Battle Tank Precision
The moment Kim Seo-jun received the situation report from Private First Class Park Bo-seop, he completely reset all his plans.
Even when he first heard that Major Lee Hye-na was engaging an infected Psion, his immediate thought had been that they needed to evacuate no matter what.
“A Bulwark Suit?”
“—Pardon? Ah, yes, that’s what they said!”
However, the moment he heard the infected Psion was wearing a Bulwark Suit, the math completely changed.
Kim Seo-jun knew full well what kind of spectacle a Psion agent wearing a Bulwark Suit could create on a battlefield—and that was precisely why he knew how absurd this situation was.
‘A Bulwark Suit is an agent suit that throws mobility completely out the window.’
He also knew exactly what had been sacrificed to achieve that ridiculous level of performance.
‘Evacuation won’t be a problem.’
At this point, Seo-jun was no longer debating whether to run away with the survivors. Instead, two new questions occupied his mind:
‘If I can just take it down…’
To kill it, or not to kill it.
‘I can save HQ and claim the reward.’
With that, Seo-jun spoke up.
“Name and rank?”
Staff Sergeant Viktor Lewandowski blinked, looking completely bewildered. Seo-jun didn't bother offering a lengthy explanation.
Thwack!
“Gah!”
Seo-jun gave Sergeant Lewandowski's shin a sharp kick, causing the man’s face to contort in pain.
“State your name and rank.”
“S-Staff Sergeant.”
If someone doesn't listen when you talk, kick their shin—a time-honored tradition that apparently held true even in the space age.
Of course, it wasn't something he would normally do. After all, wasn't Seo-jun just a Corporal? Virtually every NCO he met outranked him. But rank wasn't important right now. Besides, Seo-jun had already committed enough military offenses to make a trick like this look laughable, and he intended to commit plenty more before the day was done.
“I-I am Staff Sergeant Viktor Lewandowski.”
The kick had certainly proven effective. Seo-jun bowed his head slightly and said, “I apologize for the sudden violence. The situation is extremely critical.”
“N-no, it’s fine.”
Sergeant Lewandowski nodded stiffly at the apology. Seo-jun pressed on.
“Where are the battle tanks?”
“Pardon?”
When Lewandowski hesitated to answer, Seo-jun subtly lifted his foot again. Sensing another shin-kick incoming, the Sergeant blurted out:
“I-I know where they are!”
A short while later, Seo-jun arrived at the Polish HQ's warehouse where the battle tanks were stored.
“PFC Park Bo-seop, I’m counting on you.”
“……I’ll give it a shot.”
Together with PFC Park Bo-seop.
Vroooom!
Moments later, a battle tank roared to life.
13.
When the space age began and the war against the Mogg broke out, the very first weapon humanity set out to develop was the tank. There was no hesitation.
“Tanks have been with humanity throughout our history! The space age is no different!”
It was no exaggeration to say there was no combat weapon more familiar to humankind than the tank.
And so, tanks suited for the space age began to emerge. Through trial, error, and constant refinement, humanity built a tank optimized for fighting the Mogg across the stars. From that point on, they started calling human tanks "Battle Tanks."
They earned a distinct name because they differed greatly from conventional tanks. To combat the Mogg and operate on alien worlds, they possessed mobility beyond compare. Furthermore, since they had to face swarms of Mogg, they were equipped with a vast array of high-tech weaponry alongside standard high-explosive shells.
In short, they were faster, packed vastly superior firepower, possessed extreme durability, and were surprisingly lightweight. Anyone hearing this description for the first time would naturally ask the same question:
“Isn’t that just a really good tank then? Do you really need to give it a whole new name like ‘Battle Tank’?”
The answer to that question was simple.
“What? The price is in a whole different realm?”
Just as a supercar and an F1 racing car aren't placed in the same category, the price tag of a Battle Tank put it far beyond the reach of a standard tank. It was expensive enough that even reasonably large nations struggled to field them in significant numbers. On top of that, every nation spent astronomical sums developing their own Battle Tanks, guarding the technology fiercely. Naturally, the control schemes varied drastically from country to country.
“Starting the engine!”
Whirrrrr!
“Woah! It started up!”
The reason PFC Park Bo-seop, a Korean Space Marine, could instantly operate a Polish Battle Tank was simple.
“What a relief Poland imported our country’s battle tanks.”
Poland was currently a prime military partner, importing vast amounts of weaponry from South Korea. Furthermore, the Black Panther series of Battle Tanks manufactured by South Korea was internationally recognized for its excellence.
“Yeah, what a relief indeed. I’m glad I ran into you here, PFC Park.”
“Huh?”
“I had no idea you could pilot a battle tank.”
Even so, having a mere driver operate a Battle Tank was normally unheard of.
“Ah, well, they said getting a Battle Tank license increases your base hazard pay, so I studied for it.”
