Seo Jung-woo approached the CCTV blind spot of the old building.

Sensors were installed on the windows.

'These are the same sensors that were in the building where Jessica was held.'

He was about to break through the window when he noticed that the bathroom window’s sensor wasn’t properly installed.

'Is it because these guys are just remnants? They're not very thorough.'

He entered through that window and opened the bathroom door.

Inside the building, five people were packing their belongings.

One of them spotted Seo Jung-woo. The enemy froze for a moment, unable to grasp the situation.

“Huh? Who are you?”

Before shooting them, he had to confirm whether they were truly part of an international industrial espionage organization. He couldn’t just blindly trust James Curtin’s words.

Seo Jung-woo spoke briefly.

“Atlas Project. Police.”

As soon as they heard that, one of them pulled a pistol hidden inside his clothes and shouted:

“We've been found out! Kill him!”

Whether in Japan or Korea, the ban on firearms was the same. Although guns were easier to obtain in Japan than in Korea, ordinary people in either country didn’t usually carry firearms.

Upon hearing the first man’s shout, the others also reached into their clothes. The outline of guns became visible following their movements.

At this point, there was no need for further confirmation.

'These guys are the real deal.'

At the mention of the Atlas Project and him identifying as police, all five tried to draw their guns.

'The fact that they immediately went for their guns means they understand the situation fully.'

Seo Jung-woo drew his pistol. Though the enemy moved first to draw, he was faster on the trigger.

As soon as he squeezed the trigger, gunpowder exploded in the chamber and propelled the bullet forward. Two bullets fired in quick succession pierced through the enemy’s body.

“Kuaaaagh!”

This wasn’t a silenced gun. The loud gunshots rang sharply indoors and even spread outside the building.

During that moment, the others also drew their pistols. The muzzles swung toward Seo Jung-woo.

He had entered the building with his pistol set to rapid-fire mode. He pulled the trigger tightly, sweeping horizontally.

Eighteen bullets rained down on the enemies.

“Uwaaagh!”

The remaining four screamed and collapsed almost simultaneously. Some fired as they fell, but their bullets only struck the ceiling or the floor.

The firefight was brief. The battle ended as soon as he emptied one magazine with rapid fire.

He had brought two pistols. Although he also carried a silenced pistol loaded with subsonic rounds on his waist, there was no need to use it.

He quickly searched the building. There were no other enemies.

After replacing the magazine and holstering his pistol, he picked up two pistols that the enemies had been holding and fired at the walls and ceiling. The loud gunshots continued to echo through the building.

While firing, he searched the interior.

From the bags the enemies were packing, he found dollars and yen.

'Fifty thousand dollars and five million yen.'

He stuffed the money into a bag for now.

Weapons and forged passports were also found, but he had no use for them.

“Considering the size of their organization, this can’t be all the money they had. Did they stash the rest away in secret bank accounts?”

Since he had killed everyone here, finding out would be difficult.

“Well, I didn't come for the money anyway.”

He had come to annihilate those who had become his enemies.

He kept firing throughout the building until the magazines of the two pistols were emptied. After the bullets ran out, he grabbed two more pistols left by the enemies and fired again all around.

The noise sounded just like a fierce gun battle.

“This should be loud enough for anyone nearby to hear.”

Now that he had created the fake scene, it was time to eliminate any evidence besides the gunfire.

Seo Jung-woo pulled out four enhanced incendiary grenades. Though small in size, they contained an extract from a fire lizard’s bodily fluids, making them highly effective.

He threw the four incendiaries throughout the building. Since most of the place was open space except for the bathroom, it was easy to spread them out. He tossed one into the bathroom he had entered through.

Just before the grenades exploded, he used his parallel dimension teleport skill.

The scenery before his eyes shifted instantly. He transitioned not to the peaceful world he had fought in earlier, but to a world where gates had opened and monsters roamed.

“It should burn nicely.”

