Mercenary Black Mamba

It was 440 meters from Paris to Annecy by air. The Gazelle, which had started from Val-de-Grâce hospital, entered Annecy's air by the 105th minute. Annecy lake was a lake within the mountains, surrounded by the Alps mountain range. Many visitors came during their summer vacations due to its low temperature. Even during summer, the temperature was around 20 degrees Celsius.

The lake's east coast was filled with large cliffs and ski resorts which gathered tourists, while the many kinds of fishes living in the river gathered the fishermen.

Annecy lake in January was deserted. The Alps mountains were covered underneath a white blanket. The large lake which reached 36 degrees had become frozen and blue water could only be seen in its center.

The Gazelle flew over Annecy, which was covered in snow and entered the southern side. The Angel of Death wasn't a tourist. The Gazelle ignored the string of hotels and climbed up the mountainside behind Beograd hotel.

"Wakil, the destination is in front."

A small two-story house could be seen in the forest, like the scenery of a postcard. It was Miguel's hiding place that s*** stick Landre had told them about.

"Why do b*stards who plans and backstabs always get to enjoy life in the accompaniment of great scenery? Someone needs to change the rules," Sun WooHyun complained.

The Gazelle, which had entered the vicinity of the house, turned in its place and dropped rapidly. When the Gazelle began to drop, a snowstorm created by the blade's strong wind rose thickly into the air.

"Should I land?"

"Remain at 20 kilometers per hour and 50 meters in height."

"Ah!" The pilot screamed shortly.

A passenger had jumped off the plane without a fast rope, too quick to be stopped.

"Ahhh! Emergency! We need to save him!"

Sun WooHyun screamed back at the crazed pilot.

"Mind your own business, you b*stard. Aller, aller!"

At Sun WooHyun's lashing, the pilot increased his speed unknowingly. Black Mamba, who used the fearless steps' eased movement's wild steps, used the helicopter's winds to move through the air. When he opened his hiking-purposed windbreaker, his range of movements increased. He instantly flew over 500 meters through the rift in the air.

Boom—

He activated his dimensional sight the moment he landed. There wasn't a human in sight within a diameter of 300 meters. It was the winter season, which had crossed negative 20 degrees Celsius. Those who came in search of the lake had a special purpose.

The snow came to his knees. The wind, which whirled down the mountain, threw snow in his face until he couldn't open his eyes.

"Damn it, I was wrestling with sand a few days ago, and now I'm wrestling with snow, it's a f***** life."

Black Mamba wore his goggles and attached the snow chain to his hiking boots.

Woooo—

Black Mamba, wearing his white snow jacket, ran through the snow as though he was sliding.

The evolved version of the fearless steps had added agility to his power. He passed the snow-covered needle leaf branches like the wind, without touching them. The snow fell off the branches from the aftershock of Black Mamba passing by.

Two and a half kilometers were crossed in a second. He jumped over the two meters fence surrounding the log house and shamelessly knocked on the door.

Knock knock knock—

"The wind's rather strong," Miguel muttered as he reworked his fishing equipment.

There were always cases of broken branches, swept by the wind, knocking on his door.

Knock knock knock—

Surprised, Miguel tilted his ear. It wasn't a natural sound. It was a knocking sound with fixed intervals and firm strength. Horrified, he shoved his fishing equipment to the floor and stood up.

The only people who knew about the house's location were his wife and the security personnel above the DGSE's second level. There was no reason for a high-ranking DGSE member, or his wife, to climb the Alps in the middle of a snowstorm. One had to walk over four kilometers on the mountain path to reach the secret summer house.

The serpent has abandoned me!

Chill ran down his spine.

Knock knock knock—

The knocking was heard once more. It was a devil's invitation to hell.

"Damn it, it's never the good guys who come knocking, but the bad guys. F****** hell!"

Miguel pulled out his Beretta and turned on his camera switch. A tall Asian filled his finder. He was wiping the snow off as he took off his jacket with an eased expression, as though he was visiting his neighbor's house. He was right in front of the door.

"Ugh, Black Mamba!"

Miguel's face was bleached white. The man was wearing winter gear with a goggle, but he recognized the man instantly. His sight blacked out as he was someone who had refused to dispatch a rescue team.

