TWO YEARS LATER
Two years had passed since I joined the military.
Many recruits who enlisted alongside me had already completed their service and returned home.
During those two years, Ho-gu, Dae-seong, and I became close friends. We trained together, fought together, and pushed each other beyond our limits.
Our efforts paid off.
By the end of our training period, we were recognized as the top three recruits in our batch.
Life wasn't all training, however.
Somewhere along the way, I fell in love.
Her name was Anna.
She came from a wealthy family with strong ties to the current General. Despite our different backgrounds, we got along surprisingly well.
My father once told me that connections could change a person's life.
At the time, I never paid much attention to those words.
Now, I understood them better.
---
Lately, rumors had been spreading throughout the camp.
The Special Operations Forces were holding a selection.
For most soldiers, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
For me, it was the next step.
A chance to climb higher.
A chance to undertake missions that truly mattered.
And the pay wasn't bad either.
---
Several days later, the ten highest-ranked recruits were summoned to the assembly hall.
Special Operations recruiters stood at the front of the room.
After a brief introduction, we were immediately handed a written examination.
The atmosphere became tense.
Armed personnel monitored every movement while the recruiters observed us in silence.
The test was unlike anything I had taken before.
It wasn't merely about intelligence.
Some questions tested tactical judgment.
Others measured loyalty and mental resilience.
By the time it ended, my head felt ready to split apart.
Yet we weren't given time to rest.
The moment the papers were collected, we were loaded into military trucks and transported to another location.
An hour later, the vehicles stopped.
As we stepped outside, a partially dense forest greeted us.
A paved road cut through the middle of it.
The ten of us quickly formed a line beside the truck.
Several recruiters exchanged glances before nodding in approval.
One of them stepped forward.
"This is the practical examination."
His voice was calm but authoritative.
"Inside this forest is a terrorist group holding a hostage."
The mood instantly shifted.
"Your objective is simple. Locate the enemy camp. Rescue the hostage."
He paused briefly.
"Your time starts now."
The moment those words fell, everyone rushed toward the equipment crates.
Helmets.
Body armor.
Weapons.
Ammunition.
Within moments, we were fully geared.
As the others hesitated, I stepped forward.
"We split up."
Several heads turned toward me.
"Five go left. Five go right."
I pointed toward the forest.
"The first team to locate the enemy reports immediately through radio communication."
Some nodded.
Others seemed uncertain.
I continued.
"And don't be idiots."
My voice hardened.
"If you find the camp, don't attack without support. This is an extraction mission, not a competition."
Several recruits awkwardly looked away.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one who noticed what they had been thinking.
As the teams prepared to separate, Anna looked back and winked.
For a brief moment, her usual confidence returned.
Then she disappeared into the trees.
Ho-gu immediately grinned.
"There he goes."
Dae-seong sighed.
"Completely lost."
I ignored them.
"Move."
This wasn't the time.
The forest swallowed us soon after.
We advanced cautiously, searching for tracks, broken branches, discarded equipment, and any signs of human activity.
Nothing.
Minutes stretched into nearly an hour.
Then the radio suddenly crackled.
"Come in! Come in!"
Anna's voice.
Gunfire echoed in the background.
My heart immediately tightened.
"Anna! Report!"
"We found them!"
Another burst of gunfire interrupted her.
"Some idiots attacked the camp head-on! We're pinned down!"
I cursed under my breath.
"We're moving. Hold your position."
"Got it."
The transmission ended.
Without another word, we broke into a sprint.
Whatever happened next would determine who passed the selection.
And who failed.
~~
We pushed through the forest at full speed.
Branches snapped beneath our boots as we followed the direction of the gunfire.
The closer we got, the louder it became.
Rifles.
Shouting.
The occasional explosion.
This was no longer a simple training exercise.
At least, it didn't feel like one.
A few minutes later, we found Anna.
She was crouched behind a thick tree, rifle pressed against her shoulder.
The moment she saw me, relief flashed across her face.
