Chapter 2: I Got a Status Window on My First Day as an NCO (2)
qowIn the year 2070, space was still a fairly distant world for humanity.BETY
Be9kMThe person who brought that distant world practically within arm’s reach was none other than Doctor Space, Dr. Jo Woojeong.j9BAO7
p8bNobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and even the Nobel Peace Prize.zUw9
b97That genius had won a total of fourteen Nobel Prizes, and after discovering portal technology that practically rendered the concept of distance irrelevant, humanity finally entered the space age.QKPC
8nGqh“Space is infinite!”pqeS2D
2a8eAnd the universe humanity encountered was overflowing with resources far more abundant than it had ever imagined.naSY
yvoGThere was only one drawback.S2bHB
r9X231U“The Mog, those fucking monster bastards, are infinite too!”c2BFd
pnywlThere were countless terrifying creatures called Mog.QHt
UcsrAvIA fucking enormous number of them.fcq8
z3XFor that reason, the exploitation of space resources inevitably had to be accompanied by battles against the Mog.woNqIb
3l2HUwBecause of this, every planet was assigned a danger level.IqqQ9
4euBxzFrom Red level, the lowest, to Purple level, the highest.UCVfP
j1kIn the case of Red-level planets, even soldiers who had just become Space Marines could be sent there.s0d
N2ktYak“If you send ten rookie Space Marines to a Red-level planet, about nine survive.”JGIhhh
QYIsZxRed-level planets were not extremely difficult places.xxK
EGcv9J“Then what about Orange-level ones? Do about seven out of ten survive?”nDXUjlm
n6kKc“Huh? What the fuck are you talking about? Why would you send rookies to an Orange-level planet? What kind of lunatic would send rookies there?”JR4I70i
bKyDJIS“Sir?”qeA8MaV
jbHZ“Don’t fucking ‘sir’ me! If you send ten rookies to an Orange-level planet, all ten come back dead!”jEtWL
sM7However, starting from Orange level, survival began to become a serious problem.8JCh
4lIflnPut another way, if you wanted to make a good amount of money, you had to be sent to an Orange-level planet.MUo8
zG8XjEBecause the bonuses there were considerable.67cR9g
VHLEThat was the case with planet Amotia.tbEkv
hoNIGGLocated 3.14 light-years from Earth, it was currently an Orange-level planet and, at the same time, a planet in the midst of colonization.g9jf
fv7xrXLThe fact that it was still being colonized meant that there were still many Mog left to eliminate.59JVq
XusOXAt the same time, numerous countries were carrying out colonization operations to secure resource-rich territories.CPnxmdJ
wp2tkJPIn other words, while you were already on the verge of death fighting the Mog, you could suddenly lose contact with an outpost and, when you went to check what had happened, find soldiers from an enemy nation waving at you from there.REdCF8
gIDn5RoSituations like that occurred frequently.An8
wvwFurthermore, now that humanity had entered the space age, securing resource-rich territories was of vital importance.7uI6Dfc
Edhow97It was the age of space competition.Ab2NlHo
rirAnd in that era, the moment a nation became incapable of securing resources was practically equivalent to falling behind.e8S7
Eqt1Korea was no exception.vXzU
UbDpHVxKorea diligently dispatched Space Marines throughout the universe while engaging in resource exploitation.CcXz
ywvKAnd in the space age, ‘working diligently’ meant that a proportional number of people died in the process.U9Xu
aFoKThe Korean division established on planet Amotia was no exception.zBQf
kDkPzrFour years, six months, and eleven days had passed since they began exploiting its resources, and every time it seemed like they could finally catch their breath, bad news arrived.4yYvQGE
5YhGThis time was no different.dC11BY
LSnUg“We’ve received a communication from Base E1323!”Ngm4
tvVJThe moment he heard the report, the gaze of Major Lee Sunhyeok, commander of the Korean division on Amotia, turned cold.qaLXEJ
Y5Yr1B“What does it say?”eWpxzxy
