Against the Clock: The Team Leader’s Pursuit of Glory

The red light emitted by the gate grew intensely, before eventually belching out a dark, black void. It was a sight of utter dread.

'Wasn't the Ichon Hangang Park gate a 'Blue1' rank? I recall the Twins Guild securing the right to subjugate it. The guild was capable enough, so why hadn't they completed the subjugation within the stipulated time?'

Ichon wasn't far from Yeouido, so Kang Mu-hyuk always kept tabs on the gate situation near his guild. This held true even when he was admitted to the hospital.

It was a kind of occupational disease.

Also, it was his obsession with gates.

A creeping sense of uneasiness would bother him if he didn't know everything about the gates around him. The same applied to the information from other guilds.

Kang Mu-hyuk was quite familiar with the situation of the Twins Guild located in Ichon-dong.

The Twin Guild Masters he knew were ambitious, but they weren't unreasonable.

A hunter's basic stance--

"Hunters protect humanity."

Their professional philosophy was rather steadfast.

He had no personal friendship with them, but their reputation among the industry from the colleagues with whom they'd worked was not bad.

Such people couldn't have left an Outbreak unattended irresponsibly.

'Did an Irregular appear?'

Whatever the case, it was clear that a problem had arisen.

"It seems like the gate's opening time is almost up, isn't it?" Seo Suji, standing on the railing by the road near the Han River, said as she squinted her eyes.

"Hunter Seo, come down. Being exposed like that makes you vulnerable to flying monsters."

"What's the big deal? The gate isn't even open yet... Alright, alright. Don't glare at me like that. Why does a non-Hunter stick to combat rules more strictly than a Hunter, honestly."

At Kang Mu-hyuk's glare, Seo Suji grumbled as she stepped down.

A Hunter who did as they pleased during operations put their party at risk. Just as Kang Mu-hyuk was about to issue another warning, a report arrived through his earpiece.

"Team Leader Kang, you might want to come here."

It was the voice of Yu Taejin, who was on scout duty with his specialized role in reconnaissance.

Although it was a bit awkward to call someone who wasn't a Hunter a party leader, he had naturally started calling him team leader. Thanks to that, the other Hunters also unified their terms of address.

"What's the matter?"

"From your location, Team Leader, there are many casualties between the 200 and 250-meter mark. It seems like we're going to have trouble handling it alone."

As Kang Mu-hyuk listened to the report, he signaled the other Hunters to follow him and started running. The Hunters ran lightly, but Kang Mu-hyuk, only a few steps ahead, was already far at the back.

"Are there any civilians nearby who can move?"

"A few are present."

"If they've managed to stay so far... Unless they're hiding, they must be engaged in relief activities."

"Yes, that's correct."

"Please assist them. We'll be there shortly."

The Hunters, who arrived one step ahead of Kang Mu-hyuk, gasped at the grim scene.

People's screams and groans and the sight of them lying, bleeding, was brutal.

Hunters were the ones who traversed the line between life and death at the gates. They, who were used to picking up guts spilled from split bellies, were not the type to be easily terrified.

And yet, the reason they stood still was because the carnage was far worse than anticipated.

The gate had yet to open.

Merely from the premonitory signs of an outbreak, people were thrown into a panic, causing harm to one another.

The realization of why they had to close the gate hit them anew.

Go Yoo-han swallowed hard.

"What are you doing? Don't just stand there, help that person trapped under the wheel, and others, help where you can."

Kang Mu-hyuk, who had arrived late, patted Go Yoo-han's shoulder and stepped forward. His expression was utterly unflustered.

"This way," Yu Taejin called out to Kang Mu-hyuk.

Kang Mu-hyuk's gaze halted on a man standing beside Yu Taejin after scanning his surroundings.

The man's hands caring for the injured were dexterous. Yu Taejin was handing the man a bandage from an emergency kit.

Locking eyes with Yu Taejin, Kang Mu-hyuk approached the man and asked, "I'm Kang Mu-hyuk, the team leader of the Titan Guild. What is your name?"

"Choi Ilguk."

"You seem quite adept at first aid. Is your profession related...?"

"I'm a firefighter."

Choi Ilguk, as substantial as his physique, displayed no hint of wavering even amid the crisis.

