Chapter 10: Beyond the Brink
Alex, even with his eyes closed and head down, felt as if someone was holding a high-intensity flashlight right in front of him. He could hear everything, EVERY single thing in his immediate surroundings. He heard the wind blowing through the leaves, insects, birds, monkeys, and a snake slithering almost 300 meters away. The one tame thing was the smell. It smelled like dirt, rain, and grass, which was bearable.
He was in a sensory overload of some kind. Every sound, every sight, every smell was magnified. It was overwhelming, and for a moment, he was paralyzed by the sensory overload. It got so bad that Alex wanted to jump back in the hole. But then his training kicked in. He started taking small, deep breaths and concentrating only on his breathing.
.
.
.
It took a few hours, but Alex was able to get a handle on the situation, at least to an extent. As time passed, he got increasingly acclimated to his newfound heightened senses. Gradually, he gained control, though the world remained intensely vivid. His military training helped through his adaptability, and Alex pictures this as just another challenge to overcome.
Once he regained his composure, Alex assessed his situation. He was still in the mountains of North Korea, an extremely hostile territory. The nearest border to South Korea was approximately 327 miles southeast. He needed to move quickly, avoiding both wild animals and the watchful eyes of the North Korean military. He also noticed the compound was no longer there, and there were indications of a landslide in the area.
'Guess that explains why the cave entrance was buried,'
Alex searched the premises for a while, hoping to find any remnants of the fight that broke out, only to find nothing. Alex set off, navigating the rugged terrain. His heightened senses, while still troublesome, allowed him to detect dangers long before they posed a threat. He moved silently, each step calculated to minimize noise and disturbance. The forest around him was alive with activity, but he avoided confrontation, blending into his surroundings.
As he travelled, he relied on his training and experience to navigate the dense jungle. He followed natural landmarks, using his enhanced senses to identify safe paths and potential hazards. The journey was arduous, but he pressed on, driven by the urgency and the thirst for survival. When he felt hunger, he ate the bark of the tree he had chopped up into pieces.
On the second day, Alex encountered a patrol of North Korean soldiers. He heard them long before they came into view, their voices carrying through the forest as they chatted and laughed about something. Using his heightened vision, he observed their movements, noting their routines and patterns and plotted a route to avoid them. He moved silently, blending into the shades of trees as he bypassed the patrol, his heart pounding with the thrill of avoiding detection with his newfound abilities.
As he continued his journey, Alex's senses became his greatest asset. He detected the faint smell of smoke long before he stumbled upon a small campfire left by a group of what appeared to be poachers. He heard the distant roar of a river and used it to navigate his way through the forest, knowing that water sources often led to civilization. He even avoided a hidden pitfall trap, hearing the faint creak of the traps set for large animals just in time to sidestep it.
Each day was a test of his resolve. He hunted small animals when necessary, and his senses made him an effective hunter. He avoided larger animals, using his acute hearing to steer clear of potential threats. The only thing unfortunate was he had to eat them raw to avoid making fire.
On the seventh day, he encountered a dense forest of bamboo. The tall, slender stalks created a natural barrier, but Alex detected a hidden path winding through the undergrowth. He followed it, moving carefully to avoid making noise. The path led him to a small clearing, where he found a makeshift hut, likely used by local hunters or poachers.
He approached cautiously, listening for any signs of occupation and unfriendlies. The hut appeared uninhabited, and inside, he found a few useful supplies: a small amount of dried meat, a canteen of water, a map of the region, and gunpowder. The map confirmed his position and gave him a clearer idea of the terrain ahead. He studied it carefully, planning his route to the border.
Alex continued his journey. He started moving primarily at night, using the cover of darkness to mask his movements, with his enhanced night vision to navigate the dark forest. The days were spent resting and observing, using his senses to monitor the area for any signs of danger. He avoided roads and villages, under the assumption that if he neared the border, the North Korean patrol would be on high alert.
