Chapter 295.1: The National Flag They’re Proud Of (1)

Click! Click! Click! Click!

Kang Chan and his team climbed and ran across a ridge that only offered a few trees as cover.

Huff huff

.

Huff huff

.

Um Ji-Hwan breathed heavily, his mouth hanging open like a carp out of the water.

He was a gym rat and a great runner. Moreover, as a former member of the 606, he had experience running in the mountains. Hence, no matter how big of a distance they’d have to cover, he was confident that he could easily keep up with the others. However, when they started sprinting like madmen, his confidence was soon shattered.

Kang Chan, the one controlling their pace, ran like a track and field athlete competing in a hundred-meter race. They were moving even faster than the truck that was quickly approaching them. They were going so fast that the enemies’ truck that they had passed a while ago still hadn’t caught up with them yet.

At the rate they were going, Um Ji-Hwan couldn’t help but fear that he would fall behind the others and hold them back.

The smell of dirt from the darkness and the ridge filled his lungs, making it impossible for him to take deep breaths no matter how hard he tried to inhale.

Huff huff

.

Huff huff

.

He didn’t want to lag behind his colleagues and burden them just because he was lacking. For the sake of the agents who had been killed in an alley and the soldiers who had died in battle a few days ago, he had to do whatever it took to endure this and avoid disgracing Han Jae-Guk, who, together with his seniors, protected him using mere pistols against people who were shooting at them with AK-47s. He would never forget how they yelled at him to go ahead as they stayed behind to fight off the enemies.

“

Ugh

!

Urgh

!”

It was unclear if the sound that came from Um Ji-Hwan was a cry or a scream.

“They already know we’re coming!” Kang Chan yelled from the front of their formation.

Completely focused on getting air into his lungs, Um Ji-Hwan couldn’t spare a moment to worry about what they should do if their enemies heard them.

“

Haah haah

!

Haah

!

Haah

!”

“Jeungpyeong special forces team!” Kang Chan shouted into the radio. He sounded as if he was also running out of breath. “The DMZ team is in danger!”

Click. Click. Click. Click.

Without slowing down even a bit, he continued, “The faster we run, the more lives we’ll be able to save!”

Um Ji-Hwan kept dashing forward even though he couldn’t breathe anymore. At some point, Kang Chul-Gyu’s confidence, sharp gaze, resolute way of speaking briefly flashed in his mind. The chant that the DMZ team had yelled also played in his mind.

Not long after, he remembered what his senior had yelled at him. The memory was still so vivid that he felt as if he could hear him shouting right beside him.

‘Go! Run! Run!’

It hadn’t been that long since Um Ji-Hwan had become an agent. Considering his experience and capabilities, that alley should have been his grave.

Why did he do that? Why did he take up the rear and cover me when he knew it would kill him?

“

Urgh

!

Ugh

!

Urgh

!”

He refused to slow down even though he had tears running down his face and couldn’t breathe properly—no, he was at least starting to feel as if he could breathe properly again.

***

Du du du! Du du! Pew! Pew!

“It’s the regular army!” Yoon Sang-Ki yelled as he ducked behind a boulder.

Ratatatata! Pow pow pow pow! Ratatata! Pow pow pow pow!

The 20mm machine gun sent a beam of death toward the South Koreans. Beside it were countless rifles riddling their position with bullets.

Whoosh!

Pew! Pew! Du du! Pew! Du du du du! Pew! Pow pow pow!

Kwak Cheol-Ho stood up and pulled the trigger twice. However, their enemies immediately returned fire, forcing him to crouch back down. Taking advantage of their inability to respond properly, their opponents began inching toward their location.

“Yoon Sang-Ki! Take Team Two and secure that hill!” Kwak Cheol-Ho yelled. “Take their machine gun out with our snipers, then provide us with some suppressive fire!”

Yoon Sang-Ki thought Kwak Cheol-Ho’s decision was cold. That plan would require having some of them stay behind and draw their enemies’ attention. However, if they decreased the number of soldiers here, one mistake was all it would take for Kwak Cheol-Ho and his team to get killed.

“Fuck! When have we ever had it easy in combat?!” Kwak Cheol-Ho exclaimed. It wasn’t like him to curse.

Du du du du! Du du du! Pew! Pew Pow pow pow!

“I’d like to see our seniors again, but even if it means our death, we have to blow up that factory and the sons of bitches in it! Isn’t that right, Yoon Sang-Ki?!”

Seeing Kwak Cheol-Ho’s bloodshot eyes and clenched jaws, Yoon sang-Ki’s face crumpled like an angry cat.

