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

Kang Mu-hyuk announced a 'Raid Retry' and made his way to the operations room, where he pulled down a map from the wall. The enlarged version of Daehongdan County's downtown area map was so big it covered an entire wall. He threw the map onto the floor and shoved nearby desks out of the way. Lee Sookyoung quickly rushed over and cleared away any cumbersome items. The civil servants caught on to Kang Mu-hyuk's intentions, and lent a hand as well.

They quickly cleared a space and Kang Mu-hyuk spread the map on the floor. He grabbed a whiteboard marker and marked an 'X' at every crossroads. For straight roads and narrow alleys without crossroads, he spaced the markings evenly. It was only after a while, he completed a map showing a pattern that followed the main roads and extended to the outskirts of the downtown area.

"Isn't this...The route used for Hunter Hyun Junggeon's 'Mocking Turnaround' tactic?"

"Mocking Turnaround... Oh, the looping wheel tactic? Yes, it's the 'Aggro Luring Tactical Line.' It loops around Daehongdan."

Lee Sookyoung recalled the memorable name of the strategy and asked, "Why did you mark the route for the looping wheel?"

"Hunter Hyun Junggeon has unique skills for someone being an assassin class. He can taunt and deal area-wide damage. While he distracts the monsters, we plan to implement the 'Group Pulling' strategy."

"What is Group Pulling?"

"It's a hunting strategy where we lure large groups of monsters in smaller clusters to take them out bit by bit. It's particularly effective against monsters with low intelligence."

"Oh? You mean a bait-and-lure hunt? We know about it. We've used something similar before too."

Lee Sookyoung was initially confused by the unfamiliar Hunter terminology, but she quickly displayed her determination to learn and adapt.

Kang Mu-hyuk reviewed the strategy and explained the tactics to her while he carefully studied the map in front of him. He examined the map for a while, then turned to the county officials and said, "Can you bring in the people responsible for water and sewage, roads, construction, building, and the city's power grid?"

A short while later, the road team, water and sewage team, and officials from the construction and urban development departments arrived in the operations room.

"Who's in charge of the roads?" he asked.

"That would be me."

"This map looks quite old. I can tell by its faded color. According to the border defense plan revised five years ago, the roads were supposed to be widened to accommodate large trucks and helicopter landings. But I don't see any markings for that here. Are there any newly built or modified roads?"

The road official scrutinized the map for a moment, then pointed to several locations.

"Here. And here. Oh, we also cleared this area to serve as a makeshift helipad."

"Please mark those spots," Kang Mu-hyuk said as he handed over a blue marker.

While the road official updated the map, Kang Mu-hyuk turned to the water and sewage official.

"I understand that the local evacuation plan included underground facilities connected to the sewage system for emergency evacuations. Are those facilities in place?"

"We started planning them, but we didn't complete the project."

"Isn't that a mandatory requirement?"

"There wasn't enough budget, so we had to push back the construction after starting a few sections."

The water and sewage official scratched his head and looked embarrassed.

Kang Mu-hyuk handed over a red marker and instructed, "Start by marking the completed locations. For the fire hydrants, mark them with a triangle."

"I'm afraid I don't remember all the hydrant locations offhand. I'll need to check the records," the water and sewage official replied, then left to gather the necessary data.

The construction official, who was visibly nervous, asked, "What information do you need from me?"

"Mark any structures built for monster deterrence and any buildings over five stories tall. Have those also been delayed due to budget issues?"

"No, those projects went ahead as planned. I have all the locations memorized. And as for five-story buildings, there aren't many in this small town."

"Just mark the ones that exist. Use a green pen---a circle for buildings and a square for facilities."

Kang Mu-hyuk then spoke with the city power grid official, discussing what was needed and getting their input. It didn't take long before the map was fully detailed. He then summoned No Song-rin, Hwang Dongsu, and the leaders of each party to the operations room. The leaders stood around the map, which was now filled with numerous markings, and they felt a growing tension. It looked like an elaborate operation had been planned.

The Hunters, who had experienced Kang Mu-hyuk's commands before, felt a surge of anticipation. Even those who hadn't joined the guild in time were eager to hear about the new raid strategy that the leader of the most talked-about guild had prepared.

"I'm handing new orders. From now on, the raid's objective is to evacuate civilians from the designated operation zones. And..."

Gulp!

"Demolish the buildings."

"??"

North Pocheon was abuzz with activity. Even freelance Hunters entering the Hunter Village could feel the heightened sense of urgency. At a certain point, the guild members seemed to vanish, and the Hunters were puzzled.

"Where are all the Iron Will members? This morning, they were everywhere."

"Yeah, I had something to ask them, but they're never around when you actually need them."

"I mean, it makes sense. How long can they keep up such intense patrolling? They're bound to relax a bit after tightening things up early on."

"They're the ones running these special zones like they're theme parks, remember? Who knows what kind of bizarre stuff they're up to now?"

"But does it really matter what they're doing? Where else can you find a hunting ground as convenient as this? Sure, places like Mount Jiri or the Kaema Plateau have higher per-turn rewards, but they're such a pain to get around, and it's not worth it in terms of time. There's no place better than here."

"Come on, finish your coffee, and let's get out there. Let's take it easy today, shake off the fatigue from yesterday's hunt. Oh, and we need to stop by the community center on the way. Gotta sell those herbs I picked yesterday before they dry out."

However, when the Hunters reached the community center before heading out, they found themselves in a predicament. The center was temporarily closed. Thankfully, there was a makeshift tent outside handling by-product purchases, but the narrow space was crowded with Hunters, and it slowed everything down.

