Chapter 3: I Got a Status Window on My First Day as an NCO (3)
KLXBm— Retreat authorized! Return safely to the main base!uwzA8a
SJhCThe moment those words came through the radio, all the soldiers riding in the vehicle driven by Kim Seojun let out sighs of relief.k7W
lGlOpqV“Thank goodness they authorized the retreat.”ZcKf6
jQfYIQD“Whew, I thought I was going to end up in the brig when I was already so close to being discharged.”YBo3E5A
cSFSvjHaving their lives saved was something to be grateful for, but even so, there wasn’t a single soldier who wanted to end up in prison.hY4GuMF
8YVHowever, there was one exception.a4Ga
DOwD9Private First Class Park Boseop, the military driver sitting in the passenger seat of the truck, was unable to smile after hearing that transmission.3vmR287
VXhClack, clack, clack, clack!bWOms
qNsarjCFar from smiling, he was more terrified than ever, trembling so badly that his teeth wouldn’t stop chattering.WcAD
ZlpmAnd he had good reason for it.LKyoY7
aWxlVroooooom!C58W
0or6O‘T-This is insane!’ecmx8Yq
4zvb1The way Kim Seojun was driving was absurd.cOG6S
OPvQyNo.aXBg
CtnAHAIt couldn’t even be called driving.Eq9YwL
3NMz1VzHe was practically out of control.u5O
eOUE4If someone sent the footage from the truck’s camera to the manufacturer at that moment, even the company that had built the vehicle would probably say.5Fl
dEjCbpm‘Ah, we’re sorry. It seems our vehicle suffered unintended acceleration. Otherwise, there’s no way to explain how a vehicle could drive like that. We admit it.’pL5IAX
xoiThat was how insane it was.Jmw8
CNNjyNot only was Kim Seojun not using the brakes, he was keeping the accelerator pressed practically all the way down.Tha
bdjPckAnd they weren’t even driving on anything resembling a German Autobahn.IAhmH
l0Oiq5There weren’t any proper roads there.WMzDFd7
su75XF7An enormous rock could appear in front of them at any moment and, to make matters worse, they couldn’t even detect them properly because of the sandstorm battering the area.ZLq
aip2KnFurthermore, Private First Class Park Boseop wasn’t just an ordinary driver.006r3
khq4AfuTo become a military driver for the Space Marines, one had to pass fairly difficult tests.l2Im
Cg0ZA considerable amount of driving experience was also required, and precisely because of that, the position paid quite well.izECCyV
GMrltNIn Park Boseop’s case, although it wasn’t anything extraordinary, he had even won a prize in a professional motorsport competition in Korea.ax4s
ooNr9PIPrecisely because of that, he could understand it better than anyone.Cavwyy
bDjbb‘H-He’s crazy. This is practically suicide!’7I9MnC
qPeg6GSergeant Kim Seojun’s driving was complete madness.kGOao
KytjRBKim Seojun knew that too.ggBCPR
ISySgFnHe knew perfectly well that what he was doing was crazy, and during his previous active service, he had been told so countless times.rMgh
bmwcPXBut he was confident.PQL
ZlIAnd it wasn’t baseless confidence.eQ3Bz
unYpVCh‘I can say for certain that I have more driving experience than any military driver.’yuM
VdV0hCnFor starters, Kim Seojun had an enormous amount of experience driving in space.ZWohv
RN3The reason was simple.qdaa
50XWA‘Because when you lose your mind, it’s impossible to hold the steering wheel.’OOew8d
Ba3UuKim Seojun possessed the talent of not feeling fear in the face of the Mog.UdZ
l7tt0FOThat was why, in the worst situations, when an extremely powerful Mog appeared and every member of the unit lost their minds, Kim Seojun was forced to take the wheel.nAnoHz8
PLHu6In those life-or-death moments, he had to drive to escape from the Mog while carrying the lives of his comrades in the back of the vehicle.LDy
LSVzNcd‘When that Behemoth appeared, I was the only one capable of continuing to drive normally.’vloPj
1bFrb9zKim Seojun had even encountered those walking catastrophes twice, creatures that, just by seeing them, would make an ordinary Space Marine not only piss himself, but lose consciousness or even die of cardiac arrest.CbQMyum
