21st Century Goguryeo

January 1st, 2024, 11:30 (Ukraine time: 05:30)

10 kilometers west of Spartak, Donetsk, Ukraine

On the 28th, the 5th Marine Division (Jiryong), which arrived at the Tokmok military airfield, met with Ukrainian military leaders to establish operations related to the subjugation of the rebels, and three days later, today, they began the sweeping operations to recover Donetsk alongside the Ukrainian 65th Vehicle Infantry Division.

Most of Donetsk's villages and cities were greatly damaged by the nine-year civil war. In particular, the village adjacent to the main border.

There were no intact buildings to be seen; they were either half-destroyed or completely collapsed, leaving behind tracks that led one to believe that this was a construction site. There were also piles of debris from various buildings on the road, as well as rusted cars. Tanks and armored vehicles with large holes could be seen everywhere because of the fierce battle.

Spartak, where the cold wind blew fiercely in the near-freezing weather, appeared to be an uninhabited city of death. Because it was close to the border, the fire was fierce, and it appeared that all of the residents of this small village had fled.

The sound of the caterpillar resonating on the ground became increasingly loud in such a small city, and soon after, a group of armored vehicles appeared outside Spartak.

<Kurururung! Kurururung!>

Dozens of K-24P-N amphibious assault vehicles from the 27th Marine Battalion, 51st Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division (Jiryong), with gold dragon symbols engraved on both sides and a long flag fluttering in a long column, as well as various armored vehicles, were approaching the city, and they began to change to a horizontal formation as they got closer.

Meanwhile, at a temporary post outside the city, the sentry saw the 27th Marines and hurriedly ran to the company headquarters under the guard post.

"Captain! A large-scale armored vehicle unit has appeared at the western entrance."

"What? Armored unit?"

An officer of the upper rank, who was resting while sitting on the stove drinking warm coffee, jumped up and ran to the guard post.

He was Fagaz Gallioulin, the commander of the first security company of the rebels in charge of the front area.

"What's going on? It's an army vehicle unit, right? Damn, what were you doing until now?"

He climbed up to the guard post, snatched the sentry's telescope, looked toward the western entrance, and screamed with a voice full of criticism.

"I'm sorry."

At the company commander's rebuke, the sentry bowed his head like a sinner. Supervisor Fagaz Gallioulin, who glared at the sentry, looked closely through the telescope again.

"Those...I don't think they're Ukrainian soldiers. Who are they? No, it's not the time to be like this!"

The company commander, who handed over the telescope to the sentry, ran downstairs again and picked up the communication receiver.

Accordingly, the communication console connected the call.

"It's connected to the Grand Headquarters."

At the words of the communication soldier, Supervisor Fagaz Gallioulin reported in an urgent voice.

"This is Gallioulin, the commander of the 1st Security Company. Many armored vehicles have been spotted in front of the western gate! The approximate number is estimated to be about 30! Please apply immediately."

"What are you talking about? What do you mean by armored vehicles? Are they Ukrainian?"

A nervous reaction from the battalion commander came through the communication receiver.

"I don't think they belong to the Ukrainian army. They looked like armored vehicles and I've never seen the flag before."

Fagaz Gallioulin, who did not recognize the Korean flag, did not know that the armored vehicle unit belonged to the Republic of Korea Marine Corps.

"Send me the exact coordinates! I'm going to launch a mortar attack."

"I don't think mortar will work. There are more people than you think."

"Who doesn't know that? I'm going to attack the regiment for emergency support so send me the coordinates."

"Yes, the coordinates are 48°24'31.03"N 36°40'46.79"E."

"Okay. Hold on there until the reinforcements arrive!"

"Yes, I will."

After ending the communication, Fagaz Gallioulin was at a loss. The 1st Guard Company had approximately 160 troops at the time! While the number of enemy soldiers he saw exiting the unusual-armored vehicle was over 200.

"Damn! It's a battalion-level force. How can I defend against it with my company force?"

