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“Urgent highest-level alert issued across all regions as of now. Personnel who encountered Predators on site should report immediately. Also, search areas where Predators have not been observed and report the situation quickly. I repeat.”
That day was just like this.
On a peaceful day, a nightmare descended from the sky.
After receiving the report, the fleet commander displayed the command center’s screen and reports from various regions on the monitor in the courtroom. The live footage showed Spacystro soldiers fighting against a dark red flesh mass.
“What is the time of first discovery?”
“It’s at 1037.”
“Why did the report come in so late?”
“The Predator observation monitor did not show any indication. We couldn’t confirm it until the report came in from the scene, and it still does not appear on the monitor.”
“Is it an unobservable entity? This is a big deal.”
The variety of Predator entities is vast. Entities under the same conditions evolved to adapt to their environments, and the number of evolved entities is too numerous to count.
It’s not unusual for an unobservable Predator to appear. There are countless entities that have evolved to avoid detection, and we have already encountered such characteristics before.
But encountering them doesn’t make it okay.
Since the invasion of our mother planet, the number of times we’ve encountered Predators is extremely low compared to the number of invasions.
Although we have gained experience, each encounter with Predators with different characteristics leaves no room for adaptation. Most importantly, every encounter with a Predator brings back the fear felt on the day of the invasion.
If there were a being capable of overwhelming all life in the universe, it would certainly be a Predator. While I don’t want to acknowledge non-intelligent life forms as stronger beings, the fact remains that Predators are strong.
“Has the aviation force been put on standby?”
“1st Fleet: 12th, 18th, 30th Air Force. 2nd Fleet: 6th, 12th, 24th Air Force. 3rd Fleet: 24th, 36th, 42nd Air Force standby completed.”
The aviation commander rushed out of the courtroom upon receiving the first report and immediately reported back via communication.
“Prepare to depart as soon as orders are given. What about the situation elsewhere?”
“Six nations have encountered Predators. Each…”
As soon as the fleet commander asked, a report came in without delay. The fleet commander quickly scanned through all the situations displayed on the monitor.
The girlfriends remained silent. They had heard of Predators, but this was their first encounter.
Though they hadn’t directly faced one, the news that Predators appeared in the city where they once walked peacefully left them speechless.
An entity that invaded the mother planet. An entity that overwhelms all life. The worst predator in the universe.
To me, these stories might have seemed like tales from far-off galaxies. Even I, while on Earth, thought of them as stories that could ease worries and talked about them lightly.
But Predators appeared on Earth.
I had expected it to some extent. There were records of encounters with life forms presumed to be Predators in the data found at the radio base. It’s likely related to Baido, now known as Gainesboro.
“Seoul Headquarters. Connecting the screen.”
The empty screen showed a Predator rampaging in Yeouido, Seoul.
The situation in the city was sheer panic. People were fleeing from the Predator, which consumed every living thing it touched and swelled up.
“I have to go.”
Yubin, who saw the horrific scene, spoke quietly.
“No.”
I can’t send the HunterKiller Team to Seoul now.
“Why?! Look at the state of Seoul. If we don’t go, who will…?”
“You don’t know how to fight Predators!”
They need to be eliminated without leaving any trace. It’s practically impossible for the HunterKiller Team to face Predators, who have only fought humans so far.
“But!”
“Don’t be stubborn!”
I raised my voice louder than Yubin, who was raising her voice. This was the first time I showed such emotional behavior to my girlfriend. I was in a panic.
Predators appeared. It means the end of Earth is near.
Just when it seemed like the girls would join Spacystro and improve through tests. It happened again.
The situation is much different from when the mother planet was invaded. Currently, Spacystro cannot go to space.
To be precise, we can’t run away far from Predators. It’s possible to fly and ascend to space immediately, but Predators will relentlessly chase after the prey.
“We have to solve this here.”
We’ve never won against Predators in battle. There’s no guarantee we’ll win now. Still, we must fight. There was never a choice to run away.
“Captain of the fleet. I’m going to Seoul. Warp permission needed.”
“Permission granted. The warp facility is 10 minutes away by car. You can reach it with guidance.”
“Understood.”
“Older brother!”
Just as I was about to leave the meeting room, Yubin’s urgent voice stopped me.
“Go to Science Command.”
“Huh?”
“The only thing the HunterKiller Team can do now is take a test.”
They are strong. Stronger than me in ways incomparable, but there’s a difference in experience.
I can’t send the girlfriends to fight without any strategy against Predators.
Sending them unprepared is no different from sending them to die.
There are limits to what we can do. So, we must do what we can.
“What will happen to you if we keep going like this?”
“Red.”
I couldn’t answer her trembling voice due to the uncertainty. There’s no guarantee that we’ll survive by fighting Predators.
Yubin’s eyes and hands trembled, and Hayang approached and held her hand.
“Honey, we will definitely win.”
“…Okay.”
