Chapter 1

0001 / 0419 ———————————————-

1-1. Blackfield.

A burst of hot air and dust invaded the tent.

"Today's operation is to neutralize the leadership of the Sunni extremist group SISS. Our side consists of five squads, 49 in total, including us. The enemy is individually armed, and the estimated number of troops is between 350 and 500."

Sahran, the squad leader, pointed at the stretched map with a baton as he explained the operation.

"What?"

"Just wait."

When Dayeru, an Algerian, asked in slightly better English than French, Kang Chan gave a brief answer.

"Squad 3 is responsible for clearing the path and providing cover. Remember, the operation continues until the enemy leader, Masalan, is killed. Once successful, we withdraw regardless of the remaining enemies."

"Chan?"

"Got it!"

Dayeru rolled his large eyes and pulled his neck in.

"The departure is in 30 minutes. Any questions? Kang Chan!"

As Sahran finished speaking and nodded, all eyes turned to Kang Chan.

"Is the drop time the same as before?"

Sahran nodded without hesitation at Kang Chan's fluent French, and the meeting was over.

There were 30 minutes left until departure, just enough time to check the equipment and smoke a cigarette.

"Chan!"

Dayeru, whose bicep was as thick as Kang Chan's thigh, was a giant. Bald with large eyes, his dark skin made his eyes and white teeth stand out. His aggressive nature, which made him unable to back down once provoked, led him to respect Kang Chan, the squad leader, who was even more ruthless.

"Daye!"

"Yes."

"Kill. And when I say, retreat. Got it? Kill! I give the signal! Retreat! Got it?"

"Okay!"

Dayeru had followed Kang Chan in dozens of battles, large and small. For Dayeru, who couldn't understand the urgent French from the radio, Kang Chan's clear and concise instructions were his only lifeline.

"Let's go."

At the squad leader's command, Kang Chan stood up, and the squad members followed.

The squad, consisting of twelve members, was still short by three.

A Korean squad leader, three Algerians, one Australian, two Americans, and two French. The official language was French, and while it was emphasized, Dayeru had passed the test thanks to Kang Chan's relentless efforts, and he had brought him this far.

The wind in Africa was dry and hot.

Breathing felt like the heat was melting his nose and lungs, so covering his nose and mouth with a muffler was actually refreshing.

There were still about 20 minutes left to the destination, so Kang Chan took a cigarette from his shirt pocket and put it in his mouth.

Clank. Click. Click. Sss.

On hot days, the lighter's fuel vaporized, often causing burns, and there were even accidents where the lighter ignited in his pocket due to friction. Therefore, in such places, he mixed petroleum with the lighter. Although it didn't ignite as quickly, it was better than the lighter failing to work when the fuel had all evaporated.

"Huh."

Kang Chan exhaled a long stream of cigarette smoke.

'2007.'

He deliberately repeated the year to avoid counting the days every time he went into battle. It was a promise not to live a fleeting life, but now it had become a habit.

"Captain."

"What?"

Kang Chan was so used to speaking Korean that it was understood unless it was a special situation. And in tense moments, it strangely conveyed emotions accurately.

"Is the harem okay tonight?"

"No way!"

Sumiden was a crude American.

He always talked about his dream of marrying a beautiful French woman, farming a ranch and vineyard, and building a winery, but no one believed he would achieve it. His flaw was that he liked women too much, but his strength was that his pursuit of women allowed his comrades to rest comfortably.

"Stop."

At Kang Chan's muttered word, the squad members froze.

It was a grassland.

The dry season hadn't arrived yet, so patches of shrubs remained.

Kang Chan quickly scanned the surroundings as he stomped out the cigarette he had thrown on the ground.

'What is it?'

The most reliable reason Kang Chan had survived in this harsh land and why the squad members trusted his words more than their weapons was this kind of intuition.

2 km to the destination.

The squad members desperately searched the surroundings, trying to find the reason for Kang Chan's sudden stop.

"Hey, Malcop!"

Kang Chan covered his eyes with his index and middle fingers and pointed to the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock directions, signaling Malcop to check those directions with a telescope.

"No, Chan."

Malcop shook his head.

"What is it?"

Participating in an operation without a specific reason could result in forced deportation at best and execution at worst.

Thump thump.

But what was this overwhelming sense of unease that was suffocating his heart?

Kang Chan took a deep breath.

He used his index and middle fingers to designate positions for each member, starting from the left. The squad members moved swiftly and agilely, as if a firefight had already begun.

Bang.

Even Sumiden jumped and ran behind a thin tree, visible in the open, like a scene from a movie.

'You bastard!'

Seeing the dust Sumiden kicked up like a signal flare, Kang Chan took two deep breaths to suppress his anger.

Now only Dayeru was left.

"Daye."

The name 'Daye' started because the last syllable sounded Japanese, but it had become the name everyone in the squad called him.

He approached quickly, shaking his large body from side to side.

Kang Chan's eyes gleamed from his sunburned, chocolate-colored face. Many had underestimated his slender, Asian frame and ended up with broken bodies. Now, the rumors were widespread, so no one dared to challenge him.

"Kill them all."

"Unconditionally?"

The word 'unconditionally' came from Kang Chan's mouth. Of course, it was in Korean. It was the third time he had heard it in the past year and a half, which meant today would be a tough day.

Dayeru nodded, thinking Koreans were a very ruthless people. The Korean word 'unconditionally' he knew meant to kill everything in sight. What kind of people could live with such a word?

"What are you doing?"

