Defying Orders, Stolen Thunder
Before entering the Chinese multi-gate, Kim Seo-jun spoke to Major Lee Hye-na and Private Park Bo-seop.
"If a request comes in, I need your support."
They both nodded at his words.
The moment Kim Seo-jun stepped into the multi-gate, signaling the start of the operation, Major Lee Hye-na watched from a distance. She opened a private one-on-one channel with Private Park Bo-seop.
"Private Park Bo-seop."
"Private Park Bo-seop!"
"I'm going in whether Sergeant Kim Seo-jun requests support or not."
Hearing that, Private Park Bo-seop replied without a moment's hesitation.
"Major, I'm thinking the same thing."
At that instant, the two of them were ready to charge into the Chinese multi-gate if Kim Seo-jun failed to escape within the limited time or if communications went dead.
There was no hesitation, no second thoughts.
To them, Kim Seo-jun was the man who had saved their lives—not once, but multiple times.
They were fully prepared to lay down their own lives for him.
"We have to save Sergeant Kim, no matter what."
At the same time, they believed that amid the chaos engulfing Amotia Planet right now, no one was more essential than Kim Seo-jun.
They knew it.
Something bigger than what met the eye was brewing on Amotia—a conspiracy far beyond the visible turmoil.
To counter that unpredictable chaos, they needed someone like Kim Seo-jun.
"That's why he came here."
"Exactly."
Of course, they mistakenly thought Kim Seo-jun was a psyker agent dispatched from Korea because of that very chaos.
Regardless, willingly risking their lives for such a man was the essence of being a soldier—and they were exemplary ones.
"It's a shame, though. Private Park Bo-seop hasn't even gotten his psyker certification yet."
Major Lee Hye-na lamented Park's situation, despite his psyker awakening, as he hadn't received any of the benefits. But Park just grinned and replied,
"If it weren't for Sergeant Kim Seo-jun, I'd already be Mogdog chow by now."
There was no hesitation or doubt on any front. And so, they began the countdown.
Ten minutes!
If there was no word from him even after his stealth window ended, they'd storm right in.
It wouldn't be difficult.
"I'll punch through and extract him. Private Park Bo-seop, you stand by and get Sergeant Kim Seo-jun out when he emerges."
"Yes, ma'am!"
All it took was the resolve to throw away their lives—and they had that in spades.
Time ticked down relentlessly.
No significant wireless comms came from Kim Seo-jun in the meantime.
It wasn't unusual.
He was moving stealthily, so he'd naturally keep his voice to a minimum.
But as the silence stretched on, the looks in Major Lee Hye-na's and Private Park Bo-seop's eyes hardened.
Then, with one minute left, a transmission came from Sergeant Kim Seo-jun.
The moment they heard it, the two exchanged glances.
They nodded at the follow-up transmission.
Private Park Bo-seop immediately boarded the waiting hover wyvern, with Major Lee Hye-na right behind him.
They started the countdown anew, and the instant it hit zero, Park fired up the engines.
Vroooom!
He gunned it straight toward the Chinese multi-gate.
"Over there!"
"Enemy!"
The Chinese Space Marines on guard outside reacted.
Chaos had already erupted inside from Kim Seo-jun's attack, and orders had gone out to stay on high alert for follow-up assaults or reinforcements. Their response was lightning-fast.
They pulled their triggers immediately.
It was solid tactics.
A standard hover bike would've been in serious trouble.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
But the hover wyvern was insanely fast. By the time the bullets flew, they were already past.
As they blew by, Major Lee Hye-na leaped off.
Thud!
She charged the turning Chinese Space Marine and swung her axe.
Crunch!
She smashed their skulls in one brutal stroke.
Having dispatched the four guards outside, Major Lee Hye-na strode toward the entrance.
She made no effort to hide.
This wasn't just a raid.
It was support to boost Kim Seo-jun's survival odds, even slightly. Her job was to draw as much enemy force as possible onto herself.
"Come on!"
She boldly announced her presence. That's when Private Park Bo-seop shouted from behind her on the wyvern.
"Major! Someone's coming!"
"How many?"
"Just one!"
The instant she heard it, Major Lee Hye-na was certain.
"A psyker."
She gripped her axe with both hands, no fear at the psyker's approach—only welcome.
The longer she pinned down the Chinese psyker, the more breathing room Kim Seo-jun would have.
"They're closing fast! Almost here!"
Park's update put her in a coiled-spring stance, ready to launch.
Then she saw it too.
Something charging in.
Major Lee Hye-na surged forward, closing the gap in a flash, axe raised high.
That was the moment.
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
They recognized each other. Major Lee Hye-na gasped,
"Sergeant Kim Seo-jun?"
The moment the words left her mouth, Sergeant Kim Seo-jun—helmeted—instinctively knew.
"You two, cut the private channel."
He'd clocked that Park Bo-seop and Lee Hye-na were on a private comm, excluding him.
And why.
'Told them not to come, but here they are.'
They'd planned to disobey orders.
He said nothing more unnecessary.
"We're pulling back now."
"Uh, got it."
Major Lee Hye-na replied, flustered, as she fell back with Kim Seo-jun.
