Chapter : 48
Confrontation (4)
Even at the time Suhyun was on duty, items like stealth suits or psychic nullification devices were used so secretly that ordinary people didn’t know about them. Now, they were even more clandestine. Every nation was developing them intensely, each watching the other carefully.
In that context, some unknown psychic had seen through their identities.
“Only China or Russia could send guys with equipment capable of wiping out Korean mountains… And the fighting style you just showed is typical of Chinese operatives. Are you part of the Black Tiger Unit?”
“Capture him alive!”
The squad leader shouted in shock at what the man in front of them was saying. They needed to interrogate him to find out how he knew what he knew, rather than just killing him.
“Seems like it,” Suhyun thought.
Wearing a stealth suit and mask, using smoke to force close combat—that was exactly the style favored by China’s Black Tiger Unit. Considering they were all enhanced operatives and specialists in melee combat, it was only natural.
“!”
The attackers were horrified to realize their bodies wouldn’t move. The psychic nullification device had clearly been activated, but…
“H-How…?!”
“Don’t rely too much on just one piece of equipment. This is what happens.”
The psychic nullification device had a notorious reputation against psychics. Suhyun, lacking psychic powers at the time, had never been too worried by it—but other psychic operatives truly hated it.
And the principle was well understood. Psychics naturally emit a special wavelength—a unique mana wave, the foundation of their powers. The nullification device absorbed that wave and emitted a counter-wave to neutralize it. Essentially, it sealed the psychic’s power.
But it wasn’t perfect. Strength could break it. Not easy unless a group of psychics worked together.
An even easier method was to switch psychic abilities. Alternating between two powers could disrupt the device’s wave.
Of course, that was practically impossible. Humanity had yet to produce anyone who could wield two psychic powers simultaneously—except for Suhyun.
By activating “Original Force” to match the device’s wave, then switching to telekinesis, Suhyun destroyed the device outright. It was so simple it was almost comical. He realized again how shocking the concept of a “magician” would be to those only familiar with standard psychics.
Crack!
The sound of necks breaking came simultaneously—the attackers Suhyun had seized were dying. He approached the man who seemed to be the squad leader.
“Aren’t you curious why the others are dead but you’re not?”
“…!”
“If you’re going to be captured anyway, it’s better if it’s a higher-ranking guy. You seem a little higher up…”
Suhyun injected paralysis poison into his body. With that, everything was settled. After gathering the corpses in a corner, he let out a sigh. Honestly, he hadn’t imagined the attackers would even bring a psychic nullification device.
‘Persistent. Really persistent. Had they already developed this back then?’
He had thought Jindo Dog Team 1 could easily win—but seeing this, he reconsidered. Their psychics probably never expected such equipment existed.
‘If I hadn’t been there… they probably would have all died.’
It was highly likely. And that was still the case now. Suhyun immediately turned to help the remaining team members.
“What the—?!”
The mercenaries gathered in the open field were utterly shocked. When the Uncle Joe Company operatives had mentioned the ambush, they had only half-believed it. Sensors and guards had detected nothing.
But as soon as they formed ranks, the attack came. They couldn’t imagine how much damage would have occurred had they not been warned in advance.
“Cough, cough! Ack!”
“It’s smoke!”
“Power armor, do something! Blow them away!”
“It… it’s not working!”
“What?!”
The attackers emerging from the smoke were barely visible. Even with lights on, they appeared as faint, moving shapes against the background. The power armor, which normally excelled in such situations, had suddenly stopped functioning.
“Call Team 1! Team 1! This is serious!”
“This… doesn’t feel good…”
“When is Team Leader Kim Suhyun coming?! He hasn’t been hit, right?!”
“Don’t be stupid. Do you think he’s the type to get hit?”
Kim Chang-sik said that, but they couldn’t hide their anxiety. They didn’t know exactly who these attackers were, but one thing was clear: they weren’t ordinary. Smoke, the power armor’s malfunction, and the invisible stealth equipment—they were all the attackers’ doing.
Tatatatatang!
Using the disabled power armor as cover, Uncle Joe Company operatives opened suppressive fire. Unlike the Jindo Dog operatives trained against monsters on the Cameron planet, these soldiers had trained in Earth’s military and were used to such situations.
“Got one!”
The attackers didn’t charge immediately; they circled, targeting exposed operatives.
‘What are they aiming for?’
Lee So-hee noticed the unnatural behavior. She didn’t know exactly how the power armor had been neutralized, but it couldn’t last forever. Now was the perfect moment to strike.
“Team 1’s here!”
“Good. Activate.”
Hearing that the subordinate team was under attack, Lee Jung-woo immediately moved. He and his teammates intended to annihilate the unaware attackers. As soon as he arrived, Lee Jung-woo created a massive block of ice in midair. It shattered instantly into shards flying in all directions.
Puff-puff-puff! Puff-puff-puff!
“Ugh!”
“You idiots, take proper cover!”
Even in stealth suits, there was no way to avoid such indiscriminate barrages. The psychic nullification device required a brief wait after activation to show its effects.
