With or without stars, the night would pass as it had always done. What kind of morning and what events would unfold after that, though, no one could tell.

Amid the damp, humid evening in Cuba, Kang Chan looked around to check on his men. Everyone had a limit to how long they could stay extremely tense. That was why the best time for an ambush was just before dawn.

Will we get through this safely?

We’ll always be in the most danger when we start to think we’ve survived.

He would still relax sooner or later despite knowing that, though. Fortunately, his soldiers, who were wearing night vision goggles to better watch over their assigned areas, served as his greatest source of strength. After all, they had traveled and fought many horrific battles together.

What are our enemies planning?

Although he didn’t know what their opponents were about to do, he was certain that the outcome of this battle would be determined before their reinforcements arrived.

Would they yield or try to annihilate us?

If forced to choose, Kang Chan would most likely bet on the latter.

The uneasy feeling and the fact the pale-faced Kang Chul-Gyu had climbed up to the rooftop weighed down the most on his chest.

‘Who should I send?’

Kang Chan looked into the darkness with piqued curiosity. After a while, his radio crackled, and reports started coming in.

Chk.

“This is Sector 1. We have spotted heavily armed troops with skull face paint. There’s a lot of them.”

Chk.

“Sector 2. Same skull face paint. We estimate over a hundred.”

Chk.

“Sector 3. Spotted a large unit in black camouflage. ”

Chk.

“Sector 4. Black camo, large numbers.”

Impressive bastards.

With glinting eyes, Kang Chan pressed a button on his radio before he could even finish his thought.

Chk.

“All teams, retreat,” he ordered.

His men only responded with radio crackles.

Chk. Chk. Chk. Chk.

I only know of one group that wears skull face paint so attention-grabbing that they stand out even at night.

There was no need to think further.

“Snipers! It’s flat ground! Keep an eye out for rocket launchers!”

“Yes, sir!” Lee Doo-Hee and the snipers responded firmly. They then gazed into their night scopes.

Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!

All the soldiers on the rooftop checked their magazines and pulled back the bolts.

Kang Chan pointed to the left of the rooftop entrance. “Gérard! We’re up against the Peruvians! I need you on Sector 2 first!”

“Daye! Cover Sector 4 until they get closer!”

“Copy!” answered Seok Kang-Ho. He then ran to the right, his equipment clanking.

“Yoon Sang-Ki! Man the machine gun!”

“Yes, sir!”

Kang Chan pressed the Push-to-Talk button again. The darkness and the wind were still the only ones rushing in.

Chk.

“We’re not new to this business. At this point, those bastards are just another group of guests.”

Clank. Clank.

The soldiers who had been on guard duty were quickly running back to the building.

“Today, it’s a special forces team from Peru. The skull pattern painted on their faces is a distinctive feature that means they intend to annihilate us. ”

Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank!

The last of the men in the open rushed inside.

“Advancing with ballistic shields at their vanguard and then rushing in is their most common tactic. Once we’ve used up our grenades and machine gun ammo, it’ll come down to hand-to-hand combat.”

The soldiers on the rooftop and those who had just climbed up focused on Kang Chan’s words.

Chk.

“It does not matter, though. I refuse to let this building be our grave.”

No matter where Kang Chan looked, he found men whose eyes conveyed steeled resolve.

“Eliminate those who stand between us and the morning sun. Remember, if we fail to see the break of dawn, the world will look down on South Korea forever. That’s simply not part of our business plan!”

Although looking tense, Seok Kang-Ho still smirked at Kang Chan.

“Be ruthless! Decisive! Send our guests to Death’s embrace like we always do!”

Afterward, Kang Chan took out his phone and dialed a number.

- Hello?

“Manager Kim, we have over four hundred tangos swarming our location. We might not be able to contact you for a while.”

- What? What on earth...?

“I’ll call you tomorrow morning.”

Kang Chan turned off his phone. He then slung his rifle over his shoulder.

Click!

Brace yourselves. No matter what hell unfolds, we will greet the morning.

Whooooosh! Whooosh!

The wind rushing in from the darkness now carried the strong scent of death.

***

“Ziegfeld! Recall the troops!”

- It’s already too late, Sherman.”

Contrary to Sherman’s frantic tone, Ziegfeld was composed.

- We sent five hundred men. Not even thirty of their best can defeat that many. We will get good results.

“You do know what he accomplished in Africa, don’t you?”

- Russia, France, the UK, and the US were with him back then. Right now, the South Korean special forces team is alone, and they’re against Peru’s special forces. His death will bring everything back to its rightful place.

