Chapter 92

The most important thing now was ending this fight. That truth remained unchanged.

For hours, a long and exhausting standoff persisted. After the brutal execution of the woman, the enemy had stayed quiet for a while. But then, they began desecrating her body—chopping it to pieces and tossing them outside. After that, they no longer attempted to provoke Yohan’s group.

Whatever was happening inside, it was unlikely they were engaging in anything other than preparing for an attack. No doubt they were hunkered down, waiting in optimal positions for a firefight.

Time passed.

The sun dipped below the horizon, the sky shifting into hues of blue and purple before darkness slowly crept in.

Then, at last, the long-awaited transmission came through.

“Kid, it’s me. I’ve reached Sangdong Station. Can I come in?”

“I’ve been waiting. Yes, cross over and head to the S-Zone parking lot.”

Moments later, the old mercenary arrived, followed by his crew.

He extended his hand to Yohan, who clasped it firmly.

“Did you get the goods?”

“Of course, kid. What kind of mercenaries would we be if we didn’t?”

“How many?”

The old man held up three fingers.

Yohan nodded.

“That’s fewer than I expected.”

“We found more, but they’re out of battery. If you had chargers, that’d be nice. Chul-gu, hand it over.”

At the old man’s gesture, Chul-gu set down a yellow moving box. Inside were three night vision goggles and three grenades.

“Thank you. What about the other supplies?”

“We haven’t gotten those yet. This is what you asked for first, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Keep your end of the deal.”

Yohan nodded. To be honest, the delivery was faster and more precise than expected. The old mercenary wasn’t bluffing when he claimed he could find anything within the area.

“This is the camp, huh? Nice and spacious.”

“Yes. Since the Family Foundation is overcrowded, you can relocate here.”

“But these walls are too flimsy. How many people did you say were left inside?”

“Not sure exactly. But definitely more than ten.”

“Hm. Got it. Cold-hearted bastard.”

“What are you planning to do with them?”

“What else? Train them into mercenaries and put them to work. I’m good at knocking sense into dumbasses.”

Yohan nodded. He didn’t particularly care. As long as they weren’t being slaughtered like cattle, it wasn’t his concern. These were people he had already decided to abandon.

“Like I said, we’re not getting involved in your fight.”

“That’s fine.”

This was Yohan’s battle. Whether these mercenaries stayed or left later was undecided, and he didn’t want to owe them more than necessary. After offering one last word of thanks, he radioed his team.

“Sweeper, Hajin, Hyuk, Sergeant Ong—head to the parking lot. Seri will take Sweeper’s spot, and Jung-hwan will replace Sergeant Ong.”

The four arrived quickly, and Yohan wasted no time explaining why he had gathered them.

“Tonight, we strike.”

“Huh? Just the five of us?”

“Yes. Listen closely—here’s the plan.”

The moment Yohan began the briefing, the four men fell silent.

Behind them, the old mercenary and his crew stood watching, hands behind their backs, as if entertained by the spectacle.

Yohan pointed toward the recon camp’s windows.

“You see the lights on inside? The recon camp has an independent power supply, which means they’re not relying on flashlights or night vision gear. They don’t need them.”

The camp was equipped with a standalone solar system. With ten car batteries’ worth of stored energy, they had more than enough electricity to keep the lights running through the night.

On top of that, the enemy had a geographical advantage. As long as the lights stayed on, they wouldn’t bother preparing for darkness.

Yohan raised his hand, pointing toward the rooftop, where a control box sat beside the solar panels.

“That box contains the battery, controller, fuse, and inverter. Cutting the cables will kill the power instantly. Once the camp is plunged into darkness, we’ll hit the control box with a Molotov cocktail and, if necessary, a grenade to take out the entire power system. That’s when we attack.”

The moment the bright lights vanished, the camp’s occupants would be left in total darkness, even if only for a second. That was all the time they needed. The recon team, already adapted to the darkness with their night vision goggles, would storm in.

Sweeper let out an impressed whistle.

“What the hell is in this guy’s head?”

“Hah… I didn’t think of using it like that. But is this really gonna work? They’ll be scrambling for flashlights, and I doubt we can take them all out in that short window.”

“We don’t need to kill them all. The entrance will be the most heavily guarded spot. Once the lights go out, we have exactly one minute to take down any visible threats. We’ll secure the entrance while the outer team fires from the perimeter to create chaos. In that time, we rush straight to the basement and extract the hostages.”

“And after that?”

“We burn them all alive.”

Yohan’s words came with a chilling smile.

“When we get our people out, they’ll be the ones worrying about burning to death.”

A shiver ran down the spines of those listening.

“Hajin, start practicing your throws. The first move is yours—toss the Molotov onto the roof. If that doesn’t cut the power, use the grenade to take out the control box entirely. Sergeant Ong, cover Hajin and coordinate the perimeter team for simultaneous suppression fire. Hyuk, Sweeper—you’re with me. We wait near the entrance and storm in the moment the lights go out.”

“Oh, it’s just the three of us again?”

Sweeper muttered in amusement. The named members all nodded in near unison.

This plan wasn’t going to fail. There was no doubt.