"Took you long enough."
Despite her attempt to sound annoyed, I could hear the tension in her voice.
I glanced toward the enemy position.
A small compound stood ahead.
Wooden buildings.
Makeshift barricades.
Defensive positions.
The recruits from Anna's team were pinned behind cover while armed men exchanged fire with them.
The rounds sounded real.
The fear on everyone's faces looked real too.
For a moment, I wondered just how far the instructors were willing to take this examination.
"So?"
Dae-seong asked.
"What's the situation?"
Anna pointed toward the compound.
"Three idiots decided charging straight at the camp was a good idea."
Her voice carried obvious frustration.
"Now we're stuck."
I nodded.
The situation wasn't ideal, but it wasn't hopeless either.
The enemy's attention was focused entirely on the firefight.
That gave us an opening.
I lowered myself beside the others and studied the layout carefully.
Two guard towers.
One main building.
Several smaller structures.
A rear entrance with minimal security.
Perfect.
An idea quickly formed in my mind.
"Listen carefully."
Everyone leaned in.
"Kang Joon. Hayoon."
The two immediately straightened.
"You'll reinforce Anna's group."
Their expressions changed.
They clearly wanted to join the infiltration team.
Before either could argue, I continued.
"Your job isn't to win the firefight."
I pointed toward the compound.
"It's to keep the enemy occupied."
Understanding dawned on their faces.
They nodded.
I turned toward Ho-gu and Dae-seong.
"The three of us will enter through the rear."
A grin appeared on Ho-gu's face.
"Now that's more like it."
"If the hostage is really inside, we'll find them while everyone else keeps the terrorists distracted."
I looked at Anna.
"If things become too dangerous, call the instructors immediately."
Anna rolled her eyes.
"I know."
"Good."
There was no time to waste.
We moved.
Kang Joon and Hayoon joined the firefight moments later, increasing the pressure on the enemy's front line.
As expected, more terrorists shifted their attention toward the gunfire.
The rear defenses weakened almost immediately.
Exactly what I wanted.
Using the chaos as cover, Ho-gu, Dae-seong, and I slipped through the trees and approached the compound from behind.
Every step was measured.
Every movement deliberate.
One mistake could ruin everything.
A lone guard appeared around the corner.
Before he could react, Dae-seong was already moving.
The butt of his rifle slammed into the man's head.
The guard dropped instantly.
We continued forward.
Room after room.
Hallway after hallway.
The compound was larger than it appeared from the outside.
Twice we nearly ran into patrols.
Twice we avoided detection by mere seconds.
The tension grew with every passing minute.
Then we found it.
A locked room at the center of the compound.
Two guards stood outside.
I exchanged a glance with Ho-gu and Dae-seong.
No words were needed.
We moved simultaneously.
Three suppressed shots.
Two bodies hit the ground.
Silence returned.
I stepped forward and kicked the door open.
Inside sat a middle-aged man with his hands bound behind a chair.
The hostage.
For a moment, he simply stared at us.
Then relief flooded his face.
"You've got to be kidding me."
Ho-gu laughed.
"Looks like we found him."
I cut the restraints.
"Can you walk?"
The man nodded.
"Good."
I helped him to his feet.
"Then let's get out of here."
The hardest part wasn't rescuing the hostage.
It was getting him out alive.
And judging by the gunfire still raging outside, that part was only beginning.
The hardest part wasn't rescuing the hostage.
It was getting him out alive.
And judging by the gunfire still raging outside, that part was only beginning.
"We found the hostage," I spoke into the radio. "Prepare to fall back."
A burst of static answered me.
Then Anna's voice came through.
"Glad to hear it. We were starting to think you got lost."
Even in the middle of a firefight, she still found time to joke.
"Can you retreat?"
There was a brief pause.
"We can."
"Good. Start moving."
I cut the transmission and turned to the hostage.
"Stay between us and do exactly what we say."
The man nodded nervously.
We immediately began moving.
