I observed the darkness of the night through the small window of the hind. Elene was taking off the juggernaut suit from her body before giving it back to me alongside other things. The helicopter continued to fly across the night sky.
“What’s next?” I asked, still catching my breath from the action.
Elene glanced at the wreckage of the Uragan launcher, then back at me. “We probably just need to repack what we brought. That’s it. After that, let’s head back to camp.” She paused, her expression unreadable, before adding, “Oh, and we need to blow up the JLTV.”
Alice’s voice came through the radio, cutting in. “Already done.”
Elene raised an eyebrow, a slight grin forming on her lips. “I see you’ve crossed the Rubicon after all. Going with the plan to take the attack helicopter, huh?”
Alice’s response came in a cold, almost detached tone. “Well, the way I see it... with our little ‘misconduct’ several months ago, we’ll be discharged at the end of the day. In fact, if not for this bold move, I doubted we would still be alive. So, at the very least, I prefer to have this attack helicopter with us”
Her words hung in the air, the weight of them settling over us like a cloud. There was no mistaking it—whatever consequences they faced, it must be terrible. Still, this squad wasn’t exactly someone I knew previously. Camaraderie could build up in less than a day, maybe this was the case for us.
Despite the tension, the close calls, and the calculated risks, we had become a team. Maybe it was the shared danger or the adrenaline that bound us together.
Sure, it was merely three days for me, time-wise, but if I wrote a book about it, it could be hundreds of pages that I had written. After all, I was a mere anesthesiologist-in-training turned mercenary in under a day thanks to dying in the real world.
Not in my wildest dream I would be working with the equivalent of special forces in this world, much less working side-by-side with them, but fate seemed to tell me otherwise. Still, it was a blast working with these people.
Mira then intervened in my thought, “We’ll be landing shortly, Ain.”
“Can you help us pack our tents and bags?” Elene asked.
“Sure thing,” I just shrugged my shoulders.
The Mi-35 landed on the opening where the tents were. Mira landed the helicopter smoothly on the opening and switched off all of the engines after she opened the door leading to the cargo area. After landing the helicopter, we quickly packed all of the tents.
We folded the tents, poured any leftover fuel that could be used for the helicopter into the helicopter, and threw away that couldn’t. The leftover ammo was also put inside of the helicopter alongside with few weapons that they gladly donated.
“Fun fact, we are here to support the airborne force to do their suicide mission,” Alice said.
“Really?”
“Yeah, after all, this operation was our gamble for something…” Elene was reluctant to tell it.
“Ok? Well, what are you going to do next then?” I asked as I lifted the crates into the helicopter.
“Probably report back to our officers, then, let’s see where the future will take us,” Elene said. “Maybe, we will be moving to other realms, or working here as contractors. I’m not too sure, being a contractor sure as hell looks enticing.”
“Well, best of luck, then.”
“Thanks, Ain. Hey, do you have a phone or something? I might contact you in the future,” Elene said.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
I gave her my iPhone and she typed me a number. She saved it in the contact with her own name. I wondered what these three people would do next. Still, with their kind of skillsets, I had no doubt that they would rack in the cash quicker than I would.
We loaded up in the helicopter again and flew away from the encampment, now abandoned without any trace of our presence. The helicopter gained more altitude as they moved toward the Federation’s territory. I sat down on a decrepit fabric chair of the helicopter.
The fatigue of the operation began to take a toll on my body as the sun arose on the horizon. I didn’t know how long it would take me to arrive at Ludmilla, but well, a little bit of sleep wouldn’t hurt anyone. I then closed my eyes.
image [https://i.imgur.com/8qWW1iK.png]
"THREE DAYS. THREE DAMNED DAYS, ANGEL, DU BIST ECHT EIN VERRÜCKTER, WEISST DU DAS, ANGEL?" Wilhelm shouts, staring at the helicopter at Ludmilla’s airfield. "HOLY SHIT, YOU ALREADY GOT AN ATTACK HELI?!"
