Assault on the Chinese Headquarters
Mogs came in all sorts of varieties, with new species still being discovered even now.
And among them were some real headaches.
The most notorious was the Behemoth. The moment one appeared, it warped the planet's very structure and terrain—a walking disaster.
There were others that, while not quite on the Behemoth's level, could still corner humanity into a desperate fight.
"You mean that Ghost Bat?"
The Ghost Bat was one such monster.
For starters, it could fly like a bat, and its flight capabilities were top-notch.
That flight ability was a massive pain because it made fighter jets nearly useless.
The more advanced the fighter, the more it relied on radar and other systems—but planetary environments often made those unreliable.
Amotia Planet was no exception. Even basic radio comms were spotty at times, so flying fighters here was way too risky. They usually called in orbiting space battleships only when absolutely necessary.
The problem? Amotia wasn't getting proper battleship support right now.
And it wasn't just that.
"The one that spits out those Corrosive Worms?"
The Ghost Bat regurgitated Corrosive Worms bred inside its body, and those worms wreaked havoc on most metals humanity used.
They hit like a high-pressure water jet—devastating.
They were just as effective against human flesh, too.
Behemoth scales were the only thing even somewhat resistant, which was why Agent Suits were made from Behemoth-scale alloys.
"And it has stealth capabilities?"
But the real nightmare was its stealth ability.
You could barely spot it in broad daylight, and at night? Forget it—impossible with the naked eye.
Even thermal cameras couldn't pick it up.
No one knew why, but in an era with Prophet's Relics and Psykers, asking "why" was pointless.
So Space Marines dubbed it the "Battle Tank Killer" and, per space law, mandated immediate warnings to every nation on the planet the second one was sighted.
"Those things are rare, right?"
"Yeah."
Ghost Bats weren't something you saw every day.
"I've only encountered five in my life."
Even Kim Seo-jun, who'd been through hell and seen two Behemoths, had only spotted Ghost Bats five times on the battlefield.
"Wait, Sergeant Kim—you've seen them five times?"
"···Sergeant Kim, what kind of military career have you even had?"
"My God, five times?!"
The three in the room were stunned, naturally.
Kim Seo-jun responded to their shock.
"Let me lay it out. A Ghost Bat's appeared, and since the Japanese HQ spotted it, it's starting its attacks on humanity. Without battleship support, leaving it alone will devastate Amotia's survivors."
Everyone's faces hardened.
They knew what was coming next.
"So we take it out—fast."
The words they'd dreaded hit, and their expressions darkened further.
Obviously, fighting a Ghost Bat would be more brutal and dangerous than anything Kim Seo-jun's squad had faced before.
"Sergeant Kim, that sounds too risky."
Even with Kim Seo-jun's track record, no one was sure he could handle a Ghost Bat.
"It flies, right? Hitting a flying target is on another level."
A Ghost Bat was basically a fighter jet. Nailing it with rifles or cannons was like threading a needle with a bullet.
"I know. Going after it now is suicide. That's why we're not."
"Sir?"
Kim Seo-jun addressed the confused group.
"Then what are we doing?"
"We're hitting the Chinese HQ."
2.
Lieutenant Lin Zi-ai returned to her secret base after visiting the Chinese HQ, only to face an absurd report.
"Bibil HQ attacked, Uro stolen, and a Fly-class Cyclops dead?"
She didn't snap, Are you kidding me right now?
She met the reporter's eyes and knew it was true.
Scolding or kicking her subordinate wouldn't fix this. And it was deadly serious.
This was the Chinese Communist Party's prized operation on Amotia—a grand plan to etch new history in the space age, not some one-off.
A fatal snag now? Unacceptable.
Lin Zi-ai didn't dwell or wonder why. Her job was results, process be damned. First step: relocate HQ.
"Move everything here to the Chinese HQ."
Staying in a compromised secret base was idiotic.
"Colonel Wang Lei."
"Lieutenant Lin Zi-ai, what's going on? I heard you're transferring everything here!"
Wang Lei welcomed her return—unlike last time.
He had no choice.
Something's gone wrong!
Her return meant a major setback in her plans!
Chance to turn it around.
It also meant she'd have to bow to him and beg.
Time to make her pay for underestimating me.
Wang Lei had no intention of letting it slide easily. He'd "help," saddle her with a massive debt, then exploit it. Turn her into his puppet.
"Colonel Wang Lei, I need a favor."
"Anything! Name it!"
"I can't go into details, but there's a problem. I need the Chinese HQ on Amotia's full support—now."
"Of course! Whatever I can do!"
Heh heh heh!
Wang Lei's mind bloomed with a rosy future brighter than ever. Blackmailing a Space Peace Committee powerhouse? Promotion city!
He replied with unbridled glee.
"So, what do you need me to do?"