Park Bo-seop talked as if he’d just picked up a standard driver's license, but a Battle Tank license was anything but easy to get. Aside from memorizing countless complex manuals, the field of view alone was on a completely different level. If driving a standard vehicle was like playing a game on one screen, operating a Battle Tank was like playing on five at once. Driving wasn't a simple matter of grabbing a wheel and stepping on the pedals either—the tactile feedback was worlds apart.
Just as Park Bo-seop mentioned, many attempted the test for the pay bump, but you’d be lucky if 1 out of 100 people even passed the basic driving test.
“I’m still a novice, though. I don’t have any real combat experience.”
And naturally, actual combat was on a whole different level of difficulty compared to a test course.
However, Seo-jun wasn't overly worried about that.
“I trust you, PFC Park.”
The driving skills Park Bo-seop had demonstrated so far were already far beyond those of an ordinary military driver.
“More importantly, sir… can you operate the weapons system?”
If anything, the real issue was Seo-jun.
“Ah, I’m not doubting you, Corporal Kim! It’s just, well…”
Most of the weapons mounted on a Battle Tank required specialized training to operate.
“They’re not the kind of weapons Space Marines usually handle, after all.”
They were entirely different from standard Space Marine rifles, where you simply aimed and pulled the trigger.
“Don’t worry. I have experience.”
“Ah!”
Seo-jun hadn't boarded the Battle Tank with a reckless mindset of "I've never done this before, but hey, let's give it a shot and see what happens!"
They were facing an infected Psion. This was extremely dangerous business.
Powerful as Battle Tanks were, they usually struggled to display their full potential against Psions. If a Psion agreed to a fair duel, saying, "I won't dodge, so go ahead and take the first shot!", the tank would win every time. But naturally, few Psions were crazy enough to do that—and the few who were had already been wiped out by the Mogg long ago.
Normal Psions tasked with taking down a Battle Tank would leverage their superior speed and special abilities to litter the area with anti-tank mines or use similar tactics.
That was why Seo-jun hadn't planned on bringing out a Battle Tank against an infected Psion in the first place—until he heard it was wearing a Bulwark Suit. That single detail changed everything, making the plan viable.
Furthermore, Seo-jun had a certain level of confidence when it came to operating tank weaponry.
“That’s a relief! I’m glad you know how to fire the main weapons, Corporal Kim! But how did you learn?”
“I didn’t learn because I wanted to. When all the armor crewmen in your unit are dead on the battlefield, you’re out of ammo, and there’s a mountain of Mogg closing in behind you… anyone learns real fast.”
“Pardon?”
“Because if you don't learn, you die.”
It was confidence forged by learning with his life on the line.
‘And after barely surviving all that, I went and re-enlisted like a total lunatic.’
Regardless, Seo-jun hesitated no longer. There was no time. Even at this very moment, Major Lee Hye-na was battling the infected to buy time for Seo-jun and the other survivors. They needed to provide support as fast as possible.
“Move out.”
“Yes, sir!”
At his command, PFC Park Bo-seop drove the tank toward the battlefield. Meanwhile, Seo-jun took the gunner’s seat, which controlled the main armament—the tank's primary cannon.
Sitting down, he plugged a dedicated cable into the specialized Battle Tank helmet he was already wearing. Immediately, the view outside flashed across his vision.
“Clear.”
Just as Seo-jun said, the view was crystal clear. Looking at the feed, Seo-jun gripped the yoke-style controller, which resembled something out of an F1 racing car.
It was right then—
‘Wait.’
Across Seo-jun’s pristine view, something began to appear.
‘A red light?’
A single, vivid crimson line.
14.
“We’re coming in to support you! Just hold on a little longer!”
The moment Seo-jun—who had returned near the military truck—said those words over the comlink, Major Lee Hye-na didn't doubt him for a second. Thoughts like "Support? Are you crazy? We need to run right now!" didn't even cross her mind.
She had complete faith in him. Faith that Kim Seo-jun could produce the best possible outcome under any circumstances. If it weren't for Seo-jun, none of them would have survived long enough to make it this far anyway.
‘He tries harder to survive than anyone I’ve ever seen.’
Her absolute trust stemmed from Corporal Kim Seo-jun's sheer, unyielding obsession with survival.
‘Hold the line.’
So, Major Lee Hye-na focused on just two things:
‘Kill everything except that one big guy.’
Eliminate as many infected Space Marines as possible!
Fulfilling that objective wasn't overly difficult. To Major Lee Hye-na, infected Space Marines were no more dangerous than a Mogg-Dog at best.
Rat-tat, rat-tat-tat-tat!
Though they fired firearms, Major Lee Hye-na was currently equipped with an Agent Suit. Moreover, those firearms weren't quite as formidable or effective as one might think. They had one fatal flaw:
Click!
