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

"We're not exactly that close, are we?"

At Dalian City People's General Hospital, Guan Hong, the strategist of the Yellow Dragon Guild, headed to the VIP room where his superior, Bi Wen Jun, was recovering. The entire floor was reserved, with guild Hunters on guard to prevent any unauthorized entry.

After passing through heavy security Guan Hong reached the room. He took a deep breath and knocked softly. A deep voice emerged from inside, "Come in." Once he entered, he saw Bi Wen Jun half-reclined on the bed, reading a book.

"How are you holding up?"

"Well, there's only so much a potion can do. Internal injuries take time to heal. The Japanese were making a big deal about Ju Se-ah, and now I understand why."

"It's remarkable she managed to wound you. Plus she only recently advanced to S-rank."

Guan Hong realized his mistake as soon as he spoke. Mentioning Bi Wen Jun's injury could be seen as an insult to the guild's reputation. In China, reaching S-rank was called 'Shattering the Heavens', a title that symbolized greatness. Bi Wen Jun was a Hunter who embodied this greatness and was beyond criticism.

But Bi Wen Jun didn't seem offended. He continued calmly, "We didn't go all out. If we had, one of us would surely be dead, maybe even both of us. Even though we held back, the fight was intense enough to put me here in the hospital."

"So, what about Ju Se-ah?"

"She won't be moving much either. While I'll be out of action for a while, she's in a similar situation. I may not be the only S-rank in China, but Ju se-ah is the only S-rank in Korea. Plus, we have another ally we can rely on. Considering everything, this isn't a bad result."

Guan Hong had already found out about the fight between Bi Wen Jun and Ju Se-ah before he visited. The battle was so intense that it changed the landscape near the Yalu River. It was incredible that such destruction happened even though neither side fought at full power. Bi Wen Jun was known as a strong fighter even before reaching S-rank. Him choosing to rest, suggested that the fight had a significant impact.

Just as Guan Hong was thinking about Ju Se-ah's strength, Bi Wen Jun spoke again.

"Your report was late this time, wasn't it?"

"I apologize for not visiting sooner."

"Anyone who enters into the Demon Realm doesn't come back quickly, right? I understand. So, how did it go?"

"The other Gates are under control, but we had some problems with the Gate in Jilin City,"

"What kind of problems?"

"We couldn't lure out the Gate boss."

"Well, that's why it's called a boss, right? Monsters don't always do what you expect."

"I apologize."

"And where is that creature now?"

Guan Hong had been ready for a scolding, but Bi Wen Jun didn't seem too worried. However, Guan Hong knew not to relax. Bi Wen Jun's tolerance often depended on his mood. He seemed calm now because he wasn't particularly annoyed.

"We're not sure exactly where it is, but we think it's between Jilin City and the Tumen River defense line. We couldn't pinpoint the exact location because our reconnaissance team was wiped out,"

"I've heard about the Tumen River situation. Even if you didn't corner the boss, you did cause an artificial monster wave on that side. North Korea is in chaos now. That's what I'd call a partial success."

"Yes, but it seems we need to rethink some parts of our strategy," Guan Hong suggested carefully. This was the main reason he hadn't relaxed. He needed to bring up a sensitive topic with his superior. Even though Guan Hong was making the suggestion, the overall plan was Bi Wen Jun's, so he had to be careful not to offend him.

"What do you suggest?"

"Maybe we should keep the Shenyang Gate sealed for now."

"Why is that?"

"To the south, there's Dalian and Dandong. To the west, Chifeng and Chengde are close by. Beijing is just 600 km away. With our unreliable method of drawing out the Gate boss, we can't predict where it might head. The risks are too high, especially with the capital at stake."

Bi Wen Jun closed his book and tapped the cover with his fingers, deep in thought. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

"What about the Russian Gate? That one is critical."

"There's no issue there. Even if something unexpected happens, it won't affect the mainland. We can stick to the main plan for that Gate."

