The base was near Agadez in Niger.

“The Sunnites are expanding their influence in this area,” Sharlan said, circling the Agadez area on a large map with a pointer. “Over the past two months, they have killed one thousand four hundred tribespeople, including women and children, and the violence is still spreading.”

He then tapped the marked area with the pointer. “There are around two hundred Sunnites concentrated here. According to the intel, they have also hired Qud snipers and soldiers. However, the exact number remains unclear.”

“The 11th regiment’s special forces will take this position, the 10th will take this one, and the 12th will cover the right side, forming a triangle to surround and pressure the enemy.”

Kang Chan’s team was positioned at the top of the triangle, with the 10th regiment’s special forces on the lower left and the 12th on the lower right.

“When the special forces move in, the 3rd and 6th companies of the 13th regiment will advance from the south. The operation begins the moment the 11th regiment reaches their position.”

This was a briefing exclusively for the special forces team.

“The objective of this operation is to eliminate all two hundred Sunnites.”

Everyone’s attention then shifted to Kang Chan. It was common knowledge that the wide base of the equilateral triangle meant his team would have to bear the brunt of the enemy forces coming up from below. The base of the triangle being wide, narrow, or pointed didn’t matter, though. All that did was that his regiment would be taking the most heat.

Kang Chan stared at the map in silence.

Niger was the perfect definition of a “barren Africa” landscape—sandy mountains, desolate wastelands with barely any blade of grass, scorching sun, and winds that seemed to hurl dirt directly into one’s eyes.

Agadez was the connecting point between those barren mountains in Niger—a place where every hole was crawling with hostiles and where the gentle-looking Nigerien people would suddenly appear when one least expected it.

Many of its people looked like Egyptians.

“Any questions?” Sharlan asked, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers. He paused briefly on Kang Chan as if waiting for confirmation.

“Tomorrow, the 11th regiment will depart at 08:00, marking the start of the operation. If there are no further questions, then you are all dismissed.”

The soldiers stood up from their seats.

Whoosh!

The wind blew, making it feel as if a handful of sand had been thrown into their eyes. Within an hour or two, their eyes would be crusted with what felt like gravel. That was why camels and the people here had such long eyelashes.

“This won’t be easy, will it?” Reznov muttered quietly as he walked beside Kang Chan.

“If you’re feeling uneasy, say so now.”

“Why would you say that? I’m not that kind of guy.”

He then nodded toward Smithen, who was quickly retreating into the barracks. His face was still swollen and unhealed.

Kang Chan shook his head, wondering if the bastard had a baby camel hidden in the barracks. Spending so much time around that twisted man was starting to warp his thoughts.

Shouldn’t I try to trust people until the moment I see him staring awkwardly at me from behind a camel? Then again, maybe that doesn’t apply to him. Ah, fucking bastard! Just what I needed—more stress to an already exhausting day.

As Kang Chan and Reznov sat at the table in front of their assigned barracks, Smithen emerged, rustling as he came out. Kang Chan smirked at the sight of that mess of a face carrying a mug that reeked of desperation.

“Captain,” Smithen called.

Kang Chan pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.

“I brought coffee.”

Click. Ssshh.

“I promise it won’t happen again,” Smithen said so submissively that Reznov had to turn away to hide a smirk.

Smithen’s apology was always hard to take seriously, especially when he was slimy enough to bring only one mug of coffee despite being fully aware that two people were sitting at the table. Р

“

Hoo

. Smithen,” Kang Chan called.

“Oui.”

“You’re familiar with the Sunnites’ cleansing operations, right?”

Smithen glanced at Reznov as if seeking confirmation.

“If you don’t have a good feeling about this mission, then now would be the time to tell me. I’ll let you sit this one out.”

Smithen blinked at Kang Chan.

“But if you make the same mistake again, especially if it involves children, you’re going to be on the casualty list.”

Kang Chan’s piercing gaze made Smithen gulp nervously.

"Those women could be destined to die—they could be targets that need to be eliminated. Even so, don’t take my order to aim for the forehead lightly. We are soldiers on a mission, not monsters driven by madness."

“Yes, sir.”

"If you turn me or my men into murderers or monsters..."

Kang Chan paused. Smirking, he took a drag from his cigarette.

"I’ll make sure you regret it. Don’t push me to become a monster and choose you as my first target. Dying in battle is one thing; putting others in danger with reckless actions is another."

Smithen lowered his gaze to his mug of coffee.

"Anyway, as I’ve said earlier, if you’ve got a bad feeling about this mission, then speak up now. For you, this could be a matter of life and death, so think carefully."

Smithen swallowed hard for the second time.

"I’ll participate, sir."

Kang Chan tilted his head slightly as he looked at Smithen. This guy was opting to join the mission despite all the warnings and the fact that this operation in Kilima wasn’t much more than basic tribal cleansing.

Kang Chan motioned for Smithen to go. With a slight hesitation, Smithen stood up and headed toward the barracks.

"Want to share some coffee?"

"Captain, I like everything about you, but that sugar and cream, not so much," Reznov answered.

"You lack faith."

"Oh? My faith in you is as strong as the African sun."

Reznov’s joke, delivered with a straight face, made the two laugh heartily for the first time in a while.

"Reznov."

"Oui."

"Being in the higher terrain means the burden on us will be enormous. We’ll be facing a tough situation; that’s why our regiment gets special treatment."

Reznov glanced around, then turned his gaze back to Kang Chan.

"Is that why you tried to exclude Smithen?"

"Partly, yes," Kang Chan answered briefly as he stubbed out his cigarette. "I don’t have a good feeling about this operation, so I’d rather not bring along anyone who could screw things up. That’s also why I need you to stay focused more than anyone else."

"Understood."

Kang Chan lit another cigarette.

