Chapter 152
Chapter 152
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: The Commander's Defiance
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While I was still at a loss amid Woo Il-seop's sudden confession, he continued without pause.
"Many people say that obeying superiors and commanding subordinates is the basic posture of a soldier."
Woo Il-seop closed his eyes briefly before opening his mouth again.
"I am a soldier. I have a duty to protect Korea's territory and citizens from threats, and furthermore, to contribute to the prosperity of the nation."
A deep contemplation and a strong resolve from his own decision were evident in Woo Il-seop's expression.
"If the principle of chain of command conflicts with a soldier's duty, one must choose the latter."
Woo Il-seop, donning his military cap once more, gazed out the window and spoke in a low tone.
"Headhunters are key assets. In wartime, there's no such thing as leaving vital forces unused over some trivial reason."
After finishing, Woo Il-seop let out a small sigh.
"Truth be told, if I could guarantee victory without utilizing you all, I would naturally follow His Excellency the President's orders."
If we couldn't claim the credit while Korea successfully eliminated Gonsalok, that would be the ultimate triumph from Woo Il-seop's perspective.
But he'd judged it impossible and hardened his resolve to defy the president's directive if needed to ensure Gonsalok's removal.
"We've heard you out. It must have been a tough call. Even if this operation succeeds, you might fall out of favor with His Excellency."
"If personal advancement were my goal, I never would have walked the soldier's path."
With that response, we silently followed Woo Il-seop. Meanwhile, my mind was racing.
There was no reason for Woo Il-seop to lie now. If he'd planned to deceive us from the start, why bring up the president's separate orders at this juncture? Bluffing?
If this was a bluff, it actually reassured me in its own way. It would prove the enemy I needed to watch was staggeringly foolish.
"Even if the commander thinks that way, what about the hunters?"
Woo Il-seop not intending to obstruct me was welcome news. I'd assumed both the Korean military and hunters would check us on the way to Nanning, so at least one worry was off the table.
"You must know this already, but hunters won't readily accept Korean military command."
Especially if they were convinced he had no intention of checking me.
"You could pretend to keep me in check. Then the hunters on Hope's List would cooperate quite readily."
Woo Il-seop responded with a gentle smile.
"Looks like you've got something in mind."
"A major general like you might know, but most hunters have no idea why Gonsalok suddenly attacked Korea, right?"
It was something the government was keeping under wraps for now, and I'd figured they would.
"I agree."
"After the hunter mobilization and supply transport wrap up, I'll reveal it at the meeting."
Woo Il-seop looked at me with a hint of surprise. He couldn't fathom why I'd disclose it.
"Gonsalok's target is us. They're invading Korea because they think we're there."
Woo Il-seop nodded at my words.
"To redirect Gonsalok's forces heading for Korea toward Nanning, we need to let them know we're not in Korea."
Then, naturally, Gonsalok would turn their gaze to Nanning. After a moment's thought, Woo Il-seop replied.
"At the very least, you've laid the groundwork to lead the vanguard in the first battle."
We had to make Gonsalok confirm our presence here themselves. No one could stop headhunters from taking point in the opening clash.
I hadn't originally planned to tell Woo Il-seop this. Truth be told, I still didn't have to. But since he'd shown willingness to cooperate, sharing pertinent intel was only polite.
"Once that's out, someone might suggest grabbing the headhunters right away and shipping us off to Gonsalok."
I let out a small chuckle.
"Putting a bell on the cat? Wonder if there are any mice that brave."
The gear secured after clearing a Grade 1 Erosion Core wasn't ordinary.
"I fought toe-to-toe with Choi Yeoreum even before taking down Samhyeol-dong and claiming my rewards."
And I'd beaten down Sung Si-hoon to boot.
"Now I've cleared Samhyeol-dong and grabbed more gear besides."
Subdue us and hand us to Gonsalok? Fat chance.
"Anyone foolish enough to try will need to steel themselves."
I chose fairly mild words for Woo Il-seop. What I really wanted to say was different.
Whoever dares comes at me, dies.
If any hunter charged in even after seeing them engulfed in black flames, begging for mercy as they died, I'd praise their courage and make them meet the same end.
"Plus, the Korean government's sunk a hefty investment into this operation."
They'd invested because they had designs on something. This hunter muster wasn't just to tide Korea over a crisis.
"We're here. Central Command Center."
It was the building where the Korea-China Joint Forces, the Provisional Chinese Government countermeasures committee, and top hunters would gather to discuss future plans.
"Secretary Li Ou-jun will be waiting in the conference room."
Secretary Li Ou-jun. Intriguing. Han Sang-chul had given him a brutally harsh assessment. Of course, I wouldn't form preconceptions until I saw for myself.
As we entered, an elderly man seated at the large round conference table slowly rose.
"Hunter Yoo Chan-seok! I've heard so much about you. I'm Li Ou-jun, secretary of the Chinese Provisional Government."
