Thunder in the Inventory
Kim Seo-jun froze the instant the A-rank Skill Upgrade Ticket emerged from the Platinum Ticket.
This can't be real.
It was more than enough to make him reel. But that was just the start. Seo-jun didn't waste a second agonizing over what to upgrade with this ticket.
There was no need to deliberate.
It's the Inventory.
According to his calculations, a B-rank Inventory measured 8 meters in width, length, and height. An A-rank one would double that to 16 meters.
With an A-rank Inventory, the Uro fits right in.
A space that size had more than enough room for the Uro parked right here. And if he could secure it, all the terror that tank had inspired would now haunt the Chinese headquarters instead.
Of course, Seo-jun didn't slap the upgrade ticket onto his Inventory just yet. To take the Uro, he first needed to assess one crucial factor.
With his current strength, lifting it into the Inventory was impossible.
If it moves, into the Inventory it goes.
So he needed to make it mobile. With that, Seo-jun bolted straight for the Uro and threw open its hatch.
In that moment, he mapped out Plans A and B in his head.
If it moves, Inventory. If not, Stealth.
Luckily, the hatch swung right open. And the second he stepped inside, he saw it.
It's powered up.
The key was in the ignition, and the engine was already humming. He dropped into the pilot's seat, gripped the controls, and the Uro lurched forward at his command.
No more hesitation.
"Use Skill Upgrade Ticket on Inventory."
The Inventory skill rank has risen to A-rank!
"Inventory."
Seo-jun summoned his Inventory right then and there—still riding in the Uro. And what materialized was a cavernous 16-by-16-by-16-meter void.
Ah.
The sight hit him like a wall. He'd expected the specs, sure. But the sheer presence of that massive space was overwhelming. This wasn't some box anymore. It was a warehouse that could swallow several cars whole—and at 16 meters tall, the height was the real killer.
The Inventory outscales this place now.
It was so enormous that it barely fit in the chamber without clipping the walls.
Next up is 32 meters? And after that... hell, I could park a starship in there someday.
The thought of it scaling even further left him dizzy. But right now, only one thing mattered.
Stowing the Uro won't be an issue.
This was a gift from the heavens, and Seo-jun was the type who never let opportunities slip.
Rumble rumble rumble!
He gunned the Uro forward. No sweat. He wasn't Park Bo-seop-level masterful with tanks, but he knew his way around a battle tank cockpit. Plus, he'd driven Chinese models before.
What he was doing wasn't rocket science—just a straight shot forward and park.
Rumble rumble... clunk!
With the Uro safely parked inside, Seo-jun hopped out and called up his Inventory again.
"Inventory."
The space vanished, Uro and all. That's when he checked the clock.
Overestimated the time.
Stealth was about to wear off. He sprinted for the exit at full tilt.
A few hours later, he made it out.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Th-that's a Uro? Is this really a Uro?"
Major Yan Zabwotski recoiled at the sight. For active-duty spacers, the Uro was the stuff of legends—distant and mythical.
"H-how did something like this end up here? It hasn't even entered full production yet!"
Not mass-produced, even in China. Only a handful existed, making it rarer on the battlefield than a unicorn sighting.
That's why his expression shifted.
"Hold on."
Major Yan Zabwotski pieced it together—the reason such cutting-edge strategic hardware was on Amotia.
"No way?"
"Spot on. China brought it to mop up the other bases on Amotia."
Seo-jun laid it out for him.
"Check the barrel—you'll see it's a railgun. Maximized range. This isn't tweaked for Mogs. Anyone can tell it's built to siege bases."
He recapped everything he'd seen inside. When Yan heard about the lightweight Cyclops research, it clicked.
"They're running some national-level project here, no doubt."
The scale of it all was on another level. Chaos swirled in Yan's mind, terror etching his face.
"Deploying a Uro means China's prep isn't half-assed... my God."
Obviously, China wasn't stupid enough to stake everything on one tank tossed onto Amotia. There had to be other overwhelming forces hidden across the planet—firepower dwarfing anything public.
And in the space age, shuttling that kind of hardware was a breeze. "Mogs are blocking resource ops—we're sending troops and gear to thin 'em out." No one would argue.
The era even encouraged heavy investment against Mogs. Fewer bugs meant cheaper mining for everyone.
"Major Yan."
Seo-jun snapped the dazed major back to reality.
"The Uro's in our hands now. That railgun won't be turning on us."
Yan’s eyes sharpened. He nodded.
"Our best move is modding it for our use ASAP. Two requests: strip the tracking systems. And if you can snag a manual—Chinese battle tank specs would do."