They ran out of ammunition fast.
Krooo!
Normal Space Marines kept their ammo count in mind while squeezing the trigger, but one key trait of the infected was extreme rage, which severely impaired their judgment. Their brains simply weren't functioning well enough to track their remaining rounds.
Krrrr! Krrrr!
Nor were they nimble enough to execute a flawless magazine reload.
CRUNCH!
Major Lee Hye-na didn't miss the opening, closing the distance instantly to split an infected Space Marine’s skull in two.
ROAAAAR!
And through all of this, the infected Psion bound in the Bulwark Suit was utterly incapable of keeping up with Major Lee Hye-na’s speed.
Thanks to that—
CRUNCH!
‘That’s the last of them.’
Major Lee Hye-na managed to wipe out every single infected enemy except the Psion before Seo-jun even arrived.
Now, the two Psions faced each other one-on-one.
Grrrrrr!
The infected Psion vented an ungodly amount of rage toward Major Lee Hye-na.
It didn't look good for the creature; by all appearances, the infected Psion was cornered.
Yet, ironically, the one who was truly cornered in this moment was Major Lee Hye-na.
‘How do I even deal with this thing?’
Within the bounds of common sense, she had no way to break through that monstrosity in front of her.
Right then—
SCREECHHHHH!
A bizarre, screeching sound suddenly echoed across the sky. The moment she heard it, Major Lee Hye-na’s eyes shifted.
“Fuck.”
A curse escaped her lips before she could stop it. She looked up at the sky and spotted it: a tiny dot in the distance.
SCREECHHHHH!
A single-eyed Cyclops was emitting shockwaves through the air. The meaning behind it was simple:
The Mogg Legion was swarming toward their position!
“Corporal Kim Seo-jun!” Major Lee Hye-na shouted urgently into her comms. “A Cyclops has appeared! We need to get out of here right now!”
A voice immediately came back through the speaker.
“Support is ready. We can eliminate the infected Psion now.”
“Corporal Kim!” Lee Hye-na yelled back. “There’s no time!”
It was a logical judgment. A standard level of firepower wouldn't even scratch a Psion’s Bulwark Suit. Most importantly, the infected Psion wasn't stupid—if a massive strike was incoming, it would obviously try to flee. Even if it was slow for a Psion, it was still faster than a standard Space Marine.
“Even if you brought a Battle Tank, it’s useless if you can’t hit—”
BOOOM!
A sound like cracking thunder echoed, followed by a massive explosion right in front of Major Lee Hye-na.
It was the sound of a Battle Tank’s main cannon shell scoring a direct hit on the Bulwark Suit.
‘A hit?!’
While Lee Hye-na stood stunned, the infected Psion reacted instantly.
GRAAAARRR!
Bellowing in fury, it broke into a run.
Remarkably, the infected Psion looked relatively unharmed. The tank shell had only shattered its outer plating; the inner frame remained sturdy, having absorbed the bulk of the impact.
‘Madness!’
She knew how formidable Bulwark Suits were, but watching it shrug off a direct hit from a tank shell turned Lee Hye-na’s face pale.
She quickly reported the situation over the radio:
“Corporal Kim! Direct hit! But the target is virtually intact! You’ll need at least four more direct hits to do meaningful damage!”
She laid out the cold truth.
“We have to retreat right now!”
It was the only logical course of action.
And to that conclusion, Seo-jun simply replied:
“Major Lee, please fall back.”
“Understood!”
Lee Hye-na naturally assumed it was an order for a full retreat and pulled back without looking back.
And then, she heard it.
BOOOM!
‘Huh?’
Another thunderous roar.
KABOOOOM!
Followed by a massive, earth-shaking impact.
‘What the—?’
BOOOM!
Before she could process her shock, another blast rang out. She froze, turned around, and saw it with her own eyes.
KABOOOOOM!
A third cannon shell slammed square into the running infected Psion—dead center, with terrifying precision.
Having taken three direct hits instead of just one, the Psion’s Bulwark Suit was no longer intact. Its inner workings were completely exposed. Under normal circumstances, the sheer blunt force shockwaves alone should have ruptured the pilot's internal organs, killing them instantly.
Krrrrrr!
But the infected Psion was no longer human. It pulled itself up and broke into a sprint, trying to escape.
And it was fast. With all the heavy outer armor destroyed, it had actually regained its mobility.
Lee Hye-na thought to herself in an instant: He won't be able to hit that.
Not unless someone stepped in to hold the creature down.
‘I have to move.’
Just as Major Lee Hye-na prepared to rush in and tackle the beast—
BOOOOM!
The cannon roared once more.
KABOOOOOOM!
The shell smashed directly into the fleeing Psion.
‘...What?’
Major Lee Hye-na stood completely frozen in shock. Through her earpiece, a calm voice broke the silence:
“Infected Psion eliminated.”