41. Second Mission

“Hm…”

Kwang Hwi let out a murmur, pondering what to do.

“It would be ineffective to move across the land,” said Soo Min.

The road to the Blue House was crowded with all kinds of monsters. To be more exact, entire streets of Seoul were packed with them. Their number was incomparable to any of the other territories that the Kwang Hwi Faction had seized so far.

Normally, it would have taken them less than an hour to drive to their destination. However, if a battle broke out, it would take them more than a day.

This posed a problem for Kwang Hwi. As the operation dragged on, his men were put at a greater risk. After the recent incident, he wanted to avoid casualties as much as possible. On top of that, he had another issue to solve once they reached the Blue House. The Keku that they hadn’t seen in a while had set up a camp around it. Not only did they had to fight the monsters while they were exhausted, they even had to deal with potential threats from the South Korean government.

“Seems like only hardship will await us if we go in on foot.”

“Boss, I think it would be best to use our helicopter.”

The Kwang Hwi Faction had Mil Mi-26 transport helicopter. It was a massive helicopter that could carry up to 90 people, perhaps even 100. However, one of his subordinates disapproved of the idea.

“Without an escort, it’ll be dangerous. We would be setting ourselves up for a disaster if a flying monster like before were to appear.”

“That’s true. If we had the Chinook, we could have mounted some weapons. It’s unfortunate that the Mi-26 is just a transport helicopter.”

After some thought, Kwang Hwi opened his mouth.

“If we don’t have it, we just have to make it.”

“Pardon?”

Kwang Hwi opened the Merit Shop. It was time for him to unlock the [Aircraft] category.

『Aircraft』

『This category is currently locked.』

『This category can be unlocked after completing a mission.』

『Would you like to accept the mission?』

Kwang Hwi nodded to accept the mission.

‘I wonder, what kind of mission would it give me this time?’

He wished for a mission that wasn’t too difficult.

『Kwang Hwi Baek’s Mission』

『Find 5 people who can pilot an aircraft.』

『Mission Rewards: Unlock <Aircraft>, 300,000 MP.』

Kwang-hwi smacked his lips with a perplexed expression.

“It just had to be pilots…”

It was natural to have pilots to operate a helicopter. The problem was that, unlike soldiers who can be put in action with a little training, pilots had to be skilled. It wasn’t easy for him to find such talent out of thin air.

‘Why couldn’t it tell me to just kill some monsters?’

Just when he had that thought, a system message appeared in front of him.

『Pilots : 5/5』

『Kwang Hwi Baek’s Mission Complete!』

『You have found 5 pilots who can operate an aircraft.』

『Unlocked Aircraft category.』

『You have obtained 300,000 MP.』

Along with all his concerns, the second mission was quickly resolved.

“How…”

After a momentary confusion, Kwang Hwi quickly understood what had happened. He forgot that he had recently acquired the North Korean pilots. Mil Mi-26 was a massive transport helicopter that required at least 5 pilots to operate. Although he had killed one who failed to surrender, he had another pilot.

“Chopper? No problem!”

There was Jackson, the all-round capable operator. As for his other subordinates, they simply shook their heads as they never imagined they would one day operate a helicopter.

“They say that everything has its use.”

“I know right? What can’t you do, Jackson?”

Receiving everyone’s attention, Jackson simply shrugged his shoulders. Given his already large frame, his wide shoulders were covering the sky. After watching the comedic scenery for a while, Kwang Hwi started talking again.

“Now, now. Let’s decide what helicopter to buy.”

“Is that even a question? It has to be Apache!” said Jackson.

“Jackson is right, boss. Are there any other helicopters that can rival an Apache’s combat prowess?”

Kwang Hwi agreed with his men. The first thing that came to his mind when he thought of attack helicopters was the Apache. It was so famous that even people who didn’t know much about military equipment had heard of it before.

“Give me a sec.”

Kwang Hwi scanned through the Merit Shop.

