A Space Marine Got a Status Window

When Kim Seojun mentioned the nuclear umbrella to Major Jan Zabłocki, he also raised that concern.

“I’ll try, but I don’t think the other countries will believe that we’ll really provide them with a nuclear umbrella. Even if they believe it, it’s impossible to expect them to give us their full support.”

Kim Seojun responded.

“Yes, I know. Anyway, the objective of this operation is to make the Chinese headquarters move.”

“The Chinese headquarters?”

“They’ll move the Mog. And they’ll think that, to face the Polish headquarters, which possesses nuclear weapons, they’ll need an enormous number of Mog.”

“An enormous number? Hm? D-Don’t tell me……”

At that moment, Major Jan Zabłocki also realized it.

“Right now, the only place where such a large concentration of Mog exists is the Queen’s nest. That’s the objective. If the Mog army there heads toward the Polish headquarters, then we’ll attack the Queen’s nest.”

Major Jan Zabłocki understood the entire picture Kim Seojun had drawn.

‘My God.’

When he realized it, Major Jan Zabłocki felt a chill.

Had he really planned everything that far ahead?

Kim Seojun spoke to him.

“That’s why the Polish headquarters must abandon the base and start moving as soon as possible.”

Kim Seojun’s expression as he spoke wasn’t good.

“If the operation succeeds, the Polish headquarters will be destroyed.”

Abandoning a headquarters on planet Amotia meant becoming a wanderer who could die at any moment.

It was practically the same as losing one’s own country.

However, at Kim Seojun’s words, Major Jan Zabłocki smiled.

“It’s a headquarters that could very well have been destroyed a long time ago. Rather, I’m glad it can serve such an important purpose at a time like this.”

He told him not to worry.

In any case, as soon as Kim Seojun’s group set out, the Polish headquarters abandoned its base.

Then they waited.

They waited for the Mog to arrive.

And they arrived.

“A Mog army is approaching!”

“How many?”

“W-We can’t determine that!”

A Mog army of an inconceivable size was approaching.

As soon as Major Jan Zabłocki saw it, what appeared in his mind wasn’t nostalgia for the Polish headquarters base, which would soon be completely devastated, nor concern about having to survive on planet Amotia without a base.

Rather, he worried about Kim Seojun’s group.

And that was inevitable.

The fact that hundreds of thousands of Mog had arrived there meant that Kim Seojun’s plan had succeeded.

And that, in turn, meant that Kim Seojun’s group would enter the Queen’s nest.

At that moment, Major Jan Zabłocki had a question.

‘But how are they planning to kill her?’

“How are you planning to kill her?”

As soon as the Mog army disappeared, Noah Winston asked that question.

In truth, it was a question that had already been answered long ago.

Although Kim Seojun sometimes carried out absurd operations, it was usually because he found himself in situations where he had no choice but to improvise.

But when it came to something this important, he wasn’t someone who kept the plan solely inside his head.

“First, we’ll choose one of the plans I already explained.”

Kim Seojun had shared all the plans he had prepared with everyone.

In truth, they couldn’t really be called great plans either.

“Currently, the safest method is to enter the rocky mountain.”

Inside the rocky mountain were tunnels resembling those of an anthill, and the Queen was somewhere within that labyrinth.

Therefore, the entire plan consisted of entering those tunnels, leaving a nuclear weapon near the Queen, and setting the timer.

“Good.”

After hearing that, Noah Winston nodded.

“Then I’m counting on you to give me good support. That way, I can carefully leave the nuclear weapon beside the Queen and return. Well, since most of the Mog have already left, it shouldn’t be that difficult. We’ll just have to shoot the ones that remain.”

She said it as though it were nothing out of the ordinary.

It was then that Kim Seojun looked at Noah Winston.

“Why are you suddenly looking at me like that?”

“Tell me what you’re hiding.”

“What am I hiding?”

At that question, Noah Winston shrugged.

“How am I supposed to know if you put it like that? Do you know how many things I’m hiding? You couldn’t even imagine.”

“Tell me what you know about the Queen’s ability.”