13wX3YAlthough he asked the question, Major Lee Sunhyeok already knew what kind of answer he would receive.RxvtuQq
KUgsBad news.7zXZ
VVy“333 Mogdogs have appeared!”2M8t
07xjJust as he expected, the report brought bad news.ZCfB6o
HNGBase E1323 was a kind of observation post located on the front line, whose function was to detect approaching Mog monsters.J7J
HlNoOnly a single squad had been deployed there.ml2
zSmYIn other words, just ten Space Marines.Oyn1s
xOjOThey had no chance of winning.FxePZK
O3qvAt most, they could hold out for a while.4lna7Yx
SeF9LThat was why the next question inevitably came.rBt
zkp“They’ve requested reinforcements!”2pww8
BCbd“When did they make the request?”zcW6
pw7idr9“Three minutes and forty-four seconds ago. Amotia’s sandstorms cause a lot of communication interference, so there’s a considerable delay.”Iw4
r49RAt those words, Major Lee Sunhyeok did not respond.T0WwPuD
xUPVB3It wasn’t because he was hesitating.e3yt
2GpOCThe answer was obvious.DSJ
54f3NA single squad of eleven Space Marines had no chance of holding out against 333 Mogdogs.iuE
Z37wEIqSending reinforcements in an attempt to save them would only waste time, squander resources, and cause even greater losses.Kfu
TkkwHY6He didn’t even need to make any calculations.qOTe
hpyrFxMajor Lee Sunhyeok had been through that exact same situation hundreds of times and knew it better than anyone.BfH
1jPBut even so, giving that obvious answer was still difficult.vqYKN
kcq3“……We won’t send reinforcements.”hmxi
S3OHe finally managed to give the order.nzfQp6z
mDdHis subordinates’ expressions hardened when they heard it.3H3wI
hCSThey all felt the same way.Ie5gIxl
SS1V7And there was only one thing Major Lee Sunhyeok could say to them.GuFD
uiWUp“It’s impossible to save them unless we have a Psyker Agent.”qCc
rwBlbY6It was nothing more than a justification to remind them that they had no other choice.m2X
HRVdR“Who’s in command over there?”YKY
lDTJo“Sergeant Kim Seojun.”TgEh
qgeXyC“The sergeant who was just assigned here?”bTDuG
mFr“Yes, sir.”xKrQG9H
8zrT4oRealizing that the place had simultaneously become a newcomer’s debut and grave, Major Lee Sunhyeok let out a sigh.czDXW
tfm“What terrible luck.”G6pl
FcEyBang!tOPRJ
G5v43With that final shot, the battlefield, relentlessly battered by sandstorms, fell silent.dqKZ0
1WgNo one said a word.mbMj
vNY6JMeHuff, huff, huff……QTUSx
jcVx2DKThe only sounds that could be heard were the soldiers’ ragged breaths inside their suits.m1X
3oQVRgThere was only one exception.GxR
sEgSergeant Kim Seojun.9Ny8nM
CPzzPBA voice that none of the others could hear echoed in his ears.sAFR
B8cwXtV[Combat has ended. Beginning calculation of results.]z0BTOc
JqDH[You have eliminated 245 Mogdogs. You have obtained 245 points.]Nnl
ynBpBWw[You have eliminated 193 Mogdogs with a single shot. You have obtained 386 points as a One Shot, One Kill bonus.]u7wy
mrZJ[You have achieved more than 300 kills in this combat. You will be awarded 300 points as a kill streak bonus.]hMF
7KCuO[Congratulations on your victory in your first combat. You have received a Silver Ticket as a reward.]4acm
CJCwsOne notification after another echoed in his ears.8bE1t
DLU‘Ah.’6ipQn
WUHtuiThose notifications brought Kim Seojun back to his senses.XrJVq7
zMcT2E‘This is insane.’SJNns
l2PAnd the moment his mind became clear again, all the information and confusion he had deliberately ignored during the battle began flooding into his head.bo5zG
XJLqkc‘Something has definitely happened to me. Whether I’ve gained an ability or a mental illness.’1Z9zEwJ
SWBLIt was then.DLcWbM
z2ey“T-That’s incredible!”W5jX2
o1BOne of his subordinates, Corporal Lee Jihoon, shouted as he stared at Kim Seojun in utter astonishment.9l936
08R8K0“H-How the hell did you do that, sir?”Zw6hk
cePCdAt those words, the other members of the unit also began showing expressions of amazement.4fqzr4
tQESrIt was a completely natural reaction.M6L
cXWbThe moment 333 Mogdogs charged at them, practically every member of the unit had lost their minds.Y0AfP05