“Team Two! Get your ass on that hill!” Kwak Cheol-Ho ordered.

Yoon Sang-Ki, who was still crouching, moved so quickly that it looked as if someone was dragging him across an icy field with a string.

“Yoon Sang-Ki! Do whatever it takes to kill all those motherfuckers, you hear me?!”

Whoosh!

Kwak Cheol-Ho raised his body to shoot.

Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!

Following his lead, the members of Team One all simultaneously stood up and opened fire, sending the enemies running toward them to the ground. However, not long after, those still in the enormous factory behind them began suppressing the South Korean special forces team.

Ratatatata! Ratatatata!

The enemy machine gun sent another heap of red light toward them. The onslaught of bullets soon hit their cover.

***

Clank!

Kang Chan raised his rifle above his shoulder.

Pew! Pow! Pew! Pow! Pew! Pow pow!

Woo Hee-Seung and Choi Jong-Il were with Kang Chan during the battle in China and Africa. However, this was still Woo Hee-Seung’s first time witnessing him miss.

They immediately threw themselves to either side of Kang Chan and opened fire.

Pew! Pew! Du du du! Du du! Pew! Pew! Pew!

How could Kang Chan see their enemies? How could he figure out where they were while running at full speed? How could he secure and attack from an advantageous position in such a short period?

Pew! Pew! Pew!

While trading blows with the enemy, Um Ji-Hwan spat out the saliva lodged in his throat.

Kang Chan aside, the postures and attitudes of Choi Jong-Il, Woo Hee-Seung, and Lee Doo-Bum surprised him. Much like him, they, too, choked and gasped for breath. However, their eyes still glinted.

Du du du! Pew! Du du! Pew! Du du du! Pow pow pow!

Chk.

They were still dazed when Kang Chan began barking orders through the radio.

“It’s the regular army. Lee Doo-Bum! Get into position at the hill to our left! Um Ji-Hwan! Cover him!”

Whoosh!

Pew! Pow! Pew! Pow! Pew! Pow!

Kang Chan stood up and let a couple of bullets loose.

PEW! Pew! Pew! PEW!

The agents beside him followed suit.

Right after, Lee Doo-Bum nudged Um Ji-Hwan’s shoulder. He then quickly headed to his newly designated position.

If Um Ji-Hwan hadn’t trained for scenarios like this numerous times, he never would’ve been able to follow Lee Doo-Bum. Urgently trailing behind him, he finally realized that Kang Chan and the others were buying time for Lee Doo-Bum.

‘But they didn’t even say anything,’

Um Ji-Hwan thought.

Thud! Clank!

Lee Doo-Bum threw himself to where Kang Chan had ordered him to go, then immediately went prone and began shooting every enemy he could see.

Is this what experience does to a person? Is this how a veteran is supposed to act? Is this why they can be so damn calm all the time?

Following Lee Doo-Bum’s lead, Um Ji-Hwan also dove to the ground and went prone. He then gritted his teeth, realizing that he had not yet learned how to fight as mechanically as the others.

I’m going to learn! Just like how I was saved by one of my seniors, I’ll be the one rescuing the agent next to me in a dangerous situation someday!

Pew! Clank! Pew! Clank! Pew! Clank!

Lee Doo-Bum shot down their enemies like a machine.

Chk.

“We’re going to push toward our enemies! Woo Hee-Seung, take charge of our left flank! Choi Jong-Il, our right! I want everyone else covering us!”

Despite the loud gunshots, they still clearly heard Kang Chan’s orders through the radio.

Whoosh!

Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!

Kang Chan, Choi Jong-Il, and Woo Hee-Seung charged onward almost the same time.

Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!

Lee Doo-Bum and the five agents whom they had left behind immediately shot at the enemies that were hiding.

Pew! Pow! Pew! Pow! Pew! Pow!

Even though he could only see their turbans, Kang Chan, while running, embedded bullets into the foreheads of their enemies.

Amid the darkness of the night, with each pull of the trigger, the sparks from his rifle’s muzzle momentarily illuminated his glinting eyes.

After some time, they finally reached the small hill where their enemies were hiding.

Pew! Pow! Pew! Pow! Pew! Pow!

Kang Chan fired three more shots, clearing out any hostile that could still hold a gun.

“

Ugh

.”

Rustle. Rustle.

Clank!

Grasping their shoulder, the enemy in front of Choi Jong-Il staggered back. Sparks soon flashed from his rifle as he buried three bullets in their forehead.

It didn’t take long for them to realize that half of their opponents’ corpses were wearing military uniforms. The other half were wearing Islamic clothing.