SW | Chapter 10

Rule: Killing is prohibited. Injury is allowed.

Guk Jiho had grasped the rules. He aimed the gun away from the Russian man’s groin and shot him in the thigh, then immediately took cover behind the sofa.

The man clutched his leg and let out a long, agonized scream. The bullet would likely tear through his muscles and flesh, exiting his leg in a matter of seconds or minutes.

Thud, thud, thud. From behind, a group of towering Russians, each easily over 2 meters tall, rushed in. Unintelligible Russian shouts echoed in his ears.

“Kill them all!” That’s probably what they were yelling.

The basics of combat are to use the terrain to your advantage. Phrases from the police academy textbooks, which he had read so many times the pages were worn thin, flashed through his mind.

The lobby was long and narrow, making it difficult for the Russians to surround them from all sides. If they could protect their rear, the numerical disadvantage would be less severe, or at least, less fatal.

The massive chandelier on the ceiling caught his eye. Guk Jiho fired five shots at its chains. The chandelier, as large as a house and adorned with sharp, crystal candleholders, came crashing down onto the Russians’ heads.

“Ahhh!”

Screams and Russian curses filled the air. Some of the men were now bloodied.

Glass shards flew everywhere, and one man was crushed directly under the chandelier. The momentum of the attackers faltered momentarily. Baek Haegyeon also managed to grab a gun admist the chaos.

But that was it. The monstrous, bald Russian gangsters, bleeding from their heads, got back up. They had to reduce the number of attackers first.

The difference between fighting two and three opponents isn’t significant, but the gap between fighting alone and with a partner is huge. With a partner, you can cover each other’s backs, turning a 180-degree field of vision into 360 degrees.

Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.

Baek Haegyeon’s shooting style was incredibly fast. In an instant, his bullets hit the legs of the attackers. Despite the tension in his forearm muscles as he fired, his movements were light and precise. If he had tilted his wrist just 15 degrees and aimed for their stomachs, he could’ve been called a mass murderer.

Guk Jiho, momentarily entranced by Haegyeon’s shooting, snapped out of it and turned to guard their rear.

The sight of their comrades collapsing helplessly visibly shook the remaining attackers.

Usually, drawing a gun first guarantees victory. But as always, there are exceptions.

Baek Haegyeon was positioned at the front and was carefully picking off the attackers one by one. If he missed even slightly, he risked hitting his own ally. Moreover, the .22 caliber’s accuracy was even worse.

In a situation where they couldn’t spray bullets, the .22 caliber and the sheer number of attackers no longer worked in their favor.

“I’m using three rounds on the left, already used two…”

Baek Haegyeon’s ammunition was running low. A revolver could hold about 10 bullets, maybe 12 in rare cases.

Guk Jiho, who covering the rear and sniping from cover, counted the number of fallen attackers. Seven were already down. The tide had turned in their favor, but the remaining attackers were furious.

Even after being shot, they kept getting back up. It was terrifying. Those who got up acted as shields, slowly breaking through their defenses. The .22 caliber bullets didn’t lodge in the body but always passed through. By the time the bullets exited, the men were foaming at the mouth and collapsing. Their resilience was rare.

Tick, tick. The unnervingly quiet gunshots echoed cruelly in their ears. The smell of gunpowder hung thick in the air.

“Ugh…!”

Oddly enough, it was always easy to distinguish between an ally’s and an enemy’s cries. It seemed a bullet had grazed Baek Haegyeon’s shoulder. His revolver clicked uselessly a couple of times. It was clear he was out of ammo.

Baek Haegyeon crouched down and dragged a fallen attacker in front of him as a shield.

The two of them, as if they had prearranged it, took positions covering the front and rear. And resupplying was the rear’s responsibility.

Guk Jiho picked out one of the fallen attackers who was less injured and closer to him. It was a man with orange-red hair.

“Hey. Give me your ammo.”

He even gestured with his chin, but unfortunately, the man didn’t understand Korean. Frustrated, Guk Jiho shot the man in the foot. The man screamed and shook his head violently, as if he had no idea what was being said.

“Bullets. Bullets, you idiot.”

He even pointed at the gun holster to explain, but the man, blinded by tears, just trembled.

“If you don’t hand it over, you’re dead.”

Guk Jiho crouched and rummaged through the man’s body, but found nothing. Time was running out.

“Damn it… Kneel. Move ¹.”

