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

'As you suspected, our liaison Yuri Kozlov was involved in this matter. He, too, is a survivor of Nazezhinsky.'

Kang Mu-hyuk recalled the conversation he had with Alex, with Kozlov sitting in the front seat.

He noticed Kozlov fidgeting his lips as if pretending to be flustered and said, "We've already found out all there is to know, so stop the act, Mr. Kozlov."

The bewildered expression on Kozlov's face disappeared instantly upon hearing Kang Mu-hyuk's confident voice. Looking resigned and with a heavy heart, he looked down at the floor and replied, "So, during the call with the Federation headquarters, you didn't just talk about Makar. You knew my true identity and still acted calmly. That's quite spine-chilling."

"Acting isn't just for someone who harbored a grudge against Nazezhinsky for over ten years and infiltrated the Federation now, is it?"

At the mention of 'grudge,' Igor's shoulders twitched. Darden was visibly gesturing to him to restrain himself. Kang Mu-hyuk was once again convinced that there was something entwined between the Tyrant and the survivors of Nazezhinsky.

Kozlov glanced over at the Dudnik brothers and asked, "How did you know? Did you use Clairvoyance?"

"There was no need to use Clairvoyance. There were several suspicious aspects. It's just that you weren't a suspect."

"Suspicious aspects?"

"Born in Russia, and an Alliance attaché stationed in Russia---so far, nothing suspicious. But being a Russian liaison who operates more in Vladivostok than in the capital, Moscow? Normally, it might not be a huge deal, but in situations like these, it's said one should even tap a stone bridge before crossing."

"That's because I was born here. What if I used that as an excuse?"

"Giving your hometown as a reason isn't a bad move. But it's clearly strange for you to have enough connections to arrange meetings with the head of the city's top guild, despite working in a Russia where the Federation isn't particularly welcome."

"Maybe I have an unusual personality. Doesn't seem like enough reason for suspicion, does it?"

Kang Mu-hyuk nodded as if acknowledging the point, then shrugged and continued, "What was really suspicious was that our members' hotel information was leaked in advance. At first, I thought it was a mistake on the Tsar Guild's part. We also captured Mr. Makar thanks to that suspicion after all. But then, I wondered, was Makar really the only spy? It struck me that if a Hunter who had been active in the Tsar Guild for over 10 years could betray them, then anyone could."

"So you suspected me, an agent of the Federation who isn't even a member of the Tsar Guild?"

"That too was thanks to Mr. Makar. I just suspected everyone. So I had a background check done on all the people around, and I placed you, who was least likely to be suspected, at the top of the list and asked the Federation. And as expected, it turned out you are a spy."

Kozlov muttered in disbelief, "No wonder events kept unfolding in a strange manner ever since you captured Makar. Never did I expect things to fall apart like this. I shouldn't have listened to Pyo Beom-hee's request."

Heeding Pyo Beom-hee's last request to call Kang Mu-hyuk was the root of all this trouble. Kozlov honestly thought having a civilian Guild Leader over wouldn't make much of a difference.

He had to report to the Federation anyway, so he informed them that Pyo Beom-hee had requested for Kang Mu-hyuk's help, thinking to keep the details of the situation intact. But as soon as Kang Mu-hyuk arrived at the airport, he stirred up the Tsar Guild and ended up capturing all his comrades who had been hiding their identities for over ten years.

He himself tried to follow him to somehow complete his mission but ended up being played in the palm of his hand.

As Kozlov was feeling defeated, Kang Mu-hyuk asked him, "I have a question. I understand the relationship between the Tsar Guild and the Nazezhinsky survivors, but what's their relationship with Igor Dudnik?"

"What relationship do you think? They're the mortal enemies of our family!"

Igor shouted, baring his teeth. Kozlov retorted angrily, "Enemies? That's for us to say, you lunatic murderer!"

"Murder? Isn't it natural to repay blood with blood?"

"When you take revenge on innocent people, that's called slaughter."

"Innocent? The people of Nazezhinsky are all the same. Pretending not to know what they did very well. They beat up a well-liked mid-tier Guild Master, making him the scapegoat. If I had known there were survivors, I would have stayed for days to kill them all---"

"Igor!"

Darden stepped in, cutting him off. Igor clamped his mouth shut, his shoulders quivering with uncontainable anger. An intensity not even shown when facing Ju Se-ah was visible in his rage.

Kozlov shared that fury. His normally amiable face twisted like a demon's. Having shed the mask he wore for over a decade, now exposed, he seemed almost relieved to unleash his murderous intent.

"Don't think this is the end. We will curse you. We will seek our revenge someday."

To the overt malice, Igor responded with a weary voice, "Darden, how long are we going to let this continue?"

"We were planning to deal with the Tsar Guild's business and eliminate them all anyway. Accelerating the plan doesn't change anything."

Kang Mu-hyuk realized the Dudnik brothers intended to eliminate Kozlov.

