S308

Society Protocol Season 3_08

SS Training Camp

Min-hyuk didn't know where to go first.

Naturally, he should have gone home first, but his father had already passed away. Going there now wouldn't bring him back to life.

He had to go to the organization first. The organization was the only way to resolve this problem right now.

“Mom, I’ll get there as quickly as possible. But before that, there’s somewhere I need to stop by briefly.”

Crying could be heard over the receiver.

Min-hyuk started pedaling again.

Silence hung over the MS Korea Chapter's Gangwon Prayer Center.

It was just the beginning, and the deeds they had unleashed were setting the world ablaze.

Pastor Hwang had known from the very first day he received a revelation from God that such a day would come, and he had been preparing himself mentally.

The hours he had spent praying with tears over the past few days were precisely because he had anticipated that this day would arrive.

“God has already prepared everything and given us that cross. We have no choice but to carry our own cross and walk according to God’s will.”

Normally, this was a verse that would have been chanted in unison with “Amen,” but all the believers remained silent.

Although they had not lived entirely virtuously,

they were people who had never harmed others, with the exception of a few gangster deacons.

Even the gangster boss, who had come seeking a place free of violence but ended up staining his own hands with blood,

felt that this was ultimately his fate.

‘I wondered, what in my fate is a church? I had returned because of those childhood memories of singing hymns and eating snacks, but in the end, I was a general in a past life.’

Although he knew nothing about fortune telling, his fate was so twisted that whenever he consulted a fortune teller,

he simply accepted it as his destiny as he watched the teller tell him his chart was filled with bad things.

The fortune teller said that if things went well, he might become a soldier or a police officer.

According to the fortune teller, soldiers, police officers, doctors, firefighters, and gangsters all shared similar fates.

Although he had become a gangster due to bad luck, the loyalty among his brothers was something to boast about.

And he was infinitely generous to those on his side.

Now that he belonged to this organization, he would become the soldier to protect them.

He had acquired a mission.

Although he had been a pointed-eyed gangster who used to suck the blood of people,

he resolved to become a guardian protecting innocent people.

“Pastor, how about we leave headquarters for now and proceed? I will stay with you and protect you.”

Pastor Hwang nodded at the words of the deacon, who was skilled in organization, tactics, and psychological warfare.

But where was he going? Was there a place where someone had called him?

“Deacon, you are right. However, we have not properly begun yet. The snakes are about to invade. I have heard that their numbers are not that large. If we eliminate them first, God might send a message to stop the judgment.”

Pastor Hwang may still have thought that this was a message from God intended merely as a warning.

However, if Pastor Hwang dies, this entire organization will come to an end.

Nevertheless, the Deacon had to obey Pastor Hwang’s will.

He had to send his members out into the city to scout the surroundings.

Society did not yet realize that they were the ones who had committed these acts.

It was simply a case of people suddenly going mad and fighting each other.

And he had to make preparations.

Preparations for someone who would succeed him and uphold God’s will once he was gone.

There were elders and senior deaconesses in that prayer retreat.

However, they were people who had spent their entire lives following God’s word and living in accordance with their duties. Now, a person with the ability and wisdom to fight was needed.

They needed to compare themselves to the figures in the Bible.

Pastor Hwang took the hand of Deacon Kim, a gangster boss, and led him into his prayer room.

“Deacon, do you know any figures from the Bible?”

“I attended church when I was young, and there are names I heard back then. People like Samson and Delilah.”

“Of course, you must know David and Goliath, too?”

“Yes, of course. Wisdom is needed in a fight. And guts.”

“Do you know about Moses?”

“Isn’t he the Egyptian prince who wrote the Pentateuch?”

“That is correct. Moses, who was an Egyptian prince, felt sorrowful seeing his people being persecuted, so he led them out of Egypt. He even performed the miracle of parting the sea at that time. However, when Moses led his people out, the people were not entirely happy. There was a lot of discontent. So, Moses went up a mountain and received the Ten Commandments. It is the one we know. Moses wrote the beginning of the Bible. And he liberated the people of Israel. He could have lived a comfortable and secure life as an Egyptian prince. But he could not. I have thought that I am similar to Moses.”

“Since you are the one who guides us all, that is correct.”

“But another thought occurred to me. That Moses ultimately could not enter the Promised Land. Although he led people, wrote Bible verses, and received the Ten Commandments, Moses could not stay with them until the very end.”

“So, what happened to him?”

“Moses chose General Joshua as his successor. Joshua conquered the surrounding regions through war and eventually led everyone to the Promised Land.”

“I see. So there was a general there, too.”

“I believe you, Deacon Kim, might need to play the role of Joshua. That is, if something were to happen to me.”

For a moment, Deacon Kim, a former gangster, was flustered.

“People won’t listen to me. Because I am a sinner. Because I am a criminal.”

“We are currently at war. I am speaking to you, the congregation. Please do not refuse; look after them and protect them.”

“Pastor, how dare I.”

“I am telling you this because I feel that if things go wrong, we could lose everyone. If you allow it, Deacon, I will speak to you, the congregation.”

Deacon Kim knelt and wept.

The very fact that he, once ostracized as a criminal, was brought this far and now trusted as a person in the most important position was something that had never happened in his life.

