A three-story building on the outskirts of Pretoria, South Africa.

On the outside, the establishment looked nothing more than a ramshackle corn trading company, but inside, it had a state-of-the-art basement and five special agents standing by in an office on the second floor.

Pierre Raon, the head of the DGSE’s South African branch, offered a cigarette to the soldier sitting across from him.

“Sharlan, I’m sorry we had to sacrifice so many men, but this kind of response isn’t acceptable.”

“A new recruit rescued Enzo from the rebels Abdul Janele was leading. The latest report states they’re still alive,” Sharlan stated. His eyes were already ferocious when he walked in earlier. “Tell me why you sent such a man out of nowhere.”

“We don’t know anything about him either. All we know is that the new Asian recruit’s actions made a mess of things.”

“If Negah’s training is so good, they should just close all the other training centers and only operate that one.” Sharlan’s narrow eyes flashed as he expressed his displeasure. “I know the DGSE is in touch with Abdul Janele. You better tell me what the Eye of Ndulele, or whatever it’s called, is.”

Pierre Raon just looked like a pudgy-cheeked officer worker, but he didn’t break eye contact.

“I’ll send you somewhere else if you want,” he said.

“

Hmph.

The dust I’ve inhaled on the battlefields of Africa could fill this office. If this is how the DGSE is going to act, then I’m going to do things my way too.”

“You’re just a soldier. Don’t forget your place.”

“I can always just take my uniform off. Countless countries and organizations in Africa want me.”

Neither of the two men gave any concessions. As they looked each other in the eye, the lights of cars passing in front of the building flashed through the window.

“Sharlan, these are orders from the DGSE,” Pierre said.

The corners of Sharlan’s eyes twitched. “The Eye of Ndueles are Blackheads, aren’t they?”

Pierre’s eyes twitched too. “You know what happens when you provoke the DGSE.”

His retort made Sharlan hesitate for a moment.

“Killing Abdul Janele puts us in an awkward situation, but we can’t let him get out of that place either,” he added. “The sacrifices of the men are unjust, but it’s all for the glory of France.”

“Why on earth did you sacrifice so many soldiers? Blackheads are rare, but I’m sure the DGSE could obtain them easily.”

Pierre leaned back in his chair looking exhausted.

“All orders from the DGSE are issued for the glory of France,” he muttered, reciting the DGSE’s second of its five commandments to himself. “We shouldn’t waste our time thinking about this. Both you and I are mere chess pieces that have to move according to orders anyway. Let’s just go over what we know.”

Pierre glanced at the stairs that led to the second floor.

“The DGSE wants a Blackhead that only Abdul Janele knows the location of. They seem to be in contact with him, yet they’re also ordering me and you to pressure him.”

“Let’s take over that area,” Sharlan suggested. “If we send the troops we have on standby, we can have it cleared out in a day.”

“What about the Eye of Ndulele?”

“I’m sure it’s somewhere under where his base is. It could’ve even been smuggled out already.”

Pierre shook his head. “Abdul definitely found it. That’s why he shot the men with RPGs yesterday.”

“All the more reason to kick his ass, then.”

“The DGSE won’t allow it.”

Sharlan cocked his head and sighed, then brought his gaze back up. “Tell me one thing, then. What is the identity of that recruit?”

“We don’t know either, Sharlan! All we know is that his rampage has thrown the DGSE, the bureau, you, and even Abdul Janele into this complicated mess!” Pierre snarled like a wounded wolf.

“And the rescue squad?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“Then Abdul Janele will take care of him tonight.”

“Probably.”

Their ominous conversation went on for some time.

***

People naturally cursed when they were forced to watch a bunch of tedious commercials and boring trailers but the movie still didn’t start.

Those motherfuckers!

Thirty meters away from their barracks, the enemies remained unmoving, forcing Kang Chan to keep his rifle aimed at them. He would have already rushed them and shot at them with the machine gun had they been all bunched up, but they were lying on the ground in a circle like they were playing a game of hot potato.