1k1QX5The only thing that had kept them from fleeing the battle was that the effects of the Stimpak had numbed their fear.jwOGy
uQ2LXThanks to that, all that happened was that they pissed themselves in their diapers.G22CpRq
ZRuuTPIn any case, it had been an absurd situation from any point of view.nWFp1
M3WC0And in the midst of that desperate situation, Sergeant Kim Seojun had demonstrated equally absurd marksmanship while eliminating the Mogdogs.44HFac
A4NzRXd“A-Are you perhaps a Psyker?”JcQV
DpinkTo the point that they began wondering whether Sergeant Kim Seojun was a Psyker, a superhuman who transcended the limits of an ordinary person.mBlS
q3ulHtAnd that question was perfectly reasonable.o1K0N
HvYThat was why.4FX
8NdrGn“Corporal Lee Jihoon.”DQPVB5
kFwOk3S“Yes?”bJAd5cr
aP0nC1“Yes?”j3rr
Ph5l“Ah! C-Corporal Lee Jihoon!”XQ3u5dr
7GZKim Seojun said to Corporal Lee Jihoon, who had just responded.h59QpGV
QCU“Seeing how everyone’s surprised enough to start stuttering, it looks like you’ve all come back to your senses.”mcM
lsTgVLG“Sir?”y9feSVG
LEM“I’m saying the drug has worn off.”vIdaRj
h2TfPJust as he had said, the fact that they were able to react so normally meant that the effects of the Stimpak had worn off.rMh7rC
Ye6jAnd that meant the side effects were about to hit them.f9p
tTtQu2Unbearable exhaustion.4P8
YbeAnd, depending on the individual, side effects so severe that they might not even be able to move their hands or feet.Ixs
xofjbuF“Everyone, gather your things.”ovM
lSUAZ1mThat was why Kim Seojun ordered a retreat without hesitating for even an instant.R4u2e11
9X1“Our things, sir?”Q6l
gjyp“Yes. We’re retreating to the main base.”ugX
d7vvRCorporal Lee Jihoon turned pale when he heard that.rxe3
hMFaEV7“B-But we still haven’t received any orders to retreat, sir.”fvYg
5GtNaturally, retreating on their own without receiving an order from their superiors was considered desertion in the military.OXyjo0z
2nIAnd it was an extremely serious offense.i8q
5WIkYKim Seojun knew that too.TlB109t
2xmHe had far more experience and knowledge than the relatively seasoned Space Marines there.BoMX
epqtD4He knew perfectly well that retreating before receiving an order from above was illegal.zME
pVwX“Triple.”CYdBpz
q4bx“Sir?”XPd
mcZvaXr“First there were a hundred. Then there were three hundred. When the Mog triple their numbers like that, it means they’re determined to destroy a position. We just stopped three hundred. So how many do you think will come next?”mlVG
GmBwS0bAnd there was a possibility that nearly a thousand Mogdogs would arrive soon.Sgn
N4CypFIn fact, they could consider themselves lucky if only a thousand Mogdogs showed up.mE15
oqHe“If Thorn Snakes show up too, then we’re finished.”VQNX8Tx
VgThiIf Thorn Snakes appeared among those Mogdogs, those damned monsters capable of endlessly firing thorns like terrifying arrows, then not even Kim Seojun would have any way to deal with the situation.l30psP2
TkomOMj“But we still haven’t received an order to retreat, sir.”jJCS30E
LHvJnWBOf course, as soldiers, their military instincts resisted the idea of retreating without receiving an order.c7wQlP
meF6ieJ“We can receive the retreat order while we’re retreating. Besides, because of the communication interference, we still haven’t even received a response to our request for reinforcements. If we ask for authorization to retreat, it’ll take more than five minutes to get a response. In a situation where every minute and every second counts, we need to move while we can still hold a steering wheel.”lah
Z9rOJ4D“And what do we do if we retreat and they deny authorization afterward?”QOVCE5o
JC1euKim Seojun calmly answered the question.1zrG
nwwPXe“Then we’ll go to a court-martial for disobeying orders.”uVdw
ybObJ“Sir?”T8uZepm
m4O“There are mitigating circumstances, so we’ll probably get about six months in prison.”OjQaf5
hbKMQ6DAt those words, spoken with absolute calm, both Corporal Lee Jihoon, who had asked the question, and the others were dumbfounded.bPAkRnm