Japan had lost much strength compared to that world due to resource supply problems, but they still had enough power to close gates and hunt monsters. There was enough monster meat and processed chlorella food supplied that no one starved to death.

However, the core power for closing gates was the army. While the navy and air force played important roles in troop movements, reconnaissance, and supply transportation, it was the ground forces, especially infantry, that were critical for closing ground-based gates.

Japan suffered heavy damage during the early stages of the gate war due to weaker ground forces and larger national territory compared to Korea. Several cities fell during that time.

Since then, the public security situation had worsened. This was true in all countries, but Korea at least maintained a minimal legal system. Japan’s public security was a bit worse than Korea’s.

As soon as Seo Jung-woo arrived via dimensional movement, he aimed his pistol to the side.

There, two robbers who had been committing a robbery froze in place.

He flicked his muzzle lightly downward. The two quickly and quietly set their guns on the ground and fled.

Seo Jung-woo turned to the victim. Although the victim had been punched in the face, the injury wasn’t serious. Seo Jung-woo flicked his pistol again.

The victim caught on, bowed deeply, retrieved the gun that had been taken from him, and disappeared.

Seo Jung-woo checked the two pistols abandoned by the robbers. They were cheap guns, not worth taking along.

“Might as well head home.”

Although the security here was worse than in Korea, the city wasn’t complete lawlessness. Buses still operated normally.

He took a bus to the airport. Flights regularly ran between this airport and Korea’s Gangneung airbase. Although civilian flights were rare, military transport planes departed daily.

There were other passengers on the return flight.

Mid-flight, a man sitting across from him, Lee Dong-hoon, asked Seo Jung-woo:

“You don’t seem like a soldier. Are you some important guest with connections?”

“Seems like we both hitched a ride on a military transport because of urgent business.”

“I work on government affairs.”

“Good for you. I’m just here playing around.”

“Haha. You’re not going to reveal your identity?”

The man didn’t believe him.

“Let’s see. Were you sent to investigate an uncontrollable large gate in Japan? Or were you sent to capture a fugitive?”

The other person made a gun shape with their fingers.

“Since you didn’t bring anyone, you must’ve gone bang-bang on site?”

“Looks like you awakened some skill related to trace analysis.”

“Hehe. You smell like gunpowder, but not the kind that comes from firing just one or two shots. Also, there weren’t even any gates opening near the airport today. Let’s chat about that while we go. The flight is long anyway, and I’m curious.”

Seo Jung-woo let out a small laugh.

“You must have awakened a trace analysis skill because you’re so curious…”

His expression stiffened.

He abruptly stood up and headed for the cockpit.

“Any contact from Gangneung Air Base?”

“No, and just now we’re experiencing communication failures. Nothing is showing up on the radar either... Huh? The radar’s gone completely dead too!”

“Damn it. It’s an ambush.”

Lee Dong-hoon entered the cockpit with a tense face and asked,

“Fuel?”

“We have just enough to reach another airfield, but if we’re attacked in the air, we’ll crash due to fuel shortage.”

Gangneung Air Base was under attack by a swarm of flying monsters.

Jet fighters cannot take off in such a situation. If jets, controlled electronically, were launched and then hit by electromagnetic interference, they would all crash.

Several anti-air missiles were launched early on, but they were all neutralized by electromagnetic disruption. Some of the first missiles even circled back and exploded at the base, causing more damage.

Mechanical propeller-driven fighter planes, which use no electronics, can still fly under magical disruption. Several of these were deployed at Gangneung Air Base as well. However, even they couldn’t take off.

Too many flying monsters had swarmed in. Launching a squadron of propeller fighters under such overwhelming numbers would only lead to slaughter.

Instead, the anti-aircraft guns on the ground fired madly. Orange tracer rounds streaked constantly across the sky.

The commander of Gangneung Air Base shouted,

“Fire everything you’ve got!”

Suddenly, an observer looking through binoculars shouted,

“Transport plane approaching!”

The base commander was bewildered.

