November 13, 2020, 15:30, B2 bunker (ROK Military Joint Command Center), Yongsan-ku, Seoul

  The scene of the battle showing the attacking Chinese soldiers on board burned trucks and Korean forces firing their 50-mm photon cannons and Black Dragon missiles was being broadcast on the Command Center’s screen.

  Then moments later, the gunshots came to a halt, indicating the annihilation of all Chinese soldiers. The Koreans’ armored vehicles stopped their attacks as well, then the infantrymen aboard poured out from the rear hatch. The men began to help the injured and moved them to a safe location. The video on the screen paused.

  “The logistics forces sent out the footage at exactly 1412h, and the attackers have been identified as the Special Forces directly under the 39th Army Group. It seems they had prepared for an ambush in the mountainous regions where their army group was attacked during the start of the war.”


  The Operations Director spoke when the footage came to a halt.

  “It seems things are going differently after Commander in Chief General Chiu Li Jiang Ji was put in charge. What are our losses?”


  Chairman of Joint Chief of Staff Kang Ui-sik crossed his arms with a slightly gloomy look on his face and asked the Operations Director.

  “All 14 transport trucks were taken out, 2 armored vehicles are damaged, 12 dead and 15 wounded, sir.”


  “What about the Chinese forces?”


  “Yes, the Chinese suffered 59 casualties and 22 were injured. All have been arrested, and our wounded men are being sent off to the 19th Division’s infirmary as we speak.”


  “From now on there will be more guerilla attacks targeting our logistical forces. Lieutenant General Kim Yong-hyun, speak with the Logistics Commanders and come up with a strategy. We must now enter into highland battles,” the Joint Chief of Staff said.

  “Sir! I am concerned about the difficulties we may face in commanding our men by spreading our forces too thin.”


  “Do we have any other choice?”


  The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who answered with one eye open, posed the question in an earnestly curious tone. When the Operations Director hesitated since he could not come up with a better solution, the Chairman smiled brightly and continued.

  “Lieutenant General Kim, if our front lines are getting longer, all we can do is trust our commanders in the field and give them the command! As you have said, the current events are too big for us to nitpick and decide on each task.”


  The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stood up from his seat and then spoke to the other Commanders present in the Command Center.

  “The war will only get more troublesome from now on. Check the sixth phase of Operation Rise of Goguryeo once more and fix anything that catches your attention. I am going to visit the Ministry of National Defense. Keep up the great work everyone.”


  * * *

  November 13, 2020, 20:30, 17 km northeast from Jakang-island Jasung-up, North Korea

  Six operators aboard the K-1100 console armored vehicle were on sentry duty and stared at the monitors. The watch was set from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. the next morning since it was already wintertime, and watch is set for a total of 15 hours and set in three shifts. The operators monitored the vehicles manually at night and had the vehicle run automatically at day.

  The K-1000 Haetae unmanned sentry drones were placed every 300 m with three different camera modes activated. The drones all had their weapons pointing forward in the direction of the Ap-rok River’s mountainous area.

  Beep! Beep! Beep!

  The alarm of number 313 Haetae operator’s console began to ring. The monitor showed a hundred or so lights that indicated life-forms in the mountain ridge. Then the alarm of other operators began to ring as well.

  “Sir, we have detected life-forms on the mountain ridge 5.3 km away! There are 121 in total! Their numbers are rising.”


  The 313 drone operator, who detected the signal first, began to report to the Platoon Commander. The others began to report their stats as well and transitioned into sentry mode 1.

  “Transition into sentry mode 1,” the Platoon Commander ordered.

  The area the 1st platoon was in charge of was a wide area that reached approximately 1.8 km. Lieutenant Oh Sang-yeon, the Platoon Commander, looked at the large screen and the operators, then continued giving orders.

  “Zoom in on drone 313.”


  “Yes, sir.”


  The 313 drone’s operator immediately began to manipulate his console then the screen enlarged by the high optical zoom showed life-forms glowing on the screen from their body heat even in the pitch-dark night.

  “Signalman! Notify the Company headquarters and request for light-armored mobile forces.”


  “Yes, sir.”


  The 3rd Sentry Battalion’s headquarters had deployed spider drones multiple times a day and surveyed the area from the air. However, the Chinese military had avoided aerial surveys under low beats. The Chinese soldiers hid for a few days and only showed themselves after the order to attack came from their superiors.

  “Where did these bastards come from? We were just told nothing was in the area this afternoon.”


  Lieutenant Oh Sang-yeon furrowed his brow and swore at the increasing number of blinking lights on the screen.

  “Sir, it’s the Company Commander on the line.”


  Corporal Ahn Hyung-joon spoke as he handed the microphone over to the Lieutenant.

  “Sir! This is Lieutenant Oh Sang-yeon.”


  – This is the Company Commander. The enemy is determined to be at least the size of a brigade after we analyzed the footage you sent us. The company light-armored mobile forces have been sent your way, and the battalion headquarters have deployed their forces as well. When the enemy comes in range, engage them without waiting for orders. Over.

  “Understood, sir!”


  Lieutenant Oh Sang-yeon gave the order to the operators after handing the radio back to the signalman.

  “We begin the attack starting from drone 1 to 6 when we have eyes on the target.”


  “Yes, sir.”


  Six operators all answered at once then began to move their K-1000 Haetae drones.

  When the battle was close at hand, the operator for Haetae drone 313 private Lee Sang-gil must have been anxious, for his heartbeat became faster and his fingers on the keyboard stiffened. Lieutenant Oh Sang-yeon must have noticed the anxiety of his men and spoke loudly.