"Aren’t you going to drink your coffee?" Reznov asked.

"I don’t feel like it."

Kang Chan suspected that Smithen had done something to the coffee, like spitting in it.

***

Smithen quietly entered Sharlan’s tent.

"I’ve apologized to the captain."

"Anything else?"

"He said if I wanted to, I could sit out the mission tomorrow."

Sharlan eyed Smithen with a curious expression.

"I told him I’d participate, and that’s what I’m going to do."

"

Hmm

."

Sharlan turned around, grabbed two cans of drinks, and brought them to the table.

Chk. Chk.

"Drink. It’s a rare beverage in Africa."

Smithen reached for a can. "Thank you.”

"It’s coffee with quite a unique taste. It also has alcohol in it, so it’ll help you sleep well."

After taking a short sip, Sharlan set his can down.

"During tomorrow’s mission, let me know if we find any maps in the Sunnites’ stronghold. Channy will take care of it, so just tell me how many there are."

"Aren’t our maps of this region more accurate? If it’s something marked differently..."

Smithen quickly shut his mouth when he noticed the displeasure in Sharlan’s eyes.

"Right, got it; it’s none of my business. I’ll be sure to report anything out of the ordinary, not just the maps."

"That’s the attitude I expect from you. Keep that in mind," Sharlan said.

"Yes, sir," Smithen replied.

Smithen downed the rest of his drink and examined the label on the can as if to confirm what he was drinking.

***

Whoooosh!

The barren plains, rugged mountains, yellow dust, dirty winds, and even the stars and moon watching over it all—Agadez definitely reminded Kang Chan of Nudle.

‘Idiot.’

Enzo once said recruits wouldn’t survive beyond forty-eight hours, and even if they did, they’d die within seventy-two. That was exactly how it went for him. He did last about a day longer than expected, but that was barely worth mentioning.

Click. Clack. Click. Clack.

Kang Chan opened and closed the lid of his Zippo lighter, reminiscing about Enzo. He’d replaced the wick and flint several times over the years, but he always kept the same mixture of gasoline and kerosene.

“Survive at all costs.”

Damn it! How could you go and die in a cave after saying something like that?

"If you disappear from here, you’ll be registered as dead, so go and get out of this damn hell!"

‘You crazy chick!’

The man Enzo once called “little chick” had now become the God of Blackfield in this godforsaken hell.

‘He was so pitiful.’

Enzo’s words back then were really funny. How could a cripple like him, who had to be carried around, still manage to say something like that with such a straight face?

If I had the experience and skills I have now back then, I would have managed to save Enzo from those fucking rebels in style.

Kang Chan placed a cigarette between his lips and lit it. He then took a deep drag.

“

Hoo.

”

Staring at the cigarette, he wedged the end of it into a crack in the corner of the table.

I’m leaving this one for you, Enzo. Know that I still remember you even though I’m in a place where no one else likely will. So even if it’s through some dirty wind, come and take a drag before you leave. Wouldn’t it be something if we could still share a cigarette?

If you have time, look up at the stars and the moon. Even if you live among filthy winds, we can at least have that beautiful scenery in our hearts.

Whoooosh!

With a faint smile, Kang Chan walked back into the barracks.

***

Thud thud thud thud thud!

After breakfast, helicopter rotor blades chopped through the air as the soldiers prepared their weapons, bringing a tense atmosphere to the area.

Click! Click!

Since this was a joint operation, they were issued radios. Kang Chan also memorized the titles assigned to each regiment and prepared the map. After checking on his men, he walked over to Sharlan.

“Move out!” Sharlan ordered, his hand resting on his belt as he looked at Kang Chan.

After a brief salute, Kang Chan turned away, and his men quickly boarded the helicopter.

Clang! Clang!

Kang Chan bent down and ran toward the helicopter, boarding just as it took off and drew a circular cloud of dust into the air.

Thud thud thud thud thud!

Thirty minutes later, they landed at the Agadez Airport. From there, they transferred to a truck and drove for forty minutes. They then trekked up the mountain for another hour, eventually reaching the target location.

Agadez was a large city in Niger that spoke French. It even had an airport. However, just an hour away from the city, tribal exterminations took place.

Thud thud thud thud thud!

The wind howled only to scatter as if startled.

With their rifles across their thighs, the soldiers sat back and leaned against the walls. The tension was slowly creeping onto their faces.

These men had been through countless battles, yet the horrors of tribal massacres lingered in their memories. They could still freshly remember women burned to death and hanging from trees; little girls with their noses, ears, and tongues cut off; and boys and men with their ears pierced by large nails. Those scenes of massacre, so unimaginably cruel that they defied normal human understanding, left a significant and lasting shock.

Moreover, as the operation dragged on, madness began to consume the soldiers themselves and turn them into murderers. Hatred was truly terrifying.

Thud thud thud thud thud!

Kang Chan quietly exhaled as he looked at the sky.

What kind of final moments did Enzo and Gillot want?

Somehow, the thought that those two might not have had any specific goals in mind made him laugh. However, one thing was certain: they wouldn’t have wanted to become monsters consumed by madness.

Thud thud thud thud thud!

As the helicopter landed at Agadez Airport, two Foreign Legionnaires greeted them.

“This way!” one of them shouted, as if out-yelling the helicopter noise was his top priority. When Kang Chan gestured with his head, his men quickly moved.

Fucking lunatics!

Just because they were special forces soldiers, they always tensed their necks and shoulders when passing regular soldiers.

Clang. Clang.

As they moved toward a truck, Reznov and another soldier placed their rifles on the roof of the driver’s cab. Meanwhile, Kang Chan walked around the back of the truck and climbed into the passenger seat.

Vrooooom!

The truck immediately sped off from the runway.