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

"Director Cha Gil-joo, before we begin with the questions, let's reconfirm that this hearing is an informal gathering due to the confidential nature of the Guild Cooperation Agency's work. Do you agree?"

"Yes, I agree."

"Alright then, let's start the hearing on the Tumen River Line collapse that occurred in the North Hamgyong and Ryanggang provinces over the past 33 days."

Lawmakers from both parties began the hearing with their opening statements. They focused on the Tumen River Line collapse, which the public has referred to as the 'Tumen River War.'

They reviewed key events in chronological order to assess whether there were any issues with the response to the disaster and defense and to identify areas for future improvement.

After a brief summary, an opposition lawmaker took the mic and began questioning.

"As everyone knows, Wushan was breached on the first day, right? That night, Daehongdan was struck by a disaster. The next day, Hoeryong completely collapsed. Director Cha, why didn't you call an emergency assembly when the core of the Tumen River Line was collapsing? If you had mobilized the Hunters right after Wushan fell, we wouldn't be facing threats at the doorstep of Hyesan and Chongjin."

"First, let me correct you. Calling an emergency assembly is not within the authority of the Guild Cooperation Agency."

"Not within your authority?"

"Correct. And the official term for an emergency assembly is the Hunter Mobilization Order. The President, who is the Guild Leader-in-chief of the military, has the power to issue a mobilization order. The Guild Cooperation Agency's role is to request support from the guilds, which is just a recommendation without any binding force..."

"So, it's the President's responsibility, then?"

"No, I'm just clarifying the system's specifics."

"So, are you saying the Guild Cooperation Agency is not at fault? Shouldn't you have provided accurate reports to the President to ensure a clear understanding of the situation?"

Cha Gil-joo almost blurted that he had reported it, but he chose to remain silent. A ruling party member sitting across subtly shook his head, silently pressuring him. If Cha Gil-joo mentioned he had reported to the President, it could lead to mistrust not only in the government but also in the current ruling party.

The election was just around the corner. In politics, power wasn't about right or wrong; it was about having it or losing it. It wasn't the time to casually bring up significant matters that could sway the vote.

Cha Gil-joo didn't want to bear the stigma of betraying the government. If he were removed as the Director of the Guild Cooperation Agency, who knew what would happen to the relationships he'd built with the guilds? He could end up as a powerless agency head, unable to garner the guilds' cooperation as he had before.

Hoping for a competent and virtuous successor was like rolling the dice. That was why he had to hold onto his position at all costs. He took a deep breath and began to speak.

"The initial report was late. When Wushan fell, the communication tower was destroyed, so we only understood the situation later through military communication lines. Hoeryong also fell due to a sudden surprise attack, and the front line couldn't hold for long. On top of that, the city hall was the first to be hit, which caused chaos."

"That's strange. Didn't Daehongdan, with its weaker defenses compared to Wushan or Hoeryong, report the situation more quickly?"

"That's because Kang Mu-hyuk, the Guild Leader of Iron Will, was there, enabling a swift initial response."

"That's odd too. Iron Will's base is in North Pocheon. Why was the Guild Leader in Daehongdan?"

"We haven't figured that out yet."

Cha Gil-joo pretended not to know, even though Kang Mu-hyuk had hinted about exploring the Demonic Realm. Bringing up the China issue in Parliament without evidence was risky. If he made strong statements to win public support, it could escalate into a diplomatic issue beyond control.

"You haven't found out yet? It's been almost a month."

"Guild Leader Kang Mu-hyuk has been fighting on the front lines in Chongjin with his guild members since the incident began. Due to frequent communication disruptions, we've been unable to receive proper reports."

A ruling party lawmaker chimed in, clearly frustrated.

"So, wireless communication is challenging. But as I understand it, landlines are still up, right?"

"Landline communications prioritize reports from the military and the Tier Guild Alliance forces."

"Then, why not write a report and send it with a messenger? Can't you make such a simple request?"

"Hunters on the battlefield barely get two to three hours of sleep a day. They fight around the clock. Even after battles, the Guild Leader is busy evacuating the wounded and managing supplies. For someone like that, doing desk work is unreasonable. I'm a considerate person. I couldn't ask someone in a warzone to provide a mere report."

"A mere report? A mere report? To uncover the truth about this incident, the government needs accurate information..."

When the opposition lawmaker's time ran out, the microphone was turned off. The ruling party lawmaker took over with another formal question.

"So, Wushan was attacked by that... Agora Magos? Some kind of magic-wielding monster? And as for Hoeryong, they were overwhelmed by sheer numbers? And Daehongdan managed to fend off those infamous bomb spores from the Minor War, but then suddenly a named monster appeared and took out half of their raid team. No matter how strong a named monster is, can it really wipe out more than thirty Hunters with a single attack?"