  “Don’t be rattled! We are a 1km away from the Haetae drones. If we hold them off with the Hae-tae, then they cannot reach us here! The company and battalion light-armored mobile forces are on their way, so continue on as usual, understood?”


  “Yes sir!”


  The Haetae 313 drone lowered its body, opened up its launchpads and pointed the missiles toward the direction of the moving lights. A moment later the 16 MLRS 40mm rocket rounds equipped on the back of the drones began to fly out.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  The rockets landed on the mountainside where the Chinese military was climbing down from and the soldiers rolled down the hill from being hit by the shrapnel.

  Boom! Arrgh! Boom! Bang!

  The 1,500 Chinese soldiers all seemed to roll down to the plains amidst the falling rockets and began to cross the frozen Ap-rok River. When hundreds of shadows began to run across the pale ice sheets, the 12-mm laser Vulcans began to spew out a stream of light.

  Pewpewpewpew~ Pewpewpewpew~

  The stream of laser beams sprayed continuously along the frozen river reaching 1.8km. The Chinese soldiers crossing the frozen river lost an arm or a leg when the laser beam passed by and some were torn to shreds. Those who were fortunate enough to cross the river unscathed were panting and hiding in ditches near the river, preparing to charge once again.

  In the chaos of light beams and rocket explosions, the Chinese soldiers and K-1000 Haetae drones were now 500m away from each other.

  Whirrrrrrrl! Boom!

  The operator for the 313 drone moved the scope of the K-1000 Haetae drone to get a visual on the hiding Chinese soldiers 800m in front of them. When he did so, the 313 K-100 Haetae drone moved on its four legs and went forward for 10m. When the nine Chinese soldiers in hiding were detected, the operator pressed the rocket’s Launch button.

  Boom!

  The 40-mm rocket round flew out with a blunt nose, then fell at the exact location after flying across the air in an arc. The nine Chinese soldiers in hiding all were hit by the shrapnel and fell.

  “Nice.”


  Private Lee Sang-gil shouted unconsciously. His heart was beating out of his chest from the anxiety before the battle began, but now his heart was beating out of excitement and his body was pumping with adrenaline.

  Ting! Ting!

  The Chinese soldiers fiercely closed the distance to 300 m and began to rain bullets at the K-1000 Haetae drone. But their QBZ-95 5.8mm bullet was nowhere enough to pierce the high strength alloy plating of the K-1000, and ricocheted. The K-1000 Haetae drone let the bullets hit its body as if to mock the enemy, and continued to fire its laser Vulcan beams and rockets.

  However, the operator of the 315 drone saw an enemy soldier pointing a LJ-7 anti-tank round toward the K-1000 Haetae drone through his monitor. The operator hurriedly fired a Black Dragon missile but was late by a split second and the Chinese soldier fired first. Since the distance was too close, the 315 Haetae drone did not have a chance to intercept and was struck.

  Boom! Vroooooo~

  The K-1000 Haetae drone managed to withstand the 15t of explosive power from the anti-tank round, but the various optical cameras and equipment were damaged and it caused the operator’s monitor to flicker.

  “Sir, the 315 drone has been hit. Commander! The equipment is fine but it seems all three visual cameras are out.”


  “Transition into defensive mode! So it won’t get attacked anymore.”


  “Yes, sir.”


  Lieutenant Oh Sang-yeon, who gave the order, radioed the light-armored mobile forces from the company headquarters.

  – This is Longhorn Beetle, this is Longhorn Beetle. Beetle do you copy? Over.

  – This is Beetle, we hear you. Over.

  – This is Longhorn Beetle. Sector 1-5 has been breached. Requesting aid in those areas first, over.

  – This is Beetle, confirmed. Over.

  When the 315 K-1000 Haetae drone stopped moving, the Chinese forces all charged toward that direction to cross the border. However, three vehicles from the Company light-armored mobile forces had turned to sector 1–5 and took the drone’s place to defend the border.

  Unlike their title of light-armored mobile forces, the men from the unit were all equipped with sturdy armor, personal firearms, four 8-mm laser Vulcan guns, and 30-mm smart grenades.

  Boom! Boom! Pewpewpewpewpew~ Pewpewpewpewpew~

  The 25 light-armored infantrymen fired their 4 barrel Vulcan guns and 30-mm smart grenades at the Chinese soldiers. Beams of light gleamed in the dark, and 30-mm smart grenades tore the Chinese soldiers into pieces.

  Ten minutes later, the battalion light-armored forces also arrived on the scene, and when they joined the offensive, the number of Chinese soldiers dwindled.

  Boom! Boom!

  The company and battalion light-armored mobile forces began to fire their 80-mm mortars into the sky. The 80-mm cluster mortars blew up above the Chinese soldiers’ heads, and they were instantly killed from the shrapnel.

  A few moments later, the gunshots from the Chinese soldiers halted. Only 300 soldiers from the 1,500 that was near the size of an entire brigade, crossed the frozen Ap-rok River and retreated. The rest of the Chinese soldiers lay dead on the frozen river or screaming from their injuries.

  That day, the entire border was raided by the Chinese military. Chinese soldiers hiding in the rough mountainous regions suddenly showed up. Some 30,000 Chinese soldiers raided the border, which was fewer than expected. The Chinese military commanders only sent in 30,000 soldiers to analyze the Korean sentry forces along the border and come up with a plan of subsequent attacks.