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

"Brother Deok-soo! I'm back."

"So, what did they say?"

"What do you think? Kang Mu-hyuk, was it? They want us to bring that guy Kang Mu-hyuk, from the southern Hunters' squad. Remember that smuggy(arrogant) bastard? What's his name? Right, Hyun Junggeon. They say he's hiding somewhere around here with Hyun Junggeon. We're supposed to bring them in."

"By when?"

"They want him immediately, but I managed to push it to tomorrow."

Cheon Deok-soo stared into the distance, lost in deep thought, and then finally spoke after a while.

"Avoid any conflict with Yeon Jung-moon's son and search thoroughly. If they cause trouble, inform me immediately."

"Yes, understood."

Kang Mu-hyuk felt cramped in the attic because of the kids sitting around the bed in small groups.

'I just wanted to hear more about the prison village.'

Kim Gilyoung, excited, had gathered all his friends from the alley. The kids, who rarely talked to anyone outside the village, sat around with bright, curious eyes.

'I feel like a monkey in a zoo. But having more people talking means getting more information.'

Kang Mu-hyuk didn't disregard the information coming from the kids. In fact, since they spoke without any prejudice, about the things they saw and heard, they revealed quite a lot of facts to him.

Plus, the kids were quite mature for their age, speaking coherently and clearly.

"Captain Yeon Jung-moon is so cool. I want to grow up and be like him."

"But his face is too scary. I prefer Mr. Hyun. He looks like a nobleman from Seoul. I want to marry someone like him when I grow up."

"I heard Deok-soo caused a scene at Old Man Gong's house last time?"

"No, Deok-soo's not that bad. Deok-soo's the one who brought coal to Old Man Gong's house."

"How do you know?"

"I saw him when he passed by. He had coal dust on his clothes."

"Maybe he was bringing it to his own house. He's not the type to be that attached."

"Sometimes the Chinese come into the village, and it's scary. Last time, I almost peed my pants when I saw one in the prison warehouse. He was laughing and coming towards me, and I was trembling, but Hwang Dongsu saved me. He said something to the Chinese guy in Chinese, and the guy got scared and ran away."

"What? Hwang Dongsu, the delinquent from Granny Hwang's house? What got into him?"

"I don't care if that delinquent dies, but Granny Hwang is in big trouble. She's not in good health. I hope she's keeping warm, now that winter is here."

Though the conversation had turned into a random chatter among the kids, Kang Mu-hyuk gathered a lot of information.

From trivial village news to the power dynamics within this place.

The prison village was mainly divided between the factions of Cheon Deok-soo and Yeon Jung-moon, but there were many Hunters like Hwang Dongsu who moved independently. Some Hunters moved in small groups without forming large parties, while others tried to absorb different Hunters by introducing a guild-like system.

"What is this? Who are these kids?"

Hyun Junggeon, who had just returned to the hideout, asked, looking bemused at the attic scene.

"Mr. Hyun!"

The small girl who had said she wanted to marry someone like Hyun Junggeon clung to his leg. The other kids swarmed around him as well.

"Oh, you brats. There's a jar with cookies over there. Gilyoung, take it out and share it nicely with everyone."

"Okay!"

As if they hadn't just greeted him warmly, the kids rushed out with the jar of cookies. Hyun Junggeon called out to them.

"Remember, it's a secret that we're here!"

"Okaaay~!"

The children's loud voices quickly faded away.

"This place is a madhouse. We can't call this a hideout. What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"You were staring so intently. It looked like you had something to say... Ah, worried the kids might talk about this place? You don't need to worry. They may be young, but they're very discreet and thoughtful. Living here made them mature too fast. When I was their age, I was busy causing trouble."

"No, it's just surprising how popular you seem to be with the kids. I didn't expect it."

Kang Mu-hyuk genuinely looked surprised, and Hyun Junggeon awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"Popular? I wouldn't go that far."

"Well, it seems you donated a lot of rice, coal, and other things when you came here. That'd make you popular."

