It felt like he’d been awake for two nights straight—his mind hazy and unfocused.
“…Captain.”
A sharp ringing echoed in his head.
Where… am I?
“…Sir?”
As his senses returned, he turned his head and saw a man in military uniform. Even through his gear, the man’s muscular build was striking—like a bear.
This was Master Sergeant Choi Sang-hyuk, Deputy Commander of the HID Special Operations Counterterrorism Unit.
As Taeseong finally remembered him, the ringing in his head vanished without a trace.
“Yes, Sergeant Choi.”
“What’s wrong all of a sudden? Are you feeling unwell?”
Taeseong shook his head.
“No.”
Losing focus in the middle of a mission… It seemed the relentless operations had thrown off his condition. He resolved to return to base after this mission and re-discipline his mind, which had grown lax.
As a commander, he had to set an example—this kind of carelessness was unacceptable.
“Hah. Never thought I’d live to see this sight. The Captain, always on high alert, spacing out?”
“I’ve shown a lapse as a commander. I’ll be more cautious next time.”
Hearing Taeseong’s serious response, the deputy commander awkwardly scratched his head.
“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant. It’s actually nice to see a more human side of you. The veterans like me know what kind of person you are, but for the rookies, you’re probably a bit intimidating.”
“The new recruits find me intimidating? Why?”
“…Are you seriously asking that, Captain?”
“Yes. Did I make a mistake?”
Choi let out a chuckle, as if dumbfounded.
“Man… you’re as consistent as ever. Given what you’ve shown so far, how could the rookies not be scared of you? Even I thought you were some kind of monster at first. Hahaha.”
“…”
He didn’t fully understand, but from a rookie’s perspective, it made some sense.
Just then, Staff Sergeant Yu Gi-jun, standing nearby, chimed in with a smirk.
“Honestly, sir, both you and the deputy commander are monsters in my book. But when we’re in the field, I can’t tell you how reassuring it is to have you both. Not so much during training, though…”
At that, Choi Sang-hyuk placed a hand as large as a pot lid on Yu’s shoulder and muttered in a low voice.
“Hey, Yu Gi-jun. You think you’re ranked high enough to chime in like that?”
“…I apologize.”
“Haha. Relax, I’m just messing with you. Thought you’d toughened up a bit, but you still know when to be scared, huh?”
“Sergeant, even in twenty years, I doubt anyone in our unit would have the guts to—”
Bang!
Before Yu Gi-jun could finish his sentence, Choi fired a shot, instantly blowing off the head of an enemy about 100 meters ahead. He then flashed a grin and asked,
“What was that?”
“…Nothing, sir.”
Choi chuckled and ruffled Yus hair before turning to Tae-seong.
“Captain, it looks like Second Squad, led by Lieutenant Hong, has already cleared Sector B.”
Lieutenant Hong Si-jin.
A prodigy who graduated at the top of his class from the military academy, excelling in multiple fields. He had an extremely aggressive disposition.
In sparring drills, he often fought as if he intended to rip his opponent apart. On actual missions, he was notorious for brutally eliminating enemies. Normally, he was reserved, showing little emotion—except when killing or when speaking with Lee Taeseong.
Because of his undeniable skill, the unit had secretly nicknamed him the “Muzzled Mad Dog.”
And the one holding the leash was none other than Captain Lee Taeseong.
Taeseong quickly visualized the battlefield in his mind before issuing an order.
“We’ll push straight through to Point A. Yu Gi-jun, keep an eye on enemy movements from the rear. Sergeant Choi, provide cover.”
“I’ve got your back, sir!”
“Leave it to me.”
The moment he gave the command, Taeseong charged toward the building ahead without hesitation.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three shots—three kills.
Without stopping, he drew his knife and slit the throats of two sentries guarding the entrance.
“…!”
Slash!
His movements were like a combat android executing a pre-programmed kill sequence, flawlessly matching the mental image he’d formed.
“Moving in.”
While Choi and Yu finished off the approaching enemies, Taeseong breached the building.
His superhuman dynamic vision instantly assessed the positions of all hostiles inside. Without a moment’s delay, he pulled the trigger.
Five shots rang out—five confirmed kills.
Not a single bullet was wasted.
Choi and Yu, watching from behind, couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Damn. The Captain’s marksmanship really is on another level. Just look at that stance—pure artistry.”
“Yu Gi-jun, be honest. Who do you think is the better shot? Me or the Captain?”
“…Can I really answer that honestly?”
“Of course.”
“Obviously, it’s the Captain. The Deputy Commander still has some human qualities, but the Captain? He’s just a machine. We’re not even the same species. Different breeds, really.”
“…You idiot. This is when you’re supposed to say both of us are amazing. No sense of tact, no tact at all.”
Yu Gi-jun thought to himself, Then why even ask? But he wisely kept the thought to himself.
