Chapter 4

Retreat and Exception

<F1>“Retreat Order granted. Return safely to Main Base!”</F1>

The moment those words came through the radio, all the soldiers in the vehicle Kim Seojun was driving let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness, the Retreat Order came through.”

“Phew, I thought I was going to Military Prison in my last year.”

While they were glad to have saved their lives, not a single soldier wanted to go to Prison. However, one person was different. Private First Class Park Boseop, the military driver in the passenger seat of the speeding truck, couldn’t manage a smile at the radio message.

*Rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle!*

Far from smiling, he was more terrified than ever, trembling so much his teeth chattered incessantly.

He couldn’t help it.

*Vroooom!* *‘Th-this is a Crazy Act!’*

Kim Seojun’s driving right now was utterly insane. No, it couldn’t even be called driving. It was practically a rampage. If someone were to report the dashcam footage of Kim Seojun’s truck right now, even the manufacturer of the truck would say, ‘Ah, we apologize, it seems our vehicle experienced sudden acceleration. Otherwise, there’s no way the truck would drive like this. We admit it.’ It was that out-of-control! Kim Seojun wasn’t just not using the brakes; he was pressing the accelerator to its maximum. Moreover, the place Kim Seojun was driving wasn’t some Autobahn in Germany. There were no proper roads. At any moment, a giant rock could appear in front of them, and even that fact was impossible to confirm properly due to the raging sandstorm! Furthermore, Private First Class Park Boseop wasn’t just a simple Military Driver. To become a Military Driver for the Space Marines, one had to pass quite difficult tests. One needed considerable driving experience, and the pay was commensurately high. In Private First Class Park Boseop’s case, while not extraordinary, he had won awards in the Korean Pro Race Competition. That’s why he knew even better.

*‘Th-this is insane. This is a *Suicidal Act*!’*

Staff Sergeant Kim Seojun’s driving was a *Crazy Act*. Kim Seojun knew that too. He knew he was doing something insane, and he’d heard it countless times during his active service. But he had confidence. It wasn’t vague confidence.

‘I’m confident I have more driving experience than any other Military Driver.’

He had considerable driving experience in Space. The reason was simple.

‘Because when everyone else loses their minds, it’s impossible for them to drive.’

Kim Seojun had the talent of not feeling fear of the Mog, and in the worst moments—that is, when a *Powerful Mog Individual* appeared and all his comrades lost their minds—Kim Seojun was forced to take the wheel. In moments of desperation, he had to drive to escape the Mog, with his comrades loaded in the cargo bay.

‘I was the only one who could drive normally even after seeing a Behemoth back then.’

Kim Seojun had even faced the moving disaster known as the Behemoth twice, a sight that made Regular Space Marines wet themselves, lose consciousness, or even die of heart attacks. In those moments when most had fainted, Kim Seojun had to take the wheel and make a desperate escape against the Behemoth, that moving island.

‘...with a general beside me.’

After such days, Kim Seojun’s driving skills couldn’t possibly be bad. Moreover, Kim Seojun possessed excellent Dynamic Visual Acuity, which was a great help in driving. What appeared to others as a 300-kilometer-per-hour landscape was like a 100-kilometer-per-hour landscape to Kim Seojun.

‘And the stimpack’s effects are still active.’

Furthermore, Kim Seojun was currently experiencing time even more slowly due to the stimpack’s effects.

‘Before that, I’ll drive as far as possible.’

In other words, from Kim Seojun’s perspective, he had to escape as far as possible from the Base before the effects of the drug wore off. Most importantly, Kim Seojun felt it.

*‘I have a bad feeling this isn’t over yet.’*

There was a feeling that this attack wasn’t limited to just one base. And that intuition proved to be more accurate than expected. Even if it wasn’t, there was no harm in hurrying. So, the truck led by Kim Seojun drove like mad, and after seven hours of driving, it finally arrived at an unmanned supply base where they could resupply.

<F1>[Air Control complete. You may now remove your Battle Suits.]</F1>

“Rest.”

The moment they entered the underground Supply Base, also known as a Bunker, all the squad members finally took off their Battle Suits for the first time. Then, all sorts of foul odors wafted out. It was incomparable to the smell of sweat. First, the smell of Mog blood and flesh clinging to the Battle Suits was extremely pungent. In addition, everyone except Kim Seojun had wet their diapers to overflowing, and the smell was utterly dreadful. But no one was annoyed by the smell. They all knew. Even this stench was a stroke of luck, a miracle, that they could only experience because they were alive. Kim Seojun, more than anyone, knew it well. This smell was the smell of survival. It was then. Kim Seojun saw five Subordinate Soldiers who hadn’t taken off their Battle Suits. He knew the reason. It wasn’t easy to let go of tension in a life-or-death situation. Kim Seojun spoke to them.

“Everyone, take off your Battle Suits and get some proper rest.”

“We’re fine.”

“I’m not fine.”

“Huh?”

“It’s better to get one hour of solid rest than three hours of half-hearted rest.”