The compound had become far more active than before. The enemy had likely noticed something was wrong.
Shouts echoed through the hallways.
Footsteps approached from multiple directions.
Our window was closing.
"Movement."
Dae-seong's voice was low.
Three armed men appeared at the end of the corridor.
The moment they spotted us, they raised their weapons.
I fired first.
Two rounds.
Two hits.
The third man barely had time to react before Ho-gu dropped him with a burst from his rifle.
"Keep moving."
We pushed forward.
Every second mattered.
The moment we stepped outside, another wave of gunfire erupted from across the compound.
Bullets tore into nearby walls.
Wood splintered.
The hostage flinched.
I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him behind cover.
"They know we're leaving."
"No kidding," Ho-gu muttered.
The situation was becoming complicated.
We could continue fighting our way through the compound.
Or we could create an opening.
My eyes landed on several fuel drums stacked beside a storage shed.
An idea immediately formed.
"Ho-gu."
He followed my gaze and grinned.
"Say no more."
He raised his rifle.
A second later, the drums exploded.
The blast shook the compound.
Flames erupted into the air.
The sudden explosion threw the enemy formation into chaos.
"Move!"
We sprinted.
Using the confusion as cover, we crossed the remaining distance toward the tree line.
Once inside the forest, our chances improved dramatically.
The dense terrain limited visibility and made pursuit far more difficult.
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
The only sounds were our breathing and the distant echoes of gunfire behind us.
Eventually, the radio crackled again.
"We're clear."
Anna.
A wave of relief washed over me.
"Any injuries?"
"A few."
Her voice carried obvious irritation.
"Nothing serious."
That was good enough.
"Head toward the extraction point."
"Already moving."
The transmission ended.
We continued escorting the hostage through the forest until the road finally came into view.
And standing beside the trucks were the recruiters.
The moment we stepped out of the trees, several pairs of eyes turned toward us.
The hostage was safe.
The mission was complete.
One of the recruiters checked his watch.
His eyebrows rose slightly.
Apparently, our completion time had impressed even him.
Not that he showed much emotion.
Military instructors rarely did.
We waited silently as the remaining teams arrived one after another.
Some recruits looked exhausted.
Others looked embarrassed.
A few carried visible injuries.
Anna's team was among the last to arrive.
The moment she stepped out of the forest, her eyes found mine.
I gave her a small nod.
She returned it.
Nothing more needed to be said.
Several minutes later, all candidates had assembled.
The lead recruiter stepped forward.
"The examination is over."
His voice immediately silenced the crowd.
He spent the next few minutes reviewing our performance.
Every mistake.
Every success.
Every decision.
The criticism was brutal.
Several recruits lowered their heads as their errors were exposed for everyone to hear.
Then he finally reached our team.
"The hostage was recovered successfully."
A few recruits glanced toward us.
"The rescue was completed in the shortest time recorded among today's candidates."
Ho-gu looked as though he had just won a national competition.
I ignored him.
The recruiter continued.
"Good teamwork. Good decision-making."
A brief pause followed.
"However, overconfidence kills soldiers. Remember that."
His gaze lingered on us for a moment.
We nodded.
Even success came with lessons.
As for the recruits who charged the compound without support...
They failed.
The verdict was immediate.
Some accepted it.
Others looked devastated.
Military service wasn't forgiving.
One poor decision could end a career before it truly began.
Thankfully, Anna was not among them.
Her decision to call for reinforcements had ultimately saved her evaluation.
When the results were finally announced, five names remained.
Mine.
Ho-gu's.
Dae-seong's.
Anna's.
And Hayoon's.
We had passed.
The Special Operations Forces had accepted us.
For a brief moment, nobody moved.
Then reality settled in.
Years of effort had finally paid off.
A smile slowly appeared on my face.
This was only the beginning.
A far greater stage awaited us.
And for the first time since joining the military, I felt truly excited about the future.
~~
The following day, we were transferred to the Special Operations camp.
