"We have to split up."
I spoke firmly, my squad nodding in agreement.
I glanced around, quickly analyzing the building's layout before giving orders.
"Ho-gu and Hayoon, take the left staircase. Dae-seong and Kang Joon, take the right."
"What about you?"
Ho-gu asked, curiosity flickering across his face.
My eyes landed on the elevator.
It looked old, rough, poorly maintained, and barely functioning, but somehow, it still worked.
"I'll take the elevator."
I stepped inside before anyone could object.
The others exchanged looks, then moved according to plan.
I pressed the button, and the elevator groaned to life.
Since there was nothing else to do, I checked my gear.
Extra magazines.
Backup handgun.
Loaded weapons.
Everything was in place.
...PING!!
The elevator doors slid open with a metallic groan.
Two terrorists stood outside, immediately turning toward the sound. Their movements turned cautious as they approached.
BANG! BANG! BANG!!
I fired instantly and ducked back into cover.
One dropped immediately.
Well, obviously.
No one survives three bullets to the head.
The second man panicked and fired wildly into the elevator.
'Any second now.'
CLICK! CLICK!!
The terrorist froze.
His face turned pale.
Out of bullets.
BANG! BANG!!
Two shots.
Straight to the head.
THUD!
The sound of his corpse hitting the floor echoed through the hallway.
'I counted twenty-nine terrorists outside earlier… but there could be more.'
"Ahh… what a drag."
I sighed.
"This place feels too heavily guarded."
"Was our intel wrong?"
"Is this actually their base?"
"Hm… probably."
I muttered to myself, casually holding an entire conversation in my own head while checking the rooms on the floor.
CLICK!
I opened the last apartment door and entered.
Silence.
I moved carefully through the rooms until I spotted it
Feet.
Someone was hiding behind the door.
A smirk tugged at my lips.
In one swift motion, I pulled out my dagger and drove it into his foot.
"AAAHHH!!"
BANG!! BANG!!
He screamed in pain.
At first.
Then came silence.
His brain probably hadn't realized he was dead yet.
Satisfied, I stepped out.
Just as I turned toward the elevator
Footsteps!.
I instantly repositioned myself.
BANG!! BANG!!
The first man dropped before he could react.
BANG!! BANG!!
The second followed immediately after.
'Too slow.'
A small sense of pride rose within me.
~~
[Ho-gu's POV]
We dealt with the few terrorists hiding in rooms on the first floor and moved to the second.
The moment we arrived, we froze.
Blood.
Bullet holes.
Gunpowder.
Bodies.
Everywhere.
'Looks like Jin-hun cleared this floor already.'
I couldn't help but feel impressed.
All this…
In under six minutes.
"Oi, Hayoon."
I gestured around casually.
"Looks like the captain handled this floor already. There are eight rooms here, let's search them for hidden enemies."
...CRACK!
The communicator buzzed.
"Captain speaking. I've eliminated all hostiles on the second floor. Your job now is to search the rooms for our target."
The transmission ended.
"You heard the man."
I grinned.
"Let's get searching."
~~
[MC'S POV]
With that done, all I needed to do was clear enough enemies on each floor so the others could search peacefully.
...PING!!
The elevator doors opened again.
The moment they began to slide apart, two terrorists came into view.
Their rifles were already aimed.
And they opened fire immediately.
Bullets tore into the elevator before the doors fully opened.
I flattened myself against the side near the buttons.
Then i pulled out a grenade, pulled the pin, and tossed it beneath them.
They noticed, but too late.
One tried to jump away.
Futile.
...BOOM!!!
The explosion shook the elevator violently.
Heat slammed into me.
Dust swallowed everything.
For a few moments
Maybe a minute
I just stood there.
My ears rang violently.
My vision blurred.
My legs stumbled beneath me.
Slowly, I stepped out.
Not because I wanted to.
Because my body refused to move any faster.
Visibility was terrible.
Dust clouded everything.
The floor beneath my feet felt unstable, like it could collapse at any moment.
"…!"
A sound.
Breathing.
Loud.
Uneven.
And definitely not mine.
Someone was still alive.
Lucky for me, his ragged breathing gave away his location.
I pulled out my dagger and moved silently through the dust.
'Good.'
'I'm behind him.'
I grabbed his head.
And slit his throat.
Luckily, the elevator still worked.
Barely.
Though I hesitated before stepping back inside.
"Damn…"
"They really went to town on this elevator."
"Looks like it could fall apart any minute."
Still, I pressed the button.
The grinding sound only made me more nervous.
On the way up, I checked my remaining ammunition.
Not because I needed to.
Because I needed reassurance.
...PING!!
The elevator opened again.
And once more
Two terrorists.
But these ones were smarter.
The moment they saw me
They threw a grenade inside.
'Fucking hell!'
I reacted before I could think.
I kicked it back.
The two had already jumped away, completely unaware the grenade had returned to their side.
...BOOM!!!
The deafening blast rocked the elevator so violently I genuinely thought it would collapse.
For several seconds, I could barely think.
My head pounded.
My vision blurred.
My ears felt wet with blood.
Even my skin burned from the heat.
Then the elevator groaned.
And reality hit me.
This thing wasn't surviving much longer.
I forced myself up and ran.
Three seconds later
CRAAAAASH!!
The elevator collapsed.
"Damn."
I stared for a moment before glancing at the charred corpses littering the destroyed hallway.
Burned beyond recognition.
As expected.
...Haa.
"This is getting annoying."
"And now I have to use the stairs."
"Tck… what a drag."
I turned toward the right staircase.
"Brother! Do you think the Koreans are dead?"
"The hell would I know?!"
"I mean, there were two explosions, then silence. They might already be dead."
"If you want to know so badly, go downstairs and check!"
The terrorists chatted freely in Mandarin.
Completely unaware I was already nearby.
Their focus on gossip was honestly helping me.
I pressed my back against the wall near the entrance.
"I wish Sister Xin was here. She would've dealt with the Koreans way faster."
"True. Her strength is unmatched."
BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!!
"You people talk too much."
I muttered, staring at their corpses.
"Cap?"
Dae-seong's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Dae-seong? You made it up here already."
"Yeah. Ho-gu's handling the floor below."
"I see."
He frowned.
"Damn, Cap… you look terrible."
"Nah. I've been through worse."
I waved him off.
"Anyway, you take this floor. I'll handle the last one."
"Hm. Got it."
The top floor was quiet.
Too quiet.
"Looks empty."
...CREEK!
A door opened.
BANG!! BANG!!
The terrorist dropped the moment I got a clear shot.
Silently, I approached the room he came from.
Then
I saw it.
A large silver briefcase sat neatly on a table in the center of the room.
Our target.