biJWhile practically everyone else was unconscious, Kim Seojun had to take the wheel and desperately flee from the Behemoth.idg
IABJoFrom that living island.zn0
DJI‘And with a star sitting beside me.’42G
l0XAfter going through experiences like those, there was no way Kim Seojun could be a bad driver.TtbAP
vT5KcFurthermore, Kim Seojun possessed extraordinary Dynamic Vision, and that was enormously useful when driving.HUjReJV
YTdXTA landscape rushing past at three hundred kilometers per hour before everyone else’s eyes was, to Kim Seojun, like one passing by at a hundred kilometers per hour.2ls
lJnKkD‘And the drug is still in effect.’JqUqnb
t3eUxlFurthermore, due to the effects of the Stimpak, Kim Seojun was perceiving the passage of time even more slowly at that moment.SsqM8
LCeDrGQ‘I have to get as far as possible before it wears off.’nQflDSR
1I6DIn other words, from Kim Seojun’s perspective, they had to get as far away from the base as possible before the effects of the drug disappeared.0Fw1M
DluAnd, above all, Kim Seojun had a bad feeling.FotM
Wba‘I have a bad feeling. I don’t think this is going to end here.’wyIg
2Sgw1j6He felt that the attack wouldn’t be limited to just one base.HtnltB
XcCAnd his hunches tended to be right far more often than expected.5wAQ
E7pEven if he was wrong, they had nothing to lose by hurrying.34ZM1zc
Hfa8uAnd so, the truck driven by Kim Seojun sped forward at an insane speed.I1Ntjf
JxOAfter driving for seven hours, they finally reached an automated supply base where they could resupply.RIbsxz
NYX[Air regulation has been completed. You may now remove your suits.]M1v
fioC2“Let’s rest.”rE8
STqWYOnly after entering that underground supply base, commonly known as a bunker, did all the members of the unit remove their battle suits for the first time.Ulx0fl
9FIAs39The moment they did, a mixture of nauseating odors flooded the place.TgVu5
tSCK0dIt couldn’t be compared to the simple smell of sweat.3ee2
jFuYX4For starters, the blood and chunks of Mog flesh stuck to the battle suits gave off an unbearable stench.JkCbc
ukmsFurthermore, everyone except Kim Seojun had pissed themselves so much that their diapers were completely soaked, and the smell was absolutely disgusting.UiTZU9
YTKBut no one complained.uubtnOp
FmGlO2They all knew.Pnvn
MBS6eYEven being able to smell that stench was fortunate.Qo9
L4vqA miracle they could experience only because they were still alive.kiFgEU7
oGt42Kim Seojun knew that better than anyone.a6KHp3H
azRoThat was the smell of survival.70SJLI
54TIt was then that Kim Seojun saw five of his subordinates who still hadn’t removed their battle suits.dsGwbgj
0UhUgHe knew why.8nr
MokGAfter coming so close to death, it wasn’t easy to let their guard down.vKG
Pb7HoKim Seojun told them.xbpzLB
Kt2“Everyone, take off your battle suits and get some proper rest.”M3ale8L
DYZQL7N“We’re fine, sir.”ndqIf
sZrHS“Well, I’m not fine.”8lctRB
swGO7CZ“Sir?”uWqfKH6
VXADmu“It’s better to rest properly for one hour than to half-rest for three.”M7ZCcp
EKrThose were words born from experience.6B2thLu
QcnznO7“Besides, the side effects of the Stimpak have already left our senses and stamina in terrible shape. Even if we entered combat right now, we wouldn’t be able to fight properly. If the Mog make it all the way here, we’d be better off simply pointing our own weapons at our heads.”c6VqE
GHJElKFurthermore, once its effects wore off, the Stimpak caused enormous physical and mental exhaustion.TWR
enbnTo give an example, it was like being right after running a sixty-six-kilometer marathon.JcrA
8mP9And that was precisely why Doctor Space, the creator of the Stimpak, had received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.4cQi3Ls
QCqcyqEven if only temporarily, it produced a stimulating effect capable of bringing a human practically to the level of a superhuman.a63
TMANxJAnd the price that had to be paid for such an effect was merely suffering some hallucinations and enormous physical and mental exhaustion.wFJ0F
