Chapter 39

Joon's senses heightened as the ominous footsteps drew near, his eyes shut tight in anticipation. The tension in the air was palpable, and with a deep breath, he opened his eyes, ready to unleash controlled chaos.

Without a moment's hesitation, Joon propelled himself towards the lead van, a sleek shadow in the night. Emerging from cover, he locked onto three mercenaries, two armed with guns and one wielding a menacing combat knife. The moment their eyes met, the mercenaries swiveled their weapons towards Joon, a deadly symphony of bullets set to erupt.

But Joon was a blur, swift and calculated. Two combat knives, gifts from his teammates, were flung with deadly precision. One found its mark, puncturing the mercenary's defenses, while the other danced through the air, narrowly avoided by his agile adversary.

The dodging mercenary hit the ground, disoriented but alive. Joon, undeterred, focused on the combat knife-wielding foe. He closed the distance with frightening speed, deftly evading a desperate slash. With his opponent vulnerable, Joon seized the opportunity, retrieving his last combat knife and plunging it into the mercenary's chest.

The air crackled with tension as gunshots shattered the night, a lethal symphony echoing the chaos. A bullet grazed Joon's cheek, a reminder of the perilous dance he was engaged in. The fallen mercenary, roused by the gunfire, aimed his weapon at Joon.

Remaining vigilant, Joon exploited the chaos around him. Using the fallen mercenary's body as an impromptu shield, he deflected the incoming gunfire while swiftly drawing his pistol. With a quick succession of shots, Joon silenced the threat on the ground, ensuring each bullet found its mark.

Two bullets, a symphony of finality, echoed through the night, leaving a mere 10 rounds in Joon's pistol. With the mercenary's lifeless body as an impromptu shield, he closed the distance to the two remaining gunmen, bullets missing their mark or thudding into the corpse.

Evaluating the situation with split-second precision, Joon seized the combat knife still embedded in the fallen mercenary. In a daring move, he kicked the lifeless form towards one gunman, a macabre projectile colliding with deadly intent.

Mid-flight, the combat knife, liberated from its fleshy sheath, found its mark in the throat of the other gunman. The chaos unfolded seamlessly as Joon rolled forward, evading the collateral mayhem.

The surviving gunman, disoriented by the unexpected onslaught, collided with the mercenary's body. Shoving the lifeless obstacle aside, he desperately scanned for Joon. In a fraction of a second, Joon reappeared, crouched and poised, pistol aimed with lethal intent.

The gunman collided with the mercenary's body, hastily pushing it away as he frantically sought out Joon. In a mere heartbeat, Joon materialized, crouched and poised, his hands firmly gripping the pistol, its muzzle trained on the bewildered adversary. Before the realization could dawn, Joon fired a single, precise shot to the head, extinguishing the threat. The assailant crumbled to the floor, a puppet severed from its strings.

As the echoes of Joon's shot reverberated, a sharp retort sounded just two seconds later. The gunshot found its mark in Joon's back shoulder, eliciting a surge of pain. With no time to dwell on the injury, Joon instinctively rolled away from the incoming gunfire. Amidst the disorienting chaos, a silent thought echoed in his mind, "Aren't they supposed to cover my back?" The unanswered question lingered, a testament to the unpredictable nature of the battleground.

The assailant who targeted Joon turned out to be the second leader, strategically positioned behind cover. As Joon unleashed havoc, the team members from Team 2, true to their word, provided suppressing fire to shield Joon's vulnerable back. Meanwhile, the second leader surveyed the convoy ahead, his gaze extending towards the distant skirmish where Joon manipulated the mercenary as a pawn.

From the concealment of his refuge, the second leader extended his hands, pistol aimed with precision, peering cautiously at the side. As Joon, having dealt with the two gunmen, crouched in readiness, the second leader seized the opportune moment. Bullets whizzed through the air, one finding its mark in Joon's back shoulder. Swiftly, as the second shot missed, Joon rolled away, evading the imminent danger.

Before the second leader could unleash another volley, the relentless return fire from SW bodyguards forced him into momentary cover. The exchange of gunfire created a temporary reprieve for Joon, an unexpected lifeline in the chaotic dance of bullets and survival.

