God of Blackfield

As soon as Team Charlie signaled that they were in position, the two at the jeep aimed precisely at the hill where the soldiers were, while those from the headquarters pointed their guns at Team Alpha’s location, never lowering their guard.

Perhaps it was due to the unusual bird call or the mercenaries’ vast experience, but they instantly recognized it as a human sound. Either way, thirty mercenaries were now aiming their guns at the other Foreign Legion teams. This situation was far worse than someone ordering pork cutlet from a Chinese restaurant or demanding pig's feet from a chicken place.

The situation had gotten messy without even catching a glimpse of Umbembe's bald head.

Are we just going to keep hiding and watching?

While Kang Chan waited for orders, the mercenaries started the engines of the trucks and jeeps.

Vroom! Vroom!

Above the vehicular noises, he heard a door open. It seemed the bald man was about to leave. The building was blocking Team Bravo’s vision, preventing them from doing anything, while the trucks obscured Teams Alpha and Charlie’s view of the entrance.

Right now, waiting for the bald man to return could be the wisest move.

Gillot said we’ll wait for three days anyway, didn’t he?

Bang! Whizz!

Ratatatatat! Bang! Tatatat! Bang! Ratatatat!

Ratatat! Bang! Ratatatat! Bang!

As the mercenaries in front of the building riddled Teams Alpha and Charlie’s positions with bullets, the jeep at the entrance fired an RPG toward the hill where they suspected Team Charlie was.

Whoosh!

Boom!

Ratatatat! Bang! Tatatatat!

Using the continuous gunfire as cover, the trucks and jeeps started driving away.

Vroom! Vroooom!

If the last person to come out was Umbembe, then he had to be in the jeep. Right now, all they could do was charge forward and catch him before he escaped.

Bang! Whizz! Ratatat! Bang! Whizz!

Amid the tense moment, sniper shots and counterfire were exchanged. The two trucks flanked the jeep, seemingly shielding it.

Whizz! Bang! Whizz! Ratatat! Bang! Whizz!

Team Alpha fired at the jeep at the entrance, and one mercenary slumped down.

To block Umbembe’s escape, Gillot took a risk; he charged down the hill and fired at the jeep at the entrance.

What is Team Charlie doing?

Kang Chan quickly glanced at Greg.

Are we just going to sit here and watch while Alpha is fighting like that?

Bang! Whizz! Ratatatat! Bang! Whizz!

While Gillot targeted the jeep at the entrance, Asker, from his original position, kept aiming at Umbembe.

Ratatat! Whizz! Bang! Whizz!

We have to help them! Even if it’s just to draw some attention away from them!

Ratatatat! Bang! Whizz! Bang! Whizz!

Why is Team Charlie hiding even though they’re the ones who ruined everything?

Unable to bear it any longer, Kang Chan urged, "We have to go!"

Greg turned around. Even though Team Alpha got locked in fierce combat right before his eyes, he still seemed to be hesitating.

"You fucking idiot!” Kang Chan cursed in Korean. In French, he then said, "I'm going."

Clack!

Kang Chan stood up from behind the tree and immediately jumped down the hill.

Whizz! Whoosh!

He slid down the cliff in a half-lying position. He felt as if his thighs, buttocks, and lower back were being torn apart, but he had no way to stop now.

"Ugh!"

Thud!

Kang Chan fell to the ground. Gritting his teeth, he got up and ran past the building.

Ratatat! Whizz! Bang! Whizz! Ratatat!

The battle raged on. Gillot fiercely held off the mercenaries heading toward the jeep that he had stopped at the entrance, forcing them to hold their ground.

Huff. Huff.

Special forces team? Working together for a long time? Screw that!

Kang Chan quickly followed the loud gunfire ahead. As soon as he reached the building, he skillfully scaled the wall and moved to the corner. He then peeked around, finding mercenaries shooting at Gillot from between the trucks and the jeep.

Click!

Kang Chan raised his rifle. The distance was less than a hundred meters. He didn’t know why, but he just knew he couldn’t miss a target from this close.

Huff. Huff.

Kang Chan squeezed the trigger.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

In an instant, he put a bullet into four heads. The enemy quickly returned fire, shattering the corner of the wall that Kang Chan was hiding behind.

Ratatat! Thud! Bang! Thud! Ratatat! Ping!

Crouching, Kang Chan glanced up at where Team Bravo was stationed.

No cover fire?

Click!

Bang! Bang! Ratatatat! Thud! Thud!

Kang Chan shot two more mercenaries in the head before ducking behind the wall again. Finally, Greg and two other soldiers descended to join him.

Bang! Bang!

Kang Chan took down another two.

Bang! Bang! Ratatat! Thud!

As Team Alpha continued firing at their opponents, he took down three more enemies in quick succession.

Click! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Ratatat! Thud! Ratatat!

By the time the enemy counterattacked again, Greg and the other two soldiers had jumped down next to Kang Chan. They all huddled behind one wall, which was stupid.

Kang Chan gestured with his index and middle fingers toward his eyes and then pointed at the opposite wall. Greg nodded and quickly moved to the position with one soldier.

You’re the team leader for fuck’s sake! We should be the ones moving there, not you!

Just as Kang Chan raised his rifle, the soldier beside him leaned out and fired first.

Click! Bang!

Ratatat! Ping! Ratatat! Thud!

The enemy had clearly been waiting. The soldier barely managed to shoot twice before he fell to the ground. With his neck and chest blown apart, he could only writhe in pain.

Huff. Huff.

Kang Chan considered checking on him, but the soldier soon went limp. The grimy, mud-colored walls, the dirty ground, the uniforms, the dark rifles, the blackened hands and faces—everything in the rebel base looked black and white except for the blood staining the fallen soldier's neck.

