Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Incident in the Calcutta Jungle Zone (3)
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"Trailing behind is tough in all sorts of ways. Opportunities like the Calcutta Gorilla don't come along every day. It's risky, yeah, but these kinds of shots don't just drop into your lap easily."
Among the mercenaries working on Cameron Planet, reputation mattered a great deal, but it wasn't easy to build. To rack it up quickly, you'd have to take on equally dangerous jobs—and naturally, hardly anyone was willing to do that.
In that sense, this Calcutta Gorilla opportunity was a pretty solid one.
For starters, major mercenary companies had already jumped in and failed once. Pull it off, and your name value would skyrocket as payback.
Second, there was backup. This job wouldn't be on them alone. If they went for it, they'd team up with other companies that had Power Armor.
Relatively safe, with big rewards on the line. Passing it up would sting.
"So, you wanna go for it?"
"If you're asking my opinion, I'm in favor. There's risk, but I don't think it's that bad. It's the second try, so it won't get picked off one by one like last time."
"For real? Hey, you nearly died to that thing, and you're itching to go back? I just watched from afar and never want to see it again."
"We got hit, so we gotta hit back! I'll avenge your panties too."
"You little shit... Keep talking crap?"
The bickering fired up again, but the vibe was different from before. Suhyun's words had started shaking even the squad members who'd been wary of the job.
If the guy who'd faced it head-on and lived said it was doable, who were they to argue?
"Hmm. Fine, I'm in too."
"Me too."
"Gorgan, you?"
"I don't run from fights."
The silent Gorgan finally spoke. It was indirect approval.
"Damn it. Alright! Count me in!"
"What about you, Su-yong hyung?"
"Yeah... I'm in."
"Looks like we've got a decision."
The gathered mercenaries nodded. They'd join forces with teams from other companies and head in to take down the Calcutta Gorilla.
* * *
-The companies teaming up with us are two: Jindo and Code Green. Both are pretty big outfits.
Suhyun knew the names of some major mercenary companies. But he didn't know the details. He'd always prioritized enemy special forces from other countries, so among mercenaries, he only tracked the teams that really stood out.
'Sounds familiar, but...'
-Jindo's bringing two Power Armors. Code Green's got one. We've got one. Total of four. If we can't nab it with that, we'll be too embarrassed to show our faces.
Jo Seung-hyun wasn't an optimist. Even a single company's team ran into issues on ops. Multiple teams? Total chaos.
-Keep your tempers in check and play nice. You get me?
-Yes, sir!
-Jindo's taking command. They're the lead.
He'd heard their Power Armors got pretty banged up last op, but throwing in two right away meant they'd invested heavily. Claiming the lead made sense.
"Pleasure to meet you. Choi Jae-ho, team leader of Jindo Team 2."
"Oh Byung-hwan, team leader of Code Green Team 1."
"Pleased to work with you. Lee So-hee, team leader of Uncle Jo Company Team 1."
"Don't we not have a Team 2?"
"Shut it. Gotta say it like that or we get pushed around. Everyone's bragging about their company's size—if we're the only ones without, how pathetic would our team leader look?"
Uncle Jo Company's mercenaries muttered as they listened to the team leaders. Suhyun scanned Jindo's crew. They screamed big-league mercs. Top-shelf gear, faces radiating undisguised pride.
The kind that said, 'We're working together, but we're leagues above you.' Pride was fine—until it showed.
Code Green's gear was solid too. Unlike Jindo, they'd all standardized on one company's kit. Unusual—armies and mercs usually didn't stick to that.
'Jindo sent their Team 2 leader, Code Green their Team 1.'
That alone hinted at who had the bigger operation. Among a company's teams, the lower the number, the more experienced and elite. Sending that kind of firepower with a Team 2 leader meant Jindo was the heavyweight.
'We can handle it without dipping into Team 1.'
Made sense. On the surface, a merc company's strength looked like headcount. But it wasn't.
By that logic, the biggest armies should top the charts on Cameron Planet.
But Cameron favored small elite units.
Send in hordes against monsters, and you'd just rack up casualties. After countless trial-and-error, humanity shifted: send a handful of vets to clean house.
A company's Team 1 was its premium asset, its billboard. The limit of what it could handle was Team 1's limit.
A strong merc company had a killer Team 1—and plenty of backup teams that could hang.
"Skip the stiff greetings. We're not soldiers. Anyway, I'd like to jump into op talk. I assume you know I'll be overall commander."
Oh Byung-hwan and Lee So-hee nodded.
"Of course, I can't micromanage both teams. We're not drilled together—trying would backfire. So here's the play: each team forms its own formation, and I give broad orders to you two leaders. You handle the details."
"Sounds good. Positions?"
"Uncle Jo Company up front, us Jindo in the middle, Code Green at the rear... That's the plan. Thoughts?"
!
Lee So-hee's face hardened as she stared at Choi Jae-ho. She wasn't stupid. The implication was obvious.
Frontline took hits first on the move. Sure, someone had to do it—but why them? Reading her expression, Choi Jae-ho continued.
"I know front is risky. But if shit hits, support's right there. No worries."
"Unlike you, this is our first op. Considering the frontline burden, maybe someone else should take it."
"First time? I know you tangled with the Calcutta Gorilla and made it back. No need to be overly humble."
'They already worked this out!'
Lee So-hee inwardly cursed her oversight. These two teams had run ops together. And that op? A bloody failure. There was clearly an unspoken deal between the leaders.
-Dump the riskiest spot on the newbies.
No arguing it. Her team had survived a Calcutta Gorilla clash—theirs hadn't.
"We've got time before rollout. Mind if I think it over?"
"Pardon?"
Choi Jae-ho, expecting compliance, faltered slightly.
'Doesn't matter either way?'
Unless they bailed entirely, Lee So-hee had no reason to refuse. And he knew: no team quits over positioning. That'd trash their cred.
'Sorry, but no choice. If it's unfair, outbid us for command next time.'
Watching her back, Choi Jae-ho could guess her thoughts as a leader. But he had zero intention of cutting slack.
* * *
"...That's how it went down."
"Why ask me?"
Suhyun couldn't believe it after Lee So-hee's rundown. Team leaders handled this shit. Not dump it on subordinates.
"Wanted Kim Suhyun's take. Problem?"
"No problem, but polling the team like this just undermines your authority..."
"Don't care."
"When the team leader's authority slips, it hurts the whole squad—not just you. Anyway, ignore their pitch. They still haven't learned."
"...?"
Explaining how a team leader should act would be rude if she valued her position. That was on her. Instead, Suhyun broke down the proposal.
"Bottom line: they want us tanking upfront. First to eat shit when it pops off."
"Right."
"That's standard. But we're hunting a weird Calcutta Gorilla. Smart enough not to rush the front. Rear or middle's the real danger."
Dumb monsters charge straight regardless. Smart ones? They think tactics.
This Gorilla, from the briefing, could manage that. First high-IQ one Suhyun'd seen, but he'd fought clever monsters that herded others into foes. Those never led the charge.
'They shake the rear or middle first, then pile in.'
"Just plaster on a 'no choice' face and nod like we're sacrificing. They'll know and concede elsewhere."
"Shouldn't we warn them?"
"Warn? 'You might get hit, watch out'? This ain't a picnic—they'll manage. Still clueless after one ass-kicking..."
Suhyun clicked his tongue. If it were his old subordinates, it'd be instant disciplinary.