God of Blackfield

As the transport aircraft flew smoothly, Kang Chan took out the cigarette that he couldn’t finish earlier. He then lit it again

Click! Chk!

“Hoo!”

The Westerners glanced at the smoking Asian man.

What?

“Get some rest. We have a solid five-hour flight ahead of us, ”Gillot said. He then climbed up to the overhead compartment and stretched out.

Already feeling tired, Kang Chan looked around and found a comfortable position to lie down in.

‘Fuck!’

The unpleasant pain in his back made him curse. He felt petty to let it irritate him, though.

Damn bastard! I told you I didn’t want any coffee!

As Kang Chan closed his eyes, the fatigue of the past few days enveloped him like a cozy blanket.

Vroooom!

Kang Chan woke up to the plane’s engine making a new noise. As he snapped his eyes open, he immediately felt his jaw throb. When he tried to get up, his back felt so stiff that it made him wonder if his spine was broken.e

‘Ugh!’

He stretched leisurely. After being hit with wooden clubs or baseball bats back in Korea, stretching out the next day was the best remedy.

Experience is definitely crucial for survival.

As the soldiers who had been lying down began to rise one by one, Kang Chan walked to the back and grabbed a bottle of water.

Clink!

He drank about half of it and then poured the rest into his hand to wash his face.

“Phew!”

When he returned to his seat, the soldiers were looking at him curiously.

Have you guys never seen someone wash their face before?

Or are you just amazed that I used only half a bottle of water to wash up?

Just because he was getting stared at didn’t mean he was going to bleed or bruise. He didn’t feel like asking them any questions either, so he simply sat back down.

Vroooom!

The water on the floor flowed toward Kang Chan, clearly showing the direction the aircraft was flying. At that moment, Gillot, who had come down from above, moved to the back.

Clink.

He mimicked Kang Chan by drinking some water and washing his face. This time, even Kang Chan joined in watching Gillot.

“What? What’s the matter?”

Gillot looked back at his audience with a puzzled expression, which was somewhat amusing. When the soldiers simply chuckled, he shrugged.

“Crazy bastards,” Gillot muttered as he took his seat. He then ordered, “Check your weapons.”

Clack! Click! Click!

Metallic noises echoed across the plane as the soldiers followed Gillot’s command. Kang Chan examined his magazines, handgun, bayonet, and newly issued grenades.

Clack!

The new rifle felt much more comfortable in his hands compared to the old FAMAS rifle.

“Is there a reason you’re carrying an extra bayonet?” Gillot asked.

“During a fight with the rebels, I realized I should have an additional bayonet I could reach with my right hand at a given moment.”

Gillot just nodded, seemingly finding his reasoning logical. He then looked at the bayonet hanging from Kang Chan’s waist.

Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Grrrang!

Why do they always ring the bell right as the transport starts landing?

Along with the bell, the transport aircraft abruptly descended.

Roaaaar! Thud! Rumble! Ratatatat!

Everything inside the aircraft shook violently. It was as if they were on one of those gym machines that shook its user with a thick belt around their waist.

Vroooooom!

The engine let out one last scream before the transport aircraft landed. After moving for another thirty seconds or so, it finally jerked to a halt.

As the door opened, Gillot pointed to both sides of it with his index and middle fingers. In response, two soldiers quickly ran to the designated positions.

Gillot then moved his index and middle fingers from his shoulder to the front, signaling the soldiers at the back to start disembarking.

These were hand gestures that they had all learned in training camp. Initially, it seemed embarrassingly childish and awkward, but seeing Gillot perform them with his stern face made Kang Chan realize that even such trivial gestures could reflect a leader\'s personality.

These bastards are lucky to be born with long legs, arms, and fingers.

Kang Chan was the last to exit the plane. In front of them, a Frelon helicopter was waiting, noisily chopping through the air.

Imitating the soldiers’ posture as they boarded, he found a suitable spot near the entrance and sat down. Afterward, Gillot and the two soldiers standing guard boarded the helicopter.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

The deafening noise of the helicopter lifting off made their ears ring. Unlike the transport aircraft, the helicopter was filled with scorching heat, dust, and a pungent smell.

“Gather ‘round!” Gillot shouted once the helicopter started moving forward.

In response, the soldiers leaned toward him. Gillot pulled out a folded map from his left pocket and spread it out on the floor.

“This is the area we’re heading to! Here’s the Ubangi River!” He traced a line that seemed to represent the river with his index finger. He then pointed to a spot on the Ubangi River. “And this is Zambi!”

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

“Take a good look at this area called Bongo! Imagine a triangle with the apex above Zambi and Bongo, and another triangle with the apex below.”

Gillot gave Kang Chan a sharp look as if to say, "Make sure you remember this."

“If things go south during the operation, I’ll call out one of these two! If you hear Alpha, head to the upper apex, and if you hear Beta, head to the lower apex! Move to those points as fast and safely as you can!”

