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

At Ju Se-ah's question, Kang Mu-hyuk nodded and touched his tablet. A map appeared on the 150-inch monitor installed on the Guild Master's office wall.

"The current Special Activities Zone consists of a vast area made up of parts of the North Pocheon, Gwanin-myeon, Yeongbuk-myeon, Idong-myeon, Yeongjung-myeon, Changsu-myeon, and Ildong-myeon [TL: These are all third-order administrative division - a subdivision of a second-order administrative division in Pocheon] The northeast part is a part of the Gwangju Mountain Range, so the area is highly defensible due to the mountains that lead out to flatlands. However, the places bordering South Pocheon are flat, and there are many golf courses built in the past, which are open on all sides. We could install an electric fence, but it's not entirely effective in preventing the occasional monster incursions. With all this in consideration, I've marked several potential locations."

Ju Se-ah stared intently at the boundary of South Pocheon marked on the monitor. The map, meticulously prepared by Kang Mu-hyuk, displayed the prospective headquarters and some basic information about each.

She picked one and pointed to it.

"In that case, we should place the headquarters near the boundary. It's close to the city and transportation is convenient. Our response will also be easier. How about here? The place where Art Valley used to be. It says it was closed due to difficulties in management. There are suitable buildings to use as our headquarters and plenty of space for training grounds. As it's a hard place to deal with, wouldn't Pocheon City agree to hand it over?"

"It's not going to be completely free. We'll have to negotiate with Pocheon City and pay a certain cost."

"Will it be expensive?"

"Considering the relocation cost and the severance pay for defectors, the budget is tight. Even if we suggest making payments in installments... Well, fundamentally it's not the condition I want. Although it's close to the city, it's a bit far from the boundary."

Kang Mu-hyuk deleted Art Valley from the map, causing Ju Se-ah to scratch her head and scan the other locations.

"Then, how about here? Pocheon Adonis Country Club. It has a wide area for training grounds being a golf course, and we can use the clubhouse as our headquarters. It's on the frontline towards the city. Plus, it's a place that went out of business due to the monster threats."

"It's not a bad place, but it's not suitable for carrying out the projects we have in plan and exercising our resource collection rights."

"What? Then, all these marked places are the same. If we remove all of them, the only place left... Guild Leader Kang, you can't possibly mean...?"

"Yes. Here, not on the boundary, but inside North Pocheon. We'll place our headquarters there."

"Can... Can people even live there?"

"There's a very good place. Right here. Sanjeong Lake."

A resort appeared as Kang Mu-hyuk marked a new location.

It was a place that had been completely closed off after becoming a monster den.

"This resort offers expansive land, large-scale buildings, and an optimal location for an offensive clearing operation rather than a passive defense on the boundary line. Apart from having to clear out the settled goblin horde, this place meets all the conditions I laid out in the plan. Moreover, all the gate resources are clustered around these northern mountains. Even if Hunters who enter here gather resources, it would only be burdensome to carry around during hunts. We can handle resource collection on their behalf, store their items, and with a small payment, this place can be utilized as a midpoint resupply point."

"You plan to do business targeting Hunters?"

"There are quite a number of freelance Hunters visiting North Pocheon every year. Steady monster generation also brings a lot of guild-registered Hunters who come here to maintain their combat skills. However, most of them can't penetrate deep into the north due to supply issues. I intend to draw them in and run businesses like accommodation, item sales, and leisure site development. It would serve as a swift income source for the guild, and it's also a substitute method for exploring the Special Activities Zones, which makes it difficult for us to regularly dispatch our Hunters due to the guild's manpower shortage."

Ju Se-ah had never seen such a way of running a guild. No, she hadn't even heard of it.

While it was a common business model in the corporate world, they lacked the means to manage the Special Activities Zones.

Guilds also didn't consider the Special Activities Zone business as the thrill of gate assaults and monster hunting expeditions was more enticing.

It was the same in the Slayer Guild where Ju Se-ah had served for 10 years.

Scratching her head in bafflement, she mulled over Kang Mu-hyuk's explanation.

When she put aside the prejudice that this wasn't the usual guild method, it started to seem plausible.

'Special Activities Zones do not have gates created. The area itself is essentially a gate. Although it provides benefits like resource purchasing rights, tax exemption, and free access to various concession businesses, who can run a business where monsters keep popping out? People won't even visit. But what if we consider Hunters as customers...?'

A place that no one ever bothered about suddenly transformed into a golden land teeming with numerous possibilities.

Finally, Kang Mu-hyuk dropped a line that completely turned Ju Se-ah's mind around.

