Chapter 15
3. World War II was full of anecdotes. Among them was the story of the Polish cavalry.
“During World War II, Polish cavalry charged tanks on horseback! How foolish!”
The story of their charging on horseback against steel-clad wheels led people to believe that the Polish cavalry of the time were ignorant, not even knowing what a tank was, and that was why they were occupied by Germany.
Of course, after that story became famous, people learned that it was actually a distortion by Nazi Germany at the time, and the reality was different. Far from being ignorant of tanks, the Polish cavalry at the time used very effective anti-tank weapons, and horses were merely a means of transportation. No one thought of the Polish cavalry charging tanks as ignorant savages anymore.
Their descendants also took pride in the charge their ancestors had made. Jan Zabłocki was one such descendant. His ancestor was one of those who rode horses towards German tanks during World War II, and he had heard that story since childhood.
“The blood of the *Winged Hussars* flows in our veins, blood that allows us to charge at anything for our homeland.”
He had *Proud Blood*, and so Jan Zabłocki advanced into *Space* without hesitation. Of course, the *Polish Space Force* had also established the *Winged Hussars Unit*, which only the best aces could join, to attract young talent. He was largely swayed by the prestige of the name, and the fact that simply being listed there meant earning a lot of money and being popular with women.
In any case, Jan Zabłocki enlisted in the *Polish Space Force* and excelled as an ace in every aspect. He was commissioned as a *Second Lieutenant* in the *Winged Hussars Unit*.
His military life thereafter was not bad. For an elite like him, the *Polish Space Force* only presented challenges he could handle. His life changed when he became a *First Lieutenant*. *First Lieutenant* Jan Zabłocki, assigned to *Planet Palabo*, observed a *Behemoth* there.
He didn't see it directly. At the time, there was a considerable distance between the area where the <F1>Behemoth</F1> appeared and <F1>Poland Headquarters</F1>. Instead, <F1>Korean Headquarters</F1>, which had good relations with <F1>Poland</F1>, was within the <F1>Behemoth</F1>'s territory, so it went to provide support. Even after going to provide support, they didn't actually do anything significant, because in front of an anomalous monster like a <F1>Behemoth</F1>, there was nothing anyone could do except a <F1>Psycher</F1>. They could only observe the situation from a distance. Then he heard a story.
“A <F1>Korean Space Marine</F1>, a mere soldier, saved a <F1>General Officer</F1> from a <F1>Behemoth</F1>? What kind of <F1>Crazy Act</F1> is that?” “The <F1>General Officer</F1> sent a <F1>Rescue Request</F1>, and a soldier nearby just drove a car over, rescued him, and came out.” “By car? He drove a car into a <F1>Behemoth</F1>'s territory?” “I don't know if it's true or not. But from what I hear, he's quite famous over there. As a <F1>crazy bastard</F1>.”
A story about a certain Korean soldier. Most people dismissed it as a joke at the time, but Jan Zabłocki felt something. He wanted to live a life where he could run for someone, and from then on, Jan Zabłocki began seeking out ruthless places instead of easy ones. Until then, there had been no place he could call hell, but eventually, the price for seeking out reckless places came due. This was it.
“Three *Tank Beetles* are coming!”
With the gate suddenly destroyed, a horde of *Tank Beetles* was approaching *Headquarters*. Meanwhile, *Poland Headquarters* had rapidly depleted its forces due to the sudden combat. Ultimately, *Major* Jan Zabłocki found himself in a situation where someone had to step forward and buy time against the *Tank Beetles*.
“I'll buy time. Get the *Hoverbikes* ready.”
The day had come. So there was no hesitation. Immediately, he led three transport ships and fourteen <F1>Hover Riders</F1> towards the <F1>Tank Beetle</F1> unit. And <F1>Major</F1> Jan Zabłocki knew <F1>it</F1> the moment he looked from the transport ship at the approaching <F1>Tank Beetle</F1> horde.
“My ancestor was definitely a crazy bastard.”
Charging in this situation was impossible for anyone in their right mind.
“And that Korean Space Marine too.”