“Damn it! Can’t they see the situation here? Why the hell is a transport plane coming here? If they’re low on fuel, they should circle wide and bail out with parachutes!”

The observer with a long-distance surveillance skill switched to a high-caliber telescope to check the transport plane’s condition.

“The transport plane is resisting with onboard weapons!”

“It won’t last long like that! Signal them to turn away immediately!”

He wanted to order them to get out immediately, but the radio was dead too.

“Fire a signal flare at least!”

“Transport plane is still approaching!”

“Could it be too damaged to turn back? What’s the damage status on the transport plane?”

“Damage is... uh…”

The commander roared at the observer,

“Can’t you report properly?”

“There’s no damage!”

“No damage?”

“There’s no damage to the transport plane.”

“What are you saying? The monsters are just letting it be?”

“No, that’s not it…”

The observer, still peering through the high-caliber telescope, reported,

“It’s shooting down the flying monsters as it comes.”

“What? Is it a flying fortress or something?”

“No. It’s just a transport plane. One of ours, scheduled to arrive soon.”

At the front of the transport plane, a manually operated 20mm autocannon was installed.

Firing a 20mm autocannon mid-flight increases its power even more. With that force, it could easily tear apart small flying monsters with relatively thin hides.

Several monsters targeted the transport plane. Those coming from the front were shredded by the autocannon fire that Seo Jung-woo operated.

Some tried approaching from the sides. Lee Dong-hoon, who had the trace analysis skill, climbed up to the upper turret. His shooting skills were fairly decent, and he quickly took out the ones approaching from the sides.

The co-pilot was seated at the lower turret.

Originally, military transport planes don’t man all turrets. If they had the personnel for that, they would send them to the front lines instead.

If there were no passengers, sometimes a gunner would be aboard, but with passengers onboard, the standard here was for them to man the turrets themselves if flying monsters appeared.

Seo Jung-woo aimed at a monster diving toward the ground anti-aircraft guns and pulled the trigger.

Even skills with the same name have varying effects. Shooting skills differ in accuracy and applicable weapon types too.

Seo Jung-woo’s shooting skill applied to the autocannon as well. His level and proficiency were so high that his accuracy was exceptional.

The 20mm autocannon shells he fired tore through the monster cleanly.

The transport plane’s pilot leaned down to look toward Seo Jung-woo and shouted,

“That’s amazing! Can we keep flying over the base?”

“Landing now is too dangerous, so let’s do that instead.”

Gangneung Air Base had taken considerable damage but hadn’t lost its defensive capabilities. The anti-aircraft guns were still roaring, steadily reducing enemy numbers.

An aide shouted,

“The number of flying monsters is decreasing!”

The base commander pumped his fist in the air in joy.

“Good! At this rate, we’ll win! But seriously, who’s on that transport plane? It feels like an armored bomber squadron showed up or something!”

As the number of flying monsters thinned, the transport plane also got a brief moment to catch its breath. Lee Dong-hoon, from the upper turret, shouted excitedly,

“Hahaha! Bring it on! Bring it all on!”

Seo Jung-woo’s expression suddenly hardened. He sensed a far stronger killing intent than before.

Seo Jung-woo knew well the kind of beings that radiated such overwhelming killing intent.

“Damn it. A boss monster has appeared.”

The observer screamed,

“A wyvern has appeared!”

The base commander, flustered, shouted in alarm,

“What are you saying! A wyvern, all of a sudden? Confirm it properly!”

The observer with a long-distance surveillance skill quickly turned the high-caliber telescope and after checking, shouted,

“Confirmed! It’s a wyvern!”

A wyvern is a medium-class monster. The one that appeared now was over 30 meters long.

Wyverns aren’t just big; their hides are tough too. Rifle bullets are completely ineffective, and even anti-aircraft shells can’t do much unless it’s a direct hit.

The base commander shouted,

“Are the anti-air missiles still offline?”

“It seems that wyvern is the center of the electromagnetic disruption! The interference is getting stronger!”

“What? Goddamn it!”