『AH-64 Apache』

『The primary attack helicopter of the U.S. Army. It’s possible to equip a variety of weapons such as the 30 mm Chain Gun, Hellfire missiles, Hydra rocket pods, or even other air-to-air missiles. While there are many other attack helicopters, the Apache retained its throne for 20 year as the best selling model.』

『Price: 4,780,000 MP.』

『Merit Points: 950,000』

『You do not have enough Merit Points to purchase.』

‘4.78 million?’

It was too expensive. While it was nice to have, he had nowhere near MP to purchase one. Disappointed, Kwang Hwi let out a sigh. Without a clue, Jackson was still singing a song about Apache right next to him.

“I can’t buy an Apache.”

“What?! Nooo!” yelled Jackson.

“Then, how about a Viper?” Ignoring Jackson’s cries, Soo Min made a suggestion.

Kwang Hwi looked for the Viper.

『AH-1Z Viper』

『An improved version of the AH-1W SuperCobra. It can compete with the Apache AH-64 Longbow in close combat and has the latest target sighting system that’s superior to the Longbow. Depending on the situation, it can be equipped with autocannons, Hellfire missiles, and short range air-to-air missiles.』

『Price: 3,200,000 MP.』

『Merit Points: 950,000』

『You do not have enough Merit Points to purchase.』

“I can’t buy that either.”

While it was cheaper than the Apache, it was still expensive. Soo Min could not hide his disappointment.

“Is there anything else?”

“Why not the Russian Ka-50?”

『Kamov Ka-50』

『Manufactured by the Russians to counter against the AH-64 Apache. Unlike the Apache, only one pilot is required to operate. It’s one of the few attack helicopters that is equipped with an ejection seat. Has a distinctive coaxial rotor system that is known for its speed and maneuverability.』

『Price: 1,610,000 MP.』

“Anything else?”

『Mi-24 Hind』

『A transport and attack helicopter manufactured by the Soviet Union. It can transport up to 10 soldiers at once. There’s a misconception that it’s slow due to its large size, but it’s high-performance engine allows it to quickly maneuver in the sky. It’s commonly referred to as the ‘flying tank’.』

“Setting aside the price, isn’t the Hind known for its questionable performance?” asked one of the subordinates.

Afterward, there were mentions of the Mi-28 Havoc, Mangusta, Harbin Z-19, and many others. However, there were none suited for immediate deployment. Chinese helicopters had a quality issue, where else others were too expensive.

Kwang Hwi’s men racked their brains to find the cheapest and most reliable helicopter. They wanted to find the one that could transport many soldiers.

“How about the dragonfly?”

“Dragonfly?”

“You know, the AH-6 Little Bird.”

『AH-6 Little Bird』

『A light helicopter used by the U.S. Army. It was originally designed for observation and reconnaissance, only to be modified later on for transport, escort, and ground attack missions. Its low price, maintenance cost, and mobility makes it a popular model. Recent models are equipped with high-performance engines to help traverse through windy mountain ranges. With a bulletproof fuselage, it has a six-bladed main rotor.』

『Price: 100,000 MP.』

『25 mm autocannon and 70 mm Hydra rocket pods included.』

It was a small helicopter that couldn’t be even compared to any of the previously mentioned attack helicopters. Some people referred to it as a dragonfly because of its appearance. Thanks to its small size, it was considered multi-purpose and had relatively great mobility. With the 25 mm autocannon and 70 mm Hydra rocket pods, it’s affordable price made it favorable compared to other attack helicopters. On top of that, if the situation called, they could even mount anti-tank missiles. Unlike larger models that required at least 2 people, the AH-6 only required one pilot. Given that he was lacking pilots, Kwang Hwi could deploy up to 5 helicopters simultaneously.

“My big and beautiful Apache…”

Jackson looked like he was about to cry. It was not pleasant to see a bulky man like Jackson in tears like a kid. It certainly didn’t help Kwang Hwi’s mental health. Kwang Hwi and the others turned their back on Jackson.

