Chapter 42
No one questioned Hawk Eye's abilities.
Instead, there was a question about something else.
"Why does Hawk Eye operate alone? Isn't it too dangerous?"
Those who knew Hawk Eye questioned why he operated without forming a team.
It was a very reasonable question.
Hawk Eye was a sniper, and the greatest vulnerabilities of such a Sniper were the lack of mobility and firepower, which was usually covered by teammates.
Nevertheless, Hawk Eye only formed a team when necessary and usually engaged in solo action.
The reason was simple.
"That isn't a problem for Hawk Eye; he travels alone."
First of all, mobility wasn't a problem for Hawk Eye.
Thanks to a penetration ability that allowed hiding anywhere, taking solo action wouldn't cause any issues.
Psycher agents or Space Marines who couldn't follow Hawk Eye's methods would only be a hindrance.
However, the biggest reason for being able to take solo action was none other than firepower.
Hawk Eye did not lack firepower, and he was demonstrating that fact right now.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
The muzzle of Hawk Eye's gun, lying on the military truck, began to spew fire relentlessly.
Kkieh!
Kkii!
Kkiek!
And the bullets that flew out pierced the heads of the swarming Mogs with pinpoint accuracy, without a single exception.
It wasn't simply a matter of having good aim.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Even with rapid fire, Hawk Eye was showing an astonishing hit rate.
This was despite the fact that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Hawk Eye's physical condition was currently at its worst.
Anyway, this was the reason Hawk Eye could take solo action.
Hawk Eye alone displayed firepower comparable to what a decent Space Marine platoon could muster, and because of that, he was always confident.
While there were quite a few monsters among the Psycher agents who were worse than him, there was no gunman running around space with a gun who could shoot better than him.
And no one could refute his confidence.
Kim Seojun was the same.
The ability Hawk Eye was showing right now wasn't much different from what he himself could show.
In other words, it was impossible to achieve anything more than this, so Kim Seojun thought: let's increase the number of guns.
"Hey, play fair play! Shooting with four guns is cheating!"
Of course, under normal circumstances, it would be an absurd idea.
First of all, a gun was a weapon that required hands to fire, which meant two guns were the absolute limit.
However, the moment telekinesis came into play, the situation changed.
As long as the muzzles could be set up, he could pull the triggers as much as he wanted.
And Kim Seojun's Apollo's Blessing ability was effective even when he shot guns with telekinesis.
From there, Kim Seojun had practiced at the shooting range to see exactly how many guns would be appropriate to handle, and the result was exactly four.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Thus, the four guns Kim Seojun had set up began to spew fire relentlessly.
The recoil created by those four guns was fierce, but for Kim Seojun, who had a sufficient strength stat, it was no problem.
Also, Kim Seojun isn't aiming for a one-shot-one-kill right now.
Just hitting their bodies was enough to deal sufficient damage to the Mogdogs.
Dududududu!
Just hitting and knocking them down was enough, especially in a situation like this where over 100,000 Mogdogs were swarming.
Kkieeeh!
The moment they fell, the other Mogdogs would mercilessly trample the fallen Mogdogs.
\[You have Eliminated a Mogdog!\]
\[You have eliminated a Mogdog!\]
Thus, notifications announcing the elimination of Mogdogs rang endlessly in Kim Seojun's ears.
\[The speed of Eliminating Mogdogs is too fast.\]
\[Notifications will be turned off from now on.\]
In the end, even the status window stopped its notifications.
Kkieeh!
Rat-tat-tat!
From then on, only the sound of gunshots and the bizarre shrieks of the Mogdogs reached Kim Seojun's ears.
He displayed an overwhelming massacre.
"Truly amazing."
Hawk Eye let out an exclamation of admiration at the sight.
"But will you be okay?"
With that, Hawk Eye asked the most important question.
"If you spray fire like that, won't you run out of ammo?"
This kind of method had a clear limit.
That was also why Hawk Eye aimed as much as possible for the Mogdogs' heads, the parts that could deal fatal wounds.
Whether one bullet or three were used to catch a single Mog, that difference was fatal.
There was no way Kim Seojun didn't know that fact either.
No, he knew it better than anyone.
He had experienced the terror of facing Mogs without a single magazine due to a lack of supplies dozens of times.
"It's fine."
That was why he had formed this plan then.
"I have plenty of ammo."
"Really? How much do you have?"
Because he was confident.
"More than the number of Mogdogs you see over there."
The moment Hawk Eye heard that, he didn't ask any more questions.
Instead, he said.
"...Damn it, I'll have to find a new nickname."
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Thus, gunshots rang out endlessly from the military truck driven by Private First Class Park Boseop.
Three hours later, Kim Seojun spoke.
"We retreat."
When Kim Seojun issued the retreat command here, Hawk Eye didn't question it.
"You ran out of ammo, right?"
Since ammo had been consumed endlessly, it must have finally run dry.
"No."
"Huh?"
Of course, Kim Seojun's inventory was overflowing with ammo.
There was absolutely no way he would run out.
