God of Blackfield

Under Cha Dong-Gyun’s orders, sentries were posted around the building's perimeter. The soldiers on the rooftop wore night vision to monitor their surroundings better.

Ever since they discovered North Korea’s 8th Special Forces Brigade, the situation had been rapidly unfolding. Moreover, most of the calls were done in French. In such an environment, it was crucial for the team to be fully aware of the situation.

Kang Chan sat on the second floor of the dimly lit building. He then pressed a button on his radio.

Chk.

“I will now explain the current situation. Our country's Fighter Wing, the NIS counter-terrorism team, and the 35th Brigade have all been dispatched,” Kang Chan explained.

Seok Kang-Ho, who had overheard the call with Kim Hyung-Jung, grinned at Kang Chan.

Kang Chan continued, “Additionally, a carrier loaded with fighter jets and Spetsnaz has departed from Russia, and another carrier with fighter jets and the White Wolves has departed from China.”

Upon hearing Russia, Spetsnaz, China, and White Wolves, Gérard smiled, stretching the scar on his cheek. Since the call earlier was in French, he already had a rough idea of what was going on.

“The entire Arab world is preparing to attack Israel, which is protecting Ziegfeld, and our country has declared Watchcon 1 and Defcon 2,” Kang Chan said.

“I received a call threatening me that the Mossad and the Sayeret Matkal are targeting me. We don’t know how the US will react to all this.”

The wind from the sea continuously breezed into the dimly lit building on the second floor, seemingly wanting to listen to Kang Chan speak on the radio.

“But I couldn’t care less what Israel and the US would do. I will capture Ziegfeld here. One more thing.”

What now?

Seok Kang-Ho, Choi Jong-Il, and Cha Dong-Gyun silently waited for Kang Chan to continue.

“I will make sure they pay a clear and definite price for Yang Dong-Sik sunbae’s sacrifice.”

Yes! That’s it! This is the leader we know!

The emotions reflected in the eyes of those watching conveyed this sentiment.

“It’s going to be a tough night. We don’t know what provocations they’ll throw at us before our reinforcements arrive. Still, until they get here, I expect everyone to do their best to hold this building. That’s all!”

As soon as the radio transmission ended, Seok Kang-Ho let out his characteristic laugh and walked over to Kang Chan’s table.

“At times like this, shouldn’t we have at least a cup of instant coffee? The men on duty right now need to be rotated out, too,” he said.

“Order them as you see fit,” Kang Chan replied.

“Copy.”

While Seok Kang-Ho was instructing Cha Dong-Gyun and Choi Jong-Il, Kang Chan explained the radio message to Gérard in French.

“This reminds me of the time in Congo,” Gérard said.

“What does?” Kang Chan inquired.

“Remember when our squad stayed behind to hold our position?”

Kang Chan nodded and smiled bitterly. “Did we?”

During the operation to rescue the Foreign Legion’s 13th regiment, which had been surrounded by Congolese rebels, Kang Chan and his men had to buy time for the soldiers to escape. However, they ended up getting trapped in a two-story building at a night market that sold AK rifles and rhinoceros horns.

“Here you go.” Seok Kang-Ho placed cups of instant coffee in front of Kang Chan and Gérard and then sat down at the table. “What’s so funny?”

“I was just recalling how this situation is similar to when we were trapped in the Congo night market,” Gérard answered.

Seok Kang-Ho smirked and nodded.

“What’s your gut feeling?” he asked.

“Still not good. I feel like there’s more to come,” Kang Chan answered.

“Got it.”

Seok Kang-Ho, who understood Kang Chan’s gaze and tone better than anyone, sharply glanced at the dark window.

Meanwhile, Kang Chan turned his attention to Cha Dong-Gyun.

“With the situation as it is, tomorrow's meeting is off the table. The hours before dawn will be the most dangerous, so make sure everyone rotates for meals and even just a bit of rest.”

“Yes, sir,” Cha Dong-Gyun replied as firmly and heavily as the darkness around them.