En2vVxiWho would have imagined that he would talk about violating military law and ending up in prison with the same calmness as someone talking about going to the neighborhood supermarket?alrpj
4dnpxuOf course, Kim Seojun hadn’t been like that from the beginning either.GO0W
RVEBut after experiencing all kinds of hell during his previous active service, he had learned something.Cq2RC
8cF“We’ll spend six months in a safe space prison, eating three meals a day, showering with cold water, and reading books. All for free.”iJWR
6eQyuFIn that hell, prison was an extremely comfortable place.l6XHF
k4q“So choose. You can stay here and have a date with a thousand Mogdogs, or come with me and spend six months playing word-chain games in prison.”gV9nnTh
hmPX2When Sergeant Kim Seojun said that, his subordinates’ heads were still a mess.69pU
1zI6Had their superior really just told them to ignore military law?7Ubpjt
St8But there was one thing they were completely certain of.cClW
ePPt7‘……If we want to survive, we have to listen to the Sergeant.’crWo
JIQsThe man named Kim Seojun standing before them was a veteran none of them could compare to.y27Ni0w
iLjEIWOnce they understood that reality, their gazes changed.BhN
Bexd6OSeeing that, Sergeant Kim Seojun said.UjPr5
Qwj“Then we’re retreating. Everyone, get in the vehicle.”MbgPn
4u8pNo one hesitated.7S8uz
qG67JThey immediately headed toward the vehicle and climbed into the military truck with their heavy suits still on.7pOjq
u9nTfhSergeant Kim Seojun took the wheel.tOVmL
WTHmF1“Sergeant Kim, I’ll drive.”bhdCx
xA5xaAt the words of Private First Class Park Boseop, the driver who had sat down in the passenger seat, Kim Seojun asked.FTN9
gny“Why? Are you worried about me driving?”oVZtuI
ksnnPark Boseop didn’t answer.s4BIA
CBDThe truth was, he was worried.aj5
5Q1sTAnd it was perfectly natural.cvl
zinxegThis wasn’t some remote rural road in Gangwon.4RX
YGPThis was planet Amotia.doh
24Y8FEDriving there was completely different from driving a truck down a simple unpaved road.uDLA
dmoiThat was why qualifying as a military driver required far more skill than most people imagined.sSG
zaqL3XBKim Seojun understood his concern perfectly.qNdu8
9DABs“Don’t worry. I drove quite a bit during my active service. I even transported stars for a while.”zDyDZO
cZkX1That was why he tried to reassure him.0Mz
3xWhBut when Park Boseop heard that, he was horrified.UDgDmh
0Qo“Huh? Did you say stars, sir?”dhxghgl
qRD9GDDVroooom!yBWU
bHjBefore he could even answer the question, Kim Seojun shifted gears and stepped on the accelerator.D8Vp
4uhOAt the same time, everyone inside the vehicle heard something.EfAuZR3
FSS4MRumble, rumble, rumble!92dNO1
wNiPhPThe ground rumbled as if an earthquake had struck.NZyhaiv
P1Ib[1,032 Mogdogs have appeared ahead.]cLVk
yzdhThen came the warning from the surveillance systems of the base they had just abandoned.1XBmn
NGM4zLeaving that warning behind, Sergeant Kim Seojun continued pressing hard on the truck’s accelerator.qPkG
pWlOne minute later, they all heard another notification.tURM
qeodQ4I[Base E1323 has been destroyed.]SQSq
kvWD6After the beginning of the space age, humanity’s technology advanced even further.We6DLs
aa06Xz4However, that did not solve all of its problems.S7mb
C1rDOne of the most representative examples was communication.fDI
50EZ3tuOn Earth, even a beggar in the middle of the street could easily communicate with someone on the other side of the planet.9ZuhygM
MuHkSpace was different.SAzcGoN
hvnIn those extreme environments, completely different from those on Earth, both wireless and satellite communications suffered from numerous problems.MxJ7RKy
BDlPlanet Amotia was no exception.0y0E8E
597XcKThe sandstorms that blew incessantly there made radio communications practically impossible.eLG4jD
mqFwI0Of course, they could use physical communication lines without too many problems.gW4Lp
