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

Chapter 178 - Was I too impulsive?

Kang Mu-hyuk informed Seong Seonjae about the proposal from the Japanese Hunter community. They needed to move up their raid schedule as a countermeasure. Seong Seonjae, looking serious, replied, "If we get involved now, the information about Guild Master Ju Se-ah might slip out."

"I feel the same way,"

"Those Japanese Hunters keep trying the same tricks. It was like this when I was still active. Part of the reason I became Strategy Team Leader was that I found it more interesting. But I also knew that if I stayed on the front lines, I wouldn't be able to avoid their schemes."

Kang Mu-hyuk was surprised by this. Before Ju Se-ah, Seong Seonjae was seen as the next likely S-rank Hunter. But one day, he suddenly retired.

To be more accurate, he didn't fully retire but shifted to the strategy team leader role. This was basically his exit from active duty. Many people didn't understand why he made this decision. Some thought it was just a temporary break.

Hunters, especially those called geniuses, often get burned out after hunting for years. Many assumed Seong Seonjae would return after a short break, but he never did. Now, Kang Mu-hyuk realized that Seong Seonjae's choice to leave was a planned escape from Japan's tricks.

It all made sense why Seong Seonjae was so obsessed about taking down the Japanese Hunters so much. Seong Seonjae opened and closed his mouth a few times before deciding to speak again, as if finally having resolved something.

"You know that Hunters need to constantly push themselves to rise in rank. If a Hunter isn't growing, it's because they chose the safety of easier hunts. When I became strategy team leader, it was my way of saying I wasn't aiming for more."

His voice held a touch of disappointment, but his face looked calm, as though he had no regrets.

Kang Mu-hyuk found this strange. For a Hunter as talented and passionate as Seong Seonjae, putting down his sword and working behind a desk should have been hard. Yet, he seemed strangely content with his choice that he should be angry about. It didn't seem to fit.

"I may not be a Hunter, but giving up the chance to become S-rank just because of the Japanese threat doesn't seem right. You don't seem like someone who would run away from danger."

"Even after I became strategy team leader, there was still pushback. The Slayer Guild may be a Tier guild in Korea, but back then, it wasn't strong enough to challenge Japan. So, I made the most logical decision. I focused on maximizing Slayer's potential while planning for the future. The role of strategy team leader was perfect for that."

"I know Slayer has grown a lot under your leadership, but it's not comparable to the value of an S-rank Hunter. Japan's power in the global Hunter community comes from the number of S-rank Hunters they have. Wouldn't it have been better to stay active..."

Kang Mu-hyuk's words faded away as a new thought crossed his mind.

'Was that even possible?'

He reconsidered his thoughts.

If he were in Seong Seonjae's position, could he have made the same choice?

He couldn't be sure.

Seong Seonjae noticed Kang Mu-hyuk's contemplation and smiled slightly.

"As expected from you, Guild Leader Kang. Did you catch on?"

Kang Mu-hyuk, usually calm, took a deep breath to gather himself before responding.

"How long have you been the Strategy Team Leader? About 10 years?"

"11 years."

"11 years... that was right when Guild Leader Ju Se-ah joined Slayer. People praised her talent and said she was destined to become the next S-rank."

"Yes. I bet everything on Guild Leader Ju."

Kang Mu-hyuk sighed deeply. Suddenly, everything made sense.

Ju Se-ah's easy departure from Slayer, the guild's repeated concessions during conflicts, the silence after public embarrassments, and Seong Seonjae's strangely friendly attitude toward her despite their poor relationship.

All these things, though they seemed minor, were now clear. The past situations were handled in ways that didn't raise red flags, so Kang Mu-hyuk had never questioned them before.

Seong Seonjae continued speaking.

"I'm finally opening up about this, but it all came down to probabilities. With my skills, how long could I avoid Japan's tricks? Could I even become S-rank before they found me? Even with the guild's protection, there was no guarantee. That's when I noticed Guild Leader Ju Se-ah. Her brilliance and incredible talents impressed me. I was confident that if I could get her to A+ rank, no one could touch her unless an S-rank stepped in personally. After that, whether she became S-rank was entirely up to her."

Kang Mu-hyuk was amazed by Seong Seonjae's decade-long plan. But something still didn't make sense.

"If that was the plan, why let Guild Master Ju's contract expire? Surely you could have found a way to keep her."

"It's because of her personality."

"Her personality? Ah..."

Kang Mu-hyuk quickly understood.

"Monsters..."

"Yes. To her, the guild's profits don't matter. Like you, her only focus is on hunting more monsters."

Seong Seonjae dreamed of growing Slayer Guild into the top guild in the world, not just in Asia. To stand against the Japanese Hunters, the guild needed power and numbers, which required money.

"I raised her to A+ rank. I believed she would eventually become S-rank---the only S-rank in the guild. No, she would be the only S-rank in all of Korea. At that point, the guild's influence and the entire Korean Hunter landscape would revolve around her. But once we reached that stage, her personality would make it impossible for me to build the guild the way I wanted."

"But it still doesn't make sense. Letting someone with the potential to become S-rank leave as a free agent is strange. Did Guild Master Sa Munhyuk know about this plan?"

"As sharp as ever. No one in the guild knew, except me."

"!!"

"I'm the one who encouraged Guild Leader Ju Se-ah to reject Slayer's renewal offer."

"But why?"

