Chapter 23

The Battle of Mount Cheonju (4)

Smoke. Smokescreen.

Whether infantry warfare, tank warfare, or naval warfare, as long as a battle takes place somewhere with solid ground, how smoke screens are used can greatly determine victory or defeat.

Offensive smoke screens conceal troops from enemy fire so they can advance. Defensive smoke screens prevent hidden positions from being easily exposed.

The more experienced a unit and the more capable its commander, the more varied their use of smoke screens. Rather than simply treating smoke as part of their tactics, they use it flexibly enough to build their tactics around it.

"Smoke!"

Along with someone's shout, gray smoke rapidly spread upward from below the forest road. Several smoke grenades went off almost simultaneously, quickly covering the entire road.

"We can't see anything!"

"Use thermal imaging! Thermal imaging!"

Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je's expression hardened at the soldiers' urgent shouts.

It had been only five minutes since the first assault force had advanced straight onto the forest road and been annihilated by Claymores and concentrated gunfire.

And now, in their second attack, they had immediately deployed smoke. They had no intention of repeating the same tactical mistake. It meant that, at the very least, the commander leading them wasn't an idiot.

Bong-tae also bit his lip as he watched the smoke. He was worried about the second attack for a different reason than Kim Hong-je.

'Coming back up this quickly means···.'

North Korea also understood the value of Cheonju Mountain. This was a wave attack that demonstrated their determination to capture it at all costs, even if they had to accept casualties.

About half the soldiers of the 33rd Battalion had thermal imaging equipment attached to their weapons or helmets, allowing them to identify enemies inside the smoke. The rest would have to face enemies concealed by smoke with their naked eyes.

The wind wasn't on the 33rd Battalion's side either. If a strong gust swept through the mountain, it might blow some of the smoke into the sky, but the wind blowing across Cheonju Mountain right now was, contrary to Bong-tae's wishes, very gentle.

The sound of combat boots treading heavily on the forest road could be heard repeatedly. The footsteps were growing closer, and there were more of them. They couldn't see inside the smoke from here, but someone was definitely moving.

The soldiers equipped with thermal imaging devices slowly placed their fingers on their triggers. They were close enough to shoot. If the enemy came any closer, they would emerge through the smoke.

Just then.

Without saying a word, Bong-tae suddenly raised his left hand high. Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je noticed the gesture. Almost instinctively, he shouted.

"···Hold!"

"Hold your fire! Hold your fire!"

"Hold! Hold!"

"Hold? What? Don't shoot?"

"I said hold! Hold!"

The order spread throughout the defensive position in an instant. At the same time, doubts about Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je's order spread among the soldiers.

"Why? Why?"

"They're already within range···?"

The soldiers were bewildered. The enemy was well within firing range, so they couldn't understand why they were being told not to shoot. The enemy was between 150 and 200 meters ahead. At that distance, the men of the 33rd Battalion were confident they could land at least fifteen out of twenty shots.

The footsteps were getting closer. The North Korean soldiers hiding inside the smoke were certainly at their most vulnerable right now. If the soldiers simply pulled their triggers, they could bring down more than ten enemies with the first volley.

And yet they were being told to hold their fire?

"Sergeant Kim?"

Hwang Gi-tae and Lee Jin-gu, who were beside him, stared at Bong-tae strangely for a long moment. Bong-tae searched among the detonators lying on the ground and found three. Numbers one, five, and nine.

"···Ah!"

"Give me one!"

When Bong-tae's eyes turned toward the Claymore detonators, the two men suddenly realized what he was doing and each grabbed one of the three detonators.

Bong-tae clenched his raised left hand into a fist. At the same time, he firmly squeezed the number five detonator in his right hand. Lee Jin-gu and Hwang Gi-tae activated their detonators in unison with him.

KABOOM! KABOOM! KABOOM!

An enormous series of explosions shook the entire mountain. Claymores detonating from three directions sprayed thousands of steel balls outward in fan-shaped patterns.

At the same time, the pressure from the explosions violently pushed aside the smoke covering the forest road. It split apart like a white curtain being torn open.

For an instant, they had a clear field of vision. Smoke was still pouring from the smoke grenades, but the chain of explosions had exposed dozens of North Korean soldiers lying flat on the forest road.

"I can see them!"

