Chapter 11 : Seoul Lockdown (Part-1)

Tap tap tap tap.

Amid the sound of fingers constantly tapping on a neat office desk, a rhythmic and persistent noise that echoed the urgency of the tasks at hand, the phone rang—brrrriing—piercing through the focused atmosphere. Chief Yoo, reacting swiftly to the interruption, quickly snatched up the receiver, ready to engage with whatever was on the other end of the line.

It was Section Chief Jeong.

“How did it go?”

“[Director Park’s group has been wiped out.]”

“Wiped out?”

“[Yes. Our Team 1 sniper supported and managed to save only Director Park. The rest are all dead.]”

“Sigh. That sniper? What the hell was he doing when Min Cheol-woo stepped into his line of sight? Don’t tell me you ordered the team to capture him alive no matter what?”

“[No, sir. I clearly instructed them to kill him if the opportunity arose. But Min Cheol-woo suddenly sensed something, made eye contact, and opened fire. Our guy had to abandon position.]”

“What the hell…”

He had indicated that they were positioned alongside the banks of the Anyangcheon River.

Observing the Seobu Expressway from that location would imply a separation of no less than 300 meters.

However, you are suggesting that Min Cheol-woo was able to pinpoint a concealed sniper from such a considerable distance and even managed to return fire?

That would certainly suggest that the sniper made a critical error in maintaining his concealment and consequently compromised the entire operation, wouldn’t it?

Indeed… That seems to be the case.

Chief Yoo nodded to himself, making a conscious effort to let that conclusion take root and firmly establish itself in his mind.

If it were possible for someone to identify a sniper from a distance of 300 meters, then what would be the viability of assassination as a feasible tactic?

Indeed, during the time when he was aligned with their organization, there were nothing but friendly exchanges and camaraderie, filled with smiles and a sense of shared purpose.

However, now that he had turned his back on them and chosen to defect, he had transformed into a veritable nightmare, posing an immense challenge and concern for their operations.

“So we’ve completely lost him?”

“[Yes. For now, the trail’s gone cold. We’re narrowing the search grid starting from Yeouido.]”

“Damn it, tsk…”

They stated that they were intensifying their efforts to locate him, but in all honesty, they might as well accept the harsh reality that he was likely irretrievably lost to them at this point.

Even if they managed to obtain witness statements regarding the used car dealership located in proximity to the company hospital, and if they succeeded in identifying the specific model and unique features of the vehicle involved, one must question the practical utility of this information.

Director Park had created an unmanageable situation with that truck by extensively perforating it with bullet holes, rendering the vehicle nearly unrecognizable and useless for their purposes.

It was painfully evident that Min Cheol-woo would undoubtedly take the necessary precautions and switch to an entirely different car now, further complicating their efforts to track him down.

Considering the chaos caused by the grenade explosions, the rocket fire, and the incessant gunfire along the road, the question loomed large: how were they supposed to effectively hide this catastrophic incident?

What strategies could they employ to silence potential witnesses, and how might they go about bribing law enforcement officials to create a false narrative surrounding a supposed car explosion accident? Additionally, one must ponder where the substantial funds needed for such illicit activities would even be sourced.

The uncertainty loomed large, leaving them with a multitude of unresolved questions and no feasible solutions in sight.

The NIS was not merely a group of uninformed individuals lacking intelligence or understanding.

At this juncture, the possibility of an effective and seamless concealment of the situation had become an unattainable goal.

The moment was approaching when they would be forced to make a critical decision regarding which segment would be sacrificed—and if the current trajectory continued, it would be Chief Yoo and Team 1 who would face elimination.

Generating outcomes that were far too remarkable to be easily disregarded had now ascended to the position of utmost importance.

“[By any means necessary, Team 1 will secure him first.]”

“You have the blue pill, right?”

“[Yes, Chief.]”

“Don’t hold back. Director Park used it too, didn’t he? There’s no need to be cautious anymore.”

“[Understood. I’ll proceed accordingly.]”

Click.

As soon as the call came to a close, Chief Yoo took a deep breath, feeling a surge of anger boiling within him.

Above all else, the most significant catastrophe was the breach of confidential information.

If the intelligence that was supposed to be contained within the confines of Team 2 had managed to get out, it was highly likely that it had already disseminated across the entire nation—perhaps even reached an international audience.

A newcomer had gone off the rails from Team 1, a unit that was reputed for its exceptional security and unyielding confidentiality.

What’s more, he had successfully evaded capture and was now evading those who were pursuing him.

That alone proved his skills.

Thinking about all the people who’d now be eyeing Min Cheol-woo made his head throb.

Then the phone rang again.

Chief Yoo snatched it up irritably.

“What!?”

