Chapter 167: Apache
Jo In-hyeok, having swiftly eliminated ten operatives, held his breath, focusing on pinpointing his opponents’ location.
In that moment, a chilling sensation swept over him.
‘From above.’
The two remaining operatives indiscriminately fired their weapons from atop a structure.
Instinctively rolling to narrowly avoid the barrage, he quickly took cover behind a rock.
Assessing the enemies’ movements, he faintly spotted them concealed behind the structure.
‘Higher ground and a disadvantageous position.’
Even if he fired, hitting them accurately seemed unlikely.
However…
Jo In-hyeok glanced down at the AGE-01 he was holding.
‘With this, it might just be possible.’
One of the operatives hidden behind the structure was marked as a dot on the HUD.
Captain Jo In-hyeok, trusting his weapon, pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Bang!
The paintball round arced upward, then swiftly adjusted its trajectory to pierce precisely above the head of the concealed operative.
Boom!
[Target 11 eliminated!]
The last remaining operative, looking flustered, burst out and assumed a firing stance.
Realizing concealment was futile, he opted for a direct confrontation.
Their eyes met.
And almost simultaneously, they raised their weapons.
“Die!”
Bang!
Gunfire erupted simultaneously,
and two paintball rounds crossed paths in flight.
Boom!
Blue paint burst across the center of the Blacktail operative’s chest,
while his bullet narrowly grazed past Captain Jo’s ear.
[Target 12 eliminated! Blacktail squad annihilated, Captain Jo In-hyeok survives!]
The testing ground fell into momentary silence.
Shortly after, a tremendous roar of applause erupted.
At the start, it had seemed like an impossible test, with Captain Jo’s chances of victory estimated at less than 10%.
Yet, he had single-handedly annihilated an entire platoon of South Korea’s elite Blacktail unit.
With tension released, Captain Jo’s sweat poured down like rain as he gasped for breath.
“Huff… huff…”
As everyone watched the outcome in astonishment,
a sudden roar and fierce wind swept overhead.
Whirrrrrrrrrrr—
Captain Jo looked up
to see the formidable Apache attack helicopter menacingly circling the testing ground.
“This… insane, surely this isn’t part of it?”
Contrary to Jo In-hyeok’s hopes, Lieutenant General Kim Dae-hoon’s voice echoed in his ear.
[The final test begins. Hit the right sensor of the Apache attack helicopter’s cockpit to end the trial.]
“Damn it!”
Forgetting the speaker was the esteemed three-star general, Kim Dae-hoon,
he loudly cursed.
To face an attack helicopter—an Apache, no less—with just a single rifle.
Even I felt a chill run down my spine as I watched.
“Wow, that’s too much.”
“Can Captain Jo really take down the Apache?”
In response to Chilbong’s question, I shook my head.
“This time, even I’m not sure. Unless the Luna system is integrated, it might be impossible with just the computation module.”
“And he only has a few rounds left…”
Fortunately, he hadn’t used many bullets taking down the Blacktail operatives—
I estimated he had about three rounds remaining.
“Tell Han Yu-ju to update the data simulator as quickly as possible!”
The showdown with the Apache was never part of the anticipated test conditions.
The computation module needed an update to handle it.
…
…
…
At that moment,
Jo In-hyeok was frantically dodging the Apache’s attacks.
“Damn… huff, huff… Are they seriously insane?”
Above, the massive rotor whipped up fierce winds, sweeping across the ground.
Like a predator of the skies,
the Apache menacingly pivoted its body.
-You have about three rounds left. You need to hit the Apache’s sensor within that. And the simulator update is at $@%#…
Kang Tae-joon’s desperate radio transmission echoed in his ear, though it barely registered.
The helicopter’s rotor roar and storm-like winds filled his ears completely.
Quickly catching his breath, Captain Jo scanned his surroundings for cover.
The Apache’s machine gun fired paint rounds, but the impact as they struck the ground was no small matter.
In that moment,
Whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
The Apache’s 30mm simulated machine gun unleashed its fire.
“Agh!”
Captain Jo reflexively lunged, barely evading the onslaught.
As the machine gun struck the ground,
dirt and dust exploded skyward.
Tremendous vibrations and deafening roars reverberated deep within his bones.
“Damn… How the hell am I supposed to take on that monster with just one rifle?”
Barely holding back his curses, he darted behind a small rock for cover.
Even as he caught his breath, the Apache steadily descended, pressing down on him.
“Huff… huff…”
His rapidly rising and falling chest forced itself to calm.
Frustration and fear mingled, but there was only one way to escape this hellish trial:
Hit the sensor.
Then, the radio crackled sharply once more.
-Captain Jo, watch the Apache’s movements carefully. The sensor is beneath the right cockpit. The update should take about five minutes.