***

- Sherman! Is it true that you used North Korea’s 8th Special Forces Brigade?

While holding the phone in his private plane, Sherman looked out the window with a troubled expression.

- I sent an ambassador, but the President of South Korea remains unmoved. Moreover, they claim that you, the Director of CIA, used North Korean forces to attack their personnel, resulting in casualties. There's no way to excuse this.

The man sounded strained with suppressed anger.

- I heard the South Korean team on site has secured the bodies of the North Korean soldiers. Answer me, Sherman! Are you the one who proposed the meeting with the South Koreans in Cuba?!

“Yes, Mr. President,” Sherman replied lowly.

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- Haaa! Sherman!

the President’s voice and sigh conveyed his regret.

- South Korea is an absolute and symbolic ally to us. Among all the Asian countries, we have the friendliest and most critical relationship with them. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?

“There are many aspects of this situation that have also taken me by surprise.”

A heavy silence followed.

- Sherman, through a spokesperson, I will support South Korea’s actions, and the ROK-US Combined Forces Command will follow the orders of the South Korean President to declare Watchcon and Defcon.

“Mr. President! That’s a very dangerous and extreme decision.”

- Sherman.

The low call sounded ominous. Hence, Sherman quickly lowered his tone.

“Yes, Mr. President.”

- I agree that the interests of the United States must come first, and I am grateful for the CIA’s dedication to this.

Sherman replied, “Thank you, Mr. President.”

- Nevertheless, this series of events is difficult to accept. South Korea holds a position far beyond that of a simple ally for us. It is our only foothold in containing North Korea, China, and Russia, and it has been our long-standing blood ally. If we betray its trust, who will believe in our promises anymore?

Unable to respond, Sherman placed his thick glasses on the table and rubbed his eyes.

- They have the bodies of North Korean soldiers as evidence, and France, Russia, China, and Germany are willing to testify that you called South Korea's soldiers to Cuba.

What is he trying to say?

Sherman swallowed hard and focused even more intently on the phone call.

- I want this matter resolved by 11 AM as promised in Cuba, Sherman. This is the utmost consideration I can offer you for your dedication to the United States.

Fortunately, the President still seemed to be suppressing his wrath.

- Do you understand?

“Of course, Mr. President.”

- Good. I’ll be waiting for the results.

Finally, the call ended.

“Haaa.”

Sherman placed the phone on the table and sank deeply into the seat of the airplane.

***

The door to Uzman's reception room opened heavily. A white-haired man in a suit entered, and his attendants and security followed right behind.

“Thank you for making time for me.”

“What could be more important than meeting the Deputy Prime Minister of Israel?” Uzman replied. He then shook hands with the man and gestured to the sofa. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”

Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Chapi Presley bowed his head in gratitude and sat beside Uzman. Immediately, a tray of tea, dates, and an ashtray was prepared on the table.

This meeting was an impromptu visit, not a pre-arranged one. Although Uzman could have easily refused, he allocated time for it, and the meeting was hurriedly set up.

Had the meeting been announced to the public, it would have attracted half the world's journalists due to its significance. However, the Mossad had arranged it in secret.

“Time is of the essence.”

“I also don’t have much time to spare,” Uzman responded.

“Our government finds your plan unacceptable and urges a wise judgment, Your Highness.”

Chapi spoke without hesitation, as if he had come prepared.

“We will also formally protest to the South Korean government and the head of their National Intelligence Service, who first brought up this issue—”

“Deputy Prime Minister,” Uzman interrupted, “there seems to be a misunderstanding.”

Despite Chapi's sharp gaze, Uzman showed no sign of concern.

“We are not acting on South Korea's orders. To be clear, Saudi Arabia proposed this initiative, and the Arab world agreed.”

"I heard you told the President of the United States that postponing the schedule requires Kang Chan’s consent, though."

“That is different from taking orders.”

“Why did you tell the President of the United States that and decide to invade Israel, then?”

