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

Ju Se-ah approached with a limping gait. Her armor coat was tattered. As if in disdain, she flung off her black coat behind her.

Beneath, a dusky armor, darker than a moonless night yet lighter than an overcast sky, was revealed.

"I rather liked that outfit. It was expensive, you know."

"Damn it! I knew you were hitting harder than usual. You amped up just because your clothes got torn? Ah, so petty. I'll bill you for this through Slayer. I made some money on this raid; I can afford it."

Gam Woo-young glanced at a corner of the battlefield in a tone of contempt. Ju Se-ah followed his gaze.

The climax of the Orc Lord Raid was in full swing.

Most of the orcs guarding the boss were lying on the ground, and the Lord was burning its last vestiges of vitality to resist.

At the center of this hunt stood Sung Seon-je.

"He usually stays out of the field, doesn't he?"

"He's been getting involved lately. Ever since you left, there's been a bit of a power vacuum."

"The guild isn't going to fall apart without me. He's probably just acting out."

While battling Gam Woo-young, Ju Se-ah had been monitoring the raid. She reviewed it briefly in her mind.

The overwhelming breakthrough led by Lee Jin-joo, empowered by her ability 'Blue Flame,' was almost inconceivably dominating.

Of course, the orcs being vulnerable to magic also contributed.

Blue Flame, although a personal ability, essentially manipulated elemental forces and was related to magic.

In a chaotic battle where Hunters and monsters were intermingled, area-of-effect spells couldn't be deployed, so Lee Jin-joo's close-quarters mage-fighter style shone even more brightly.

She had effortlessly reached the Lord, but that was when the problem arose.

"Bringing in the Titan was unexpected."

Slayer, brimming with pride as South Korea's number one guild, had allied with A-rank guilds to interfere. Already disliking Ju Se-ah, Kang Mu-hyuk, and Lee Jin-joo, Ma Taesu had accepted Slayer's proposal and blocked the path of their rival, the Taegeuk Guild, from Yeouido.

Meanwhile, Slayer was focusing on the Lord.

"They're going to great lengths to keep you, Ju Se-ah in check, aren't they?"

"Team Leader Sung still doesn't trust you, it seems. He wants to finish this before I deal with you."

"Ah, just a bit short, wasn't it?"

"You pulled even them? Nice attempt. You did manage to slow us down."

At Ju Se-ah's observation, Gam Woo-young looked around with a bitter taste in his mouth.

Hunters were sprawled everywhere, either knocked out or moaning in pain.

His own party members, whom he had called in swallowing his pride to pin down Ju Se-ah, had ended up like this. At least she hadn't used lethal force; the injuries would heal.

'The difference in combat power isn't that large. I knew it, but her stamina and defense are beyond imagination. Unless it's a short-term battle where I pour out all my firepower instantly or a prolonged battle where I overwhelm her with numbers, I can't beat her in a one-on-one fight at this rank.'

Could he find someone in S-rank, perhaps?

Gam Woo-young was annoyed by the irrationality of the match-up, where a single characteristic could divide victory between those of the same A+ rank.

Ju Se-ah felt the same way about the irrationality.

'Whether it's Woo-young or the rest of those guys, it's the same. We all fought without using our final moves. I mean, it's not a life-or-death battle, so it's understandable. But still, it feels unexpectedly intense! Even without draining my energy, it would have been hard to take it easy. Tsk! Why do people with so much already have to be so greedy?'

Then the death roar of the Orc Lord resounded.

Sung Seon-je, who had decapitated the Lord, stood calmly atop its body.

Lee Jin-joo, who had narrowly missed the Lord, pounded the ground in frustration. She ground her teeth and shot a glare at Ma Taesu, who was also grinning back at her.

This raid was a microcosm of the current state of guilds in South Korea.

The Slayers always win, and the lesser guilds get to pick at the scraps. If you refused to scavenge, you would starve. Or you could hunt in zones where the Slayers weren't present. No matter how big a guild was, they couldn't monopolize every Gate.

Ju Se-ah despised this Slayer-dominated world.

'The Slayer isn't interested in protecting anyone. All they care about is profit, the power to manipulate the world, and just enough honor to make that happen. They pick sides based on a facade of justice. The reason why the Hunters in this country can't grow is because guilds like these are at the top.'

That was why she had refused to renew her contract and left.

Once, she too had believed the Slayer was a just guild. She had convinced herself that witnessing unjust acts was merely a necessary process for the greater good.

But she realized it was all hypocrisy, and decided she couldn't create the world she dreamed of within the Slayer Guild.