Sherman, who was in a private jet, wearily looked out the window. Since the US President wanted all this resolved an hour before noon, having Kang Chan dead was also the most definitive solution he could think of at the moment.

- I’ve made some arrangements to ensure that the response from the mainland will change. Once it does, even the President of the United States will tacitly support you.

Ziegfeld sounded as relaxed as finalizing a deal.

- We paid Peru’s special forces fifty million dollars to make this happen. That should be enough to handle thirty ants, don’t you think?

“If they somehow fail…”

- Japan paid them, not me. They have close ties with Peru. I also know of a place that neither you nor the CIA know about. If they fail, you’re free to assume a new identity and live a completely different life there, during which you can tighten the noose on those who disregarded you. Imagine getting to enjoy the pleasure that the Star of David basks in every single day.

“

Hmph

.”

- Read a magazine or something while you wait on the plane. Once we’ve confirmed his death, you’ll have to clean up the aftermath.

Sherman exhaled deeply once again. Since the die had already been cast, he had no choice but to prioritize checking the number.

- You’ll receive a flood of calls pleading to spare that rookie for a while. Best not to answer them.

Ziegfeld’s tone made it seem as though he was issuing a command. However, though Sherman’s lips twitched, he did not say anything further.

***

The President of the United States sat in front of the cabinet members overseeing Asian security, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Homeland Security. He then pressed a button on his desk, which played a connection tone.

Beeep. Beeep. Beeep. Click.

- Good evening, Mr, President.

The simultaneous interpreter’s voice overlapped with Moon Jae-Hyun’s.

“It’s nice to see you again, Mr. President. Before we begin, I would like to express my condolences regarding the recent Cuba incident.”

Moon Jae-Hyun didn’t reply as he was supposed to. The moment the President of the United States looked at the cabinet members sitting in front of him as if to ask what was happening, Moon Jae-hyun's clearly delayed response came through.

- Thank you for the statement of support through your spokesperson and the acceptance of Defcon measures by the ROK-US Combined Forces Command. However, our personnel in Cuba have come under attack again.

The US President frowned, and his cabinet members looked just as surprised. The CIA, which handled the US’ external intelligence, hadn’t reported anything about this.

- We have not identified the enemy yet, but we do know that over four hundred armed soldiers are attacking our personnel in your backyard.

“Mr. President,” the US President called, clearly startled. “Allow us a moment to verify this.”

The US President quickly gestured to the Department of Defense official. He then added, “Afterward, we will dispatch our best team. The United States and I hope that this incident does not harm our relationship with South Korea.”

- I, too, hope that the blood alliance between Korea and the United States remains strong. However, I believe that to achieve this, we have to build trust through actions, not just sweet words.

The US President looked as though his pride had been wounded.

- Thank you for your time. I look forward to the United States’ show of sincerity.

The call ended.

“Sherman, that old bastard!”

The President of the United States abruptly stood up and glared at the cabinet members.

“I want that intel verified and the troops ready for deployment now! Contact Sherman! Tell him to come here immediately!”

The cabinet members hurried out of the Oval Office. Suppressing his burst of anger for a moment, the US President pressed the intercom button on his desk.

Click.

- Mr. President.

“Where’s Sherman?”

- He’s not answering his phone.

After letting out a groan-like sigh, the President ordered, “Summon the Deputy Director of the CIA, the Director of NCIS, the Director of DIA, and the Vice President!”

- Yes, sir.

“You’re done, Sherman!” he growled, his venom-filled voice enveloping the office.

***

The rooftop of the two-story building was approximately six meters above the ground. From this height, one could clearly see the eyes of the people directly below during the day or if there were lights.

Whooooosh!

A little past 2 am, the wind started to blow stronger. About seventy meters away, the enemies stopped advancing and began surrounding the building instead. They seemed to number around five hundred, and about two hundred had white skull patterns painted on their faces, making them visible even at night. Upon seeing them, Kang Chan pressed the Push-to-Talk button.

Chk.

“We were right. It’s the Peruvian special forces team. That’s the skull symbol of the Inca warriors. It serves as a warning that they intend to engage in hand-to-hand combat.”

Seok Kang-Ho and Gérard gritted their teeth, already imagining how horrific and strenuous the upcoming hand-to-hand combat would be.

“

Heh

, bastards! Let’s send them back to hell!” Seok Kang-Ho shouted, then laughed. He had a cruel glint in his eyes.

At times like these, such brutish remarks oddly provided strength.

Soon, the enemies’ warcry pierced through the darkness.

“

Hooah

!

Hooah

!

Hooah

!”

