Kim Seojun's group wasn't the researchers of America's Amundsen-Scott South Pole base located at the South Pole, but Mogdogs.
Kieeeek!
And their numbers were substantial.
Just the ones visible were in the thousands!
From the perspective of humanity on Earth, it was a number more than enough to make one's mind go blank.
Of course, from the perspective of Kim Seojun's group, it was merely a laughable number.
"Starting combat."
Tututu!
With those words, Kim Seojun began shooting.
He didn't even need to pull the trigger much.
Kim Seojun was no longer alone.
"I'll handle the left."
There was Major Lee Hyena, wearing the Red Goblin Suit, known as the strongest suit born in Japan.
[I will handle the right.]
And there was the Xeno Warrior Kasaknat, who could handle Major Lee Hyena like a soccer ball.
In fact, at this point, Kim Seojun didn't even need to step up.
[Combat has ended.]
Not long after the gunshots rang out, 1,009 Mogdogs turned into cold corpses.
Silence fell over the South Pole once again.
In that silence, Kim Seojun spoke.
"We will move to that Base."
With those words, Kim Seojun moved to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Base.
The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Base they entered was already in a state of devastation caused by the Mogdogs.
There were no survivors, and most of the facilities were indiscriminately destroyed.
They weren't surprised by that fact.
It was what they had expected the moment they saw the Mogdogs anyway.
At the same time, it was a sight Kim Seojun's group had seen countless times.
"Do you know what I'm surprised about right now?"
There was only one thing that agitated Kim Seojun's group.
"It's that we can breathe normally even if we take off our helmets."
Swish!
It was the sight of Noah Winston taking off her helmet and inhaling more deeply than ever before.
Only after seeing that could everyone truly and clearly feel it.
"Taste this clean air. We really are on Earth."
The fact that they had really come to Earth, a place where humans could breathe freely without the help of any equipment.
However, that sentiment didn't last long.
Beep beep beep beep beep!
A sound rang out within the quiet Base, and everyone went to where the sound came from.
And everyone could see it.
The communication equipment prepared for emergency situations was blaring intensely.
Kim Seojun pressed the button on the communication equipment, and then a voice came through the speaker.
- Emergency situation! Emergency Situation! Mogs are swarming in! Anyone is fine. Requesting rescue support!
An urgent voice shouted desperately.
- This is the Jangbogo Science Base! We are requesting rescue support!
5.
After the Space Age began, all scientists and capital headed for Space.
In the process, many scientific fields were neglected, and the most representative among them was the field regarding the Antarctic.
It was natural for the budget to decrease, to the point where it wasn't even easy to find scientists heading to the Antarctic anymore.
At some point, the Antarctic had become a quieter place than Space.
It was like that on that day too.
"Breaking news! The Gate has stopped!"
The day the Gate stopped.
"Can you see this? A Mogdog has appeared right here in the middle of Manhattan!"
On the day all of humanity fell into chaos, Mogs appeared all over the world, in every city including New York, London, Paris, and Rome.
Even then, the Antarctic was quiet.
No, it wasn't just quiet; the Antarctic was neglected even more.
No one paid attention to the Antarctic.
In that situation, a problem arose.
The Mogs began to increase explosively.
humanity then realized it for the first time.
"Mogs don't just eat Beta Gas, but also oil and natural gas, meaning they eat all energy sources!"
Earth was the most abundant planet for the Mogs.
That wasn't all.
humanity had built far too many things on Earth, and those became good havens for the Mogs.
In the face of the Mogs that hid everywhere—in the subway, the sewer, the building basement—there was only one thing Humanity could do.
"Retreat! Retreat!"
Just run away.
"Where should we go?"
"Is there anywhere without Mogs right now?"
"Well... the Antarctic seems to be fine."
And so, those who had been running away endlessly chose the Antarctic as their last refuge.
Of course, as always, there is no paradise in the place you run away to.
Kieeeek!
"Damn it! Where on earth are all these Mogs pouring out from!"
At some point, an absurd number of Mogs began to fill the Antarctic.
The Jangbogo Science Base was the same.
Right now, over a thousand Mogdogs are visible right before their eyes.
"Shoot!"
Tutututu!
In such a daunting situation, there was only one reason the soldiers stationed at the Jangbogo Science Base could fight without giving up, without running away in fear.
"Everyone shoot!"
Tutututu!
It was because of the presence of one Psycher Agent, Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok, flying above their heads.
He was one of the Psycher Agents representing the Republic of Korea.
Tutututu!
Under his command, the soldiers were able to pull the trigger even while looking at the swarming Mogdogs.
They were mustering their courage.
With only one exception.
“This is the worst.”
