novelraw Chapter 187 : Mission 12: Fast & Furious (1)
Chapter 187 : Mission 12: Fast & Furious (1)
“We’re launching an immediate retaliatory operation,” Hae-eun continued.
“The military has established a perimeter, and we’ve been notified that the 666th Special Operations Unit is joining the fray. But we’re the ones leading the direct hunt. We have combat experience against these bastards.”
Flipping through the file in her hand, Hae-eun let out a shallow sigh.
“The Acting President has also promised his full support.”
Ghost asked, “Who’s the Acting President?”
“Ryu Yeon, the minister of the future.”
“...The Archmage is the Acting President? Huh.”
Ghost clicked her tongue, muttering about the end of the world, then flinched.
Because it was, quite literally, the End of the World.
“We have the full support of the government.”
“Yeah, but even with their support…” Razor trailed off, breaking into a cold sweat.
“You’re saying we’re going to hunt those fuckers down like we know where they are? They were holed up somewhere, right? If we knew their location, we would’ve smashed them to bits already, wouldn’t we?”
“We’ve been tracking the current location of the three Villains who attacked Hero Tower.”
Hae-eun displayed CCTV snapshots of the three Villains on the screen. Iljimae and Jeon Woo-chi, the ones who had infiltrated the Paradise Cruise, and…
“Chevalier…?”
Even Chevalier, the former vice commander of The Knights Hunter Guild, was among them.
As a stunned Jae-hee muttered to himself, Hae-eun switched the screen to a map of the Seoul metropolitan area.
“It seems they attempted to flee toward Incheon, but the military’s pursuit and encirclement forced them to change their route. They’re currently on the run in the Siheung-Ansan area.”
The tip of Hae-eun’s staff struck the western coastline.
“We will hunt these sons of bitches down.”
“…!”
“As you know from our last encounter, their main base is an island called Yuldo. It seems they can open a passage to it if they’re near the ocean.”
Hae-eun’s staff drew an X over the coastline.
“In other words… we have to find and eliminate these bastards before they reach the coast.”
The mission outline was simple.
Pursue and apprehend the three fleeing combatants of the Crimson Poverty Front. Terminate on refusal to surrender.
Given the high probability of escape if they reach the sea, they must be stopped before reaching the coastline.
“Use any means necessary. This isn’t just for Death-Medic’s revenge. They assassinated the President.”
Hae-eun growled, her voice low. “We can’t let them leave this land in one piece.”
“…”
“Catch them, extract as much information as you can, then either kill them or leave them in a state worse than death.”
Just then, the vice captain entered the Commander’s Office, offered a short salute, and said in a cold voice, “Ma’am, the transport aircraft are ready.”
“We’re out of time. All agents present will board immediately.”
The Commander’s Office was packed with nearly every combat-ready individual: the core prisoners of the Black Parade who had survived the previous battles and even reserve prisoners Jae-hee had never met before.
“Prep on the flight. Dismissed!”
The President and an S-rank hunter were dead. The situation was critical.
It was, quite literally, a national state of emergency.
Not daring to question the commander’s orders, the assembled prisoners boarded the three transport aircraft in an orderly fashion.
“Oh, right. The name of this mission is…”
Just before the hatch closed, Hae-eun, standing outside the aircraft, added curtly, “Fast & Furious.”
“…”
“Run like hell and fuck them all up.”
THUMP!
The hatch sealed shut. Thwup-thwup-thwup-thwup!
On the morning of January 1, New Year’s Day, three transport planes, fully loaded with troops, took off from the prison cruise.
***
After takeoff, once the aircraft stabilized, gear distribution began.
“Patissier said he was making tteokguk today…” Razor smacked his lips, already dressed in his combat uniform. “And we had to leave without getting any.”
Status Window, also in his combat gear, tilted his head. “But isn’t tteokguk for Lunar New Year? Do people eat it on January 1, too desu?”
“It’s to celebrate the new year either way, so who cares as long as you eat it.”