A1GBut planet Amotia was infested with those damned monsters called Mog, creatures that went berserk the moment they encountered humans, so the communication lines were constantly being severed.h1iOl8u
yB4zFurthermore, it was common for soldiers from hostile countries to cut them whenever they had the opportunity simply to hinder enemy operations.FIqU
V6ia2mEAnd the Mog weren’t simple monsters.U3ecGs
Fy696NbThey were intelligent.Hy2mRDB
ZhhTo be precise, intelligent individuals existed among them.Py00D
VU1LJGAnd to those individuals, human communication lines were one of their priority targets.mbZexXK
nOUXpOf course, powerful countries, those with forces and resources to spare, could simply say.JADBh
wcRZsIH‘Then we’ll just reinstall them every time they cut them!’0p3nmvk
lYQcPBut the situation of the Korean division stationed on planet Amotia was different.FI4
N6wiAlthough it was somewhat embarrassing to admit, the Korean division had practically given up on resource exploitation on Amotia.yvxE
etq69MtIn fact, they had given up quite some time ago.lr2t0i
hbTDespite that, the Korean division remained there and troops continued to be sent there for one very simple reason.q4IDu
MJokPThe moment they officially abandoned resource exploitation, some big shot would have to take responsibility for all the expenses invested up to that point.wa93
2ir1Naturally, no one was willing to declare that they were abandoning it.pa8
zeq35VBut there was also no chance that they would continue investing large amounts of resources in a place that produced no results.OGFN4cL
1krRxaYIn many ways, their conditions were terrible.v0bZ
BmhyAl7Whenever the sandstorms blew, it was completely normal for a communication from a distant area to take five or ten minutes to arrive.vTPWy
B07ocQThat meant that by the time a message reached headquarters, the situation on the ground had often already ended.McCot
uTUWSThis time, exactly the same thing had happened.ig2p5MY
DCj0lWhen they received the request for reinforcements from Base E1323, headquarters assumed that its occupants had already been wiped out.h5f
8M0gJoThat was why they didn’t send reinforcements.TVekW
aSm4“A request has arrived from Base E1323.”Ywhi
XBOmDFor that reason, when a new request arrived approximately thirty minutes after that request for reinforcements, Major Lee Sunhyeok was surprised.x3D3vL
Agrq“They’re requesting authorization to retreat.”DxIup
lbiTttBut the moment he heard those words, Major Lee Sunhyeok’s expression hardened.XHxT
4K3Naturally, no one said, ‘We request authorization to retreat!’ when things were going well.dFdu
gcaWN91And most importantly, wireless communications weren’t functioning properly.NjO
5MV38feIt was highly likely that the request to retreat had been sent several minutes earlier.1YlBH
8YrThen what would the situation be like at that very moment?RmcA
emHIt was obvious.YZGnWk
9UhuyThey must have already been wiped out or suffered losses practically equivalent to annihilation.YRfcZ
tUWthBu“And they say they’re already retreating.”7FMguTY
CrwEcZ“What?”bZz98aW
psQbHowever, the moment he heard that, Major Lee Sunhyeok’s expression changed.POLGq
qohil“What do you mean?”IDyvuG
pqRThey were requesting permission to retreat when they were already in the middle of retreating?nMP
G9jTJOf course, understanding the meaning of those words wasn’t difficult.uCYCf6
ihVgThe problem was understanding how soldiers could decide to retreat on their own.vzw
trwdpkNIt was then that Major Lee Sunhyeok remembered something.x07ze
UpHY4U‘He was a newly appointed Sergeant.’1Tc6pTt
8rn4mSfThe commander of the unit sent to Base E1323 was a rookie who had just become a Sergeant.aYfD
993Truthfully, Major Lee Sunhyeok hadn’t paid much attention to the new Sergeant.AZ5odoA
bjNBNGFor starters, normal, sensible people didn’t usually end up stationed on Orange-level planets.39qru
LbQHAs a general rule, assignments to Orange-level planets were filled primarily by volunteers.AQp
jJWuNU7So there were only two possibilities.oNzq1