Life there was far harsher than anything we had experienced before.
The training was brutal.
The missions were dangerous.
And failure was not tolerated.
Many recruits who passed the selection were eventually sent back.
But we endured.
Ho-gu's strength made him a formidable heavy weapons specialist.
Dae-seong excelled in close combat.
Hayoon became an exceptional sniper.
While Kang Joon developed into a skilled marksman.
As for Anna, she proved herself time and time again, earning the respect of both her peers and instructors.
The years passed quickly.
Training became missions.
Missions became experience.
Experience became results.
I completed operation after operation, steadily climbing through the ranks.
Eventually, I was entrusted with command of my own squad.
A Special Operations unit known as Phantom.
I was allowed to choose its members.
Naturally, I chose Ho-gu, Dae-seong, Hayoon, and Kang Joon.
Not because we were friends.
But because they were among the best soldiers I knew.
Together, we completed numerous successful missions and earned a reputation for efficiency and reliability.
Everything seemed to be going well.
Until one day.
A classified mission landed on our desks.
A terrorist organization known as Exodus had attacked one of our research facilities and stolen a dangerous prototype.
Their last known location was in China.
Our mission was simple.
Locate Exodus.
Recover the prototype.
Eliminate any resistance.
We were given two weeks to prepare.
Yet for some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Unfortunately, soldiers didn't have the luxury of ignoring orders.
And so, two weeks later, Phantom boarded a helicopter and headed toward China.
~~
The helicopter blades roared above us as we lifted off.
Wind slammed against the metal frame, shaking the entire cabin.
No one spoke.
That alone told me everything.
Ho-gu checked his weapon again, even though he had already done it twice.
Dae-seong sat still, eyes half-closed, as if conserving energy.
Kang Joon stared out the side door, watching the ground disappear beneath us.
Hayoon adjusted his scope with slow, precise movements.
And Anna…
She glanced at me briefly, then looked away.
I could feel it.
That same unease from the briefing room.
It hadn't gone away.
It had only grown stronger.
I opened the mission file again.
EXODUS.
Research facility raid.
Stolen prototype.
Unknown capabilities.
The details were too clean.
Too convenient.
Like everything had been prepared for us in advance.
"Landing in three minutes," the pilot's voice came through the headset.
"Copy," I replied.
I closed the file.
No more thinking.
Only action.
"Listen up," I said, my voice cutting through the noise.
Everyone turned toward me.
"When we land, we move immediately to that abandoned structure."
I pointed at the map.
"We regroup there. No engagement until we confirm enemy positions."
Ho-gu smirked.
"Since when did you start liking quiet entries?"
"Since I got tired of unnecessary deaths," I replied flatly.
That shut him up.
The helicopter began descending.
Trees below grew clearer.
Then sharper.
Then dangerously close.
"Touching down!"
The moment the ramp dropped, cold air rushed in.
"Go!"
We moved.
Boots hit the ground hard.
We sprinted toward the abandoned structure ahead, using rocks and terrain for cover.
Then—
Gunfire.
"CONTACT!" Kang Joon shouted.
Bullets tore through the air, kicking up dirt around us.
We scattered instantly.
"Behind cover!" I ordered.
We dove behind large rocks just as rounds struck where we had been a second earlier.
I looked up.
The abandoned structure was already partially surrounded.
Too organized.
Too fast.
"They were waiting," Dae-seong muttered.
"No," I said quietly.
"They knew."
Another burst of gunfire answered that thought.
This wasn't an ambush.
This was preparation.
"Ho-gu!" I called.
"Already on it!" he shouted back.
He reached for the RPG strapped to his pack.
"Cover me!"
We opened fire.
Suppressing rounds tore across the field.
Ho-gu stepped out, aimed, and fired.
The explosion lit up the side of the structure.
Enemies scattered.
"Move!" I yelled.
We ran.
Straight into the chaos.
Phantom had entered the mission.
And something about it already felt like a trap closing around us.