“Then you’d have to eat it again on Lunar New Year. You wanna get two years older in one year or something desu?”
“You picky little shit… Just eat what they give you…”
Though they were joking around, an uncomfortable tension filled the aircraft’s interior.
The President was dead.
And at the hands of a prisoner who had been on this very ship—Silken Bodhisattva.
Razor and Status Window glanced sideways at Jae-hee, who was equipping a hwando and a dagger over his windbreaker.
Jae-hee was lost in thought.
The President’s death was shocking, but Death-Medic’s was even more so.
Memories of the short time they had spent together flashed through his mind.
Medic sis…
Clenching his fists, Jae-hee stared into the empty space before him, his face more serious than ever before.
Until now, he hadn’t given much thought to who he fought or why. But this time was different.
The Crimson Poverty Front had crossed a line.
For the first time, Jae-hee felt a deep-seated urge to beat someone to a pulp.
“Relax,” Ghost said, approaching him. “If you’re already on edge like this, you’ll be too tired to fight later. Conserve your energy now and unleash it when you find them.”
“...Yes, Master.”
After observing her student’s first-ever look of fury, Ghost turned to inspect a nearby equipment crate.
“Looks like they weren’t kidding about the government’s support. The quantity and quality of this gear is on another level compared to usual.”
Unlike the shoddy equipment they were normally given, perfectly maintained gear of all types was laid out in neat rows.
Status Window picked up a pistol and struck a ridiculous Gun Kata pose. Jae-hee reflexively loosened up and chuckled, but Ghost gestured to him.
“And this.”
Ghost tapped a gleaming, brand-new black case on the floor with the tip of her boot.
“Military Gate Gear. I don’t know if you remember, but it’s the reward from that mission where we saved those military types.”
“Huh…?”
Jae-hee wracked his brain.
Come to think of it, he did seem to recall being promised such a reward a while back, during the sixth mission, when they rescued the plane captured by that giant monster bird.
“Isn’t that the reward they promised us, like, ages ago?”
“That’s the one.”
“It’s only just arriving?”
“That’s how the government works…” Ghost shrugged. “Still, for them, this is fast. It’s only been a few weeks since that mission.”
“Oh? Is that right? You’re right.”
Jae-hee, roughly calculating the dates, let out a surprised sound. “So much has happened, it feels like it was ages ago.”
“We have been keeping busy…” Ghost once again pushed the black case toward Jae-hee. “It’s yours. You should have it.”
“Hehe, then I’ll open it!”
Jae-hee crouched in front of the case. Razor and Status Window had already sidled up to watch.
“What’s that? Something you earned? If it’s pricey, you better share.”
“I hope you get a five-star legendary desu! With a big golden flash! It’s so annoying how games these days mix weapon and character gachas, though—”
“What the hell is this guy even talking about…”
As Razor and Status Window bickered, Ghost, apparently just as curious, leaned over from behind to get a better look.
As Jae-hee carefully opened the case with a click, a cloud of cool vapor billowed out.
The three stunned inmates shrieked in unison.
“Whoa!”
“Whoooa?!”
“Did he get a mythic-grade item desu?!”
***
On the border of Seoul and Siheung. In a forest spread across a low, mountainous area.
“Damn, they’ve got the whole army out here,” Jeon Woo-chi grumbled, taking cover behind a withered tree as he scanned their surroundings. “I didn’t think they’d set up a perimeter this fast.”
“That’s why I said we should’ve just gone to Incheon...!” Iljimae whined, then squeezed her eyes shut and clutched her severed arm.
Though she’d received first aid, the wound was severe. She could feel her condition worsening by the second.
“We have to get to the sea somehow to escape... Weren’t we told the escape route was secure? Where’s our pickup?”
“They said the army’s all over Incheon. That’s why they changed the rendezvous to Siheung.”
The sea was still a long way off.
Even taking the shortest route would mean cutting through the city of Siheung, which, from a glance, was crawling with soldiers and police.
