Chapter : 106
Combat Preparation (3)
“Confident guys would probably see just a single mercenary team as easy prey.”
For those working with state support, a lone mercenary team was naturally insignificant. And in fact, Suhyun had intentionally led them to that assumption.
Hiding behind the pretext of a new company, hiding under the name of a Jindo dog… he had concealed his identity to use it as long as possible. But even that would soon reach its limits.
“A gem cannot be hidden forever.”
Those who needed to know already did. After only a few feats, they would surface. Suhyun wanted to get his return before that happened. And this situation was exactly that kind of opportunity.
“Mercenaries. They’re setting a trap.”
“Did the elves call them?”
“Seems like it.”
“How childish…”
“What should we do?”
“Which mercenary company?”
“Not in the database.”
“Then they must be nothing special.”
When operating in Korean or American territory, the bigger concern wasn’t their army—it was the mercenary companies. A well-equipped large mercenary firm could rival an army. They weren’t to be underestimated.
But if they weren’t in the database, they were insignificant. Just another one of the dozens of mercenary companies popping up like mushrooms.
“Check the trap first, then prep the equipment. If the elves called them, they’ll be out soon.”
It seemed the elves, feeling uneasy, had acted prematurely. Suhyun had planned to make contact through another company to handle the contract, creating a threatening atmosphere first.
“Kill them?”
“Yeah. If all the ones they called die, they’ll be even more scared. Actually, this works out.”
“What about the trap?”
“What kind of trap?”
“It’s a monster-type trap. Seems like there’s a hunter among them. Since it wasn’t properly set for humans, it’s not for anti-personnel purposes.”
“Then leave it. No need to scare them unnecessarily.”
“Ugh, tastes annoyingly healthy.”
“Don’t complain. I’ve had worse meals with the team leader here.”
As a soldier muttered, Kim Chang-sik scolded him. In truth, the meals the elves provided were nutritionally well-balanced—prepared in advance for human tastes, if not for flavor.
“You came here with the team leader?”
Oh no.
He shouldn’t have mentioned making extra income with troll blood in front of these guys. They would surely extort him otherwise.
“Yes… I came once on reconnaissance…”
“When was that?”
“Did that even happen?”
These sharp kids…
Kim Chang-sik quickly changed the subject.
“Enough about food. Eat fast and let’s get to work. The team leader is already moving around.”
“Doesn’t he get tired?”
While the soldiers spoke, Suhyun climbed a small hill and closed his eyes. No need for binoculars. He was using his clairvoyance to scan the surrounding terrain. People tend to let their guard down during the day.
Found it.
The opposing side clearly hadn’t expected him to locate them with such a power. A temporary base, well-camouflaged in the jungle, came into view.
Six people. It can’t be all of them. And with stealth equipment…
Suhyun had already anticipated the stealth gear—it was essential for operatives like these. But something unfamiliar caught his eye.
?
A heavy-looking metal box painted black. Not a psychic-nullifying device. Judging by how carefully the operatives handled it, it was important.
What’s this? Some new tech from the Chinese government?
Suhyun was slightly confused. He prided himself on knowing most of the secret tech China had developed. He had faced many teams before, and this was far in the future.
Not Chinese? Wait… the equipment is Chinese…
So this really was a new technology he didn’t know about. Even amid the confusion, he observed their movements carefully—they seemed to intend to use that device.
I’ll have to chase them and steal it.
Suhyun turned as he heard sounds from behind. His soldiers, having finished their meal, were coming out to follow his instructions. His order was simple: move together and patrol the area. He didn’t expect an immediate attack, but he wanted to provoke the enemy.
-Why me?
-With a Dark Elf involved, suspicion is natural. It’s fine with Luiril since she’s an elf, but they even brought a monster. Waiting in the village…
Shaina sulked in the village, while the others patrolled with power armor. The enemy was monitoring such movements closely.
Reaction… they recognized the black bear.
“They have power armor.”
“A few units, at most. We can lure them in and blow them up. Done this before?”
“No, it seems to be a model under development by the Korean military. The Black Bear power armor.”
“What? Really?”
The Chinese team leader took the binoculars and focused. His subordinate was right: among the mercenaries, the armor matched the publicly released appearance of the Black Bear power armor. They were keenly aware of weapon developments in the Korean military, especially power armor.
“How do they have that?”
“Many prototypes are discarded during development; maybe they stole it under that pretense?”
“Think sensibly. Even with money, could you steal government-only power armor?”
The subordinate bowed sheepishly, unaware he had unknowingly guessed the truth.
