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

"Villain, you say..."

Makar glared at Kang Mu-hyuk, baring his teeth.

"The guy who massacred civilians is being called the pride of Russia. Just because they put an 'S' in front of his rank, he's being called a hero. What exactly is the difference between him and me? Is it because I will kill more people that I'm being called a villain?"

"..."

"No, honestly, I don't care. It doesn't matter what the living call me. But the dead... The revengeful spirits of the Nazezhinsky, at least, will thank me. It's enough as long as those people call me a hero."

"Are you done with your ramble? I'm warning you. Don't do anything stupid."

Makar picked up the explosive device.

"There's no such thing as stupid actions for revenge."

That was when No Song-rin moved. Already quick as he was, he charged at Makar with determination, and Makar couldn't react in time.

No Song-rin's mana-infused sword sliced through Makar's wrist. The severed wrist, spraying blood into the air, fell to the ground.

"Aaaack!"

"Hey! Didn't Russia teach you that if you strut your hand about, your wrist will fly off, you terrorist?"

No Song-rin kicked the severed wrist with his foot. The trail of blood reached Kang Mu-hyuk.

"Kehehehe... I'm also a Hunter. Of course, I learned not to mess around in front of a high-ranker."

Kang Mu-hyuk picked up the explosive device that was clutched in the severed hand. He felt something off the moment he picked it up; it subtly differed from the form he had first seen.

"This is... No Song-rin...!"

Before Kang Mu-hyuk could even warn, Makar's unsevered left hand pulled out another explosive device and activated it.

"I told you, you can't stop it."

A light glowed from the monitor behind Makar. It was a small flame, but it was clear.

With the explosion, the body of Oopoomangbawoo trembled. Smoky fumes like scorched earth emitted from Oopoomangbawoo's body. As the smoke cleared, a broken egg was revealed, and at the same time, the furiously thrashing Oopoomangbawoo was visible. Though it could not be heard, it seemed to be howling.

Following this, the building, which had only some steel and concrete left, collapsed, and the camera transmission was cut off.

"700,000 for one wrist. As they say in this business... It's quite the profitable deal, isn't it? Hahaha!"

"No Song-rin! Kill that bastard, but not completely to death!"

"Okay! Huh? You want me to kill him or not?"

"We'll kill him half to death and send him to the Black Owl Prison."

"Black Owl... It might be better to just die."

No Song-rin quickly subdued Makar, remembering the Russian prison known for its notoriety to the extent that Ujungdo could be called cute in comparison.

Kang Mu-hyuk immediately took out his smartphone and made a call.

"Guild Master, we couldn't stop it. It seems they were on guard after all."

-It's okay. Even if you couldn't stop it, Oopoomangbawoo was a target we needed to hunt anyway. It's just a matter of whether it happens sooner or later.

"I just wanted to be more thoroughly prepared."

-The preparation for the raid is sufficient. Guild Leader Kang, you did everything you could. Now, leave it in the hands of the Hunters.

A word spoken by Ju se-ah crossed Kang Mu-hyuk's mind.

'Hunter.'

As Makar said, that was something he couldn't become.

'If I had become a Hunter, maybe I would have caught more monsters.'

But even though he hadn't awakened, he no longer felt regrets. Since he had learned how to fight monsters even without being a Hunter.

Kang Mu-hyuk issued an order on his smartphone.

"Vladivostok time, 03:47 AM. As of now, we're starting  the Oopoomangbawoo raid."

At dawn, with the temperature dropping further, a corner of the city felt colder with its lights out. Hunters from the Tsar Guild breathed out white puffs of air as they waited. Not far away, the howling of Oopoomangbawoo resonated eerily.

Ju Se-ah used the message skill on all of them.

"Guild Leader Kang Mu-hyuk's order has been issued. We're starting the raid now."

The Hunters, who heard her voice simultaneously, were surprised. Everyone, grouped by party, was busy confirming whether what they just experienced was real.