Days turned into a week as Alex made his way through the jungle. He relied on his training and his newfound abilities to survive, foraging for food, finding water sources, and avoiding detection. He moved mostly at night, his heightened senses making this possible, allowing him to navigate the dense jungle with ease, even in the pitch black.
One night, as he was moving through a particularly dense section of the forest, Alex heard the low growl of a tiger about 700 meters away. The sound sent a chill down his spine. He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. That was the first time he felt a hunter's instinct. He could hear the creature stalking through the underbrush, its movements slow and deliberate. He knew he couldn't outrun it, and fighting it was out of the question. Using his sidearm at night would be plain stupid, and using a knife when he was in a haggard condition wasn't ideal either.
Instead, Alex quickly covered himself with mud to mask his scent and climbed a nearby tall tree, moving swiftly and silently. He perched in the branches, holding his breath as the tiger passed below. He watched as it sniffed the ground where he had been standing moments before, then continued on its way. Alex waited until the sounds of its footsteps faded into the distance before climbing down and resuming his journey.
After nearly two weeks of travel, Alex reached the final leg of his journey. The border between North and South Korea was heavily fortified, patrolled by soldiers and monitored by surveillance cameras. He needed a plan to get across without being detected.
Now, he was faced with a serious challenge: a heavily guarded military checkpoint. The checkpoint blocked the most direct route to the border, forcing Alex to find a way around. He spent hours observing the soldiers, noting their routines and the placement of surveillance equipment. His senses allowed him to detect even the faintest sounds and movements, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the checkpoint's layout.
He routed the timeline for the guards' patrol duties, shift changes, breaks, and general behaviour. The terrain was rougher, but it offered better cover and fewer patrols. He would create a distraction at the main checkpoint to draw the soldiers' attention, then slip through the less guarded area.
Alex moved under the cover of darkness, his senses alert for any signs of danger. He approached the checkpoint from a distance, carefully placing several small, improvised explosives he made from the gunpowder he had from the poacher's hut. The explosions wouldn't cause significant damage, but they would create enough noise and confusion to draw the soldiers away from their posts.
As dawn approached, Alex retreated to a safe distance and waited. At precisely 4:00 AM, he triggered the explosives. The sudden bursts of sound and light startled the soldiers, who rushed to investigate the source of the commotion. Alex used the chaos to his advantage, moving swiftly and silently towards the less guarded section of the border.
He navigated the rough terrain with ease, he ran through the dense underbrush and rocky slopes. He could hear the distant shouts of the soldiers, still focused on the explosions, but he knew he had limited time before they regrouped. His heart pounded in his chest as he approached the border fence, a formidable barrier of barbed wire and electric sensors.
Using his tactical knife, he carefully cut through the fence, avoiding the sensors with meticulous precision. He slipped through the gap, staying low to avoid detection. On the other side, he could see the rolling hills of South Korea, a sight that filled him with a surge of relief.
But his journey was not over yet. He still had to evade the North Korean soldiers, who would soon be on full alert. He moved quickly, using the cover of the dark mist to conceal his movements. He could hear the distant hum of vehicles and the crackle of radios, but he pressed on, driven by the promise of freedom and safety.
As he neared the South Korean border, Alex encountered the final obstacle: a wide, open field patrolled by soldiers. He needed a distraction to get past them without being seen. He one had one last card to play. A makeshift smoke bomb.
He tossed a smoke bomb into the field, the smoke billowing out and creating a thick smog. The soldiers, caught off guard, rushed to investigate, their vision obscured by the smoke. Alex seized the opportunity, sprinting across the field and diving into the cover of the trees on the other side. The bomb only worked as a minor distraction; he was quickly noticed, and the enemy patrol started firing. Alex ran as fast as he could.
Even when he got shot twice in the back, he didn't stop running until he reached the South Korean border, where he was met by a group of soldiers who had been alerted to his presence because of all the gunfire. Seeing that he was white and had the US Navy insignia on his uniform, they escorted him to a secure hospital facility. Alex, when he realized he was finally safe, finally let down his guard, closed his eyes, and slept.
Unaware of all the commotion, he was going to stir up.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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