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Kang Chan quickly looked at Kwak Cheol-Ho.
‘Please go!’
The look in Kwak Cheol-Ho’s eyes answered for him.
However if they failed to properly position a sniper here, they would all be in danger. That was why Kang Chan took it upon himself to take charge of this area in the first place.
Whoosh! Swooosh! Pew! Pew! Swooosh!
Sparks ignited like fireworks as tracer bullets darted back and forth between them and the enemies.
They had discovered where the enemies were—and there were a lot of them.
Considering the gunfight started without Kang Chan’s signal, it was likely caused by a unit from the South Korean special forces passing in front of the enemy’s camp.
Kang Chan nodded, then immediately moved.
He was sixty meters away from the battle.
Kang Chan couldn’t run because it was still dark and he didn’t know where the enemies were, but that didn’t mean he could keep dawdling. Hence, he immediately made his way toward the fight as fast as he could without making any noise.
The closer he was, the louder the gunshots became.
With his rifle at the ready, he closed in further.
‘I just have to find one!’
Taking down one of the enemies would be enough to distract them.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Seeing a red line flying toward the enemy from the top of the mountain, Kang Chan assumed that the sniper in Cha Dong-Gyun’s designated area had reached their position and began to open fire.
Kang Chan gradually picked up his pace.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Pew! Pew! Pew!
Battles like this would never stop halfway through. In a situation like this, it was most likely that the enemies would decide to take the detour route so it was clear which way Kang Chan should be moving.
Kang Chan was prepared to pull the trigger as soon as he found a target, no matter who it was.
It was hard to avoid casualties now that they were the ones compromised first.
“Huff. Huff.”
Kang Chan felt the world slowing down again. His intuition had kicked in, which meant an enemy was nearby!
Pew!
Enemy soldiers rained down bullets on Kang Chan’s troops, each one leaving a red trail in the air.
Whooosh! Whoosh!
Naturally, Kang Chan’s troops fired back.
He was now only around twenty meters away from the enemy’s military headquarters.
Nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen meters

Kang Chan saw a round shape between a tree and a rock. Two tiny parts of it were luminous, like an animal’s eyes.
Clank!
Soon, he heard the sound of the enemy’s gun turning to the side.
Whoosh! Bam!
As the enemy looked behind him, the world quickly returned to its original speed.
Pew! Pew!
By the time two bullets flew toward Kang Chan, he was already on his stomach.
Targeting where the sparks came from, he quickly pushed himself back to his feet with his left hand, then quickly turned to the right.
Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!
He was now in the enemy’s camp.
Bullets flew toward Kang Chan, determined to kill him at all costs.
Pow! Pow! Pow!
Trees and rocks exploded all around him. As they shattered, the noises they made sounded as if they were screaming for being unjustly shot at.
It seemed the South Korean special forces were advancing as well, considering the sparks coming from both sides kept getting closer and closer.
Someone had to cover Kang Chan.
Now matter how talented he was or how hard he tried, he couldn’t stand up without knowing the exact location of their enemies.
Pew! Pow! Pew! Pew! Pow!
Three soldiers approached his location and kept him under fire.
Damn it!
His best option in this situation was to escape, but the SBS wouldn’t miss it if he recklessly exposed his back.
Kang Chan gritted his teeth.
Considering their numbers, one of them had to be covering fire. If that soldier was anywhere near Seok Kang-Ho’s level, then Kang Chan would be shot in the forehead or neck if he tried to fire back twice.
One
!
Pew! Pew!
However, before Kang Chan could count to two, a bullet flew toward where Kwak Cheol-Ho used to be.
Pew! Bam!
Kang Chan immediately stood up straight as soon as he heard someone getting shot.
Pew! Pew!
Thud!
Kang Chan killed one of the three soldiers zoning in on him. Just a bit later and he would have had to face his opponents head-on like in Western movies.
Crackle.
“The snipers have been deployed,” Kwak Cheol-Ho radioed in. As he did, bullets flew from above the mountain.
With the South Korean special forces’ snipers and soldiers delivering concentrated fire, the enemy’s aggression evidently subsided.
However, Kang Chan couldn’t advance any further either. Even if his men kept their opponents under fire, their opponents could still shoot back.