“Boss, we still haven’t finished our search. Let’s look for pilots in Uijeongbu.”

“Yeah. There should be a military base used by the Army Aviation or an airdome.”

What they had to do became clear. They had to secure as many pilots as they could before heading out to the Blue House.

***

“Boss, we found someone!”

Kwang Hwi found helicopter pilots who have previously operated the Apache for the ROK Armed Forces. They were hiding in an underground shelter located at a military base in Uijeongbu because their Apache broke down.

Kwang Hwi was concerned they would refuse to join, but the men agreed without question. In total, they found 8 pilots who belonged to the same squadron. It was unfortunate that not all members had survived the ordeal. In either case, if he assigned them to operate the Dragonfly, he could deploy 8 helicopters at once.

There was also another piece of good news. They found ‘training simulators’ near the military bases. Soldiers who had no experience in piloting a helicopter could be trained as new pilots there.

“The Apache pilots have previously piloted the Dragonfly, so they shouldn’t have any issues operating them.”

“Nice. I’ll purchase the helicopter later and have them get accustomed to it. It must have been a while since they operated one.”

“It sounds like a good plan, boss.”

Kwang Hwi heard a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

A security member opened the door and entered the room.

“Commander, we’ve been contacted by the Blue House.”

“Let’s go.”

When Kwang Hwi returned back to Room 505, the president was waiting for him.

— “Were you able to come up with a plan?”

“Yes, we’ve just finished the preparations. Would you tell us how many people we need to evacuate?”

— “Please wait.”

The president looked away. Kwang Hwi could barely hear an unfamiliar voice across the screen.

— “Around 15 people.”

“15… understood. We’re planning to head there tomorrow or the day after. Would you be able to hold out until then?”

— “It would be best if you could hurry.”

“Then, we’ll depart tomorrow morning. Before we depart, we will call you one more time.”

The president nodded. Perhaps because he was told he could escape from the stuffy place, his face brightened a bit.

“Then, farewell.”

After finishing the video call, Kwang Hwi left the room. Jackson guided him to the hangar. They’d built a temporary hanger right next to the Northern Government Building.

Inside, Kwang Hwi saw unfamiliar men talking to each other. They were the newly recruited helicopter pilots. Spotting Kwang Hwi, the men stood upright to salute their new leader. During their orientation, they were told to memorize the faces of important figures of the Kwang Hwi Faction. A senior member greeted Kwang Hwi with a loud voice.

“To the boss! Salute!”

After receiving the warm welcoming, Kwang Hwi told them to relax. The pilots clasped their hands behind their backs.

“Men! You will take on an important mission tomorrow by operating helicopters. There must be some of you who haven’t piloted a Dragonfly for a very long time, so get accustomed to it asap.”

“Yes! Understood!”

As a demonstration of his powers, Kwang Hwi decided to purchase the AH-6 Little Birds.

『AH-6 Little Bird』

『A light helicopter used by the U.S. Army. It was originally designed for observation and reconnaissance, only to be modified later on for transport, escort, and ground attack missions. Its low price, maintenance cost, and mobility makes it a popular model. Recent models are equipped with high-performance engines to help traverse through the windy mountain ranges. With a bulletproof fuselage, it has a six-bladed main rotor.』

『Price: 100,000 MP.』

『25 mm autocannon and 70 mm Hydra rocket pods included.』

『Purchased 8x AH-6 Little Birds.』

『800,000 MP have been deducted.』

『Please confirm the location to deploy the aircraft.』

After purchasing the Dragonflies, he deployed them across the hanger. The helicopters, which appeared out of nowhere, filled the empty hanger. Its black fuselage didn’t reflect the light. On one side of the body, a grey symbol of the Kwang Hwi Faction was engraved. The color combination made it look almost invisible at night.

Seeing the magical scene unfold, the pilots couldn’t believe their eyes. Naturally, it was to be expected. It was their first time seeing an ability power. On the other hand, other soldiers didn’t bat an eye as they were focused on guarding the perimeter.