“Ugh!”
Things escalated. Lee Jung-woo wasn’t the only psychic in Team 1. A woman with her hair tied back bit her lip and gestured with her hands, causing a wall of earth to surge up. One attacker caught in it was thrown upward.
“Form up!”
At Lee Jung-woo’s commanding voice, the Jindo Dog operatives regained some composure. In sudden emergencies, the strongest person was the one to rely on. Teams 9 and 10 abandoned the inactive power armor and regrouped toward Team 1.
“What about them?”
“Uncle Joe Company team.”
“Can ignore them. Power armor stopped functioning?”
“Yes!”
Power armor could fail not only from external attack but also from internal software assault. Strong electronic defenses existed, but it wasn’t impossible.
“EMP? Doesn’t matter. Can’t destroy completely. Buy time! The power armor will reactivate eventually.”
Being Team 1’s leader wasn’t something anyone could do easily. Lee Jung-woo assessed the situation and again used his psychic powers.
But nothing happened.
“?!!?!”
Even he couldn’t have predicted an unknown secret device. Lee Jung-woo hid his shock and looked at his teammates. They all realized the same thing.
“Could it be… the psychics…?”
“!”
And as if on cue, the attackers launched their assault. They exploded smoke and shot wildly while charging, their expressions grim.
Even Jindo Dog operatives, experts against massive monsters, couldn’t compete with humans trained in hunting people. The attackers skillfully neutralized them one by one.
Lee Jung-woo couldn’t move forward. What could he do without his powers?
“Damn bastards! Who do they think they’re fooling!”
The Uncle Joe Company operatives yelled, detonating smoke grenades and concentrating fire on the approaching enemies.
Bang!
The standout was Gorgan. His eyes glowed red as he planted his shield on the ground, leaning against it and firing at anything that came near. Bullets whizzed past, but he didn’t flinch.
“Take care of them first.”
“By whose orders?”
“?!”
The attackers’ leader, observing from the field entrance, froze at the voice. The nullification device was already destroyed, and his guards were all bleeding on the ground.
“You…”
“You deflected arrows well earlier.”
“You bastard!”
Blocking a drawn pistol, Suhyun struck at the attacker’s vital points. With others watching, he used telekinesis subtly. He knew their combat style and could subdue them in a few moves.
“!”
The leader’s eyes widened—he realized in just a few exchanges that Suhyun completely outmatched him. Not by psychic power, but by pure combat skill. He couldn’t believe it.
The pistol aimed at Suhyun flew away as he simultaneously received a strike to the jaw. Only then did the man understand Suhyun’s intent: he was capturing him alive.
‘This arrogant bastard…!’
Though infuriated, the situation didn’t change. The leader quickly assessed reality. Everyone else nearby was dead, and the nullification device destroyed. Soon, the Jindo Dog psychics would regain their powers. The mission had failed.
Even if he didn’t know the others, he had prepared for contingencies. He pulled something hidden in his molars.
“?!”
Seeing him collapse as if a thread had been cut, Suhyun rushed over.
“You crazy bastard!”
He hadn’t expected the leader to commit suicide immediately. Still, with the nullification device destroyed and Suhyun’s opposition annihilated, reducing further damage was essential. Capturing him alive could have been a lesser evil.
Yet he didn’t hesitate—suicide was immediate. The open field still held attackers, and Suhyun’s identity remained secret.
‘Damn. Should’ve pretended to be easier to deal with.’
The opponent’s judgment was extraordinary. Giving up instantly and committing suicide was frustrating.
Whirrrrr-
Thanks to Suhyun destroying the device, the psychics seemed to regain their powers. Ice chunks appeared in midair, and the attackers panicked. Suhyun waved mockingly.
“!!!”
“Retreat! Retreat!”
While mercenaries from the same company were dying helplessly, Team 1’s psychics were filled with lethal intent. With the nullification device gone, no matter how skilled the attackers were, they couldn’t approach the psychics safely. Armed operatives still remained in the area.
“You can’t escape.”
Suhyun shot one by one at the backs of fleeing attackers. Even in stealth suits, dodging bullets meant nothing before him.
The Jindo Dog Team seemed overwhelmed by unexpected losses. Naturally—they hadn’t anticipated this. Capture wasn’t the goal; annihilation was.
‘They’ll regret this once it’s over.’
Being composed entirely of psychics, Team 1 likely had experience with Cameron expeditions and monster hunts—not evaluating what mattered in a human battlefield.
Still, Suhyun was satisfied. Anyone who could leak information was dead, and even though the leader wasn’t captured, someone with intelligence was restrained. The Jindo Dog side didn’t grasp the opportunity this situation presented.
“Team Leader!”
“What about the injured?”
“Dong-wook and Gorgan…”
After battle, it was the perfect time for the healer to show their value.
“Where were you?”
“I was dealing with those who charged at me.”
Even though they struggled despite fighting together, Suhyun alone had held his ground. Minor wounds would heal quickly, but this was the visage of someone who had survived the front lines.
