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

"The guys from the Slayer Guild are grumbling non-stop. They're asking how long they have to keep doing this. I shouldn't have connected the message link with them. I should've just connected to their leader. Even though I'm not hearing it in my ears, it's still deafening."

"Hold them off until the next blockade. Ignore messages from regular members."

"I'm already doing that."

No Song-rin scratched his ear and sent a message. In Kang Mu-hyuk's mental map, the final blockade was newly drawn. As more time passed, they received a message from Mr. Cho that the evacuation was complete.

"Everyone, retreat. All expedition team members enter the underground passage. Go Eul-ji Hunter, the final order. Can you handle it?"

Go Eul-ji, who had been lying silently in a corner, slowly got up.

"It's not like I have to kill all the mobs. Yeah, I can roughly handle it."

Kang Mu-hyuk nodded and explained the final plan again, "Just set off the fire points starting from the outermost one. You remember the locations, right?"

"Yes, roughly."

"After you activate them all..."

"Yes, yes, I know. Set them on fire and push them inward. But aren't you making me work too much here? Just hire a mage."

"It's tough to transfer a mage. Free agents rarely work out well. Plus, this mission is too challenging to be given as a solo quest to a mage without your mobility and defense capabilities."

"I never said I wanted a lecture. I'm just telling you about all the hard work I've been doing."

"...I'll upgrade your hotel room for the LA concert."

"Ah, as expected of our dear Guild Leader. You understand me better than my grandpa. Haha! After this mission, I'm taking a vacation."

"As much as you want."

While Kang Mu-hyuk was talking, the expedition team members who received the retreat order began gathering at the entrance of the underground passage. Once Sung Seonjae and So Sangyeob also entered the passage, monsters chased after them, tailing closely. A minotaur monster with a large axe charged in, but nearby Hunters quickly surrounded and took it down.

"Nice to meet you. I'm So Sangyeob."

"Same here. I'm Kang Mu-hyuk. I've heard of your reputation, Captain So."

"Are you seriously exchanging greetings right now while the mobs are barging in? Oh! Hello, Leader Kang. I'm Gam Wooyoung. How's Se-Ah doing? Oh wow, look at this ogre. It's still moving even after I smashed its head. How do the Chinese guys deal with these things?"

Sung Seonjae pushed the chatty Gam Wooyoung towards the monsters and apologized on his behalf.

"Sorry about that. He can be a bit rude."

"No worries. He has the personality of an up-and-coming ace."

"You mean he's a mess, don't you?"

"Isn't that how geniuses often are?"

At those words, a sharp-eyed man who was passing by glared at Kang Mu-hyuk. Kang Mu-hyuk recognized him immediately.

'Ha Hyesung. The current ace of the Slayer Guild. He took over after Ju Se-ah stepped down. Is he upset because I mentioned Gam Wooyoung? He must be feeling threatened by Gam Wooyoung's growth.'

Ha Hyesung, who had long been a rival to Ju Se-ah, naturally wouldn't like Gam Wooyoung, who was kind of like Ju Se-ah's sparring partner or disciple. Go Eul-ji, who was watching in the same direction, noticed Ha Hye Sung's irritated look.

"What are you looking at? Disgusting."

Go Eul-ji glared back and raised her chin defiantly. Ha Hye Sung snorted and walked away.

"Did he just ignore me? Wow, it's been a while since anyone other than my old instructors made me feel this way. If I were in better shape, I'd..."

"Who is she? She was quite impressive in the prison yard."

Sung Seonjae, who had been observing Go Eul-ji since they arrived in Sinuiju, seized the moment to express his interest. He had already figured out that her ability was telekinesis.

Kang Mu-hyuk interrupted, planting his cane firmly to stabilize his staggering body, as if to block Sung Seonjae's interest.

"Please refrain from showing interest in our promising member."

"She must be a new recruit since she's a new face. It's not like she's a free agent nor can we engage in tampering (pre-contract negotiations, unfair contract changes), yet you're hiding her so tightly."

"She's our Guild Master's apprentice after all."

"A secret weapon, then."

It wasn't because she was a secret weapon. Kang Mu-hyuk interrupted Sung Seonjae to prevent any slip of the tongue from Go Eul-ji that might reveal she had joined because of K-pop stars. While he could offer her concert tickets and fan meetings through personal connections, the Slayer Guild could hold a personal concert for her.

'They could even buy the company those stars are in if they needed to. If they could secure Go Eul-ji Hunter with just one entertainment agency, Sung Seonjae would definitely go for it.'

Knowing the financial power and influence of the Slayer Guild, it was important to block any prior contact.

"Argh! Grr! Rawr!"

"Oh, this ogre! Aren't you dead yet? And over there, is this some kind of college retreat? How long are you going to chat? And you're saying you're Se-Ah's apprentice? Me too. Nice to meet you. I'm Gam Wooyoung. What's your name?"

Even while wrestling with the monsters, Gam Wooyoung managed to join the conversation. It meant the monsters weren't much of a threat. But, his chatter was exhausting even for Go Eul-ji, who sighed and shook her head.

"The Slayer has quite a few crazy people."

"I think that's enough. Go Eul-ji, what's the situation above?"

Kang Mu-hyuk asked, checking the time. Go Eul-ji closed her eyes and began to sense her surroundings. Both Sung Seonjae and So Sangyeob watched in amazement.

'Wow, she can sense the entire village?'

'She detects monsters even outside hurdles. She's more than just a promising rookie.'

They realized Go Eul-ji's exceptional spatial awareness and gained a new appreciation for Iron Will's capabilities. Soon, Go Eul-ji opened her eyes.

"The village is packed with monsters. Some of them are trying to get out."

