In the world of Psykers, there were two concepts: compatibility and capacity.
Psykers used the Prophet’s artifacts to manifest abilities that would otherwise be impossible for a human being.
However, merely possessing a Prophet’s artifact wasn’t enough.
Capacity, just as its name suggested, represented the amount of power they could use.
Compatibility determined how effectively they could use that power. The greater their compatibility, the more completely they could draw out the power contained within the Prophet’s artifact.
And among Psykers, the differences created by those two factors were far greater than anyone could imagine.
Doctor Space, who had first defined those concepts, once said,
“There are differences in power even among Psykers.”
“As great as the difference between a mouse and an elephant in nature. Or perhaps even greater.”
For that reason, the differences in strength among Psykers were enormous, and those who had reached the very highest level were essentially different beings altogether.
It wasn’t simply that they were stronger.
The very level of the abilities they could manifest was different.
Hawk Eye was one of those people.
As one of the Psykers representing the United States, even the weapons Hawk Eye carried were different from the start.
Thanks to her Super Strength, she could handle a weapon that looked more like a cannon than a rifle as easily as an ordinary automatic rifle.
Furthermore, because Hawk Eye used Gauss weapons, she could freely use special ammunition whose price per projectile exceeded that of most missiles.
After all, the United States was the one financing Hawk Eye.
However, there were two abilities that truly made Hawk Eye special.
One of them was enhanced vision.
Hawk Eye’s visual acuity was 10.0, even higher than a hawk’s 7.0, which was where her nickname had come from.
But the truly terrifying one was her penetration ability.
The effect of that penetration ability, possessed by only an extremely small number of Psykers, was exactly what its name suggested.
“Hawk Eye’s bullets can penetrate anything. To be precise, they can pass through anything. No matter what it is.”
It granted penetration ability to a specific target.
For a brief period, it caused the laws that matter was supposed to obey to collapse.
Its underlying principle was unknown, but in any case, the Prophet’s artifacts made such a phenomenon possible, and naturally, the power it demonstrated on the battlefield easily defied common sense.
To put it simply, if Hawk Eye granted that ability to a bullet, the projectile could pass straight through any armor, regardless of its thickness, and reach the vulnerable interior it protected.
And the result of that was now right before Kim Seojun’s group.
“My God.”
The terrifying Mog army had been completely devastated.
Among all of them, the ones in the most miserable state were the Tank Bugs.
They had been crushed so badly that it was difficult to even make out their original shapes, like small insects trampled under a human foot.
It was the result of Hawk Eye’s special projectiles passing through the Tank Bugs’ armor before exploding inside them.
“The Tank Bugs…… That easily?”
Faced with that overwhelming sight, Lee Hyena and Park Boseop weren’t even able to react properly.
Gulp!
Kim Seojun was surprised as well.
However, not as much as the other two.
And it wasn’t because he underestimated that ability.
It was because he had already witnessed up close just how extraordinary Hawk Eye was.
‘I already saw it when they hunted the Behemoth, but this is still fucking insane.’
What was even more impressive was that even Hawk Eye, accompanied by other Psykers of a similar level, had barely managed to hunt the Behemoth.
‘Although even Hawk Eye needed several days to hunt the Behemoth.’
In any case, just as she had promised, Hawk Eye had eliminated the Mog army in an instant.
Looking at that scene, Kim Seojun realized something.
‘I can’t even compare myself to her.’
He had obtained the Status Window and abilities of an extraordinary level, but he still had a long way to go.
Of course, that didn’t cause him any feelings of inferiority.
Rather, the opposite was true.
At that moment, Kim Seojun knew one thing perfectly well.
Now he had to converse with a being capable of making that enormous Mog army seem insignificant.
— All right, thanks for waiting.
— I’ll send you some coordinates. Come there.
Naturally, Kim Seojun’s group had no other choice.
“We’re moving.”
At the coordinates Hawk Eye had sent, there was a single air tent.
That was all.