Furthermore, an infinite respect for that Korean Space Marine welled up within him. Of course, that didn't mean he turned the transport ship back. Not only had they come too far to turn back, but no matter what, the blood of the *Polish Cavalryman* flowed in *Major* Jan Zabłocki's veins, the blood that allowed him to willingly advance for his homeland. So *Major* Jan Zabłocki said.
“Everyone, return alive!”
With that command, fifteen *Hoverbikes* burst out of the transport ship.
Vwooom!
And *Major* Jan Zabłocki's *Hoverbike* was the first to charge towards the *Tank Beetle* horde. As he charged, *Major* Jan Zabłocki shouted.
“God, watch over us!”
4.
“Two kilometers!”
When he heard *Private First Class Boseop Park*'s words, Seojun Kim took a deep breath. It was time to engage in combat, and Seojun Kim began systematically clearing the thoughts filling his mind.
“A One-Shot-One-Kill Mission, seriously?”
The first thing he dismissed was the mission given by the status window. Although the reward was immense, Seojun Kim attached no meaning to the mission at this moment.
That's utter nonsense. Tank Beetles can withstand artillery shells.
Tank Beetles weren't simply called terrifying because of their size. Rather, being merely massive was just a large target for Humanity, an easy element to aim for. The true terror of Tank Beetles lay in their external defense, which was incomparable to that of Mogdogs, and even formidable explosives didn't easily penetrate that defense.
“With this gun, all I can do is pierce its outer shell.”
The *Gauss Sniper Rifle* Seojun Kim held in his hand was no different. Undoubtedly, the *Gauss Sniper Rifle* possessed a power on a different level from conventional gunpowder-based firearms. But even with this, delivering a proper blow to a *Tank Beetle* was a distant prospect. It was as if a sharp needle, no matter how keen, could hurt a human body but not inflict a fatal wound.
“Except for the eyes.”
Nevertheless, Seojun Kim's reason for trusting the *Gauss Sniper Rifle* and wanting to provide support was the *Tank Beetle*'s eyes. Of course, targeting these eyes wasn't easy either. Firstly, their eyelids were incredibly tough, and *Tank Beetles* didn't keep their eyes open all the time. They only open their eyes for brief moments, such as when changing their movement path or when a major disturbance occurs. He had to aim for the eye when it blinked. Moreover, even targeting the eyes didn't guarantee a kill.
“Even if I only target the eyes, I can slow down their movement speed.”
In other words, Seojun Kim's original goal wasn't to hunt the *Tank Beetles*, but to slow down the speed at which that *Legion* reached *Poland Headquarters*, even if only a little.
*'Only the eyes.'*
At that point, in Seojun Kim's mind, only the <F1>*Tank Beetles*</F1>' eyes were visible, and he took his stance. He lay flat in the bed of the *Military Truck* and assumed a *Sniping* position to somehow withstand the recoil of the rifle. Of course, Seojun Kim knew. The recoil of a *Gauss Rifle* was not something a *Regular Space Marine* could handle. Even the *Gauss Rifle* *Major* Hyena Lee had given him felt like a shotgun in Seojun Kim's hands. Moreover, the recoil of the even more powerful, dimensionally different *Gauss Sniper Rifle* was not a level of weapon a *Regular Space Marine* could use. So he prepared.
“Get on me, please.”
At Seojun Kim's request, *Major* Hyena Lee placed her knees and both arms on Seojun Kim's body. She held him steady with the terrifying strength that could split a *Mogdog* in half with an axe. With all preparations complete, at that moment, Seojun Kim immediately injected a *Stimpack*.
“Injecting a *Stimpack*.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than the *Stimpack* surged through his body. This was, in fact, a *Crazy Act*. Normally, the *Recommended Cooldown* for a *Stimpack* was 72 hours. And usually, that recommended time was observed, because ignoring it and injecting a second one would cause a rapid decline in physical strength. Moreover, the decline referred to here wasn't just “Oh, I’m tired, I’ll just sleep today!” but rather a level where his limbs simply wouldn't move. However, Seojun Kim was currently injecting a third *Stimpack* less than 48 hours later. It would have been impossible if not for the increased stamina stat from his status window.