Enzo, who still looked like a dead man, was clinging to the machine gun, and Kang Chan sat on the floor in front of the table a few feet away.

Was it dangerous? He was close to the table, and a desk covered his back. To his left was Enzo’s bed, and the table from the main barracks covered him on the right. He didn’t really require any more cover.

The moon was so bright that it revealed their positions. Hence, if they opened fire now, their enemies could easily focus fire on them. Had it been a dark night, Kang Chan could have safely aimed for their heads.

Even so, he still had to do something.

Shit!

There was a four-letter Korean phrase for this. Enzo didn’t understand Korean, though, so Kang Chan just shook his head.

Amid the clusters of stars in the sky, the full moon shone in the sky like a lantern underwater.

Kang Chan was fucking exhausted.

He wanted to stop caring about who would win and start shooting just so they could finally put an end to this confrontation.

Click.

Kang Chan’s gaze flicked to Enzo moving the machine gun. Then, he shook his head briefly.

Shooting their enemies now would increase the odds that their enemies would start shooting as well. They would definitely target Enzo too.

The two communicated with their gazes more accurately than words.

‘It’s better that I become the target. Something’s not right about this.’

‘Like I said, don’t do stupid shit that’ll get you killed!’

Enzo was right, though. Something did seem odd about all this.

However, at the end of this confrontation, someone would be dead on the ground anyway. At the moment, there was no point shooting at the enemies with the machine gun over mere suspicions. The enemies weren’t sleeping on the ground ahead of them.

Fine! If this is what you want…

Kang Chan dropped to the floor and moved to the right side of the table. He then slowly looked around.

This part of Africa looked melancholic. He couldn’t help but pity the enemies on the ground, waiting for instructions under the bright fucking moonlight.

Kang Chan spent the next hour memorizing everything. If he had studied with this level of determination, he probably would’ve come to France on a scholarship, not to become a mercenary.

“Enzo,” he whispered, leaning away from the table. “Don’t make a sound. Get down on the floor.”

Enzo looked at Kang Chan as if asking what he was planning now.

“I’m too dumb to remember. Just hurry it up,” Kang Chan urged.

Enzo appeared to be confused, but he didn’t refuse. He was going to die smelling rotten anyway, so what did it matter?

Enzo lowered his arms under the bed and tilted his upper body like a crocodile entering water. However, his legs wouldn’t budge.

Gritting his teeth, he reached out and grabbed the bandage on his left leg.

“

Kugh

,” he cried pitifully.

Thud.

After setting his left leg on the floor, Enzo let out a series of sobbing breaths. Now that he had felt the terrible pain that was to follow, he couldn’t easily move his right leg.

Unfortunately, Kang Chan couldn’t help him either. The enemy hadn’t fired a shot so far, but that didn’t mean that he could just abandon his post. Otherwise, everything could end in the blink of an eye.

Enzo grabbed the bandages on his other leg.

“

Argh

.”

Swallowing a groan of pain, he yanked his leg free and fell to the floor.

Kang Chan didn’t know if Enzo had figured out his plan, but he had gotten down on the ground like Kang Chan asked.

Amid Enzo’s ragged breathing, Kang Chan thought back to the things that he had memorized over the past hour.

How did I even get this kind of idea? Is there someone out there who has the same skill as I do?

Kang Chan didn’t know the answer to that. However, this seemed like the best he could do in this situation.

With his left hand, he checked the 30-round magazines at his waist.

Haah. Haah.

Listening to his breathing, he then slowly looked around. He took one last look at the position of his enemies, who were lying flat on their stomachs under the bright moonlight.

He could probably get a better aim if he hooked a bipod to the front of the rifle and steadied it on the ground, but this was still worth a shot.

‘One, two!’

Click!

Raising his knees from the sitting position on the floor, Kang Chan aimed the rifle in a single bound.

He then turned as precisely as a cog in a machine and pulled the trigger in rapid succession, never even pausing for breath.

Bang! Swish! Bang! Swish! Bang! Swish! Bang!

The recoil hit his shoulder, and the smell of gunpowder wafted into his nostrils.

