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

"Four...more?"

"At least."

Kang Mu-hyuk had long suspected that China was hiding more Gates in the Demonic Realm. He didn't trust Russia's intelligence completely, not because he doubted Russia itself, but because he knew how tricky Chinese guilds could be.

There were conspiracy theories that Japanese Hunters were involved in the 'Kowloon Ridge Massacre' during the Great War. But China wasn't innocent either. They had promised reinforcements but diverted them, leaving Korean Hunters to fight dragon attacks alone.

Because of that, Korea failed the raid and lost their S-rank Hunter, Jeon Yejun. However, they couldn't even protest against China or Japan because both nations used Korea's absence to strengthen their positions.

"And that's just how the Demonic Realm works. There are places so forbidden that entry is outright impossible."

It was very possible that Russia had missed a Gate. Jung Woosu, still trying to gather his thoughts, wiped his face with his hands.

"Where did you get this information?"

"Russia."

"From them? But how..."

Jung trailed off, not fully believing Kang's story. It made sense that Russia would keep a close eye on China, but the real mystery was how Kang Mu-hyuk had gotten his hands on that intel.

Kang Mu-hyuk took off his armored coat, tossed it over a chair, and sat down.

"This might take a bit."

"Take your time."

Kang crossed his arms and started organizing his thoughts. If he revealed everything, it would expose a few things---like the rise of the Tyrant Nazeszhinsky, the Hunter Alliance's dealings, and Ju Se-ah's recent promotion to S-rank.

Many people already knew about Ju Se-ah's rank. But the more he said, the harder it would be to keep everything secret. Delaying the full truth was the smartest plan. Especially with politicians---those people could leak secrets even with their mouths sewn shut. Even if they were acting together, Kang Mu-hyuk needed to be careful.

'If the information gets out, Japan will make a move.'

Japan had its claws in every corner of Korea's government, economy, and Hunter guilds. It made it nearly impossible to keep things confidential. With the chaos in the north, Japan's interference could make things even more unpredictable. Kang Mu-hyuk couldn't tell the whole truth, so he had to tweak the story a little.

"The story actually goes far back. It starts with the Slayer Guild."

His mind worked fast as he crafted the story. It slipped easily from his lips.

"The Slayer Guild, seeing the domestic market was hitting its limit, made a long-term plan to expand into the Demonic Realm."

"It's one of those quiet rumors circulating in the political scene---about a Tier Guild having its sights set on the Demonic Realm,"

"What if Guildmaster Ju Se-ah's move to Taesung Guild was actually part of Slayer's plan?"

"What do you mean...?"

"Even though Slayer is Korea's top guild, tackling the Demonic Realm alone would be tough. That's why Taesung Guild was formed, to help expand their reach."

"That doesn't make sense. I heard Ju Se-ah and Slayer didn't get along."

"On the surface, yes."

"On the surface? So it's all for show?"

"The other Tier Guilds aren't fond of Slayer. If Ju Se-ah heads a new guild to support Slayer, of course they're going to interfere. Plus, with Taesung Group's funding involved, rival guilds will do everything they can to take control."

"Wait, are you saying Taesung Group is pulling the strings?"

"Say what you want, but Taesung Group is Ju Se-ah's family."

Even a well-informed politician who's a member of the National Assembly would find this theory believable.

Taesung Group had long-term plans to dominate the Gate industry. But with limited share of the current market, and limited resources like monster corpses and Gate materials, they needed a new way forward.

That was when Ju Se-ah made her move to create an alliance between Slayer Guild and Taesung Group.

Kang Mu-hyuk felt the lie coming together smoothly. He added more details to the story.

"They were preparing to enter the Demonic Realm, but they hit a roadblock with China."

"Well, of course. China's been deeply involved in the Demonic Realm. After all, it's their land."

"It's not just about the territory. They're simply untrustworthy."

Jung Woosu nodded in agreement. Bordering China meant constant trouble with Hunters, not just in the Demonic Realm.

"Korea's proximity to China and the influence of Chinese Hunters in Sinuiju made it even more important to approach with caution."

"Wait, is that why Sinuiju...?"

"Shh! There's a lot more to that story. I'll tell you another time."

Kang Mu-hyuk was careful not to over-exaggerate the story. He knew that adding too many details could raise suspicion. The last thing he needed was a sharp politician asking too many questions.