Supervisor Fagaz Gallioulin threw the receiver down and gave the orders to the staff with an annoyed expression.

"Everyone, get ready for the battle! Move to your respective positions, the battalion headquarters will launch a mortar attack. Furthermore, the battalion has stated that they will immediately send a support unit, so we must maintain the defense line until then. Do you understand?"

Despite the fact that it was not a regular army, the staff, who had attained some level of veteran status after the nine years of civil war, moved quickly to their respective positions at the company commander's orders.

In February 2019, when the Russian army participated in the civil war, the Ukrainian troops had to withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk. As a result, Donetsk and Luhansk were completely handed over to the rebels, and five years later, there had been no significant engagement.

As time went by, Ukraine's influence on the two states fell significantly, and it was no exaggeration to say that the rebel victory solidified.

Meanwhile, the marines who had exited the armored vehicle moved quickly along the road leading to the city's interior and began preparing for the war.

The marines, who were wearing shield glasses, a cutting-edge optical device, moved in squads. They were able to obtain real-time information about enemy soldiers, such as identifying their location and determining whether or not they possessed firearms.

They also used the inverter mode to search the entire building for any enemy soldiers who might be hiding inside.

The Marine Corps was able to quickly deal with the city battle, which is considered the most dangerous battle, thanks to their excellent performance and cutting-edge optical equipment.

As they approached the city, they could hear a flute blowing from the sky, and pillars of dirt soared from all sides, with explosions everywhere.

"Get away! It's a mortar attack."

As someone shouted, the marines dashed to find cover.

<jjyuung jjyuung jjyuung jjyuung~~ Kwang! Kwang!>

The amphibious assault vehicle that was slowly following behind fired a 22-millimeter laser beam toward the sky. In addition, the K-30A2 Biho belonging to the Battalion Headquarters, which was waiting outside, mercilessly fired twin 12-millimeter 6-row Vulcan beams toward the sky.

Large and small explosions began to occur as the red lasers flew at the speed of light.

Mortars occasionally pierced the laser beam's fire net and exploded near the marines' hiding place.

<Boo!>

Bomb fragments and building debris flew in all directions as pillars of soil soared. The marines curled up as much as they could in their hiding places, waiting for the mortar attacks to end.

The 5th Artillery Regiment's 745th Artillery Battalion Alpha Pocket, which was waiting 10 kilometers behind, opened fire with retaliatory artillery less than two minutes after the mortar attack.

Because the fire control system was fully automated, the six C-9A1 Lightning self-propelled howitzers, which were significantly improved over the existing C-9 Thunderbolt, fired plasma bullets at a rate of close to 10 rounds per minute. Even though there were only six guns, the incredible rate of fire made it appear as if an entire artillery battalion was firing.

A few minutes after the Alpha retaliatory artillery attacks, the mortar attack stopped.

"Everyone, move forward!"

As soon as the motor attack stopped, 3rd Company commander, Captain Oh Sung-won, gave the order to advance. Subsequently, each platoon commander ordered his platoon members to advance.

"Platoon 1, move forward."

"Platoon 2, move forward."

"Platoon 3, move forward."

"Fire platoon! Support the front line!"

It was the moment when the Republic of Korea Marines went all-in to end Ukraine's nine-year civil war.

* * *

January 1st, 2024, 13:30 (New China time: 12:30)

Outside Area 15 of Beichen District Industrial Complex, Tianjin, New China

Team leader Park Gi-oong came back to the site where the factory, which was wider than a soccer field, had collapsed and only various concrete and steel structures were tangled in numerous places. He looked at the remains of the building through the VR-M2 fluoroscope from the roof of a building two kilometers away.

Numerous public security forces and armed soldiers installed double and triple control lines and strictly controlled civilian access, and approximately 20 heavy machineries were constantly digging up the building's remains.

Given that several ambulances were waiting, it appeared that they were attempting to rescue people who might still be alive, but this did not appear to be the case for team leader Park Gi-oong.

