Chapter : 114
The current situation was far from pleasant for the Chinese team. They had braved a blizzard just to have the critical parts all taken by the Korean team. In a scenario like this, no one could just sit quietly. They needed to appeal somehow, say something, or at least show some sign of discomfort.
But the Chinese team remained expressionless. Even if Liu Xin had excellent mental discipline, his subordinates probably did not. Suhyun noticed one of Liu Xin’s men who was similar to Kim Chang-sik. He didn’t look particularly frustrated or aggrieved either.
“This… something’s definitely going on.”
It was the Chinese side that had proposed the winner-takes-all rule. There was no way they didn’t understand the delicate relationship among Russia, Korea, and China. If things continued as they were, Russia would naturally try to counter China, and the Chinese side would end up gaining nothing.
“Were they scheming internally, or was this all an external ploy…?”
Suhyun felt the need to stay alert. If it was internal, he could handle it. If external, it was beyond his jurisdiction—it was a matter for the government.
And soon, his question was answered.
When they arrived at the Smirnov Base, the first thing they noticed was the troops positioned around the facility. At first, people thought the base personnel had spotted them and came out to greet them. But Suhyun immediately sensed something off. These were not greetings.
“Enemies!”
And not just ordinary enemies. Armed with military-grade automatic rifles and equipment, even power armor. These were weapons no ordinary force could acquire.
“Could it be…?”
Suhyun immediately scanned the Chinese team’s faces. They looked surprised, but he noticed an undeniable sense of unease.
“Was this planned in advance?”
Suhyun, seasoned in covert operations, realized the situation from Liu Xin’s reaction and the troops stationed around them. This Smirnov Base was already under the control of Chinese special forces!
“These crazy bastards… they’re really going all out…!”
It wasn’t a statement for others—it was audacious enough to risk open conflict with Russia. The operation had clearly been meticulously planned and kept secret.
The reason behind this was clear.
“It must be because of Dmitry.”
Suhyun didn’t know the Russian president well, but someone willing to send rescue teams like this for his son would likely be susceptible to other threats. Even if the outcome was uncertain, the Chinese side had obviously made this assessment—hence the attempted abduction.
Suhyun could already predict what would happen next. These attackers would claim they were an independent group, unrelated to China, and abduct the team. Then, they would negotiate behind the scenes to get what they wanted.
“Stop! Do not move any further!”
“What?”
Only then did Ivan realize something was wrong. He noticed that the soldiers deployed were unfamiliar—it was not the Russian military.
“This base has already been secured. You are surrounded. Disarm and surrender! Move, and you will be attacked!”
“!”
“Team, captain… what is this?”
“Stay still. Don’t move rashly.”
“How dare these bastards treat people like this…!”
Blue fury flashed in Ivan’s eyes. Stress had already built up from being trapped in the frigid wilderness with heavy equipment, and now these audacious intruders had taken control of the base and ordered them to disarm. His rage boiled.
“You are psychics. Don’t resist; surrender. Your powers won’t work here.”
The commander coldly warned, reading the Ivan team’s rebellious attitude. Suhyun was not surprised. It would have been shocking if they hadn’t prepared for psychic opponents.
But for Ivan, it was clear: the artifacts weren’t responding. He tried to use his powers, but after the first attempt, nothing worked.
“A psychic nullification device…?!”
He snapped his head toward Liu Xin. Rumors of this new Chinese technology were everywhere. For heavily armed soldiers to possess such equipment without noticing would have been foolish. Yet Liu Xin and his team raised their hands calmly and walked forward, signaling surrender. The lack of resistance made Ivan grind his teeth.
“You… you bastard…!”
“I don’t understand what you mean. If you’re going to surrender, better do it quickly. Let’s not harm civilians unnecessarily.”
Suhyun muttered quietly. He wasn’t a good actor, but speaking without changing expression only inflamed people’s tempers. Ivan twitched his hands as if he wanted to strangle Liu Xin.
“Captain, what do we do?”
“Well… if we surrender and wait, we should be released safely.”
Their safety was ensured if they remained passive. In these situations, not resisting generally meant survival. Other nations were not foolish either; even without evidence, suspicion arose, and unnecessary casualties would lead to retaliation. China did not want that either.
The problem was Suhyun’s own less-than-clean identity.
“With the crusher and other things… if China finds out what I’ve done…”
The latter concern was minor, but the former was likely. Artifacts would be confiscated, including that odd bronze bowl. Even if he got lucky, investigation could easily reveal it.
Suhyun glanced at the Russians. Ivan’s psychics were grinding their teeth in frustration, and the researchers looked helpless.
“If only those guys weren’t here… is this it?”
He wasn’t afraid of fighting. But if he fought here, one hidden trump card would be revealed: his identity as a magician.
He had concealed it to avoid being dragged to a lab with nothing in hand. Now, he wanted to conserve strength quietly, which meant hiding his identity as a magician.