"Ultimately, this resort is free."

They were in the middle of a meeting about the guild's relocation.

Ring, ring, ring, ring!

Ju Se-ah's smartphone rang boisterously.

At the familiar ringtone, Kang Mu-hyuk pretended to recognize it.

"Same ringtone as mine. This one is so old that you have to download it separately."

"I've been using it for over 10 years, so it's familiar."

Giving a light response, Ju Se-ah frowned as she looked at the caller ID on her smartphone.

"Who could it be?"

Instead of answering, she showed the screen to Kang Mu-hyuk.

<Association Detective>

"Is that detective the same person I know?"

"Right. The Association's chairman. Why is this detective suddenly contacting me, causing a fuss?"

Ring, ring, ring, ring!

Kang Mu-hyuk's phone also started ringing boisterously.

<Ma Taesu, Vice Guild Master>

"It seems the news has spread. Considering the calls I'm getting."

"Let's handle this in a divide-and-conquer manner for now."

Ju Se-ah made the suggestion lightly, but the guild was in chaos.

The most intense battlefront was the public relations team.

Every telephone was ringing off the hook.

The Strategy and Tactics Team was expected to be next, but they had strategically chosen to hang up their phones ahead of time.

Then, the Hunters were hit hard.

Hunters from other guilds were reaching out using personal connections.

However, they had nothing to say about the Guild Leader. They had no decision-making power, and they were inherently indifferent to the guild's internal affairs. Furthermore, as it was a remote guild that had been ignored by other guilds, the sudden attention was overwhelming.

Not to mention, none of these calls were pleasant. They were all about probing the structure of the leadership or trying to extract some information. So many Hunters just turned off their smartphones entirely.

With the Hunters of Taesung Guild becoming harder to reach, the management team was put under fire.

Since the role of the managers was to control the Hunters, Hunters from other guilds put pressure on them to extract at least a shred of information.

However--

"Questioning Hunter Jo Dong-jin about guild decisions won't do any good. Of course, asking me wouldn't help either. Even if I knew, I couldn't tell you."

"Hey, aren't you Dong-jin's manager? Dong-jin and I were training mates. It doesn't do you any good being so stiff?"

"You are training mates with Hunter Jo Dong-jin, not with me, aren't you?"

"Wow, this girl answers back without hesitation? Hey, what's your name? I'll mention you to Dong-jin and give him a piece of my mind! Or, what kind of guild is this without any system? Were they teaching you to respond like this? I knew it when they brought some guy with no lineage as the Guild Leader..."

"I'm Oh Jeong-yeon, deputy manager of the management team. Even if you are Hunter Jo Dong-jin, you can't reprimand me for such a matter. And..."

"Oh, this is too much. And what? What?!"

"Who does some random Hunter think he is, calling our Guild Leader names?! Are you calling your Guild Master 'this guy, that guy?' Watch your language!"

Bang!

Oh Jeong-yeon hung up the phone with such force as if to break it.

"Hah?! Are they kidding? The Guild Leader is his friend? They've been looking down on us more than once or twice. They act as if they're so important. Tsk!"

This reaction wasn't exclusive to Deputy Manager Oh Jeong-yeon.

Following the Byun Jeong-cheol incident, a trend supporting Kang Mu-hyuk had formed within the management team.

Knowing this atmosphere well, Management Team Leader Kim Dong-yong unplugged the incessantly ringing telephone line and spoke.

"Just hang up on all of them. It's a waste of energy to deal with each call related to the Guild Leader. Let's focus on our work during that time."

As the lines of communication with the Taesung Guild started to go down, the sparks flew toward the group's headquarters.

Protest calls and interview requests from reporters coming in to the extent of interrupting business led to the drastic action of unplugging phones in the group as well.

It was a matter that could bring trouble to the group, so it would not be surprising if the Chairman lost his temper. Surprisingly, the Chairman's office was quiet.

Instead, the Chairman's eldest son and Vice Chairman, Tae Soo-cheol, was furious.

"Order to come to the group immediately."

"But last time, the Guild Master Ju Se-ah refused..."

"Not her, the Guild Leader."

"Excuse me?"

"Kang Mu-hyuk. I wanted to ignore him when he made contact with my brother, but he has become too noisy. We should have controlled him earlier."

The fire that had spread here and there was now starting to catch on in other guilds as well.

The most blazing place was the Slayer Guild, Ju Se-ah's former affiliation.

Leaning against his Italian luxury desk, the man reading the articles stroked the nameplate beside him, thinking of someone in his mind.