"My stamina ran out."
What had run out was none other than his stamina.
And from Kim Seojun's perspective, this was very important.
No matter how much ammo he had, the moment his stamina dropped and caused a mistake in judgment, he would face death.
In other words, at this moment, there were no calculations about the mission in Kim Seojun's head.
Kim Seojun didn't calculate how many Mogdogs he had caught or how many points he had.
He didn't even know.
\[The battle has ended. Settlement is commencing.\]
\[Due to the Event Mission, all points are increased by 3 times.\]
\[Ah, there was that.\]
Only after hearing this status window notification did Kim Seojun realize there was a mission to achieve 100,000 points.
\[I don't think it'll be easy.\]
And he had no expectation that it had been achieved.
The moment he heard it, he honestly thought it was impossible, which was why he had just erased it from his mind.
That was why.
\[You have eliminated 15,332 Mogdogs. You have acquired 45,996 points.\]
\[You have Eliminated 5,531 Mogdogs with a Single Shot. You have Acquired 33,186 points from the One-Shot-One-Kill Bonus.\]
\[You have achieved over 10,000 kills in this battle. 30,000 points are awarded as a Multi-kill Bonus.\]
\[Mission Conditions have been met. A diamond ticket is awarded.\]
\[Huh?\]
The reason Kim Seojun was surprised the moment he heard that notification.
\[This actually worked?\]
Vroooom!
In the cargo bed of the speeding military truck, Kim Seojun and Hawk Eye lay like corpses.
The two of them were sleeping.
Deeply.
So deeply that they would only wake up if someone roused them.
"Both of them surely sleep well in a situation like this."
Private First Class Park Boseop clicked his tongue at the sight.
"It's proof that they are seasoned veterans."
On the other hand, Major Lee Hyena knew it was proof that the two of them had in this Space Age crossed through absurd hardship and adversity.
"They know this isn't the end, but the beginning."
It was exactly as she said.
Kim Seojun and Hawk Eye knew they had to somehow recover themselves during this rest period.
The number of Mogdogs they had caught this time was around 20,000.
It was an unimaginable number for a mere two gunmen to have been caught in just three hours.
However, there were still nearly ten times that number of Mogdogs alone remaining in the Queen's Nest.
This means they would have to fight battles like this ten more times in the future!
Furthermore, there was no possibility that future battles would be as easy as this, with only Mogdogs coming.
Knowing that, Kim Seojun and Hawk Eye slept, and for their sake, Private First Class Park Boseop drove the military truck as smoothly as possible to minimize shaking.
"Status?"
"Staff Sergeant Kim, are you awake?"
"Yeah, I'm awake too."
"Hawk Eye too?"
After driving for eight hours, Kim Seojun and Hawk Eye opened their eyes at the exact same time, as if they had planned it.
Confirming this, Kim Seojun spoke.
"Private First Class Park Boseop, do you hear anything nearby?"
"No, I don't hear anything."
"Stop and set up the air tent."
After that, Kim Seojun looked at Hawk Eye and said.
"I'm going to undergo treatment in the medical suit now. Will you be okay with that?"
It was a question he wouldn't have asked under normal circumstances.
Hawk Eye's condition was then so bad that he should have gone straight into a medical suit the moment he was rescued, rather than fighting.
It was a wonder he had even fought!
Nevertheless, the reason he asked this question was simple.
"Normally, I'm not the type to take off my suit in front of strangers."
Hawk Eye's identity was more important than most national secrets.
"But I'm not so obsessed with secrecy that I'd back out here."
However, at this point, Hawk Eye also knew that revealing his identity and face wasn't something to worry about right now.
"And since you've shown me enough, I should show some basic manners too."
The moment those words ended, action was taken immediately.
The air tent was set up, and everyone went inside.
At that point, Kim Seojun asked again.
"If you want security, you don't have to reveal your face."
"No, it's fine. We're going to be spending time together from now on, and it'd be funnier to tell you to turn your heads away every time so you don't see my face. So don't worry about me, worry about yourselves instead. You'll be surprised when you see my face."
At those words, everyone thought.
That Hawk Eye said that because she was revealing that she was a woman.
As expected, Hawk Eye was indeed a woman.
"Huh?"
And the moment she took off her helmet, everyone, even Kim Seojun, couldn't help but be surprised.
First of all, Noah Winston, who revealed her appearance, was an incredible beauty.
She had short blonde hair and pure white skin.
However, what surprised everyone wasn't her physical appearance.
"Noah Winston?"
Her face was one that was impossible not to know.
"T-the top-tier Hollywood actor, that Noah Winston? A-are you really that Noah Wi-Winston?"
"That's right. My face isn't exactly easy to see just anywhere."
The top-class actress currently representing Hollywood, the actress hailed as the Queen of Romance, was none other than Noah Winston.
"H-how?"
It was shocking in many ways.
"What's so hard about it? Being an actress is a job where you only need to shoot a couple of movies every ten years, right? During my breaks, I just roam around space under the nickname Hawk Eye like this. And even if I die along the way, a Hollywood actress dying suddenly isn't exactly a strange occurrence, is it?"
