Chapter 296.2: The National Flag They’re Proud Of (2)

PEW! PEW! Du du du! Du du! PEW! Du du!

While Yoon Sang-Ki convinced Choi Jong-Il to abandon his self-sacrificial plan, their sniper swiftly eliminated the enemies rushing toward the 20mm machine gun.

“We have to do whatever it takes to survive and accomplish this mission! If we get backed into a corner and find ourselves with nothing left to lose, then I would be more than willing to charge out into the enemy’s line of fire with you! But right now, hyung, you better look around you! None of these bastards would think you’re cool for sacrificing yourself!”

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

Gunshots continued to echo

Chk.

“Things are starting to get busy! Bring over the C-4 already! I’ll bring it right in the middle of enemy lines!” someone said.

Chk.

“Fuck! I’ve already been shot anyway, so send me instead!” another responded.

Chk.

“You crazy fuckers! You’re giving the second lieutenant a hard time!”

The soldiers kept talking on the radio.

Chk.

“I’m sorry, my family!” one of them shouted. Although it was out of the blue, the rest of the special forces team continued the motto anyway.

“I gave my life for my country and my comrades!”

“Heard that?! Let’s keep fighting until we draw our last breath! That’s what the special forces are made of!” Yoon Sang-Ki yelled like crazy.

Perhaps surprised by the shouts, their enemies suddenly stopped attacking. Heavy silence filled their surroundings.

Kwak Cheol-Ho laughed. “

Huhu

.

Huhuhu!

”

“

Hehehe

!”

“

Hahaha

.”

“

Phuhuhu

!”

Laughter burst from all around them.

“Alright! Fuck it! Let’s fight until the end!” Kwak Cheol-Ho yelled.

“Fucking hell! You’re finally acting like the hyung I respect,” Yoon Sang-Ki responded.

“Shut it, you bastard!”

Yoon Sang-Ki smirked, then went back to his position.

“Let’s clear this place up already and help our sunbaes! This place is such a mess that I can only imagine how hard they have it on their end!” he shouted.

Considering the situation and their enemies’ numbers, Yoon Sang-Ki sounded quite absurd. However, no one argued against him.

***

After running for ten minutes, Kang Chan finally reached the back of the building. He then aimed his rifle behind him.

“

Haa

.

Haaa

.”

Um Ji-Hwan sounded as if he was trying to be quiet, making his breathing all weird.

“See that building? We’ll go up to its roof and jump toward the building with the steel tower,” Kang Chan explained.

Perplexed, Um Ji-Hwan turned to Kang Chan. “Pardon?”

We’re going up together? I thought that I was going up to the roof alone.

“Ready?”

“Yes,” Um Ji-Hwan replied.

Seemingly unaware that Um Ji-Hwan was looking at him in confusion, Kang Chan’s eyes glinted.

‘Who was the insolent little fucker that got on the truck like that and drove off before we could get this far?’

Kang Chan wondered.

He remembered a truck driving past them after his team had killed the guards at the border. Considering it still hadn’t returned yet, their enemies had likely sent it out to transport someone or something out of the area.

Kang Chan was at least sure that Mohammad Zif didn’t escape. That man would rather strap bombs to him than leave. Even if they were driven to a corner, a UIS executive would never run away. After all, according to one of their commandments, disgracing a holy war meant not going to heaven. Their organization wouldn’t ever forgive them either.

The building that they targeted had the frames that divided its floors going around its exterior.

To climb the building, they would have to jump and grab onto the frames first. They would then grab onto the window frame on the second floor and continue to go up from there.

Once Um Ji-Hwan was ready, Kang Chan pressed a button on his radio.

Chk.

“We’re going up the building from this side. Lee Doo-Bum—keep an eye out for potential enemies on the roof. Shoot on sight.”

Chk.

“Yes, sir.”

Chk.

“Choi Jong-Il, act according to the situation. If you and your team make your way through the siege ahead of us, you are to enter the building with the steel tower immediately.”

Chk.

“Yes, sir.”

Kang Chan crouched down and looked at Um Ji-Hwan. He then led the way to their target location.

After two minutes of nothing but darkness and the smell of dirt, they finally reached a wall. They pushed through the nervousness that made their hair stand on end.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

Soon, muzzle flashes lit up Choi Jong-Il’s position.

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

Kang Chan jumped toward the frame in the middle of the building.

Swish! Bam! Swish! Bam!

Like a cat, Um Ji-Hwan followed Kang Chan and dangled on the frame. Now filled with spite and a sense of duty to complete this operation, he no longer hesitated.

The two pulled themselves up the frame and secured their footing on it. They then jumped toward a window and dangled just below it. After making sure the coast was clear, they climbed onto it.

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

‘Ugh.’

Rustle.

As they propped their arms on the protruding frame of the window, they heard Lee Doo-Bum opening fire. Not long after, an enemy collapsed on the roof with a resounding

thud

.