He immediately extended his hand to me. After shaking it, his gaze shifted to Han Sang-ah.
"And this must be Chairman Han Sang-chul's granddaughter. As rumored, you're stunningly beautiful."
Li Ou-jun's eyes quickly scanned Han Sang-ah's figure. He tried to be discreet, but such efforts were meaningless before a hunter.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Han Sang-ah."
Whether Han Sang-ah grasped the implications of that gaze or not, she greeted him impassively. As a capable hunter herself, she surely sensed it.
She just didn't seem to care. Truthfully, there was nothing this Li Ou-jun could do to Han Sang-ah anyway.
I scanned the map on the wall and the data on the screen.
"Can you read the unit designations?"
Woo Il-seop, accompanying us, asked me. I shook my head. I'd learned a few in the military, but how was I supposed to parse army-group level markings on a map like this?
"I'd appreciate it if you explained."
At my words, Woo Il-seop briefly described the symbols on the map. As I examined it while listening, I let out a small sigh.
"The distance between Nanning City and Beijing is enormous."
I'd vaguely expected as much, but seeing it on the map drove it home.
"Gonsalok's sphere of influence is this vast..."
Gonsalok was based in Beijing. But according to the map, their reach extended west to Xi'an and east to Xuzhou.
In terms familiar to Koreans from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, it was everything inside the line from Chang'an to Xuzhou—that was Gonsalok's Erosion Zone.
Samhyeol-dong, Jayun Valley, the fridge—these were on a whole different scale for measuring Erosion Zones.
Gonsalok's zone was comparable to Wei territory, or even larger. Somehow, I kept defaulting to Three Kingdoms analogies. What can you do? It's what's familiar.
"The name 'one of the Great Eight' is no empty title. Gonsalok's Undying Legion is stationed in Beijing, but powerful monsters are confirmed appearing throughout Gonsalok's Erosion Zone beyond them."
The Undying Legion consisted of elite monsters even within Gonsalok's forces, and apparently, others kept spawning in the zone besides them.
Li Ou-jun, peering at the map alongside us, spoke up.
"Up to Changsha, it's relatively safe. There are monsters and Erosion Zones, of course... but it's outside Gonsalok's influence."
Changsha, known as Jiangxia in Three Kingdoms. Woo Il-seop tapped Changsha with his pointer.
"First, we'll deploy forces to Changsha, then advance to Wuhan."
Wuhan. A globally infamous place. Probably no one hasn't heard of it.
Ah, suddenly feels like coughing. Anyway, I listened intently to Woo Il-seop.
"Once we reach Wuhan, we can ride the Yangtze to Hefei and Nanjing. Supplies can be shipped in bulk via the river as well."
Hefei and Nanjing. In Three Kingdoms terms, Hefei is Hefei, and Nanjing is Jianye, capital of Wu.
"If we seize Hefei and Nanjing, we'll then advance via three routes."
Woo Il-seop indicated each route with his pointer. Since Three Kingdoms is my jam, I mentally swapped in the famous place names.
After taking Wuhan, the hunters push toward Luoyang, which Dong Zhuo torched. Hefei's forces head to Xuchang, Cao Cao's stronghold. Finally, Jianye's head to Langya, Zhuge Liang's hometown.
The advance from Hefei to Xuchang is the main thrust, with the other two as supporting flanks.
Luoyang, Xuchang, Langya.
These three were squarely within Gonsalok's Erosion Zone. Put differently, bloodless entry was impossible. They'd be strongholds won only after battling the Undying Legion in sieges.
Woo Il-seop said gravely,
"Securing those is the primary plan for now. From there, full-scale clashes with the Undying Legion become highly likely."
After holding those three and prevailing in the power struggle, they'd push to two spots right on Beijing's doorstep.
One was Baoding, south of Zhuo Commandery, said to be Liu Bei's hometown. The other was Tianjin, north of Nanpi, Yuan Shao's base.
After scanning the map thoroughly, I scratched my head. This was an operation marching vast distances. "Expedition" fit perfectly.
"Man, should I write President Cho Won-hun a declaration of expedition?"
Shin Chan-seok humbly submits... blah blah...
Han Sang-ah reacted to my words.
"Position-wise, we're Wu. A declaration doesn't fit."
Just a figure of speech.
Not everyone who needed to be here was in the conference room yet. The broad strokes of the operation were set, but finer details couldn't be hashed out.
Besides, we had work before the other hunters arrived.
We needed to stockpile preserved rations in Jeong No-hun's subspace. Woo Il-seop might say he wouldn't follow the president's orders,
but how could I take someone's word at face value on first meeting? Unless it was Jeong No-hun, who'd spilled all his secrets.
"Alright, let's wrap the briefing here for now. We'll rest until the other hunters arrive."
After exchanging farewells, we left the conference room.