"It's not easy."
"For the people, I'd gladly give my life!"
Lin Zi-ai smiled wider than ever.
"I'll never forget that loyalty to the People's Republic of China."
"Huh?"
The moment Wang Lei sensed something off—
Bang!
A gunshot, and he crumpled backward.
With Wang Lei dispatched in one shot, Lin Zi-ai summoned the Chinese HQ's officers.
"Colonel Wang Lei has taken his own life. As of now, I assume full authority here."
They didn't buy it. Wang Lei was the last guy to commit suicide on Amotia.
They knew what happened.
Heads bowed.
"Yes, ma'am!"
No one truly respected or followed Wang Lei anyway. And Lin Zi-ai outranked him by miles—no one dared resist.
Just like that, she seized the Chinese HQ. Then another commotion: someone calling herself Jennifer Cho exposed China's secret experiments.
Most dismissed it. Bases across Amotia figured some panicked US survivor in a bunker had finally lost it—a dead man raving.
But Lin Zi-ai thought differently.
"From now on, we have one goal."
She gathered all officers and declared.
"Eliminate everyone on Amotia Planet. Leave no survivors."
The officers recoiled in horror.
This wasn't a declaration of war—it was genocide, like the Nazis at Auschwitz in WWII.
The backlash would be catastrophic.
"L-Lieutenant, th-that's not feasible."
And insanely difficult.
"Sh-shouldn't we leave forces to defend the HQ?"
Amotia had no space support and still had a Queen Mog. Pulling troops to attack others was suicidal.
Lin Zi-ai replied.
"Don't worry about the HQ. The Mogs won't attack here."
The officer gaped.
How? Possible?
But another doubt lingered. China's enemies weren't just Mogs.
"Wh-what if another nation attacks our HQ?"
Lin Zi-ai smirked coldly.
"In this mess, you think any sane person—or crazy one—is left alive to try?"
3.
"You're saying we hit the Chinese HQ?"
Everyone recoiled at Kim Seo-jun's words.
Who'd expect this twist?
Kim Seo-jun, though, had locked onto one idea the moment he heard about the Ghost Bat: strike the Chinese.
Simple reason.
"China controls Mogs. The Ghost Bat might already be under their thumb."
No one could argue that logic.
"Sergeant Kim, it's too dangerous."
Problem was, the Chinese HQ was Amotia's strongest force.
"They've got way more troops here than we see."
The visible tip was just the iceberg.
Attacking that? Suicide.
Kim Seo-jun knew it. Even powered up, facing their full might was insane—especially with elite Psykers likely guarding it.
"Right. And they can control Mogs too."
Decisively, their forces punched above their weight.
"That's why their security will be laxer than you think."
"What?"
Kim Seo-jun saw the gap.
"Think about it. China can sic Mogs on any target they want to wipe out. Means they're free from Mog threats."
Heads tilted, then realization dawned—same expressions all around.
"Yeah. No need for them to station anti-Mog troops at HQ."
High chance the Chinese HQ was vulnerable, just like he said.
Plus, Kim Seo-jun added.
"If it looks bad, we bail."
He wasn't charging in for a last stand.
"Or just rattle them enough to crimp their ops."
Terror's power: minimal damage, maximum fear.
No more objections.
Just one thought: How do we hit them hardest?
I've gotta back Sergeant Kim, somehow.
Whatever the mission, I won't let him die first.
Private Park Bo-seop and Major Lee Hye-na racked their brains to support him.
No easy answers.
"Um."
Jennifer Cho spoke up first.
"Can I give my take?"
"Go ahead, Ms. Cho."
"Actually, call me Jo Yi-hyun. That's what I'm used to. Oh, not the point."
She shook her head, refocused.
"What I'm saying is... want me to tune up your machines?"
Confused looks. She clarified.
"Give me time on your rides, and I can make 'em way better. That's my specialty."
"How much better?"
"Depends on the machine, but for the Uro? Leave it to me—I can boost output by 30%. Durability dips, but repairs are easy."
"What?"
Private Park Bo-seop gawked, yelling.
"Th-thirty percent output boost?!"
A racer dreamer, he knew how absurd that was. Even laymen got it. Kim Seo-jun asked.
"Yi-hyun, can you tune a Battle Tank too?"
"Varies by model, but yeah. Time and budget permitting. Black Panther? Easy—I've worked on tons."
Kim Seo-jun replied confidently.
"Not a Black Panther."
"Huh? What then?"
"Uro."
"···What?"
Jo Yi-hyun freaked. Ten minutes later, she saw it.
"Holy shit, a real Uro!"
Kim Seo-jun asked the stunned woman.
"It has a railgun. If you mod it, what can you do?"
"Pick one."
She held up two fingers.
"Longer range... or faster reload?"