Hawk Eye Noah Winston spoke as if it weren't a big deal, about that.
"Now, let's talk."
She said as she continued.
"What's your wish?"
At her question, delivered with a captivating smile, Private First Class Park Boseop and Major Lee Hyena looked at Kim Seojun with surprised faces, as if they had realized something.
And they thought.
What kind of wish would Kim Seojun make to this incredible being, a being practically no different from the genie of the lamp?
Kim Seojun didn't really agonize over the question.
"Give it to me in money."
"Huh?"
Kim Seojun demanded money, and at that, the three of them, including Noah Winston, made dumbfounded expressions.
On the other hand, Kim Seojun was different.
He was here because of money.
This means that if he just had money, he would have no reason to be here.
So money was enough.
He had no intention of asking Noah Winston for anything more than that.
"When we return to Earth, give it to me in money. That is my wish."
*Above all, the wish Kim Seojun wanted right now—'Please let me go to Earth!'—was a wish that even Hawk Eye couldn't grant.*
Grasping the meaning behind Kim Seojun's words, soon Noah Winston smiled captivatingly and said.
"Wow, this is really fun. I thought I'd met all sorts of weirdos in my life, but you're the best."
"Thank you."
Replying, Kim Seojun immediately sat down and said.
"Then I will prepare the medical suit for you."
After taking the medical suit out of his Inventory, Kim Seojun looked at Major Lee Hyena and said.
"Major, please assist her."
"Understood."
One had to enter the Medical Suit naked, so Kim Seojun, having asked Major Lee Hyena for the favor, stepped outside with Private First Class Park Boseop.
After stepping outside, Kim Seojun said.
"Let me know immediately if you hear anything."
"Yes, sir!"
"I'm going to rest for a bit."
Having finished speaking, Kim Seojun immediately took a seat in front of the air tent, turned off radio mode, and let out a long sigh.
\[To think it would actually be Noah Winston.\]
He knew Hawk Eye was a woman, but Kim Seojun was also greatly surprised by the fact that her true identity was Noah Winston.
\[I was a fan.\]
Kim Seojun was such a fan that he had watched all seven movies Noah Winston appeared in more than twice.
Kim Seojun's younger sister, who knew that, had also said something.
Later, when she succeeded and won at the Grammy Awards, she would make sure to get him a meal with Noah Winston.
Of course, when he heard that, Kim Seojun replied to his sister, telling her to get lost and stop spouting nonsense because he found it ridiculous.
He thought it was absurd nonsense.
But to think he would actually see her on a planet in this far-off space?
\[All sorts of things have been happening since I came to this star.\]
Even so, Kim Seojun didn't fall into sentimentality here.
Sentiments about the current situation were something to be had after returning to Earth.
So right now, he only had to think about one thing—returning to Earth—and to do that, there was only one thing Kim Seojun had to do.
\[I'll buy tickets.\]
To consume all the points and tickets he had obtained this time!
And his earnings were huge this time.
\[To think the gathered points alone are 109,000, that's incredible.\]
A situation where he could buy as many as 36 silver tickets currently!
Furthermore, he had obtained a Diamond Ticket as an Event Mission reward.
Here, Kim Seojun didn't hesitate.
"Use Diamond Ticket."
He immediately used the most valuable one first, and at that moment, a notification was heard.
\[magic power has emerged from the Diamond Ticket. Your current magic power is below 80 points. A stat bonus is applied. magic power increases by 30 points.\]
Kim Seojun froze for a moment at that notification.
Honestly, this was unexpected.
He thought a skill, talent, or Upgrade Ticket would come out.
Of course, thinking about it, the probability of a stat coming out here was actually higher.
So Kim Seojun soon accepted it.
\[It's not a bad thing.\]
And honestly, his magic power rising by a whopping 30 points was a much greater deal than getting a decent skill or talent.
It meant it would almost double from his current magic power stat of 35 points.
In a situation where he was already struggling with Magic Power due to an overflow of skills, it was actually the best outcome.
And it didn't end here.
"Purchase 36 Silver Tickets."
Kim Seojun purchased Silver Tickets with all the points he had gathered, and he could soon hear it.
\[stamina has increased by 6 points.\]
\[Magic Power has increased by 7 points.\]
\[Strength has increased by 20 points.\]
\[Congratulations! A platinum rank reward has emerged! A talent upgrade ticket (B) has emerged.\]
\[Congratulations! A gold rank reward has emerged! A talent upgrade ticket (C) has emerged!\]
The moment he heard those notifications, Kim Seojun's eyes widened.
\[Something incredible came out!\]
That was how much of a jackpot this was.
Enough to make his heart suddenly pound fiercely!
However, that surprise didn't last long.
\[Congratulations! A platinum rank reward has emerged!\]
It was because he heard it.
\[Atlas's Blessing (55 days) has emerged!\]
\[You will be able to use the minimap.\]
The notification announced that a new ability had been created.