“[Team Leader Kim… here. We have a situation. Requesting support.]”

Amid intense gunfire, a brief call for backup—and then the line went dead.

What the hell? The team leader bypassed the section chief and directly called him for support?

What’s going on with the chain of command these days?

Then he remembered what Deputy Chief Woo was assigned to. “Ah…”

“Get the car ready!”

Chief Yoo urgently grabbed the long sword hanging on the wall and dashed out.

“Let’s switch cars.”

As soon as Cheol-woo successfully managed to escape the intense firefight, his immediate course of action was to purchase a brand new car.

Having deliberately positioned himself behind other vehicles during the altercation to minimize the risk of his truck sustaining damage, he nonetheless found that a few bullet holes in the truck were simply unavoidable due to the chaotic nature of the situation.

Even after making the effort to swap out the license plates, it became clear that they were still managing to track his movements—indicating that it was imperative for him to change his vehicle entirely to ensure his safety.

Taking advantage of this opportunity to further secure his escape, he also made the decision to discard some of his gear as well.

Having personally experienced their performance in various scenarios, he concluded that rifles chambered in 5.56mm exhibited a number of notable issues that could not be overlooked.

While it is true that many individuals tolerate these shortcomings due to the round’s commendable penetration power on target, he noted that if penetration is the primary concern, then the 7.62mm rounds significantly outperformed the 5.56mm in that regard.

Moreover, when evaluating the aspect of compactness, it became evident that rifles chambered in 5.56mm were still considerably bulkier and heavier when compared to the more streamlined submachine guns that utilize 9mm ammunition.

The challenge was compounded by the practicality of carrying a variety of ammunition types; managing 9mm, 7.62mm, 5.56mm, and even the heavier 12.7mm rounds created an unwieldy scenario that was simply too cumbersome.

Ultimately, after careful consideration of these factors, he made the decision to entirely eliminate 5.56mm rounds from his arsenal, opting to eliminate not only the rounds themselves but also the rifles designed to use them.

In addition, he concluded that his collection of dot sights was also unnecessary and chose to scrap all of them as well.

The dot sights were not intended for disposal, yet he had rendered all of his apparatus useless due to an EMP detonation during an attempt to eliminate a tracking device—therefore, there was no way to salvage them.

Strangely, when he attempted to take shots without utilizing a sight, his accuracy remarkably improved.

With no obstructions in his line of sight, the entire scene became significantly clearer.

Simply holding the trigger allowed him to achieve flawless alignment of the barrel.

After firing off a few rounds, he was able to distinctly follow the flight paths of the bullets.

Regardless of whether it was traditional iron sights or advanced holographic displays, Cheol-woo discovered that any attachments mounted on his barrel merely obstructed his aim.

“It feels lighter. The car finally moves more smoothly now.”

“Wasn’t your old car just a junker?”

“Maybe it was. I didn’t have time, so I told someone else to buy it for me, and the kid ended up getting a wrecked car… ow.”

“Hold still.”

Cheol-woo flinched as he felt something sticking to his cheek.

Glancing at the rearview mirror, he saw a band-aid now stuck to his cheek.

Was it a character called ‘Janmang Loopy’ or something? Anyway, it was a strange, cute-looking character.

“Good thing it wasn’t a deep cut…”

“Are real swords supposed to be that sharp? Honestly, with those wavy patterns on the blade, I thought it was just a decorative piece. But it sliced through that skull like tofu?”

“I don’t know either. It was my first time cutting someone with a real sword… They say real masters can split a skull cleanly, but was I that good?”

But that particular skull had not been an ordinary one.

It had successfully halted a 9mm green tip round, which is specifically designed for maximum penetration capabilities.

If the so-called “masters” that Yuri had alluded to were to face off against adversaries under the influence of performance enhancers, they would likely find themselves unable to even split a skull, no matter their purported skills or techniques.

Regardless of their abilities, the physical laws governing such actions made it clear that it was, quite simply, impossible.

Yet, with a striking and ornamental sword that had likely been purchased from a department store, she had accomplished precisely that remarkable feat.

This reality caused Cheol-woo to contemplate the possibility that something unusual was occurring with her as well.

Just as his own vision and perceptual abilities had undergone significant transformation, it was evident that something extraordinary was also transpiring within her body.

“Wait, Cheol-woo. Look at the traffic sign.”

“What is it?”

He glanced at the overhead sign on the highway and saw breaking news:

[Breaking: Tunnel fire blocks all highway lanes]

[Clear the shoulder for emergency vehicles]

Ah.

No wonder the traffic had been insane for a while now.

Fire trucks and police cars had been rushing by nonstop—it clearly wasn’t just a regular accident.

This wasn’t something that would clear up after a short wait.