There was absolutely nothing else.
Then they heard Hawk Eye’s voice.
— Sorry. I’m just pretty shy when I have to talk to someone face-to-face.
Kim Seojun’s group didn’t question those words.
Not because they believed Hawk Eye was actually an extremely shy person.
Hawk Eye was one of the best Psykers in the United States, and naturally, her identity was classified information of the highest level.
It would have been strange to expect someone like that to personally appear and converse with them face-to-face.
Even the voice they were hearing was female, but there was a considerable possibility that it was fake.
Of course, whether Hawk Eye was a woman or a man was irrelevant.
There was only one thing that mattered.
— All right, sit down. Let’s talk for a bit.
Depending on how that conversation went, Kim Seojun’s group could end up exactly like the Tank Bugs at any moment.
In fact, from Hawk Eye’s perspective, there would have been nothing strange about shooting them immediately.
She had found people who had stolen her supplies, and she was simply going to let them go?
Moreover, considering the current situation, even if Hawk Eye killed Kim Seojun’s group, no one would have any reason to suspect her.
And even if someone did suspect her, it wouldn’t be a problem either.
The United States would intervene to protect Hawk Eye.
If she hadn’t attacked them despite all that, there was only one explanation.
Hawk Eye felt at least some degree of goodwill toward Kim Seojun’s group.
‘If she wanted to kill us, she would’ve done it before even talking to us.’
That was why Kim Seojun began explaining the situation.
“First of all, thank you for sparing our lives.”
He made it clear that he understood this was an opportunity Hawk Eye had granted them.
“The circumstances under which we obtained your supplies are as follows.”
Next, he briefly explained how they had ended up in possession of Hawk Eye’s supplies.
“If necessary, we’ll return your supplies and also pay for everything we’ve used.”
When he finished speaking, Hawk Eye replied.
— Then I’ll tell you something too. First of all, I’ll offer you my condolences in advance. Talking to me in space is never a good thing. And I’m not exaggerating. Most soldiers who encounter me in space end up leaving the military. Either voluntarily, through a medical discharge, or because they receive a posthumous promotion of two ranks. I don’t usually see them again.
Kim Seojun gave a bitter smile at those words.
— And the reason I came here is because of a son of a bitch. For now, knowing that much is enough.
As soon as he heard those words, Kim Seojun understood why Hawk Eye had spared their lives.
She needed the help of other people in any way possible to stop China.
Upon realizing that, Park Boseop and Lee Hyena let out sighs of relief.
At least they weren’t going to die immediately.
However, Kim Seojun reacted differently.
‘This is insane.’
If even Hawk Eye, with that absurd level of military strength, couldn’t do anything against the Chinese headquarters at that moment, it meant China also possessed something it had yet to reveal.
‘Even Hawk Eye can’t handle this?’
From Kim Seojun’s perspective, that was a hopeless statement.
Hawk Eye brought the conversation to an end.
— All right, then let’s end the conversation here. It was fun talking to you.
“I’ll give you all the supplies we recovered.”
Kim Seojun immediately tried to return everything he had.
— Ah, keep them.
“What?”
— I only requested them to entertain myself.
As soon as he heard that answer, Kim Seojun immediately understood.
‘They were bait.’
From the beginning, those supplies had been deliberately placed there with the expectation that the Chinese would try to steal them.
— Besides, from what I can see, it looks like they’ll be more useful in your hands than mine if it means killing even one more Mog.
He had absolutely no reason to refuse something he was being given for free.
“Thank you.”
Kim Seojun immediately nodded.
The conversation ended there.
Kim Seojun’s group immediately left the air tent, and all three climbed onto the Wulong driven by Park Boseop.
With three people aboard, it was impossible to travel at high speed, but at that moment, that was the least of their concerns.
For the moment, they could enjoy some peace.
The Mog army threatening the Polish headquarters had been completely eliminated.
They had no need to hurry either.
Only after climbing onto the Wulong could Park Boseop finally relax.