"Dandong might be okay, but it's too risky for Dalian and Beijing. We also have to consider the Chairman's standing. Alright, let's put the Shenyang Gate on hold. We'll plan an expedition there later. Stick to the original plan for the rest."

"Yes, thank you for your decisive judgment."

 Bi Wen Jun looked at Guan Hong, whose head was bowed low, and spoke softly.

 "We don't have much time left. Make sure everything is handled without any mistakes."

Guan Hong felt a cold sweat on his neck and bowed even lower.

As the Expedition teams from each Tier guild moved to Sinuiju, additional strike squads were deployed to Cheongjin. To fill the gaps left by the departing Expedition teams, the guilds assigned their best forces to the strike squads. Ampoules and consumable equipment were made temporarily tax-free, and with the help of the guild cooperation office, they secured significant government support. Any shortages not covered by government orders were left to the private sector. In return, the guilds participating in the war were compensated for their losses through tax deductions.

Even with these measures, obtaining key supplies was still difficult. They tried to negotiate exports from nearby countries like Japan and China, but they were turned down. Emergency airlifts from the U.S. and Europe were arranged, but the global supply of potions was already tight, and the costs were too high to bring in enough supplies. Products 'Made in India' were concerning due to a higher risk of severe potion addiction compared to other brands, and products from Southeast Asia were less effective. Russian-made potions were also avoided in Korea because they were seen as unreliable.

With these supply delays, there was unrest on the front lines. The government, having no other choice, enforced a mandatory requisition under the guise of "patriotic support." Mid-sized and small guilds not involved in the war were forced to sell their potions and consumables. This led to an outcry among the guilds. The complaints department at the guild cooperation agency was overwhelmed with guild representatives. Phones rang non-stop, and some representatives shouted angrily. Without help from the Hunter Investigation Agency, some government officials might have been hurt.

"Listen, if you're going to take our supplies, at least pay a fair price. Our guild bought those ampoule kits for 980,000 won each, and now you want us to sell them for 550,000? Who even uses the average annual price as a reference?"

"Our potions are from a top-tier brand. They should be priced at a minimum of 60 ticks. But look, the smaller companies' ampoules go for around 50 ticks each, right? There are premium potions that offer higher recovery rates per tick, but still, setting the price based only on the minimum ticks? Isn't that a bit unfair?"

"Yes, I get it. War is hard. But you have to understand, there's a big difference in scale between massive guilds like Tier or A-rank and mid-sized guilds like ours. Those big guilds can easily replenish their stock even after clearing out their warehouses, but for us, if we don't hustle and clear even the smaller Gates, our guild could be in serious trouble. How are we supposed to go out on hunts without potions? And if a Gate breaks loose, who's going to be responsible?"

"What? North Pocheon? How could the Iron Will guys be C-rank? They've got Ju Se-ah on their side, and their territory is pretty lucrative. They even took over Sinuiju, right? It's not fair to expect us to fight on the front lines just because they're there. And from what I hear, even the Tier guilds aren't throwing all their power into it. They're only doing it because they know they can manage."

The grievances of the guilds stemmed from the self-serving nature of the Hunters, but they also resulted from long-standing frustrations that had finally reached a boiling point. The ever-growing gap between large and small guilds, the distrust toward the government that had been demanding sacrifices from Hunters since the Great War, and the anti-Hunter sentiment that viewed Hunters as a danger and called for their powers to be curtailed and controlled by the state---all these factors had driven the guilds to adopt a more defensive, isolated stance.

The Guild Cooperation Agency was overwhelmed, its operations almost coming to a standstill due to constant clashes with guild representatives. It was then that Kang Mu-hyuk contacted Cha Gil-joo.

"What brings you here?"

"We need more troops."

Cha Gil-joo was momentarily speechless. He knew the situation on the front lines, but where could he find more forces? He thought about suggesting to the President to issue a draft order.

'But if we do that, there will be problems after the draft. The government would have to make several concessions, and they wouldn't want to take on that kind of political risk.'