"The kids mentioned that? It's nothing. People naturally get wary when an outsider comes into the village. It was a strategic move. No one hates free food and clothes. I didn't have much use for my earnings, so I shared them like housewarming gifts."

"But it was quite a lot, enough for the whole village to have a feast."

"Feast? There was a time when the price of rice in Sinuiju skyrocketed, and people were starving to death. The Chinese were controlling it to torment us. I brought a truckload, and everyone was thrilled. They were just happy to have a full meal."

Kang Mu-hyuk stared silently at Hyun Junggeon, who awkwardly cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"Stop nitpicking. That's not important right now. Cheon Deok-soo's gang has made a move. Oh, you might not know. Cheon Deok-soo is one of the two major powers in this village."

"I know. One of the two main factions in the prison village."

"The kids told you?"

"I found out today. When seven kids chatter non-stop for three hours, you learn things even the National Intelligence Service would fail to uncover."

"Haha, those kids do talk a lot. They're probably excited to see an outsider after so long. The adults are all too busy surviving to give them much attention. The alleys are so cramped, and there's no proper school, so they have nowhere to gather."

"There's no school?"

"They have a makeshift one. Some educated folks teach, but it's far from enough. Schools aren't the only things they don't have here. There's no hospital, no fire station. If someone gets seriously injured, they're as good as dead. If you have a potion, you're lucky, but most people can't afford them, so they often die from illness. Fires are even worse."

"So the people here can't fight back against the Chinese Hunters' tyranny."

"If they're driven out of Sinuiju, they have nowhere to go. Where would they go? To the Demonic Realm? Or head south? They'd be lucky not to be arrested."

Hyun Junggeon, who had been speaking heatedly, paused to calm his breath.

"Anyway, I couldn't find a way out of here yet. There's no way to contact the outside."

"You said you were a broker. What about your usual routes?"

"My usual routes are blocked, and the local brokers are also cut off. It's like being on an island in the middle of the land."

"I see... Oh, cough, cough! Ugh..."

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Kang Mu-hyuk suddenly started coughing violently as if he was choking. The fit subsided after a while, but his face had turned pale.

"Th-the medicine..."

Hyun Junggeon brought him a pill, which Kang Mu-hyuk chewed and swallowed without water. As time passed, color began to return to his face. Hyun Junggeon placed the pill bottle on the table and said, "This seems to work. Seeing how you recovered so quickly after coughing like you were dying."

"It's just a temporary fix. Every time I cough, I lose energy. At this rate, I'll end up in a wheelchair. I need an injection before it gets worse."

"Alright, I'll go out again and find a way to contact Iron Will. There must be a loophole somewhere."

"Don't overdo it. Just check it out and come back."

"You know me, I'm Hyun Junggeon."

That night, Hyun Junggeon did not return to the hideout.

"Dongsu, you know how generous our leader is, right? If you catch this guy, Kang Mu-hyuk, you'll get a handsome reward. The Chinese underestimated him and took a blow, it seems. You know how strong Hyun Junggeon is. Besides you, there aren't many here who can handle him. You need to take care of your mother. You can't go hunting while you're looking after her, so you need to make money somehow, right? If you catch him, our leader will talk to the Chinese to get you access to a hospital in the city."

The proposal from the man who was childhood neighbour tempted Hwang Dongsu.

Hwang Dongsu had always kept his distance from Cheon Deok-soo's gang, as he didn't like moving in packs like a Baekdu Mountain tiger. But he couldn't refuse a one-time offer like this.

Dongsu was one of the best Hunters in the prison village, known for his resemblance to his missing father. He often caught valuable monsters. But what was the point of obtaining expensive materials? He couldn't sell them freely.

The people of the prison village could only sell monster materials within Sinuiju. If they were caught selling to the Chinese black market on the Tumen River or Shandong Peninsula, their business would be over.