Twenty-three mercenaries still lurked in the tunnel, a formidable force divided between the first leader's nine and the second leader's fourteen. Despite the searing pain from the wound on his back, Joon remained resolute, his gaze fixed on the relentless threat ahead. The absence of cover left him vulnerable as four adversaries boldly emerged from their hiding places on the first leader's side.

Joon, swift and decisive, seized the fallen mercenary's gun and unleashed a barrage of shots while closing the distance. His accuracy faltered, only managing to hit one of the four assailants before the magazine emptied. Undeterred, he hurled the pistol towards them, hitting another with uncanny precision.

The remaining two mercenaries unsheathed their combat knives, charging at Joon. The first leader, peering cautiously, witnessed the skirmish unfolding before him. Joon danced between the knife-wielding assailants, sidestepping their attacks with finesse.

As one mercenary thrust his combat knife, Joon sidestepped, seizing the wrist and swiftly dispatching him with a shot to the stomach. A seamless roll evaded the second attacker's blade, allowing the mercenary who had recovered from the pistol throw to aim at Joon.

Trapped between two adversaries, Joon's instinctual agility came to the fore. He swiftly seized the mercenary, using him as an impromptu shield to intercept the incoming bullets. With unparalleled finesse, Joon then placed his arms on the mercenary's shoulders, swiftly turning the tide. Four shots resonated in the confined space, incapacitating the shooter, while the shielded mercenary collapsed to the ground after absorbing a forceful pistol slam. In the aftermath, the echoes of the intense engagement lingered, and Joon found himself left with a scant five bullets in his pistol.

Before he could regroup, a barrage of gunshots narrowly missed him, courtesy of the first leader. A frustrated exclamation escaped the leader as he retreated to cover, realizing the unexpected prowess of SW's bodyguards. Doubts crept in about the reliability of the intel, but with his life on the line, complaints were futile.

Five adversaries remained on the first leader's side, Joon calculatingly crouched down, seizing the combat knife from the incapacitated mercenary. Approaching the van with a meticulous gaze, he scanned the surroundings, vigilant for any hidden threats.

Suddenly, an assailant burst forth, launching a flurry of kicks at Joon as he emerged from cover. With fluid grace, Joon evaded each blow effortlessly. The mercenary's relentless assault escalated, but Joon intercepted a kick, driving the combat knife into the mercenary's thigh. A cry of pain echoed, and three more mercenaries emerged, charging at Joon with unbridled aggression.

In the relentless dance of combat, Joon navigated the onslaught, dodging attacks while remaining vigilant for potential gunfire. Two mercenaries brandished combat knives, while the third fought barehanded. Swiftly, one of the knife-wielding mercenaries lunged with a swipe. Joon, anticipating the trajectory, seized the mercenary's arms and redirected the attack towards his comrade. The impact struck the chest, leaving the mercenary in shock. Capitalizing on the moment, Joon plunged his combat knife into the torso, a ruthless series of stabs.

Sensing an approaching threat from the side, Joon swiftly pulled out the knife and hurled it with precision. The projectile found its mark, striking the mercenary in the throat. With a slow descent, the mercenary succumbed to the inevitable, ending his tumultuous struggle on the battleground.

Just as Joon was on the verge of catching his breath, a searing pain cut through him as a bullet struck his body, though not fatally. The intensity of the impact forced him to clutch the wound with one hand, his form half-kneeling in response. As he looked up, searching for the assailant, he discovered it was the very mercenary he had previously stabbed in the thigh.

The mercenary, now out of bullets, frantically attempted to reload his pistol, replacing the spent magazine with a fresh one. However, before he could complete the maneuver, a shadow enveloped him. It was Joon, grimacing from his injuries. Their eyes locked in a fleeting moment, Joon wasted no time, swiftly raising his hand and delivering a gunshot to the man's head. The resounding thud echoed through the air as the mercenary's skull met the unforgiving pavement. With only four bullets remaining, and just one adversary left on the side, the battleground teetered on the edge of resolution.