'No matter the crime, I can't just let a Federation member be killed. At the least, I need to understand the full story.'

Stepping forward, Kang Mu-hyuk warned, "Mr. Kozlov is an agent of the Federation. The Federation will handle his case. My mention of the Federation was a warning for mediation of the dispute between Tyrant and Tsar, the two guilds. I cannot condone this kind of violence."

Even as he intervened, Kang Mu-hyuk was not sure if his words could stop Igor.

He didn't know the exact story, but their relationship was fraught with more resentment than they realized. They were bound together by a malice beyond their wildest expectations.

The original plan was to use Kozlov's manipulation of the Federation as a threat, suggesting that the Federation would intervene and mediate, thereby buying some time. However, this incident had been driven by emotion, not reason, from the start.

The primal emotion of revenge was not something that could be resolved with a few words.

Kang Mu-hyuk acknowledged his own miscalculation. At the same time, he understood why Makar had seemed so composed even while being captured.

'Did he think it didn't matter what he did as it would ultimately lead to disaster? Damn, if only it wasn't for the Tyrant. If only it wasn't for the S-ranker, there would be a way.'

This world was ultimately a world of power. He knew it, but now it hit him hard.

"Listen, Korean. If you don't want to die, don't interfere anymore."

Igor pushed past Kang Mu-hyuk. It wasn't a heavy push, but Kang Mu-hyuk staggered back. Had No Song-rin not supported him, he would have fallen in an unsightly manner.

Kozlov drew his sword and aimed it at Igor. Despite being treated with the finest potions, the arm Igor had injured still throbbed painfully.

'Just one hit. Even just one would be enough. Let me land just one blow on that bastard's face.'

Recalling the faces of his family, now blurry in his memory after more than a decade, Kozlov charged his sword with all his mana.

【Critical Blade】

Crash!

Mana dispersed and the sword shattered.

"Just... like that...?"

Not a single scratch was on Igor's fist.

"I'm sorry for letting you live for 14 years. I should have killed you sooner. Now die and disappear from my sight."

Igor's fist aimed at Kozlov's heart. Kozlov tightly closed his eyes.

Thump!

"!!"

The fist, unable to fully extend, was blocked.

Ju Se-ah stood in front of it.

"What are you doing?"

"Guild Leader Kang."

Ignoring Igor, who was seething with murderous aura, Ju Se-ah looked for Kang Mu-hyuk.

Kang Mu-hyuk, relieved that Ju Se-ah had blocked Igor's attack, was also amazed at how she did it and responded, "Yes."

"I'm not sure of the situation, but this person isn't supposed to die here, right?"

"He did commit a crime, but in this situation, it's hard to pinpoint whose fault it is. Judgment like this without a trial won't help resolve the situation."

"Okay. Got it."

"Your opponent is the Tyrant."

"I know."

"It's dangerous."

"Kinda. I think I've got the hang of it."

Only then did Kang Mu-hyuk notice the power struggle between Igor and Ju Se-ah despite her confident voice.

Ju Se-ah's forearms, which were blocking Igor's fist with their palms pressed together, bulged with veins. Igor's face was flushed red as well.

As both exerted force on their legs, the ground cracked as if caving in.

Mana was already entwined between the two.

A stray strand of mana lashed out at Kozlov, who was nearby, knocking him back and rendering him unconscious.

Kang Mu-hyuk recognized this phenomenon from somewhere he had heard about.

"It's dangerous, Guild Leader. This is a domain battle, something only the powerful can engage in. Please step back."

No Song-rin pulled Kang Mu-hyuk back. He acted calmly but was quite startled.

'Creating a mana domain is something only S-rankers are capable of. Is our Guild Master really an S-ranker?'

Darden was equally astonished.

Nikolayev, standing beside them, stuttered while pointing at Ju Se-ah.

"V-Vice-Guild Master... that is... really..."

"Shut up. I can see it too."

He should have realized something was off when Igor had a strange reaction to fighting that woman.

'An S-ranker? Was she hiding her strength on purpose, or did she just become an S-ranker? Either way, it doesn't make sense. You can't just start using that power right away if you become an S-ranker.'

Darden remembered the time his brother became an S-ranker. Even after realizing his power, it took him a while to be able to draw it out.

Using that power required real combat training and some catalyst.

The tragedy 14 years ago became the catalyst for it.

Perhaps his brother became a Tyrant because the first time he used his S-rank power, it was directed in the wrong direction.

"It's more likely she was hiding it."

It had to be that she was hiding it. If not, it would mean that his brother had awakened this new monster.

And now, the problem was that this monster was standing in their way.

When everyone was at a loss for words, unable to act, Kang Mu-hyuk made his move. He instructed No Song-rin to secure Kozlov and then circled around to approach Darden.

"If two S-rankers fight, whoever wins, the victor won't come out unscathed either. You might lose your last remaining family."

"That means your Guild Master could die too, right?"

"So, will you just let them fight as it is?"