“Phew, now I finally feel like I can breathe. I thought I was going to suffocate.”
Lee Hyena was the same.
She tried not to show it, but they could hear her heavy breathing.
“Hawk Eye…… Phew, she really made me tremble. I never want to go through something like that again.”
It was then.
— Hey, wait a moment.
Park Boseop and Lee Hyena tensed up again.
They had suddenly received another transmission from Hawk Eye.
Kim Seojun, on the other hand, reacted differently.
Because he knew there was a gift that Hawk Eye would appreciate.
That was why Kim Seojun had left a cola behind before leaving.
— I told you to take everything, but you left this here.
“I heard you like cola.”
— I’m crazy about it.
— In the United States, we have a damn custom called tipping. And I’m American. So I think I should give you a tip. I’m going to give you some coordinates. Write them down carefully.
Hawk Eye gave him a set of coordinates.
— Go there and find out for yourself what’s there. It’s a surprise. By the way, it’s been a long time since a Korean entertained me this much.
“It’s an honor.”
— Then let’s hope that someday we can greet each other face-to-face. Although seeing my face usually isn’t exactly a good sign.
Click!
With those words, the transmission ended.
“We’ll return to the Polish headquarters.”
As soon as it did, Kim Seojun spoke.
When Kim Seojun’s group arrived at the Polish headquarters, the atmosphere wasn’t exactly filled with joy.
Major Jan Zablocki didn’t look happy either.
Rather, he looked more surprised than ever.
“What happened? How were you able to annihilate the Mog army?”
“Hawk Eye provided us with support.”
“What?”
“Hawk Eye appeared and helped us.”
As soon as he heard those words, Major Jan Zablocki surprisingly understood everything immediately.
“Ah.”
The name Hawk Eye carried that much weight.
Until that moment, there hadn’t been a single battlefield where that name had appeared and humanity hadn’t emerged victorious.
And every place where Hawk Eye had declared victory, without exception, had been a true hell.
In other words, that meant planet Amotia was currently a hell.
“Is H-Hawk Eye really here?”
Kim Seojun reminded Major Jan Zablocki, who was bewildered by that reality, of the most important thing.
“Major Jan Zablocki, right now there’s only one thing we need to think about.”
At those words, Major Jan Zablocki’s gaze changed.
“Surviving. Focus only on that.”
After all, they had known for a long time that the situation was the worst possible.
“Furthermore, our current situation is fairly good. For starters, the Polish headquarters is no longer under any immediate threat. The Mog have also lost an enormous number of forces, so they won’t launch another offensive immediately.”
He was right.
Putting everything else aside, this was a moment when the Polish headquarters could allow itself to rejoice.
“The conversation with Hawk Eye also ended amicably. For the moment, we won’t have any reason to face Hawk Eye.”
They said that in space, a friendly relationship could change overnight, but something good was still something good.
Furthermore, they had even received a gift from Hawk Eye.
“It doesn’t matter what Hawk Eye is doing here. It has nothing to do with us. The only thing we have to do is defend the Polish headquarters until a rescue ship arrives from space.”
And above all, the objective of the Polish headquarters and Kim Seojun’s group wasn’t to restore peace to planet Amotia, eliminate the Queen, or punish China.
They weren’t pursuing any goal that grand.
After hearing that explanation, Major Jan Zablocki’s gaze stopped wavering.
Far from looking uncertain, he spoke with a firmer gaze than ever.
“We’re always receiving enormous help from Sergeant Kim Seojun.”
“Thank you.”
It was inevitable.
Kim Seojun’s gaze was also filled with determination as he spoke those words.
“I’m the one who should be grateful for the Polish headquarters’ unconditional support. Let’s keep working together until we can leave this place.”
Truthfully, Kim Seojun didn’t want to get involved in anything that was happening there.
The reason he had reenlisted was to earn money so he could live happily with his family.
And he had already earned that money.
Now there was only one thing left.
Return to Earth.