With each bullet fired, another body left a splash of red on this monochromatic world. If not for all the blood, killing and dying would have probably felt more like a game—something one could brush off and walk away from.

Click! Click!

After changing magazines, Kang Chan heard gunfire from Greg's side.

Whizz! Bang! Ratatat! Thud! Ratatat!

The mercenaries certainly responded and fired differently from the rebels in Ndulele. Still, managing to kill one of Team Bravo’s members seemed to have divided their attention. With their guards down, all that was left was to seize the opportunity.

Click! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Kang Chan blew off the heads of the last three enemies in sight. The rest of the mercenaries had ducked and clustered in between the trucks.

In a burst of action, Kang Chan instinctively dashed out.

Clank! Click! Clank! Clank!

The weapons strapped to him protested loudly, urging him not to do something so reckless. He knew it was madness, but he couldn’t stop himself from seizing the chance.

He had already charged forth by the time the madness and recklessness of it all finally struck him.

Click! Click! Clank!

All he could hear now was his weapons clanging and his allies providing cover fire.

Huff. Huff.

The battered, blackened truck was now right in front of him.

Click!

With his rifle at the ready, Kang Chan pressed his body against the truck. He then pulled the pins of the two grenades that the special forces team had issued him.

Ting. Ting.

He heard the sound of weapons clanging inside. Nevertheless, he still waited two seconds. Throwing the grenades too early would give the enemies a chance to pick them up and throw them back.

Whizz!

As soon as Kang Chan threw the explosives, he dove onto the ground.

Boom!

The ear-splitting explosion shook the ground violently.

Rustle!

Kang Chan got up quickly as dirt rained down. He then dashed behind the jeep.

Click! Click! Click!

He swung his rifle around. Though some were still alive, he saw no enemies who could still fight.

"Ugh."

One of them, bleeding from his forehead, eyes, chin, and neck, struggled to aim his gun. Kang Chan looked into the enemy's eyes and shook his head.

Don't do it. It's not a good idea.

The enemy smiled faintly in response. As Kang Chan heard soldiers running toward his position, the man managed to raise his AK rifle.

With his left arm destroyed, he tried to shoot with his right hand alone. However, he had trouble pulling the trigger.

Kang Chan understood that the enemy wanted to be killed. Still, it was hard to understand why a mercenary would give up on life so easily.

Click! Click!

Just before the soldiers could reach them, Kang Chan pumped the enemy full of bullets.

Thud!

The man got what he wanted. However, a few others who didn’t want to share his fate were also killed in the process.

Click.

Kang Chan lowered his rifle and stepped away from the truck, deliberately facing the mountain. Although he had been fine until now, he suddenly felt nauseous. He couldn’t stand the smell of blood and gunpowder anymore.

To hell with the rebel base; all he could think about was smoking a cigarette.

Turning his rifle to the right, Kang Chan took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag.

I have to do this shit for five more years? Stuck between onions and black bean paste?

"Hoo."

He braced himself for situations like this before joining the Foreign Legion. Still, encountering something this intense right out of training seemed too harsh.

"Channy,” Greg called just as Kang Chan exhaled smoke for the second time.

Cowardly bastard.

When Kang Chan turned to him, Greg gestured downward. Gillot, leaning against the truck's wheel, was smiling weakly at Kang Chan.

Clink. Clink.

Kang Chan slowly approached Gillot. Somehow, he had already expected Gillot to die too. He just knew that those who had a special bond with him would eventually end up dead— like Enzo.

"Cigarette," Gillot said, his eyes looking sleepy.

Kang Chan plopped down opposite him, lit a cigarette, and placed it in Gillot's mouth. Blood was flowing copiously from his chest, abdomen, and right thigh.

"Take this," Gillot said, nodding toward his left pocket. "It's the squad leader's insignia. Get the remaining men back to base."

"Have you forgotten that I'm a rookie?" Kang Chan inquired.

"Hmph. Do you even know what it means to be given this insignia?"

Kang Chan didn't respond. He just took a drag on his cigarette.

"They call you the God of Blackfield. Had I met you a bit sooner, this life might not have been so bad," Gillot said, the cigarette bobbing up and down as he spoke.

Clink. Clink.

At that moment, Greg approached. "Five survivors.”

"There will be four soon. I’m assigning Channy as temporary squad leader," Gillot ordered.

Greg didn't respond either. Kang Chan lit another cigarette to mask the smell of blood and avoid nausea.

Thud!

While looking down to light the cigarette, Gillot's head drooped, and his eyes unfocused. White smoke from the cigarette in his mouth rose over his face.

Kang Chan exhaled smoke loudly. He then pulled the cigarette from Gillot's mouth and tossed it to the ground.

He didn’t know if he had an eye for recognizing who was about to die or if he had a curse that killed anyone he liked or could communicate. Either way, although this was only the second time, he was already tired of seeing people die.

"Staying here would be dangerous," Greg said softly.

Kang Chan slowly turned toward him. If Greg had helped a bit sooner, maybe Gillot would still be alive. As the desire to shoot the cowardly bastard in the forehead surged, Kang Chan clenched his teeth.

After glaring at Greg for a moment, he turned back to Gillot.

"I should get going."

He wanted to remember Gillot like he remembered Enzo with the lighter he left him. However, he also didn’t want to ever be in a squad led by a coward like Greg again.

Kang Chan tore off the thumbnail-sized Foreign Legion insignia from Gillot's left chest. He then stood up and slowly looked up at the sky. If only he could fly away from all this.

"Hoo!"

Sentimentality ends here.

Kang Chan turned to Greg. "Greg."

"Oui."

"Take care of Gillot. We leave as soon as you're done."

"Oui."

Greg walked over to Gillot to tie his sleeves and boots.