Kang Mu-hyuk admired him genuinely.

'He must have been wanting to run away.'

Even a firefighter with an ironclad spirit of self-sacrifice would find the terror of the gate a separate issue.

There was a primal fear associated with the gate. It struck harder at non-Hunters who didn't possess extraordinary courage.

To overcome this and attend to the injured was an act of tremendous bravery.

Those who stayed to help were also deserving of respect.

And yet, Kang Mu-hyuk had no choice but to burden these people further.

"Then, could you take care of this place? Those of us who are fit must move the injured to the rear."

"The gate hasn't opened yet, is there a rear here now?"

"We need to retreat towards the Han River Bridge as much as we can. Even a few hundred meters is fine. Put some distance between you and here. The retreat will buy you time. The guilds that arrive later will assist while we delay as long as we can. If we can't stop the monsters until then, I'll fire a flare. Keep an eye on the sky above the park. As soon as you see the flare, abandon the injured and run immediately."

"Run? That's..."

"It's not cowardice. Those who can live should live. During an outbreak, you need to save yourself first."

Kang Mu-hyuk drew a firm line.

Even the most courageous person tends to make choices beneficial to themselves when faced with an extreme situation.

However, staying here to help others, while noble, would likely also carry a sense of guilt.

Experiencing an outbreak from a young age, he knew such guilt could lead to hesitation, delaying judgment. And this delay often separated life from death.

Kang Mu-hyuk purposefully provided Choi Ilguk with absolution for his own safety.

Choi Ilguk responded with fervor, "Understood. But what about those who have trouble moving? Because of the incident, even the sidewalk is blocked and we can't use vehicles. It's difficult to carry them."

"I'll solve that issue."

Kang Mu-hyuk called out again to Go Yoo-han, who had just lifted a car to rescue people.

"Can you use Mana Sword?"

"Well... I'm a beginner, but after all, I'm a B-rank."

"Do you remember seeing a truck carrying lumber on your way here?"

"Lumber? I'm not sure."

"About 100 meters away, there should be a tanker truck. Cut several pieces of wood about 2 meters long from there. And for Mr. Choi Ilguk..."

"You mean to strip the top and make stretchers."

"Yes. For now, let's carry them that way."

They each took their jobs and started organizing the scene.

Suddenly, Kang Mu-hyuk faltered. His head spun, a flash of light cut across his vision. A dizzying sensation, like something was wringing his brain, shot through his skull. It felt as if something was entering his mind.

'Could this be... A seizure?'

At this of all times?

Kang Mu-hyuk gritted his teeth. As he did so, he bit into his cheek, drawing blood. The pain brought him back to reality.

"The gate has opened!"

At someone's shout, everyone looked toward the gate.

The black energy from the gate had pierced the sky.

It was a chilling sight. Even the white clouds had turned black, and the sun was obscured.

Across the river, sunlight was still pouring down. It felt like a separate space, hard to believe it was the same Seoul.

"...Mr. Choi Ilguk, I leave this place to you."

"Yes. Leave it to me. Take care."

Kang Mu-hyuk shook hands with Choi Ilguk lightly. He could feel a wish for victory within the grasp.

The moment he reached near the gate after parting with Choi Ilguk.

Bang! Boom!

A sudden explosion sounded.

Although the barrier separating the gate and the outside prevented them from seeing inside, the flashes and explosions spilling over told them that the situation was not good.

"Do we really have to go in there?"

"I'm going."

A non-Hunter leading the way made Seo Suji, who had been hesitating, puff up her cheeks and follow.

"You seem like you're prepared to die."

The Hunters agreed with her words and followed.

Boom!

The explosion and the ensuing blast wave hit the party that had just entered the Twins Guild camp.

The tankers, Go Yoo-han and Lee Chuljin, lowered their stances and raised their shields.

The most agile and experienced Hunter, Yu Taejin, grabbed Kang Mu-hyuk by the wrist and dragged him behind Go Yoo-han to avoid the blast.

The explosion echoed a few more times, and a shockwave full of dust whipped around them. The hunters, shaken but enduring, only raised their heads after the noise had quieted down.

"Holy... cow."

Lee Chuljin swallowed the words that had unknowingly slipped out.