ROsUEither you had committed some offense and been forcibly assigned there.dR4bDaM
DVsjrOr you had volunteered.vLa
xZQmdAnd out of every ten volunteers, nine did it simply because they were blinded by money.JrlJF
TWq7The remaining one did it to advance their military career.xcQGy
snRiJHpFurthermore, planet Amotia was already a problematic place that had fallen out of favor with the higher-ups, so it wasn’t exactly a good assignment for someone competent and ambitious who wanted to advance their career.kuXucDM
lAglMAt the same time, every country was currently suffering from a severe shortage of soldiers.4Cy
QEWBBecause of that, aptitude examinations had become far more lenient.4lB
2HkGnH‘Do you regularly feel homicidal urges, and does holding a weapon make you want to kill someone? We’ve been waiting for talent like you! Take a weapon right now and unleash all those homicidal urges on the Mog!’kDRA9P
WVDWdThings like that really happened.wLT0
la8And naturally, people whom anyone would consider strange ended up assigned to places like planet Amotia.czuou
DNUIn any case, for all those reasons, Major Lee Sunhyeok hadn’t shown any particular interest in the new Sergeant’s service record.1XE7IPl
W3vyfHis subordinates hadn’t bothered to report on it either.aEQSf
nm0When there was a nine-in-ten chance that he would die or flee back to Earth before the month was over, there was no reason to take much interest in him.qnoop
dbR0wFrom that perspective, it wasn’t particularly strange for a newly appointed Sergeant to retreat without authorization either.hXwv7Q1
qM9LhRunning away because he wanted to survive?V2KDrO
onqkIn reality, it was a fairly normal reaction.uc7
PDcBut sometimes, you simply had a hunch.3l0Tjp2
uitn4JA“What was his name?”nJJG2
pJuQ“Sergeant Kim Seojun.”etKR
oQv“Give me his profile.”T8tm
7D8Dz“What?”nY4V
p9j0HrbMajor Lee Sunhyeok directed a cold gaze at the subordinate who had reacted with surprise.4EkIdO
yXDs5The subordinate immediately sent him the profile.xA0m
ZNFnThe information appeared before Major Lee Sunhyeok’s eyes.6lS
tfovf6And the moment he saw it, his gaze changed.p8VA
Njejm“……He served four months on planet Icrus? On active duty?”PbWu5
PNKJqCPlanet Icrus!Zp2Kg
WgUThere was no way he wouldn’t know it.hiUGCJ
lBkahN“The Yellow-level one?”kQoZkZ
LMDfuQiAfter all, a Yellow-level planet made an Orange-level one look like little more than a neighborhood cat café.m0cT3b8
Ei3xcBo“And his next assignment was planet Palabo?”pLaN
LlUCkfHis next assignment had been planet Palabo.O2W
XOtYIt was currently classified as Orange level, but it was far more famous for something else.CU7dBk
yawHwgdA Behemoth had appeared there.4H8
nCfiAnd after checking the dates of service, it turned out that Kim Seojun had been stationed there precisely when the Behemoth appeared.0fCbQm
aC4Besides those two places, every assignment where Sergeant Kim Seojun had served during his period of active service ranked among the worst hells imaginable.qfGiUo
lMWL7oOBut the most surprising thing was something else.a6q
qRhAz“And even after all that, he reenlisted?”eH3BJ57
IaWdGNJAfter going through all of that, he had decided to join the military again.RrZW
SmWHbC“Major, then how should we respond to the request to retreat?”4W6O
i2BJAt his subordinate’s question, Major Lee Sunhyeok didn’t have to think about it.fvN
rCCfpjBecause there was one thing he was completely certain of.A1jLcbL
Y4sYhb“We can’t send a soldier to prison after he managed to come back alive when we couldn’t even help him. Authorize the retreat.”0uvK
Pclcu9They couldn’t afford to lose a Space Marine like that.cM5
mDN“Retreat authorized! Return safely to the main base!”9Yy
GlejmSCThus, the headquarters of the Korean division on planet Amotia sent out that order.BErd
Fk2VpAnd it was the last order to leave that place.xQ8
pbzdsBOOM!Al6D
rs7NbAn explosion shook the headquarters of the Korean division on planet Amotia.pX9yGS
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