'Is this real? Did she really deliver a message to the entire raid squad at once?'

The message skill she used was a simple one that didn't consume much mana, but the difficulty increased sharply as the number of people receiving the message simultaneously rose.

Only Hunters with a knack for mana management or innate talent could finely control it.

So, most Hunters used one-to-one messages. You had to be at the level of party leaders to deliver simultaneously to 3-5 people.

'Ju Se-ah isn't known for mana-related traits... Did she really deliver a message to dozens of people with her personal energy alone?'

Dmitry, the Vice Guild Master leading the Tsar Guild's raid team in place of Anton, tried hard not to show his astonishment. He attempted to hide his unease from his guild members.

He had heard of the stature of Korean Hunters during the era of the great war. Especially Vladivostok, being geographically close to the Korean Peninsula, had urban legends of nearly impossible hunting feats achieved by Korean Hunters.

Dmitry grew up listening to those legends.

Fourteen years after miraculously saving Vladivostok from a nightmare, the Tsar Guild became the new legend, but Dmitry's generation knew the potential of Korean Hunters better than anyone.

'There was the Hunter with the giant trait or the one with the poison trait. Even the one who said he's Guild Leader Kang's bodyguard seemed formidable. Is this a sign of the resurgence of Korean Hunters starting with Guild Master Ju Se-ah?'

Despite the checks from China and Japan, Dmitry felt a strange emotion as he saw them trying to spread their wings again.

Ju Se-ah's voice echoed in his head.

"Vice Guild master Dmitry, let me make it clear once again. I will be the one to issue the orders for this raid."

"Since you're at the helm, I'll trust and follow for now. But if there's even a slight hesitation, it's immediately a baton touch."

"Hesitation isn't in my nature. I wish you a good hunt."

"I wish the same for you."

Oopoomangbawoo demolished all the buildings near its nest. It didn't just destroy buildings smaller than itself as before but also smashed large buildings it hadn't touched previously.

Led by Ju Se-ah, three members of the Iron Will party blocked the path Oopoomangbawoo was moving through.

They were hiding among the still intact buildings, but the Oopoomangbawoo's chilling cry resonated like a hawk swooping down on its prey, definitely signaling that it was coming this way.

"This distance here is the Maginot line. There are still citizens behind us who haven't evacuated, so we must hold it off here."

"Guild Master, are you sure we don't need to evacuate people? If things go bad, we might get the blame."

Yeom Soo-hyung asked with concern, and Ju Se-ah shrugged.

"What can we do? This is Russia. Evacuating citizens isn't something we foreigners can handle. Even if we could, it's difficult to evacuate at dawn, and there's not enough time now."

"Whether it's Korea or Russia, the adult's always have a problem. Just think we need to send them to a safe place. Why should we have to shoulder economic or political issues too? People's lives are the most important."

Pyo Beom-hee grumbled, and Ju se-ah laughed.

"Guild Leader Kang is the one who deals with those adult problems for us. We just need to focus on the raid this time as well. Pyo Beom-hee, are you confident you can handle that item?"

"Ugh! Erm... Honestly, I'm not sure. My confidence dropped as soon as I touched it. It's as good as it is willful. I guess it thinks it's all that because it's a unique grade."

Pyo Beom-hee held up the black crystal orb in his hand as if it were a horrendous object, keeping it at a distance from his body.

"Still, the fact that you get to wield a unique artifact is already huge. I haven't even touched anything like that yet. I think it's a good experience."

"Didn't Slayer also have a few unique grade pieces of equipment?"

"I'm not seasoned enough."

"A guild member of 10 years?"

"They said they'd give me a usage permit if I re-sign the contract."

"Ah... how petty. You must've made a lot of earnings for Slayer."

"I hadn't thought about it like that. Now that you mention it, it really does feel petty. But that must mean the unique artifacts are truly that remarkable."

"Here it comes."