Uzman fiercely gazed at Chapi, which was a far cry from his usual demeanor.

“Deputy Prime Minister, if you visited me out of nowhere just to ask rude questions, then this meeting ends here,” said Uzman.

He then turned his head toward his attendant. If he were to order him to issue the guest out, this meeting would end.

“If I came across as rude, Your Highness, I apologize,” Chapi quickly replied, trying to hold Uzman's gaze.

Glaring back at Chapi, Uzman slowly but quietly sighed. Behind his kindness clearly hid overwhelmingly intimidating wisdom.

“Deputy Prime Minister, our oil-producing nations will no longer suffer from Ziegfeld's machinations. Will we not tolerate the massive profits he uses to fund the massacres in Gaza either,” Uzman declared with a firm expression.

“Monsieur Kang and I have reached a conclusion that respects the Arab world. The Arab world is merely following the new world order he proposed.”

Chapi sipped his tea, trying to hide his urgency, but he couldn’t escape Uzman’s experienced gaze.

“He plans to eliminate Ziegfeld, who is hiding in Bermuda, using the forces of France, Russia, China, and South Korea. Deputy Prime Minister, we Arabs always keep our vows to God.”

Without breaking eye contact, Uzman extended his index and middle fingers forward to show his resolve.

“I swore to God that I will follow Monsieur Kang, who respects us, and I accepted the attack on Israel as God’s will to eliminate Ziegfeld.”

At that moment, Chapi realized that Uzman, the old fox, had thoroughly outmaneuvered him. It didn’t matter how Chapi twisted or turned the situation. Uzman had already decided to follow Kang Chan.

“If we could reach an agreement with Mr. Kang—”

“Please, call him Monsieur Kang.”

Interrupted once more, Chapi's cheek twitched. “If we reach an agreement with Monsieur Kang, will you reconsider your decision?”

“I swear to God that I will respect Monsieur Kang’s decision.”

“Hmm.”

Chapi’s groan made it clear that he was in a difficult position, having to bow to Kang Chan.

***

Beep, beep, beep.

Vasili looked at the ringing phone. He then mockingly smiled at Yang Fan.

“The old raccoon seems to find the fire on his tail quite hot.”

Beep, beep, beep.

“Aren’t you going to answer it?”

“Let him sweat a bit.”

Yang Fan laughed as if to say he couldn’t handle it anymore. Finally, Vasili reached out to the phone.

“Vasili speaking.”

- Vasili, what do you want?

Surprisingly, Sherman sounded calm.

Vasili glanced at Yang Fan as if to say, “Can you believe this?”

- You don’t want a world war, do you?

“Sherman.”

- Name your terms.

The quick response sounded filled with anticipation.

“Let’s not ignore the obvious solution.”

- Hmm!

“Go to Monsieur Kang and resolve this with him. He makes all the decisions now.”

- I don’t understand why heavyweights like you and Lanok are following that Korean upstart like obedient kindergarteners! Listen, Vasili! It’s Korea! Korea! Russia, China, and our alliance can sway that country anytime! He’s just a rookie on that tiny piece of land!

Sherman’s anger seemed to have burst out.

- Just one Spetsnaz strike from the carrier could bring him down in five minutes. Why are you so obedient to him? Even now—!

“Sherman,” Vasili called, interrupting Sherman’s rant. “Why are you so adamant about clinging to Ziegfeld, whom even the US President is ready to abandon?”

Vasili’s eyes remained as cold as ever.

“If it’s because the next-generation energy facility is being built in Iran, then know that if you don’t leave Ziegfeld now, you’ll never get another chance. I do understand that embracing the Star of David and controlling Iran's next-generation energy facility would make you a national hero. I can see why you find it so hard to let go.”

- What’s wrong with having the world order divided between the US and Russia, Vasili? If we just eliminate that Korean upstart, everything will go back to normal! China will follow your lead anytime, won’t it?

Vasili let out a clear mocking laugh and glanced to the side.

