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

After Ryuhyuk left, only Jang Deukgoo and Kang Mu-hyuk were left in the office. Jang Deukgoo spoke as if he were half-asleep, "I don't get what you're up to."

"What do you mean?"

"You're not just giving in to the Wanderer Guild's demands, but sending all the Expedition Teams from the local Tier Guilds to Sinuiju? And using Ryuhyuk as a messenger for the other guilds? It looks like he's trying to present himself as a master negotiator to extend his influence. Why don't you take control instead? That's usually your style."

"If I step in, they'll just think I'm a puppet for the Slayer Guild. Whatever I do will come under suspicion. Besides, I'm too busy hunting monsters to waste my energy on such tiring tasks."

Jang Deukgoo tilted his head, confused. Kang Mu-hyuk's excuse about being too tired didn't seem like something he would normally say. It was more believable to think Kang Mu-hyuk had some ulterior motive. He wouldn't just let the Expedition Teams withdraw without gaining some advantage.

'It's not just letting them be; he practically encouraged them to take the other guilds' Expedition Teams with them.'

While he was thinking about the reasoning behind this, Kang Mu-hyuk added, "They'll be more motivated if they feel they have some authority. Power may be everything in the Hunter world, but having a good reason for your actions is important. If we abandon the Cheongjin defense line without a reason, both the government and the public will react badly. They won't miss this opportunity to criticize us. You know what happens to a guild that loses public support."

"They end up like the White Tiger Guild."

For every controversy about a Hunter's actions causing a social issue, the media would drag the White Tiger Guild into the spotlight. They used the guild's lawless behavior as an example to tarnish its reputation.

The government subtly encouraged this narrative. That was because while other guilds at least pretended to cooperate with the government, the White Tiger Guild was focused only on its interests. It ignored government policies and proposals, stubbornly doing things its own way, which didn't sit well with those in power.

Despite the pressure from the government and the media, the White Tiger Guild managed to hold its position among the Tier Guilds, which displayed their resilience. Some even suggested that if the White Tiger Guild had managed its public image better, it could have formed a strong alliance with the Slayer Guild.

This sentiment was widely shared even among Hunters, leaving the White Tiger Guild as the black sheep of the Hunter community.

"That's right. If a guild keeps acting selfishly like the White Tiger Guild, they'll eventually get the short end of the stick. A Hunter's greatest weapon isn't just their strength; it's being seen as a hero by the people. As long as they maintain that image, even the government can't easily push them around. Just as the government relies on public support, guilds also can't cross certain boundaries. It's a delicate balance of power."

"So why give them that pretext and send them off to Sinuiju? Even if they are a bunch of nuisances, the Tier Guilds' Expedition Teams are a critical asset here."

"We got a strike team in return, didn't we? Plus, the fighters needed a break. It's better to pull back the exhausted Hunters and bring in fresh troops."

"But the Expedition Teams are the elite of their guild. I'm not looking down on the Tier Guilds' strike teams, but they don't quite measure up to the Expedition Teams. Handling creatures like Garuda or Agora Magos is already tough, but facing other powerful named monsters on top of that would be pushing it."

As Jang Deukgoo mentioned the named monsters, the mood in the room dropped. He scowled, and Kang Mu-hyuk's gaze turned cold as he looked into the distance, beyond the wall. Right now, there were four major threats at the Cheongjin defense line:

1. Garuda, a named monster that evolved from a 4-star Harpy.

2. Agora Magos, a 5-star monster that isn't technically a named monster but is marked as highly dangerous in the monster compendium.

3. Abomination, the worst kind of named monster, known as a Hunter Killer in North America, whose original form is still a mystery.

4. Armored Lizard, an unknown monster not found in any database, given a temporary codename.

"The Abomination is a big issue too, but there's a strong chance that the Armored Lizard is a named monster too."

Kang Mu-hyuk nodded. He was also suspicious that a new named monster might have appeared.

