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

Chapter 35 - As You Wish; In My Own Way

"You have quite the nerve, to demand something from me before I even ask you to. This is the first time, excluding Se-ah, that I've had such an encounter. Then again, given your leadership, I suppose you have a habit of shamelessly getting into ridiculous situations."

"Chairman, I took your first words in that way. You said I know how to pull the strings well, didn't you? You suggested that instead of trying to get hold of everything and making a mess, wouldn't it be better to focus on one sure thing? At least, that's how I understood it."

"I like your brevity. It seems Se-ah has found a good worker."

Nodding his head, Tae Jin-sung seemed satisfied.

"What can I do for you? Revoke the guild name change? Prevent the relocation to North Pocheon? Please, tell me what you want."

"You can keep the guild name and move wherever you want. But--"

"..."

"My demand is just one thing. You're hunting goblins, right? I want you to fail spectacularly."

"!!"

Kang Mu-hyuk clenched his teeth then loosened his jaw to ask, "What degree of failure are you talking about?"

"People need to die for Se-ah to snap out of it. She's seen a lot of deaths since she was a child, so one or two wouldn't affect her at all. If at least half are wiped out, that should be enough. She needs to see firsthand the consequences of her recklessness."

Heat surged in Kang Mu-hyuk's heart. His cool head heated up.

'Don't get angry yet. Anger won't solve anything.'

Kang Mu-hyuk repeatedly reminded himself as he kept his gaze low, not daring to make eye contact with Tae Jin-sung, lest his boiling anger be revealed.

Regulating his breathing surreptitiously, he spoke, "Do you need to go through all this trouble? Why not just disband the guild?"

"Why? Don't want to do it?"

"Gambling with people's lives requires staking your own. I fear that my life might be at stake because of this matter with Guild Master Ju Se-ah. As you know, Guild Master Ju Se-ah is the top Hunter in South Korea. Even if you, Chairman, promise to protect me, she's not someone I can avoid."

"You've found a good excuse to refuse. But shouldn't your concern be trying to get out of here before you try to dodge Se-ah?"

No sooner had Tae Jin-sung finished speaking, a man, who appeared to be the Chairman's bodyguard, glared at Kang Mu-hyuk. Although he stood at a distance, his chilling gaze made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

Kang Mu-hyuk felt his skin being pricked. His body responded with a minor shiver to the intimidating aura. He felt the flow of mana.

'A Hunter, indeed.'

Certainly, he was no ordinary man.

Among the Hunters he had met, few possessed such a strong aura.

Kang Mu-hyuk, still not quite accustomed to sensing mana, couldn't miss the sizable quantity radiating from his opponent, who seemed to make no effort to hide it.

'At least A-rank, perhaps?'

Contrary to public opinion that Tae Jin-sung had no interest in guild affairs, he kept a high-level Hunter by his side.

'I thought he was an old man with little interest in hunting businesses.'

Kang Mu-hyuk felt the need to reassess his judgment of the Chairman.

"If you've accepted, then proceed as planned to Pocheon. Follow my orders there. Understood?"

Kang Mu-hyuk rapidly organized his thoughts.

What was the best course of action available to him at this moment?

For starters, if he didn't accept, he could be killed on the spot.

The involvement of a Hunter in itself was a means to make Kang Mu-hyuk disappear from this world without anyone knowing.

His body could be thrown to a mountain monster, with his bones never to be recovered.

Monsters were the perfect partners in disposing of a body.

'But lying would also be problematic. I could evade the situation for now, but not the repercussions.'

Even though it was difficult for large corporations to influence the Hunter industry, Iron Will Guild wasn't free from such corporations since it was under the Taesung Group. It was clear that Chairman Tae Jin-sung would obstruct him in some way.

A way to navigate around this had to be found.

As Kang Mu-hyuk's mind was swiftly churning, Tae Jin-sung gestured at him with his chin.

"If you understand, then leave. Director Jung, escort our guest."

Along with the order, the Hunter moved.

Feeling a compulsive need to not back down, a lightning bolt of insight struck Kang Mu-hyuk's mind.

He hastily knelt down and spoke.

"Wait, Chairman, shouldn't I also gain something if I am to take a risk?"

"Heh, even in this situation, you're keen on your own benefits. Aren't you feeling guilty about betraying your director?"

"If the role you want me to play is that of a traitor, then I should do as you say."

"Right, what do you want?"

At the end of the conversation, the chilly voice squeezed Kang Mu-hyuk.

Kang Mu-hyuk organized the thoughts swirling in his head and said, "Obviously, the position of a Guild Master. I need your promise to guarantee at least the Team Leader's position."

After a moment of silence, Tae Jin-sung opened his mouth.

"Show me results first."

'Results... Does he see killing someone as merely a result?'