Some of the less patient Hunters started to grumble, but with guild members in black uniforms darting around nearby, things didn't escalate into a brawl. When they saw vehicles being loaded with large crates, big enough to fit a few people, the Hunters knew something was up.

"What's going on? Did something happen?"

"It looks like they're gearing up for a raid."

"Check them out---they're not wearing their usual light armor; they're in full plate armor."

Someone stood watching the crowd of Hunters from the guild headquarters. It was Jang Deukgu.

"As expected, as long as the hunting grounds are open, keeping the Hunters from talking is a lost cause. Shutting the grounds down might just have been smarter," Jang Deukgu mused.

"There wasn't much of an option, Captain Jang. Plus, Guild Leader Kang has his own reasons," replied Pyo Beomhee, who had just walked into the office.

"Even so, it doesn't sit right with me to leave the special zones to freelancers. It's like we're handing over our headquarters' defense to outsiders."

"The special zones are usually patrolled by freelancers anyway. It's only a bit different here because of the Hunter Village. We've kept the minimum number of staff, so it should be fine."

"I'm worried about leaving the guild unmanned, especially when we don't know how bad things are in the north. And there's still the unresolved issue with the White Tiger Guild."

"Recruitment comes first. Guild Leader Kang would rather let the headquarters be destroyed than risk losing any of his people. He'd abandon the Hunter Village if it came down to it."

"The issue is that it's not just the Guild Leader who thinks that way---the Guild Master does too."

"Well, birds of a feather flock together," Pyo Beomhee said with a shrug. She handed over a tablet. The screen displayed a document for the equipment issuance check.

Jang Deukgu reviewed the boxes for various ampule kits, common use weapons, common use armor, and items from Warehouse C. He signed at the bottom.

He handed the tablet back to Pyo Beomhee and asked, "How's the warm-up progressing?"

"The team's a bit out of practice since they've mostly been on patrols. Captain Lee Jinjoo is running the expedition, and Team Leader Yeom Soohyung is just now getting the frontline raid squad organized."

"I've been consistent with their basic training, but their ranks aren't that high. It's been a while since they've seen real action, so they'll probably be a bit lost at first. Most of them are still rookies when it comes to hunting."

"At least they're better than they used to be. For the combat conditioning phase, they'll head to Cheongjin City. The hunting briefing will take place in the vehicles. The rushed nature of this operation also gives us a chance to evaluate how well the previous training sessions have paid off. It's a good chance for the guild."

"What about the equipment check? It's been a while since we pulled out the A-Type gear for standard hunts."

"As far as the equipment goes, Team Leader Ahn Ji-Il has been maintaining it meticulously since the Titan days. It's always in top-notch condition, ready for use anytime."

"The operations room will also be set up in Cheongjin City. Make sure Team Leader Gong Duri has the operators ready for a mock scenario drill."

"I've already grilled them about that."

Jang Deukgu felt fortunate to have Pyo Beomhee by his side. The guild had issued a sudden full-scale mobilization order, and with both the Guild Master and Guild Leader absent, it was a daunting challenge. This was a process he wouldn't have dared tackle alone. Most of the team members were not exactly veterans; they were mostly inexperienced Hunters.

It wasn't like leading a bunch of clueless amateurs, but trying to prepare the guild's defenses with these under-experienced Hunters was like trying to make a blind man climb a mountain.

He let out a quiet sigh, and then a message arrived in from Lee Jinjoo.

"The expedition team's gear is prepped. We'll head out first, Raid Leader."

"Alright. From now on, command on the ground is yours, Expedition Leader. Happy hunting."

"Thank you, Raid Leader Jang Deukgu. Wishing you a successful hunt too."

***

As they evacuated citizens near the operation area to the county office, they destroyed structures that monsters could use to block and some buildings to set up their desired terrain. They finished placing traps and choosing ambush points as nightfall approached.

Daehongdan County, now cloaked in darkness, looked like a ghost town. It was a territory inhabited only by monsters.

Kang Mu-hyuk, relieved that the Tumen River line in Daehongdan County was still quiet, sent a message to Hyun Junggeon.

[Man, this has to go in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest time running in circles. Why are these damn monsters only chasing me?]

"Well, maybe because you've been pulling them perfectly?" Lee Sookyoung quipped as she busily relayed messages between Kang Mu-hyuk and Hyun Junggeon.

[Damn it! Having fun? To hell with it! I should have just killed him when I had the chance. Becoming the Vice Team Leader wasn't worth getting stuck in this mess.]

"He's asking for your command," Lee Sookyoung said. She cut through the banter and delivered the message directly.

"Tell him, when he gets the signal, follow as we lure him."

"He says follow the instructions."

[Follow instructions? What?]

Kang Mu-hyuk turned to a county official and gave an order, "Activate the guiding lights."

The official made a phone call, and soon after, Hyun Junggeon messaged back.

[What's this about? Only a few streetlights along the path are lit?]

"They've turned on the lights," she relayed.

"Tell him to lure the monsters along those street lights. Also, inform him we'll be doing group pulls at each ambush point."

[We'll handle the monsters as they come. Just keep them running along the lit path.]

[What? You want me to keep running them around? What was I doing all this time then? Is this how you treat a new recruit? This isn't even fun anymore!]

"Guild Leader, Hunter Hyun Junggeon says you can leave it all to him."

Lee Sookyoung flashed a thumbs-up, signaling to Kang Mu-hyuk. He then commanded the raid team.

"Begin with Hunter No Song-rin."

[We're starting at the intersection near the food stalls. Going in now.]