When Cha Gil-joo didn't respond, Kang Mu-hyuk spoke again.

"It seems the government and the media don't fully grasp the reality here."

"No, we're quite aware of it."

"I see what's being aired on the news. Some outlets are barely mentioning it, treating it like some distant turmoil in Africa or South America. Are they downplaying it deliberately because of the upcoming elections?"

"Well, on that point... I'm sorry, but there's not much I can do about it."

"I have to admit, I was a bit surprised when I saw the National Assembly summon me for this unofficial hearing. Calling a Guild Leader from the front lines? Seems like things are too calm back there."

"I didn't expect them to call you as a witness either."

"It seems our esteemed lawmakers don't really know what's happening on the ground here. If you're okay with it, I'd like to invite them to Cheongjin,"

"Invite them... to Cheongjin?"

Cha Gil-joo was surprised. He knew how dangerous the front lines were. Bringing politicians to such a place would be risky. They would only get in the way. He understood the intent was to show the lawmakers the urgency and get more proactive support, but he doubted they'd agree to go to Cheongjin.

"We could even arrange for a few cameras to follow them. It'd make for some great footage, don't you think?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure what you're aiming for here."

"Oh, nothing much, just thought I'd help them with their election campaigns."

"Wait, election... campaigns?"

"Yeah, give the ones chasing votes a chance to get them, and let the Hunters who want more potions have a go at getting more."

Cha Gil-joo was puzzled by Kang Mu-hyuk's proposal. What was the plan here? Bringing politicians to Cheongjin to somehow get more potions? These were the same folks who'd been bragging for over ten years about making this country one of the top ten in global Hunter rankings. Everyone knew that politicians' promises during election time were empty. They'd put on a show in Cheongjin for the cameras and then leave as if they'd done enough. And if they realized how dangerous Cheongjin really was, they wouldn't agree to go.

"Setting everything else aside, if their safety isn't guaranteed, I doubt any politician would agree to head to Cheongjin."

"That's where you come in, Director."

"You want me to convince them to go to Chongjin? Honestly, I'm not sure I can do that."

"No, not convince them. We need to set it up so that they feel they have no choice but to go."

"And how do we manage that?"

"We need to make some adjustments to the battle progress report we submit to the National Assembly."

Realizing what Kang Mu-hyuk meant, Cha Gil-joo was struck dumb with shock.

'He's asking me to falsify government documents?'

Kang Mu-hyuk was finally crossing the line.

'Then again, has he ever cared about crossing lines?'

Even Cha Gil-joo was starting to question his sense of right and wrong.

"The Witch... What brings you here?"

"Isn't this the Demonic Realm? A place full of monsters. Where else would suit me better?"

Ju Se-ah gazed at the man before her, barefoot and disheveled, clutching a monster by its throat. The man tilted his head, pondering, before letting out a sarcastic laugh.

"Huh? I heard you went down with Bi Wen Jun. Guess that was a lie. You look perfectly fine. So, how did Bi Wen Jun's sword taste?"

"It wasn't as thrilling as when I fought you. Pretty tame, actually."

"Hahaha! I suppose if you could walk away from a fight with me, there's no way you'd go down to someone weaker like Bi Wen Jun."

"Or maybe I'm just too strong. He wasn't much of a challenge once his magic was blocked."

"Magic users are all show and bother. A true Hunter takes down monsters with nothing but their own hands. By that measure, the only real Hunters here are you and me."

"Still as confident as ever, huh? I heard rumors that you were down in the dumps after I knocked you around."

"Talking back now just because I gave you a compliment? Should we settle this for real?"

The man snapped the monster's neck and moved toward Ju Se-ah.

Ju Se-ah grinned and replied, "Not today. I'm here on a different business."

"What business could you possibly have besides fighting? We're not exactly friends, are we?"

Ju Se-ah extended her hand.

"I'm here to propose an alliance, Igor Dudnik."