I can’t be sure we can win. But I can’t say otherwise.
Even though I know we can’t win, I have to tell the girlfriends that we will win.
With a final response, I left the meeting room. Thinking that I wouldn’t be able to leave the girlfriends, I didn’t hesitate and ran towards the exit. As soon as I stepped outside, a car stopped in front of me.
“Ai. Get in!”
Team leaders who were reporting on the training were already in the car. They seemed to have come to fetch me quickly after hearing the news.
I got into the car before answering. Inside, everyone was in a frenzy, talking on phones to inform soldiers at Seoul Headquarters. Esmeralda pressed the accelerator to rush towards the warp base.
“How’s the situation?”
“They’re checking if combat is possible while evacuating civilians. For now, they’ve instructed not to approach.”
Siera, who was reporting from the 4th team, gave me a rough idea of the current situation. Immediate combat would be reckless.
Without understanding the Predator’s characteristics, rushing into combat would only increase damage.
“Who’s in charge on-site?”
“Currently, Klugger is handling it, but it seems quite challenging.”
“Worst-case scenario.”
Team leaders have never left headquarters until now. Due to an order from above, all team leaders left headquarters for the first time in 20 years, coinciding with the appearance of Predators.
Fortunately, Klugger remaining in headquarters was a silver lining. With leadership skills comparable to team leaders, Klugger could provide some command.
But maintaining smooth command in a panicked scene is difficult. It’s not because Klugger’s abilities are underestimated. Any team leader taking on all commands alone would struggle.
While Klugger has command abilities, regular soldier Klugger has clear limitations. I prayed he could hold on as I bit my nails in the speeding car.
“Get down!”
Arriving in less than 5 minutes despite the 10-minute distance, everyone jumped out of the car and entered the warp base.
“Seoul Headquarters. Requesting warp. Permission needed.”
“Confirmed! Prepare yourselves.”
Warp base soldiers who received the fleet commander’s permission were moving swiftly. Warp facilities across regions were continuously operating, and everyone rushed onto the warp facility as soon as the front personnel warped.
“Initiating Seoul Headquarters warp. Count. 3. 2. 1.”
As the countdown ended, everything turned white. When vision returned,
it became clear that we had arrived at the underground base of Seoul Headquarters.
—
In Yeouido, Seoul.
People’s screams never ceased. The dark red flesh mass crushed everything in its path, destroying objects and consuming any life it touched.
“This way! Don’t push, move in order!”
Drask was guiding panicked people to evacuate amidst the chaos. Although surprised by the unknown creature, he maintained calmness knowing people would panic even more.
“Doesn’t eat weapons?”
Standing on a building, Theo and his colleagues aimed electronic cannons at the Predator.
“Should we consider this fortunate?”
“What’s fortunate? It’s a disaster.”
At Theo’s colleague’s remark, Theo cursed and pulled the trigger again.
Whether or not it ate weapons, nothing good came of it. Eating weapons meant the Predator would swell up by consuming debris and vehicles, while not eating weapons meant it would chase solely after living things.
“Who doesn’t know that?”
“Alt! How’s it below?”
When Theo and his colleagues took positions on the rooftop,
Alt, standing on the road, fired at the Predator relentlessly pursuing him.
“How could it be? It’s not strange if it dies soon!”
“Roy! Don’t approach!”
“I know that much!”
Specializing in close combat, Lloyd threw debris at the Predator to block its path. But the Predator easily avoided the debris and continued chasing living things.
Like a mass of meat, the Predator swallowed trees and street animals, growing larger and gradually taking a specific shape.
“Lead people to areas with fewer people. Alt, try to distract the Predator with fire.”
“I’ll give it a shot. If there’s no communication, I’ll assume it failed.”
Following Klugger’s instructions, Alt spewed flames from both hands, rising high. He then directed the Predator, which was chasing evacuating civilians, with scorching flames.
Turned by the heat, the Predator, which was heading toward civilians, turned its head. Despite having no recognizable face, it moved as if it did.
“Argh!”
Krugger turned at the sound and spotted Darksk crushing a broken power pole at the Predator.
“What an idiot!”
The power pole, crushed by Darksk, shattered, and Darksk, with nowhere to stand, fell towards the Predator.
Krugger, instantly boosting his suit functions, dived and caught Darksk mid-air.
“Spacystro?!”
“What are you doing?! Are you crazy?!”
After catching Krugger, Darksk rolled several times on the ground.
“What about you? Where’s the Spacystro way?!”
“Look at your own situation! It’s urgent, so stop mindlessly rushing in and get out!”
Never raising his voice during confrontations, Krugger shouted at Darksk while wearing his helmet.
Darksk, who had evacuated people and then saw Spacystro fighting the dark red flesh mass, silently watched in disbelief.
“Quickly retreat. We’ll handle this.”
Ai and Krugger also rushed towards the Predator, leaving Darksk alone.
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