Yeom Soo-hyung's warning cut off the conversation.

A building at the end of the street started to lean and then collapsed in an instant.

"It's about the height of the 3rd or 4th floor. Around 7 meters? It's almost fully grown."

"It's a close call even with a second stage transformation. Plan A would have been risky as well."

"Since that operation was scrapped anyway, we have to go according to the new plan."

"I'll provide support."

Yeom Soo-hyung's body swelled. It was a controlled first stage transformation.

Although only half as tall as Oopoomangbawoo, Yeom Soo-hyung's gigantification had a clear advantage, unlike regular tankers who couldn't face large monsters head-on.

Oopoomangbawoo, noticing Yeom Soo-hyung's presence, charged with a roar. It looked comical with its short legs wobbling, but the sight of buildings crumbling as it collided with them was no laughing matter.

Yeom Soo-hyung also picked up speed and charged to meet it.

"You think I'd just let you pass?!"

Crash!

Yeom Soo-hyung pressed close while slashing at Oopoomangbawoo's wings. He wasn't holding any weapons due to the fear of poison. Oopoomangbawoo tried to split his head open with its beak as if he was unarmed.

Something resembling a mannequin popped out from the slightly open beak and dangled. Yeom Soohyung was curious about the identity of these objects, but his mission was a priority.

He dodged the beak and embraced Oopoomangbawoo's waist.

Oopoomangbawoo, whose charge had been abruptly stopped, repeatedly struck Yeom Soo-hyung's back with its degenerated, flying wings that couldn't fly.

Despite its powerful impacts, Yeom Soo-hyung clenched his teeth and endured. Without its large size and poison, the monster wasn't frightening. Knowing this well, he focused entirely on restricting Oopoomangbawoo's movements.

Once he had a moment, Yeom Soo-hyung raised his head to look at Oopoomangbawoo's beak, which had been bothering him. With every scream, he could see the identity of the mannequins popping out of the beak.

'Humans?'

He blinked several times, but it was no mistake. Oopoomangbawoo's pelican-like beak also served as a storage for food. It was used to store prey that it didn't immediately eat.

And right now, that beak was full.

'They said there were some casualties when it first entered Vladivostok... This isn't just 'some' casualties.'

Considering the time it had been in the city, it meant that a significant number of humans had been hunted as prey.

"Don't be ridiculous, you fucking monster!"

Enraged, Yeom Soo-hyung raised his head and leaped up. His headbutt struck the lower part of Oopoomangbawoo's beak.

As Oopoomangbawoo fell backward, the prey it had been storing in its beak spewed out.

Not only humans but also pets like dogs and cats, and livestock such as cows and pigs, were mixed in. The stench of rotting corpses permeated the air. At the same time, a pale black smoke spread from the beak that had been hit.

Yeom Soo-hyung realized his mistake. He had thought it would be fine as long as there were no wounds, but the poison had spewed out through the skin upon a certain impact.

He quickly circulated mana to protect his body and grabbed Oopoomangbawoo's lower body with both hands to prevent it from getting up.

Then he heard Pyo Beom-hee's voice from behind.

"Don't hit it just because you're angry!"

Pyo Beom-hee held a poison dagger in her left hand while stretching her right hand towards the swirling poison in the air. As the dagger emitted a dark light, the poison gathered towards her hand and was soon absorbed.

"It's tricky to handle this. Don't get it to release too much at once. Chip away at its health little by little."

"How long will it take with this big thing? Damn, it's going to be an all-nighter."

Yeom Soo-hyung grumbled but tightened his grip on the Oopoomangbawoo.

Meanwhile, Ju Se-ah climbed onto Oopoomangbawoo's upper body. She raised her sword high. Although it was a borrowed sword and not familiar in her hand, she quickly adjusted her stance, as she wasn't particular about weapons.

"For now, I'll cut this much."