The situation clearly made you wonder why the Demonic Realm was given this name.

"The reason the front line is holding for now is that these creatures have all staked out their own territories. Ryuhyuk used the Slayer Guild as a cover because he's worried about losing forces while fighting these named monsters we know so little about. Pulling out the Expedition Team under these circumstances is risky."

Jang Deukgoo pointed out this problem.

"The Tier Guilds are aware of that. They're not going to throw the strike teams under the bus if the Expedition Team withdraws. They'll make sure they're prepared to avoid losing Hunters. They won't rush into the fray, but their concern lies elsewhere."

"What else are they concerned about?"

"The more they fight, the more combat data about the expedition Hunters leaks out. The Tier Guilds don't like their elite forces' tactics being exposed. That's why, even though they've been fighting on the same front for nearly a month, they don't really coordinate with each other. This whole issue with the Slayer Guild is just an excuse."

Jang Deukgoo hadn't spent much time inside a Tier Guild, but thanks to his experiences with Ju Se-ah, he understood what Kang Mu-hyuk meant. It was similar to the Hunter Investigation Agency, where he used to work. The agency's top investigators often concealed their identities, not just for safety but also to prevent their combat techniques from being exposed.

Since many confrontations with Hunter criminals happened with both sides knowing little about each other, any leaked information could put the investigators at a disadvantage.

Guilds were in the same boat. Monsters were the main enemy, but that didn't mean you could trust other humans. Sometimes, humans could be even more dangerous than monsters. This distrust was especially strong in Korea, given how they were betrayed by the global Hunter community after the Great War.

Kang Mu-hyuk used this distrust to reveal the true motives of the Tier Guilds.

"It was just a matter of time anyway. They would've found an excuse to switch out their forces sooner or later. I just nudged the direction of that switch a bit. To where I need them."

"Where do you need them? Sinuiju?"

"Yes. Sinuiju is where they're needed right now."

A thought suddenly struck Jang Deukgoo.

"Captain, while we're on the topic of Sinuiju, can I ask you something?"

"Of course. Ask away."

"Where is Guild Master Ju Se-ah?"

"..."

"Where is she now?"

Meanwhile, Seong Seonjae was standing by the lower Yalu River, not far from Sinuiju. Next to him was Gam Wooyoung, who looked nervous as he took in the sight before him.

"This place... It wasn't always like this, was it?"

"No, it wasn't. No matter how powerful nature is, it doesn't just change the landscape like this overnight."

They looked at the river, which had split into two branches. Instead of the usual sediment-filled delta, a mountain had suddenly risen up, as if a giant dragon had thrashed around. This was far from a typical river delta.

"It looks like a giant splashed around here."

"Well, they were in fact giants. One from China and one from Korea had a fight here."

"Se-Ah actually reached S-rank, huh... I knew she would get there someday, but hearing it actually happened is still hard to believe."

"Let me remind you again. The fact that Ju Se-ah reached S-rank is a secret for now."

"Even from the Expedition Team?"

"I haven't reported it to the higher-ups yet."

Seong Seonjae's 'higher-ups' were just the Guild Master and the Deputy Guild Master---only two people.

Gam Wooyoung realized this and was stunned.

"H-How can you keep this a secret? I know about it too. What if they find out later?"

"We just have to keep quiet. If the higher-ups find out, it could throw all my plans off. And remember, Hunter Gam Wooyoung, you found out by 'accident.' I was planning to keep it to myself," Seong Seonjae said, emphasizing the word 'accident.'

Gam Wooyoung looked up at the sky. "I didn't mean to find out. I just happened to overhear when I  picked up the office phone... It wasn't on purpose, I swear."

"It's alright. It was my fault for not noticing the phone was connected without an extension line when we quickly set up the communication lines."

"Right? So, it's not my fault..."

"But of course, I'll have to deal with the fact that you were eavesdropping on my call with Guild Leader Kang Mu-hyuk."