"Then start right away."

"Yes, sir!"

Go Eul-ji swiftly moved through the monsters and exited the underground passage. Kang Mu-hyuk and the other Hunters followed the pre-secured underground path to escape the village.

After a while, they heard a massive explosion from somewhere. Continuous explosions sounded like a giant pounding the ground. The concrete walls vibrated as if a train was passing right in front of them. They felt heat above them. Gam Wooyoung swallowed dryly in the intense heat.

"If it's this hot down here, it must be insane up there. Still, burning down an entire village...? Kang Mu-hyuk... He's definitely someone our guild can't handle."

Go Eul-ji detonated all the mana stones placed around the perimeter of the village. The flames quickly spread, fueled by the pre-scattered oil and the wooden houses. The village prison filled with the screams of monsters. Some monsters tried to escape to the village outskirts, but Go Eul-ji didn't allow it. She moved along the village stream, controlling the flames. She covered areas the fire didn't reach and intensified weaker spots with wind, fanning the flames. The monsters were trapped and turned to ash in the inferno.

"With all this kindling, the fire's burning nicely."

As she circled the village, pushing the flames inward, she eventually formed a massive fire tornado. This fire even reached the mana stones that the prison village Hunters stored in the patrol warehouse.

Bang! Boom! Crash! Boom! Kaboom! Roar!

The explosion sent a mushroom cloud soaring sky-high. Go Eul-ji's face paled.

"Ha, haha.... Blowing up the dam was just a joke, huh? Now he's burning down the entire village? Our leader sure is a scary guy."

Go Eul-ji ensured that the flames did not spread beyond the village. As everything in the village burned, and there was nothing left to fuel the fire, the flames slowly died down.

"Thank God they targeted the village first. If things went wrong, Sinuiju could've been wiped out. But of course the area the monsters moved to is now devastated," Sung Seonjae remarked, considering it a small stroke of luck in all the misfortune. After all, there would have been no point in mobilizing the expedition if the city they came to occupy was in ruins.

"The real issue is how to appease the villagers who have lost their homes," said Yeon Jungmoon, representing the village, focusing on the more immediate and practical problems.

Kang Mu-hyuk, who had caused the destruction of the village, had to answer this.

"I have a plan for that. After the minor war, the government stockpiled a large number of air tents for refugees. There are also relief supplies. The people here are now citizens of the Republic of Korea, so they're eligible for aid. I've already contacted them, and they'll send over as much as they can immediately. Please stay in the tents for now, and we'll work out the rest slowly."

They discussed other urgent matters like resident registration, food supply, defense plans, urban maintenance, and public security.

"Team Leader Sung, Se-Ah is here."

Ju Se-ah, led by Gam Wooyoung, arrived at the temporary building at the village entrance. Noticing her battle-worn armor coat, Sung Seonjae deduced she had been fighting elsewhere.

'So she was fighting somewhere else. Was she dealing with the attack squad in Dandong alone? For Ju Se-ah, it's not impossible, but she must've gone through a lot.'

Ju Se-ah entered the office and immediately looked for Kang Mu-hyuk.

"Leader Kang, are you alright... Oh, Team Leader Sung? Captain So Sangyeob? Long time no see."

"No need to hide Guild Leader Kang's condition, Guild Master Ju. We've already heard about it," Sung Seonjae said.

"Can I tell them?" Ju Se-ah asked Kang Mu-hyuk.

"Yes. I can't hide it in this state anyway."

"Then, instead of standing around, let's get you admitted to the hospital. I've arranged a room at Taesung Hospital."

"Let me take care of these urgent matters first."

"What's more urgent than your life when you're at death's door?"

"There are Chinese Hunters still in Sinuiju, and also Korean-Chinese Hunters who helped them. We need to decide whether to drive them out of the city or use them."

"Just become the mayor of Sinuiju. The position is vacant anyway."

"Handling a single guild is overwhelming enough. Once order is restored, they'll hold an election here too. In the meantime, government officials will manage in emergency mode."

"I wasn't being serious. Don't take everything so seriously. Anyway, let's go to the hospital. Leave the remaining work to Team Leader Sung. He's more capable than he looks."

"I can see how you think of me," Sung Seonjae replied.

"Team Leader Sung is trustworthy and capable, but... Oh? Wait a moment, Guild Master. I still have work to do...."

Ju Se-ah tried to forcibly drag Kang Mu-hyuk away, but her smartphone rang. The timing of the call created a tense atmosphere, despite it being just a ringtone.

"Yes, this is Ju Se-ah. What? Yes. Yes... I see. Understood."

"What's the call about?"

"They say the Chairman was ambushed."

The only person Ju Se-ah would call Chairman was Tae Jinsung, the owner of the Taesung Group and her father. Her calm reaction to the news that her father had been attacked surprised everyone else.

Kang Mu-hyuk, after a brief moment of thought, asked calmly, "Is the Chairman alright?"

"He made it out alive, thankfully. They say he's safe."

Kang Mu-hyuk sighed in relief, having pieced together the situation.

'The White Tiger Guild... They've moved already, huh? Of all times, they chose now when the Guild Master diverted Mr. Cho to handle the Sinuiju situation. I need to ask Mr. Cho to look into this.'

He realized he could no longer put off dealing with the Taesung Group's matters. If the Chairman disappeared in the current situation, Iron Will's circumstances would become even more complicated. It was time to bring things to an end.

"Taesung Hospital. The Chairman is there, right?"

"I assume so. It's his hospital."

"I'll get admitted while taking care of the matters there as well."

"Going to the hospital to work... I don't like that, but at least I got what I wanted. I'll have a room prepared."

"If possible, please get the room next to the Chairman's room."