<Guild Master Sa Mun-Hyuk>

"I knew he wasn't the type to live quietly. But this is crossing the line too much. A Guild Leader... What does our expedition leader think?"

At Sa Mun-Hyuk's question, the Slayer Guild's Expedition Team Leader, So Sang-Yeop, remained silent.

Displeased with his attitude, Sa Mun-Hyuk chuckled lightly and said, "Well, I guess it would be hard to say anything about the friend that Team Leader So cherished."

"Even if we don't provoke her, she won't be left alone from all sides. Since we have old grudges, why not just leave her alone at this point?"

"I would like that. But others told me not to. Didn't she make a scene even in the lobby last time? What would become of our face?"

"If we hadn't provoked her first, nothing would have happened."

"After swallowing up the Immortal Guild and stabbing us in the back, we just let her be?"

"We were the ones who left a bad taste in her mouth over the re-contracting issue."

"I can't tell whose side you're on. Ju Se-ah or me?"

"Of course, I am on the side of the Slayer Guild. But I'm just saying that there's no need to unnecessarily turn an old comrade into an enemy."

So Sang-Yeop was an Expedition Team Leader who had more power than the Vice Guild Master in the Slayer Guild. Even for the Guild Master, he was a Hunter who couldn't be ignored.

The reason why Sa Mun-Hyuk did not directly attack Ju Se-ah was precisely because of So Sang-Yeop.

'He's not disloyal to the guild either. It's complicated in many ways.'

Sa Mun-Hyuk swallowed a sigh inside and took a step back outwardly.

"Since it's interesting to see, let's just watch for now. But if it affects us or dampens the industry atmosphere, I can't just watch forever."

It was an ambiguous statement.

The Guild Leader system itself was already causing trouble in the Hunter industry.

However, So Sang-Yeop nodded, knowing that the Guild Master had made a significant concession to save his face.

"If things go in a bad direction, I will go and warn her."

"Welcome, Inspector."

"Association President. Hey, call me Association President."

"You're always calling people this and that."

"Really, you never watch your words. This guy."

The old man, Han Byung-Gu, who was holding a cane, belched out a deep voice as if he had just eaten a train carriage, contrary to his appearance, and drew up his mana.

He brandished his cane, aiming a strike at Ju Se-ah's head.

Nimble as a cat, Ju Se-ah dodged the swinging cane, leaving only an afterimage in her wake.

Having failed to land even a single hit, Han Byung-Gu's anger erupted, his voice booming.

"You brat, just one hit. Is it too much to ask to take just one hit?"

"If I took a hit from your cane, Sir, even I'd be knocking on heaven's door. You don't know the meaning of moderation, do you?"

Just then, Jang Deuk-goo, who had entered the Guild Master's office, maneuvered his way between the two, carefully balancing a tray with coffee and green tea, trying to hide his gasping breaths.

"Could you both stop throwing your mana around? The secretary can't even get in, she's so scared. At my age, should I be serving tea? President, green tea is your preference, right?"

At Jang Deuk-goo's admonition, Han Byung-Gu reluctantly lowered his cane and settled back into his seat. He lifted his green tea to his lips, only to put it down again without a sip.

"Is this a tea bag? Real green tea should be brewed with tea leaves."

"Don't come to a poor guild and nitpick, just drink it. It's not like it's plain water."

"A subsidiary of a conglomerate and you're this stingy."

"Could you please get to the point?"

"You're still impatient, I see. Fine. I won't beat around the bush. Where's that Guild Leader of yours? Fire him right away."

Upon hearing these words, a vein popped out on Ju Se-ah's forehead.

"Has senility finally caught up with you? Are you planning to fire people from other guilds now?"

"It's not senility, it's advice as the Association President. It's my duty to make sure guilds don't go out of line and cause problems."

"That duty is just an excuse for you not wanting to be bothered, isn't it?"

"What does a whelp who hasn't even lived through the Great War know? Don't you know that keeping Hunters in check is even more headache-inducing than dealing with bosses?"

"Even though I didn't experience the Great War, I'm not ignorant of its brutality. It was a decision I agonized over."

"If stirring up trouble was your decision, then you still have a long way to go as a Guild Master. How about taking this opportunity to quit being a Guild Master and look for a suitable place in another guild? Think of it as a sabbatical. If the Slayer Guild is an issue, I can help you find a place."

Han Byung-Gu's strong stance seemed to cool Ju Se-ah's heated expression.

With cold eyes, she scrutinized the wrinkles on Han Byung-Gu's face before speaking.

"Listen, Association President. I respect your achievements. But you don't need to block the path of young Hunters because you're worried about what others might think..."