At that question from Kim Seojun, Noah Winston shrugged again.

“I already told you, didn’t I? I don’t really know either.”

“Aren’t we supposed to avoid looking at the Queen?”

At the next question, Noah Winston’s eyes narrowed.

“……You really are very perceptive.”

At her words, the other three people there were surprised.

Had Noah Winston really been hiding information about the Queen’s ability?

“Why the hell did you do something like that?”

At Private First Class Park Boseop’s question, it was Kim Seojun who responded.

“Because she intended to take responsibility for it alone.”

“What?”

“It’s like in a movie. A meteorite that’s about to hit Earth has to be destroyed with a nuclear weapon, but the remote detonation device suddenly malfunctions, so someone has to stay behind on the meteorite and personally detonate the nuclear weapon. A movie like that.”

Upon hearing that, the three were surprised.

“Yes, that’s how my father died.”

“What?”

And Noah Winston’s next words horrified the three of them.

“A-A m-meteorite was about to h-hit Earth?”

At Private First Class Park Boseop’s surprised question, Kim Seojun responded.

“She’s talking about a movie. Noah Winston’s debut role was as the daughter of the protagonist in that movie.”

“Ah!”

Only after hearing that response did the three let out awkward laughs.

Noah Winston looked at them and spoke with a smile.

“To think I only have one fan here. I guess I’m less popular than I thought. When I return to Earth, I’ll have to make a few more movies. By the way, it seems Sergeant Kim Seojun has watched my movies. Do you want me to autograph your battle suit?”

She spoke in a tone filled with playfulness.

However, Kim Seojun didn’t smile at that joke at all.

He couldn’t.

Because Noah Winston had prepared herself to die.

Naturally, Kim Seojun already knew of Noah Winston’s determination.

Putting everything else aside, Noah Winston was a Psyker Agent who had gone out to hunt the Queen prepared to risk her life.

And it wasn’t something she had done only that one time.

The reason the name Hawk Eye had been able to become a legend was precisely her incredible dedication.

Naturally, Kim Seojun was certain that, during this Queen hunt, she also wouldn’t allow Kim Seojun to take that sacrifice in her place.

Especially when she had claimed not to know the Queen’s ability.

At that moment, Kim Seojun had sensed it.

Noah Winston knew the Queen’s ability perfectly well.

And she was hiding it.

“Hawk Eye, I’ve never seen you fail. That’s why, when you failed this time, I was certain that something unusual had happened.”

Putting everything else aside, Hawk Eye wasn’t someone weak enough to fail a mission without even managing to reach the Queen.

“Really? That’s interesting. Have you seen me before? Wasn’t this the first time we met?”

“Yes.”

“That’s even more absurd. You’d seen me before and still decided to stay in the military? Normally people would leave the service, wouldn’t they?”

“Normally, yes.”

At that response from Kim Seojun, Noah Winston finally understood.

Kim Seojun had no intention of allowing her to so clumsily hand over the burden of that supposed sacrifice to him.

“Fine. I’ll give you a briefing.”

And finally, she began to speak.

“As you already know, this Queen is a special individual. And she also possesses a special ability. That ability is Fear.”

“Fear?”

“The instant you see the Queen, your mind collapses.”

As soon as they heard that, everyone’s expressions changed.

“M-Mental collapse?”

“Yes.”

Because that ability was far more terrifying than they had imagined.

“Even I half lost my mind the moment I saw the Queen. Honestly, I almost died, but maybe thanks to all the experience I’ve accumulated, I managed not to lose consciousness. It makes you feel like all the effort of killing those damn Mog for so many years really amounted to something.”

If even Hawk Eye had nearly lost consciousness, that meant not only an ordinary Space Marine, but even an experienced Psyker Agent would probably faint just from seeing her.

It was a far more dangerous ability than they had imagined.

And that was the reason Noah Winston had hidden that fact until now.

“But don’t worry. I’ve already seen her once, so the second time should be more bearable. In fact, the more you experience Fear, the more resistance you develop.”