Without hesitation, her sword slashed through Oopoomangbawoo's chest, creating a nearly 2-meter-long wound. Thick, grass-green blood gushed from the gash. At the same time, a poisonous mist seeped from its entire skin.

Pyo Beom-hee gasped in shock as she controlled the poison dagger.

"Eek! Th-this is too... muchhhh."

She could utter no more words. Her teeth were clenched, her eyes bloodshot as she focused intensely on controlling the poison. The hand holding the poison dagger alternated between turning black and returning to its original color.

'If this thing dies... this city is going to be seriously wrecked. The poison is even more potent than I thought.'

Having barely managed to absorb the poison, Pyo Beom-hee was panting heavily, already drenched in sweat though the battle had just begun.

Ju Se-ah checked on her condition and asked, "Are you okay?"

"It's my specialty, but with this amount of poison and its potency... I'm not sure if I can make it to the end."

"Even I don't think you can last until we kill this thing."

Ju Se-ah assessed the situation and immediately modified the strategy, contacting Dmitry.

"We're changing from Plan B-1 to B-3."

"I'll prepare the containment box. Can you bring the creature over?"

Ju Se-ah looked over at Yeom Soo-hyung, who was in a scuffle with the Oopoomangbawoo.

'I can't believe he's wrestling with a monster.'

It was a unique sight never seen in a typical raid.

'It's a bit unsightly... but it's not like I'm the one doing it.'

"It looks like it will work out somehow."

"Just lead it three blocks north. We'll confine it there and then proceed with the conquest."

Ju Se-ah told Pyo Beom-hee.

"We switched to Plan B-3. That might leak less poison than if we capture it here. But still, it will leak a bit on the way. Please handle it carefully."

"Pl-Please, go easy."

Due to the sharp tension all night, Darden felt tired. Taking advantage of the Tsar Guild's inactivity, he briefly dozed off.

'Is this a dream?'

It was like a lucid dream; suddenly, a scene from 14 years ago unfolded before his eyes.

News had spread that a boss monster, which had crawled out of an opened Gate, was heading towards Nazezhinsky. The city was engulfed in fear. The Hunters from several smaller guilds guarding this place had also panicked along with the citizens.

The Hunters had abandoned the government's orders and their contracts with local authorities and fled. The Hunters who abandoned their posts knew they would face penalties that would prevent them from hunting in Russia again, yet they deserted the battlefield.

The power of the boss monster was just that terrifying.

"Let's run away, Father. There's no hope."

Darden was shocked by the voice that burst from his own mouth. An event from 14 years ago felt as vivid as something happening now.

"If we run away now, the guild could go bankrupt because of the penalty. No, bankruptcy isn't the problem, we might have to seek asylum in another country."

"You want to kill all the guild members for that reason?"

"We won't kill them. They just need to work as much as they were paid for. Let's hold out until the citizens have escaped."

"What if the monsters attack before we can run?"

"Then what can we do? We fight until the boss arrives, then we'll get out."

"You always make it sound so easy. You think if that monster gets a hold of us, it'll just let us go?"

"Does that make it okay to just abandon people?"

At Darden's displeased expression, his father smiled wryly.

"We are Hunters, Darden. I'm not saying we should always sacrifice ourselves. But we must protect people as much as we can within our capabilities. If we can't do that, we can't call ourselves Hunters."

"Who cares? I only said it because Igor and Elena were anxious. They listen to everything you say. Tch! You think I said that because I wanted to?"

Darden complained, but the look on his face was okay. He was proud of his father. Even though he was just a Guild Master of a small, insignificant guild, he was a role model for Hunters.

'And he was betrayed and died because of that very duty of a Hunter.'

"Vice Guild Master,"

Nikolayev entered the room just as Darden had woken up.

"What is it?"

"The Koreans have started the Oopoomangbawoo raid."

"Hmph! In the end, they're opening the gates of hell."

As Darden scoffed, Nikolayev cautiously spoke.

"But there's something about it... The situation is unfolding quite strangely."