Gillot looked at his men before folding the map and putting it back in his pocket. Only then did Kang Chan realize the full meaning of Gillot’s instructions.

What? Are we going straight to catch that big-headed guy without even a proper briefing like in Ndulele?

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

Gillot laughed when he saw Kang Chan’s puzzled expression.

“Our missions are always like this! If we had to coordinate with headquarters and other teams, that meant we’d be aiming to eliminate the rebel stronghold itself!” he yelled over the loud chopping noises, making it seem as if they were just having a normal conversation. He then leaned against the wall of the helicopter.

“Whew!”

Kang Chan also leaned against the wall near the door. The relentless African wind whipped through his hair, clothes, and sleeves as if urging him to catch their target.

He felt as if he wanted to spend some time playing with it. A few days bonding with this curious wind, even under the relentless sun, would be nice.

Although he had anticipated experiencing combat as a soldier of the Foreign Legion, surviving each day was proving to be a daunting challenge.

Is this why they promise citizenship? Because hardly anyone survives?

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

The Frelon helicopter tilted and changed direction.

***

Sharlan glared at the plump man sitting opposite him. “Despite my warnings, you still underestimated the DGSE’s capabilities and inevitably ruined things. I will be expecting the promised compensation.”

“It wasn’t our fault; it was Abdul Janelle’s recklessness that messed things up. There was also the unexpected appearance of a rookie with extraordinary abilities.”

“So you’re saying you can’t compensate me?”

The plump man smiled broadly. “A gentleman always honors his promises. You needn’t worry about that. However, I came to see you because I want to take our relationship to a more productive level.”

Sharlan’s expression remained stern as he waited for the plump man to continue.

“We don’t just want an Eye of Ndulele. We want a proper Blackhead.”

“I find that hard to believe. How can a man of your stature find it difficult to procure a Blackhead or two? They appear once every ten to twenty years in Africa. Considering how wealthy you are, you should be able to offer terms they can’t refuse.”

The plump man shook his head graciously. “What we desire is something special. I’m sure the DGSE feels the same. That’s why they went to such lengths for the Eye of Ndulele, which is relatively small.”

"Hmm."

“No need to worry. We’ve already secured shares in Gong Te Automobile for this compensation. If you maintain your trust in us, we’ll continue to acquire more shares annually.”

Sharlan’s eyes twitched slightly.

“Until we find a new Blackhead, you’ll receive a fixed amount of money and shares every year. Once we locate our target, we’ll support the rebels on your side, and you can handle the remaining tasks then.”

“What if the DGSE takes everything again?” Sharlan asked.

Looking troubled, the plump man pursed his lips. “We’ve learned from our mistakes. We plan to oust the individual who led the DGSE in this operation and give you a more decisive role in the next mission.”

“Hmm.”

“It’s not that complicated. You can retire using the excuse of a reasonable injury and live the rest of your life peacefully as a shareholder and executive of Gong Te Automobile.”

Sharlan let out a big sigh, making the plump man smile with satisfaction.

***

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

The helicopter left the soldiers out in a place where the river wasn’t even visible. Though it was hard to comprehend the ways of the world, Kang Chan felt as if he had been struck in the back of the head for expecting a flat, open area like Ndulele.

Instead, he was met with mountains that stretched in a continuous line, with the river running further beyond them. Despite having seen the map, he foolishly missed these basic details when imagining the area.

Gillot led them into the gap between the mountains, assigned four guards, and ordered a brief rest.

Switching between transport had taken its toll, making them feel as if they were sinking into the ground.

“We’ll have guard duty rotate every hour until everyone has slept for two hours. We’ll be on the move until dawn tomorrow, so eat before we depart. Once we reach our target location, we’ll commence the operation at sunrise the next day,” Gillot said.

Clink! Clank!

The soldiers leaned against whatever they could find and sat in comfortable positions.

Even though he had slept on the transport aircraft, Kang Chan also settled into a more comfortable position and closed his eyes. After all, they likely wouldn’t have much of a chance to get any sleep once they had begun to move, especially with those tall mountains ahead.

Africa was such a strange place—the mountains were lush with trees, but instead of straight, broad-leaved trees, they were lined with pine-like ones, making it hard to tell if they were in Africa or the banks of the Hongcheon River.

We’re having such a cool afternoon today. It’s strange.

The coolness made sleep come more easily, like stepping into an air-conditioned room on a hot summer day.

I wonder if there are rabbits in those mountains?

Thinking about wanting some meat, Kang Chan closed his eyes. He imagined a greasy pork cutlet smothered in the same sauce served everywhere, sliced up, and eaten piece by piece with chopsticks. When he got tired of it, he’d have some pickled radish, rice, and a few small pieces of kimchi.

Kang Chan would likely have a decent salary by the time he received his permanent residency in five. He could leisurely sit and watch people passing by while enjoying a pork cutlet. When he got bored of that, he’d have fried rice covered with an egg omelet, then more pork cutlets.

Thinking of food, he drifted off to sleep.