"So, with China in the way, Slayer started looking to form an alliance with Russia. They targeted the Vladivostok faction, which was happening to operate without Moscow's support. They needed a third party, and that's where the Guild Cooperation Agency came in. But a direct approach could have leaked the information, so they used Taesung Guild's base in North Pocheon as a cover to form the alliance."

"My god... North pocheon is connected to the Demonic Realm too..."

Jung Woosu's shock was understandable. Each event---from North Pocheon to Sinuiju to the Demonic Realm---was monumental. Realizing it was all part of Slayer Guild's plan made their influence feel even more powerful.

'This story's getting bigger by the minute. I'll have to match stories up with the Guild Master, Director Cha Gil-joo, and even Team Leader Seong Seonjae later.'

With that, Kang Mu-hyuk had fully explained how he got the information from Russia. From this point, he no longer needed to lie. He described how Lee Sookyoung found a Chinese Gate during a hunt in the Demonic Realm.

Even without adding unnecessary details, it still took time to explain the collapse of the Tumen River's Defense Line.

"We kept everything secret until now because no one could be trusted but with China potentially triggering the Gates intentionally, we can't stay quiet any longer. Russia will make their move soon too. A few guilds won't be able to handle this. That's why I proposed creating a unified national strike force."

When Kang Mu-hyuk finished, Jung Woosu sighed deeply. He ran a hand through his hair, which had become messy during their conversation.

"How much time do we have before the Gate boss comes down?"

"I don't know. It could be tomorrow, or it could be months from now."

"It's too uncertain. We don't even know if the boss really exists, and we have no proof. Is there any way to diplomatically approach China to get the location?"

"If they were willing to talk, they wouldn't be blowing up Gates in the Demonic Realm. Remember the Blagoveshchensk incident I mentioned? They destroyed a Gate just because they couldn't get their hands on it."

"But that was the Hunters, wasn't it? Couldn't the government have a different stance?"

"The Chinese Communist Party went through a civil war after the Great War, and to secure their power, they aligned themselves with the Hunters. Sure, they can't force guilds to follow their orders, but they'll work together whenever it benefits both sides. It's always the same when something happens in the Demonic Realm---they'll act like they know nothing."

"What about the international community then...?"

"The second our government starts digging into this Demonic Realm issue, China will launch retaliatory attacks. Japan will probably jump in too. You saw what happened after the Great War, didn't you? How the sacrifices of Korean Hunters affected national relations. We still don't have enough power to confront China's tyranny."

In the end, this meant that Korea had to handle the problem alone. Jung Woosu felt a sense of crisis for the first time in his political career.

Up until now, the Special Hunter Committee had just been a battlefield for party interests. Hunters didn't listen to politicians anyway, so what policies could they possibly propose? What future could they imagine?

It had always seemed easier to just bribe the Hunters and maintain a convenient relationship. Jung Woosu had lived his life going with the flow, but now the pressure was suffocating him.

Soon, he realized it wasn't just stress weighing him down. The idealism of his early political career suddenly returned to him---the dreams of serving the people, dedicating himself to the nation, and working for humanity's prosperity and world peace.

It was a sense of duty.

"If this goes wrong, my political career is over."

"And I'll probably be blacklisted from the Hunter community."

"You say that like it's nothing, but your neck's on the line. You've got a pretty sweet gig."

"But isn't it better than watching people die?"

"Yeah, you're right."

Jung Woosu closed his eyes for a moment, then bit his lip. Suddenly, he stood up.

"So, what you need from me is to propose the formation of a unified strike force?"

"And make sure it passes quickly."

"The President might veto it. You know President Kim Sangjin's son-in-law is part of the First Guild, right?"

"No matter how powerful the First Guild is, at the end of the day, its members are still Hunters."

"And that goes for every other guild out there," he added.

"What's that supposed to mean? Of course Hunters are the members in a guild."

"Not all Hunters are the same. When a crisis hits, that's when the real ones show up."

"Guild Master!

Thud

The door suddenly flew open with a crash as a huge man stormed into the office. Well, almost. His large frame got stuck in the doorway, his shoulders wedged in the doorframe. He awkwardly hunched his shoulders, trying to squeeze through. But it didn't work---he was just too big.