"Damn! What a mess. You really made a disaster out of this."

Although Darden misunderstood it as an intentional situation, Kang Mu-hyuk did not respond. Letting the opponent misunderstand the situation as intentional would serve as a brake.

'After all, I can't say I didn't expect Ju Se-ah to become an S-ranker.'

Even when the Federation's Elf Aila had declared she crossed the wall, it was kinda risky, but to come to such a critical realization so dramatically when he was in desperate need.

Kang Mu-hyuk thought that the heavens had helped him.

As Darden remained silent, Kang Mu-hyuk was about to ask again.

Then--

Dadada dada dadada!

An inappropriately cheerful ringtone echoed in the serious atmosphere.

Ju Se-ah, knowing who still used such an outdated ringtone, looked at Kang Mu-hyuk.

While watching the clash of the S-rankers, Kang Mu-hyuk answered the phone.

"Yes, Alex. What? The news? What do you..."

As Kang Mu-hyuk's eyes widened, Darden's smartphone rang, followed by ringtones of the surrounding Hunters. Everyone checked their messages and gasped in shock.

Amidst the growing commotion, sensing the tense atmosphere, Ju Se-ah said to Igor, "Hey, Russian uncle. I don't think this is the time for us to fight. What do you say? Shall we continue anyway?"

"Even facing death, you don't complain, huh?"

Despite his harsh words, Igor stepped back. No matter how reckless he might be, he wasn't a fool to continue fighting when something was obviously wrong.

'Besides, I'm dying to know. What in the world is happening?'

Ju Se-ah resolved his unspoken curiosity.

"Guild Leader Kang! What's happening?"

Kang Mu-hyuk lowered the smartphone he had been holding to his ear and said, "Oopoomangbawoo has... started making its move."

Just before being locked in the guild's Hunter-only detention room, Makar saw his comrades being brought in.

Members of the guild composed of Nazezhinsky survivors.

'We tried not to get caught by timing out our joining of the guild. But we got caught too easily. I didn't know Guild Master Anton was so skilled.'

While the documents sent from the World Hunter Federation played a crucial role, Makar, now imprisoned, had no way of knowing that.

"It will take some time to capture all your co-conspirators who are out on assignments outside the guild. Think it over in the meantime. You were family, after all; I don't want to see you in a sorry state."

Vice Guild Master Dmitry left the place with a threat, but Makar did not flinch. On the contrary, he even felt relieved.

'It seems they haven't figured out what it means for us to be from Nazezhinsky yet.'

The Tsar Guild was obviously well aware of the tragedy of Nazezhinsky. However, the Hunter who had been the Guild Master at the time had retired, and most of the leadership who followed him had also left active duty.

As for the few who were left, Makar had gotten rid of them by staging accidents or by plotting to have them eaten by monsters.

'Will Kozlov be alright? For the remaining plan, at least he must not be caught. Being part of the Federation might keep him off the suspect list, but...'

Suddenly, that Korean guy came to mind.

'Kang Mu-hyuk.'

Somehow, he had a hunch that Kozlov wouldn't be safe either. Makar, who had been bound hand and foot and stuffed into a corner, opened his eyes.

It was because he sensed someone approaching the entrance.

Creak!

"Makar!"

"Olga!"

It was a welcomed face. She was Makar's lover.

"What happened? You weren't caught?"

"Well, I'm not from Nazhensky, am I?"

"Right. Yes. That's true."

Olga was a woman who knew Makar's secret. Moreover, she understood him and comforted his wounds.

For Makar, Olga was the only breath of relief for him inside the Tsar Guild, the cause of his rage.

"It was wise to keep our office romance a secret. What about the guard in front?"

"I used a sleep poison. It was left over from what I used on the Koreans at the hotel. It didn't work on them, but it seems to work well on the guild members here."

"Who knew it would come in handy like this? What about the Guild Master?"

"He mobilized the entire Expedition squad to capture our comrades. He said they need overwhelming force to capture them without injury."

"Hmph! Thanks to the Guild Master's mercy, we're getting this opportunity."

Olga released the special restraint used to tie Makar. Rubbing his stiff hands, Makar glanced outside the door.

"We have to get out of here. What happened to our comrades?"

"They've all been captured. Because of the information sent by the World Hunter Federation."

As Olga shook her head, Makar clenched his teeth.

"If it's the Federation... Kozlov must be caught, too. Did they get everyone?"

"Except for those who didn't join and are helping from the outside, it's just a matter of time."

"It's possible that in this plan, only the Tsar Guild will break and Igor will remain unharmed. Or maybe both will get out scott free."

After pondering deeply, Makar's face turned resolute as if he had made a decision.

"Olga, you need to get out of this city."

"Let's go together. This is enough. Let's run away and hide."

"No. I still have things to do."

"Wh-what are you going to do?"

"There's only one way now."

After a moment's hesitation, Makar continued.

"I'm going to release Oopoomangbawoo."