Chk.

“The roof is clear,” a soldier reported.

Kang Chan quickly held onto the bars of the window and went up the building.

Um Ji-Hwan moved like some kind of wild animal. Quick and flexible, he took different approaches to their climb. Soon, he had grabbed onto another window frame and started his ascent to the roof.

Bam! Bam!

They held onto the edges of the roof, their bodies swaying in the air.

‘Hnghh.’

Kang Chan pressed his elbows against the railing of the roof, then pushed against it to raise himself up. Afterward, he stepped down from the railing and landed next to the corpse of an enemy that had a hole in his head.

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

Sparks lit up the area below them with every gunshot they heard. Kang Chan could even see the red and white traces of the bullets both sides were sending toward each other.

Clank!

Kang Chan aimed his rifle ahead of him, then used his index finger to point Um Ji-Hwan to his position.

Whoosh!

After confirming that Um Ji-Hwan had hidden himself at the end of the rooftop, he immediately jumped to the building next door.

Click!

Once he had regained his balance, he swiftly made his way to the edge of the building that was across from where he had just jumped from. He then bobbed his index and middle fingers forward twice.

Clatter!

Using his agility to his advantage, Um Ji-Hwan easily moved to his new position, which was a little further from Kang Chan.

Despite having already jumped from building to building thrice, they still hadn’t come across any enemies.

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

The loud gunshots from the rifles below concealed any noise they made. However, it couldn’t be used as an excuse for their enemies’ extremely weak defense, especially when taking into consideration the fact that they were assigned to guard a large perimeter.

On the other hand, this could simply be proof that they were not expecting Kang Chan and his men to go up to the roof or that they didn’t have enough troops to split into groups to begin with.

Those sons of bitches!

Either way, this showed that they treated the South Korean soldiers as rebels that they could easily throw into disarray by simply defending the frontlines.

Contrary to their beliefs, however, Kang Chan and Um Ji-Hwan was already on top of the building right next to the one with the steel tower.

Swoosh.

Quietly, Kang Chan pushed forward and leaned against the wall of the rooftop. He then raised his head and took a peek at the roof of the next building.

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

The area was guarded by two people. However, they seemed distracted by the battle that was currently underway just below them.

Pew! Pow! Pew! Pow!

After taking them out, Kang Chan jumped over the one-meter distance in between his building and the next.

Haah. Haah.

His nerves were completely on edge now.

Kang Chan ordered Um Ji-Hwan to guard the entrance of the rooftop he was on, then headed to the wooden door on the rooftop.

Kang Chan riddled the door with bullets, then shot the door handle as well.

Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Crash!

As he did, they heard someone tumbling and crashing down the stairs.

Bam! Pew! Pow! Pew! Pow!

Kang Chan fiercely kicked the door open and sent a bullet flying into the forehead of the person running down the stairs. Afterward, he quickly took cover.

Ting.

If Seok Kang-Ho was with them right now, Kang Chan would’ve already thrown a grenade. Unfortunately, Um Ji-Hwan still lacked experience.

Swoosh!

Ting. Ting.

As Kang Chan took out his second grenade, Um Ji-Hwan held his first grenade.

BOOM!!

The powerful blast flung debris out to the door.

Swish! Swish!

Kang Chan and Um Ji-Hwan threw another grenade each.

The explosives rolled toward their enemies before blowing parts of the interior off the building.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

With their opponents still disoriented, Kang Chan and Um Ji-Hwan ran inside, finding its interior a mess. The furniture were scattered all over the place, including a broken wooden table. They also found five unconscious people completely covered in blood.

Du du du! Du du!

Soon, they heard people running up the stairs from the floor below them.

I can’t believe these bastards managed to do this to us! If they didn’t overwhelm us with their numbers, they would’ve been no match against us!

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

Ting!

Kang Chan shot three more people in the forehead. At the same time, Um Ji-Hwan removed the safety pin of a grenade and threw it.

Swish!

Having developed a bit of chemistry, they now worked well with each other.

They heard someone yelling in Arabic, followed by a deafening blast and powerful vibrations. It would be stupid to stall during moments like this. Hence,

Kang Chan immediately ran down the stairs.

Whoosh!

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

Bursting into the floor below, he found a man writhing in pain, his hands gripping his stomach, and another leaning against the wall with his rifle propped up against his leg. There was also another person who seemed to have fallen unconscious. Kang Chan shot all of them in the forehead.

Clatter. Clatter.

Going up to the floor above them again, he found Um Ji-Hwan waiting for him. He seemed to have flipped over all their foes with his foot.

Son of a bitch!

Kang Chan glared at the man closest to the wall.

It’s Mohammad Zrif!

Covered in blood, Mohammad Zrif spoke to them in Arabic. His eyes were filled with intense fury.

Kang Chan smirked in response.

Click!

The muzzle of his gun flashed five times, lighting up the dark room. Three more followed.