t3RdIt was an absurdly extraordinary drug.kjD7V
dSMIk3bAn invention that truly deserved a Nobel Prize in Chemistry.YmeMo
NBLpRkIn any case, at that moment, they needed to rest properly at all costs to recover the physical and mental stamina they had consumed.jYPA
Kxd1m“On the battlefield, the worst thing you can have is a comrade who’s no help and only becomes a burden.”AIOOA
O1CMg96Only then could they avoid becoming dead weight during combat.a9L
HExd3FIt wasn’t until they heard Kim Seojun’s words that those five finally removed their battle suits.9Zj3Hi
YrjRTAfterward, everyone began frantically devouring the energy gels and drinks stored in the supply base.dYFY
EVYy3oeKim Seojun did the same.hg6Xohx
vAIfbHmHe stuffed energy gel into his mouth until he could feel it piling up in his throat.Ach9S
ysR1PBecause he knew.x0yqc
YA9On the battlefield, opportunities to replenish nutrients like that came far less frequently than one might imagine.0d7X6v
uFatUg8After that, Kim Seojun looked for a place to rest.1MpzjoQ
DqubmBHe intended to close his eyes immediately and, furthermore, he possessed the talent of falling asleep faster than practically anyone else.zv2bgru
0grL‘Status window.’wGCMu
mcLGKnxAt that moment, the status window appeared in Kim Seojun’s mind and, without realizing it, he said it out loud.mzl
oLG“Status window.”UAFslHX
yt7fIt was then.Cbyyl
aAHYsK4[Kim Seojun]XlK9rBY
GPTyUH— Strength: 11
— Endurance: 14
— Mana: 1
— Skills: None
— Talents: Dynamic Vision (E)
— Points: 932 pt
— Tickets: 1 Silver TicketqGSImnQ
pNILt8The status window appeared before Kim Seojun’s eyes.Ubw
BOYBy that point, Kim Seojun no longer doubted the ability that had suddenly appeared.38U6R
yGDaKThe simple fact that he was still alive was irrefutable proof that the ability was real.G1CHuTv
QVysC7cBesides, there was nothing bad about that ability for him.ElZzry
R8hUyIqKim Seojun knew that.1p8n
InJg‘……Having a special ability is never a bad thing.’DUW
BrjrbBTIt would be an enormous help in surviving.T8gSZ
UQEb2K0Kim Seojun had seen on numerous occasions the absurd results that Psykers, people gifted with special abilities, could achieve in the war against the Mog.YU88E
YgjSLAt the same time, he also knew something else.zA8D
IqeAx5x‘It’s not that strange for something like this to happen either.’mnxLGda
ifWmQSIn the space age, countless phenomena occurred that human beings were incapable of understanding and that completely defied common sense.elB
lnATAcuSo, instead of continuing to doubt it, he decided to use that ability immediately.BgQ7E
Fgs6CkN“Use points.”q9nRi
pbciRSBHe said it in such a low voice that his subordinates couldn’t hear him.knH
5l5Then a new window appeared before his eyes.bDIPZE
C595[Point Shop]a2P
yJV2mG— Bronze Ticket (500 pt)
— Silver Ticket (3,000 pt)
— Gold Ticket (10,000 pt)
— Platinum Ticket (Unavailable for purchase)
— Diamond Ticket (Unavailable for purchase)utuIckK
wD8PhZ2Upon seeing it, Kim Seojun immediately understood how the status window system he had obtained worked.o35L
t4iqThere was nothing complicated about it.UhiPI5
lDd0xbNHe killed Mog and received points.QAycu
TwycrThen he could use those points to strengthen himself.mOAHjC
PZZc5And as a Space Marine who never knew when he might die, there was no point in thinking something like:7v0S0Be
7MaO‘I’m going to carefully save up my points so I can get something big later!’RIj
3yY“Purchase Bronze Ticket.”3sL
bdVhuoeHe bought it immediately.sc69Dl
eZpHe didn’t have high expectations.7Zf2b
7sxqFrom Kim Seojun’s perspective, it didn’t matter what he received.FaifyV1
DosaAs long as it was better than his current state, he had nothing to lose.GZoa3Hn
CBDThen he heard a notification.ghfI0
73v1Gca[You have obtained 1 Strength point from a Bronze Ticket.]uoq
5RtcWhAt that simple notification, Kim Seojun’s eyes narrowed.MCg
8eYMjjNot because he considered the reward insignificant.sU8J