Their shields then hit the ground, the explosive noise echoing across the land.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The soldiers quickly looked at Kang Chan. At this distance, they could already start taking down enemies. After all, the bastards had white face paint, and even without night vision goggles, they wouldn’t have trouble hitting targets seventy meters away.

Nevertheless, Kang Chan held his fire and simply glared at them. It was strange, considering he had the best aim of them all.

“

Hooah

!

Hooah

!”

Boom! Boom!

The shortened shouts sounded even more intense now.

Chk.

“Get ready! They’re coming!” Kang Chan ordered.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

The soldiers shouldered their rifles and placed their fingers on the triggers.

“

Hooah

!”

Boom!

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

Right after one last shout and thud, they heard boots begin stomping on the ground. The Jeungpyeong special forces team had experienced brutal battles in Afghanistan and savage combat in Africa. However, this was their first time facing enemies approaching this noisily.

The South Korean soldiers exchanged glances. This was how units unaccustomed to these foes fell. Flustered, they would hastily open fire, hit nothing but ballistic shields, and then get killed in hand-to-hand combat.

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

Finally, the enemies advanced toward the two-story building that was standing alone in the darkness. With all the lights turned off, the establishment felt even more eerie.

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

“

Hooah

!”

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

The darkness flowed over the shoulders of the enemies, making it look like a thick wall was approaching the building.

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

When the enemies advanced about ten meters, Kang Chan pressed the Push-to-Talk button again.

Chk

.

“Machine guns! Hold your fire until the enemy is within twenty meters.”

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

“The enemies have ballistic shields. Look for openings, and shoot only when you’re confident you can take your target out. If we have to resort to hand-to-hand combat, Gérard, Yoon Sang-Ki, and I will be Team One. Daye, Nam Il-Gyu Sunbae, and Cha Dong-Gyun. You three will be Team Two,” Kang Chan ordered.

“

Hooah

!”

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

The enemies had cut the distance down to fifty meters.

Chk.

“The two teams on the rooftop will cover the hand-to-hand combat teams. Save your bullets for that moment, but keep in mind that if we wait too long, the enemies will overwhelm us with numbers.”

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

“We will start firing after chanting our motto. Remember, there are about five hundred of them, and we are only thirty strong. No matter how much we conserve our ammo, we will definitely run out of bullets before morning. However, that does not give you the right to fall! You all better live to see the sunrise!”

The soldiers looked at Kang Chan with eyes full of understanding.

This is the kind of person leading us, a commander who knows even the fighting style of the Peruvian special forces we’ve never faced before, a commander preparing to defeat 500 enemies with just over 30 men and greet the morning.

Chk.

“I trust you all. Cha Dong-Gyun, give it your all.”

“

Hooah

!”

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

“We will!”

Right after the enemy’s shouts, Cha Dong-Gyun’s shout, filled with determination, rang out toward the enemies.

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

“Survive this night!”

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

Forty meters left. Kang Chan and his men could now see the faces of the enemies with white face paint.

“And greet the morning together!”

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

The enemies moved in pairs—one held a shield in front, while another aimed a rifle from behind.

“Our motto!”

Cha Dong-Gyun’s words, sounding like metal tearing, echoed.

“If I can!”

The thunderous shout from their comrades completely drowned out the enemy’s march.

“Protect my country with my blood!”

Clack! Clack! Clack!

Shouting with all his might, Lee Doo-Hee looked through the night scope. The others also aimed at the enemies’ heads.

“I am!”

Clack!

Kang Chan aimed at an approaching enemy’s forehead and placed his finger on the trigger.

“Happy!”

Bang!

As their motto pierced the darkness toward the enemy, Kang Chan’s muzzle flashed.

Right after, an Inca warrior’s forehead exploded.

Bang! Thud! Bang! Thud!

Following his lead, the soldiers on the rooftop, the second floor, and the windows of the first floor began opening fire as well.

Tat-tat-tat! Thud! Tat-tat-tat! Thud!

Naturally, the enemies began retaliating.

Tat-tat-tat! Thud! Tat-tat-tat! Thud! Tat-tat! Ping!

With each enemy gunshot, part of the walls of the rooftop and windows exploded.

Bang! Thud! Bang! Thud! Bang! Thud! Bang! Thud!

Although Kang Chan, Kang Chul-Gyu, and the snipers could successfully hit their targets in the forehead, the others’ bullets merely ricocheted off the enemy shields and disappeared.

Ratatatat! Ting! Bang! Ting!

“

Hooah

!”

Bang! Thud!

“

Raaaaaaagh

!!!”

Bang! Thud!

“

Hooah

!”

The enemies steadily advanced, leaving behind those who were hit in the shins and stepping over those who had been shot in the head.