Pastor Hwang made a declaration in the sanctuary. And Deacon Kim knelt before the believers.

Although he had already been baptized when he became a deacon, he was baptized once again by Pastor Hwang.

After dipping his hands into a bowl of water, he placed his hands on the head of the kneeling Deacon Kim and prayed.

Mi-hee watched this scene from a distance.

She was certain that she was now crossing a river of no return.

Deacon Kim had now become Elder Kim.

He began climbing to the mountaintop, carrying an EMP gun.

Min-hyuk arrived at the Seoul headquarters.

Since there was a Ttareungi station on the main road, he connected the cable and parked his bicycle there.

The golf driving range was closed.

Closure signs began to be posted at most places where people gathered. Panic buying was rampant at the supermarket, and abandoned cars were visible all over the streets.

It was just like a war zone.

The female employee was nowhere to be seen at the counter near the entrance of the golf practice range.

Armed men were standing there holding guns.

“Min-hyuk, are you here? I have something to tell you as well. You must listen calmly.”

Min-hyuk wondered if something terrible had happened again. Had something happened to his mother, too?

“Your father... Um...”

“I heard the news. Is there anything else?”

Min-hyuk remained remarkably calm. The boiling anger actually served to cool his head.

“Orders have come down from General Headquarters. It is a command to eliminate the ringleaders of MS. We call this Operation Decapitation.”

“I will do it. I have been there before, and I know who the key figures are.”

Ji Seo-hoon, who had been agonizing over how to ask for help, was left stunned by Min-hyuk’s volunteering.

“In return, I have a favor to ask.”

“Tell me anything.”

“My girlfriend is there. I request that you protect her without holding her accountable for her crimes.”

“Alright, I’ll take responsibility.”

“What do I need to do now?”

“First, visit your mother and reassure her. The organization will handle the funeral to the highest standards. We won’t be able to finish the funeral because there isn’t enough time. This is a critical situation where not only your father but the entire nation could lose their lives.”

“Understood. Then, should I leave immediately?”

“Have you ever killed anyone?”

“No. But I can do it.”

“It’s not something that can be done with willpower alone. Besides, you’re not an ordinary human. You might end up getting beaten up before you even get a chance to try. You need to receive training. After you see your mother, you’re going straight to Ganghwa Island.”

“What’s on Ganghwa Island?”

“The Marine Corps.”

Min-hyuk rode in a vehicle escorted by the organization to the hospital where his father’s remains were.

His mother was already wearing mourning clothes.

Because the situation was so chaotic, a separate funeral hall had not been prepared.

The hospital was overflowing with patients, and the deceased were being moved from the entrance in coffins.

His mother saw Min-hyuk and hugged him tightly. And she shed tears.

He should have been with her. Fortunately, however, his aunts were with them.

“Mother, I have to go.”

“Where are you going in this dangerous situation?”

“I cannot tell you the details. Please do not worry.”

Leaving his mother’s wailing and gestures behind, Min-hyuk got back into the organization’s vehicle and headed to Ganghwa Island.

The place they arrived at was a reserve military training ground.

The organization was already prepared.

The subordinates of the senior members who were in charge of operations were already getting ready.

They were the shadows, operating from the unseen side of the organization.

Min-hyuk began training alongside them.

The briefing began with the information the organization had gathered so far.

Locations, key strongholds, and targets were established.

The key figures were Pastor Hwang, Pastor Kang (whose whereabouts were unknown), the associate pastor, the evangelist, and some of the elders.

To be precise, they only needed to eliminate Pastor Hwang.

However, it was faster to eliminate those who possessed even a little bit of leadership.

If they were not eliminated, they might have to kill every single believer. It was an organization that did not want to go that far.

First, they had to identify the enemy's weapons.

The enemy was using radio waves.

They conveyed that the range and other important functions were currently being analyzed in the United States.

And the important thing was that they had to keep their appearances hidden from the believers as much as possible.

Basic training methods were conveyed.

The training was to last exactly three days.

Most of it was training on the use of firearms.

The option of deploying professional military personnel was considered, but,

since there was no evidence or suspicion in the world that they had been eliminated, the military could not be mobilized directly.

Even if they were sacrificed there, they would know nothing.

Therefore, they could not use the weapons currently used by the South Korean military.

They learned how to use long-range sniper rifles, assault rifles, and pistols in turn.

Grenades could not be used; only smoke grenades and flashbangs were permitted.

Knife usage and concealment methods were introduced. Since it was not a prolonged ambush or standoff, the attire was prepared to be as light as possible.

The uniforms were black, and no markings were handed over.

The combat boots were made of a special material designed to minimize noise.

Night vision goggles were also used.

The first day consisted of basic marksmanship training.

The second day was a joint training exercise where they spent the entire day walking, running, and communicating using communication equipment.

Specialized jargon was avoided as much as possible, and targets were directly assigned names.

Pastor Hwang's codename was Alpha.

They were to land by helicopter one kilometer away from the prayer retreat, where an electric truck had been stationed in advance.

The plan was to escape after the operation was over by lowering a net from the helicopter to a spot resembling the prayer retreat's sports field, as Min-hyuk had indicated, and hanging from it.

Two helicopters were to be deployed simultaneously for the escape.

The operation began.

Min-hyuk's target was Alpha.