Though he didn’t fully understand,
he knew he had to hold on.
Whirrrrrrrrr!
The Apache’s machine gun struck the rock again.
Rock shards and dust flew everywhere,
and Captain Jo’s face was coated in sand.
“Damn… This won’t work.”
Continuing to flee wouldn’t allow him to hold out much longer.
Making a bold decision, Captain Jo dashed out from cover, running sideways.
‘I need to get closer, that’s my only chance.’
Whirrrrrrrrrrr!
Machine gun rounds tore into the ground at his feet.
Stumbling, he barely reached another piece of cover.
Sweat and sand blurred his vision, but he had locked onto the Apache’s position.
“Alright. Just a little more…”
The Apache circled broadly once more, closing in.
It moved like a cat toying with a mouse.
In that moment,
an opportunity presented itself.
As the Apache briefly halted its turn and faced him head-on,
the sensor came clearly into view.
“Now.”
Captain Jo rose to his feet and pulled the trigger simultaneously.
Bang!
Unfortunately, the paint round hit the helicopter but missed the sensor.
“Damn.”
Jo In-hyeok steadied his trembling hand.
His attack had made the Apache’s movements even faster.
The gun turret swung around, as if ready to unleash a barrage at any moment.
Jo In-hyeok took a deep breath and pulled the trigger again.
Bang!
The second round also missed, passing above the sensor.
‘Damn it, stay calm.’
Normally, he could hit that distance without the AGE system, but the urgency made his aim falter.
Now, only one round remained.
Wait for the update Kang Tae-joon mentioned, or fire now?
“…Sigh…”
There was nowhere left to run.
One final round.
A moment that called for a miracle.
And right then,
a truly miraculous voice came through the earpiece.
-Data simulator update complete. Now. Fire!
With Kang Tae-joon’s voice,
Jo In-hyeok instinctively pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The paint round left the barrel, sharply adjusting its trajectory mid-air as if alive.
The Apache’s massive rotor seemed to writhe, as if trying to evade the bullet.
But Jo In-hyeok’s final round flew as if guided by an invisible line,
homing in precisely on the sensor beneath the cockpit.
It struck the sensor dead center.
Boom!
[Final target hit confirmed. Apache neutralized!]
As Lieutenant General Kim Dae-hoon’s voice boomed, the testing ground fell into another profound silence.
And then, moments later,
the silence was shattered by a tremendous roar of applause.
“Whoooooooooooooo!”
“Unbelievable! Is this even possible?”
“Not only did he single-handedly annihilate a Blacktail platoon, but he took down an attack helicopter too.”
Of course, in real combat, the outcome would have been entirely different.
Facing a Blacktail platoon was one thing, but the idea of a single infantryman taking on an attack helicopter was simply unrealistic.
And downing it with just a rifle was utterly absurd.
This was a test, so the Apache pilot wasn’t aggressively attacking.
In actual combat, he would have been taken out by the machine gun before even raising his rifle.
But what if it wasn’t just one infantryman, but a squad or more?
What if it wasn’t just one rifle, but several?
The possibility of overturning that overwhelming power difference had been unveiled.
Everyone at the scene rose to their feet, applauding until their palms stung.
Captain Jo stared blankly at the sky.
The Apache above seemed to surrender,
shaking its body as it slowly ascended.
Only then did the tension finally release, and he slumped to the ground.
“Huff… huff…”
His chest heaved as if it would burst.
His hands trembled so violently he couldn’t hold the rifle.
Then, Kang Tae-joon’s cheerful voice came through the earpiece again.
-You did an amazing job, Captain Jo. You truly created a miracle.
Captain Jo managed a faint smile, looking resigned.
“If it weren’t for this rifle you made, it would’ve been impossible. This rifle… it’s insane.”
As soon as the testing ground opened, our team, including Chilbong and Han Yu-ju, rushed toward Captain Jo In-hyeok.
“Wow, it was like watching a movie!”
“The rifle was great, but Captain Jo’s grit against the Apache… man, that was insane.”
Despite Chilbong and Han Yu-ju’s praise, Captain Jo still seemed incredulous.
“Honestly, I still can’t believe it. Me, alone, against Blacktail and the Apache…”
Then, from a distance, Lieutenant General Kim Dae-hoon, who had been observing the test, walked over and stopped in front of Captain Jo.
“Captain Jo In-hyeok.”
“Yes, sir.”
Lieutenant General Kim Dae-hoon saluted.
“Truly impressive. You can expect a favorable evaluation this season.”
At the mention of a promotion, a smile spread across Jo In-hyeok’s face,
and he quickly stood at attention, returning the salute respectfully.
“Thank you, sir.”
Lieutenant General Kim Dae-hoon nodded in satisfaction, then turned to look at me.
It was time to discuss the AGE system supply.