Words born of experience.

“And anyway, due to the stimpack’s aftereffects, your senses and stamina have hit rock bottom. Even if we went into battle right now, we couldn’t fight properly. If the Mog comes here, it’s better to just point our guns at our own heads.”

Moreover, stimpacks greatly depleted stamina and mental strength after their effects wore off. To use an analogy, it was like the state immediately after running a 66-kilometer marathon. And that was why Doctor Space, who created this stimpack, received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. It showed a temporary awakening effect close to that of a Superhuman, and the price was merely seeing some hallucinations and a great depletion of stamina and mental strength—it was an incredibly powerful drug. It was an invention worthy of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. At any rate, at this point, users had to somehow get perfect rest to recover their depleted stamina and mental strength.

“The worst thing on the Battlefield is a comrade who’s no help and only a burden.”

Only then could they avoid being a liability in a combat situation. Only after hearing Kim Seojun’s words did the five finally take off their Battle Suits. Afterward, everyone began frantically consuming the Energy Gel and drinks inside the Supply Base. Kim Seojun was no different. He kept putting Energy Gel into his throat until it was full. He knew. That opportunities to replenish nutrients like this didn’t come easily on the Battlefield. After that, Kim Seojun found a spot to rest. He intended to fall asleep immediately, and he had the talent for falling asleep faster than anyone else.

*‘Status Window.’*

At that moment, the Status Window came to Kim Seojun’s mind, and he involuntarily exclaimed.

“Status Window.”

That was the moment.

<F1>[Kim Seojun]</F1>

<F1>- Strength: 11</F1>

<F1>- Stamina: 14</F1>

<F1>- Owned Skills: None</F1>

<F1>- Owned Talents: Dynamic Visual Acuity (E)</F1>

<F1>- Owned Points: 932pt</F1>

<F1>- Owned Tickets: Silver Ticket 1</F1>

The Status Window

<F1>- Stamina: 14</F1>

<F1>- Owned Skills: None</F1>

<F1>- Owned Talents: Dynamic Visual Acuity (E)</F1>

<F1>- Owned Points: 932pt</F1>

<F1>- Owned Tickets: Silver Ticket 1</F1>

The Status Window appeared before Kim Seojun’s eyes. At this point, Kim Seojun no longer doubted the ability he had acquired. His being alive was clear proof that this ability was real. Moreover, this ability was noth appeared before Kim Seojun’s eyes. At this point, Kim Seojun no longer doubted the ability he had acquired. His being alive was clear proof that this ability was real. Moreover, this ability was nothing but good for Kim Seojun. He knew.

*‘...There’s nothing bad about a Special Ability.’*

This ability would be a great help for survival. Kim Seojun had seen more than a few of the absurd results that Psychers, those with *Special Abilities*, showed in the War against Mog. At the same time, Kim Seojun knew.

‘It’s not strange for something like this to happen.’

In the Space Era, countless things that humans could never understand, things beyond common sense, happened. Therefore, he immediately tried to use the ability without hesitation.

“Use Points.”

He uttered that in a voice too low for his Subordinate Soldiers to hear, and a new window appeared before his eyes.

<F1>[Point Shop]</F1>

<F1>- Bronze Ticket (500pt)</F1>

<F1>- Silver Ticket (3,000pt)</F1>

<F1>- Gold Ticket (10,000pt)</F1>

<F1>- Platinum Ticket (Unavailable for purchase)</F1>

<F1>- Diamond Ticket (Unavailable for purchase)</F1>

Seeing that, Kim Seojun immediately understood this Status Window system he had acquired. It wasn’t difficult. If he caught Mogs, he got points, and he could use those points to strengthen his existence. And in the life of a Space Marine, where death could come at any moment, there was no need to think, ‘Let’s save points diligently and aim for something big!’

“Purchase Bronze Ticket.”

He bought it immediately. His expectations weren’t high. From Kim Seojun’s perspective, there was nothing to lose by simply becoming better than he was now, no matter what he got. Then, Kim Seojun heard it.

<F1>[You received 1 Strength point from the Bronze Ticket.]</F1>

At that plain notification, Kim Seojun’s eyes narrowed.

It wasn’t because the reward was insignificant.

Quite the opposite.

‘My Strength was 11 points. Adding 1 point means my Strength has increased by about 10 percent.’

If he had tried to gain 10 percent more strength through exercise, drugs, or body modification, it would have been an extremely difficult task. But it happened with just a click. Kim Seojun knew it was an incredible thing. So, anticipation grew.

*‘I got the Silver Ticket as a reward.’*

That there was a higher rank.

“Use Silver Ticket.”

So, without hesitation, he used the one he had received as a battle reward. That was the moment.

<F1>[Congratulations! You received a Gold Rank item from the Silver Ticket!]</F1>

The notification announces the congratulations.

<F1>[Talent Upgrade Ticket (C) has appeared!]</F1>

At the same time, an information window appeared before Kim Seojun’s eyes.