After some time, a faint light started to spread from the horizon.
Swooosh! Swooosh!
Every now and then, Kang Chan heard gunshots from the snipers.
Now that the sun was rising, Kang Chan and his team basically won half of this battle.
SWOOSH!
Considering Kang Chan also heard sniper shots from the area Choi Jong-Il was in charge of, Seok Kang-Ho’s team also had to be in the middle of a fight.
‘Everything’s going to be okay, right?’
Kang Chan now had difficulty even imagining a life without Seok Kang-Ho.
Kang Chan suddenly felt tired of fighting.
Why am I doing all this bullshit? For what? What if I lose Seok Kang-Ho in the middle of all this?
As the sky brightened

Crackle.
“Two of my men are seriously injured. Cha Dong-Gyun, cover them.”
Kang Chan heard Seok Kang-Ho grumbling on the radio.
Crackle.
“Fuck! Get down here! Snipers, keep covering them!”
Hearing the fucker swear on the walkie-talkie again made Kang Chan happy.
Swooosh! Swooosh!
The snipers faithfully carried out Seok Kang-Ho’s orders.
Five minutes passed.
Crackle.
“The enemies are waving the white flag. What should we do?” Choi Jong-Il radioed in.
Kang Chan was in a predicament. He wasn’t confident in his English, but he couldn’t just pretend as if he didn’t notice them.
Crackle.
“Everyone on standby but keep your guard up. Snipers, prepare to cover me,” Kang Chan ordered, then slowly walked forward.
The SBS waving the white flag was a little suspicious, but Kang Chan doubted they would attack him after surrendering. A special forces team’s honor could sometimes be more important than death.
Clank!
The enemy that Kang Chan met had his rifle’s muzzle aimed toward the sky.
“We want to speak with the God of Blackfield[1].”
They were speaking French. Although their pronunciation was bad, Kang Chan clearly understood what they meant.
“I’m the God of Blackfield[2],” Kang Chan said.
Their enemy looked at Kang Chan suspiciously, then slowly raised his left hand and radioed someone.
It was difficult for Kang Chan to understand what they were saying because they were speaking fast English. However, considering he heard ‘God of Blackfield’ twice in the middle of the sentence, it sounded as if they were saying that the God of Blackfield had appeared.
Rustle.
Clank! Clank!
Seok Kang-Ho and two other soldiers squeezed their way through the forest and approached Kang Chan.
“What are those sons of bitches saying?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.
“They said they’re looking for me.”
As Seok Kang-Ho glared at their enemy, seemingly about to shoot them at any moment, two men from the enemy’s side revealed themselves.
“Are you the God of Blackfield?” one of them asked Kang Chan in French. His pronunciation was poorer than Kim Mi-Young's.
“Tell me what you want,” Kang Chan said.
“Can you speak a bit slower?”
“I said, ‘tell me what you want.’”
The man looked to be around his mid-thirties and had a physique so firm it was like a gorilla’s.
“Russia deceived us. We have already received an evacuation order from our country before this battle started. If it’s okay with you, we would like to withdraw now.”
What kind of bullshit is he talking about?
Kang Chan cocked his head while fiercely glaring at them.
“We have already asked for France’s understanding through the DGSE. You have killed thirteen of our members and injured four of them. Our government has told us to tell you that they will visit you if the God of Blackfield chooses to be considerate of our situation.”
Kang Chan exhaled softly.
Since they were fighting special forces who had trespassed into France’s territory, the DGSE allowing them to retreat meant that Lanok had agreed to it.
They didn’t have to insist on fighting each other anymore.
The gorilla frowned, seemingly perplexed.
“Is it true that you went to Switzerland to destroy the Hadron Collider?” Kang Chan asked.
The gorilla’s cheek moved, seemingly gritting his teeth. “God of Blackfield, as soldiers, we only act as commanded. Even if we become captives, I’m sure you’re already aware that we still won’t disclose our identities or any information about our orders. Hence, capturing us will only give France, the United Kingdom, and South Korea’s Intelligence Bureau a problem to deal with.”
The gorilla didn’t avoid Kang Chan’s eyes even a little.
“Alright. Let’s end the fight here, then. However, you must leave your helmets,” Kang Chan said.
