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

Lee Sookyoung shielded Kang Muhyuk with the armor coat as explosions and flames erupted behind them. Debris flew everywhere from the wrecked building. She rolled with him to escape the blast zone.

Finally safe, she looked up and shouted, "Why is there a bomb flower here?!"

The bomb flower, also known as the spore flower, was officially named the 'Bomb Spore Flower.'

This monster floated like a balloon and scattered explosive seeds. These seeds would drift like dandelion fluff and scatter with the wind. When the fluff's parachute-like fibers gave out, the seed would drop straight down. Upon landing, it would combine with pre-sprinkled pollen, expanding the blast radius. This defense mechanism eliminated predators when the seeds were most vulnerable.

"Thanks for saving me."

"We're not safe yet! They're exploding everywhere!"

The union building's roof was half-destroyed. Screams and shouts echoed inside. Hunters burst out, smashing windows and walls, followed by small creatures.

"Those are 'Spore-seeds'!"

Lee Sookyoung threw Kang Muhyuk into the SUV's passenger seat and slid over the hood to the driver's seat. Another explosion rocked the area as she started the engine.

"To City Hall!"

Kang Mu-hyuk barely finished shouting before she floored the accelerator. The tires screeched as the car sped off, the spot they left exploding moments later.

"Look out!"

A 'Spore Seed' crawled out of a crater ahead. It looked like a walking flower, about 50cm tall. If it found a host, it would grow quickly, spread its seeds, and could turn a small city into a battlefield if not dealt with fast.

"Run it over!"

Before Kang Muhyuk could finish, Lee Sookyoung hit the gas harder. The creature let out a strange scream as it was crushed under the wheels. They saw it mangled and lifeless when they checked the rearview mirror.

"No Song-rin's not answering. They must be under attack too."

He put his phone away, wishing Lee Sookyoung had messaging skills. He opened the sunroof cover and saw seeds flying in the sky.

"Those little bastards were hard to notice, but thanks."

Lee Sookyoung looked between the road and the sky while avoiding the falling seeds with Hunter's precision. They dodged the blasts, but the creatures clung to the car. She swerved to shake them off.

Kang Muhyuk held onto the handle, getting back the balance and yelled, "Ignore them! They can't get in the car!"

"What?"

"They attack living things but are weak against inanimate objects. They can't even break glass or plywood."

Even Hunters like her rarely saw the Bomb Spore Flower. She'd experienced explosive attacks but never knew Spore Seeds were weak against inanimate objects. It made sense since there were no buildings or cars in the Demonic Realm.

Hunters from the North were usually trained through connections and real-life experience, not formal education. So, it wasn't surprising she didn't know about this weakness.

"How do you know that?" she asked, skeptical.

"I saw them a lot during the Minor War."

He was well-acquainted with the Bomb Flower, not just from research. He lost his mother sixteen years ago, during the 'Gate Hole' incident. He still clearly remembered the nightmare of falling seed bombs, and he saw Spore Seeds attacks up close.

He glared at the Spore seeds clinging to the car.

"Get to City Hall. We need to save people first."

City Hall was equally chaotic.

No Song-rin thought a war had broken out when the bombs started falling. Initially he suspected the Chinese, but he understood  what the situation was when he saw the floating spores.

"Damn it, it's the Bomb Spore Flower."

Recognizing the threat, he quickly evacuated everyone inside. He had also experienced the Minor War as a rookie hunter and the Spore Seed waves particularly annoyed him.

Bang!

An explosion rocked the rooftop before he could finish speaking. Hyun Junggeon clicked his tongue in frustration.

"It's already breached."

"Evacuate people from the fifth floor and block the doors! Hey, you two."

"Y-yes, sir!"

"Me?"

No Song-rin grabbed Choi Miran and Kim Sunghyun, who were evacuating to City Hall.

"Help Mr. Hyun on the roof. Don't let any more breaches happen! Destroy any Spore Seeds you see!"

Spore Seeds were crawling out of the parking lot which has turned into a war zone.

"Why isn't everyone taking cover?!"

Hwang Dongsu slashed at the Spore Seeds with his sword, protecting the civilians as they fled inside. But he couldn't block them all.

"I wish that telekinetic kid was here."

No Song-rin missed Go Eul-ji.

