A few days later, Arlington, Virginia, USA, Pentagon.
The thick military trend report, newly written by the Office of the Minister of National Defense, arrived one after another.
It was not just data from China, which recently declared Taiwan unification.
Information on Russia, which declared the unification of pro-Russian regions in Ukraine, North Korea barking at the smell of a war crisis, and Iran, the powder keg of the Middle East, were piled up one after another.
Thomas, the Secretary of Defense who confirmed this, frowned.
“It looks like it’s trying to start World War 3… … .”
While reading the report, it was difficult for World War III to actually occur.
Of course, I couldn’t say for sure, but I couldn’t see that there was a lot of possibility.
It was because China was outwardly vehemently crying out for Taiwan unification, and even confirmed that the war would start, but in reality it was a little different.
It was because it supported the departure of foreigners in Taiwan, was continuously discussing with various countries, including Taiwan and the United States, and continued various limited discussions assuming war.
To put it simply, even if a war breaks out, it will be limited to Taiwan and not to attack each other’s mainland.
In addition, Russia was also targeting Ukraine, not NATO members.
The proof was that the three Baltic countries, which were easygoing but rebellious against Russia, such as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, were left behind.
It was safe to say that it was a kind of effort to prevent an escalation.
Also, I was still in contact.
In addition, North Korea, like a noisy chihuahua, was only using the war crisis to mobilize public sentiment, and was rather wary of sparks of war.
“There is no other pig that is scared.”
Thomas muttered after reading additional trends in North Korea.
Iran, which followed, was all about selling weapons and using public opinion to take advantage of the situation.
But more important than the trends of each country was the fact that the United States was trying to avoid escalation.
In the first place, World War II was something everyone wanted to avoid.
Even Thomas, who was not afraid of war as a veteran and famous for being a hardliner in the military, had a negative view of World War II.
It wasn’t just thousands or tens of thousands, it was because it was clear that he would suffer ten or a hundred times that damage.
The losses the United States would suffer could not be estimated.
It was not a war initiated by rebels in Africa or the Middle East, but because the giants of the new Cold War, China and Russia, were involved.
For that reason, they were avoiding world wars and were trying to control them as much as possible.
Of course, it was just there.
The desire pursued by each country became a reality and was right in front of us.
Especially the Taiwan War.
Not long ago, it was confirmed that the war would start, and even the date of the air raid was mentioned.
Thomas frowned at the restated date of the raid.
‘After all, if you’re going to bleed on Christmas Eve… Are you going to call yourself Satan?’
This was because the date of December 24 had already appeared several times in additional reports.
It was less than two weeks from today’s date.
The Taiwanese war was scheduled to happen sooner than expected, but there was no embarrassment on Thomas’ face.
There was only a little anger and concern.
It was already reported to the president from the very beginning, and it was thanks to the preparations that had been made.
The evacuation order was issued and almost all of the country’s citizens escaped, and the situation is helping even the transfer of other nationals who escaped belatedly.
All that remained was battle.
After organizing his thoughts like that, Thomas picked up the last remaining file.
[Key Person Trend Report]
There was mainly information on military-related personnel, but there was one other person among them.
Pical.
It was a factor that became a subject of surveillance as the name began to be known in recent years.
And the person who appeared in China and Russia as the first target pursued by the nameless organization Kang-tae belongs to.
It can’t be said that he caused a war, but he was a person who could be seen as having minimal interference.
The same is true of current trends.
There was a situation in which he met with people famous for faceless mercenaries following key officials in the Russian military.
His face was not revealed, but that too would soon be revealed.
He was aware of everyone he was in contact with, including his subordinate Jurgen.
Thomas’ eyes shone fiercely.
‘If only this bastard is eliminated… … .’
After that, the image of Kang Tae traveling the world naturally came to mind.
It was because the target of the nameless organization, the predecessor of the Foreign Cooperation Agency, was Pikal, and after killing him, Kang-tae also became more free.
This was not his guess.
It was the information that the president who bestowed the medal had told me after returning, followed by a congratulatory phone call and a direct conversation.
If you kill Pikal, you can take on another mission.
“Lee might be able to play under my command.”
Yet, at the same time, I was puzzled.
To add a bit of exaggeration, it was because Kang-tae felt like he was living to kill Pikal.
I couldn’t just see that I hated terrorists.
It was because he was relentlessly chasing Pikal, whose true identity was not properly revealed, among the wide-spread ones in the world.
‘Perhaps there is an inside story… It makes me wonder what it is.’
Not only the current Delta Force members who trained and operated together, but even Philip, who was close by, did not know.
Probably, only his closest colleagues or current direct superiors, Ron or Robert, would know.
Even if they didn’t know, I had no intention of questioning them further.
There was no need for that.