If it had been a hitman, he would have had a slim chance of survival. However, if his opposition was Black Mamba, there was nothing but despair. Miguel bit his tongue to regain his senses. Miguel was someone who'd led the toughest fifth unit in a strategic mission.

He immediately searched his desk for a white phosphorus bullet. Black Mamba wasn't someone who could be fought against with a measly Beretta. The only effective weapon was a white phosphorus bullet. He opened the magazine latch with shaking hands and pulled out the magazine. He pulled out the bullets and shoved five white phosphorus bullets in. The nine millimeters white phosphorus parabellum bullet was made in 1972 by the DGSE to suppress terror activists. It was a bullet type that had been abandoned under strong criticisms for its extreme cruelty. He had saved some for himself, out of curiosity.

Clack—

Miguel, who had assembled the magazine, placed himself beside the front door.

Craack—

The oak door, with an arm's length thickness, broke apart.

"Ah!"

Scared, Miguel jumped into his room. Black Mamba had shoved the door open when there wasn't a response to his continuous knocks. It was a rather rough visit.

"Miguel, we need to talk."

Papapa—

Miguel answered with bullets. A large phosphorus bullet exploded the moment it came into contact, spreading white phosphorus everywhere within a diameter.

Black Mamba's upper body swayed like a willow. His dimension sight ability was enough. The barrel moved minutely, and he foresaw the bullet's trajectory the moment the muscles contracted. He was a master at avoiding any impending danger.

Boom—

Boom—

The bullet exploded against the wall, and white smoke covered the entire living room.

Clang—

He shoved the bullet aside with his Kukri.

Boom—

White smoke covered Black Mamba.

"Damn it, this f****** b*stard!"

An angry curse jumped out.

Schschschink—

His Kukri sliced through the air at ferocious speeds. The smokescreen which had spread at a close range was split apart. Black Mamba jumped out between that space.

Woosh—

Woosh—

The white phosphorus' fire, which had spread everywhere, disappeared with the wind. The white fire that landed on his clothes were sliced off with his Kukri before it could start sizzling.

Bang bang bang—

Miguel, who used up all of his five bullets, pulled on the trigger without rest.

"Devil, it's the devil!"

He was choking on fear. A human who swept away white phosphorus with a knife, it was an unbelievable sight for his eyes.

Black Mamba became busier. He had to sweep the white phosphorus' fire away and avoid the bullets. His fearless steps were activated to the utmost. Black Mamba's body flickered across the room like a ghost. Miguel couldn't even find his target.

Whoosh—

Black Mamba jumped into the room. Miguel was thrown by his collar like hay, into the living room filled with white phosphorus.

"Aaaaaargh!"

A devastating cry echoed. The weight of white phosphorus was similar to air.

Crack craack—

The smoke-filled living room swallowed its new sacrifice.

Miguel rolled on the floor like mad. However, it wasn't enough to stop the sizzling white phosphorus flames. White phosphorus could be activated even inside water. The only way to get rid of it was to cut off the flaming part with a knife. When in contact with skin, it had to be sliced off.

"Save me. Black Mamba, I'm sorry! Save me!"

Miguel's desperate shouts echoed against the crackling white flames. The thick smell of kerosene and protein spread through the air. The flames swallowed the house instantly.

"Eh, I rushed too much."

Black Mamba didn't have a way to save Miguel from the white flames. He was in a situation where he'd be burned if he didn't escape in time.

Crash—

The back wall was shattered with a single kick. Black Mamba jumped out of the house. With the increased air supply, the fire flamed intensely.

Black Mamba stared at the log house with regretful eyes. He hadn't decided whether to save or kill the man yet. He was even thinking of ending things with a light beating of the muchi-sibari-a-ge if Miguel gave a suitable excuse. The panicked guy had rushed into the self-made fire.

"Namu Amita Bul, may your next life be peaceful."

The log house which was swept up in flames resembled Chui Do Shik's house, which had killed five in Bangtaesan. The snow had piled to his knees on that day too.

"There are two b*stards left."

After staring at the flaming building with regretful eyes, Black Mamba disappeared as though he was sliding off the snow. It was fortunate that there wasn't an issue of a forest fire.

