God of Blackfield

“Thirty minutes. Our allies are in danger. Please.”

He didn’t have to radio his sentiments. The weapons and the maintenance teams wouldn’t slack off in this situation anyway. Still, considering the distance, he wanted to get every second he could get.

‘Please!’

Park Seung-Young knew better than anyone how terrifying a fighter jet could be to ground troops.

Soon, the weapons team moved away from the aircraft. The ladder was removed as well.

Clunk.

Looking to his left, he found the chief of the maintenance team giving him a thumbs-up.

‘Please protect the skies of South Korea!’

They had exchanged the same gesture countless times in training and on emergency dispatches.

Urrrrrng.

As the jets whirred awake, seemingly raring to take off, Park Seung-Yong raised his left hand and gave a thumbs-up as well.

‘Believe in us!’

The chief of the maintenance team pointed forward with his index and middle fingers.

Whoooooosh!

The fighter jets took off without a hitch.

***

Chk.

“There’s a cave a hundred and fifty meters ahead!” Nam Il-Gyu radioed in.

Kang Chan didn’t expect the DMZ team to be able to scout that far ahead.

Chk.

“DMZ team! Lead the men there!”

Taking care to speak politely to his elders at a time like this was ridiculous.

Chk.

“Positioning the men.”

They didn’t have time to think about whether the cave was too high up or how deep it was. For now, they could only hope for a place to hide, preferably one where the enemies couldn’t see the entrance from above.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Kang Chan rushed out. Gérard, Choi Jong-Il, and Woo Hee-Seung followed him from the barracks.

“Hurry! Help them!”

Choi Jong-Il and Woo Hee-Seung carried some of the boxes of ammo and grenades.

Carrying basic equipment like medicine on their backs, everyone rushed to the mountains. The DMZ team led the way.

Kang Chan suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

This had to be the reason he felt the urge to look at the mountain!

Chk.

“DMZ team! Check the perimeter of the cave for snipers! If there’s any in the area, we won’t be able to avoid being shot at!” Kang Chan ordered.

Chk.

“Nam Il-Gyu! Take three men with you and guard the nine o’clock of the entrance,” Kang Chul-Gyu instructed. “Yang Dong-Sik! Three men at twelve o’clock! I’ll handle the rest!”

Everyone was tuned to the same frequency. Hence, he didn’t have to nag them to be careful or divide themselves into groups.

Considering it was one hundred fifty meters away, they’d likely take ten minutes to get there. The fighter jets would be on them in twenty-five.

‘Those motherfuckers!’

If they failed to get to the cave before then, it would all be over. The jets could easily shoot them while they were in the open or make the cave collapse if they saw them entering it.

Chk.

“Cha Dong-Gyun! Set up our snipers where you think there will be movement! Withdraw after twenty minutes!”

Chk.

“Yes, sir!”

Chk.

“Daye! Secure the perimeter in front of the cave!”

Chk.

“Got it, Cap!”

Chk.

“DMZ team! They could just fire missiles at us once we’ve entered the cave! Make sure we’re out of range! We don’t have much time left!”

Chk.

“Understood,” Kang Chul-Gyu replied.

Kang Chan quickly turned around.

“Gérard! On me! We’re heading to the back of the mountain! There could be enemy snipers or missiles there!”

“Oui!”

Kang Chan ran along the mountains to the flat plain to his right.

Click! Click!

Right after, he leaped onto the ridge. Rifles, pistols, and bayonets clanked as the others followed.

Chk.

“All snipers are in position!” Cha Dong-Gyun radioed.

***

Swiiiiiish.

Eight fighters soared across the sky. Park Seung-Yong led four aircraft. Lee Ki-Do led the other four.

“We’re still not sure what the enemies are flying.”

“I won’t waste time with that. You’re familiar with Iran’s air power, aren’t you?”

Once engaged, units three and four would cover units one and two, respectively. Units one and two would move back again along the formation.

Park Seung-Young looked at both sides. “Forget about the bombing. Our goal is to protect our allies.”

They were so high up that the horizon looked rounded, following the shape of Earth.

Although the ground seemed to move slowly, most people wouldn’t be able to breathe at the speed they were going. Some would even vomit.

“Can we engage?” Lee Ki-Do asked.

Recalling the situation room telling him to use his own judgment, Park Seung-Yong steeled his resolve.

