Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Ambush (3)
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"Right. The second one is Yuseong Group, who hired us."
"So that means there's someone inside Yuseong Group who doesn't want the VIP to survive."
Carlson nodded with a bitter expression.
"That seems the most likely. Could be infighting within Yuseong Group, or maybe an issue with the VIP herself. Either way, it's the worst-case scenario for us."
"Damn, this is getting messy."
Carlson spat out a self-deprecating curse.
"Squad leader. What about the mission? Without a vehicle, it'll be hard to proceed smoothly."
Lea pointed out the practical issue in her cool voice.
Her point was valid. Our only means of transport, the military vehicle, had been flipped and damaged. And we were mercenaries, not professional mechanics.
The driver might have managed something, but even that was uncertain now with his status unknown.
'He's probably dead.'
As things stood, we'd have to trek on foot to the VIP's location.
"I'll radio HQ about that."
Carlson pulled out his radio.
"Before that. Marcus! Hey, you alive!?"
"……."
No response.
"…Marcus seems to be dead. As the sniper, I'd have targeted him next after the driver for counter-sniping potential."
Lea declared his death matter-of-factly.
She seemed more regretful about the loss of combat strength than saddened by a comrade's death.
"What a shame. Lea, try to pinpoint the sniper's position. We can estimate it from the bullet types and trajectories."
"Got it."
Lea began analyzing the bullet marks on the ground, while Carlson focused on contacting HQ. I couldn't just sit idle, so I approached Sera and Lea.
"Anyone got a mirror?"
Sera gave me a look like I was crazy at my random question.
"A mirror? What the hell for in this situation? Wait… you don't mean…?"
Exactly that.
I planned to use the mirror to spot the enemy directly.
"You could lose your hand doing that."
Sera snapped curtly, but I ignored her.
"I'm not you."
"Tch. Ungrateful bastard. Here."
Sera grumbled but pulled a small hand mirror from her tactical vest pocket and tossed it to me.
I caught it and carefully extended it through a tear in the vehicle toward the outside.
My eyes could still see the two red lines.
I adjusted the mirror's angle bit by bit, scanning the surroundings. The red lines pointed toward the rooftop of a nearby high-rise.
That's when it happened. Something glinted behind the rooftop water tank. The sniper rifle's scope reflecting sunlight.
At the same time, the red line visible in the mirror rushed toward it. The enemy had spotted me and started aiming.
I yanked the mirror back inside like a ghost. The instant I did, a bullet grazed where I'd held it, sparking off metal.
"Crazy bastard…."
Sera cursed, having watched the close call.
I ignored her and thrust the mirror out again. This time bolder, waving it to taunt the sniper.
Bang! Bang!
Gunshots rang out in succession, bullets slamming into the vehicle's armor with thunderous impacts. Listening to them, I confirmed the two snipers' positions.
'Rooftop of the building, behind the water tank. Locked in.'
I handed the mirror back to Sera.
"Thanks. Owe you one for staying alive."
"…You're actually insane."
Sera took it, genuinely baffled.
I turned from her gaze and approached Carlson, who'd just finished radioing HQ.
"Squad leader. I've got the enemy's position."
At my words, Carlson, Lea, and Sera's eyes snapped to me. Surprise mixed with a hint of expectation in their stares.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Contact with HQ is done. With an ambush by unknown enemies before we even reached the site, the Yuseong Group contract is effectively void. HQ's handed operational control to us. They said report the situation and decide whether to press on or retreat."
He paused, scanning us all before adding,
"For reference, even if we abort, no backup vehicles or rescue team. We're on our own to escape this hellhole."
"So, squad leader. What's the plan?"
Lea asked calmly.
"In this uncertain situation, I don't think unilateral decisions from the commander are right. We vote."
"I oppose. It doesn't make sense to debate when there's a clear answer."
Lea spoke first, firmly.
"We've lost key assets—Marcus the heavy gunner and our transport—before proper ops even started. We don't know the enemy's numbers or scale. Pushing the mission now is irrational. I judge securing a retreat route for full survival is best."
Lea's argument was textbook logic. But Sera fired back fiercely.
"Doesn't make sense? Marcus is dead, and you're talking sense? The sniper's up there laughing at us, and you want to tuck tail and run?"
Rage filled Sera's voice.
"Emotional decisions only worsen things. Sera, isn't your agitation less about camaraderie with Marcus and more your gambling debts? You desperately need this mission's payout."
Lea's icy stab turned Sera's face beet red.
"Huh!? What'd you say? That's bullshit! Marcus was my teammate! Not like you, you bloodless machine bitch!"
Tension crackled between the women. Carlson stepped in.
"Enough. This isn't the time to fight among ourselves."
He sighed deeply and gave his take.
"Honestly, I'm with Lea. I'd love to bail right now. But retreat's impossible here. Revenge matters, like Sera says, but only if we survive. We need a new vehicle to live, and that means heading into the city. So, I vote yes."
Lea didn't argue. She saw the merit too.
Eyes turned to the last one. Me.
"What about you, Joo-hyuk?"
Sera looked at me with hopeful eyes, assuming I'd side with her.
'Personally, I'd back Lea to repay her chest favor over Sera, but it's already 2:1. Done deal. My character's goal is Yui-na's survival anyway. So….'
"Doesn't matter to me. I'll survive either way."
I shrugged.
Sera's face soured briefly. But her opinion of me wasn't important.
What mattered was grabbing enough guns and ammo, and saving Yui-na as a bonus. Comrades' lives? Not my concern.
"Alright. 2 to 1, mission continues."
Carlson made the call.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "First, we snag a car in the city, then decide on securing the VIP or retreating based on the situation."
Our next move was set. But charging out now was suicide.
"The sniper's still targeting us. Stepping out is begging to die. Even they tire eventually. We wait till dark."
Boring, tedious wait inside the vehicle doing nothing.
'Squeezing Lea's or Sera's tits might pass time faster, but that'd bring more than backlash.'
So I used my rookie perk, Time Compression.
Tested it by compressing to 5 minutes ahead—felt like a second, but the clock jumped 5.
I skipped hours straight to 1 a.m.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Time Compression Complete.] 'Now.'
Dead of night, everyone asleep. I rose silently and warped to the opposite road visible through the open door.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Using Warp.] A portal enveloped me, vision shifted, and cool night air brushed my cheek.
No gunfire, as expected.
'If they think I can teleport, that's not imagination—it's idiocy.'