"Yes, the Daehongdan raid team was put together hastily, so they were vulnerable to attacks from powerful named monsters."

"But there were three A-rank Hunters in that team, right?"

Despite being a member of the ruling party, the question had a sharp edge. Even though the hearing was unofficial, its contents would undoubtedly leak to the press. To make an impression on the public, they needed to appear tough and not go easy on government officials.

Cha Gil-joo, sensing this, calmly responded, "This monster, codenamed 'Garuda,' is a named monster estimated to be 4-star. As you all know, the star level of a named monster doesn't really signify much. The 4-star category here is based on the level of the base monster before it evolved into a named monster. Garuda is an evolved form of the 4-star monster 'Harpy.' While a Harpy itself isn't particularly threatening, Garuda should be considered a field boss-level threat. Naturally, it would be difficult to hunt it down without a fully prepared raid team from a major guild."

"Isn't it kind of ironic to call it a 'field boss' and then slap a 4-star label on it? People who aren't familiar with the hunting world might think, 'Can't these Hunters even handle a 4-star?'"

"We label the monster based on its pre-evolution level because it's a reference for its evolved form's capabilities and its potential. Even if a named monster becomes more powerful, its inherent potential is limited by its original level. A 4-star named monster isn't on par with an 8-star one. This categorization is essential in the field, and it follows global standards..."

"Okay, okay, enough with the lecture. What I meant was, how did you come by this information?"

"Kang Mu-hyuk, the Guild Leader, passed it on through the Titan Guild. When he worked as the Strategy Team Leader at Titan, their target for the final monster raid was the Garuda."

"So why is that monster still around causing havoc? Did the raid fail?"

"Kang Mu-hyuk left Titan before the raid happened. Afterward, due to internal issues at Titan, assembling a raid team got delayed, and in the meantime, Garuda entered the Demonic Realm, and they gave up on the raid."

"So, once again, Kang Mu-hyuk is involved, huh?"

"Involved isn't the right word; it's more like his actions are relevant to the situation."

"Still, it's his fault, right? And Titan Guild's as well. If they had taken care of it back then, those 10,000 people in Daehongdan wouldn't have died, isn't that right?"

Cha Gil-joo understood that the ruling party lawmaker was searching for a scapegoat. They wanted someone easy to blame for the government's slow response, which had resulted in the collapse of the northern defense line. He felt compelled to defend Kang Mu-hyuk. They couldn't afford to throw him under the bus. It wasn't just a matter of Kang Mu-hyuk's skills; it was also because Ju Se-ah's value had drastically shifted.

An S-rank Hunter.

This was top-secret information known only to a select few, including himself, the President, and a handful of close aides. The lawmakers were still in the dark, which was why they were looking to pin the blame on someone easy.

But considering Ju Se-ah's trust in Kang Mu-hyuk, letting him take the fall was out of the question. The government's relationship with the S-rank Hunter could be damaged before they even secured her cooperation. Since revealing the existence of the S-rank Hunter was off the table, per Kang Mu-hyuk's request, Cha Gil-joo needed another approach to defend him.

"Guild Leader Kang Mu-hyuk didn't let 10,000 die; he's the one who saved 30,000 lives. If he hadn't acted quickly, every resident of Daehongdan would have been dead that day. And if his high-ranking Hunters hadn't risked serious injuries to lure Garuda away, no one would have made it out alive."

The ruling party lawmaker seemed poised to speak again, but Cha Gil-joo pressed on, "Monsters are like natural disasters. Why do you think it's called the Demonic Realm? Because it's a place where you never know what's going to happen. Blaming someone for not going through with a raid they planned in the past makes every guild strategy leader a criminal. And holding someone accountable who already left Titan is just unreasonable. Remember, this is the same guy who led a war-level mission against the Orc tribes in North Pocheon. Considering he's still on the frontlines in the north, fighting against monsters, you can't dismiss his contributions so lightly."

When Cha Gil-joo turned up the heat with his words, the ruling party lawmaker shot him a look.

Why are you going off at me? We're on the same side! Play along!

Cha Gil-joo pretended not to notice and avoided eye contact. Soon enough, the ruling party lawmaker's speaking time ended, and another opposition lawmaker took over the microphone.

"Just as expected. I've called Guild Leader Kang Mu-hyuk to testify. Guild Leader Kang, please come in."

An aide passed the message outside, but even after a long wait, Kang Mu-hyuk didn't show up.

"Guild Leader Kang, why aren't you entering?"

The opposition lawmaker, clearly flustered, called out for Kang Mu-hyuk multiple times. The aide even stepped outside the hearing room. After some time, the aide returned and whispered to the lawmaker.

"What? He returned on his way here."

"Yes, he was on his way to Seoul but turned around because the Iron Will Guild entered into battle."