With no other choice, he turned sideways and sidestepped through the door.

"Guild Master!"

"Yoseob, I'm not deaf yet. And how many times do I have to tell you? Doors are for opening, not smashing through. If you break one more door, next time I'll smash your thick skull."

"Well, my skull isn't exactly easy to crack, so no worries. But seriously, why aren't we moving up?"

"Moving up where? We're on the 9th floor---it's the top floor of the building."

"No, I mean up there!"

"Oh, that? Just hold your horses. We're bolstering our ranks with the spring recruitment, and we'll be up for a guild evaluation soon. We'll definitely make C-rank this time. And after a few Gate raids, our Dog Fighting Guild will hit B-rank in no time."

"When did I ever ask about guild evaluations? I'm talking about Cheongjin City."

"Why would you want to go there?" The Guild Master Lee Changgu asked, frowning.

Yoseob was already a handful, and now he was talking about heading to the war zone in the north. Something about it made Changgu uneasy.

"Don't tell me you want us to go up there?"

"Why not?"

"Jeez, I should've known. No wonder things were finally quiet for a bit, too."

Despite Yoseob's massive build and rough appearance, he was actually one of the smartest Hunters around. He studied raid strategies like a professional and took great care of the guild members, making him very popular. But after promoting him to raid leader, his hunting frequency dropped. Instead, he spent most of his time volunteering, which drove Changgu up the wall.

And not just any volunteering---Yoseob was out doing monster clean-up in small, out-of-the-way villages. Whenever Yoseob went on one of these missions, it felt like he'd be gone for ages before returning to the guild.

Though it frustrated Chang-gu to no end, he couldn't bring himself to kick Yoseob out. Because when it came to skills, Yoseob was one of the best.

'Let's be honest, this guy isn't cut out for C-rank... He's easily a B-rank, maybe even higher.'

In fact, back when Yoseob was a promising rookie, several major guilds had scouted him. But Yoseob insisted on including a clause in his contract about volunteering. The bigger guilds, whose schedules were packed, couldn't make exceptions for him, so they didn't take him.

At one point, Lee Changgu made a bold move, figuring he had nothing to lose. He offered Yoseob a spot in the guild, even though they couldn't match the salary offers from the bigger guilds. Instead, he handed Yoseob a blank contract and asked him to name his terms, and that he'd agree.

'That was a stroke of luck for me... Though in return, I got a persistent pain in the ass ever since.'

And that was how a rising star, someone who could've easily joined an A-rank guild, ended up at Dog Fighting, a second-tier guild. Now, with their promotion to C-rank just within reach, he couldn't believe Yoseob was suddenly talking about volunteering for the war in Cheongjin City.

"What's a freshly minted A-rank like you planning to do up there?"

"The same thing all Hunters do in hunting grounds---hunt monsters. What else?"

"And if you die up there? What then?"

"Haven't you been watching the news? If that place falls, everyone's dead. Guild promotions and rankings won't matter anymore."

"Damn it, that Kang Mu-hyuk really got into your head, didn't he?"

"No one's putting ideas in my head. This is just who I am. So, quit trying to stop me and let's go,"

"And what, you think I'm going to send our guild members straight into a death trap?"

"We don't have to be on the front lines. We can help from somewhere less dangerous."

"If we had enough manpower for that, we'd already be promoted."

"So, you're just going to sit here and make money?"

"The big guilds can handle it,."

"Guild Leader Kang Mu-hyuk's guild is only C-rank, though."

"Iron Will? You know there's a huge range within C-rank. In terms of size, they're basically B-rank. With the corporate backing they have and those Rider Wolves, they're practically A-rank. The only reason they're still in C-rank is because they're short on high-ranking Hunters. And that civilian keeps trying to get involved in Hunter business? What can he even accomplish?"

Byun Yoseob, clearly annoyed, shot back.

"Whatever he's trying to do, it's still better than sitting around doing nothing like certain Hunters. Fine, if you're not going, I'll go alone. I'm out."

"Hey! Hey! Don't just... and he's gone. Yeah, I saw that coming. Haa... Secretary Oh! Get in here."

Changgu called, waving to his secretary, who was peeking out from behind the broken door.

"We can't let our best guy go and get himself killed. Get in touch with the team members. Tell everyone to report for duty."