“Your operation is laughably sloppy,” Chevalier remarked, leaning on his greatsword as he kept watch. He turned to the other two. “Do you always plan your missions this carelessly?”
“What kind of brilliant plan did you expect from a bunch of assholes who are only villains ‘cause they’re too dumb for anything else? We just make shit up as we go.”
“I heard your leader was a rather capable crime consultant. This is anything but sophisticated.”
Iljimae shrieked at him. “Hey, newbie! Watch your mouth. Our Chun-hyang is a damn genius, you hear?”
“Coming from the dumbest one here, that inspires zero confidence…”
“What did you say?!”
Just as the Villains were about to argue further, thwup-thwup-thwup-thwup!
The deafening sound of rotors filled the air as a low-flying helicopter passed over their heads. The three of them quickly ducked down to hide.
“Well, well, they even brought out the choppers. Heh, we really kicked the hornet’s nest this time,” Jeon Woo-chi whistled.
In contrast, Chevalier scowled. “Damn it.”
“What? What’s your problem now?”
“That helicopter…” Chevalier spat, having identified the unit insignia. “It belongs to the 666th Special Operations Unit.”
The military’s most elite Gate special forces unit.
Even the 666th had been mobilized to capture them. Jeon Woo-chi clicked his tongue, his expression grim.
“Ah, you mean those monster-hunting monsters?”
“The soldiers are a problem, but so is their commander.”
The de facto leader of the 666th Special Operations Unit was none other than the Chosen One, one of the Five Heroes. If he was here in person…
“...We can’t stay here.”
Chevalier was the first to get to his feet.
“We’ll be captured at this rate. And if we’re up against the 666th, we won’t last long in our current state.”
“…”
“We have to break through the perimeter and get to the coast, no matter what.”
Iljimae held up her severed arm and whimpered, “But how? The army’s everywhere. If we go out there now, we’ll be spotted, beaten to a pulp, and either killed or arrested.”
“...No, I just got an idea.” Jeon Woo-chi, stroking his chin in thought, snapped his fingers. “A way to break their encirclement and buy us time to escape.”
“Huh? Really? What is it?” Iljimae’s eyes widened.
At that same moment, Jeon Woo-chi suddenly kicked her square in the back.
Iljimae went tumbling down the mountainside in shock.
“Aargh… Aaaargh!”
Though the mountain was small, the slope was littered with jagged rocks and trees. Iljimae was thrown down, her body slamming against them until she was a bloody mess.
Chevalier watched this unfold in stunned silence, then turned to look at Jeon Woo-chi.
Jeon Woo-chi just grinned coolly and shrugged. “Looks like our friend here made a noble sacrifice.”
“Scum…”
“If you’re going to ditch someone, it might as well be the injured one, yeah? Am I wrong? I think it’s a pretty rational decision.”
From the bottom of the slope, Iljimae, trembling in agony, shrieked up at them. “You... Jeon Woo-chi, you son of a bi—”
“Found one! It’s the wanted Villain!”
The loud crash of her fall had drawn the soldiers. They discovered Iljimae and aimed their rifles at her.
“Freeze! Hands up!”
“Move and we’ll shoot!”
“…!”
Seething, Iljimae slowly drew a dagger with her one remaining hand.
“Fuck off, you cunts…”
A circle of energy coalesced behind her, and in the next moment, she accelerated, lunging at the soldiers.
“Like hell I’m gonna die in a place like this!”
The sounds of gunfire, swinging blades, clashing metal, and human screams erupted from the base of the mountain.
“Niiice~” Jeon Woo-chi dusted himself off and stood up, a smirk on his face. “Iljimae bought us this time with her tear-jerking sacrifice, didn’t she? Let’s make a run for it.”
Chevalier glared at Jeon Woo-chi and growled, “You’re going to die a horrible death one day.”
Jeon Woo-chi scoffed. “Dude. What kinda idiot gets into this line of work not knowing that?”