<F1>[Talent Upgrade Ticket (C)]</F1>

<F1>- Effect: Raises the rank of one of your talents to C-Rank.</F1>

Seeing that, Kim Seojun blinked his eyes.

‘What is this?’

The content wasn’t difficult. Difficult or not, this was a system that anyone who had played a popular pay-to-win game in Korea for just 10 minutes would understand.

*‘Something like this appeared?’*

That something absurd had suddenly appeared. Of course, Kim Seojun didn’t ponder, ‘What should I do with this? Should I save it and use it later when something better comes along?’ As mentioned before, worrying about the future was not a good concern to have for a Space Marine. Most importantly, Kim Seojun already had one good talent.

“Use Talent Upgrade Ticket.”

<F1>[Which talent would you like to use it on?]</F1>

“Dynamic Visual Acuity.”

Kim Seojun immediately used the fortune he had gained from that talent.

<F1>[Dynamic Visual Acuity rank has increased to C-Rank!]</F1>

Then, a notification sounded immediately. Nothing seemed to change right away. The visible scenery hadn’t particularly changed. At that moment, Kim Seojun lightly tossed the Energy Gel he was holding into the air. That was the moment.

*‘Ah.’*

In Kim Seojun’s eyes, the Energy Gel floating in the air began to appear as if it were frozen. He could see the brand label on the Energy Gel, as well as the nutritional information, in detail. Moreover, it was a familiar sight to Kim Seojun.

‘It’s like when I took a stimpack.’

This was the sight he saw the moment he took a stimpack. Everything seemed to freeze.

*‘My god.’*

Therefore, goosebumps ran all over Kim Seojun’s body at that fact.

‘So now the state I was in after taking a stimpack is my base state?’

That wasn’t all.

*‘Wait, then if I take a stimpack...’*

He might face a situation he had never experienced before. That was the moment.

*Beep!*

The lights in their Bunker suddenly turned red, and an alarm sounded. Everyone sprang to their feet. The Bunker informed them.

<F1>[Headquarters has been destroyed.]</F1>

The place they had to return to was gone.

6. Headquarters Destruction!

“Wh-what the hell is this nonsense?”

The moment they heard that news, all the Soldiers in the Bunker fell into a state of panic.

“That’s impossible!”

They immediately denied the current situation. And that was reasonable. On a Resource Development Planet, the Headquarters wasn’t just a place that issued orders. It was where the strongest forces were established, and it was the starting point for all supplies.

“H-how are we supposed to get to Earth?”

And the Headquarters was like the one and only exit to Earth. That Headquarters had been destroyed? It meant the way to Earth was gone! For active-duty Soldiers who had volunteered, but were fundamentally under Forced Conscription, it was an unbelievable shock. In such a situation, only one person maintained his sanity: Staff Sergeant Kim Seojun. He felt no bewilderment amidst the commotion. There was no reason to feel it.

‘Headquarters Destruction... this is the fourth time.’

This experience wasn’t new to him. So he knew.

“Everyone calm down. Panicking will only waste oxygen.”

Everyone would lose out only by being surprised here.

“If you still want to act up, I’ll shoot you dead.”

Kim Seojun issued a strong warning, and the Subordinate Soldiers, who had been screaming something akin to shouts, immediately froze.

Everyone looked at Kim Seojun.

Kim Seojun spoke to them.

“First, get as much rest as possible. We’ll rest here for at least 8 hours.”

At his words, questions filled the eyes of the Subordinate Soldiers. How could they rest in this urgent situation, with Headquarters destroyed? Kim Seojun explained to them.

“Headquarters being destroyed means it suffered a powerful attack, whether from the Mog or an Enemy Nation. There’s no point in our going there right now. Especially if it was a Mog attack, our going there would just be making ourselves dessert.”

He was telling them what the most rational judgment was right now.

At his words, the eyes of the Subordinate Soldiers gradually began to return to normal.

Confusion was abundant, but the Soldiers knew one thing.

That the person in front of them was not a Rookie NCO with no experience, but an absurd Veteran NCO.

And in this damned world, there was nothing more trustworthy than the words of a Veteran.

At that point, everyone began to rest as Kim Seojun had said.

Kim Seojun himself was no different.

He lay down directly on the floor in the cramped Bunker and fell into a deep sleep.

Fortunately, there was no attack on the Bunker, and everyone was able to get the 8 hours of rest Kim Seojun had mentioned.

Of course, none of them rested properly.

They all looked as if their condition hadn’t fully recovered, having woken up intermittently.

Only one person was different: Kim Seojun.

His eyes held not a speck of fatigue now.

With those eyes, he spoke.

“Private First Class Park Boseop.”

“Sir?”

Private First Class Park Boseop said, startled, at Kim Seojun’s repeated question.

“P-Private First Class P-Park Boseop!”

Hearing that reply, Kim Seojun said.

“Prepare to drive.”

“D-drive, sir? Wh-where are we going?”

Kim Seojun replied to that question.

“We’re going to Headquarters.”

Chapter Discussion