RyXmoIt was exactly the opposite.RdcA
9PJM‘My Strength was 11 points. If I add another point, that means my physical strength increased by approximately ten percent.’qelpSnI
ADPVAchieving an increase in strength of more than ten percent through training, medication, or body modifications would have required an enormous amount of effort.hM2
v8uTAnd he had just achieved it with a simple click?OgalMq
OXIQbKim Seojun understood perfectly well how extraordinary that was.4yw
UR7x63That was why he began to feel anticipation.JgB
0NaGFtF‘The Silver Ticket I received as a reward.’OuXcJw
DtepThere were rewards of higher grades.knGMYn
HdrdN32“Use Silver Ticket.”qbE2
YIPQTYWithout hesitation, he used the one he had received as a reward from the battle.v3WIOf
r8DFyG3It was then.hR0
iszpNB[Congratulations! You have obtained a Gold-grade reward from a Silver Ticket!]yCFlF8
JaCinrWA congratulatory notification echoed in his ears.m4wEkR
oT4[A Talent Upgrade Ticket (C) has appeared!]5qEx
vk6aHtrAt the same time, an information window appeared before Kim Seojun’s eyes.5xk8QW1
R0fnhNt[Talent Upgrade Ticket (C)]qw3QM
Uxs— Grade: Gold
— Effect: Raises one of your talents to rank C.w3F3Eq
QKRQHQIThe moment he saw that, Kim Seojun blinked.ChB9D
gc2LPs‘What?’2JBcVa6
HjHlPIt wasn’t because it was difficult to understand.Uv9aR
1AC0CThere was absolutely nothing complicated about it.n2k
VY4BqN2Anyone who had spent ten minutes playing one of those games with microtransactions that were still popular in Korea would understand the system perfectly.TYh73
A58bN‘Can something like this really come out?’lo6WQc
IVFAxlAn absurd reward had simply appeared out of nowhere.p8A0
85cCOf course, Kim Seojun didn’t start thinking:cDL
IrIrS59‘What should I do with this? Should I save it to use later when I get something better?’wH0
Oo2sG8aAs already mentioned, worrying too much about the future wasn’t exactly a good habit for a Space Marine.Wxs4Wpr
Pr2vAnd above all, Kim Seojun already possessed a good talent.82Q
3LaJ“Use Talent Upgrade Ticket.”UEnoiw
TjW[Which talent would you like to use it on?]doNHz4
lp4p“Dynamic Vision.”oEws
E1d4Kim Seojun immediately used the good fortune he had obtained on that talent.RhPzn
lt7Mw2p[Dynamic Vision has increased to rank C!]aadU
NeKThe notification came immediately.KscbXz
Oo8At first glance, nothing seemed to have changed.Mhm
fwJwxThe scenery before his eyes remained exactly the same.DUjnP56
FfKtThen Kim Seojun gently tossed the energy gel he was holding into the air.yPD
pCNLzerIt was at that instant.sntfoC
8ZJx‘Ah.’PlLw
Cq0Before Kim Seojun’s eyes, the energy gel rising through the air began to look practically motionless.KfypUFS
6lUHyUHe could clearly make out not only the brand printed on the package, but even the nutrition facts.1ES97Cs
mPSW6FFurthermore, that sight was very familiar to Kim Seojun.Lbv6dMC
3JAF‘It’s the same as when I use a Stimpak.’0o5
Vbte5JThat was how he saw the world the moment he injected himself with a Stimpak.NmGp
J4GeEverything seemed to have stopped.vWOqIAl
cdLY‘My God.’Z1th
yrIYcxqUpon realizing it, a chill ran through Kim Seojun’s entire body.bKpot
yRJy‘Will the state I was in after using a Stimpak be my normal state from now on?’HaeV
pJWSEwYAnd that wasn’t all.rUMFOc
riI6hK‘Wait. Then, if I use a Stimpak now……’4cU9
o63YTfPerhaps he could experience something he had never experienced before.wFrXvBk
BukiOVbIt was then.yLlqKYR
OfNgBBeeeep!6Gwe
eQRAmtSuddenly, the bunker lights turned red and an alarm began to sound.mgchk
5ypEveryone sprang to their feet.K58LHTx
RtvMThen the bunker system informed them:HrVw
o8QEavC[Headquarters has been destroyed.]iUk16L
Zkiy4QThe place they were supposed to return to had disappeared.n9BbGO
dqyHeadquarters had been destroyed!Nvphps
9PhitLk“W-What the fuck does that mean?”wpd
4VnZA9zThe moment they heard the news, all the soldiers inside the bunker panicked.0d4afy
4MM“That’s impossible!”AxI
MhWVTThey immediately began denying the reality before them.sGFv
