R’s sniper phone vibrated briefly.

  A moment later, a text message appeared on the screen along with a single photograph.

  [ Target: Female — Refer to photo. Anti-government war correspondent. Must fire from U-Force territory while wearing U-Force uniform. ]

  —-----------------------

  The sniper stared at the screen for a moment without a word before turning the phone off.

  He took a wide detour around the landed spacecraft.

  Its metallic exterior reflected a faint light, casting a massive shadow across the snow-covered field. The sniper moved while staying low, carefully avoiding the shadow.

  A short while later, he silently slipped into a now-vacant U-Force trench.

  Since the appearance of the spacecraft, the entire U-Force military had been focusing solely on border security.

  Following a recent prisoner exchange, both sides had even formed a consultative body for peace talks to end the war.

  For over twenty days, not a single actual skirmish had occurred.

  There were rumors that R-Force missiles had struck civilian buildings on certain fronts, but neither side had officially confirmed them.

  The trench was empty. After scanning his surroundings, the sniper set down his backpack.

  He slowly changed into the U-Force uniform.

  Though it was an unfamiliar set of fatigues, he arranged them naturally as if they were his own.

  He began taking the disassembled parts of a sniper rifle out of his bag, one by one. The low, metallic click of parts locking together echoed softly within the trench.

  Moments later, the completed rifle was in his hands.

  The sniper lay prone at the edge of the trench and carefully covered his body and equipment with gathered grass and dry twigs.

  Between the blades of grass swaying in the wind, his figure slowly dissolved into the landscape.

  Now, he looked like a part of the trench itself. And silently, he began to wait for the target to appear.

  A final message had arrived on his phone moments ago.

  [ Today, around 2:00 PM. ]

  The message stated that a war correspondent and R-Force soldiers would be moving along the road on the R-Force side, across from the trench.

  Thanks to that information, he was able to choose the exact sniping position.

  The goal of this mission was simple: One woman. This was a shot where a mistake was not an option.

  The gunshot had to ring out from the U-Force trench. It had to.

  Only then would it appear as if the U-Force were the ones who did not truly desire peace.

  Other war correspondents and soldiers had to witness the woman collapsing from the bullet.

  They would become the witnesses. The testimony would spread, the story would be distorted, and the truth would vanish.

  That was the purpose of this mission.

  The sniper slowly gripped his rifle as if embracing it. He pressed his eye to the scope.

  As the landscape within the lens drew closer, the road came into view. He subtly turned the dial with his finger to adjust for distance.

  The crosshairs quietly pointed to a single spot on the road. The sniper took a deep breath.

  Then, he exhaled slowly. The index finger resting on the trigger tensed ever so slightly.

  Now, only a single bullet remained.

  Badim was now being treated almost like a guardian deity within the unit.

  It all started a few days ago when word spread that he had been "chosen" by the alien woman in the capital's square.

  Some had witnessed the scene firsthand, while others added their own layers to the rumors as they passed them along.

  Regardless of the details, the conclusion was always the same:

  The aliens needed Badim. Therefore, they would at least refrain from attacking him.

  And if they stayed with Badim… Perhaps they would be safe, too.

  That simple belief had even altered the behavior of the soldiers.

  Whenever they went out to patrol near the spacecraft, someone would naturally say, "Let’s take Badim along."

  It was as if they were packing a lucky charm.

  That day was no different. The unit officer assembled the soldiers in the courtyard.

  The rhythmic thud of combat boots against the dirt floor continued for a moment before falling silent.

  "There is a reconnaissance mission around the spacecraft at 1:00 PM today. Get ready.

  " The officer paused for a beat, then added, "And take Badim with you."

  A junior officer standing beside the ranks spoke up with a look of slight surprise.

  "Badim, sir? He already went on patrol this morning."

  The officer simply shrugged. "Three war correspondents are joining the patrol today."

  He let a strange smile creep onto his lips. "Besides, isn't Badim the guardian deity of our unit? Take him."

  As if there were nothing more to say, he gave a smirk, turned on his heel, and disappeared.

  At that same hour, Badim was leaning against his bunk in the barracks, completely unaware.

  Having just finished lunch, a sense of lethargy filled the room.

  He pulled his phone from his locker. On the screen was a short message from Natasha.

  Badim read the sentence over and over again.

  Every time he looked at a text from Natasha, a small smile naturally spread across his face.

  The unexpected reunion in the square.

  The night they spent together at the hotel. He still couldn't believe it all.

  How could something like this happen to someone like him?

  Badim had liked Natasha since high school.

  However, he never had the courage to voice his feelings.

  He was plagued by shyness and a lack of confidence.

  His family's financial situation, his education, his appearance… he felt there wasn't a single thing he could proudly stand behind.

  All of it made him feel small and constantly pulled him into a state of gloom.