And to accomplish that, he currently needed to protect the Polish headquarters.
‘I’ll survive here no matter what.’
During that process, Kim Seojun had no intention of worrying about what methods he had to use.
That was why he spoke.
“Private First Class Park Boseop.”
“Private First Class Park Boseop!”
“Understood!”
“I know it’ll be hard, but I have something to ask of you. We’ll move out after resting for eight hours.”
“Where are we going?”
“If someone gives you a gift, the polite thing to do is go pick it up.”
Park Boseop, who understood perfectly well what that meant, immediately replied without hesitation.
Kim Seojun intended to retrieve what Hawk Eye had given him as a tip as soon as possible.
In any case, with that, the situation was resolved for the moment.
Peace returned to the Polish headquarters, and Kim Seojun’s group was also able to rest for the first time in a long while at a proper headquarters instead of inside a bunker.
Kim Seojun was able to sleep deeply for the first time in a long while.
However, he couldn’t sleep for very long.
“Sergeant Kim Seojun!”
A soldier from the Polish headquarters hurriedly came looking for Kim Seojun, woke him up, and spoke.
“We have an emergency.”
Surprisingly, Kim Seojun didn’t seem alarmed as he replied.
“What happened?”
During his time as a Space Marine, he had experienced so many emergencies that there had been more days when he hadn’t been able to sleep at the proper time than days when he had.
When it was a real emergency, it wasn’t a person who woke him up.
It was the Mog.
And the fact that someone had personally come to wake him was a sign that the situation was still fairly good.
In any case, Kim Seojun immediately shifted into a combat-ready state after opening his eyes.
“Private First Class Park Boseop’s condition is strange.”
However, as soon as he heard those words, Kim Seojun’s expression changed.
“……Where is he?”
He followed the soldier with more urgency than ever to the isolation ward.
And there he saw him.
“Bleeergh!”
Park Boseop was lying on a bed isolated behind reinforced glass, vomiting everything he had in his stomach.
At the sight, Kim Seojun’s expression hardened even further.
“You can’t go in.”
That was all.
Because they didn’t know what disease had infected Park Boseop, the only thing Kim Seojun could do for him was watch.
Meanwhile, Kim Seojun began thinking frantically.
‘Was there any point when he could’ve been infected?’
The more he thought, the more terrible scenarios accumulated in his mind.
‘Could it be the Mog Virus? But the Mog Virus doesn’t cause symptoms like those. Did China use another biological weapon? Did the Wulong have some security measure we didn’t know about?’
It was then.
Lee Hyena, who had also received the report, appeared.
“What’s Private First Class Park Boseop’s condition?”
Like Kim Seojun, she looked at Park Boseop through the reinforced glass.
By that point, Park Boseop, who had already vomited everything he could vomit, seemed to momentarily regain consciousness.
“Ugh…… Ugh…… Uuugh……”
“S-Sergeant Kim…… M-Major……”
Then he spoke.
“I-I think…… this is as far as I go.”
Park Boseop, convinced that he wouldn’t survive, began saying his final words.
“I-It was an honor…… being with you.”
Kim Seojun stared at him.
He engraved that image into his memory.
Because he knew.
The only thing he could do for someone expressing their resolve in the face of death was to engrave that resolve into his heart.
Click!
Then he picked up the phone that allowed communication with the inside of the isolation room and spoke.
“Private First Class Park Boseop, it was an honor for me too.”
“S-Sergeant Kim!”
“M-Major! T-Thank you for everything!”
It was then.
“Wait.”
Lee Hyena, who had been watching the situation, suddenly snatched the phone from Kim Seojun and spoke.
“Private First Class Park Boseop.”
“What?”
“I have a question. When you started vomiting, what color was it?”
“U-U-Uh…… I-I don’t know. B-But i-is the color of the vomit important?”
“Was it black?”
At that question, Park Boseop hesitated.
“Yes.”
Lee Hyena replied.
“Because I vomited black too.”