—

Darkness settled over the world.

The moon was completely obscured, and the sun had yet to rise.

The darkest hour of the night.

Only the recon camp remained illuminated.

The sound of water trickling could be heard in the silence.

Using the shadows to stay out of sight, Yohan and his team moved around the building, dousing its perimeter with gasoline. The fuel would evaporate quickly, but they had enough time.

Once the area was sufficiently soaked, they left a single container of gasoline near the entrance, its cap removed.

Yohan, Hyuk, and Sweeper pressed close to the wall, their night vision goggles casting the world in a hazy yellow hue. The acrid scent of gasoline filled their nostrils as they waited for the signal. Every second stretched endlessly, feeling like an eternity.

Through their goggles, the warm glow of human silhouettes was visible—shapes marked in red against the yellow. They had practiced shooting with night vision extensively. All that was left now was execution.

A second stretched like an hour.

Then—

Whoosh, clatter!

The distinct sound of Hajin throwing the Molotov cocktail broke the silence. Their heartbeats quickened.

Grenades were a guaranteed way to destroy the power supply, but the explosion would alert the enemy too soon. Ideally, this would work on the first try.

Fwoosh!

The flames ignited. The Molotov’s fire consumed the control panel’s wiring, severing the power supply.

Darkness.

Yohan darted inside the moment the lights went out.

As expected, the entrance was the most heavily guarded. Eight enemies. Some fumbled with night vision goggles, while others scrambled to retrieve flashlights from their packs.

They didn’t get the chance.

A hail of bullets tore through them.

Tat-tat-tat!

A burst of semi-automatic gunfire. Screams. Chaos. In less than thirty seconds, all eight men lay motionless.

“Sweeper!”

“Roger!”

At Yohan’s call, Sweeper darted halfway up the staircase and took position. He would pick off reinforcements coming down, buying time.

Yohan and Hyuk sprinted toward the basement.

Inside, five men stood guard while the hostages lay prone on the ground.

Only one enemy had a flashlight.

Against the complete darkness, one beam of light was useless.

Yohan’s shot was precise—the flashlight carrier’s head snapped back, a bullet hole in his forehead.

Hyuk followed up, unleashing suppressive fire. It took just fifteen seconds to clear the room.

Delayed screams erupted from the hostages.

Yohan and Hyuk flung open the door.

“Everyone, get out! Run to the building across the street!”

Panic ensued. People scrambled out, pushing, tripping, falling, but it didn’t matter. There was enough time to escape.

Yohan and Hyuk quickly returned to Sweeper’s position, covering him. The stairwell was already littered with bodies.

Gunfire erupted from the second and third floors as well—recon team members keeping the enemies spread out, preventing them from converging on the first floor.

Within minutes, the hostages were out. The last to emerge was Old Man Park, supporting Seo-jun as they made their way out at a brisk pace.

“That’s everyone.”

Even amidst the chaos, Old Man Park stayed clear-headed, reporting the completion of the extraction. Unlike those too panicked to think straight, his experience shone through.

After taking out two more hostiles from above, Yohan gave the order.

“Retreat!”

Everything had gone smoothly.

Until—

A figure emerged at the top of the stairwell.

No flashlight. No hesitation.

A short silhouette moving rapidly.

“The Dwarf.”

Yohan’s breath caught. He wasn’t in a position to fire.

The man clutched a small, round object.

A grenade.

Time slowed. That same strange sensation washed over Yohan—where everything around him moved sluggishly while his thoughts accelerated.

Without thinking, he grabbed Hyuk’s arm.

At the same instant, Sweeper seized Yohan’s opposite hand.

The three of them leapt over the stairwell railing.

The grenade tumbled after them.

Roll…

BOOM!

The explosion rocked the stairwell.

They hit the ground hard but wasted no time. Scrambling to their feet, they bolted outside.

Sweeper flicked open his lighter, kicked the gasoline container over, and tossed the flame into the spreading fuel.

Fwoosh!

Fire ignited instantly, racing along the gasoline trails. It spread like an artist’s brushstroke across a blank canvas, painting the ground in fiery streaks.

It was over.

Or so they thought.

A chill ran down Yohan’s spine.

Danger.

“Get down!”

Thunk!

A figure engulfed in flames staggered out of the building.

The Dwarf.

Still burning.

Still moving.

Still firing.

Despite his flesh melting, he unleashed a barrage of grenades.

His aim was wild, inaccurate, but it didn’t matter. The blind bombardment alone was enough to be deadly.

Grenades arced through the air, exploding erratically.

Yohan gritted his teeth as pain shot through his back. A grenade had grazed him, the impact forceful even through his bulletproof vest.

Then—

BOOM!

The Dwarf’s own weapon detonated in his hands.

The blast shredded his burning body into unrecognizable pieces.

Silence.

The three men lifted their heads cautiously.

Before them stood the inferno of the recon camp.

The fire roared, consuming everything. Flames coiled like living creatures, devouring the structure.

Hajin continued tossing Molotovs, ensuring there was no chance for survivors.

The recon camp—once a symbol of resilience—had transformed into a nightmarish hellscape of raging fire.

A true inferno.