"What's a civilian going to do there? Isn't hunting the Hunters' job?"

Opposition lawmakers were outraged, accusing him of disrespecting the legislative process and threatening to leak this to the press to damage his reputation.

Cha Gil-joo watched these lawmakers and placed a hand on his throbbing forehead.

'This is a damn circus. There's a war raging up north, and they're playing political games here. Democracy's all well and good, but this isn't the time for petty squabbles.'

Feeling a wave of helplessness wash over him, Cha Gil-joo was frustrated by the fact that the head of the Guild Cooperation agency, who should be supporting the Hunters on the frontlines, was stuck here in pointless arguments.

After days of sleepless battles, Kang Mu-hyuk finally found a moment to rest on the sofa in his office, but an unwelcome visitor showed up.

"Oi, you're Kang Mu-hyuk, right?"

"What's this about, Strategy Team Leader Ryuhyuk?"

The man named Ryuhyuk, wasn't fond of Kang Mu-hyuk. It bothered him that a civilian had once been a strategy team leader in an A-rank guild.

Someone who doesn't even know what it was like to fight on the frontlines planning a raid where Hunters' lives were on the line---it made Ryuhyuk feel like it decreased his status as a strategy team leader.

And now, Kang Mu-hyuk was a Guild Leader. His frustration grew even more, especially since he had a lot of issues with the command structure including a Guild Leader.

"Why isn't the Slayer Guild showing up?"

"Why are you asking Iron Will about the Slayer Guild's business? That's like me asking the White Tiger Guild about your Wanderer Guild."

"Why are you lumping us in with those dirty bastards? They didn't even send any support, those cheap jerks."

Ryuhyuk grumbled, but Kang Mu-hyuk answered casually without an apology, "Also why would you say Slayer isn't here? Two full strike teams were mobilized."

"The main force isn't here, though. Why is their Expedition Team in Sinuiju?"

"You'll have to ask someone from Slayer about that."

"You think I don't know? You're the one who proposed the Sinuiju alliance to the Tier Guilds, right? And you planned all this too. I don't know how you convinced Sung Seonjae, but it's pretty clear the Slayer Guild's expedition team being stuck there is connected to you."

"There's a reason for everything. That's why the Guild Cooperation agency is also understanding about the Slayer Guild being stationed in Sinuiju, isn't it?"

"Now, you're playing word games? You think no one knows Iron Will is cozy with the Guild Cooperation agency?"

Just as Ryuhyuk reached out, trying to grab Kang Mu-hyuk by the collar, a sharp glare landed from his right side.

Ryuhyuk's hand hesitated. His hand that was about to grab Kang Mu-hyuk's collar slowly retreated. Instead, he turned his gaze to a corner of the office.

In the shadows, a man sat leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, one eye half-open, staring intently.

"Jeez, you're intense. Mr. Jang Deukgoo, no one's going to eat your Guild Leader, so take it easy with the killing intent."

"Are you looking down on our Guild Leader just because he's a civilian?"

"Honestly, I don't respect him."

"Our Guild Master appointed him as the Guild Leader. By disrespecting him, you're insulting our Guild Master."

"What kind of twisted logic is that?"

"If a dog bites you, even nonsense starts to make sense. Want to find out?"

Jang Deukgoo slowly stood up. His eyes were now wide open, a cold, threatening aura radiating from him.

'This is the old Jang Deukgoo. He's been hunting monsters non-stop. That must be why he's murderous. There's also the rumor going around that Ju Se-ah got hurt. Is that why he's even more on edge? If I brawl with him now, I'm bound to bleed too.'

Ryuhyuk shoved his hands into his pockets, signaling that he wasn't looking for a fight.

"In your guild, the Guild Leader is like a Deputy Guild Master. You're a Tier Guild, you should at least maintain your standards."

Leaving those words, Jang Deukgoo sat back down and closed his eyes again. Even someone as tough as him, who could make other Hunters tremble, was exhausted from the relentless hunts.

He was there to escort Kang Mu-hyuk but needed to take advantage of any brief breaks.

"Now that it looks like you two have sorted things out, let's go over a few points. On second thought, it seems unfair that only the Slayer Guild is in Sinuiju. So, I'm considering making some adjustments. Would you mind listening for a moment?"

Kang Mu-hyuk subtly shifted the blame for the conflict to Jang Deukgoo, making Ryuhyuk chuckle. It was clear he wanted to discuss the matter with a third party, not directly with the person involved.

Knowing that most Tier Guild strategy team leaders were shrewd, Ryuhyuk caught on to Kang Mu-hyuk's game and asked, "What kind of adjustment?"

"Well, the Wanderer Guild also agreed to join in Sinuiju, right? Redirect your Expedition Team there. In return, please add another strike team to match the numbers Slayer Guild currently has deployed."