Actually, Dad Was a Hero

Chapter 21: Landing

The transport plane gradually descended, now low enough to see the corpses scattered throughout the city with the naked eye.

Due to the turbulence swirling at the low altitude, the plane rattled, and the boxes of weapons and ammunition clattered, emitting an irritating noise.

“What do you mean the control tower isn’t responding?”

‘Sandman’ shouted into the communicator as he approached the cockpit.

[The Villacoublay Air Base, where we’re supposed to land, isn’t responding to communication! We can’t land without control!]

“But we can’t turn back either, can we?”

[Of course not! We’re out of fuel!]

“Then let’s just land!”

[What?]

“Just land on any empty runway!”

[. . . F*ck . . .!]

Normally, airports operate under the strict control of the control tower for takeoffs and landings.

This is because not following the control tower’s instructions could lead to the worst-case scenario of colliding aircraft.

However, there was no other option now.

Although they had received aerial refueling during the flight, the transport plane was running low on fuel.

Either land, or crash while waiting for the control tower’s response. It was one or the other.

[. . . We could collide with another plane!]

In response to the pilot’s protest, ‘Sandman’ flung open the cockpit door and replied.

“Let’s just try to avoid it.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Is there any other way?”

Jin Beom-Min, who had approached the cockpit, peeked his head out from behind ‘Sandman’.

Villacoublay Air Base was clearly visible through the cockpit window.

“What’s going on?”

“Well, if we’re unlucky, we might die before landing.”

“Don’t say such ominous things.”

The pilot grumbled and manipulated the instrument panel.

Rumble!

The transport plane vibrated as the landing gear descended.

As the air base got closer, they realized why the control tower wasn’t responding.

Flames were rising from various places near Villacoublay Air Base, and countless people were clinging to the outer walls of the air base.

In fact, they weren’t ‘people’. They were once human, but now they were resurrected corpses.

Villacoublay Air Base was under attack.

“This is an unexpected situation.”

At ‘Sandman’s words, Jin Beom-Min shrugged and replied.

“What isn’t? This whole operation seems to be like that.”

“If you’re going to chat, go to the back. Let me concentrate.”

At the pilot’s rebuke, ‘Sandman’ pretended to zip his mouth shut.

As the transport plane lowered its altitude and entered the runway, the co-pilot sitting next to the pilot let out a desperate scream.

“Lieutenant! In front, in front!”

‘Sandman’ and Jin Beom-Min followed the terrified co-pilot’s finger with their eyes.

Far away, at the opposite end of the runway where they were about to land, a small transport plane was approaching.

“Is it trying to take off?”

At Jin Beom-Min’s indifferent question, the co-pilot replied hysterically.

“Then we’ll collide! We’ll crash!”

Jin Beom-Min placed his hands on the shoulders of the pilot and co-pilot and said in a calm voice.

“Show us your skills.”

“If only I could shut you up. . .!”

The pilot bit his lip and pressed the control stick with force.

Screech―!

The plane’s wheels touched the runway. The pilot reversed the engine and applied all the brakes at once.

The massive aircraft trembled, and a tremendous roar and vibration pierced through the noise-canceling headsets and resonated in their skulls.

The transport plane attempting to take off from the opposite direction seemed to have already noticed Jin Beom-Min and his group’s landing.

However, they too rushed straight ahead without slowing down.

“Looks like they’re in a big hurry too.”

“Just shut up. . .!”

The pilot shouted nervously and turned the control stick. The transport plane slowly began to veer off the runway.

However, it seemed like the timing was too late. Even if the plane managed to get off the runway, the wingtips would likely overlap with the oncoming plane.

Just as even Jin Beom-Min’s usually calm fingertips started to tremble slightly, the small transport plane approaching from the opposite direction abruptly raised its nose.

At the same time, the two planes narrowly missed each other without colliding.

Rumble!

The transport plane’s wheels entered the grassy field next to the runway, causing the aircraft to shake violently.

The pilot tilted the control stick with all his might and brought the plane back onto the runway.

“You’re skilled indeed. Good job.”

Jin Beom-Min patted the shoulders of the pilot and co-pilot.

“Just get off quickly. Or I might hit you.”

Leaving behind the pilot’s growling voice, ‘Sandman’ asked as they returned to the cargo hold.

“I’ve always felt this. . . you don’t get nervous even in emergencies?”

“Well. . . . When my life is on the line, I strangely become calm. I guess it’s thanks to the training I received since I was young.”

Jin Beom-Min entered the Hero Academy around the age of 9, but in fact, he learned how to handle tension from an even younger age.

Thanks to his father, a master of hunting and survival, he had to learn how to survive in the harsh wilderness from a young age.

He learned from his father how to remain calm even when encountering wild beasts and how to not hesitate when taking a prey’s life.

He learned how to survive in the desolate forest, searching for food, and how to maximize efficiency using what he had.

His experience and knowledge proved invaluable at the Hero Academy.

When faced with crises during training, most trainees would make wrong choices due to nervousness and pressure.

And wrong choices usually led to death.

But Jin Beom-Min was different. As if he knew what to do at the critical moment from the beginning, he naturally chose the optimal option.

