Fly-Class Takedown and the Gate's Destruction
Lee Hye-na, the major, had been greatly surprised when Sergeant Kim Seo-jun provided covering fire from afar and produced utterly absurd results.
But it wasn't enough to leave her aghast.
For one, she was a psyker with experience fighting alongside all sorts of superhumans on countless battlefields, so she had built up a strong tolerance for such miraculous situations.
Naturally, she was convinced.
'He's a psyker.'
Sergeant Kim Seo-jun was a psyker.
It was unusual for a psyker to be assigned as a sergeant, but if it was for a special mission, disguising one's rank like that was entirely possible.
'Given the stakes.'
Besides, the operation unfolding on Amotia Planet wasn't just the one against the Queen. There was another critical mission underway.
It wouldn't be strange if another psyker had slipped in under cover.
Above all, Major Lee Hye-na had no time to worry about Sergeant Kim Seo-jun.
His support made hunting the regular Mogdogs a breeze, but those were barely appetizers in this fight. The real threat was the Fly-class Mogdog.
'This is as far as ranged support goes.'
Even if Sergeant Kim Seo-jun demonstrated incredible marksmanship, the weapons he had couldn't produce meaningful results against a Fly-class Mogdog.
That meant when the real battle began, Major Lee Hye-na would have to create the outcome herself.
She heightened all her senses for that purpose.
And then the moment arrived.
Kirrrrk!
The Fly-class Mogdog, which had been lying in wait until now, finally moved.
Pabababat!
The charge that ensued was on another level entirely from any ordinary Mogdog she'd seen before.
If a regular Mogdog moved like a passenger car, the Fly-class's movements were unmistakably those of a sports car. Blindingly fast.
'Coming.'
Facing the Fly-class Mogdog head-on, Major Lee Hye-na naturally focused all her senses on it.
Everything else was irrelevant.
"Requesting permission to use Steam Pack."
Sergeant Kim Seo-jun's voice reached her around then, but she let it slide past like background noise.
In truth, she barely registered it.
Kirrrrk!
The Fly-class Mogdog's roar, now right in front of her, rang far more clearly in her ears.
And then the two clashed.
Or rather, they crossed paths.
The Fly-class Mogdog lunged to overwhelm her in one go, but Lee Hye-na wasn't an idiot.
No matter how immense her superhuman strength from the Prophet's Relic, she had no intention of grappling head-on with a Fly-class Mogdog while wearing a standard-issue Battle Suit.
She dodged like a matador sidestepping a bull.
The instant she glimpsed its tail, she gripped her axe with both hands and swung.
Kwaang!
The impact sounded like striking a sturdy car with an aluminum bat.
The Fly-class Mogdog's body was that tough.
Lee Hye-na wasn't surprised.
'I wasn't planning to smash it anyway.'
She knew from experience that cleaving a Fly-class Mogdog in half like lesser ones was nearly impossible.
And there was no need to.
'Disable its functions.'
For most moving targets, breaking limbs without severing them was plenty effective.
Mogdogs had insect-like exoskeletons, but it didn't matter. Poking holes in their bodies was meaningful enough.
Of course, it wasn't easy.
She'd have to repeat this hundreds of times.
So Lee Hye-na calmed herself.
This task demanded focus and stamina, and the best way to conserve them was to stay composed and ignore distractions.
As she settled into that quiet state and the Fly-class Mogdog regained its stance to target her again—that was the moment.
Thud!
Tang!
With the gunshot, the Fly-class Mogdog's head jerked lightly.
It whipped around instantly, spotting the source of the bullet: the humans on the cargo bed of the military truck, now quite close, barrels trained on it.
Kirrk!
The Fly-class Mogdog spat a fierce growl toward the truck.
That was it.
It turned back to Lee Hye-na.
The bullets weren't harmless—equivalent to getting pelted with pebbles for a human.
Painful, but not enough to ignore the axe-wielding human right in front of it and charge the distant threat instead.
So the Fly-class Mogdog moved to finish Lee Hye-na quickly and then deal with the other two.
They crossed again, and the same scenario repeated.
As they passed and sharply turned to face each other—
Thud!
Tang!
Another shot rang out, shaking the Fly-class Mogdog's head.
The aftermath was the same as before.
They crossed, and a shot fired.
Teng!
But this sound was different from the previous ones.
Deeper. More ominous.
Kirrrrk!
Above all, the Fly-class Mogdog unleashed a roar at Sergeant Kim Seo-jun unlike any before—impossibly more savage.
It pivoted.
Here, it switched targets to Sergeant Kim Seo-jun.
But Lee Hye-na moved first.
She'd seen it too.
All three shots had struck precisely near the Fly-class Mogdog's temple—the same spot.
"Insane!"
It was an impossible feat, so a curse slipped from Lee Hye-na's lips.
Independently of that, her body reacted.
Her battle instincts, honed across countless fields, told her what to do: pin down the Fly-class Mogdog lunging at Sergeant Kim Seo-jun.
Turn it into a wrestling match.
Kung!
She slammed into it with a body check first, and the surprise attack sent the Fly-class Mogdog tumbling off balance.
Kir!
It scrambled up desperately, and in that instant—a sound.
Thud!
A split second later—
Puhot!
The sound of something soft and vital bursting.
6.