The camp that spread out in front of them had become a wasteland.

The members of the Twins Guild lay on the ground as if dead. Judging by the moans coming from the flames and smoke, they seemed to have fortunately avoided annihilation.

Kang Mu-hyuk's party could see the cause of this disaster through the slowly clearing smoke.

"What's that?"

"First time seeing it? Is it an Unknown?"

"Looks like a magic-type species."

Kang Mu-hyuk also muttered after identifying the monster.

"Oldster Sorcerer..."

"Oldster what? Is that a known monster?" Seo Suji asked.

"It's a recently discovered Unknown. A powerful magic-type monster," Kang Mu-hyuk bit his lip.

The monster had first appeared as a Guardian at the Sogang University gate not long ago. He had only confirmed its existence through a video shot by Park Min-soo, who had watched the hunt but hadn't seen the monster in person.

In the video, the Oldster Sorcerer had cast powerful spells. Most were fire-type, its casting speed was fast, and its small size was utilized well with its mobility magic, making it a difficult opponent to fight. Kang Mu-hyuk had judged that even trying to capture this monster would require Titan Guild to deploy considerable manpower. It was that strong.

'Ju Se-ah had beaten it with her bare fists.'

The prowess of the 'near S-rank' Hunter seen in the video was nothing short of a strategic weapon.

As soon as he saw this monster, Kang Mu-hyuk was filled with doubt.

'Why has it shown up again?'

It was unusual for an Unknown to appear again in such a short time. Once an Unknown appeared, its subsequent appearance frequency would increase. However, he didn't expect it to reappear this quickly, especially not in an area that wasn't far away.

'Could it be trying to become a local monster?'

There were some monsters that continually appeared only in the area where they had first emerged. The reasons were unknown, but depending on the type of monster, they could cause serious problems, enough to entirely change the hunting strategy of the region.

"It's just a casting monster. I told you, I'm tough, right? Not only physical defense, but my magic resistance is also high. I can endure a hit or two, so how about I approach and keep attacking so it doesn't have time to cast?"

Go Yoo-han suggested confidently, but Kang Mu-hyuk stopped him.

"That's not a monster you can withstand by just taking hits. You might endure a few, but its rapid-fire ability makes it hard to approach."

"How would you know without trying? Don't worry. In terms of defense, my body is not inferior to an A-rank."

"Don't act unless you're as tough as Hunter Ju Se-ah."

"Who? Ju Se-ah? You don't mean the Indomitable Witch?"

"Yes. The first to kill that thing was Hunter Ju Se-ah. She was even pushed back significantly after taking a few hits directly."

Go Yoo-han was shocked.

Whoever Ju Se-ah was, her magic resistance wasn't inferior to anyone in the world, not just Korea. Her physical defense was at a non-human level. And she was pushed back?

Of course, Kang Mu-hyuk didn't mention that Ju Se-ah had fought with just her basic equipment, not wearing her signature 'custom armor.'

There was no need to dampen the spirits of a budding sapling.

"Let's retreat for now. Without the gear for heavy magic, we can't stand a chance."

"What about the Hunters lying there? If we leave them..."

"If we fight, we'll just end up lying next to them."

Just as Kang Mu-hyuk cut off Go Yoo-han's objection, he felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Magic! Dodge!"

"Huh?"

There was no warning. The Hunters looked confused.

As they watched Kang Mu-hyuk hurriedly retreat, they thought he was acting strange. It was only when they saw flames spurting from the monster's staff a moment later that they belatedly reacted.

"Really?"

Boom!

A direct hit.

Go Yoo-han blocked it. As he had promised himself, he was solid. But only up to that point. He managed to hold against the incoming flames once more before collapsing entirely.

He wasn't dead, but he was in a state of near death.

Despite suffering from severe burns all over his body, he immediately drew a potion from the ampule kit on his waist and placed it into his mouth.

"Guh... What kind of magic...?"

Thanks to Go Yoo-han's courageous response, Kang Mu-hyuk was pulled out of the shield's range by Seo Suji.

From the moment the magic was cast, he had never taken his eyes off the Oldster Sorcerer.

From the moment the gate opened, his senses had become keen.