Park Bo-seop's eyes widened in shock at their sudden appearance on the wyvern.
To the stunned private, Kim Seo-jun—now aboard—ordered,
"Drop me mid-run if you have to. Just floor it!"
"Yes, sir!"
Park slammed the throttle.
Vroooom!
Pursuit was inevitable.
Five hover bikes appeared, rapidly closing on the wyvern.
"Get 'em! Take 'em alive no matter what!"
The wyvern's specs meant they shouldn't catch up, but with three aboard, Park couldn't push full throttle.
No problem, though.
"This distance is perfect."
Kim Seo-jun bailed off at just the right gap.
He raised his Gauss rifle and squeezed off five rounds.
Then came the blasts.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The five pursuing hover bikes exploded mid-chase.
"We're good. Head back."
Operation over.
After downing the Chinese hover bikes, Kim Seo-jun's team moved out again.
They stopped after about three hours.
"No signals."
"Set up the air tent."
"Yes, sir!"
Private Park Bo-seop activated the air tent kit.
"I'll help."
"Thank you, ma'am!"
Major Lee Hye-na pitched in.
Kim Seo-jun just watched.
Not because he outranked them.
He lacked the strength—or the mental fortitude—for anything right now. And that was normal.
Steam pack side effects were kicking in.
Knowing that, the other two kept quiet.
"Sergeant Kim!"
Once the tent was up, Park Bo-seop helped him inside and stripped off his battle suit.
Kim Seo-jun collapsed like a corpse.
His taut nerves finally unraveled.
Sleep clawed at him.
That's why he forced it out.
"Before I pass out, listen up."
Summoning his last reserves, he clung to consciousness and spoke.
"One: The Chinese multi-gate has way more infrastructure than it looks from outside. And it's a research facility."
"A research lab?"
"Two: They're experimenting on a light-class Cyclops there."
"What?"
Major Lee Hye-na recoiled in shock.
Psyker agents' duties included sniffing out and neutralizing exactly that kind of thing.
She knew how insane it was.
Experimenting on Mogs violated interstellar law outright.
Even legit research happened under strict international oversight.
"Light-class?"
And this wasn't just any Mog—it was a special specimen, a light-class one.
Special entities were powerful and unpredictable.
Keeping one alive was criminal; secretly researching it?
Even for brazen China, exposure meant no light punishment.
That's why Kim Seo-jun had to report it.
Someone needed to pass it up the chain, even if he didn't make it.
It was that critical.
"Three: About the Wu Lei."
He started on the Wu Lei, and they leaned in.
Then he shut his eyes and went limp like the dead.
They weren't surprised.
Steam pack, max tension, deep in enemy territory—he'd held out this long, which was miraculous.
More importantly, they knew what he'd been about to say.
They let him crash hard. Six hours later, after deep sleep fueled by their consideration, he stirred.
"Sergeant Kim, you're awake?"
Park Bo-seop greeted him warmly. Kim Seo-jun shot back,
"How far did I get?"
"Sir?"
"What did I say last?"
"Uh, you were talking about the Wu Lei and then blacked out."
Kim Seo-jun nodded.
"Where's Major Lee Hye-na?"
"On watch outside. Hang on—Major Lee Hye-na! Sergeant Kim's up!"
She entered the tent promptly. Kim Seo-jun addressed her.
"I have something to say about the Wu Lei."
Park Bo-seop chuckled.
"You did great, Sergeant Kim. Don't sweat it. It's just a battle tank at best, right? One of those won't cause world-ending trouble."
"Yeah. Worst case, we scrap it."
They assumed he'd failed to destroy the Wu Lei.
Made sense.
Taking out a battle tank was brutal.
Especially in just ten minutes—infiltrate, scout objectives, destroy the tank?
Impossible.
"You're alive—that's what matters!"
Kim Seo-jun furrowed his brow.
"Huh?"
Park sensed something.
"W-Wait, did you... destroy the Wu Lei?"
"Couldn't."
Park puzzled over the face he made—failure should've looked different.
Kim Seo-jun clarified.
"Stole it instead."
"Pardon?"
"Blew the mission. Took it instead."
Park Bo-seop and Major Lee Hye-na were speechless, faces blank.
To the stunned pair, Kim Seo-jun said,
"Position trackers are a risk. Can't show it here. Polish Base, then. Move out now."
They headed straight for Polish Base.
"Glad you made it back safe!"
Commander Yan Zabwotski greeted them warmly on arrival.
"Anything you need, just say the word!"
"Need a warehouse that blocks position tracking."
"Position tracking?"
Yan provided it immediately—a RF-shielded warehouse impervious to tracking.
No questions asked.
'They nabbed something high-security.'
Given their skills, even snagging a Chinese supply ship wouldn't surprise him.
That was as big as he imagined—only because he knew Kim Seo-jun's capabilities.
In front of Commander Yan Zabwotski and the others, Kim Seo-jun murmured softly,
"Inventory."
He pulled it out for all to see.
Rumble rumble rumble!
"Wha—? Wait! Is that... the Wu Lei?"
China's greatest blunder, the battle tank Wu Lei.