Showcasing the helmets of those who had surrendered was an old custom of the special forces team. This humiliated the surrenderees, but wasn’t it only natural for the victor to take home a trophy for winning a battle that put their lives at risk? risking their lives? The helmets would be a gift for Jeon Dae-Geuk, Kim Hyung-Jung, Choi Seong-Geon, and all the soldiers who fought here.
The gorilla glared at Kang Chan as if he was going to kill him. He glared for so long that his eyes turned bloodshot, but unfortunately for him, Kang Chan wasn’t the type to back down from such a look.
After about a minute, the gorilla nodded once, took off his helmet, and threw it in front of Kang Chan.
Bam!
That sound marked the end of their long battle.
Bam! Bam!
The enemies nearby also threw their helmets.
***
After the SBS’ surrender, Kang Chan told GĂ©rard their location through the satellite phone. They were about three hundred meters away from the basin.
One of their members was shot in the thigh, and another was shot in the groin. The one that was shot just left of his groin was in especially bad shape. Hence, Kang Chan also told GĂ©rard to bring a medical team. Afterward, they injected morphine into the injured and waited for at least an hour before the medical team could reach them.
Kang Chan positioned sentries and snipers all around them just in case.
“Can we smoke here?” Seok Kang-Ho asked, and the members looked at Kang Chan with twinkling eyes.
“If you have any extra, give me one.”
Most of the soldiers took out cigarettes.
Chk chk! Chk chk! Chk chk!
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When a lighter lit up, around four men rushed toward it to light their cigarettes. Seok Kang-Ho lit up two and gave both to Kang Chan.
“Whoo!”
Smoking made Kang Chan less nervous.
The sunlight was blinding. In this beautiful scenery, they were forced to fight a battle to the death.
Kang Chan felt tired of fights like this.
After smoking, the five soldiers and two snipers sat against rocks and trees along with everyone except for those who had gone off to switch shifts.
Kang Chan missed instant coffee, ramen, kimchi soup, and the hot rice that he ate at home. He also missed Kang Dae-Kyung, Yoo Hye-Sook, and Kim Mi-Young.
He wanted to see the people who made all his battles worth it, the people he didn't have a business or political dealings with, and the people who valued Kang Chan as much as he valued them.
“Let’s go on a trip when we get back to South Korea,” Kang Chan said.
Seok Kang-Ho, who was biting on his second cigarette to light it, looked at Kang Chan with an expression that said, ‘What’s he saying?’
“Whoo! Let’s go. With you, I’m willing to even go to hell,” Seok Kang-Ho said soon after.
Smirking, Kang Chan bit on another cigarette. “How many people have we killed so far?”
What’s wrong with this gentleman?
Seok Kang-Ho looked at Kang Chan suspiciously.
“I’m probably having absurd thoughts because of how scenic this mountain is,” Kang Chan continued.
“I think that’s because you had to lead everyone throughout the entire operation. As I said, you seemed unusually sharper than ever. You’re bound to feel the fatigue as soon as that sensation goes away. Let’s rest when we get back to Seoul, then visit great places and eat good food.”
Kang Chan nodded.
***
Kang Chan got on the helicopter and approached GĂ©rard, but they couldn’t leave immediately because their injured had to get treated first.
“You guys are going to get surgery here. I’ll take care of everything, including how you guys return home, so don’t worry too much,” Kang Chan told them.
“Thank you.” The two looked as if they were trying hard to maintain a firm expression.
After saying goodbye to the injured, who had to stay behind, the South Korean special forces team got on the cargo aircraft.
They had cup ramen, c-rations, and instant coffee for breakfast.
“GĂ©rard, I’m going to get some sleep,” Kang Chan said.
“Go ahead.”
When Kang Chan lay down on the hospital bed, Seok Kang-Ho and the others lay down on their respective beds as well.
Kang Chan quickly fell asleep, waking up only when the aircraft began its landing at the United States’ military base in Qatar.
“Phew!”
Kang Chan felt as if he had just woken up from an extremely long dream. Seeing the soldiers sitting in front of him made his senses return to reality.
Kang Chan couldn’t help but smirk.
They all look proud.
Cha Dong-Gyun went to the back and brought over bottled water. He opened the lid and poured it into Kang Chan’s hand so that he could wash his face twice. Kang Chan then took the bottle and had a few sips.