“Thought scaring the elves would be enough… but this is unexpected. We’ll capture that.”
“Yes!”
They couldn’t imagine being manipulated by someone else.
“So bothersome. Bothering me.”
“Can’t we just find them first and strike?”
Luiril asked, puzzled. She vaguely knew Suhyun’s abilities. At his level, he could single-handedly slaughter them all.
“I want something.”
If they attacked first, they’d be discovered, and a full engagement would break out. Suhyun’s actual skills would then reveal themselves, and the others would discard everything they brought and flee.
Greed makes things harder.
“Remember this. Bring it back.”
“….”
Luiril reluctantly nodded at Suhyun’s bluntness.
“Don’t want to? Should I do it?”
“No, you stay inside. Teleportation is what we need here.”
Shaina sulked again after being rejected. Suhyun tapped her shoulder.
“I’ll have you work later. Not now—it’s complicated.”
He made the soldiers patrol the same route periodically. The enemy would soon plan as well. Any moment, action could occur.
Gone.
The base personnel had vanished. They were likely moving along the patrol path to prepare.
“Let’s go! Hunting time!”
The soldiers nodded grimly. They were bored from peaceful patrols over the past few days and wanted to confirm their own abilities.
No one foolishly ambushed power armor in the open plains. The operation would start the moment they entered the forest.
How should I start?
Suhyun watched the forest curiously. He included the forest in the patrol route to provoke an attack. Too perfect a setup might have caused them to strike differently.
Sniping was pointless. Suhyun’s psychokinesis couldn’t be bypassed. The enemy initiating frontal combat was unlikely—power armor would make the casualties severe.
Need to pin them down. What are they doing?
The attackers hesitated. Suhyun silently urged them to strike.
Thump, thump, thump, thump—
?
A sound from afar—monsters moving violently. From the noise, Suhyun estimated their numbers. In this forest, moving quickly in packs…
Amess Raptors?!
Suhyun’s mind raced. He had eradicated Amess Raptors in the area long ago. It wouldn’t be impossible for them to reappear, but the sudden arrival of a monster pack felt too contrived.
“Team leader, do we attack?”
The soldiers, warned of attackers before leaving, were cautious. They weren’t afraid of the monsters—they had faced too much to fear a raptor pack.
“Wait. These can be handled by one suit of power armor. The real threat…”
Suhyun began dispersing poison into the air. With venom attacks, there was no need for wind-manipulating artifacts.
“Ugh!”
“Grrk!”
Screams and blood splattered the air. Those in stealth suits charging him collapsed.
This is it.
The soldiers reacted immediately. Suhyun gave them a simple but effective artifact, suitable for their usual tactics. No need for fireballs or lightning spears—the battle was already one-sided. Half of the enemy were incapacitated by the poison.
In close combat, poison was deadly. Even someone unskilled like Suhyun could kill powerful psychics if they could handle toxins.
“What…?”
The attackers’ leader froze in panic. They hadn’t drawn the enemy into their trap—they had been lured into the enemy’s prepared area. In such a situation, unknown poisons were impossible. Deploying toxins with allies nearby required much time.
“Hmm…”
Suhyun himself was slightly surprised. All his preparations felt almost wasted. The Black Bear power armor had been prepped with self-destruct as a contingency.
But this situation…
Were they really this weak?
Preparation was Suhyun’s style. He had never been an absolute powerhouse before. Especially the Chinese units—he could have been defeated if luck hadn’t been on his side.
“Ugh, ugh!”
One combatant struggled for breath, removing his mask. The stealth suit had basic detox functions, but Suhyun’s synthesized poison was beyond it.
The leader tried to flee. Suhyun reflexively used psychokinesis, tripping him forward.
The situation was resolved before the raptor pack even arrived. The ferocious raptors were shredded by power armor gunfire.
“Team leader?”
“Yeah, yeah, hold them… finish it. No one gets away.”
No one escaped while the last leader was captured. Suhyun remained lost in thought even as Luiril brought the black metal box. The soldiers were busy.
“Got it.”
“….”
“Got it! Here!”
“Ah, you startled me.”
“What are you thinking? Just did as ordered, here it is.”
The device emitted a slight vibration. Suhyun quickly located its power source and turned it off, surveying the fallen enemies again.
Never thought I’d still be adapting…
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
“Nothing. Good job.”
Even without interrogating the enemies, Suhyun could guess what the device was—he had heard rumors before. Too many side effects during development, it was discarded.
A monster control experiment.