They could have lived comfortably if they had sold elsewhere, but their lineage as North Korean Hunters condemned them to inequality. The only buyers for their materials were the Chinese Hunters who controlled the Sinuiju market. If they fell out of favor, their livelihood was in immediate jeopardy.

Food supply, movement restrictions, medical treatment---all controlled by the Chinese. It was natural to resent them, but the promise of getting his mother treated made Hwang Dongsu decide to turn a blind eye just this once.

"Do you know where they're hiding?"

"It's obvious. There aren't many places. It must be with someone close to Hyun Junggeon."

"There are only a handful people here who haven't received help from Hyun Junggeon. I'm the same."

"So, are you saying no?"

"..."

"Byungju's house. His wife must be hiding them."

"If you know, why don't you go and catch them?"

"Like I said, it takes someone like you or our leader to catch Hyun Junggeon. Or maybe Yeon Jung-moon. We can't ask Yeon Jung-moon. Just go and catch them. They don't need to be alive. We'll handle the rest."

After a long sigh, Hwang Dongsu finally spoke, seemingly having made up his mind.

"For the sake of the village people and the late Byungju, I can't enter that house while his wife is awake. I'll handle it quietly late at night."

"Fine. Do it your way. We have until noon tomorrow. We're counting on you."

It was a deep, dark night with only a lantern for light, as electricity was unreliable. Everyone had gone to bed early to save batteries and oil, and the alleyways were lit only by moonlight.

In that darkness, Hwang Dongsu moved. He boldly infiltrated Ui Judaek's house as if it were broad daylight and soon realized something was wrong.

'I don't feel anyone's presence.'

He was trying to sense Hyun Junggeon's presence.

On the first floor of the shabby house that looked like it could collapse in a storm, he could sense the presence of Gilyoung and his mother. But upstairs, there was only the presence of an ordinary person, presumed to be Kang Mu-hyuk. There was no trace of Hyun Junggeon anywhere.

'No Hunter can completely hide their presence while resting. It takes too much effort. Could he be hiding, expecting an intrusion? No way. How could he stay like that not knowing when someone would come?'

Normally, he would have retreated due to the eerie feeling, but this was his only chance. He had to catch him by noon tomorrow to get his mother to the hospital.

Prepared for the worst, Hwang Dongsu climbed up to the attic.

A person was lying on the bed. Hwang Dongsu checked the face to confirm the target. Then he was startled.

"You're not asleep?"

"Mr. Hyun hasn't returned yet. I'm worried."

Only then did Hwang Dongsu realize why he couldn't sense Hyun Junggeon's presence. He wasn't there at all. Relieved that he didn't have to face a formidable opponent, he suddenly noticed the strange calmness of the man before him.

"How strange? You're not screaming or anything. An ordinary person seeing an intruder should be scared, yet you're so calm. That's not easy for most people. Whatever you do, it's clear why the Chinese are desperate to catch you."

Kang Mu-hyuk struggled to sit up, propping himself with great effort.

"It's because it's dark. I can't see the scary face of our night guest, so there's nothing to be scared of."

"A night guest? I'm not a thief."

"That'd be an insult to thieves. Thieves only steal things; they don't break in to take innocent lives."

"I won't make excuses. I have my reasons."

"And those reasons are your mother's illness? Or food? What did they promise you?"

"!!"

Hwang Dongsu was stunned into silence. The man knew his circumstances.

'Is this a trap?'

Kang Mu-hyuk continued speaking, "Using a formal tone that's rarely used these days, a low voice. Sturdy build and tall, unkempt long hair, a big scar on your face. You're Hwang Dongsu, right? The delinquent of the prison village?"

"Who are you?"

"You came to kill me, didn't you? Don't you know? I'm Kang Mu-hyuk."

"How do you know me? I've never seen you before."

"Stop standing there and sit down. Keeping your head up must be tiring."

"What kind of trick is this? Explain yourself!"

"Sit down, Hwang Dongsu. Unless you want to see your mother die."