"Y-you knew about that? Haha..."

Gam Wooyoung tried to laugh it off, nervously shuffling into a corner, but Seong Seonjae beckoned him back.

"Do you know why I brought you here, Hunter Gam Wooyoung?"

"Gasp! Don't tell me you're planning to silence me?"

Gam Wooyoung blurted out, quickly shifting into a fighting stance. Seong Seonjae just sighed and said, "Stop fooling around and look over there."

He pointed toward the battlefield.

"The opponent is the Black Dragon, China's renowned Magic Swordmaster, and on our side, Korea's top tank, the Witch. Since you're a swordsman yourself and have sparred with Guild Master Ju Se-ah many times, you should be able to piece together their battle tactics, right?"

"Well, sort of."

Seong Seonjae gestured towards where the landscape had started to change, and Gam Wooyoung began to analyze.

"I'm not too familiar with Black Dragon's techniques, but that massive gap in the middle of the river looks like one of Se-Ah's moves. From the footprint shape, it seems to be her 'Giant Footprint' skill. She's known for favoring refined techniques over raw power, but when facing an S-rank, I guess she didn't have the luxury to be choosy."

"Black Dragon responded with a defensive maneuver. It looks like a technique using his sword... Notice how the earth around the footprint is fanned out? That's the sign of his dispersing sword energy."

"Next was her punch. It altered the river's flow. The opposite bank is completely demolished. Only she would throw a punch that powerful."

"Black Dragon didn't defend; he counterattacked. He swung his sword, and Ju Se-ah's punch cleaved the riverbank apart. The terrain shifted again there."

Seong Seonjae and Gam Wooyoung examined the scene together, reconstructing the intense battle between two S-rank Hunters. After more than an hour of discussing their observations and walking to where the sea came into view, they reached a shared conclusion.

"S-rank Hunters aren't human," they both mused.

Seong Seonjae remarked, "I've been coming here daily for the last month to check this out."

"Every day?"

"At first, it was to collect battle data on Guild Master Ju Se-ah. But, strangely enough, I kept feeling compelled to return."

"Why? It's impressive, sure, but it's not that different from what we usually see when fighting massive creatures in a Gate. Remember when we fought that dragon-like thing in the Red Gate? That was even more intense... or was it about the same?"

"The marks left behind from that fight were from humans. This place offers a rare chance to see the raw power of two S-rank Hunters. From now on, Hunter Gam Wooyoung, I want you to come here every day and study this battle. If you do, you'll discover something new each time."

"Something new?"

"When you can see what I see, let me know. I'll show you the next step then."

Gam Wooyoung felt like he was listening to a riddle he couldn't quite figure out.

"Well, I guess I'll do what you say for now..."

"In that case, why don't we go over the battle again?"

"Again?"

Just as Seong Seonjae turned to move upstream, his smartphone buzzed loudly. Glancing at the screen, he noticed it was a call from the Sinuiju office.

"What is it?"

He listened intently to the person on the line, his face becoming serious as he looked down.

"Other Tier Guilds are coming this way? Got it. I'll head there right away."

He ended the call with a disapproving click of his tongue, which made the ever-curious Gam Wooyoung ask, "Is something up? Why is someone else coming here?"

"Six Tier Guild expeditions, including the Wanderer Guild, have decided to set up camp in Sinuiju."

"Out of nowhere? Is Cheongjin okay now?"

"Okay? Not a chance. It looks like Guild Leader Kang Mu-hyuk played another one of his tricks again."

He tried to understand Kang Mu-hyuk's move, but he didn't have all the pieces.

One thing was clear: the situation wasn't stable enough to justify pulling back the Tier Guild expedition teams to Sinuiju.

Would Kang Mu-hyuk really sit back and let the front lines weaken?

This had to mean he had some other plan in mind.

'This might be connected to Guild Master Ju Se-ah's mysterious disappearance.'