November 5th, 2023, 16:20

  A building at the North State, Pyeong-yang, Yongsung-ku, Jungi-dong (Foreign Intelligence Unit 1’s hideout)

  Two days ago, Oh Ji-wan and his men had received an advanced payment and an updated map from Jo Won-jin and were now holding 8-hour meetings daily to discuss infiltration routes and succeed in ‘Operation Typhoon 16.’


  “This area is accessible to civilians so we will have no trouble infiltrating here, but there are many watchful eyes. Based on our intel, this event is scheduled to have 500 to 1,000 policemen present to keep the peace,” Team 1’s leader Kang Tae-woo, also Oh Ji-wan’s right hand, pointed to the screen with a laser pointer while giving his briefing.

  “Are those bastards going to make surprise searches?” Oh Ji-wan asked with his arms crossed.

  “Unless it’s a special case, they will just keep watch at their designated post and search people if necessary.”


  “We don’t know what will happen that day, so let’s go over another route.”


  “Yes, up next is this one.” When Kang Tae-woo pressed a button on the small device in his hand, the digital map changed.

  “This is an emergency evacuation route that people can take during a subway accident to get out. The entrance is usually locked, but we could easily pick it and use it as a way to infiltrate the event.”


  A 3D blueprint of the numerous emergency exits along the subway lines showed up on the screen.

  “I see.”


  “As you can see, these two locations here and here are closest to our target. The first emergency entrance is the closest and I believe this will be the best one to carry out our mission.”


  “Hmm, it looks good enough. The thing is, the second option doesn’t seem too bad either.” Oh Ji-wan seemed to think the second option was a sound one also.

  ” Comrade Captain Oh, the second route is a fine choice, too. But there’s one slight problem. There are many security cameras at the entrance. I believe there are at least six cameras……”


  “Isn’t that a piece of cake for us, sir?” The smallest agent from the group said while shrugging his shoulders.

  “Comrade Koo! Do you think the South Josun security cameras are like the ones made in China?”


  Agent Koo Sang-sik had thought 9 times out of 10 security cameras would be broken or record low-quality footage like the ones from China as Kang Tae-woo said.

  “Well, aren’t all security cameras the same?”


  “Be quiet if you don’t know! The South Josun security cameras are equipped with motion detection sensors, infrared, and ultraviolet sensors, too.”


  “Whoa! Is that so? The South Josun bastards even have high-tech security cameras,” Koo Sang-sik scratched his head and smiled awkwardly.

  “Don’t scold him so much, he didn’t know. Please continue,” Deputy Nam Sang-won from Team 2 chimed in.

  “The thing is, sir, we wouldn’t have to deal with all of this if we had sniper rifles. Why won’t they provide us with one?”


  It was the truth. If the assassination was done with a sniper rifle from a distance, it would have been over in an instant. It would have made it easier to escape after the deed was done, also. However, Jo Myung-rok wanted the assassination to be done with a bomb to ensure the target was killed.

  “Don’t blame the equipment. A good carpenter never blames his tools, does he?”


  “Still, sir, aren’t they asking too much from us? If I knew it was going to be like this, I would have brought a rifle from China.”


  “That’s what the client demands. Why would they pay us so much if they just wanted to end things quickly with a sniper rifle? Right? So, stop complaining and focus on the meeting.”


  “Yes, sir.”


  “Comrade Kang Tae-woo, please continue.”


  * * *

  November 5th, 2023, 16:00 (Iran Standard Time 11:30)

  Iran, West Azerbaijan, south of Koi (the 7th mechanized infantry brigade, 79th armored battalion’s location)

  The 79th armored battalion took a detour through Rahal and was now moving across the wide farming fields leading to Koi.

  There was another village called Chaboshiro in the 10 o’clock direction and two more around it, but just like Rahal, the drones did not detect any Iranian forces within the area. The battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Moon Gi-chul, who heard the report of the militia being absent in these villages, withdrew the order to send in a company to the area and decided to focus the battalion’s forces in taking over Koi.