“Shoot down any enemy that attacks our allies,” Park Seung-Yong ordered as if he had forgotten that they would be up against thirty enemy aircrafts.

***

“We have to prevent any further takeoffs from Iran.”

- Vasili, you’ll have to leave that to Yang Bum.

Vasili stared coldly at the monitor in front of him.

“Considering Romain has influenced the political regimes, the Star of David is bound to move.”

- All of this will be meaningless if Monsieur Kang dies.

Vasili gritted his teeth. “What about Romain?”

- We have already dispatched agents.

“Good. I will teach Josh the horrors of the KGB, then.”

- I’ll dispatch the GSG-9 again as soon as I’ve talked to the prime minister.

“The Spetsnaz needs three hours.”

- That would mean Monsieur Kang would have to hold out for six hours.

Ludwig sounded thick with regret.

“Hmph! If this was enough to kill Monsieur Kang I would have already dealt with him myself.”

- Alright. I’ll call you as soon as I’ve met with the prime minister. Is this really what Lanok expected?

“Maybe not to this extent, but definitely something close to it. This moment will dictate the future, so quiet negotiations won’t be enough to put an end to it. If Monsieur Kang wins, the Star of David will have to reveal themselves to deal with our president, Germany’s chancellor, China’s leader, and France.”

- I didn’t expect Monsieur Kang to become so influential.

“Yes. Unfortunately, we are just mere side characters in this battle. Anyway, hurry, Ludwig.”

Vasili hung up and then called another number.

After a brief moment of silence, he said, “Who was it that hid the president’s call from me?”

Vasili tilted his head and smiled.

“Arrest him, his children, brothers, and every living relative. Submit evidence as you see fit, and charge him with arms trafficking. Oh, kill his wife. Just say she resisted. The others can serve life in Siberia.”

After hearing a response, he nodded.

“I’ll report to the president.”

Vasili put down the phone and picked up a bottle of vodka.

Glug.

His eyes glinted as he held up his glass.

“Lanok, you scary bastard! I can’t believe you got me to bet everything I have!”

Vasili acted like Lanok and Kang Chan were right in front of him.

“Monsieur Kang, if you die, I won’t let you rest—not even in hell.”

Vasili drained his glass in one swift gulp. He then grimaced, seemingly finding the drink quite strong.

***

“Those idiots!” Warab Amedi of the UIS fumed.

The snipers were meant to take out the enemy in one fell swoop, whether they came in helicopters or traveling up the mountain on foot. However, the fighter jets’ intervention had ruined a part of the big picture he had been forming.

He had thought they would just be keeping the South Korean fighter jets at bay.

‘We’re too out of sync!’

Now that Abibu was gone, they lacked proper communication.

The UIS couldn’t really care less about Romain. They wouldn’t obediently follow the orders of the French DGSE.

Amedi gripped the end of the table.

The UIS’ declaration of independence, the attacks of terrorism that were supposed to ensue, and the enormous dealings behind the curtains were now being combated alone by the small country of South Korea. To make matters worse, that damn brat was leading the way.

“We’ll be on standby until the fighter jets return. Tell the snipers to launch the missiles or shoot at the first opportunity.”

His subordinate immediately left the underground tunnel to carry out his orders.

***

They only had ten minutes left now.

Thanks to Kang Chan, everyone was already aware of the situation.

Chk.

“Captain, I’m already in front of the cave. I’ll stay here until all the enemy snipers have been taken out,” Seok Kang-Ho reported as he kept an eye on the opposite side. He had already spread his men around the cave.

Although he was often criticized for not being able to use his head for anything but food, he was second to none in combat.

As far as he could tell, the enemies only had five viable positions they could take. After all, portable missiles that could be carried by people had obvious limitations. If they were too high above the cave, they would blow the entrance and not much more.

Seok Kang-Ho glanced at his watch.

‘Hurry!’

***

Kang Chan had run up the mountain, muffling the sound as he descended.

Snipers were supposed to be on two-man teams.

However, the ones who were alone—covered in camouflage, branches, and various other foliage—were more frightening.

Halfway down the mountain, the path suddenly forked diagonally.

They were too short on time. They had already used up fifteen minutes without much time.

Rustle.

Kang Chan looked back to where he had run up from.

He wasn’t sure if it was because he was in a hurry, but the dirt under the right toe of his boot crumbled easily.

