God of Blackfield

After sleeping for an hour, Kang Chan took his turn on guard duty with three other soldiers.

He had slept on the plane and after the helicopter dropped them off, yet it was still early evening. The mountains cast long shadows over them, cooling down the area enough to make them comfortable.

With his rifle slung over his right shoulder, Kang Chan kept an eye on his surroundings. However, the only noteworthy things he noticed were the strange creatures that looked like a cross between squirrels and large rats. They kept glancing at him so much that he couldn’t help but smirk.

Can’t believe I’ll be dealing with rebels and squirrels for the next few years. I doubt many can survive in this profession for even five months, let alone five years.

The sun dropped further behind the mountains.

Tap, tap.

Hearing people tapping on their rifles, he quickly imitated them. About five minutes later, footsteps approached.

Swap, swap.

The next team walked up to Kang Chan and relieved him from his post. After exchanging nods, he returned to his original spot. The other three soldiers he was on guard duty with arrived around the same time.

They seemed to have an established routine. Everyone knew their tasks and carried them out without much supervision or interference unless they made a huge mistake or issue.

The three soldiers with him quickly lay down to sleep for their allotted hour.

I should sleep too. We’ll be walking all night.

Kang Chan also found a comfortable spot and tried to sleep again.

***

Clink! Rustle!

Kang Chan jolted awake to a soldier rummaging through a backpack. The others were already awake and preparing to eat their C-rations too.

You have to be perceptive to get anything in life, even if it’s just getting some tteokbokki sauce from others after ordering kimbap.[1]

Kang Chan opened his backpack, took out a C-ration, and quickly ate it.

Once everyone was ready, Gillot issued clear and decisive commands.

“Greg! You two take the front.”

“Oui.”

“Channy, you stay behind me.”

“Oui.”

“Asker! Cover the rear.”

“Oui.”

The soldiers followed his orders without any fuss. With a nod from Gillot, Greg marched onward.

Tap, tap!

About three minutes later, they heard tapping from the front. Gillot looked at Kang Chan and started walking.

Swap, swap.

They walked through the darkening African mountain path. Dirt and small stones crunched under their feet, but it wasn’t loud enough for them to start being on high alert. ℟

Chirp! Chirp-chirp-chirp!

The unique sounds of African wildlife filled the air. Kang Chan had always wondered and longed to see the creatures that made those noises at night.

They walked non-stop for two hours just to kill a big-headed African man.

Would surviving the next five years and obtaining citizenship be worth it? How would these experiences help me once I had gone out of this life?

Kang Chan cast a glance at Gillot, who was walking in front of him. The commander of the Foreign Legion special forces team was walking silently through the deep darkness, slightly illuminated by the moonlight.

Among the twelve soldiers with him, some would become commanders like Gillot. However, many would eventually go their separate ways, carrying the weight of life elsewhere in Africa, just like Enzo.

Swap, swap.

Kang Chan had always envied the seemingly ordinary kids the most. He never approached them or interfered when they were being bullied, but back then, he honestly wanted to be friends with them.

He sighed softly.

Should I have helped them?

His head shook almost involuntarily.

Fighting the dropouts from school was already exhausting enough. Having to fight those cocky idiots from school as well would be such a fucking a hassle.

Kang Chan chuckled. At that moment, Gillot raised his left hand over his shoulder. Kang Chan stopped walking and quickly raised his left hand as well.

What happened? Is there something ahead?

He stared ahead with heightened tension. Meanwhile, Gillot covered his mouth with both hands and started making animal noises.

Chirp! Chirp chirp chirp! Chirp! Chirp chirp chirp!

Damn! Can’t believe my wish to see whatever’s making those noises is coming true right in front of me.

Soon, they heard barks coming from the front.

Woof! Woof! Woof!

“We'll take a twenty-minute break,” Gillot lowly ordered.

In response, the soldiers sat down in suitable spots, maintaining a two-meter distance. Since disembarking from the helicopter, there had been one thing that Kang Chan was dying to know. He wanted to ask, but keeping quiet seemed to be the most important rule here, so he hadn’t dared speak up.

Hence, Kang Chan just drank some water.

As he did, he heard a low voice come his way. “I wanted to be a pilot, you know.”

When Kang Chan turned slightly, he found Gillot, who had been staring at the mountain ahead, now looking at him.

“I didn’t have many choices, so I joined the Foreign Legion in hopes of escaping to a place where I could choose anything. At some point, though, I realized I couldn’t get out.”

Gillot laughed like a magazine model and slowly glanced at the sky beyond the darkness.

“Easterners are somewhat different from us. Their thoughts and mindset? Something like that.” After a brief pause, he asked, “Why did you join the Foreign Legion?”

“Just wanted to get out of the place I lived in,” Kang Chan answered. Since they were already talking, he decided to ask the question he had been pondering since they got off the helicopter. “By the way, why don’t you use radios?”

“Special forces teams receive two types of missions. It’s up to the commander to decide how to tackle them. When we’re deployed to really tough operations, we wear black uniforms and helmets. We are also issued radios.”

Amused by Kang Chan’s puzzled expression, Gillot elaborated, “Abdul Janelle was only a leader of a small, isolated rebel tribe. Our target, Umbembe, is a regional rebel leader. If you’re given a helmet and a radio, that means we’re dealing with rebels on a national scale.”

Contrary to his initial demeanor, Gillot was unusually talkative now. He seemed to be either lost in the sentimental atmosphere of the night or reminiscing about old memories.

“Growing rebel factions also hire mercenaries, many of which are seasoned special forces soldiers who have been discharged due to misconduct. Quite a few of them even enjoy killing so much that they can’t do anything else,” Gillot said, then turned his head back to the mountain.