  The battalion was 7km away from Koi, and the 43 C-2A1 Black Tiger tanks were in two lines waiting for the battalion commander’s orders. Twelve Eagle-I drones were also flying 5km above the city of Koi, conducting reconnaissance.

  The drones detected multiple Iranian military forces the size of a regiment within the buildings in the south region of the city. Numerous heavy firearms and infantry were aboard different types of vehicles and camouflage nets covered the roof of buildings. There were dozens of infantries equipped with RPG-7s and mortars under the nets.

  Lieutenant Colonel Moon Gi-chul was watching the footage coming from the Eagle-I drones through his commander vehicle’s monitor as if he was watching the TV from the comforts of his home. When he saw the Iranian forces were smaller than expected, he stopped for a moment to think.

  “Were the Iranian forces that small?”


  The intel about the Koi defense forces had already been thoroughly collected by numerous reconnaissance forces, including the Apollo reconnaissance satellites, and it consisted of the 2nd revolutionary vehicle division and a regiment-sized militia. However, the forces being detected on the Eagle-I drone were much smaller than that.

  “You’re right, sir. Based on our previous intel, there should be a vehicle infantry division and a regiment of militia,” the operations director answered the battalion commander after checking the information on the tablet PC.

  “Exactly. Where did all those forces go overnight? Did our reconnaissance fail us?”


  When there was a large discrepancy between the number of forces present and the intel from reconnaissance, Lieutenant Colonel Moon Gi-chul had thoughts clouding his head and could not easily give the order to mobilize.

  “Commander! Should I order Lieutenant Park to conduct reconnaissance after lowering the altitude?”


  “Maybe the altitude was too high for the drones and they didn’t detect the forces on the ground,” Operations Director Kang Ho-jun thought and spoke to the commander, “We can’t have them being hit by anti-air missiles before the battle even starts. Our aerial forces are too precious for us.”


  The battalion commander checked his watch after speaking.

  “So, what are we going to do, sir?”


  “Hmm, it’s not like we are going to come up with a good solution by sitting on our asses, and our goal is right in front of us, so we should get going! Commence the attack.”


  “Yes, sir.”


  When the battalion commander gave the order, Major Kang Ho-jun used the battalion communication line to order each company to begin the attack. “This is the operations director. Each company commander is to follow through with the original plans. Over.”


  Vrooooooooom~ Vrooooooooom~

  Forty-three C-2A1 Black Tiger tanks that had been emitting hot exhaust and revving up their engines for a few minutes, shot forward.

  Vrooooom!

  The 79th armored battalion tanks all started to leave tracks on the fields and started to speed towards the city, and the Eagle-I drones from the headquarters company started going on the offensive as well.

  The Eagle-I drones used the targets set as priorities based on the previous reconnaissance they conducted and started attacking the Iranian forces while slowly lowering their altitude. The drones sprayed their laser beams at the Iranian anti-air firearms hiding under the camouflage nets on the roof of the buildings first.

  Pew pew pew pew pew~ Pew pew pew pew pew~

  The forces on the ground discovered the Eagle-I drones and attempted to shoot them down with their 23mm triple barrel Vulcans. However, the Eagle-I drones were not a target that could be shot down with a 23mm gun being aimed with the naked eye. Attempting to shoot down a drone that had an 80cm radius and was equipped with an automatic evasion system flying around wildly would require a miracle to succeed.

  The Eagle-I drones evaded the anti-air missiles flying towards them by making rapid turns and gifted the men firing the missiles with laser beams.

  Pew pew pew! Pew! Peeeew!

  Every time the red laser beams swept across the surface, the gunners on the roof were torn to shreds and the guns became riddled with holes before exploding.

  Boom! Bang!

  When the second vehicle infantry division suffered more casualties than expected due to the appearance of drones, it ordered all the remaining anti-air guns on reserve to fire.