“Would you like some coffee?” Cha Dong-Gyun asked Kang Chan.
“Why would the senior ask something like that?”
“Don’t worry. I like doing it and I’m about to get a cup myself anyway.” Cha Dong-Gyun’s sharp eyes showed how happy he was.
As Kang Chan nodded to Cha Dong-Gyun’s offer, Seok Kang-Ho woke up noisily. “Ugh! Ugh! Why is my throat so dry?”
Kang Chan poured water into Seok Kang-Ho’s hands, and Seok Kang-Ho used it to wash his face. He then took the bottle and downed the water.
“Did I snore a lot?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.
“I don’t know. I also slept soundly.”
The others turned away and smiled, a clear indication that Seok Kang-Ho’s snores were loud.
As Cha Dong-Gyun brought over coffee, GĂ©rard also approached Kang Chan from the front of the plane. When Cha Dong-Gyun saw Seok Kang-Ho and GĂ©rard, he quickly headed to the back again.
Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho began drinking their cups of coffee.
“I heard the surgery went well. Their lives are not in danger anymore. The soldier who was shot in the groin won’t have trouble making children either,” GĂ©rard told Kang Chan.
Cha Dong-Gyun brought over two cups of coffee and handed one to GĂ©rard.
“GĂ©rard said that the surgeries of our injured went well and that they won’t have trouble making children,” Kang Chan informed his team.
The members were so happy that they clapped.
“I have a favor to ask you,” GĂ©rard asked Kang Chan.
“What is it?”
GĂ©rard handed over a cigarette to Kang Chan, then glanced at Cha Dong-Gyun while taking out a lighter.
“Can I have one of the SBS’ helmets?”
Kang Chan lit up his cigarette, then stared at GĂ©rard.
“I”m going to consider it as a souvenir from you. Aren’t people supposed to give a helmet to each member of the team that participated in the operation?”
Kang Chan looked at GĂ©rard while cocking his head.
He was right.
If a team was joined by another in an operation, they were supposed to share the spoils of war with the team that acted as their backup.
Word about this operation would definitely spread, which made Kang Chan concerned. Was it okay to spread rumors so publicly? Would GĂ©rard talk about Kang Chan to his team after getting a helmet?
Kang Chan discretely turned his head to Cha Dong-Gyun, who was off to the side. “GĂ©rard says that the Foreign Legion’s special forces team wants a helmet. What should we do?”
“Well, what are we supposed to do in this situation?”
“We normally share the helmets with all the teams that went on the operation.”
“Alright.”
Cha Dong-Gyun sent a soldier a glance, who then opened a military crate and handed over a helmet.
Cha Dong-Gyun brought it over, and GĂ©rard accepted it.
The two half-grown chicks shook hands while looking at each other.
At that moment, the South Korean special forces team grew. They had just earned fame that couldn’t be ignored.
However, that came with the cost of more people looking forward to fighting them. Still, at the very least, they would no longer get pushed aside during joint training sessions just because of their name value.
GĂ©rard gave Cha Dong-Gyun a thumbs up, then did the same to all of the soldiers.
Getting injured seemed to have only made him better in showmanship.
On the other hand, it could be some form of bond that those who liked Kang Chan shared.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Lights flickered as the aircraft began to take off.
“Would you like to have some ramen?” Kwak Cheol-Ho asked.
Don’t these fuckers ever get sick and tired of ramen and coffee?
“We will have to buy instant coffee and ramen if we get to go on our next operation,” Choi Jong-Il joked.
“I’m good, so you guys eat if you want,” Kang Chan said.
The happiness that came from suffering no casualties was the best thing about returning home alive. However, if they kept lingering near muddy grounds, they were bound to be splattered with mud sooner or later. They could even fall in.
For the special forces team, that could mean their death.
Should I make them the best team in the world?
‘Don’t think about that.’
Kang Chan shook his head. He wanted to spend some time away from fights like this.
1. This was written as ëˆ„ìš°ëž”ëĄ± ëč ë€Œ (Nous voulons parler) which is a transliteration of ‘we want to speak’ in French ☜
2. This was written as ‘Je suis’, which means ‘I am’ in French ☜