  Ultimately, he graduated without ever saying a word, and Natasha drifted away from his life. After graduation, he tried to move on and live without her.

  Yet, he never fully forgot her. Occasionally, quite out of the blue, she would cross his mind.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  It happened before he became a soldier and headed to the battlefield, and it happened while he pulled all-nighters on strange frontlines.

  Even after becoming an adult, he had never once properly dated a woman. He had never fallen for anyone else.

  Whenever he felt lonely or downcast, one specific scene always came to mind: R literature class in high school.

  It was the moment Natasha stood up from her seat and quietly recited a poem by Blok.

  The sunlight streaming through the classroom window, her hands holding the book, and her face as she read the verses.

  Every time that memory resurfaced, Badim’s heart would pound for no reason.

  He would even find himself smiling like an idiot.

  She was the woman he thought he would never see again in his lifetime.

  Yet, he had reunited with that very Natasha not long ago and had even spent a night with her at a hotel.

  To Badim, it felt like the greatest stroke of luck in his entire life. It was a miracle.

  And something even more surprising followed.

  After parting with Natasha and returning to his unit on the frontline, she began sending him text messages almost every day.

  The internet connection at the base was poor. The signal dropped frequently, and the speed was abysmal.

  Receiving a single photo took minutes of waiting, and most of the time, the transfer would just cut out midway.

  However, text messages were manageable. Short sentences arrived relatively well, even through the sluggish signal.

  Of course, even that wasn't officially permitted; soldiers had to use the internet in secret, avoiding the eyes of their superiors.

  On Badim’s phone screen, a message that arrived yesterday still remained:

  [ I’m going to cover the spacecraft as a war correspondent. I miss you. ]

  The moment he read those words, his heart raced.

  He couldn't believe that Natasha was coming to this very frontline.

  The phrase "I miss you" made him even more restless with excitement.

  But at the same time, it felt surreal.

  In the middle of this battlefield...

  This news hits Badim like a bolt of lightning, especially given the bittersweet memories he was just lost in.

  Here is the translation for the next segment:

  For Badim, it was still something difficult to even imagine.

  It was then. "Badim!" The officer's voice rang out from the barracks entrance.

  "You’re heading out at 1:00 PM today with the others.

  You’re taking three war correspondents on a patrol around the spacecraft."

  The officer paused and let out a smirk. "You’re a tour guide today. Got it?"

  Sitting on his bunk, Badim snapped his head up.

  For a split second, he couldn't believe his ears.

  War correspondents.

  His heart gave a heavy thud. He scrambled to his feet, turned toward the door, and shouted.

  "Wow— Yes, sir! I'll go on patrol today!"

  There was an unmistakable surge of excitement in his voice that he couldn't quite hide.

  ==================

  Natasha spotted Badim within the formation.

  In that instant, her heart gave a quiet thrum.

  A cautious sense of joy bubbled up from deep within.

  He was truly here. Today, of all days, the fact that the spacecraft was positioned so close to Badim’s unit felt like a blessing.

  She had never imagined they would be able to reunite on a frontline like this.

  Ten soldiers were escorting the three war correspondents for their protection.

  One of them was Badim.

  Of course, Natasha and Badim did not breathe a word of recognition.

  They couldn't. This was a war zone.

  Looking intimate with a specific journalist in a place where every soldier was risking their life could draw unnecessary attention.

  It could spark needless misunderstanding or jealousy.

  And so, the two remained silent. Their eyes merely met for the briefest of moments.

  When Badim stole a glance toward Natasha, she gave him a tiny, secret wink that no one else would notice.

  That fleeting signal was enough to convey everything they felt.

  The formation left the base and moved slowly toward the spacecraft.

  The long, narrow path was covered in snow, but it had been packed down hard by countless combat boots.

  Thanks to that, their feet didn't sink too deep.

  The group naturally had to walk in a long, single-file line.

  The war correspondents were positioned in the middle of the column, surrounded by soldiers in the front and back for protection.

  It hadn't snowed on the frontlines recently, so trekking along the path was easier than expected.

  A moment later, a massive silhouette revealed itself beyond their field of vision. It was the spacecraft.

  ===

  Even from a distance, the scale was overwhelming.

  The massive metallic structure settled upon the plain looked as if a mountain had suddenly sprung into existence.

  Perhaps because it was so colossal, it felt unnervingly close.

  The correspondents' eyes sparkled with intensity.

  They were eager to get as close as possible to capture their photographs.

  Natasha looked at the side of the road, recalling the officer’s warning.

  He had said that if they stepped even a single inch off the narrow path, everything surrounding them was a minefield.

  Not a single animal could be seen in the plains stretching out on either side of the road.

  It looked as if life itself had abandoned this place.

  Broken and fallen trees. Ground gouged into deep craters by artillery shells.

  Bullet holes scarring every remaining wall. Houses with collapsed roofs and cracked facades.