So she left, and despite the difficulties, she had no regrets.

Gam Woo-young sheathed his swords and spoke.

"Still, today the difference was paper-thin. Be more alert next time. If you're sloppy, I'll beat you."

"Even if you attack again, the outcome will be the same."

"Maybe not next time? We have promising team leaders in the wings, you know."

"I'd rather sort out the hierarchy in one go, less annoying that way."

"Haha. As expected. You're still going strong, aren't you Ju Se-ah? Did you know? You're the only one who can give the Slayer expedition leader a run for his money."

"It's not much of an honor."

Gam Woo-young burst into laughter and rolled on the ground.

Finally, Ju Se-ah sheathed her weapon as well.

"Tell Team Leader Sung that I congratulate him on securing the mine. And also that the price of wolves will be going up."

"Wow, how stingy. This is why monopolies are scary."

"Time to cough up what you've swallowed. Ever heard of trickle-down effects? Act like a big guild and play big."

"Not my money, so why should I care? I'll relay the message. Got a good lesson today, after all."

Ju Se-ah turned her back without hesitation. Gam Woo-young, who had been intently watching her, shouted loudly.

"Miss Ju! The Guild Master's seat suits you well!"

Ju Se-ah didn't turn back, but merely waved her hand as she left through the Gate.

And so, the Orc Tribe raid came to an end.

Cho Chung-hyun walked southward along the national highway.

Given his past crimes, he didn't even have a vehicle, so he was fully on foot until the checkpoint.

"Whew, should I be thankful that I'm not being dragged to Ujungdo?"

As he left, he deliberately wore a smug smile in front of the guild members he encountered on the way out. He didn't want to show even a shred of vulnerability, not when his imminent death was on the line.

Sure, he was being dishonorably discharged, but it wasn't as if he would be branded a pariah like Do Gyeong-hoon; he was going to continue working under the Chairman.

The problem? His failure to deliver on his grand promises meant there was little chance he would hold a significant role under the Chairman moving forward.

In the grand scheme of life, it was as if he stood at the edge of a cliff, barely leaving room to step back.

'Will an opportunity like today ever come again?'

A chance to climb higher, even if it meant forcing someone else to sacrifice. Whether such a golden opportunity would return, he didn't know, but one thing was certain: If a similar situation were to arise again, he would act without hesitation.

With that thought, he felt somewhat at ease.

After all, it was not as if he lived in this world alone. As long as he thrived, it didn't matter what happened to others.

Having this mindset would prevent his heart from wavering when a decisive moment arrived.

With distance growing between him and the guild, tension dissipated. Words spilled out in the desolate path.

"Kang Mu-hyuk... The Guild Leader made a mistake in letting me go. I'll repay this debt."

It was then.

"People never change."

"!!"

The sky darkened as he walked the mountain path, and a towering silhouette slowly rose from under the shadows of trees that lined both sides of the road.

"So, Jang... Deuk-goo..."

Overwhelmed by the aura of Jang Deuk-goo, who looked down upon him while riding a Rider Wolf, Cho Chung-hyun felt his courage wane.

"Ever since my days as an Enforcer, even before that, I've met many like you. And they've all faced their punishment."

"Are you saying you'll drag me to Ujungdo?"

Jang Deuk-goo dismounted from the wolf. He didn't reply but began to stroke the wolf's fur as if tearing it.

"You know what? Not a single one of those who were punished ever showed genuine remorse or repentance. They only spoke of the misfortune of meeting me. No one ever confessed their guilt; they all drew their swords and resisted."

At that, Cho Chung-hyun froze like ice.

The reason people from Ujungdo feared him.

No one had ever witnessed it, but the cursed obscenities carved on a prison wall pointed to him.

'The worst misfortune a villain could encounter...'

Jang Deuk-goo turned from the wolf and looked at Cho Chung-hyun. His eyes were devoid of emotion. Chilling.

"If I can't punish villains, what's the point of being an Enforcer? That's why I quit."

"Do you intend to kill me? You think the Chairman will let this slide? That will put Ju Se-ah and Kang Mu-hyuk in a tight spot, the guild might even fall apart. Do you think the Chairman will forgive rebellion against him?"

"No one will know. They'll think you ran because you didn't want to answer for your failure. Even if they did find out, would you be worth it? To Chairman Tae Jin-sung?"

"How could he not know? I even talked to him on the phone..."

Cho Chung-hyun didn't even notice Jang Deuk-goo drawing his sword. His mind raced to Kang Mu-hyuk.

'The Guild Leader had me call him... Had me leave without a vehicle... Made sure the guild members saw me leave...'