The task force left the helicopter there, heck, they only left me a note that they would contact me soon before I even woke up, and tell me to do whatever I want to the helicopter. What left me was a bewildered Wilhelm as he shook his head while his handlebar mustache wrinkled under the extreme surprise he got. Well, I would be surprised if I got an attack helicopter myself.
Wilhelm shook his head in confusion. Maybe three days was too fast for a fresh contractor to progress, I guess? Still, I had been through a lot of things, at least, in my mental image, it had been more than a month with this shenanigans even though it merely took three days. It was a miracle that I was still alive at this point.
“Ok, what do you want to do with it? Sell it? Insure it? What?” Wilhelm asked.
“Any advice?” I asked.
Then, a soft small footstep approached the two of us from behind. Wilhelm immediately turned his head backward, and I followed suit, revealing the beautiful goblin that wore a suit that always attended the bar in the guild building.
Who else but Eleanor?
“Impressive,” she nodded. “You, earth people, are somehow always surprising.”
[Funds Transferred: 1,054,947 UC → 1,074,947 UC]
“The laptops you brought had some sensitive data and dirt about the Federation—nothing I didn’t already know,” Eleanor said, her voice sharp with authority. “Still, this is for your trouble. Now, tell me, how exactly did you manage to bring a Mil-35M gunship into my village, dear woman?”
I exhaled a heavy breath and started to recount the madness. The insane job, the Federation’s betrayal, leaving their own soldiers to handle impossible missions—missions that succeeded only through sheer luck and relentless determination. As I spoke, Eleanor listened intently, her expression unreadable, nodding occasionally, as if confirming what she already suspected.
It was a strange moment—almost surreal, the way she absorbed the chaos like it was just another Tuesday. But this was Eleanor. She’d been through worse. She was a level 100 contractor, she was another Case, if I had to say.
“That’s why the Federation pays contractors so much,” Eleanor said with a wry smile. “You guys are practically unkillable. As for the Union, well, they rarely, if ever, employed contractors. So, there’s that.”
Eleanor then looked at Wilhelm, “How much is that Hind?”
“Huh?” Wilhelm was bamboozled. “With the content, the machine gun, and stuff? It’s 8,250,000 UC.”
“That’s a lot of money,” I commented.
“How much would it take for her to insure it?” Eleanor asked.
“1,600,000 UC, 20% rate, as usual,” Wilhelm added.
Eleanor then tapped me on my shoulder, even though her hand barely reached it. “I suggest you sell that helicopter. If you crash it, you’ll lose all of your money. This is just a bit of friendly advice from a fellow contractor, what do you say?”
Eleanor’s point was fair. For what would I need the helicopter if I couldn’t pilot it at all? The tactical advantage that I would get was real, but what would be the use of it if I couldn’t even pilot it? With that in mind, I decided to just sell it.
“Deal.”
Eleanor then nodded at Wilhelm, “Do it.”
Wilhelm sighed, “Sure thing, that’s what I’m here for.”
[Funds Transferred: 1,074,947 UC → 9,374,947 UC]
“It’s nice doing business with you,” I smiled, looking at the credits that I got.
Wilhelm, still looking a bit stunned, gave a low whistle. “I’m glad you decided to sell. That’s one hell of a payout for a few days’ work.”
I couldn’t help but smile a little, feeling the weight of the last few days pressing down on me. The money was nice, but it wasn’t about that. It was the chaos, the impossible missions, the insane risks—and somehow, I had made it out alive. And here I was, still standing, still breathing. That had to count for something.
“I guess the world of mercenaries is really something else,” I said, mostly to myself.
Wilhelm then teased, “Are you going to buy a tank now, girl?” He smiled.
Eleanor then gruntled, “Wilhelm…”
“I’m just kidding, or am I?” He smirked.
Eleanor then sighed again, she then pulled Wilhelm away from me, “Have a nice day, Ain.”