  The scars left by the war were everywhere. Natasha’s heart sank heavily.

  While the word "war" could explain it, that didn't make the landscape any more justifiable.

  Now... it really must stop. That was her only thought.

  Just then, a soldier walking at the front of the line raised his hand, bringing the formation to a halt.

  “Hold! Stop!”

  ==

  A thick chunk of wood lay across the path. Someone had to clear it.

  As the formation halted, the war correspondents stopped in their tracks and began scanning the surrounding landscape once more.

  Badim stood in the line behind Natasha. His gaze was fixed on only one person.

  Natasha. She was the only one who mattered.

  But because he was behind her, he could barely see more than the back of her head as they moved.

  It was at that exact moment that a voice rang out clearly in Badim’s ear.

  "Badim… I am the NK soldier who helped you."

  He caught his breath instantly.

  "Someone is trying to kill Natasha. Run now and shield her!"

  There was no one nearby. No one had spoken aloud.

  Yet, the voice had entered his ears with absolute clarity. And that name—"NK soldier."

  A memory from long ago flashed through Badim’s mind.

  The soldier he had met in the underground shop.

  A being who had demonstrated abilities that seemed to transcend human limits.

  He couldn't see the soldier now. But strangely, Badim was certain: the messenger was real, and the warning was for him.

  There was no time to hesitate.

  Badim, who had been standing at the very back of the line, suddenly bolted forward.

  “I have to save Natasha.”

  A single thought consumed his mind.

  “I can’t… I won’t let her die.”

  At that same moment, within the trench, the target entered the sniper’s scope.

  The woman’s face. It was the exact face he had seen in the photograph.

  He already knew the procession would pause because of the log blocking the path.

  And now, the line had stopped.

  The woman stood right in the center of the formation.

  Once. Only a single bullet was needed.

  The sniper held his breath and centered the crosshairs on her head.

  Then, he silently squeezed the trigger.

  Sshh—

  The bullet streaked out from the U-Force trench. In that split second:

  Thud.

  With a short, dull sound, two people collapsed simultaneously.

  It was Badim and Natasha. Badim had sprinted from behind and shoved Natasha with both hands.

  Her slight frame was propelled forward, sending her sprawling into the dirt.

  At that exact moment, the bullet tore into Badim's back.

  "Get down!"

  The correspondents threw themselves to the ground.

  The soldiers immediately raised their rifles and began returning fire toward the U-Force trench.

  Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Successive gunfire echoed across the plains.

  An officer rushed toward the fallen pair. "Check their status!"

  A medic—the first to arrive—examined Badim.

  It was Badim who had been hit. The bullet had lodged in his back, appearing to have pierced through toward his heart. Natasha was unharmed.

  "Badim...!" Natasha grabbed hold of him. "Badim! Badim! Wake up... please...!"

  Her voice was choked with sobs.

  The medic placed a hand on Badim's neck to check for a pulse. It was faint, but it hadn't stopped yet. However... it didn't look like he could hold on much longer.

  Natasha couldn't believe it. This had all unfolded in a matter of seconds.

  She knelt beside him, head bowed, and burst into tears. Meanwhile, the officer and soldiers were bracing for a potential second attack.

  "Prepare to extract back to the unit!" Soldiers began gathering wood nearby to fashion a litter to carry Badim.

  Tears continued to stream down Natasha's face. Badim had taken a bullet to save her.

  That reality crushed her heart.

  It was then. Suddenly, the sky darkened.

  People looked up. A small craft had appeared above them, blotting out the sunlight. Shocked by the abrupt arrival, the soldiers hoisted their rifles.

  "Enemy craft!" "Fire!"

  A hail of bullets sprayed toward the sky, but the craft continued its descent, drawing closer to the group.

  At that moment—a sharp, high-pitched screech tore through the air.

  Kieeeeeeeee—

  It was a piercing ultrasonic frequency. Everyone winced simultaneously;

  the sound waves made it nearly impossible to remain standing.

  "It's a sonic attack!" someone shouted. The correspondents covered their ears and ducked.

  One by one, rifles slipped from the soldiers' hands and hit the ground.

  People began to stumble backward. It was the same type of sound heard recently in the capital's square.

  The craft hovered lower, approaching a height of about ten meters directly above where Badim lay.

  The craft's hangar door slid open. Two soldiers wearing black helmets jumped out.

  Square devices were mounted on their backs, with short bursts of blue flame flickering from the nozzles.

  They were flight battery packs. They landed on the ground with almost no impact and immediately rushed toward Badim.

  .

  The two soldiers scooped up Badim's body, cradling him. In the next instant, the blue flames roared more intensely.

  Their bodies lifted into the air.

  They flew straight up and disappeared into the craft's hangar.

  Everything was over in seconds.

  Natasha, the correspondents, and the soldiers—all driven back—could only stare blankly at the scene.