Chapter 83: BRADM

chapter 83

• “Temporarily, I plan to revive Cheongroe.”

• “And I want you to lead them again.”

• “Can you do it?”

The words spoken by Igunsan echoed in his mind.

Reviving Cheongroe.

Hyun Lee couldn’t answer that question lightly.

He had left his post without taking responsibility until the very end.

And he only learned much later that the unit had been disbanded shortly afterward.

How deep must the emotional scars have been for the unit members back then?

They lost their comrades, their leader left, and the unit was forcibly disbanded…

And yet, he had hidden instead of being there to help them through the pain.

‘It wouldn’t be strange for them to resent me. No, they probably did. I’d feel the same if I were in their position.’

He had no confidence in standing proudly before them.

He would only deepen the wounds in their hearts.

But…

• “I’ll take it, senior.”

Kim Min-jung said so.

• “Don’t hesitate, take it, kid. Don’t strike some weird pose. No one’s blaming you anyway.”

Go Woo-jin added beside her.

• “This guy is smart most of the time, but he can be clueless sometimes, huh? Hey! You still don’t get it, the last leader of Cheongroe? They…”

Those words still echoed in his mind.

KWA-AAANG!!

The moment Hyun Lee landed at the designated point, a blue streak of lightning shot into the sky, illuminating it.

• “What is that?”

• “Scared me. Thought an enemy appeared.”

• “That’s loud…”

• “Wait, that’s a familiar face, isn’t it?”

The people who had already been waiting at the landing point gradually appeared, looking at Hyun Lee.

His eyes wavered.

They were all wearing familiar outfits.

Dark blue specialized reinforced suits.

The unit’s blue lightning emblem on the left shoulder.

Although all wore tactical masks, making recognition difficult,

Hyun Lee knew exactly who they were.

Oh Soo-heon, always brightening the mood; Kang Tae-kyun, steady and serious; Baek Si-yul, quietly supportive; Nam Gun-oh, always acting experienced in love but actually a virgin…

There were seven in total.

All of them were comrades who had run through the Gangneung incident together with Hyun Lee.

Tap!
Tap-tap!

• “So, you were all here.”

• “Look at them armed. This is serious.”

Kim Min-jung and Go Jin-woo arrived shortly afterward.

Ten members of Cheongroe were gathered in one place.

• “Huh? Soo-heon, you recently had a baby, right? Is it okay for you to be here?”

• “I told my husband. Just staying home taking care of the baby isn’t for me.”

• “What? When did you get married? I didn’t get an invitation!”

• “We didn’t have a wedding, so I didn’t give one.”

• “Huh?”

• “You didn’t know? She had the baby in a hurry because of an accident…”

• “Can you not say that in front of her?”

A warm atmosphere unfolded, like a reunion with old friends.

No one was excluded.

Hyun Lee felt his chest tighten.

Kim Min-jung glanced at him and quickly raised her hand to stop him.

• “Quiet now. We’ll do the local broadcast later. First, let’s focus on the mission. The leader has something to say.”

All eyes turned to Hyun Lee.

Neutral gazes.

Some traced their eyes along his face.

• “I…”

What should he say?

His voice trembled briefly, but soon, the words came to him.

• “I’m sorry. Everyone.”

• “…”

• “…”

Kim Min-jung’s advice echoed in his mind: if he ever met everyone again, he should apologize.

• “I won’t make excuses. I…”

• “Ah, come on. Boring.”

• “Ugh, this is so dull. Host, any other show? What am I supposed to say?”

Hyun Lee blinked at his comrades’ unexpected reactions.

Some let out hollow laughs.

• “Wait, you didn’t actually think we were still upset about what happened back then?”

• “If anyone deserves resentment, it’s Chang-woo and Ye-bin… Ah, maybe I shouldn’t say that. Anyway, them.”

• “Hey, juniors are watching. Keep your dignity.”

• “Hmph! Why resent the captain? We resent those two instead.”

Hyun Lee’s eyes widened slightly.

• “And back then, everyone was PTSD’d and couldn’t think straight… We understood your situation. We were just…”

Go Jin-woo chuckled and stepped forward, placing a hand on Hyun Lee’s shoulder.

• “…waiting for you to pull yourself together and come back.”

• “…!!”

• “See? Nobody blames you, so don’t worry.”

Hyun Lee felt his chest tighten.

Everyone… was smiling at him.

As Go Jin-woo said,

There was no trace of resentment anywhere.

Only welcome, only relief at his return.

‘Then, I must live up to the image they have of me. I must not disappoint them.’

He wiped his face with both hands.

If they still showed unwavering faith, he had to repay that trust.

• “Before entering the operation, we’ll have a brief mission briefing.”

A clear voice. Sharp gaze.

The comrades’ eyes gleamed.

The Jet who had led them four years ago was right before them.

• “Thank you.”

Hyun Lee expressed his gratitude to Kim Min-jung separately.

• “For easing the tension among them. You worked hard mediating, right?”

• “Why are you saying that all of a sudden? Gross.”

Kim Min-jung scratched her arm awkwardly, a faint blush on her nose.

Hyun Lee always appreciated her.

Meeting her might have been his greatest stroke of luck.

• “Still, it feels nice hearing that from you. Normally I’d deny it, but this time I wanted to shine a little too…”

She smiled lightly.