The North Korean soldiers, who had been advancing in close formation under the protection of the smoke, were now crouching in panic after the Claymores exploded on both sides and in their midst.

A priceless opportunity. Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je brought his index and middle fingers together, thrust them forward like an arrow, and shouted.

"Fire!"

Ratatat! Ratatatat! Bang!

Ratatatatat! Ratatatatat!

The soldiers of the 33rd Battalion opened fire. The K15 light machine guns positioned among the riflemen spewed flames mercilessly.

Of the four machine gunners in the 33rd Battalion, two were handling a K15 light machine gun for the first time today.

When they first picked up the weapon, which looked far more brutish than a K2C1, they had doubted whether they could operate it properly.

But the K15 didn't have much recoil, and its operation was simple. All the machine gunners of the 33rd Battalion continued pulling their triggers without much difficulty, never giving their fingers a rest. The barrels grew red-hot and emitted white smoke.

Ratatatatat!

Ratatatatat!

"Gaaaaagh!"

"Aaagh! My leg! My leg!"

Endless screams echoed from the forest road. The smoke that had shielded the North Korean soldiers moments earlier had now become an obstacle concealing their escape route.

Their positions completely exposed, the North Korean soldiers were caught in concentrated gunfire in the middle of the forest road, where there was not a single piece of cover.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Attack! Attack! Don't stop moving!"

But there were too many of them.

It seemed as though their concentrated fire had torn apart as many enemies as the entire first assault force, yet fresh troops were still coming up the forest road. They were advancing faster than they could be brought down.

Then Bong-tae heard a familiar sound. Not just Bong-tae, but every member of the 33rd Battalion present knew that sound.

Wheeeee! Wheeeee!

A sound like an enormous bird screeching in a fit.

"Fuck! Get down!"

KABOOOM!

KABOOOM!

An explosion erupted several dozen meters from their defensive position, sending dirt and rocks flying high into the air. A rain of dirt that Bong-tae never wanted to see again pattered against his ballistic helmet.

KABOOOM!

This time, the ground just below the forest road erupted.

"Artillery! Get down!"

"Uwaaaagh! Fuck!"

The North Korean artillerymen didn't seem to have obtained accurate coordinates yet. The shells falling sporadically around them were merely pounding the surrounding area rather than hitting their position directly.

But one thing was certain. The enemy had begun shelling the mountain. If a few more shells landed, there was a good chance the impacts would shift toward their defensive position.

Just then, Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je's voice came from behind them.

"Don't lie there! Fall back! Plan B!"

Without even turning around, Bong-tae shouted.

"I'll provide covering fire from here! You go first!"

"What?"

"There are still bastards shooting at us from below!"

Kim Hong-je immediately realized his oversight at Bong-tae's words. If both his hands had been free, he would have slapped himself across the face.

A retreat had to be conducted strategically. Especially with the enemy this close, if everyone turned their backs at once, they would become vulnerable at that very moment.

"Good! Retreat in exactly two minutes! We'll cover you from above!"

"Yes! Understood!"

But what Bong-tae was thinking was completely different from Kim Hong-je.

'We've still got Claymores left. It'd be a waste.'

While Kim Hong-je had been thinking of a staggered withdrawal based on the knowledge he'd accumulated over twenty years, Bong-tae had shouted that he would stay simply because he intended to detonate every last Claymore before leaving.

"Hey! Second Platoon! Prepare to retreat!"

"Yes! When?"

"You'll know when you see it!"

As the volume of fire pouring from the 33rd Battalion's defensive position weakened, the North Korean soldiers began boldly advancing onto the forest road again.

Watching them, Bong-tae activated every detonator lying at his feet, regardless of its number.

"You motherfuckers! Die, all of you!"

Click! Click! Click!

KABOOM! KABOOM! KABOOM!

Seven or eight remaining Claymores exploded almost simultaneously. A cloud of dust far taller than the smoke from the smoke grenades surged over the forest road.

"Fuck! My ears! At least warn us before setting them off!"

"If I warn you, those bastards will hear it too! You idiot! Now retreat!"

"Retreat! Up the mountain! Retreat!"

Bong-tae slung the military pack lying beside him over his shoulders and stood up. But for some reason, he felt as though his feet weren't finding a firm footing.

"What the hell?"

There was nothing wrong with his body.

The problem was the ground.