“I can't expect the effects to last long.'
Of course, as it was the third time, the time allotted to Seojun Kim was short. Yet, he didn't care. If he could stop even one *Tank Beetle*, dozens or even hundreds of lives would be saved. That was when it happened. In the slowed-down time, Seojun Kim saw a *Tank Beetle*'s eye opening.
Kwagwagwagwang!
The *Tank Beetles* had briefly opened their eyes due to the explosive noise created by the *Polish Space Force Hover Riders*. It was, of course, only for a fleeting moment. Seojun Kim pulled the trigger literally in the blink of an eye. The bullet flew. The speed of that bullet was beyond common sense.
Swoosh!
For one, the sound itself was fundamentally different from that made by a conventional bullet.
Kugugugugu!
And the moment that sound was heard, the <span class="docx-char-style-10">Military Truck</span> that <span class="docx-char-style-10">Private First Class Boseop Park</span> was driving lurched violently. The recoil was strong enough to shake the vehicle. But the most astonishing thing was that all of this happened after the bullet had already reached its target, because the speed of the <span class="docx-char-style-10">Gauss Sniper Rifle</span> was several times faster than the speed of sound.
“Whoa!”
So, the moment <F1>Private First Class Boseop Park</F1> controlled the steering wheel to balance the swaying vehicle, the result was already in.
Kiiiiiiraraaa!
A wailing sound began to emanate from the <F1>Tank Beetle</F1>'s body. More precisely, it wasn't the <F1>Tank Beetle</F1>'s sound. <F1>Tank Beetles</F1> had no mouths. Instead, it was the sound of the <F1>Bomb Beetles</F1> inside, sensing danger and screaming out due to the <F1>Tank Beetle</F1>'s change in pain. At that fact, <F1>Private First Class Boseop Park</F1> was about to exclaim, “Whoa, we”re screwed, damn it!'”
Swoosh!
A second gunshot was heard, and the Military Truck lurched violently once more. Private First Class Boseop Park swallowed the exclamation he was about to utter at that gunshot. It was that sudden. Major Hyena Lee was also surprised. But Seojun Kim was different. This was the plan.
“If one Tank Beetle gets hit, the other will naturally open its eyes to see the reaction.”
The plan hit its mark, and two *Tank Beetles* lost their eyes. Now, only one remained! Seojun Kim pondered here.
“The third one...”
Seojun Kim couldn't predict how the third *Tank Beetle* would react. That was when it happened.
*'It's open!'*
In Seojun Kim's slowed-down world, he saw the third *Tank Beetle* opening its eye. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and Seojun Kim was about to pull the trigger.
*'Wait.'*
In that extremely slowed-down world, he felt something strange. He sensed something.
*'Could it be?'*
Sensing it, Seojun Kim relaxed his hand from the trigger. He paused for a moment. Seojun Kim could soon see.
Kwagwagwang!
One of the blinded *Tank Beetles* thrashed about and collided with a *Tank Beetle* that hadn't yet been attacked. Due to the collision, the two *Tank Beetles* began to roll sideways. In that rolling situation, a situation that truly happened in the blink of an eye, Seojun Kim could see the *Bomb Beetles* filling the space beneath it beneath the *Tank Beetle*'s hard exoskeleton. And among those countless *Bomb Beetles*, three were glowing a bright blue.
*'They're in a Loaded State!'*
Like a grenade with its pin pulled, that was their state. In fact, that usually couldn't happen. *Bomb Beetles* never entered a *Loaded State* while inside a *Tank Beetle*'s body. The *Tank Beetle* had to issue a command for them to enter a *Loaded State*. They certainly wouldn't enter a *Loaded State* if they received an external attack, because they could accidentally explode from within. However, in this unprecedented situation, the *Tank Beetle* had issued a wrong order, or the *Bomb Beetles* had reacted incorrectly, and Seojun Kim didn't hesitate at that moment. He pulled the trigger, aiming for the bright blue glowing *Bomb Beetles*.
That was the moment.
Ping!