• “There were others who wanted to participate in this mission too, but they had their own livelihoods or circumstances, so they couldn’t. They were disappointed.”

Hyun Lee nodded.

Unlike four years ago, participation wasn’t mandatory.

Yet they wanted to join because of lingering patriotism, longing for comrades, and the desire to meet Hyun Lee again.

Even if they weren’t present, he appreciated their hearts.

• “Don’t worry too much. We’ll meet next time. You can join then, and contribute generously.”

• “Or maybe I should pay for that next time?”

• “They’re simple-minded enough that they’d like that… But confident? You know, they’re all freeloaders and heavy drinkers.”

• “Before coming here, I briefly heard from Team Leader Im about the team bonus.”

• “Hmm?”

• “I earned quite a lot. Hehe.”

• “…You’re really bold for someone in the same position as me.”

Kim Min-jung pouted and lightly tapped his chest with her hand.

• “Then next time, you’re paying. I’ll break the bank.”

• “Shall I?”

Their laughter spread gently.

Mission Briefing

Click.

• “Prepare for entry.”

• “Alpha, confirm ready.”

• “Beta, confirm ready.”

• “Gamma, confirm ready.”

Reports were quickly exchanged through the radio.

Cheongroe would move in four main teams.

Three-person squads: Alpha team led by Kim Min-jung for cover, Beta team led by Go Jin-woo for search, Gamma team led by Oh Soo-heon, the new mother, for breakthrough.

Oh Soo-heon joked about being entrusted with such a tough task, but she was the perfect fit.

She was the only other ranked member besides Hyun Lee.

And… Hyun Lee would move alone for mobility.

A solo operation could risk chaos, but Cheongroe’s overwhelming skill allowed them to execute such maneuvers.

• “As briefly explained in the briefing, inside the dungeon, the enemies have been cornered in the forest by the Baekya unit.”

• “However, their guerrilla tactics and delays are hindering the sweep. We must cross the forest and eliminate them swiftly.”

• “The key is to overpower them with overwhelming force.”

As Hyun Lee explained, the team’s eyes hardened.

The joking demeanor from before was gone.

Only predators waiting to devour the enemy remained.

Even after four years, teamwork was intact, as if they had trained together yesterday.

• “The enemies are copies of us created by Seo Chang-woo in China. What do we do with fakes?”

• “Eliminate them.”

• “We must remove them.”

• “Correct. Fakes must be eliminated. Show them who’s real.”

Firm voices.

• “And juniors are watching us. What should we show them?”

• “Only greatness.”

• “Teach them the power of seniors.”

The smell of gunpowder.

Everything was familiar.

At the center,

Hyun Lee’s blood boiled, but his mind was colder than ever.

• “Who we are.”

• “Confirmed.”

• “Confirmed.”

• “Order… confirmed.”

• “Entering.”

The moment he gave the order, the three teams moved swiftly.

• “Alpha, commence entry.”

• “Beta, commence entry.”

• “Gamma, commence entry.”

Hyun Lee passed through the dungeon gate first.

Whoosh!

• [Entered Dungeon.]

• [Dungeon: ‘Well of the Three-Legged Crow’]

• [You are exploring the area where the Samjok-o has perished.]

• [Historically, the Samjok-o symbolized the sun. Countless warriors and heroes hunted them to prove their bravery, and now they are extinct.]

• [The sun’s embers from the dead Samjok-o continuously spew lava and smoke, creating an uninhabitable environment.]

• [Cross the lava rivers, forests, and canyons to extinguish the embers. Failure will affect both this world and the external world.]

• [Success: Samjok-o Feather]

• [Failure: Drowning]

Upon entering, Hyun Lee was met with acrid smoke and intense heat.

Black basalt floor.

Uneven ground made standing difficult.

Sticky lava flowed like rivers through the cracks.

Sulfur fumes permeated the area.

• [Poison Resistance (S) activated to remove toxins.]

• [Trait ‘Bee Moses’ applied to eliminate any accumulated toxins.]

• “Hah hah! This dungeon’s tough even for the seasoned. Looks like you got caught in a nasty one.”

Sa Oh-jung shook his head.

The dungeon environment was brutal.

The volcano recently erupted, lava and smoke continually poured from distant vents, and tremors shook the ground.

Tall and low canyons formed a maze.

Charred forests, dry rivers, and intermittent lava pools were everywhere.

• “Looks similar to the fire hells. This place would make the Bongma King very happy, right, master?”

Sun Wukong crossed his arms and nodded at the volcanic vent, as if sensing something.

• “Even our master agrees. Our Apostle will be busy soon.”

Hyun Lee focused on the vent where Bongma King was expected.

Three tasks awaited:

• Sweep the Pink Shin.

• Rescue the Bongma King.

• Close the dungeon.

Difficult, but achievable.

‘As long as these guys are here…’

• “Alpha, entry complete. No anomalies nearby.”

• “Beta, entry complete. Passage secured.”

• “Gamma, entry complete. Ready to move.”

Reports signaled the first objective completed.

Hyun Lee began to move.

• “All units, advance to mission location quickly.”

• “Confirmed.”

• “Confirmed.”

• “Confirmed.”

Cheongroe moved.