Gérard, rifle in hand, covered their right, and Kang Chan kept watch of the other side.

Haah. Haah.

‘One, two, three, four, five.’

The enemy still hadn’t done anything.

Kang Chan gestured to the front with a nod. Since it was dangerous for them to move at the same time, Kang Chan decided to cover their rear while Gérard, who was in the back, proceeded onward.

Kang Chan scanned the area ahead of Gérard, who was descending the mountain.

Just then, under the bright sunlight, spiky leaves rattled in the wind.

Gérard froze. He raised two fingers, then pointed forward twice.

They had two enemies ahead.

Haah. Haah.

Cautiously yet quickly, Kang Chan moved toward Gérard.

Motherfuckers!

Twenty meters down, he saw grass sticking out of the bushes at a completely wrong angle. Three paces away from the sniper, a soldier was covering him, nervously glaring at the cave.

Still squatting, Kang Chan raised his rifle and looked at Gérard.

‘One, two!’

Pew! Thud! Pew! Thud!

The sniper’s head exploded like a watermelon. At the same time, Gérard shot the soldier in the neck.

Pew! Thud!

Kang Chan immediately fired another shot. Blood spurted from the back of the soldier’s skull.

***

Upon hearing a gunshot echo nearby, Kang Chul-Gyu pulled out the bayonet hanging around his left shoulder.

He heard three shots in total—two were fired in quick succession, while the third came a moment later. That was all he needed to know that they had taken out two men, and the extra shot was done to confirm the kill.

‘It’s Kang Chan!’

Kang Chul-Gyu lowered his stance and waited for the enemy’s reaction. Soon, one of them glanced back, then peeked into his scope again.

Haah. Haah.

I was already doing this when you boys were still learning how to walk.

The most frightening enemy one could encounter was those who’d shoot them from the back while they were trying to sneak up on another enemy. Hence, when Kang Chul-Gyu began to move, two of his subordinates turned around to cover their rear.

Like a leopard that had spotted its prey, Kang Chul-Gyu crouched down and stuck to the ground, keeping his head hidden among the grass.

The next moment, he lunged forward.

Swish!

The enemy turned back in surprise. As they locked gazes, Kang Chul-Gyu grabbed him with his left hand and twisted his neck.

Crack! Jab!

At the same time, he stabbed the sniper’s guard in the neck with the bayonet in his right hand.

Shing!

After pulling the bayonet out, Kang Chul-Gyu pointed his right index and middle fingers toward his eyes, then forward again.

His two team members quickly disappeared into the forest.

***

Nam Il-Gyu nodded at the two men following him.

They had spotted two enemies.

Nam Il-Gyu could take them down alone, but time was of the essence.

Earlier, he had heard three gunshots. Considering Kang Chul-Gyu and Yang Dong-Sik never used guns in covert operations, he concluded that Kang Chan had taken out some snipers.

His two team members got into position and then glanced at him.

‘One, two, three!’

The moment the enemies turned their heads, bayonets were plunged into their throats.

Swish!

Jab! Jab!

Right after, Nam Il-Gyu and his men quickly withdrew their weapons.

Shing!

Nam Il-Gyu gazed ahead of him. If he had time, he would have cut off their heads and hung them on a tree.

***

Jab! Jab!

Yang Dong-Sik pulled the bayonet that was deep in the sniper’s neck up toward his uvula. The area around the writhing enemy’s neck was stained with blood, but he didn’t have the time to dwell on it.

‘Hurry!’

Yang Dong-Sik’s eyes glinted as he nodded toward the front.

Dash!

At the same time, two men rushed forward.

The bastards that targeted South Korean soldiers, the Assistant Director, and his shining juniors!

Yang Dong-Sik was about to move forward when the head of one of his men snapped back and blood splattered out of it.

Thud!

As his subordinate slumped to the ground, Yang Dong-Sik looked up.

The enemies were above them!

***

Hearing the gunshot, Kang Chan immediately got the gist of where the enemies were located.

They didn’t have enough time to get up there, but they couldn’t and shouldn’t go into the cave while snipers were still outside either.

Kang Chan quickly pressed a button on his radio.

Chk.

“DMZ team! Send a crackle if your group has taken out snipers.”

Chk. Chhk. Chk.

After hearing three crackles in total, Kang Chan spoke into the radio again.

