NOVEL WEB Chapter 1 - Return
A pitch-black night.
The city center of Jibro, a country located in the Middle East’s conflict zone, was quiet.
A house on the outskirts of the city overwhelmingly drew attention compared to the modest surrounding buildings.
A spacious yard and high walls with barbed wire.
Guards armed with rifles were on patrol around the building, and professionally trained military dogs guarded the entrance.
Eight black shadows approach the building that outwardly reveals it’s not an ordinary house.
Those hiding in the darkness between the alleys held heavy firearms in their hands.
Just before stepping out onto the main road leading to the house, the shadow at the front raised its arm to signal a stop.
Everyone silently accepted the instruction and stopped in their tracks.
The shadow at the front checked the number of those who followed and took out a radio.
“This is Cerberus 1. Charlie 2, respond, over.”
Static-
After some noise, an aged female voice flowed from the radio.
[Charlie 2 receiving. Continue.]
At that moment, the black clouds that had covered the sky cleared, and bright moonlight began to descend to the ground.
The black shadows start to be unveiled by the moonlight that squeezed between the alleys.
The snow-white hair of the man standing at the front glistened softly in the moonlight.
“I’ve confirmed one sniper beyond the clothesline with a white t-shirt hanging on the target building’s rooftop. Can you confirm from your end?”
[Affirmative. Confirmed.]
“Confirmed. Please eliminate when signaled, over.”
[Roger. Charlie 2 out.]
The man who finished the radio communication briefly observed the movements of the guards at the target building through a telescope.
As if they were changing shifts, most of those who were outside the building were entering indoors.
The man gave a hand signal to the black-haired female soldier standing behind him and waiting.
‘Cerberus 2, eliminate the military dog at the front gate when signaled.’
‘Confirmed.’
He then gives a hand signal to the blonde soldier waiting in the third position of the formation.
‘Cerberus 3, eliminate the guard standing on the 2nd-floor balcony. The rest standby.’
‘Confirmed.’
After a brief silent conversation, Cerberus 2 and Cerberus 3’s rifles aimed at their targets.
Both soldiers calmed their tense minds with deep breaths and glared at the enemy’s body that had come into their scopes.
The white-haired man calmly checked his wristwatch and took out his radio.
“This is Cerberus 1. Eliminate the target at 2:10 AM, over.”
[Wilco. Charlie 2 out.]
“Cerberus 1 out.”
The woman’s reply was heard, and silence once again took over the alley.
Tick-
Tick-
The regular ticking of the watch hammered at the soldiers’ hearts.
The white-haired man slowly raised his arm, ready to give the signal.
5 seconds.
4 seconds.
3 seconds.
2 seconds.
1 second.
“Fire.”
Tak-!
Tak-!
With the unique sound of a suppressor, like dry wood breaking, the soldiers’ muzzles spat fire.
The man who quickly checked through the telescope nodded.
The guard on the balcony had fallen face down in front of the railing, and the military dog was dead with its head blown off.
While adjusting the rifle slung over his shoulder, the man heard a cold female voice from his radio.
[This is Charlie 2. Target down.]
“Roger. Cerberus 1, entering through the main gate.”
[Copy. Charlie 2 out.]
“Cerberus 1 out.”
The man put the radio in his chest pocket and briefly took a deep breath while holding his rifle.
Sseup-
Haa-
As his closed eyes opened, blood-red pupils revealed themselves.
Cerberus 2 put her hand on the man’s shoulder to indicate she was ready.
“Alright…”
The white-haired man, Cerberus 1, muttered as he covered his face with a bulletproof visor.
The red smile drawn on his mask twisted eerily.
“Let the surprise party begin.”
As soon as we entered the building, we saw a man sitting quietly in the yard.
The man wearing a black chador and niqab began running towards us, shouting loudly as soon as he spotted us.
“Don’t shoot!!! I’m a civilian!!! Please help me!!!”
“Stay calm and don’t come any closer. If you approach further, we will open fire.”
I calmly instructed, but the man didn’t comply and continued shouting and running towards us.
Both hands were hidden behind his back, making it impossible to confirm if he was armed.
I spoke to him one last time as he kept approaching.
“This is your final warning. Stop where you are.”
“Please save me!!! Plea-”
Tak-tak-!
I immediately fired two shots, accurately putting wind holes in the woman’s chest.
The woman’s body seemed to fall backward, but suddenly she began spraying an AK rifle.
Tutatatatatang-!!!!
“Get down!!”
Bullets immediately flew towards where I was standing, and I hurriedly took cover.
Bullets randomly hit the walls and ceiling, raising dust.
If you’re going to die, die gracefully.
It was clear that either the woman had unconsciously pulled the trigger before losing consciousness or she was still breathing.
Tick-
Tick-
“Ughhhh…”
The woman sprayed her rifle until the magazine was completely empty.
Judging by the lack of further gunfire, it seemed she had run out of ammunition.
Calmly brushing off the dust falling on my head, I asked the team members:
“Report status.”
A series of status reports followed.
“No issues.”
“No issues.”
“No issues.”
“No issues.”
“No issues.”
“No issues.”
“No issues.”
Fortunately, no team member was injured by stray bullets.
There’s no hindrance to continuing the operation.
I started climbing the stairs again, aiming my gun at the second floor.