Yan nodded again.
"I'll scour the base database. Getting on it now."
He dove into work immediately. Ten minutes later, he lit up.
"Jackpot—manual for Chinese battle tanks!"
"How'd we get it?"
"Two years back, China lobbied hard to sell us tanks. Near-import level, so they sent prototypes and manuals. Fell through when four ministers—those corrupt bastards—got caught taking bribes. But the files stuck around in the DB. Lucky break."
The manual went straight to Private Park Bo-seop. He climbed aboard and ran tests.
"How's it handle?"
After a few maneuvers, Bo-seop replied.
"Uh, honestly? I'm floored."
"Floored how?"
Seo-jun braced for operational headaches, but Bo-seop's face was pure bewilderment.
"I just... can't believe the Chinese made this. It's too damn good. I figured all their wheeled stuff was garbage. Flashy exteriors hiding junk insides. No exceptions. Controls suck, everything sucks... but not the Uro."
"Good floored?"
"Yeah, insanely well-built. Simple interface, killer handling. I'm no expert, but this ain't Chinese. They can make brute-force weapons, sure. But finesse like this? No way."
Seo-jun's face hardened. If some third party was involved in Uro and Chinese R&D, it meant their gear was about to get terrifyingly potent.
And history showed China flexing never ended well for humanity.
"Good to hear."
Separate from that, a usable Uro was great news. One thing left.
"But Sergeant Kim, the railgun's the main gun. Ever fired one?"
Adapting to a new weapons system. Tricky.
"Nope."
He'd handled every weapon under the sun in active duty—even copiloted fighters and fired their guns. But railguns? Never. They weren't for grunts charging the front. Starships only. And the mechanics differed wildly from cannons or Gauss guns.
Like asking a race car driver to pilot a forklift on a whim.
Seo-jun had one hope.
Here's praying that ability works on railguns too.
And soon enough, he got his answer. Six days after returning to Polish HQ, Major Yan reported.
"Trackers fully removed. Repainted too. Ready for field tests."
Bo-seop and Seo-jun jumped in without a word.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Driving was flawless.
"Whoa, compared to our Black Panther, this is a sports car! Drifting's gotta be possible!"
Bo-seop adapted freakishly fast. And the Uro's performance blew away the last tank he'd driven. Light as hell, yet insanely powerful. Fast. And whisper-quiet despite it all.
"Holy crap, what battle tank outmaneuvers a troop truck?!"
As Bo-seop marveled and adapted, Seo-jun prepped the railgun controller for a shot.
And he saw it.
"How's it looking, Sergeant Kim? You good?"
"No issues."
"Huh?"
"Zero problems."
A red glow at the railgun's muzzle. The sight left him awestruck.
How far does this thing reach?
The beam stretched to some unfathomable horizon. The Uro's railgun range was insane. Rather than joy, a chill ran down his spine.
What if China rolled up with Uro leading a tank swarm on Polish HQ? Could they have countered?
China's gearing up for something massive.
One nagging question resurfaced—one he'd ignored.
Why Cyclops?
What did China want from lightweight Cyclops research? He had a hunch. Cyclops' role in the Mog hierarchy was singular: command assaults and retreats.
Gulp.
That realization iced his blood.
A lightweight Cyclops could probably control damn near any other.
The answer stared him in the face.
China might be trying to control Mogs.
Weaponizing them. And this wasn't their first rodeo.
The Queen too.
China denied it, but everyone assumed they'd dissected the Queen's minion-control powers during research. For Seo-jun, desperate to reach Earth safely, it was the worst-case scenario.
But he didn't whine.
I'll make it back alive, no matter what.
Complaining changed nothing—he'd learned that the hard way in active duty. And he knew exactly what survival demanded.
Build an anti-China coalition.
That's when it hit.
- Sergeant Kim Seo-jun! Sergeant Kim!
Major Lee Hye-na's voice crackled over the comms from HQ.
- Emergency request just came in.
"What kind?"
- From the US base.
Seo-jun blinked in disbelief.
"You said US base?"
- Affirmative.
America—China's rival for Amotia's top dog spot—calling for help? Not normal.
"Situation?"
- Rescue op.
His expression shifted at "rescue."
"US base is gone?"
- Confirmed.
Deep down, he knew: no point responding. No merit. What could they do against the Mog horde that crushed the US?
Major Lee pressed on.
- We should take this one.
"Why?"
- Requester's Jennifer Cho.
That name clicked everything into place.
"Doctor Space's granddaughter?"