ajEAnd that reaction was perfectly understandable.euRpP
6u54yQOn a planet dedicated to resource exploitation, headquarters wasn’t simply a place from which orders were issued.3rz
f4h42uIt was where the most powerful military force was concentrated.97MVt
IcrAsE8It was also the starting point for all supplies.rln
7gOR“H-How the fuck are we supposed to get back to Earth?”tHzGRt
XgxUuvAnd headquarters was also the only exit that allowed them to return to Earth.XsIjir
MIn4roHeadquarters had fallen?anxJy
OIHThat meant they had lost their only way to return to Earth!HPN6
hcQvXZGEven though they had volunteered for that assignment, in essence, they were still active-duty soldiers subject to mandatory conscription.A3v
dKZqnzFor them, it was a shock that was difficult to process.6Fa
yL7Py6KIn the midst of that situation, only one person remained calm.eDEO
5GpGgZqSergeant Kim Seojun.75jHxD
YV3z7tHe wasn’t bewildered by all the commotion.XIK9PFe
js7pLuHe had no reason to be.tatoUMw
8SHW‘The destruction of a headquarters…… This is the fourth time.’6u2
yAUqmIt wasn’t the first time he had experienced something like this.DzH
ZsoThat was why he knew exactly what to do.m48
OWE3k0“Everyone, calm down. No matter how much of a fuss you make, the only thing you’ll accomplish is wasting oxygen.”Lpn
9tWEvgPanicking at that moment would only hurt them.vRbJ
s59m“And if you keep making a fuss anyway, I’ll shoot you.”Q2YnLf
kBB4YTKim Seojun issued a firm warning.AwgXO2Q
Jp3XAt those words, his subordinates, who had practically been shouting just seconds earlier, became completely still.8l0x
iKEisEveryone looked at Kim Seojun.L9zt
1J3He told them.yLHQEKt
RZs“For now, we’re going to rest as much as possible. We’ll stay here and rest for at least eight hours.”NoMleo
g3TfO8His subordinates’ gazes filled with doubt.fMC1i83
4MCRest?xXzN
lCRrbBIn an emergency situation like this?PB8lc
A5CRjOkAfter headquarters had just been destroyed?oHdp
oO6bKim Seojun explained.sTqET1
eA5WBu1“The fact that headquarters was destroyed means it suffered a powerful attack, whether from the Mog or an enemy nation. Even if we go there right now, we won’t be any help. Especially if the Mog were the ones who attacked it. If we go there, it would be the same as offering ourselves up for dessert.”bWU
AsO1F14He explained what the most rational decision was at that moment.bd53
lcJRfAfter hearing his words, his subordinates’ gazes gradually began returning to normal.8hk
ZxasaHThey were still deeply confused.TiNpjM
YcCjQ0MBut the soldiers had realized something.PF9lIj
lt6wf80The man standing before them wasn’t an inexperienced rookie NCO.ueh28S
gTfHe was an absurdly experienced veteran disguised as a newly appointed NCO.AkRE8x
4iBJAnd in that shitty world, there was nothing more reliable than the words of a veteran.P86Qxc
3Qee0Eventually, everyone began resting just as Kim Seojun had ordered.n92
qQ1CKim Seojun himself did the same.T7U
4SBoInside that extremely cramped bunker, he lay directly on the floor and fell into a deep sleep.7UHNlP
95ADZOFortunately, the bunker wasn’t attacked.hD5Jg
frf2D3Everyone was able to rest for the eight hours Kim Seojun had ordered.SbqEUbl
KLuUOf course, almost none of them managed to rest properly.j1gF
8TsJkkThey kept waking up, unable to fully recover their physical condition.S5rd1WO
cORfOnly one person was different.0E4xyb
lRhc1ShKim Seojun.r2rhiag
BUzL6There wasn’t even the slightest trace of fatigue left in his gaze.daeQE
kCeKe4KWith that gaze, he said.fS5SOq
14yU6“Private First Class Park Boseop.”LSIvbN
q5G0“Yes?”yr6t
xJg“Yes?”rDD
dDllzgAt the question Kim Seojun repeated, Park Boseop reacted with a start.PTe2I
DqN0I“P-Private First Class P-Park Boseop!”hqF
jIHqV3nAfter hearing his response, Kim Seojun said.8XBp
Q2BR4“Get ready to drive.”SPUk1Q
GH4W1“D-Drive, sir? W-Where are we going?”6bNP
d3wKim Seojun answered his question.ZXYk7
XdVReE“To headquarters.”L5bNIix
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