Beyond the Genius Wall
Getting recognition from Doctor Space was no easy feat.
Just earning his approval could turn someone into a massive celebrity.
But that didn't always mean it was a good thing.
"Getting recognized by Doctor Space means having your genius acknowledged."
Some even said the opposite.
"And for geniuses of that caliber, what they face is the towering wall that is Doctor Space himself."
Being acknowledged by Doctor Space was like coming face-to-face with a wall of despair and wailing, right up close.
Some might scoff and say, "What's the big deal?" But those involved felt differently.
It went something like this: Imagine you're a genius in your own right, pursuing your goals and dreams through research.
But then you see the results Doctor Space puts out, and in that instant, you realize your own work is no different from kids playing house in a sandbox.
You grasp that it's all futile.
At that point, geniuses had two choices: give up and find peace, or attempt something utterly insane to scale that wall.
Jennifer Cho chose the latter.
She strained every nerve to escape her grandfather's shadow.
"I'm going to surpass my grandfather."
Of course, it started as youthful bravado.
But as time passed, she realized her grandfather was an utterly incomprehensible existence.
Yet she didn't give up.
She thought to herself,
"The universe—the answers must be out there in the universe."
Instead, she believed that no matter how great Doctor Space was, even he couldn't know everything about the cosmos. So she ventured into space.
Traveling from star to star, she conducted all sorts of research.
America gladly supported her.
She was a genius, and the results she produced were astonishing even from America's perspective.
Of course, plenty warned her that space was dangerous.
That she'd end up dead one day.
But she scoffed at such cautions.
For two reasons.
One was that she was American.
No matter how much people called it the era of China and India in space, America was still America.
Their capabilities were beyond description.
But the biggest reason was the second one.
"Me? Die? No way."
She firmly believed she was chosen for greatness, destined for a life far from dying like a dog in the gutter.
But the world doesn't always go as planned.
And she faced that moment.
"...Fuck."
In the air raid shelter at America's headquarters on Amotia Planet, she was left alone.
And there was nothing in the shelter with her.
No food, no weapons like guns.
Oxygen levels are critically low.
Even the air was about to run out soon.
Facing a situation she'd never imagined in her life, one thing became crystal clear.
"I'm going to survive. Damn it, after everything I've been through! I can't die like this!"
Her will to live was incredibly strong.
"I'll do whatever it takes."
So in that extreme situation, she racked her brain as hard as she could and threw down her desperate gamble.
"China! Yeah, sell out China!"
She scattered China's secret research on Amotia Planet across the planet.
She exposed their secrets.
It was obvious, but it was suicidal.
Even if rescued, she'd now be under constant threat of assassination from China.
And she knew it.
America couldn't protect her perfectly.
There were plenty bought off or compromised by China even within the country.
Still, she said it because she was cornered.
If she was going to die anyway, doing anything was the right answer for her.
Of course, the moment she sent the rescue signal, Jennifer Cho squeezed her eyes shut and muttered,
"I've lost my mind."
Because she knew.
"Who the hell would believe this bullshit?"
"The possibility it's Jennifer Cho has increased."
The awakened Kim Seo-jun immediately held an emergency meeting for her rescue operation.
"If we can save her, we have to."
For now, Kim Seo-jun highly valued Jennifer Cho's worth.
"Saving her means America will come for her. Unlike us."
Honestly, in this situation, neither the Polish nor Korean governments were likely to send rescue ships for Kim Seo-jun's squad or Major Yan Zabwotski's group.
Sending a rescue ship for just a few people? It wasn't worth the cost.
And the situation was more serious than they thought.
"Especially if the gate can't be repaired."
According to Jennifer Cho, she was the only one who could fix the gate right now.
If that was true, things were dire.
Without a working gate, everyone around it was cut off from support.
Ammo, food—everything limited!
It meant a zero-sum game, where survival hinged on reducing the number of players.
But Jennifer Cho changed that.
Everyone would pull out all the stops to save her.
Anyway, her rescue had become a critical option for their survival.
One problem remained.
"Can we actually rescue Jennifer Cho?"
America's HQ had been attacked, its functions crippled.
How could the Polish base's forces handle what even America couldn't?
It was like throwing eggs at a rock.
"We need to assess the situation first."
Even if it was eggs against a rock, you had to gauge the rock's size first.
Of course, that wasn't easy.
The distance between the American and Polish HQs was three days even at full speed on hoverbikes.
And in reality, it'd take longer.
You had to dodge hidden Mogs, and hoverbikes needed time for battery recharges.
At least four days.
Time aside, it was insanely dangerous.
"We'll send a search party immediately."
But Major Yan Zabwotski gave the okay without hesitation.
Considering the debt they owed Kim Seo-jun's group, now wasn't the time to worry about lives.
And even without their request, if rescue was possible, they had to take the risk.
If Jennifer Cho died like this, Amotia could mean death for everyone, as she'd warned.
"It's fine."
But Kim Seo-jun refused Major Yan Zabwotski's generosity.
"Jennifer Cho said oxygen's almost gone. Sending a search party is pointless. Whether we go or not, we decide in one hour. And the situation won't be good. If it was, Hawk Eye would've handled it alone."