At this moment, Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok was engulfed in a deeper sense of despair than ever before.
He had no choice but to be.
Having faced Mogs on quite a few planets, Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok knew better than anyone what the appearance of Mogdogs meant right now.
‘There's a hatchery here.’
This meant that there is a Mog hatchery in the Antarctic right now, and that it is impossible for this many Mogs to appear otherwise.
It went without saying, but staying in the Antarctic was a crazy act.
And that was what made Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok despair.
‘There's nowhere left to go now.’
Because the last place they had run away to was the Antarctic.
Of course, Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok wasn't afraid of dying here or anything like that.
He was someone who had experienced countless absurd battles, a man for whom the expression “veteran of a hundred battles” was not lacking.
He was someone who was always prepared to die in a battle against the Mogs.
However, this battlefield was completely different right now from the battlefields he had fought on so far.
“Damn it, I have to save the people somehow. Somehow.”
In Space, those behind him were Space Marines prepared to throw away their lives, but right now, those behind him are civilians who know absolutely nothing about combat.
There were even quite a few children among them.
That was what made Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok despair.
Dudududu!
And in front of that despair, another despair appeared.
Kieeeeek!
Over the snowfields of the pure white Antarctic Continent, a Mogdog group, a group that looked to be approaching ten thousand, surpassing thousands, was swarming in.
"Ah."
In the face of that despair, Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok could no longer give any orders.
"Dear God."
He could only desperately call out to God.
Vrooooom!
At that moment, a truck speeding across the snow caught Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok's eyes.
“What is that?”
Seeing that, Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok was surprised.
"Why is that here?"
Because the truck coming right now is a military truck used on planets.
Because it was something even harder to see on Earth than an expensive hypercar.
"Ah!"
Of course, the surprise was short-lived.
"Crazy!"
Right now, that military truck is approaching the Mogdog group, and that is truly a crazy act.
So Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok shouted with all his might.
"Run away! I said run away!"
However, there was no way that voice would be properly conveyed from this far distance, and Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok eventually flew forward.
Kieeeeek!
His body quickly flew toward the military truck, crossing over the shrieking Mogdogs.
It was then.
Tutututu
Gunshots began to erupt from atop the military truck.
Of course, Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok didn't attach any meaning to those gunshots.
There were at most two people shooting, and the Mogdogs they could catch with the gunshots they produced would be a few dozen at best.
It was nothing more than scooping out a couple of bowls of water from a full bathtub.
That was why.
Tutututu!
“Huh?”
Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok's eyes widened as if they were about to burst.
Because of being up in the sky, he could see it clearly.
Tutututu!
“H-how?”
The Mogdogs were falling helplessly the moment the gunshots rained down.
One Mogdog was falling with every single gunshot.
Tutututu!
Before even a minute had passed since the military truck appeared and the gunshots erupted, over 500 Mogdogs had already fallen to the ground.
The daunting Mogdog group was suddenly halved.
Of course, a Mogdog group of nearly 10,000 was still coming from a distance, but the current results alone were marvelous.
It was then.
- We've come for Rescue Support.
A voice was heard inside the agent suit worn by Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok.
"W-who is this?"
There, Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok unconsciously asked for their identity, and an answer came.
- I am Brigadier General Lee Yeong-Jun, Captain of the Space Battleship Sejong, belonging to the Korean Space Force.
"Huh?"
And the moment he heard that answer, Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok spoke in surprise.
"Brigadier General Lee Yeong-Jun?"
- Yes?
"It's me! Me! Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok!"
- Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok? That's a welcome face. Have you been well?
"Excuse me? Ah, well..."
Here, Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok was about to spit out the words, “Do you think I”ve been well?' but swallowed them back.
The current situation wasn't one for making small talk like that.
It was a very urgent situation.
"Brigadier General Lee Yeong-Jun! Right now, it's an emergency..."
So he was about to spit out the words telling Brigadier General Lee Yeong-Jun to evacuate.
- Don't worry about the Mogs, and just get ready.
Brigadier General Lee Yeong-Jun answered Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok like that.
"R-ready? Ready for what?"
- You are ready to be surprised.
As soon as that conversation ended, the military truck moved toward the swarming Mogdog Group of 10,000, and a moment later, Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok could see it.
Thud!
A giant red suit appeared.
"Come!"
Like that, Major Lee Hyena blocked the path of the 10,000 Mogdogs.
And then, using a specially crafted axe, she began to smash the incoming Mogdogs to pieces.
One Against Ten Thousand!
She blocked 10,000 Mogdogs all by herself, and gunshots began to rain down upon the blocked Mogdogs.
Thirty minutes later, Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jin-Seok could see him.
"I am Staff Sergeant Kim Seojun."