There was something that made his eyes sting, not painful, but cold, and even more than cold, it felt refreshing. His field of vision was clearer than usual, and the surrounding landscape seemed to be imprinted in his eyes.

It was as if the scenery was being delivered directly to his brain, bypassing his eyes.

A peculiar scene caught Kang Mu-hyuk's eye.

'Didn't that guy just have a long delay?'

The casting time after he noticed the first spell and the casting time of the second spell were different, even though they were for the same spell.

It was significantly different from what he had seen in the video. Moreover, the third spell had not yet been activated. More precisely, it was still being cast.

Suddenly, the status of the monster passed clearly through Kang Mu-hyuk's mind. It felt as if he was dissecting and examining it.

'Mana exhaustion!'

Both magic and skills used mana. The key was to use the mana pre-accumulated in the Hunter's body to reduce the delay as much as possible.

But sometimes, during hunting, one may fail to manage their mana. In that case, they borrowed it from the surroundings.

Since they were borrowing mana they didn't originally possess, the activation time would extend.

That was precisely the current state of the Oldster Sorcerer.

Despite encountering this monster for the first time, Kang Mu-hyuk was sure.

"Attack now!"

Kang Mu-hyuk shouted into his smartphone.

The party members jolted at the sound of his voice coming through their earphones and speakers.

"What kind of crazy talk is that? Do you want to die?!"

Seo Suji snapped back in irritation. When had the one who had been saying it was dangerous and retreating started ordering an attack?

He was a mystery, completely inscrutable.

The moment Seo Suji's grip slackened, Kang Mu-hyuk shook off her hand and ran out.

Then he chose who to give his order to.

"Hunter Yu Taejin! Strike first!"

Kang Mu-hyuk chose Yu Taejin.

He had a hunch that the experienced Yu Taejin would respond to his command.

Just as Kang Mu-hyuk had predicted, Yu Taejin instantly sprang forward.

He closed the distance to the monster in no time and stabbed it in the neck with a dagger drawn from behind his waist.

At the same time as green blood splattered, other Hunters who had found an opening rushed in and planted their weapons.

In an instant, they ravaged the small body of the monster. It was so messed up that there was no other way to describe it other than a lump of meat.

"This... What the... Why isn't it dying?" Lee Chuljin muttered incredulously.

Everyone felt the same way.

Despite being dealt multiple fatal wounds that would have normally killed it, the monster was still gathering mana for casting magic.

A big attack was imminent.

"It's too late to back off. Stab until it dies!"

Despite the Hunters swinging their weapons with grim determination, the monster refused to die, no matter what they did.

Kang Mu-hyuk was taken aback, his assessment had been wrong.

'It doesn't die? But, I was sure...

...that she had landed a deadly blow.'

'Did I overlook its vitality because of the power behind Ju Se-ah's attack?'

But still, a magic-type monster shouldn't have been this stubbornly resilient. Its tenacity was enough to shame a troll.

That was when Kang Mu-hyuk's unusually heightened senses flashed with insight once again.

His pupils were rapidly spinning, as if determined not to miss a single thing about the creature.

"Why is it gathering mana while it's on the brink of death? It's as if its mana container has been shattered."

What if the small creature wasn't the main body? Was it some kind of parasitic monster? Or a new type of lich?

And then the conclusion hit him.

'The staff! Of course, it felt off the moment I first saw it.'

The staff, brimming with mana, was about to spew fire.

Kang Mu-hyuk shouted, "Break the staff!"

Kang Mu-hyuk's command was transmitted to everyone through the communication system.

But it was already too late.

No one was able to shatter the mana-filled staff.

'Damn! Why didn't I notice it sooner?'

Kang Mu-hyuk blamed his own inexperience. He felt he had failed as a strategist. Simultaneously, he felt sorry for the Hunters who had followed his judgment.

Just then.

Thud!

Someone dropped from the sky, landing in front of the monster.

"So the staff was its weak point? Didn't know because I simply killed it last time."

Kang Mu-hyuk cried out at the sudden appearance of an unexpected figure.

"Ju Se-ah?!"

Ju Se-ah, while reaching out to the violently shaking staff, turned around.

"It's the second time now. Don't think about going off cheaply this time, Mr. Kang Mu-hyuk."