Suddenly, darkness descended upon Seojun Kim's world. It was the start. After he had used all his stamina, Seojun Kim's senses then began to shut down sequentially. The last thing was a thought, and before that thought faded, Seojun Kim could hear.
[Mission...]
With that, Seojun Kim lost consciousness.
5. The entire process happened in an instant.
P-p-p-pow!
From the perspective of the *Polish Space Force Hover Riders*, a tremendous sound suddenly erupted from behind them. The first to turn his head at that sound was none other than *Major* Jan Zabłocki.
Kieeeeh!
<F1>Major</F1> Jan Zabłocki, who was luring dozens of <F1>Mogdogs</F1> behind him, deliberately adjusting the distance to seem almost catchable, turned his head and saw the <F1>Tank Beetles</F1> suddenly exploding and flipping over. In the face of that situation, <F1>Major</F1> Jan Zabłocki couldn't react. He was unable to. His system of reasoning and common sense simply couldn't comprehend what was happening. What moved <F1>Major</F1> Jan Zabłocki at that moment was his <F1>Ancestral Blood</F1>. The blood of the <F1>Polish Cavalryman</F1> informed <F1>Major</F1> Jan Zabłocki of one fact at that very moment.
“The Tank Beetles have been hit.”
The most terrifying thing had stopped.
“Everyone, retreat!”
This meant there was no longer any need to be in this hell. The moment that order was given, *Major* Jan Zabłocki and the *Hover Riders* who had come with him, the eleven *Hover Riders* who were still alive, reacted. It wasn't a reaction based on thought. It was the instinct of battle-hardened soldiers, those who would willingly volunteer for such an absurd operation, that prompted their reaction.
Vwooom!
Now that there was no need to deliberately maintain a short distance to lure them, the *Hover Riders* rode at full speed. Of course, escaping from here wasn't easy. Firstly, *Mogdogs* were very fast, and they had the troublesome *Thorn Snakes* behind them. If about half of them survived by escaping like this, it would be a profitable venture. That's why it would be a profitable venture.
“Everyone, escape at full speed, full speed!”
Major Jan Zabłocki, repeating his command, changed the direction of his Hoverbike towards the Tank Beetles.
“Major?”
Everyone immediately understood his intention: that *Major* Jan Zabłocki intended to become a decoy to save his subordinates. There was no hesitation. *Major* Jan Zabłocki, however, thought.
“God, thank you for giving me Proud Blood!”
He was glad to be able to be a decoy like this. And Major Jan Zabłocki's riding, which began then, was truly nothing short of divine. He dodged through the swarming Mogdogs and the spines of the raining Thorn Snakes like a ghost, drawing the attention of all the Mogdogs and Thorn Snakes. He bought his subordinates time to escape. And a lot of it! He performed that acrobatic Charge for a full four minutes. In other words, that was his limit.
Kwachik!
A single spine launched by a *Thorn Snake* finally pierced *Major* Jan Zabłocki's *Hoverbike*. The *Hoverbike*, losing its balance, crashed to the ground, and *Major* Jan Zabłocki's body tumbled across the ground like a stone. Thanks to his *Riding Suit*, he wasn't seriously injured, but when *Major* Jan Zabłocki got up, he was already half-surrounded by *Mogdogs*. In that state, instead of hesitating, *Major* Jan Zabłocki drew the rifle from his back. He showed a posture of *Fight to the Death*. That's when it happened.
Vrooom!
Suddenly, the sound of a *military truck* came from a distance, and at the same time, a shadow appeared above *Major* Jan Zabłocki's head.
Thud!
The shadow landed right in front of *Major* Jan Zabłocki, and the fallen being spoke.
“Reinforcements. Evacuate.”
<F1>Major</F1> Jan Zabłocki naturally wore a blank expression at the voice, which was translated as it reached him. However, his bewilderment didn't last long. The newcomer, with an axe in hand, effortlessly split a <F1>Mogdog</F1> that had approached him in half, and the moment <F1>Major</F1> Jan Zabłocki saw that, he knew.
*'A Psycher!'*
The being before him was a *Superhuman* who made *Mogdogs* seem trivial. And there was only one thing he needed to say in front of that being.
“Yes, sir!”