"She reached A+ rank and had already caught Japan's attention. It was time to distance her.  She was my rival. If she stayed, my position within Slayer would weaken."

Kang Mu-hyuk was confused. Internal power struggles within rivals in guilds weren't unusual, but giving up a future S-rank Hunter to secure authority felt like cutting down a tree to reach its fruit.

However, Seong Seonjae's next words clarified everything.

"Guild Leader Kang, after you became the head of the Unified Strike Force, I told Guild Master Sa Munhyuk that I planned to step down as Strategy Team Leader."

"Don't tell me... Are you going back to active duty?"

"When I heard that Guild Master Ju  Se-ah had reached S-rank, I was thrilled. It meant I could finally start the final phase of my plan."

"And now, with Japan's involvement confirmed?"

"All of Japan's attention will be on Guild Leader Ju. Even though I said I'd step down, I won't make an official announcement for now. I'll keep my position for a while. Japan won't even think about me."

Kang Mu-hyuk shook his head.

"You seem to be missing something. For this to work, you'll need to become S-rank yourself, right?"

"Do you think that's impossible?"

"I wouldn't know. I'm not a Hunter."

Seong Seonjae's face displayed confidence. Kang Mu-hyuk knew he wasn't one to brag, but he also understood that reaching S-rank wasn't something you could just decide to do.

Kang Mu-hyuk wasn't convinced that Seong Seonjae would reach S-rank.

"Let me tell you something: When I decided to become Strategy Team Leader, I had already seen a vision. Guild Master Ju probably had a similar experience."

Kang Mu-hyuk took a sharp breath.

In South Korea, if anyone was the authority on Hunter-related theories, it was Kang Mu-hyuk. He quickly understood what Seong Seonjae meant by "vision."

Vision, as it was called internationally, was a phenomenon Hunters experienced as they near the final rank---S-rank.

According to interviews with early S-rank pioneers, a Hunter at A+ rank would only see the path forward once hunting no longer seemed to offer a way to advance. Some people saw the vision on the verge of death, others through meditation, and some during intense battles against powerful monsters.

Essentially, experiencing the vision meant you were eligible to try to reach S-rank. However, seeing the vision didn't guarantee an immediate ranking up. A Hunter could rank up the next day, or it might take a decade. In some cases, they might never rank up.

But Seong Seonjae seemed confident.

"If I hadn't seen the vision, this whole plan would've just been a gamble."

"Even after seeing it, it's still a gamble."

"Let's call it a challenge with low odds."

"And I'm pretty sure that challenge isn't over yet. You need to become S-rank for it to end."

"I saw the aftermath of Guild Master Ju Se-ah's battle with the Black Dragon in Sinuiju. The more I looked, the more it reminded me of the vision I'd seen before. It'll take some time, but I'm confident it's not impossible."

"So taking the lead of the Unified Strike Force was part of your plan to return to active duty. I should've realized this when you agreed so quickly. I thought you were just trying to increase Slayer's stake."

"Who could've known? I made this plan over 11 years ago. That's why I'm grateful to you, Guild Leader Kang. You helped Guild Master Ju Se-ah settle in so quickly."

"Is that why you've been so cooperative with my proposals, like the Rider Wolf, the Sinuiju incident, and others?"

"No, those were just good proposals. They were interesting. I've never met anyone who could captivate me like you have. It's been a lot of fun."

Kang Mu-hyuk had many questions in his mind, but he didn't voice them. He didn't need to. Most of the answers could be inferred from what he already knew. But there was one thing he needed to clarify.

"So why are you telling me this now? You kept it from even the Slayer Guild Master."

"As I mentioned earlier, I'm stepping down as Strategy Team Leader."

"..."

"What do you think about taking over as Strategy Team Leader of Slayer Guild? You could do a lot in that role."

Seong Seonjae sat in the university president's office, which he used as his command center, and reflected on what had happened earlier that day.

"Was I too impulsive?"

When he heard that Japan had caught wind of things and offered their support, he realized it was the perfect opportunity to bring Kang Mu-hyuk on board. So he laid his cards on the table. Well, not all of them, but he revealed part of the 11-year plan he had kept to himself.

He was confident that Kang Mu-hyuk wouldn't go around blabbing about their conversation, so he felt safe sharing the secret. Normally, he wouldn't have been so open.

'But what could I do? I couldn't help myself. The way he handled the Rider Wolf, the Sinuiju incident, his plan to push into the Demonic Realm, and even pulling Russia into the equation---it's way beyond anything I imagined. The fact that he's not even a Hunter doesn't matter.'

He had tried to lure him in by offering full control of Slayer. Kang Mu-hyuk's fixation on hunting monsters, with little regard for guild profits, was a problem. But if they could establish a stable foothold in the Demonic Realm, that could offset the issue. And if Seong Seonjae managed things right, he could maintain balance.

Had Kang Mu-hyuk sensed Seong Seonjae's sincerity? That was probably why he didn't refuse the offer.

'Although, he didn't accept it either.'

Kang Mu-hyuk set a condition. He told Seong Seonjae to become S-rank first. Only then would they begin negotiations.

'And he's not wrong. With someone like Ju Se-ah as an S-rank, it makes sense I haven't caught Japan's attention yet. Slayer Guild's name alone isn't enough.'

Seong Seonjae nodded at Kang Mu-hyuk's condition and stepped back for now.

'It wouldn't be fun if it were too easy anyway. Guild Leader Kang, I look forward to the day we can work together.'