  Boo boo boo boooom! Boom! Boo boo boo boooom!

  Anti-air cannons stationed across the city started to flare up and litter the city’s skies with cannon rounds. They were the 35mm Rohishan guns. These were a rip-off of the Swiss Oerlikon guns equipped with an anti-air radar and control system, but the powerful radar jamming from the Eagle-I drones caused them to disappear, making targeting impossible. The guns couldn’t target the Eagle-I drones, let alone have their projectiles reach their vicinity.

  Even the 100mm Sa’eer anti-air guns removed their camouflage nets and joined in with the others in firing at the Eagle-I drones. The Sa’eer was a refurbished version of the KS-19 100mm anti-air gun from the Soviet Union and developed with Russia’s aid. It was now being operated by Iran’s revolutionary guard.

  Just like the 35mm Rohishan guns, the 100m Sa’eer anti-air guns were equipped with a radar and targeting system to detect flying objects and would automatically reload. The radar system and the firing mechanism were all connected to four guns and they moved in sync. The automatic reloading device allowed the gun to fire at a rate of 12-15 rounds per minute.

  However, using a 100mm anti-air gun against a drone instead of a chopper or jet was something to scoff at. It would only reveal the gunner’s location rather than damaging the target.

  The guns from the 2nd revolutionary infantry division’s forces ended up being annihilated from attempting to take down 12 drones. It was as if they burned the barn down while trying to kill the rats.

  While the numerous anti-air cannons from the city and the Eagle-I drones were fighting a fierce battle, a battle between tanks from both nations was going on at the southern plains.

  The revolutionary guard’s 2nd vehicle division had finally emerged from the buildings in the city’s suburbs. The Tiam tanks from the division’s armored battalion lurched forward; the Tosan armored vehicles and Rakhsh armored vehicles equipped with 23mm guns emerged from the rear.

  The C-2A1 Black Tiger tanks that had been mobilizing towards Koi all fired their 120mm photon cannons at the Tiam tanks as if they had been waiting for them.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  The barrels of the turrets lit up and plasma rounds started flying. The C-2A1 Black Tiger tanks’ plasma rounds had an effective range of 6km and took down multiple Tiam tanks at the lead.

  The plasma rounds were anti-tank rounds, but they were also capable of breaking through a 4th generation tank’s armored plating with their intense heat. The 2.5th generation Tiam tanks were no match for them regardless of any additional armored plating they were equipped with.

  Boom! Boooooom! Boom!

  Every time the Tiam tanks were hit by the plasma rounds, they shook and emitted large flames. Twenty Tiam tanks became immobile after catching fire with their turrets in the ground, and they didn’t even get a chance to fire a single shot. The remaining Tiam tanks all started to panic and made evasive maneuvers.

  However, making evasive maneuvers against a 4.5th generation C-2A1 tank was useless. The plasma rounds that had been precisely calculated by a computer to hit their targets all hit their marks.

  Meanwhile, the Tiam tanks that were way beyond their effective range, did everything they could to break through the line of fire from the C-2A1 Black Tiger tanks 5km away. However, it was unsure if any of the tanks would survive to be within range of their guns.

  While the Tiam tanks were acting as a shield, the Tosan and Rakhsh armored vehicles used their superior maneuverability to move to the flank and continued forward.

  The Eagle-I drones that had wiped out the Iranian anti-air forces and others in hiding from the city’s skies all stopped their assault and started to fly back. Their plasma energy packs were nearly exhausted.

  When the drone strikes from the air stopped, the Iranian military started to fire their cannons to retaliate.

  Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

  The rounds flew in an arc and started to engulf the C-2A1 Black Tiger tanks that were crushing the Tiam tanks.

  Wooooosh~ Wooooosh~

  Boom! Booooooooom! Boom!

  Small and large dirt pillars and shrapnel started to fly between the C-2A1 Black Tiger tanks that were moving while firing their 120mm cannons.