"Once you show the results, the reward shall follow."

As Tae Jin-sung added, a resolute light flared in Kang Mu-hyuk's eyes.

"Results. I will show them, in my own way."

Dozens of trailer trucks raced down the national highway to the gloomy city center. The streets lacked energy. The few who were out for a late lunch proved it wasn't a ghost town.

People filled the streets, their attention stolen by the procession of trailers. Eventually, they spotted the words 'Iron Will Guild' on the sides and back of the trailers.

"It's Iron Will!"

"At last..."

Those who had been desperately waiting for news from the Iron Will Guild, more than any other Korean citizens, could recognize the newly changed guild name.

The citizens of Pocheon believed the Iron Will Guild would bring hope to their city.

Inside the lead SUV assigned to lead the trailers, Kang Mu-hyuk kept tapping on his tablet PC, double and triple-checking his plans.

Ju Se-ah sitting next to him, shot him a sidelong glance and asked, "How about it? Are you confident?"

"I've never been confident while planning a hunt," Kang Mu-hyuk replied. "I just do my best to formulate the best possible plan, devise alternatives in case it goes wrong, and if those don't work, I look for new solutions. That's all."

"Ah~ You always take light-hearted comments so seriously. What am I going to do with you?"

Ignoring Ju Se-ah's grumbling, Kang Mu-hyuk's eyes were on the map of North Pocheon.

In particular, he scrutinized the area around Sanjeong Lake.

It was a monster ecology map, built on the testimonies of freelance Hunters who had gone hunting in that Special Activities Zone.

'I've confirmed the Goblin tribe, and based on their appearances, I've predicted their range of activity... But the information is too old. At some point, Hunters stopped hunting near there and the data hasn't been updated.'

The reason was clear.

The area surrounding the south of Sanjeong Lake, including Sahyang Mountain and Gwaneum Mountain, was infested with monsters that were challenging to confront.

Hunters likely didn't see the need to head up north while hunting these monsters. Monsters that, based on old information, should have stayed further north. Their habitats had now moved southward unnoticed.

'They were pushed out. By the goblins.'

North Pocheon was a hotspot where formidable monsters such as the Watusi Snake, Squirrel Snake, and Illandria, which Hunters couldn't ignore, had settled.

What size must the goblin tribe have become to push these monsters out?

'No. It's not about the size of the tribe. No matter how many rabbits, they can't beat a tiger. The rabbits must have turned into wolves. In a pack, even a tiger could be pushed out.'

Looking at the sporadically collected information, there were slight differences in the goblins' appearances.

The goblin seen by the first witness was slightly different in size and appearance from the one seen a few years later.

The individuality of the intelligent, tribal monster, evolving and adapting to the environment over generations, was clearly displayed.

Taking his eyes off the tablet, Kang Mu-hyuk asked Ju Se-ah, "How prepared are the Hunters?"

"The party play is smooth as long as it's not a 5-star monster. But honestly, the overall level is so low that I can't guarantee that even for a 4-star."

"And for raid hunting?"

"Well, by your standards, Guild Leader Kang, we're far from ready."

"So the calculation doesn't work."

"Mainly because they lack proper hunting experience."

After pondering over the map again for a while, Kang Mu-hyuk made a decision.

"Let's start by checking our information-gathering capacity. Afterward, we can either activate the party play or proceed with a frontal attack."

Summer had taken a step further into the season. The forest was filled with the noisy sounds of cicadas, making it feel like a concert hall.

A group of green-skinned dwarfs walked side by side in the middle of the forest path.

Its ears were elongated and triangular, drooping towards the back. The nose was hooked, and warts dotted across its face. Its eyes, sharp and gleaming, were the size of large marbles, and it stood just above five feet tall. Unlike the smaller counterparts, this creature had a robust physique and well-defined muscles. The weapon it carried was not a standard poison sting or a stone axe, but a proper iron sword and shield.

'It's certainly bigger than the average goblin, isn't it?'

Two eyes gleamed through the wind-rustled underbrush.

Once the goblins disappeared from sight, the Hunter who had been observing them spoke quietly into his earpiece.

"Headquarters, this is Alpha Three. Five goblins are moving from Yeowu Peak toward the Green Pension. They are soldier types."

"Are they on Yeowu Hill Road?"

"Yes, they are moving along the path."

"It seems they are a new pack. We'll tag them with the identification number 'A6'. Return to the base camp after changing shifts at 17:00."

"Understood."

Once he finished reporting, the Hunter crouched down beneath his camouflage netting again.

He didn't forget to spray the area with a solution made from earthworm juice, preventing the spread of human scent.

Only the cries of cicadas filled the forest once more.

"Five goblin soldiers moving west on Yeowu Hill Road."