Everyone let out an "Ah!" of realization.
He was right.
If America's HQ was manageable, Hawk Eye or someone would've taken care of it.
Everyone's faces hardened at the grim reality.
Of course, Kim Seo-jun thought,
A mission Hawk Eye can't handle is better than one where she dies.
There were worse scenarios.
Anyway, everyone's concern boiled down to one thing.
"So how do you plan to rescue her?"
To that, Kim Seo-jun replied,
"That's what I'll figure out now."
Hearing that, everyone thought,
Tough deliberations ahead.
Kim Seo-jun would plunge into deep anguish.
They weren't entirely wrong.
He did start agonizing.
Just not the kind they imagined.
Which skill to make A-rank? Deciding today.
As the meeting ended, Kim Seo-jun said,
"I need some time to think. I'll step outside alone for a bit."
No one questioned it.
He has no choice but to agonize. All of Polish HQ's survivors are counting on Corporal Kim Seo-jun.
Pondering others' lives over your own was more painful than imaginable.
And he had to decide alone, in profound isolation.
So with bitter smiles, they let him have his way.
They left him outside the base by himself.
"Status Window."
Once out, the first thing Kim Seo-jun did was check his status.
The moment he saw the status window, a long sigh escaped Kim Seo-jun's lips.
"Hoo."
The sigh swirled inside his helmet.
It wasn't despair.
The situation isn't bad.
On the contrary, he saw it very positively.
He was in a position for massive spec-ups.
That's why he'd come outside—to confirm.
"Use the D-rank Talent Upgrade Ticket on Hawk Eye."
And he began testing immediately.
Hawk Eye rank has risen to D-rank.
In that instant, the world Kim Seo-jun saw changed.
Staring at a distant rock, his vision suddenly sharpened as if zooming in.
Impressive.
He let out a quiet admiration.
But it wasn't overwhelming.
What's left...
Now the real dilemma began.
Stealth or Teleport.
He had to decide which skill to upgrade to A-rank.
The choice was tough because their utilities were worlds apart.
And I don't know the rank-up benefits.
Another issue: he had no idea what Stealth or Teleport would gain from upgrading.
Stealth currently allowed 10 minutes every 6 hours.
"Teleport info window."
Teleport
Rank: F
Teleports to a visible location.
And Teleport's info was that brief—the full extent.
Kim Seo-jun didn't hesitate long.
"Teleport."
He used it right away, and his body vanished with a sharp zzzt!
Then flash! He reappeared where he'd been looking.
This...?
He turned back, saw his previous spot, and his expression turned to shock.
30 meters? On just F-rank?
You can teleport 0 more times within 1 hour.
A pretty long distance, but only once per hour.
That was a fatal limitation.
But Kim Seo-jun had no complaints.
No reason to.
Combine with Stealth, and insane things become possible.
30 meters wasn't short, and paired with Stealth, this skill was like gaining an extra life every hour.
Only to visible spots, though.
The downside of no line-of-sight travel didn't bother him much right now.
His decision crystallized.
"Use the D-rank Skill Upgrade Ticket on Stealth, and the A-rank on Teleport."
Kim Seo-jun chose Teleport for A-rank.
He figured,
Distance will likely increase.
That merit from rank-up: greater range.
That was why for A-rank.
F-rank already 30 meters—if range boosted, it'd skyrocket!
The status window responded to hopeful Kim Seo-jun.
Teleport rank has risen to A-rank.
You can teleport 31 more times within 59 minutes and 11 seconds.
Huh?
Not distance—uses increased.
His thoughts froze.
This was absurd.
32 uses per hour of 30-meter Teleport?
His chance of dying in most fights dropped to zero.
And that wasn't all.
Stealth rank has become D-rank.
D-rank Stealth: cooldown from 6 hours to 3, duration from 10 to 30 minutes.
Every calculation in Kim Seo-jun's head rewired.
Actually, no calculations needed anymore.
He headed straight back into Polish HQ.
And told the waiting group,
"I'm moving out to rescue Jennifer Cho."
Lieutenant Lee Hye-na reacted first.
"I'll prepare."
She'd expected it and was ready to be his shield.
"Lieutenant Lee Hye-na."
Kim Seo-jun said to her,
"This rescue op is just me and Private Park Bo-seop."
Her face stiffened.
"What nonsense is that?!"
"Uh, um, C-Corporal K-Kim! Th-that's too dangerous!"
No matter how amazing Kim Seo-jun was, Lieutenant Lee Hye-na's presence was crucial.
Especially her superhuman strength and performance—no substitute.
"Even you need to stay here to prepare for the worst."
Despite his reasonable words, she shot back,
"Corporal Kim Seo-jun, you dying would be the worst."
That moment.
Flash!
Kim Seo-jun vanished.
"Lieutenant Lee Hye-na."
He reappeared behind her and said,
"I won't be dying."
No more arguments.
Vroooom!
Ten minutes later, a military truck roared out from Polish HQ toward the east—America's base.
49 hours later, Kim Seo-jun and Private Park Bo-seop saw it.
"Over there, Corporal Kim. Looks like a hatchery here?"
What used to be America's HQ, now filled with Mog eggs.