Yongsan Battle (4)
The allied forces charged ferociously toward the enemy lines. The first allied Awakener units to arrive unilaterally massacred the Reconstruction Government's vanguard. The enemy was already half-mad, abandoning their wounded comrades in a desperate scramble to flee.
Im Jui and the guards were ordered to hold position at the defensive line, while I immediately dispatched four drones to the battlefield. They used their plasma cutters to cut down the fleeing Awakeners.
What the Reconstruction Government soldiers witnessed first wasn't the allied forces charging at them—it was their own allies retreating in terror, ignoring headquarters' orders. Odujeong didn't miss the opportunity. Led by Ham Seong-hoon, the Odujeong leaders donned combat gear and personally commanded their troops into the fray.
Rumors tend to exaggerate over time through word of mouth, but from the drone's overhead view, Lee Seong-guk embodied the title "Enforcer" itself. Wielding black axes in both hands, he mercilessly cleaved through the enemy. When the axe blades chipped, he discarded them without hesitation and began beating Reconstruction Government Awakeners to death with his bare fists.
Four hours had passed since the full-scale battle erupted. When the vanguard was annihilated, the Reconstruction Government command fell into panic but barely managed to rally their forces for a counterattack. However, as they began to be pushed back steadily, a few units ditched all their gear and fled at first—then more and more followed suit.
Odujeong's ideal scenario was unfolding. Not all Reconstruction Government troops were truly loyal. Their ranks included numerous warlords who had been forcibly conscripted through overwhelming force. They had submitted out of powerlessness and stuck around only because the seemingly absurd "Seoul Pacification" operation had progressed more smoothly than expected, offering a chance to grab a slice of the pie.
But now that the Reconstruction Government forces were crumbling and the "Seoul Pacification" proved to be the delusion of madmen, these warlords saw no reason to stay. They needed to save as many of their own soldiers as possible and retreat to their home bases.
As more units deserted, one Reconstruction Government commander tried to block a fleeing Awakener unit—only for the Awakeners to kill him and continue their exodus. The Reconstruction Government collapsed helplessly.
Of course, not every Reconstruction Government soldier lacked martial spirit. A few Awakeners launched what amounted to suicide charges to buy time for their comrades to regroup. The most memorable scene was the duel between a Reconstruction Government colonel and Lee Seong-guk.
The colonel single-handedly slew seven allied Awakeners, then stood like a Jang Pan Pa warrior blocking the path. The allies halted upon seeing their comrades' corpses—and that's when the blood-soaked Lee Seong-guk emerged from behind the troops.
"I'll handle this one. Keep advancing."
At Lee Seong-guk's words, the allies nodded and pressed on. I'd stationed two drones here to assist if he faltered, keeping watch.
It was like two ferocious beasts facing off. As if isolated in their own world, the soldiers ignored them and marched past.
Judging weapons useless against the man before him, the colonel tossed his two greatswords to the ground. They locked eyes and advanced slowly, step by step, until at point-blank range they unleashed simultaneous cross-counters.
Boom! Fists met faces—not with a dull thud, but an explosive blast that shook the drone's view with the shockwave.
A brutal clash began between two men who had utterly transcended human limits. There was no room for drone intervention.
They started trading punches, then grappled and rolled across the ground in a tangle of limbs. Lee Seong-guk mounted the colonel and hammered fists at his face; the colonel twisted aside. The missed punch cratered the asphalt, bones cracking amid sprays of blood.
The grueling fight dragged on until one man dropped to his knees. The victor standing was Lee Seong-guk, though he too panted heavily from exhaustion.
"Surrender. The Reconstruction Government has lost the will to fight. Throwing your life away for those lunatics is a dog's death."
The colonel spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground, his face resolute.
"I've bought time against an Awakener of your caliber. My duty is done. Kill me."
"Last chance. Surrender."
"A defeated soldier has nowhere left to go."
Crack. Lee Seong-guk nodded, stepped behind the colonel, and snapped his neck.
"What a waste... such a shame."
Lee Seong-guk murmured at the colonel's corpse, scanned his surroundings, spotted the drone, and shouted.
"Your Excellency!"
Grinning innocently up at the drone despite being drenched head to toe in blood, he looked terrifying.
"No, sir! We need to press the advance right now, every second counts!"
"We have to capture Choi Moo-seong. Even if we let the others escape, we must take the Reconstruction Government's martial law commander."
No trophy from the enemy ranks would be more valuable than their supreme commander. Seeing the Reconstruction Government soldiers still resisting desperately suggested headquarters hadn't ordered a retreat—they were likely still holding out. Even if they withdrew now, they had nowhere to go. The madmen who had plundered the people's assets to start this war had no homeland to return to after total defeat.
They could only be captured here or pray for a miracle while resisting to the death.
Lee Seong-guk saluted the drone and charged back into the fray.