Finally, he pressed the gun to the red-haired man’s back and forced him to crawl forward, using him as a shield. The man was shot in the leg and foot. He kept screaming, but no one paid him any attention.

Two revolvers lay scattered nearby.

As they got closer, Guk Jiho shot the man’s other leg to prevent him from reaching for a weapon. The red-haired man, already riddled with bullets, foamed at the mouth and collapsed. Guk Jiho safely grabbed the gun.

It was heavy. Probably loaded with plenty of bullets.

“Cyka blyat².”

Guk Jiho muttered the only Russian phrase he knew, then immediately shot down one of the Russian gangsters.

Tick.

It was the man who had been aiming at Baek Haegyeon. Guk Jiho, having bought some time, tucked the newly acquired gun behind his knee. He then pulled back the bolt to check how many bullets were left and reloaded.

“Seven bullets left!”

He tossed the gun to Baek Haegyeon, who caught it perfectly. Baek Haegyeon turned and resumed his ghostly rapid-fire assault.

Even in this chaotic battle, his gaze remained calm. Every time he dodged an incoming bullet, the back of his suit stretched taut. The sound of his shoes skidding across the floor blended with the gunfire. It was as if he had eyes on the back of his head that were covering all directions.

Guk Jiho was now armed with two guns and fought alongside him, covering the rear.

Just when it seemed like they were almost done, the elevator doors opened.

If they had seen Russian police uniforms, they might have been relieved, despite being foreigners causing serious harm to Russian citizens.

But contrary to Guk Jiho’s hopes, a flood of black-suited Russian gangsters, similar to the ones they had just fought, poured in. This time, there were even more of them. No matter how skilled they were, this many opponents were overwhelming.

“…Another round?”

Guk Jiho couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.

Tick.

A bullet whizzed past his ear.

“Ahhh…!”

When Guk Jiho turned, he saw a man with a hole the size of a 500-won coin in his right arm collapse like a zombie. His joints were dislocated. The man had already been shot in one leg, but had mustered the strength to stand and try to shoot him.

“Stay focused.”

At Baek Haegyeon’s words, Guk Jiho exhaled deeply.

His ally moved to stand at a 90-degree angle to him. Since they were covering each other’s backs, there was no need to face opposite directions. As their bodies touched, he could feel the heat and rapid breathing of his partner.

Guk Jiho’s anxious gaze was fixed ahead. His lips dried as he watched the black-clad forces pour in like a flood.

We’re completely surrounded…

“Do we have a chance?”

At Guk Jiho’s impatient question, Baek Haegyeon replied.

“At 1 o’clock, turn the corner, and there’s an emergency exit on the left.”

“Got it.”

Though he couldn’t see the location, Guk Jiho answered while looking beyond the wall. Baek Haegyeon fired three shots in quick succession.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Exactly three men fell. Guk Jiho followed up by shooting two more.

“Good job.”

“Yeah… These leeches, damn it…”

The gangsters, despite having guns, had poor accuracy and kept missing. They tried to close the distance after repeated misfires.

If they ran for the emergency exit now, bullets would rain down on their backs. What should they do…?

“Run for the emergency exit. I’ll create an opening.”

Before Guk Jiho could fully process what that meant, Baek Haegyeon lunged toward a fire extinguisher in the corner. He threw it into the air and shot it. All within three seconds.

With a hiss, white foam filled the space like a smoke bomb.

Nice bird shot.

Guk Jiho’s vision was completely obscured, as if covered in white paint, but he had memorized the location and trusted his sense of direction.

He ran blindly forward, but when he had to jump over fallen bodies, doubt crept in. Did I change direction after jumping over that guy?

Trusting his instincts, he kept running. Suddenly, someone grabbed his wrist.

“This way.”

His voice was still so calm.

Oddly enough, he still had the presence of mind to think that. He felt reassured after hearing that voice. He could trust that Baek Haegyeon knew where they were running. The grip on his wrist was strong. His pulse raced under the pressure.

“Hyung, don’t let go of my hand!”

150 meters. It was a long enough distance to run blindly. There was even a risk of having his ankle grabbed by the men writhing on the floor like they were in hellfire.

But Guk Jiho focused only on the warmth of the hand holding his and ran. Along the way, he stepped on soft flesh a few times. But strangely enough, his steps felt light.

Clank. When they reached a dead end, the door handle turned, and the door swung open.