“I wanted to keep it hidden a bit longer… but it can’t be helped.”
The crusher was worth it.
“We’ll operate in the open from now on.”
“Eh?”
“We fight. Prepare.”
“…!”
The team was surprised but did not question him. They trusted Suhyun had a plan.
“Stick close to Dmitry. You’ll be safe near him.”
Suhyun raised both hands and walked forward. The surrendered Chinese soldiers sat among their troops, watching him calmly, completely relaxed.
He understood. A psychic without powers under a nullification device could do almost nothing. The artifacts didn’t work at all, making resistance meaningless.
“The first target should be…”
The power armor pilots. They had superior firepower compared to the others and had to be neutralized first.
Suhyun’s hand descended swiftly.
Crash!
Blood spattered from the cockpits of the power armor. Not just one—every cockpit in sight.
“!?”
At first, the nearby soldiers didn’t understand what had happened. They only saw Suhyun lower his hand and shouted:
“Hands up! Don’t lower them!”
“Alright.”
Suhyun raised his hand again. The power used was poison needles, fired like a shotgun to target the front soldiers.
“Aaah!”
Only after being hit twice did the attackers realize Suhyun was doing something.
“How?! The nullifier?!”
“It’s active!”
“Commander down.”
The man presumed to be the commander was hurled into the air like a giant had struck him. Suhyun spoke coldly as he watched him lose consciousness in a pool of blood.
“Next…”
Tatatatatata!
The deployed soldiers reacted mechanically. Suhyun could worry about how he used powers later.
“Want me to help?”
He created a telekinetic wall with one hand, catching incoming bullets, and asked. Liu Xin flinched.
“I have an idea where they placed the nullifier. But I won’t destroy it. Who knows what you’d do? I don’t want to fight psychics attacking from behind.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“You act well. See this guy?”
Suhyun lifted a soldier collapsed from poison.
“Is it okay to kill if he’s unaware?”
“…According to international law, torturing or killing prisoners…”
“That applies to enemy soldiers. This guy’s a terrorist. Where do you get these ideas?”
“Die, you bastard!”
An intense explosion engulfed Suhyun. He grimaced and swung his hand. The soldier who fired at him in a monstrous weapon stared in shock.
Suhyun’s telekinesis was extremely versatile and powerful, making it nearly impossible to counter with regular weapons. Without other psychics, it was hell to face.
“Dealing with monsters is easier than these soldiers…”
Crunch!
Weapons on the ground bent with strange sounds. Suhyun walked like a farmer harvesting in autumn, systematically taking down soldiers. It was overwhelming.
Even facing the Ice Dragon, he had never used telekinesis this effectively. And now, the nullifier was active.
Ivan asked instinctively:
“Uh… how?”
“Those who break common sense always appear. Get up, are you okay?”
“Uh… y-yes…”
“I don’t know what happened to the base soldiers. Probably locked inside.”
“They’re likely only a squad in size, so they’ll be inside.”
Ivan looked at the fallen soldiers—they looked like they had faced monsters.
“I don’t have to clean this up too, right? Go inside, release the soldiers, and handle the aftermath. Leave the dead, bind the living. The nullifier’s destroyed. A few inside will be no problem. Move!”
Despite giving orders to Suhyun, Ivan didn’t notice anything unusual. He nodded and went in with his subordinates.
“You… could it be…”
Liu Xin’s team froze at Suhyun’s presence, but Liu Xin was different. He spoke with realization:
“A magician?”
“That’s impossible! How can a human be a magician?!”
“Everything has a first time. Looks like I’ll become the first human magician.”
“…!”
While Suhyun and Uncle Joe’s company team discussed the recent events, the Russians moved quickly—clearing corpses, disarming living prisoners, and binding them securely. Ivan, catching his breath, wanted first to attack Liu Xin.
“Where do you think you’re sitting so calmly, you bastard?”
Slap!
“What was that?”
“Didn’t you notice? He planned this! To kidnap Dmitry!”
“You seem more impatient than I thought. So… any proof?”
“What?”
“Proof that China sent them, proof they’re connected to him.”
“There isn’t… but…”
“Then you shouldn’t touch him. Do you know why I left these guys alive while killing the others?”
Ivan felt like cold water had been poured on him. Suhyun calmly analyzed the situation while he flared up.
“If you still want to charge, I won’t stop you. Do as you like. Deal with the consequences yourself.”
“…”
Ivan ground his teeth, glared at Liu Xin, and nodded.
“Thanks for holding me back.”
“We fought together; I can do that much.”
“But what I heard earlier… is it true? That you’re a magician?”
Suhyun didn’t answer. Instead, he removed a ring from his finger and shattered it with telekinesis. That alone was enough of an answer.
“Telekinesis and healing? Dual ability…!”
Not only was he a magician, but his powers were extremely rare and powerful. Ivan was both awed and terrified. After this, Suhyun’s identity on this Cameron planet could trigger unimaginable repercussions.