He believed that they were somehow trying to find the server buried underground and secure the plasma core technology.

"Those motherf*ckers are risking their lives."

Team leader Park Gi-oong, who bit his lower lip, was more concerned about the lives of the two managers. He increased the magnification of the VR-M2 fluoroscope to its maximum setting and attempted to scan using the location information he had checked last time, but there was no significant life response.

"Team leader Park! What happened?"

Team leader Youn Tae-jin handed over a can of coffee and asked.

"Huh? You're here? I haven't found them yet."

Team leader Park Gi-oong, who was concentrating on scanning the area and didn't realise team leader Youn had arrived, set down the VR-M2 fluoroscope for a moment and drank the coffee all at once.

"Hey! Drink it slowly! It's hot."

"Okay."

"Don't you think they might have managed to get out of there?"

"Then they would have already gone back to the dorm."

"Well, that's true! Oh! I'm really worried."

Team leader Youn Tae-jin took the VR-M2 fluoroscope and scanned where the heavy machineries was at work. As team leader Park Gi-oong said, there was no life response no matter where he looked.

"Aren't there any equipment that has better performance than this? Yes, that's right."

While scanning, he hit his knee.

"What?"

"I'm referring to the fire department. Don't they have equipment to locate people who have been buried in the rubble of buildings in earthquakes or accidents?"

"Well, that's right. I should find out right away."

"Hey, hey! I'll tell my team members to find out, so let's withdraw! You can't do anything here."

"You'll be able to find out by today, right?"

"Okay, I got it. I got it. Let's go now!"

Team leader Park Gi-oong left with some hope at the words of team leader Youn Tae-jin.

* * *

January 1st, 2024, 16:00 (New China time: 15:00)

Above Beijing, New China

Twenty minutes ago, Alpha Squadron CFS/A-31SP Three-toed Crow space fighter jet Unit 1, which was on a sortie from the 1st Space Fighter Wing at Seongnam Base, just entered the skies of Beijing in TCS mode.

"Wow! How can people live in such a place? It's just like a hell."

Captain Oh Tae-bin, the co-pilot of Unit 1, shook his head when he couldn't see anything beyond the canopy.

New China's yellow dust was severe all year but it was especially bad in the winter. Furthermore, to revitalize the economy, existing environmental regulations were repealed, and harmful smoke rose 24 hours a day from numerous factory chimneys.

"So, aren't we here?"

Lieutenant Colonel Choi Young-ho, commander of the First Unit, said as he pulled on the control stick's lever.

"What do you mean we're here? Are they using a state-of-the-art spacecraft capable of going to the moon as a postman?"

"Postman?"

"Yes, don't you think so?"

"Hahaha, postman…That's funny."

While the two pilots exchanged small talks, Captain Cho Eun-bin, an avionics management controller, intervened in the conversation.

"In one minute, we will reach the target point."

"Oh my! Captain Cho! What do you mean by target point? Are we going to blow away the city with a box full of flyers?"

"What? Then what should I say? This is also a mission, so we have to use combat terms. Hoho."

"Oh! Okay, okay."

Captain Oh Tae-bin, who was not very happy with the mission of releasing flyers with a state-of-the-art space fighter, said.

"Captain Oh! What is the big deal of the mission? We should just do our missions faithfully."

"Yes."

After a while, when the lower fairing of the Three-toed Crow space fighter jet Unit 1 was opened, transparent boxes, quite different from bombs, fell one after another toward the ground. And when it reached a certain altitude, with a small explosion, sheets of paper inside the box flew and spread all over Beijing.

Written on the sheets of paper that were falling all over Beijing was the following:

<People of New China, seven days from now, a powerful bomb with more power than a nuclear bomb will be dropped on all the cities listed below. If you have read this article, please evacuate immediately.> And the names of 32 cities were listed at the bottom.

That afternoon, tens of millions of flyers urging people to evacuate from the 32 cities, including Beijing, filled the sky instead of winter snow.