With each bullet, another life in the lands of Africa was lost. Kang Chan’s anger surged again.

Why? Why are you dying in vain like this? What the hell are you trying to accomplish, you sick motherfuckers?

***

Struggling to fight off the terrible pain, Enzo became momentarily distracted.

Under the bright moonlight, the enemies remained thirty meters away from them, but they weren’t clustered together. Rather, their forty-strong squad was spread out in a circle, forcing Kang Chan to spin around like a clock’s second hand while firing at them.

It was eerie.

Every time the rookie Asian soldier squeezed the trigger, the enemy he was aiming at bounced up.

Unable to take it anymore, the rebels finally returned fire, causing the dirt in front of them to fly in the air. Nevertheless, Kang Chan kept shooting at them like a machine.

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

Bang! Swish! Bang! Swish! Bang! Swish! Bang!

Can I shoot down people as calmly as he does?

Chills ran down Enzo’s entire body.

Du du du! Pow pow pow!

While wallowing in his thoughts, terrible pain shot through his leg again.

“

Kegh

!”

Bang! Swish! Bang! Swish! Bang!

Still, Kang Chan remained unfazed.

So that’s why he has been staring at the enemies for an hour!

Had he been trying to memorize their locations?

The beds and tables around them didn’t seem to get in Kang Chan’s way.

Enzo, who was shaking off his head to fight off the pain, frowned at Kang Chan.

Bang! Swish! Bang! Swish! Bang! Swish! Bang!

The moonlight clearly showed the blood staining his leg. It seemed like he’d been shot.

Nevertheless, Kang Chan continued to twist around and fire with pinpoint accuracy.

Click! Clunk!

The pain was so intense that the way Kang Chan was changing his magazines looked surreal.

As if they couldn’t take it anymore, the enemies jumped up and charged at them.

Bang! Swish! Bang! Swish! Bang!

However, with each bullet fired, Kang Chan blew an enemy backward with a hole in their forehead.

Don’t you get fucking scared? Do their movements and glinting blades really not pose a threat to you?

Bang! Swish! Bang! Swish! Bang!

Finally, Enzo saw it.

The men who were standing up and charging toward them didn’t even have AK-47s. That meant only a few were armed with rifles. Since they were going to die anyway, those who didn’t have guns were simply choosing to make a last-ditch effort.

Click! Click! Click!

At that moment, Kang Chan stopped firing. He swept his rifle across the area, scanning his surroundings.

He killed all forty in that short moment?

Enzo couldn’t bring himself to look Kang Chan in the eye.

The Asian soldier with him was either a monster or the god of death disguised as one.

***

Haah. Haah.

Kang Chan was still trying to listen to his own breathing. He felt as if the world had slowed down, leaving him the only one moving at a normal pace.

Click! Click!

He took one last look at his surroundings.

This was good enough.

Corpses were left in the places he’d memorized. The ones who had tried to run toward them lay lifeless too.

His right shin throbbed with a burning sensation, though.

Thud!

Kang Chan gritted his teeth and pushed himself off the ground.

It would have been helpful to have Enzo provide cover, but he had been shot in the leg and was also in a precarious position.

Kang Chan kept as low as he could as he moved toward the headquarters barracks.

He had to check out the riflemen first. After shooting all of them, he realized that only ten were armed with rifles.

The enemy leader had to have sent these men to die the same way the Foreign Legion’s new recruits were sent to die.

Kang Chan had no personal grudge against the dead—he simply fought to live. Hence, he had ended their lives with only a bullet each.

Even so, they were all people who had been breathing just moments ago. He wondered what kind of madmen would use human lives so cheaply, causing his anger to surge again.

Rustle, rustle.

Kang Chan reached the first body and checked its condition.

The floor around his head was soaked with blood from the bullet that had pierced through his skull and ripped through his throat.

Were these guys also getting green cards if they survived for five years? Do they get houses in return for taking my head?

It no longer mattered, though. Now, the AK rifles and large knives on the floor simply awaited their new owners.