“Ah, I almost forgot to tell you. Yang Fan of China’s intelligence bureau is with me. He harbors plenty of grievances against the world order being split between the US and Russia. Why don’t you say hello?”

“It’s been a while, Sherman.”

- Please don’t misunderstand, Yang Fan.

Yang Fan remained silent, creating an awkward pause.

“Oh dear! It seems our little Chinese fellow is in a bit of a bad mood. It’s best we end this call here.”

With that, Vasili abruptly pressed the end call button. Seeing Yang Fan light a cigarette, Vasili ordered the man standing by to bring some tea.

“It seems Sherman is planning to take military action.”

“He probably already has.”

Yang Fan glanced to the side, noting the resolute look in Vasili’s eyes.

“He’ll want to resolve this before the Foreign Legion or our carriers arrive. The US military will be held back by their president, Ziegfeld has no official military, and the Arabs are siding with Monsieur Kang. Who’s left?”

Click.

As Vasili finished speaking, a man with a rifle slung over his shoulder approached him and poured him a cup of tea.

“It won’t be North Korea. We’ve already put enough pressure on their government to keep them from making any moves,” Yang Fan replied.

Vasili nodded in agreement. “Sherman must have something up his sleeve. Otherwise, that old raccoon would have already run to Monsieur Kang to negotiate terms.”

“Hooo.”

Yang Fan exhaled a cloud of smoke and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

“What if I ordered our carriers to attack Monsieur Kang and bring back his corpse? Do you think our protagonist would really end up dead before me?” Vasili asked Yang Fan with a serious expression.

“Well, I somehow feel like we’d witness another miracle of him coming back to life.”

Vasili turned his gaze to the horizon.

“Poor old raccoon. Why did you have to provoke him?” he muttered to himself.

***

Whooosh!

In the deep, dark night, the wind blowing in from the sea tirelessly swept up the dust.

Clank. Clank.

With a rifle slung over his shoulder, Kang Chan climbed to the rooftop. The two-story building stood alone on a wide plain, making it an ideal target for a missile strike.

Something else is coming.

With his instincts constantly warning him of danger, Kang Chan sharply surveyed his surroundings. Cha Dong-Gyun had positioned the soldiers over a wide area, keeping them reasonably safe from a missile attack, but a nagging unease still gnawed at Kang Chan. He felt no different from when they were trapped in the Congo market, which Gérard had mentioned earlier.

Kang Chan couldn't shake the feeling that the two-story building standing in the darkness was a metaphor for South Korea's current situation. It struggling to achieve its goals due to the pressures from the US, Russia, China, and France.

Before him was nothing but darkness and a somber sea breeze. However, behind him stood reliable comrades: Seok Kang-Ho, who was sharply scanning the surroundings; Gérard, whose eyes were as ruthless as the scar on his cheek; and the Jeungpyeong special forces team, arguably the best infantry unit in the world.

Kang Chan recalled what Moon Jae-Hyun had said about South Korea's future lying in its talented people, making him chuckle softly.

Clank. Clank.

Hearing rifles clanking, he turned around to two figures climbing onto the rooftop. Kang Chul-Gyu and Nam Il-Gyu soon came into view and approached him.

'What's going on?'

Kang Chul-Gyu seemed to have read the question in Kang Chan's eyes.

With his pale face and gleaming eyes, Kang Chul-Gyu conveyed his intention to Kang Chan. "Assistant Director, I can't stand with you in the frontlines in this condition, but I'm confident in my aim. I'll provide sniper support from here."

Kang Chan locked eyes with him, seemingly having a brief exchange with just their gazes.

'The enemy is approaching.'

'I know, but staying here in your condition won't help.'

'I'll do my part. Let me do this.'

Whooosh!

The wind blew, making the small, blood-stained Taegeukgi on Kang Chul-Gyu's left shoulder flutter. The flag used to be attached to Yang Dong-Sik's sleeve. He had been so proud of it.

Damn it! How could I stop this?

“Haaaa.”

Kang Chan exhaled softly.