“On the way to bring in the natives, we fought a group that had a sniper among them. Can even small rebel groups like them afford mercenaries?” Kang Chan asked.

Gillot tilted his head. “After Abdul Janelle was killed, his faction shouldn’t have been able to afford one. Are you sure it was a sniper? Rebels get hold of sniper rifles and cause trouble.”

Kang Chan nodded. That was certainly possible.

“After we eliminate Umbembe, you’ll get a vacation. You might have the chance to enjoy time with a beautiful African woman or, if you’re lucky, meet a blonde beauty in France,” Gillot said.

It sounded too good to be true, like boasting about a golden calf at home.

With a low sigh, Gillot stood up first. He placed both hands around his mouth and made the strange animal call again. Starting with Kang Chan, the soldiers in the middle of the formation stood up. Soon, an eerie response echoed, matching the African night.

Gillot began to walk, and Kang Chan followed him. They walked for about two hours, rested in silence for twenty minutes, and then began walking again.

I still don't know their full capabilities, but I can tell from their movements that new recruits are no match for these soldiers. The skill gap is just too big.

Walking at night was three or four times harder than during the day. Fortunately, they weren’t going too fast. The breaks were a big help too.

They walked for yet another two hours, took another twenty-minute break, and then resumed walking. It was hard to estimate how far they had walked or how much distance they had covered.

Four hours and twenty minutes into their march, Kang Chan wondered how long it would have taken if they had traveled this distance by helicopter. He blamed his fatigue for coming up with these difficult questions that could have been on a math exam.

It had been over two hours, yet Gillot, seemingly determined, continued to walk in silence. Occasionally, he would look back at Kang Chan with a look that seemed to say, “Not bad.”

Considering Kang Chan was a new recruit, his resilience naturally surprised Gillot.

Swap, swap.

After what felt like an eternity of walking, Gillot finally stopped and brought both hands to his mouth. Unlike before, he split the animal call into three distinct parts.

Kang Chan felt as if he was gradually learning everything he had to know.

Hearing Gillot’s signals, Greg and Asker walked back toward the middle of the formation. Though they didn't make much noise, they couldn't hide their heavy breathing.

"We'll spend the next twenty-four hours here. Assign guards in pairs and have them rotate every four hours. And Greg."

"Oui," Greg answered.

"Post the guards at the front and rear of our location. If we can’t secure a three-kilometer perimeter around it, we'll move to a different location.”

"Do we include the new recruit?"

Gillot nodded without hesitation. "He already stood guard earlier. I doubt he’ll fall asleep and get us killed, so just add him."

"Oui."

Greg and Asker formed teams with the other soldiers and headed out. The soldiers stood facing outward in a circle, waiting for the two to reach their designated positions.

About ten minutes later, they heard Greg’s animal calls.

Woof! Woof! Woof!

Gillot sighed and sat down on the ground. He then pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.

The soldiers settled into more comfortable positions as well.

Here, really?

Noticing Kang Chan's questioning gaze, Gillot chuckled. He pulled out a lighter and shielded its flame with his hand.

"Umbembe is fifteen kilometers away from here, and people don’t normally go through this area. We’re not up against special forces teams, so there's no need to look so surprised," he explained as he lit up his cigarette, causing it to bob up and down as he lit it.

"Hoo!"

Gillot looked satisfied. Kang Chan drank some water first and then also took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. He lit it as quietly as possible and quickly took a drag.

"Hooo!"

It’s strange, but smoking makes my chest feel so light. That aside, though, why did we even walk so much if we were going to stay here for 24 hours anyway?

Since this was his first time working with Gillot’s team, he couldn’t help but be curious about a lot of things. However, Gillot immediately turned to his side and went to sleep as soon as he finished his cigarette.

After stubbing out his cigarette on the ground, Kang Chan used his backpack as a pillow and tried to sleep.

Nothing can cure insomnia like a nighttime hike.

***

The four-hour guard duty rotation aside, they spent the next twenty-four hours in so much comfort that it seemed as though they were just out on a vacation in the middle of the cool mountains. However, as time passed, the tension in the soldiers' faces grew more evident.

Darkness enveloped their surroundings soon after dinner. As the deep night fell, the atmosphere surrounding their team turned completely different from when they crossed Ndulele; most striking were the eyes, which now seemed more resolved to face death.

They ate and slept fiercely. It was as if they instinctively felt the need to ensure they were in peak condition and the desire to enjoy everything they could while they still had the chance.

Around three hours past midnight, Gillot stood up. Kang Chan, who had been lightly asleep, immediately woke up and got to his feet as well. Despite having slept peacefully, the tension made him alert to every sound.

Gillot had Greg and Asker return to their positions at the front and rear of the formation. Afterward, he issued the signal to resume their walk. Two hours later, faint lights seeped through the gaps between the mountains. After forty minutes more, sunlight finally embraced all of their surroundings.

Swap, swap.

Tap, tap.

After walking for another hour, they heard someone at the front tap on a rifle's barrel.

Gillot continued walking. Three minutes later, they found Greg crouching with another soldier.

Gillot raised his left hand as a signal. He then crouched and crawled toward Greg before gesturing for the others to approach the same way.

Swap, swap.

Kang Chan bent forward as he followed Gillot. Eventually, the enemy base came into view just below their position.

Damn it!

They call this a rebel camp?It’s a fully equipped military base complete with guard posts!

Kang Chan glanced over, realizing Gillot also had a serious, heavy expression.

1. Koreans like to dip kimbap in tteokbokki sauce. If they order kimbap, they have someone who ordered tteokbokki to share their sauce with them. ☜

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