Close-range Hunters could only slash and block, while magic or psychic Hunters could stop the seeds before they fell, making them much more efficient.

"At least it's cold. So all the windows are closed."

The Spore Seeds, frustrated by the closed windows, turned their attention to the Hunters and tried to follow people inside. No Songrin and Hwang Dongsu guarded the doors until everyone was safe.

"What about the Guild Leader? Shouldn't we rescue him?"

"He's not the type to die here. Plus, he's with that North Korean woman, so they should be fine."

Right then, a vehicle skidded to a stop on the road with a loud noise.

"See? They're fine."

The car plowed through the Spore Seeds at the entrance, crashing into the door. It drifted to a stop, showing its side. Hwang Dongsu planted his sword in the ground and charged at the car, strengthening his body with mana.

He stopped the car by bracing against its side, preventing a full collision. Lee Sookyoung jumped out and started fighting the Spore Seeds as Hwang Dongsu tore open the dented car door.

"Glad you're safe, Guild Leader."

"You handled things well here."

"That backstabber is something else."

"Just call her a spy. What's with calling her a backstabber!"

No Song-rin grumbled as he sliced through the Spore Seeds.

Kang Mu-hyuk nodded in acknowledgment and stepped into City Hall.

"Let's get inside. Secure the doors."

The other Hunters followed, taking out Spore Seeds as they went. Hwang Dongsu was the last to close the door, and No Song-rin lowered the shutters just in case.

Kang Mu-hyuk looked around the lobby. People were in shock. Some were even having seizures, after the monster attack. He told Lee Sookyoung to knock out a person who was causing a fuss and pointed to a man lying on the floor.

"You're an official, right?"

The man, with an ID badge around his neck, nodded.

"Yes... Yes, I am..."

"Where's the emergency management office? You have a system to send emergency texts, right? Each local government should have one."

"Yes, it's on the second floor."

"Let's go. Send a text with information on how to deal with these monsters. Hwang Dongsu, stay here and guard this place."

"Yes, Guild Leader."

As they quickly climbed the stairs, Lee Sookyoung asked, "Why do civilians need to know about these monsters? Shouldn't they just run?"

"They need to stay inside. Some people always try to run outside and get caught. Many died that way during the Minor War," No Song-rin explained.

Kang Mu-hyuk added, "Staying inside is safest. Without accurate information, people get anxious and don't trust the system, so they go outside. Many died that way before."

The hallways to the emergency office were crowded with panicked people, but some officials were trying to calm them and close the curtains. Kang Mu-hyuk noticed their effective response and murmured, "They handle Spore Seeds well here. Closing the curtains was smart."

"I sent guild members to help. Mr. Hyun went to guide people and give instructions."

"Hunter Hyun Junggeon?"

"The rooftop was breached. He's evacuating the fifth floor and securing it, also blocking more bombs from coming in."

"Thanks to you, this place is safe. We can set up a response team here."

In the emergency office, officials were already sending out emergency texts and contacting the government about the situation.

"Over there," said the official guiding Kang Mu-hyuk, pointing to a computer.

Kang Mu-hyuk pushed aside the official sending texts and took over.

"Wh-who are you?"

"We're experts at this. Stay back."

When No Song-rin gently pushed the protesting official, they realized they were Hunters when they stumbled easily at the light push.

"You're Hunters?"

"Yes. Our Guild Leader is over there. We'll take over until the danger is over."

Ignoring legal protocols, they assumed command as the situation demanded decisive action.

No Song-rin's presence and reputation kept others quiet. He knew showing some force would prevent objections.

"We've sent out the evacuation alerts. Now, we need to contact local Hunters."

"Eliminating Spore Seeds is next, but the guild is a mess. We should contact defense contract Hunters," suggested Lee Sookyoung.

Kang Muhyuk shook his head. "The defense force won't move."

"What?"

"A monster attack means the Tumen River line is also at risk. They'll strengthen the front lines."

"Then, we should get support from nearby cities..."

"There's no time."

"What do you mean?"

"If Spore Seeds run out of hosts..."

Howl!

A chilling howl echoed from somewhere.

Kang Muhyuk and No Song-rin rushed to the window and pulled back the curtain.

"This is faster than I expected," said Kang Muhyuk.

No Song-rin sighed.

"They can't wait any longer with their kids being hungry. The mothers are moving"