As a result, he survived and became stronger.

It was thanks to the education he received in his childhood, and also thanks to the strengths he was born with.

“Well. . . . Anyway, it’s fortunate for us. Let’s go.”

‘Sandman’ said with a grin.

******

Jin Beom-Min and the Ghost Squad disembarked from the transport plane, laden with weapons and ammunition, but there was no one to greet them.

Gunshots could be heard sporadically from various parts of the base, but only silence hung over Villacoublay Air Base.

“What happened? Didn’t the French side officially request this?”

At Jin Beom-Min’s question, Lee Sang-Jun responded through the communicator.

[According to the French side, Colonel Belmondo was supposed to be waiting. . . . I’ll check again.]

While the group was in a dilemma, three soldiers approached from the barracks.

However, their appearance was quite different from what they had expected. They were approaching with their rifles aimed, looking extremely nervous.

“They don’t look very welcoming, no matter how you look at it.”

‘Reaper’ said, releasing the safety on his rifle.

‘Sandman’ held out his hand to stop ‘Reaper’ and stepped forward.

〈We are the reinforcements from South Korea! Are you Colonel Belmondo?〉

‘Sandman’ shouted in fluent French, surprising not only the approaching French soldiers but also Jin Beom-Min and the Ghost Squad members.

“Did you know the Captain could speak French?”

‘Wraith’ asked, surprised, and ‘Imp’ shrugged and replied.

“Sometimes I wonder what that guy can’t do.”

‘Sandman’ approached the soldiers with his hands raised and spoke to them in French.

Then, with a hardened expression, he turned to the group and spoke rapidly, as if questioning something.

“Seems like something’s not going well.”

“I can tell that much.”

After a moment, ‘Sandman’ let out a deep sigh and relayed the information.

“There’s no commander at this base right now.”

“What? What do you mean. . .?”

When Jin Beom-Min asked back, ‘Sandman’ pointed to the sky. There, the small transport plane that had nearly collided with theirs was flying away, becoming a small dot.

“Colonel Belmondo and the other officers all flew away on that.”

“Wow, unbelievable.”

‘Reaper’ exclaimed in disbelief.

“Then what do we do? Can we get any other support?”

At ‘Imp’s question, ‘Sandman’ shook his head and replied.

“Well, the guys left here haven’t heard anything about us. Plus, they seem quite sensitive, probably because they were abandoned by their superiors.”

The Ghost Squad members each let out a sigh of frustration, along with curses.

They had rushed here for over ten hours, only to be stranded.

Then Jin Beom-Min spoke up.

“Then we need to gain the trust of the soldiers first.”

“That would be great. . . . But how?”

Jin Beom-Min pointed towards the outside of the base and said.

“Let’s start by reinforcing the base’s security.”

******

The main gate of Villacoublay Air Base was firmly blocked by barbed wire with high-voltage current flowing through it.

However, this security measure was only meant to deter humans attempting to infiltrate the base.

For the undead, who had already become corpses and couldn’t feel pain, the high-voltage current was nothing more than something to warm their bodies.

Therefore, countless zombies were already clinging to the barbed wire, emitting eerie groans and constantly pushing against the gate.

The few troops defending the base tried shooting their guns, but it was no use.

Even if they managed to bring down the zombie at the front, two or three more would take its place.

In the end, they could only helplessly watch the bending barbed wire poles and wait for someone to rescue them.

And the helping hand they never expected arrived from faraway South Korea.

“Tell them to step back.”

Jin Beom-Min said, drawing his sword. As ‘Sandman’ shouted in French, the defenders who were nervously aiming their rifles at the main gate hesitated and stepped back.

〈Can he really defeat those monsters?〉

The French soldiers who had followed them from the runway asked ‘Sandman’ in a dubious tone.

But they didn’t actively stop Jin Beom-Min either. In a hopeless situation, they had to grasp at any straw.

〈Let’s just watch.〉

‘Sandman’ nodded confidently and gave the signal. Jin Beom-Min infused his sword with mana.

Kiiiiiiing―

Wooooooong―

A high-pitched sound pierced their ears before turning into a low hum.

At the same time, a faint blue light extended from the tip of Jin Beom-Min’s sword.

Jin Beom-Min had reduced the density of the mana imbued in his sword but increased its length.

The watching French soldiers were startled and murmured amongst themselves.

“Here I go.”

The sword shimmering with blue light was swung horizontally.

Zzeong―! Papapak!

Sparks flew in all directions from the main gate with a loud bang. The high-voltage current discharged, and the bodies of the zombies clinging to the gate exploded.

And the next moment, the thick barbed wire of the main gate and a part of the wall were cleanly cut horizontally and fell to the ground.

Clang! Thud! Thump!

Simultaneously, the zombies that had been swarming the main gate collapsed, their heads and bodies separated.

〈What the. . .!〉

〈Oh my God!〉

The French soldiers were all aghast, their eyes wide with shock.

Over two hundred zombies that had been crowding the main gate were all down with a single strike.

“Is this enough?”

Jin Beom-Min asked, looking back at the group.

No answer was needed.

The wide eyes of the French soldiers standing next to ‘Sandman’ said it all.