Despite his huge, easy going appearance, Choi Sang-hyuk was surprisingly sensitive. Gi-jun had learned that lesson the hard way.
Still, I guess I’m lucky. If I’d been assigned to Lieutenant Hong’s squad, I’d be getting my ass handed to me right about now. That psycho bastard.
Their unit was the elite of the elite, a collection of monsters handpicked from those who had survived the military’s harshest training. Among them, the two most exceptional warriors were his allies.
On the other side of the battlefield, an equally dangerous psychopath was rampaging.
If I were the enemy, I’d have bitten my tongue and offed myself already. Fight against these monsters? No way. That’s just not fair.
Taeseong, who had memorized the entire building layout, navigated the shortest route toward the interior.
Their objective: eliminate Kadrik Alvarez, the leader of a terrorist organization composed of former military personnel, and rescue the hostages being held captive.
Their intel indicated that about 50% of the enemy forces were stationed outside, making it the perfect time to strike. But now that they were deep in enemy territory, speed was everything.
“Pick up the pace.”
“Yes, sir.”
They cleared out the ground floor at lightning speed. As Taeseong moved down the hallway, a sense of unease crept over him.
…Something’s wrong. Even considering that some forces are stationed outside, there are too few enemies here. And it’s too quiet.
He hoped it was just paranoia.
But Taeseong knew better—his instincts had never been wrong.
Proceed with the mission.
They located a hidden staircase leading to the basement and silently descended the spiral steps. The dim lanterns on the walls provided just enough light to prevent total darkness, but their vision was still limited.
The atmosphere was suffocatingly ominous.
Because of the narrow passage, they moved in single file.
Tae-seong led the way.
Sergeant Choi took the center.
Yu Gi-jun covered the rear.
Years of rigorous training had heightened their senses to the extreme. Even the slightest movement could trigger a reaction.
Among them, Taeseong had the sharpest instincts—his senses were said to surpass human limits, reaching the realm of beasts.
“…”
“…”
Some jokingly called his awareness inhuman.
Taeseong focused his hearing as they descended, and soon, his instincts told him—the stairs were about to end.
The ground levelled out before him.
But he knew…
This is the most dangerous moment.
From the shadows, within a blind spot, he detected the faintest sound.
At the same time, he reflexively drew his knife.
A movement ingrained into his body through endless repetition.
“Ambush. Prepare for combat.”
As expected, three blades shot toward his vital points from the darkness.
…Gurkhas!
He dodged the first two strikes by shifting his center of gravity to the right. The third, he deflected with his knife.
Realizing they had encountered a highly skilled opponent, the three attackers didn’t immediately press forward. Instead, they adjusted their stances, preparing for a coordinated assault.
“यो जनावर जस्तै आन्दोलन हो। उनी निकै प्रतिभाशाली छन.”
(He moves like a beast. This one is highly skilled.)
“मैले त्यो सानो चक्कुले गोर्खालाई लात हानेँ सबैजना सचेत हुनुपर।”
(He deflected a Gurkha blade with that tiny knife. Everyone, be careful.)
“व्यक्तिगत रुपमा लड्नु भन्दा संयुक्त रुपमा अन्त्य गर्नु राम्रो हुन्छ भन्ने मलाई लाग्छ।”
(It’s better to finish him together rather than fight separately.)
Behind him, the sounds of combat erupted—Choi and Gi-jun had engaged their own opponents.
Taeseong didn’t know their exact numbers, but he trusted Choi completely. Without needing to check, he knew the Sergeant would have Gi-jun’s back.
Three enemies. Gurkha mercenaries from Nepal.
( TL : I am also from Nepal btw and yes Gurkhas are notoriously popular so much so that even British military have their own Gurkha forces)
The Gurkha Unit, named after the traditional Kukri blade, was a world-renowned mercenary force with a history of exceptional battlefield performance.
Born and raised in the highest mountain ranges, these warriors had extraordinary cardiovascular endurance and physical prowess. Given their daily survival in extreme conditions, it was only natural.
One particularly famous story illustrated their combat prowess:
A retired Gurkha soldier was traveling home by train when a gang of armed robbers attempted to assault a woman.
Without hesitation, he drew his kukri—and single-handedly slaughtered all 40 of them.
Initially, the media thought the story was exaggerated.
It wasn’t.
( Although this story is true, In real life the robbers were trying to rape a women during a night train in India, the Gurkha soldier woke up and fought 40 of them killing 3, injuring 8 and receiving a fatal injury but managed to save the women )
This was why Nepal’s three main sources of income were tourism, narcotics, and Gurkha mercenaries.
But the world was full of untold stories.
For instance—
There was once a South Korean soldier who single-handedly wiped out 120 terrorists.
All of them were former special forces.
A story that only a handful of South Korea’s highest-ranking officials knew.
“Looks like I finally get to stretch a little.”
Leave a Reply