Following Kang Mu-hyuk's instructions, the operator in the control room manipulated the equipment, and a green circle with a '5' appeared on the 120-inch monitor.

'There are 89 scouts that have been wandering outside. The scouting range has extended beyond the lake to Mangbong Mountain and Yeowu Peak. Except for the flat road on the west, the radius is almost four kilometers. The tribe is larger than we initially presumed.'

Kang Mu-hyuk scrutinized the map centered around the base camp. The camp was set up in an elementary school in Nogok Village, 7.5 kilometers south of Sanjeong Lake.

Because of the severe mana distortion, communication was not smooth, so they had set up temporary communication antennas on the peaks of Gwaneum Mountain and Sahyang Mountain, the left and right gates leading to Sanjeong Lake.

All this was possible thanks to An Ji-il, who had repaired the equipment brought out from Warehouse C. Because of his efforts, communication was available as far as Yeowu Peak in the northeast with Sanjeong Lake in the center.

'Not many Hunters in Iron Will have the telepathy skill. It's a popular skill monopolized by top guilds, so it's hard to acquire. If Team Leader An hadn't devised it after years of research, this operation would have been much more difficult.'

Kang Mu-hyuk still thought that the future of hunting depended on Project C.

"But why do we operate scouts, Guild Leader? I saw that the equipment team has drones."

In the corner of the control room set up in the old elementary school office, Gong Du-ri asked while operating the device.

"Each time you fly one, it uses a low-grade mana stone. Its efficiency isn't great, so 20 minutes is the max limit."

"Are they using low-grade ones? Wow, that's one expensive drone."

"Besides, flying drones only heightens the goblins' vigilance. The reason we placed the camp in the south, not the easier-to-access west side of the lake, is to stay out of the goblins' line of sight."

There were two major routes to Lake Sanjeong: Route 78 running east-west, and Route 387, which penetrated the north-south direction.

The goblins actively moved in the west, where the retreat was easier, while firmly blocking the narrower intersections in the southeast. Even from these patterns of behavior, it was clear that they were a highly intelligent goblin tribe.

'Obviously hobgoblins, and maybe even goblin chiefs or clan heads.'

A large tribe with a well-established map system. The Sanjeong Lake Goblin Clan was a more difficult adversary than anticipated.

"Continue to gather information for a few more days, upload it to the DB as you compile it, and share it on the outer board..."

[ED: DB is DataBase.]

It was at the moment when Kang Mu-hyuk was providing instructions.

Alarm!

"This is Delta Two! Squirrels! Squirrels incoming!"

An urgent voice echoed through the radio.

In contrast to the urgency in the radio operator's voice, Kang Mu-hyuk calmed him down with a composed voice.

"Don't you know how to report properly? Calm down and report as trained."

"I'm sorry. A group of squirrels are gathering. They seem to be moving south soon. There are about twenty."

"Has Delta Two's position been exposed?"

"No. They do not seem to be aware of it yet."

"Approximate distance?"

Kang Mu-hyuk looked at the monitor, and Gong Du-ri skillfully displayed the location of Delta Two.

'Sahyang Mountain entrance, 2 kilometers. A 30-minute walk, but with the average speed of a squirrel, it wouldn't even take 10 minutes.'

Kang Mu-hyuk assessed the situation and issued an order.

"Delta Two, hold your position. Keep watch for follow-up monsters."

"Yes. Understood."

"Team Leader Gong, tell the ranged attack prevention team and the outpost to retreat."

"Yes, sir."

Kang Mu-hyuk grabbed another microphone attached to the operator's equipment and brought it to his mouth.

When he pressed the button next to the microphone, a short alarm sound spread throughout the camp.

At the alarm, Hunters and staff flinched.

Then Kang Mu-hyuk's voice rang out.

"Announcement to the entire camp. First-class combat readiness initiated. Situation spread. More than twenty squirrels are moving south from the north side of Route 387. We are entering defense mode in the camp. Over."

After issuing the order, Kang Mu-hyuk immediately opened the office door and went outside.

He wanted to check the readiness of the Hunters.

As the hallway was chaotic, Kang Mu-hyuk went to the central entrance.

There, Ju Se-ah was already outside.

She was frowning as she looked around the schoolyard. The expression on Kang Mu-hyuk's face, who was standing next to her, was not much different.

"They can't seem to get it together. Just because of twenty squirrels."

"They are the trickiest among the three-star monsters... But this is definitely a problem."

Ju Se-ah sighed naturally at the sight of the flustered Hunters. It was fortunate they were stumbling, yet finding their way back to their positions.

Kang Mu-hyuk felt like he was carrying a heavier stone than Ju Se-ah's sigh.

'If it continues like this, we'll be annihilated by the goblin tribe, even without Chairman Tae Jin-sung's demand.'