Kim Seo-jun had given Private Park Bo-seop his orders the moment he devised the plan.
"When I use the Steam Pack, get as close to the Fly-class Mogdog as you can."
"Y-Yes, sir?"
Private Park Bo-seop was shocked again upon hearing the command.
"Uh, under—understood, Sergeant."
But he quickly assented.
'Screw it, whatever.'
He gave up trying to think.
Meanwhile, Sergeant Kim Seo-jun prepared.
'Even with Steam Pack, too far out and it won't work.'
Obvious, but time slowing to a near standstill and enhanced vision were separate things.
He could hit targets easily, but for precise, repeated hits on the same spot, he needed to close the distance.
Even up close, success wasn't guaranteed.
But he wasn't worried.
Major Lee Hye-na was the main act; he was just the joker card.
If it worked, great. If not, nothing changed.
Deep down, he also considered:
'It probably won't work.'
The chance of failure.
Even for him, this was uncharted territory—an absurd gamble.
Thinking "this'll work for sure" would be a mental issue.
"Requesting permission to use Steam Pack."
But the moment he spoke and injected it, the syringe on his Battle Suit's left arm exploded inward, needle piercing flesh.
A slight sting.
Then the great scientist's drug unleashed its power.
'Ah.'
The instant it kicked in, Kim Seo-jun knew.
'Got it locked.'
He was certain of this hunt.
He had to be.
Everything had stopped.
His world wasn't just slowed—it was practically frozen.
And that wasn't all.
Added to it was his red glow, enabling perfect aim.
Success was inevitable, and it came swiftly.
No need for a barrage.
Four shots, and he achieved his goal.
Puhot!
The Fly-class Mogdog's head exploded, its contents—mashed by bullets—oozing out.
Even that looked slow to Kim Seo-jun.
About then—
'What?'
Suddenly, his world regained speed, and he felt it: his stamina draining at an insane rate.
Shocking, really.
Big efforts tire you out, sure, but this was different.
His legs were suddenly trembling.
Yet Kim Seo-jun wasn't fazed.
'...Not free, huh.'
He accepted it.
Considering the wonders he'd experienced, this was a bargain.
About then—
Kung!
He collapsed onto the cargo bed, and Private Park Bo-seop, hearing it, exclaimed in alarm.
"S-Sergeant Kim? Sergeant Kim?"
"Just exhausted. No big deal."
Park Bo-seop's eyes shook at the response.
To him, his lifeline—Sergeant Kim—saying he was drained was terrible news.
Kim Seo-jun saw it differently.
He relaxed here. No needless worry.
The peskiest Fly-class was down, and only about 30 regular Mogdogs remained.
And they had a psyker: Major Lee Hye-na.
So he waited, and soon it came.
A notification sounded.
Combat has ended. Beginning settlement.
Mission active: All points doubled.
Mogdog x473 defeated. +976 points acquired.
Mogdogs one-shot: 383. One-Shot One-Kill bonus: +1,532 points.
400+ kills this battle. Chain Kill bonus: +800 points.
Fly-class Mogdog defeated. +1,000 points.
First special specimen hunted. Gold Ticket granted.
Mission conditions met. Gold Ticket granted.
Notifications poured in relentlessly.
But Kim Seo-jun couldn't savor them.
His mind was fogging from the stamina drain.
Plus, Steam Pack side effects were hitting fast.
He sensed it.
'Might pass out soon.'
About then—
Kung!
Something heavy landed on the truck, followed by a voice.
"Thanks, Sergeant Kim Seo-jun."
Major Lee Hye-na's gratitude.
Several thoughts flashed through Kim Seo-jun's mind at her words, but they didn't linger.
He simply said,
"Not doing great right now. Could black out any second."
Lee Hye-na didn't question it.
She understood.
Psykers paid a price for their miracles via Prophet's Relics too.
'Definitely a psyker.'
So she was convinced Sergeant Kim Seo-jun was a psyker in disguise, and thus replied,
"Rest easy. Don't worry."
Kim Seo-jun nodded.
Thinking,
'Dodged the worst.'
The situation had resolved.
Sure, it was bad: base destroyed, Queen on Amotia, nations scrambling their own ops to eliminate it.
Enough to drive most mad.
Yet he called it dodging the worst because he'd linked up with a psyker—and earned her full respect.
Psykers were invaluable; the Korean Space Force would move heaven and earth to rescue her.
Stick with her, escape Amotia via gate, return to Earth.
With rewards.
'What a first day on the job.'
A sigh of relief mixed with a wry chuckle as he glanced at the timer on his Battle Suit helmet.
His vision went dark.
When Kim Seo-jun opened his eyes again, he was in the bunker supply base, Battle Suit off, and Private Park Bo-seop—face pale as a ghost—said,
"S-Sergeant Kim! B-Big trouble."
Kim Seo-jun sensed it instantly.
He'd thought he'd dodged the worst, but no.
Park Bo-seop's expression was proof.
Instead of "You're awake, sir?", it was "Big trouble"—meaning real catastrophe.
So he steeled himself.
Ready for the absurd, refusing to flinch.
Forcing calm, he checked his left wrist.
The film-like watch showed:
'Two hours passed.'
Having confirmed his blackout and readied himself fully, Park Bo-seop said,
"Th-The g-g-gate's d-d-destroyed."
Apocalypse on enlistment day.