Even if she had revealed that beforehand, in the end, she was still the only one capable of carrying the nuclear weapon close to the Queen.

“Besides, you already know my ability, right? Penetration. My ability is penetration. I don’t even need to see her. I just have to locate the Queen and then, from the other side of a wall, gently pass the nuclear weapon through using my penetration ability and push it inside. It’s a completely safe job.”

Furthermore, she possessed an ability perfectly suited for a situation like that.

Above all, she thought.

“And we have three chances, right?”

If she failed, Kim Seojun could try afterward.

There was no need to even discuss the order.

After listening to her up to that point, no one responded.

They couldn’t refute Noah Winston’s logic.

Nor could they say anything in the face of her determination to sacrifice herself.

Only one person.

“You can’t do it.”

Kim Seojun was the only one who rejected her decision.

“Oh, really? Then are you planning to give up?”

“Your plan has several problems. For starters, your penetration ability has limits. Using the nuclear weapon through a wall is practically impossible.”

“Then if I don’t go in, who will? Is there anyone here capable of being exposed to Fear without pissing themselves?”

Kim Seojun responded to that question.

“I can do it.”

“Oh, really?”

At Kim Seojun’s confidence, Noah Winston showed a cold smile.

“Then let’s see your experience. How far have you gone?”

“I’ve seen a Behemoth.”

“I’ve seen one too. Yes, they’re scary too. But we’re talking about a creature you can see perfectly well even from a hundred kilometers away.”

“I saw it from a little closer.”

“Oh, really? From how far?”

At that question, Kim Seojun recalled that experience for a moment and began calculating the distance.

Finally, he spoke.

“Ten……”

“Ten kilometers?”

At that number, Noah Winston smiled.

She wasn’t mocking him.

“Well, I suppose you have reason to feel confident.”

The overwhelming presence of a Behemoth was more than enough to shatter a person’s mind even when viewing it from an enormous distance.

Naturally, that still wasn’t enough to compare it with what they were discussing.

Kim Seojun knew that perfectly well too.

That was why he spoke.

“Meters.”

“Meters?”

“Yes.”

“The meters I know?”

“Yes.”

“Uh……”

Upon hearing that, the words automatically came out of Noah Winston’s mouth.

“Are you lying?”

“I don’t have proof. But I was definitely very close to a Behemoth. To be exact, I escaped in a military truck with a Behemoth behind me.”

“Hey, what kind of lunatic would do something……”

It was then.

“Huh?”

Noah Winston recovered a memory and immediately pointed a finger at Kim Seojun.

“You?”

Kim Seojun responded.

“Thanks for the cola you gave me back then. It was good.”

As soon as she heard that explanation, Noah Winston no longer had any doubts about Kim Seojun’s resistance to fear.

If he had been capable of driving a military truck with a Behemoth behind him, then he could practically be considered someone who felt no fear toward the Mog.

His other companions reacted the same way.

They all showed expressions of astonishment.

Naturally, they weren’t surprised by Kim Seojun’s capabilities.

‘He saw a Behemoth from ten meters away?’

They were horrified by that experience of Kim Seojun’s.

In any case, it was clear now.

Kim Seojun had what was necessary to face the Queen directly.

Only one thing remained.

“Fine. Then you can handle the delivery.”

Now they only had to enter.

“Are we going in immediately?”

“Give me a moment to think.”

Kim Seojun began to contemplate.

The reason was simple.

‘I wasn’t expecting it to be Fear.’

The Queen’s ability that Noah Winston had been hiding was Fear.

‘I can face her.’

And, from Kim Seojun’s perspective, that was something very positive.

Because there was a strong possibility that the ability of that Queen wouldn’t work properly against him.

Naturally, that didn’t mean he could face her directly without consequences.

Fear was like a flame.

A flame that became hotter and more threatening the closer you got!

In Kim Seojun’s case, he could simply get a little closer than the others.

Even so, it was better than the worst-case scenario he had imagined.

That was why he modified the plan again, and shortly afterward, Kim Seojun raised his head.

“Major Lee Hyena.”