It was because Kang-tae was a verified agent who had all kinds of personality tests, psychological tests, communication records, and fund management all confirmed.
Additional tests, which are conducted regularly and irregularly, also passed without incident.
What mattered was what happened next.
The possibility that the only and most powerful human weapon in the world, with infinite utility value, may belong to the US military.
As powerful as it is now tied to the limited Black Ops, it was clear that it would become more powerful then.
Eventually, at the end of it, several people caught his gaze.
It was a high-ranking military post in China and Russia that may have been associated with Pikal.
These are the people Kang-tae could target.
Snug.
After marking the name, he pressed the intercom and instructed to bring detailed reports of the people concerned.
It seemed like he would see Kangtae’s skills again.
Soon, at the thought of Kang Tae, anger and concern appeared on his face, mixed with a little anticipation.
To Thomas, Kangtae was that kind of person.
A name that comes to mind even in the midst of war.
* * *
“Oh, your skills are quite good.”
It was a compliment I heard while training in martial arts.
From David, a current US Army sergeant and former MMA fighter.
To be precise, it was a kind of private tutor who was hired by the Pentagon and sent to the diplomatic mission for my fighting training.
The one who was selected in just a few days after requesting it.
However, it didn’t look like anyone from the Pentagon was hurriedly selected and sent.
It was because he was a player whose professional career could be found on the Internet, had a number of awards, and even had a similar physique that made it good for sparring.
It was probably the person at the Pentagon who carefully selected me, and he asked me while holding the mitt.
“Have you ever played an amateur game or entered a practical competition?”
“No, I have never used it in actual combat.”
“yes? You mean in a real operation?”
In response to David’s question, he explained an anecdote from the previous operation, in which he evaded the machete with weaving and fed the counter.
It was a time when I was surprised and happy to see the clear effect.
Even as he spoke, he smiled.
I liked it all the more because it was the result of my pure achievement, without any superpowers like traits.
It was a result that came from training without promises.
David, who heard it, was also amazed.
“Awesome. The fact that they fed counters even during actual operations, not in matches, proves that they trained steadily and that the training was not in vain. And just by looking at this posture, it’s clear that it’s not a lie. Very good, the foundation is solid.”
“I worked hard at the gym I was at before.”
“is it so? How is that?”
In a house that was like an air-raid shelter in Virginia, he told me about the gym where he trained UFC fighters, where he ran every day, and explained in detail what he learned there.
Then David, who was holding the meat in the middle, hesitated.
“No, but… … .”
“… … ?”
It was when I was practicing my jab and straight combo and looked at what I would say.
he said, blinking his eyes.
“… How good is your fitness? I’ve been holding the mitt for quite some time, but the sound of my breathing doesn’t seem to have changed. Are you forcing yourself or controlling your breathing?”
“Ah, stamina… that’s kind of good I was born.”
“okay… … .”
David looked at me in amazement and wiped away the sweat.
He gave me several tests to check my skills, and then he was sweating quite a bit while holding the mitt.
Then he said while removing his sweaty mitt.
“after… Do you intend to turn to sports when you retire? With this kind of stamina, this is enough for a pro.”
“It’s not bad to be a martial arts player, but I don’t think so.”
“Oh, I see. Then um… Are you continuing this job? So, are you learning martial arts?”
David asked cautiously.
“How were you introduced to work?”
“I didn’t get an explanation, I didn’t even get a question. The extraction process is also secret… So I assumed it was a special ops agent, wasn’t it? That seems right… … .”
“Take it easy.”
I asked for a simple answer.
“Is the meat over?”
“… Try sparring. It’s my first time working with special operations agents, so I’m a little nervous.”
“hahahaha, me too. I’m just an educated person.”
“… Too much humility. There is no ordinary person in the world who has the indefatigable stamina and the courage not to run away from a machete like you.”
“I was saying that MMA skills are ordinary people… Come to think of it, stamina and courage are also important in the industry.”
“That’s the most important thing. Basic. Just like my job or yours.”
“hehehe, but please take care of me. Not for players.”
“I will consider it.”
He replied calmly, but the gaze he met was as fierce as the players on the pitch.
After getting ready for each other, David held out his glove.
Took.
David, who was holding the distance behind a light glove touch, punched me, and I turned my head to avoid it several times.
Even though I wasn’t tired, my heart was beating busily.
It was because a different sense of exhilaration enveloped his body than when he avoided the machete in the actual operation.
Of course, it was difficult for me to win.
Although my punches had reached them, it was because I felt that I was being pushed back little by little.
As soon as he tried to focus on sparring, David suddenly stepped back and stopped the match.
“Stop it, after… surely… Got it, Huuk… … .”
He continued to speak as if breathing heavily.
“… Agents are also different.”