Was it intentional?

Was it to leave evidence that he had acted according to the Chairman's instructions?

"Of course, he'll have his suspicions. But as I said, you're not worth the trouble."

Jang Deuk-goo slowly advanced.

"The Guild Leader told me to tell you. A villain who trivializes the lives of his comrades and the safety of civilians cannot be let free."

"If you kill me, regardless of the reason, my death will become a scandal. Rumors will spread that you're a murderer. Can someone like Kang Mu-hyuk bear it?"

"This is a Special Activities Zone. There won't be any witnesses, nor will they find your body."

Jang Deuk-goo quickened his pace and, in the next moment, a sword had reached his target's throat.

Cho Chung-hyun couldn't stop it. He couldn't even dodge. He could only watch as the blade thrust toward his heart.

"Son of a--"

Thud!

"Gargh..."

Jang Deuk-goo twisted the sword, severing Cho Chung-hyun's sternum before pushing his face aside and pulling out the sword.

With a dull thud, a life of meaningless death fell to the ground.

"You don't have to worry about the Guild Leader. He was already prepared."

Dark clouds had begun to gather from the other side of the dimming sky, as rain started to fall.

Perhaps the heavens were weeping for the guild members who died today, thought Kang Mu-hyuk, looking out of his office window.

'Was there too much water in the lake? It must be evaporating... No, was it supposed to rain today?'

He had discarded any unnecessary emotions. There was no room for sadness or self-loathing in the role of a Guild Leader who had ordered an assassination. If he wanted to mourn, it should be for the dead, though even that was a luxury.

His gaze shifted to the tablet on his desk.

<Guild Reconstruction Plan>

It was a document he'd prepared, detailing his thoughts on rebuilding the guild, after sending off Jang Deuk-goo.

He received a message from Ju Se-ah. All was done, it said. Some minor injuries, but no fatalities. They were returning.

It finally felt over.

Relief hit him, and reality followed. Without any rest, he immediately got to work and thus could complete the plan.

'If I were the Guild Master, I would certainly seize the opportunity to target the Orc Lord. Though it failed, it was within the range of my expectations. No regrets. Just proceed as planned.'

Turn crises into opportunities.

It wasn't the worst situation.

In fact, this war would elevate Iron Will to a new level.

'If there's anything sellable within the guild right now, I'll sell it.'

The thought amused him.

'A person who just ordered a killing is calmly making his next plan. My emotions are getting numb. Is this because of some illness, or is it my true nature?'

Kang Mu-hyuk recalled his conversation with Jang Deuk-goo.

'I don't know much about Hunter Jang Deuk-goo, but I do know that people are afraid of you. They are not the type to fear someone just because they're a bit violent. Although it's just rumors, there's always some truth in them. Like you killing villains brutally.'

'So what are you saying, Guild Leader?'

'Eliminate Cho Chung-hyun. He will kill someone else, somewhere else. We can't afford to let him go.'

'Is that an order?'

'You're free to refuse. The choice is entirely yours.'

'Hah! Funny. While you may not say it directly, this is a gamble involving the reputation of the Guild and the Guild Leader, isn't it? Team Leader Pyo mentioned it. You're releasing Cho Chung-hyun because of Chairman Tae. The backlash will be severe.'

"This is a matter of life and death. Chairman Tae Jin-sung doesn't risk his life for such things. That's the difference between him and me. It's also why my neck is on the line. Though, of course, Cho Chung-hyun isn't worth it."

"Risking your life, you say?"

"I was prepared for this when I became the Guild Leader."

"Fine. Since we both made the bet with the Guild Master, we have to see it through to the end. I don't know about other things, but on this one matter, we agree. To save someone, someone else has to die. That's the way of the world, isn't it? Cho Chung-hyun had it coming."

"As bitter as it is, not everyone gets a happy ending in this world. This stays between us, not including Guild Master."

"Do I look like a blabbermouth to you? Besides, the Guild Master is too dull to understand."

There was no concern that things would go awry. With Jang Deuk-goo dispatched, Cho Chung-hyun's fate was essentially sealed.

The surprising part was that he had issued an order he had despised in the past. The command felt gritty as if sand had been sown in his mouth.

Leading a guild meant being prepared for this, but actually doing it felt unnervingly easy.

'Let's leave it at that. No need to waste any more effort.'

Kang Mu-hyuk snapped out of his thoughts and picked up the receiver.

The saying goes, 'strike while the iron is hot,' and he intended to do just that.

"Please relay this to Team Leader An Ji-il. Tell him to pass it on to Team Leader Gong."