Chk.

“We found one hiding on our five o’clock, which means we’ve taken out four snipers in total. DMZ team, head to the cave.”

Gérard sharply protected Kang Chan while the latter was issuing orders.

“Don’t let your bloodlust get ahead of you. You’ll have to eliminate all the snipers on the way to Rukha and any other variables later, so get back to the cave immediately.”

Once Kang Chan was done speaking, Kang Chul-Gyu pressed the button on his radio.

Chk.

“Pull out.”

Chk.

“Gérard! We’ll take care of those two over there,” Kang Chan said.

As his eyes burned ferociously, Gérard nodded. “Oui!”

Whoooosh!

Hearing a noise from the skies, Kang Chan looked up just in time to see a fighter jet cutting through the clouds.

Damn it!

They got here faster than he had thought.

Kang Chan gritted his teeth and ran upward.

***

Swoosh!

Discovering their allies, the enemy planes began to spread out.

“Lee Ki-Do! Shoot down the Phantoms! Do whatever it takes to stop them from bombing our allies!”

Swiiiiiish!

Being in the air with enemy planes was scary. In this high-tech age, missiles and radar detection were more likely to determine victory than dogfights.

“We’ll stop the MiGs while Lee Ki-Do gets the Phantom!”

Park Seung-Yong pulled the control stick.

Whoooosh!

His plane soared, making it seem like the sky was tilting and switching places with the ground.

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.

“Unit One! I’ve got an enemy plane on my six!”

“I need more time!”

An enemy plane appeared on his radar.

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.

Competition? Honor! Eat this!

The Phantoms had soared all the way here to bomb the ground forces.

He needed to catch all the MiGs he could and draw in as many enemy planes as possible so Lee Ki-Do could catch the damn Phantoms.

At the very least, their allies would be safe for as long as they could keep the hostile planes engaged in aerial combat.

Zooooooom!

The ground flashed by like a three-dimensional graphic.

‘Please!’

Zooooooom!

His surroundings spun.

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.

“Unit One! Enemy aircraft closing in from the rear! Be careful!”

Park Seung-Yong gritted his teeth and pushed the side lever.

Just then, the radar-lock alarm blared. The enemy plane had entered the target box.

Beeeeep!

Park Seung-Yong pressed the fire button, sending out one of the AMRAAMs attached to his wings.

Peeeeeew!

Right after, he pushed the side lever as far as he could.

His Falcon plunged almost vertically.

“I’ve got a bogie on my six!” Unit Three shouted.

Zooom! Zoooooooom!

As the upside-down Falcon plummeted to the ground, Park Seung-Yong gritted his teeth to steady his fading vision.

“Unit Three! Get under the enemy! I’ve got you!”

The Falcon shuddered as an enemy plane soared below it.

Swiiiish!

“Evasive maneuvers!” Park Seung-Yong shouted. He swung the control stick to the left.

Booooom!

Right after, one of the Phantoms burst into flames and plummeted.

A series of warnings soon blared, warning Park Seung-Yong that his Falcon was now in range of the enemy.

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.

“Unit Three! Now!”

Swiiiiish!

As Unit Three swerved right and then left, Park Seung-Yong dove into the gap.

Determined to engulf the entire area in a sea of fire, the enemy had sent a dozen F-4 Phantoms. On top of that, they had also deployed ten F-14 Tomcats and eight MiG 29s.

Booooom!

Another enemy Phantom burst into flames and plunged to the ground.

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.

More planes came after them. One even closely followed after Park Seung-Yong. Fortunately, they were in the air.

Evasive Maneuver.

It was a nice name, but it was really just a feint.

He would draw a long line like he was going right but suddenly go left!

Park Seung-Yong pushed the throttle lever and pulled the side stick toward him.

Whirrrrr!

The sky and ground turned upside down and then back to normal.

Unit Three had evaded its enemy. However, Unit Seven was still under pressure.

“Unit Seven! Escape! Escape!” Lee Ki-Do frantically shouted into the radio.

At that moment, Unit Seven was hit. Its wings caught on fire, sending it spiraling down.

Boooom!

It exploded in midair before the pilot could escape.

Unfortunately, there was no time to lament his death.

“I’ve got an enemy on my tail!” Lee Ki-Do urgently radioed in.

Park Seung-Yong jerked the throttle lever and side stick wildly.