I'd tangled with enemy Awakeners via drone, but I didn't redeploy Im Jui to the front. Honestly, part of me thought, "I've done this much—what more do they want?" With victory all but assured, I had no desire to expose my trump card, Im Jui's combat prowess, to Odujeong.
I kept in constant radio contact with Im Jui's group. They relayed on-the-ground battlefield updates I couldn't see from the command post.
As the Reconstruction Government's defensive lines crumbled, even the enemies who had stayed to fight desperately realized no miracle was coming and began surrendering. Once all artillery positions were captured and encirclement complete, Martial Law Commander Choi Moo-seong and the headquarters brass decided to surrender. They disarmed, walked forward, and knelt.
With the battle ending in allied victory, the troops erupted in cheers. I ordered Im Jui's group to head to my position.
"It's kinda weird..."
"Master, what happened?"
"Do-hyun?"
"No, it's that Martial Law Commander Choi Moo-seong who came out to surrender—he's kinda off."
"Why? Did that bastard Choi Moo-seong do something strange?"
"The commander's head is bald. His face and vibe are oddly... never mind."
"Ah..."
The Han sisters got it and giggled.
The man I knew was from the Security Command, but his looks and aura eerily matched the Martial Law Commander Choi Moo-seong.
With the battle over, discussions turned to recovering spoils from the enemy camp and postwar processing. I was surprised they shattered the surrendered headquarters staff's limbs before capturing them—just like I'd done to Major General Heo Jun. Apparently, this was standard for apprehending Awakeners. The commanders screamed as their limbs were pulverized, but none protested the treatment as unjust.
Makes sense—handcuffs would snap like twigs, so smashing limbs and binding tight was the way.
A postwar processing meeting convened, and I attended via drone.
Odujeong decided spoils would be split: 50% to Nakyuan's leader Seo Do-hyun, 20% to Ham Seong-hoon (second-highest resource contributor), and 10% each to the other leaders. Odujeong would handle transporting everything by truck.
Considering the supplies I'd poured into the alliance, the Awakeners I'd healed, and the damage inflicted on the enemy, it felt like fair compensation.
Choi Moo-seong personally radioed the Reconstruction Government, announcing their defeat and capture as POWs. The government officially surrendered.
Talks turned to handling the Reconstruction Government. The plan: occupy their capital, reinstate Seo Su-yeon as president, extract massive reparations—effectively turning it into a puppet state under Odujeong's indirect control. This would gradually erode loyalty from citizens and soldiers, ultimately reducing it to a minor warlord faction with 2-3 thousand troops. That was Odujeong's goal.
"Your Excellency, we'll court-martial all officers and above. For the regular soldiers, we'll ask if they wish to defect, and any faction willing can take them."
"Your Excellency, please take first pick of any soldiers you want."
They called them soldiers, but it was really about free labor. Scavengers from defeated armies were bad news anyway, so it wasn't my place to interfere.
"Understood, Your Excellency. With so much to handle, how about we wrap up today's meeting and reconvene tomorrow?"
Even after the meeting, I couldn't recall the drones. Im Jui's group was forwarding endless lists of spoils for review.
We claimed military gear like mortars, howitzers, and machine guns, but priority went to recouping food costs: most of their canned goods and preserved rations came to me. Luxuries like booze, cigarettes, tea, coffee, supplements, sugar, salt, and electronics mostly too.
The water and medical tech I'd provided the alliance were essentially freebies, so the spoils alone far exceeded my investment. And we hadn't even collected reparations from the Reconstruction Government yet.
Whether to take any surrendered soldiers was debated back and forth with Im Jui's group and the Han sisters. More residents were welcome, but enemy POWs were iffy. Most residents were non-Awakeners; rogue soldiers could cause havoc. We couldn't just chain them and pray for loyalty gains.
My main body sat slumped in the chair for hours, eyes closed, piloting drones. Han Byeol had started massaging my shoulders.
"We get first pick on POWs—what should we do? Odujeong wants them as labor, but our situation's different."
"Hm... Soldiers might be risky, right?"
"Master! Having soldiers in a safe haven like this won't help at all."
"Introducing yourself?"
Han Byeol's gentle shoulder rub suddenly turned firm.
"Ow! Kidding."
"Your shoulders are really knotted, Master."
Then Han Seol spoke up.
"Do-hyun, how about bringing skilled folks from the Reconstruction Government's civilians, like technicians? The government's basically disbanding, so people will scatter seeking their own paths soon."
"Good idea. The hospital director wants an anesthesiologist anyway. He can do internal medicine with OR drugs, but won't touch it since it's not his specialty. Any other needs?"
Beyond doctors and nurses, nothing specific came to mind. This place was too abundant. We listed mechanics for basic electronics, teachers for kids, and more.
I tentatively asked the Han sisters.
"What about musicians or theater people? Starting to crave some culture..."
Silence hung for seconds. Then Han Seol said,
"Do-hyun."
"Yeah?"
"How about a bartender?"