Once again, a corridor with the same structure as the first floor reveals itself.
Except for the enemy I just shot down, there was no one in the corridor.
I can see a flowerpot with neither grass nor flowers planted in it, placed in front of a door to my left.
A flowerpot that screams ‘I’m suspicious’ as if it had been written on it.
That’s 100% an IED.
Who knows what these crazy women have hidden inside that flowerpot.
Judging by the lack of visible wires, it seems to be a wireless detonation method.
I signaled to Cerberus 2 following behind that there was an IED in front of the door.
She nodded, indicating she understood.
“Ugh…”
Tak-!
I put a bullet in the head of the groaning enemy who had fallen, silencing her, and pressed myself tightly against the left room’s outer wall.
With an object suspected to be an IED in front of the door, a standard entry method is absolutely impossible.
“Set up C4.”
Then we’ll just blow up the wall.
Cerberus 6 attaches C4 to the wall, checks its status, and gives an OK sign.
Now we just need to step back and press the detonator.
Hiding my body against the wall where the right room is located, I signaled to Cerberus 6.
Peoung-!!!!
“Aaaargh!!!!”
With a tremendous boom, the wall shatters into pieces.
A brief scream echoed, suggesting someone was inside.
“Enter!”
I immediately rushed in with my rifle to check the interior.
A desk with various documents scattered messily and a chair toppled by the explosion’s impact.
Beyond that, a woman wearing a turban hiding behind a king-size bed.
I was about to pull the trigger right away.
However, for some reason, a sharp sensation ran down my spine, stopping my finger from pulling the trigger.
If I pull the trigger now, I’ll get hurt.
Why?
My intuition has never been wrong, and in cases like this, bad things usually happen to me.
Tukwang-!!
“This bit-”
Before I could finish swearing, with a sudden explosion, the floor I was standing on shattered.
These crazy bitches.
I’ve been completely fooled.
Who would have thought they’d set up a bomb on the floor.
Wudangtang-!!
“Kuheck-”
Before I could recover from the shock of the explosion, my back fell and violently collided with the first-floor ground.
I couldn’t breathe due to the impact that felt like it would break my back.
My head went blank with the sensation of my internal organs twisting.
Thanks to removing my finger from the trigger, I avoided injuring myself with an accidental discharge from my own gun.
But what does it matter.
I’m already in fucking pain.
“…! …!”
I try to breathe, but air won’t enter my lungs.
Only the sound of air escaping came from my mouth.
Tak tak-!
Tak tak tak-!
I could hear the sound of other team members firing above, but somehow I felt my consciousness gradually fading away.
This is…
This is…
“…Mr. Chris?”
“Heuk…!”
Kung-!
“Argh…”
“Ugh.”
When someone touched my shoulder, I suddenly got up, and sparks flew from my eyes.
It sounded like someone hitting a watermelon.
“M-Mr. Chris, are you alright? You were sweating so much…”
“…?”
Hearing a familiar female voice in my ear, I rubbed my eyes for a moment to regain my senses.
As my consciousness returned, the face of the woman in front of me started to become visible.
A woman wearing a khaki t-shirt with no particular features.
Despite the relatively modest style of clothing, her curvy body and the overwhelming presence of her chest were attracting the gazes of surrounding men.
Of course, I wasn’t particularly moved as I had seen this outfit for roughly three months.
Her name was May Foster, a war correspondent from England and someone whose life I had saved several times by my own hands, as she brushed her blonde hair back while looking down at me.
“…It was a dream.”
Seeing her face tilting her head as she looked at me, I felt annoyed belatedly.
Of all things, to dream about that fucking operation.
‘Operation Cobra’, ranking in the top 20 of the most fucked-up operations collection in my memory.
I was even more annoyed because I felt that shitty sensation of falling from the second floor so vividly.
“Mr. Chris?”
“It’s nothing.”
I answered May as brightly as possible with a forced smile as she questioned me curiously.
My forced smile must have been quite obvious, as her face immediately turned red.
After hesitating for a moment, she carefully asked me.
“Now… what do you plan to do in Korea?”
“…”
At those words, I turned my head briefly to look around.
Air filled with excitement, expectation, and thrill for travel.
People laughing and chatting while pulling heavy carriers.
Sunlight coming from outside shone on my face through spotlessly clean floor-to-ceiling windows that were never seen on the battlefield.
This place was Incheon Airport.
It was South Korea, the homeland I had so desperately wanted to return to.
The war was over.
It was time for me to put down the gun in my hand.
I turned my head again to face May, who was waiting for my answer in front of me.
Her sparkling blue eyes told me how much she was anticipating my answer.
“What am I going to do, you ask?”
“Yes. You’ve given up your Solomon citizenship and returned to Korea, Mr. Chris. Do you have something you want to do…?”
I couldn’t help but smirk at her attitude full of expectation.
There’s not much I, who returned after rolling around in war in another country, want to do in Korea.
“Internet broadcast streamer.”
“Eh?”
“Pfft…”
I couldn’t help but laugh as I heard May make a dumb sound.
This is the story of a war veteran who returned after rolling around on the battlefield for 3 years.
The story of a human weapon called ‘Solomon’s Devil’, the incarnation of the battlefield.
This is the story of a Korean who suddenly fell into a gender-reversed world.