Crrrunch—

A strange sound came from beneath Bong-tae's feet. A small pebble clattered down the slope.

The cut slope, whose interior had already been badly damaged by repeated artillery strikes, could no longer withstand the successive Claymore explosions and began collapsing all at once.

A landslide.

Crrrrunch! Crrrrunch!

Rrrrrrrumble!

In an instant, the entire slope beneath Bong-tae's feet began collapsing. Trees with exposed roots tilted along with it. Boulders larger than Bong-tae himself and waves of earth tumbled together toward the forest road.

"F-fall back! Fuck!"

"We're fucked! It's a landslide!"

The moment Bong-tae quickly turned around.

CRAAAAACK—

The ground beneath his feet gave way.

"Uh···!"

His right leg swung freely through the air while his left foot plunged deep into the collapsing ground. Bong-tae instinctively grabbed a clump of grass beside him.

But there was no way the grass, uprooted along with the soil, could support Bong-tae's weight. Its roots pulled free helplessly, and Bong-tae's body tilted downward. At this rate, he would fall onto the forest road along with the landslide.

Just then, someone seized Bong-tae's arm with all his strength.

"P-Platoon Leader!"

Kang Min-jun grabbed Bong-tae's arm and held him up. He was already clinging to a small, trembling tree with his left arm while pulling Bong-tae up with only his right.

But even the roots of that small tree were gradually emerging from the ground. At this rate, Kang Min-jun would fall alongside Bong-tae. Bong-tae barely managed to turn his head toward Kang Min-jun and shouted.

"Hey! Let go and get out of here!"

Thick veins bulged along Kang Min-jun's neck. His handsome face was so contorted that he looked every bit as ugly as Bong-tae.

"I'll pull you up! Just a little···!"

"I said let go and get out of here, you bastard!"

"I said I'll pull you up! Shut up and help me!"

Kang Min-jun screamed in frustration at Bong-tae's words. He shouted so loudly that droplets of saliva sprayed all over Bong-tae's face.

"Fuck!"

The young tree Kang Min-jun was holding could no longer withstand the strain and was torn straight out of the ground. Both their bodies pitched forward.

"Grab them!"

"You crazy bastards! Grab them!"

Hwang Gi-tae and Lee Hwan threw themselves forward and hauled Kang Min-jun and Bong-tae up. Hwang Gi-tae wrapped both arms tightly around Kang Min-jun's combat vest and threw his weight backward. Lee Hwan seized Bong-tae's arm and rifle sling and flattened himself against the ground.

Pulling a grown man up using only arm strength was never easy. On top of that, Bong-tae was wearing full combat gear. His total weight exceeded a hundred kilograms by a considerable margin. Enduring pain that felt as though his lower back would snap, Lee Hwan shouted.

"Heavenly Father! Fuck!"

But none of them were in their right minds anymore. Artillery shells were still landing beside their defensive position, and below them the landslide had turned everything into chaos. The instinctive desire not to die wrung every last ounce of strength from Lee Hwan's muscles.

"Pull him up! Hurry! Hurry!"

"Uuuurgh···!"

Lee Hwan's arms, swollen as though they were about to burst, gradually dragged Bong-tae upward. When Bong-tae's chest finally cleared the edge of the cut slope, Lee Hwan squeezed out the last of his strength and yanked him up as though throwing him.

Bong-tae rolled backward several times before barely managing to stand. The four men finally drew the breaths they'd forgotten to take.

"F-fuck! Huff···. Huff···."

"Huff···. Huff···. Huff···."

"Fuck···. Fuck···."

The entire cut slope from which Bong-tae and Kang Min-jun had been hanging moments earlier collapsed. The forest road was now nothing more than a grave of earth, trees, and rocks, with not a trace of the road remaining.

Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je's voice came from the summit above.

"Hurry up! Retreat! Kim Bong-tae! Quickly!"

The four men exchanged glances, then began running toward the summit of Cheonju Mountain without saying a word. At that moment, Bong-tae, who was running at the very back, spoke without the slightest sense of timing.

"Huff···. Huff···. Hey, it was a g-good thing we used those Claymores, right···?"

"S-seriously···. Sergeant Kim, give it a rest. Huff···. Huff···."

"Is he seriously insane···?"

The other three laughed in disbelief.

© Jungle Pocket#22844

Author's Note

Thank you, as always.