"Ugh, I'm hungry."

Black Mamba had left the hospital at nine o'clock in the morning. He appeared back in the hospital exactly at lunchtime. No one would have imagined he'd gotten rid of Miguel, who had been hiding 600 kilometers away from Paris, in Annecy.

"Black, was the hike enjoyable?"

"It wasn't."

"Seems like it. Look at me."

He'd thrown his outer jacket away in the log house, but sparks had reached his hiking gear.

Edel dragged Black Mamba into the hospital room and tore the hiking clothes with scissors. His right arm, which had been discoloured with red burns, was revealed.

White phosphorus exuded a flame of over 3,000 degrees Celsius. He'd swept the sparks away before it landed on his clothes, but he hadn't been able to stop the small sparks, which were as small as sesame seeds. Even his skin, which was as strong as shark skin, was weak against strong heat at 1,000 degrees. Edel washed off the melted fiber on his skin with alcohol and plastered on burn gauzes.

"The Alps are dangerous during winter. Avalanches frequently occur within Switzerland's Central Alps. You won't be able to beat nature, Black. It's best to visit the Annecy lake during summer when the Southern Alps fall towards the Mediterranean. You've no idea how much the Italian tourists talk about it. I guess they're not as overboard as you, Black, to borrow a helicopter for that. Oh, what am I doing, chattering away to a hungry person."

Edel stopped chattering and ran to the kitchen with her flapping front apron. Black Mamba's stoic face slowly loosened. Ombuti, who was helping her treat him, smiled widely.

"Isn't she wise and beautiful? She didn't ask a single question that would concern you, Wakil. She's not a talkative person, but she made an effort to change your mood. She's a rare young woman with wisdom. Perhaps, you should stop calling her Rudrey."

Ombuti offered a piece of small advice.

"Ombuti, are you saying you want to be an old matchmaker? Edel's beautiful, adorable, and wise. She's too much for me."

"Why would you say that? There's an Amazig saying, which goes, anything left unused will turn into s***."

"I have a woman I love. She's far away, but I've never forgotten her. I believe there's loyalty to be kept between a man and a woman.

Ombuti nodded.

"The nobles of Amazig thinks similarly to you, Wakil. However, greeting someone as your wife and enjoying women are different matters."

Ombuti pressed on the matter, unlike his usual self. In his opinion, there was no woman like Rudrey Edel, who suited his master in this world.

"Edel is a rare woman. I've managed to abandon my preconception of the stereotypical indulgence of white women, thanks to her. She's not the problem here. It's me. There's a saying that tells you to calculate whether a gain is justified before taking it. I'm a mercenary, a log that floats around a sea of blood. I'll never know when it'll flip. Edel is a woman who displays strong affection."

"You're right. She has a lot of love. She even gave the lackey two dried sausages, so that he doesn't starve! Hahaha!"

Ombuti slightly interrupted his speech. It had been right before Black Mamba was about to continue his sentence. Ombuti, who was like a snake, didn't want the topic of the conversation to change.

"Hahaha, right. The lackey will never realize the meaning behind those two sausages for the rest of his life. I'm still young, but I've never fooled myself for a gain right before my eyes, out of self-indulgence. In the judgment of my consideration for Rudrey Edel, and not myself, it can be said that I made the right decision. I don't want her to live in worry and instability for the rest of her life."

"This sounds similar to the 'Emmu sottu eesam kittam' that Wakil sometimes mentions."

"Yes. I'm talking about 'Eungmu soju, eesang kishim[1].' A human's mind is unable to make the right decisions in an excited state. Only after some time has passed, then one regrets their foolish decision and bemoans it. In the end, maturity is the problem."

"Oh, I am unable to understand..."

Ombuti moved away, wrapping his arms around his head.

"I don't know either. Whether I'm Mu Ssang, Black Mamba, Ashura, Yatcha, Kanma, or Azrael...why would I touch such an innocent angel's body with these blood-soaked hands!"

Black Mamba spoke as though he was mumbling.

"Kehahahaha, Black! Your partner's here."

A European black bear pushed through the bulletproof glass doors.

[1] One for all, all for one.