Dayeru quickly moved to the position he had been instructed to.

"Hmm."

Kang Chan crouched behind Dayeru, spreading the eight squad members like a bow.

'No regrets, even if it's a loss.'

It was a thought in case his current choice was wrong. With his past contributions, he was almost certain to be deported. It was better to be deported than to kill all his subordinates in this hellhole.

At first, he thought it was a coincidence.

But after ignoring his intuition and nearly dying, and losing several comrades, his thinking changed, and the results were almost perfect.

Whizz. Whizz. Whizz. Whizz.

Then, the sharp sound of something slicing through the air was heard.

"Chan!"

Malcop called out, almost throwing down his telescope.

Kang Chan had already seen it.

Almost all the allied soldiers walking were falling to the sniper's bullets.

"Shit."

It was a trap. They had fallen for it completely.

"Who the hell?"

This level of betrayal must have come from inside.

Kang Chan quickly turned around. The enemy was approaching from a distance, surrounding them like a net.

"Listen up!"

In such situations, he always used Korean.

"Kill them all!"

Kang Chan scanned his comrades.

"Retreat to Alpha Kilo. Got it? Retreat to Alpha Kilo."

It was a location Kang Chan had designated before departure. It was a method he had established since becoming squad leader, so headquarters didn't know about it.

This damn mercenary had no rescue after the designated time.

So Kang Chan always designated a separate location and waited there before joining up separately. This was why he was still a squad leader despite his great achievements and why the squad members followed him to the death.

"Chan!"

When he turned his head, Dayeru was glaring with white eyes, radiating killing intent.

"Is it no tonight?"

"Kill them all!"

Dayeru bared his white teeth, opening his large mouth. He understood the meaning of Kang Chan's intense anger.

Kang Chan quickly turned his gaze.

Ten steps away, and he could distinguish the enemy's faces. They were Sunnis, as evidenced by their head coverings and turbans.

"Mont!"

Kang Chan pointed to the 11 o'clock direction with two fingers, cursing. He had shortened the French name because it was too long to call during combat.

Mont, the excellent sniper, immediately aimed at the enemy with a heavy weapon.

Bang.

"Hey! Can't you shoot straight?"

"Sorry!"

Click. Bang.

Dust rose as the enemy with a grenade launcher fell to the ground. At the same time, dirt splattered around Kang Chan's feet.

Kang Chan quickly raised his gun and pulled the trigger.

Bang.

The familiar smell of gunpowder filled his nose as the target disappeared.

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat.

The mixed sounds of various guns made his ears ring.

'500.'

Bang.

Each pull of the trigger brought down one enemy.

'Plenty of ammo.'

Kang Chan flipped his body from a prone position, raising only his upper body.

"Mont!"

He raised his left index finger and curled his right three fingers into a circle. The plan was simple: three men would cover Mont, the sniper. If someone died, they would use the bayoneted rifle as cover.

Kang Chan turned and pulled the trigger repeatedly.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

This damn land made the gunshots sound like shit.

He pulled the trigger as fast as possible, his heart still pounding.

"Shit!"

Suddenly, Sumiden's curse was heard.

There was no time to look back. It was a moment when a comrade nearby had to take care of it. He had to kill as many as possible before the enemies all lay down. Mont aimed at the enemy with a machine gun and the heads of those lying down, while the other squad members killed those approaching.

70 meters.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The enemy started yelling and all lay down, no longer advancing. Kang Chan put his gun aside and crawled to Sumiden.

"Damn, does it hurt a lot?"

Sumiden panted and looked at him. Another Algerian, Absala, was pressing hard on his right abdomen, but blood was seeping through his fingers.

"Give me morphine?"

"No morphine. Chan. Huh. Huh."

With a hole that big in the front, there must be a hole over an inch wide in the back, and his internal organs must have touched the ground. Kang Chan looked around, trying to come up with a plan.

"Chan."

When Kang Chan turned his head, Sumiden was trying to grasp a thread of hope with his crude gaze.

"Is it no tonight?"

"Idiot. Who am I? Sumiden! F. M. I!"

Sumiden opened his mouth wide and smiled.

"God. Of. Huh. Huh. Black Field. Huh. Ha."

He finished speaking and took a deep breath.

Absala looked up at him.

He knew. The time left was short.

Rumble.

Then, a loud mechanical sound enveloped the area.

'Tanks too?'

But his heart was still racing, indicating there was more danger. It was time to make a decision.

'I'll break through.'

He was prepared to go to the headquarters where the enemy leadership was hiding.

Just as he was about to explain the situation.

Boom.

A dull sound was heard, and the world turned completely white.

'Damn...'

His head and neck felt like they were being torn apart.

***

Intense light pierced his eyes.

His head and neck ached as if they were broken, and his body felt drained as if it had been sucked dry by a vacuum cleaner.

'Am I not dead?'

He tried to open his eyes but couldn't move a finger.

'Water. Water.'

His throat was dry, as if he had swallowed a cracked field, and he couldn't even speak properly.

"Sir! Over here!"

'I need water...'

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

The machine sounds started then.

Someone was flipping his eyelids, but all he could see was white light.

'I need water.'

"Can you hear me? Blink if you can hear me."

'Stupid. Let go of my eyes to blink.'

This time, someone grabbed his hand.

"Try to squeeze my hand."

Kang Chan tried his best to move his hand, driven by the desire for water.

"Good! Good!"

The voice kept talking, but no water was given.

'Mmm.'

Kang Chan's consciousness blurred as if he was falling asleep again.

Oh.