Upon hearing him call her, Major Lee Hyena flinched slightly and looked at Kim Seojun.

“I want to ask you for something.”

However, upon hearing the word ask, Major Lee Hyena’s gaze changed.

“I’ll do anything.”

The fact that she could help with something made her show firmer determination and resolve than ever.

Kim Seojun spoke to her.

“Could you engage the Mog on the rocky mountain in close combat?”

Close combat!

When they heard those words, Major Lee Hyena and the others reacted with disbelief.

Kim Seojun explained.

“Currently, the number of Mog on the rocky mountain has been greatly reduced. But not all of them have left. Without a doubt, the forces directly protecting the Queen will still be waiting inside her nest. How many of them we manage to draw out will determine the operation’s chances of success.”

They had to draw the Mog that remained there as the Queen’s guards out of the tunnels in the rocky mountain, in other words, out of the Queen’s nest.

“The important thing here is that if we attack them with too much firepower, they’ll probably hide even deeper. That’s why we need to provoke them. Major Lee Hyena will climb the rocky mountain alone.”

To accomplish that, Major Lee Hyena would have to challenge them directly.

“Naturally, Hawk Eye will provide support from the rear.”

To be exact, her role would be to serve as bait.

After hearing the explanation up to that point, they no longer had any doubts.

“Then what will Sergeant Kim Seojun do?”

“I’ll go in alone.”

That, on the other hand, did worry them.

“Alone in there? Without knowing what could be inside? Do you even know how complicated the interior might be?”

And it was understandable.

Even if the Queen’s guards came outside, they had no way of knowing how many would remain inside.

It was like walking through a minefield with his eyes closed.

“No problem.”

However, Kim Seojun responded that way.

And he allowed no further objections.

“So follow my orders.”

This was a battlefield.

And Kim Seojun was the commander.

Once Kim Seojun gave an order, the only thing the others had to do was carry it out.

“Understood.”

The operation began immediately.

Major Lee Hyena took her axe and began climbing the rocky mountain.

Eventually, she found one of the largest rocks, climbed on top of it, and shouted.

“Come at me, you Mog bastards!”

Then Mogdogs began emerging from the holes scattered throughout the rocky mountain.

It wasn’t that the Mog had reacted to Major Lee Hyena’s voice.

The Mog didn’t understand human language, and furthermore, Major Lee Hyena was wearing her helmet.

Her voice simply echoed inside it.

Even so, the Mogdogs had come out to protect the Queen.

Screeeeeech!

The Mog that appeared lunged forward with greater aggression than ever, and Major Lee Hyena, standing atop the rock, swung her axe at them.

Crack!

The Mogdogs’ heads began splitting in half with a single blow.

At that moment, the Thorn Snakes that had remained hidden inside the tunnels also began to emerge.

As soon as they appeared, the Thorn Snakes drove their tails into the ground.

They prepared to fire their thorns at the target standing on the rock.

Whoosh!

Then Noah Winston opened fire on those Thorn Snakes.

Ratatatatat!

From that moment onward, the roar echoing across the rocky mountain changed.

As soon as they understood that what was threatening the Queen wasn’t an ordinary enemy, the Mog began going even more berserk.

For anyone who had to face that, it would have been enough to lose their mind.

However, at that moment, neither Major Lee Hyena nor Noah Winston was worried about her own situation.

‘Sergeant Kim Seojun, please come back alive.’

They were only worried about Kim Seojun, who now had to enter the Queen’s nest without knowing what might be waiting for him inside!

Ten minutes later.

“Everyone evacuate!”

Kim Seojun sent them an urgent transmission.

“Everyone evacuate! Get out of here!”

As soon as they heard that transmission, naturally, everyone thought the same thing.

‘He failed!’

Kim Seojun had failed to find the Queen and had given up.

“Sergeant Kim, I hope you’re okay, sir!”

“Sergeant Kim, good work!”

“I told you, you should’ve left it to me! Come on, let’s switch places!”

Everyone tried to reassure him.

Then Kim Seojun spoke to them.

“The nuclear weapon is about to explode!”