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

"Ahh!"

"Ugh!"

Unable to help his party members hanging in mid-air, party leader Jang I-hyun was at a loss.

"Damn! Is it an Unknown?"

An invisible enemy.

Magic and skills should be able to hit the enemy only when it was visible.

With no other choice, he wasted mana on area attacks, but the monster even managed to dodge those.

Nevertheless, Jang I-hyun did not give up. He had one last method.

A spell he had thought to be useless when he first acquired it.

"Detecting!"

Mana's light spread out from Jang I-hyun and scanned the surroundings.

But it was futile.

"Kuh!"

The enemy remained invisible, hunting party members even more mercilessly.

In the end, Jang I-hyun raised both hands.

"Retreat! Retreat! Fall back to the entrance!"

"Party leader! At this rate, we'll be wiped out before we can reach there! It's too far!"

"Damn... Head to the barrier area! And... Request support, no, rescue from the headquarters."

Ring ring ring!

"Uh, yes...hello...?"

Kang Mu-hyuk picked up the phone in a daze.

He had slept for less than an hour, thanks to work following him home.

Annoyed as he was, his job often required immediate attention, even in the early hours of the morning.

He gathered his wits and spoke.

"Uh, Manager Kim. It's... 3 a.m.? What's going on at this hour? Oh, oh. The 17th gate in Sillim... So... What?!"

Kang Mu-hyuk woke up completely.

"Got it. I'll head there from the headquarters. Get the standby team ready, as we'll need to dispatch them immediately after assessing the situation. Right. Prepare Gate raid equipment too."

Kang Mu-hyuk quickly threw on jeans and a jumper, grabbed his car keys, and left his house.

"What a hectic start to the week; now a spectacle in the wee hours of the second day."

It usually took 35 minutes to get from his home in Hongeun-dong to the Guild in Yeouido, 25 if it was early morning. He had managed it in under 15 when in a hurry. Speeding might be dangerous, but thinking of the Hunters whose lives depended on a single minute, he couldn't help but press harder on the accelerator.

As he set off, he made a call using voice command.

"Call Ma Taesu, the vice-guild master."

He usually handled most accidents at the Strategy and Tactics team leader level, but this situation was different. Calling the vice-guild master at dawn was not something he would be scolded for.

'You have to accept a rescue request even if you're in the middle of getting married.'

It wasn't a joke; it was an actual occurrence that sometimes made the news.

A rescue request was a grave situation. It was the worst signal sent when a Gate raid party or raiding team was in crisis.

There were four main signals a Hunter could send from a Gate other than regular reports:

"Supply," "Support," "Rescue," and "Annihilation."

"Supply" was a simple request for resources and nothing to worry about.

"Support" could be annoying, involving the allocation of resources and personnel, but aside from messing up another party's hunting schedule, it was bearable.

The other two were the real problems.

"Annihilation" could be disregarded since the dead had no complaints.

In reality, the "Rescue" signal could be considered the worst-case scenario.

It was particularly concerning that a problem had arisen in a regular party of an A-class guild like Titan. It meant that the situation was quite dangerous.

Not knowing when the situation might worsen, a swift response was required.

"Why won't he pick up? It's urgent!"

Although the signal kept ringing, the vice-guild master Ma Taesu did not answer the phone. This was very unusual for him. As luck would have it, on this day, the connection just wouldn't go through.

Left with no other choice, Kang Mu-hyuk contacted the guild master's secretary.

"Secretary Jeong, it's the head of the Strategy and Tactics team. I'm sorry for waking you up at dawn, but please contact the guild master for me. We received a distress signal from Party 6, who were in charge of conquering the Gate at Sillim-dong. Since I couldn't reach the vice-guild master, I'm reporting to you. Please relay the message without upsetting the guild master."

He arrived at the guild headquarters just as he hung up the phone.

Kang Mu-hyuk went up to the 27th floor, where the situation room was located.

Kim Mangi, whose home was closer, had already arrived. As he was already behind the wheel when he made the call, it was only natural that he had arrived first and was currently assessing the situation.

"It seems like bad luck has struck our standby team this week."

Next to Kim Mangi, Park Min-soo was drinking coffee. The rest of the standby team members were waiting on the 31st floor after finishing their preparations in their on-duty quarters.

"Indeed. Manager Kim, has the equipment vehicle been dispatched?"

"Yes, it was sent straight to the scene. The existing strike camp has also been set up in front of the Gate, so the on-site agents will fill in any gaps."

"Party Leader Park, please depart with your team members immediately."

At Kang Mu-hyuk's request, Park Min-soo clicked his tongue and pressed the elevator button.

"This is why I told the vice-guild master that Jang I-hyun should only be put in charge of a team in the year after next. Tsk!"

"Party Leader Jang is not incompetent. If he requested assistance, there must be a reason for it. Please be careful, Party Leader Park."

"Of course, I'll be careful. I have to bring them back safely so I can tease them for the rest of their lives."

"Then, I'm counting on you."

As Park Min-soo went up to the rooftop to board the helicopter, Kim Mangi whispered to Kang Mu-hyuk.

"There's something I need to tell you briefly..."

"What is it?"

"Not here..."

As Kim Mangi cautiously spoke, Kang Mu-hyuk had a feeling that something bad had happened.

He took Kim Mangi to the emergency stairs.

"What's going on?"

"About the distress signal today. It... arrived three hours ago."

"What are you talking about? Three hours? Why are we only hearing about it now?!"

A distress signal, on which the lives of the Hunters might depend, had been delayed for three hours?

This made no sense. Kang Mu-hyuk had confidence in the system he had created himself. Had it been working properly, it wouldn't have been handled this way.

Seeing his superior's face turning red with anger, Kim Mangi shrank his neck.

Kang Mu-hyuk took a deep breath to calm himself and asked, "What was the situation room on-duty doing?"

"They, they fell asleep."

"Asleep? This is insane..."

"But it wasn't just falling asleep. Our on-duty personnel lost consciousness after drinking a beverage given to them by the watchman..."

Kang Mu-hyuk couldn't believe his ears and opened his mouth in shock.

"Are you saying... someone drugged them with sleeping pills?"

"Perhaps."

"Why would Deputy Oh?"

"Deputy Oh wasn't supposed to be on duty tonight."

"If not Deputy Oh, then who?"

"Hunter Ma Taesik."

"What? That guy skipped out! He didn't want to be on duty. So, Deputy Oh must have been told to take his place."

At Kang Mu-hyuk's objection, Kim Mangi made a troubled face. He licked his dry lips with his tongue and hesitantly opened his mouth.

"According to the awakened duty officer, Hunter Ma Taesik came in the evening and told Deputy Oh that he would take his place, so he could go home. He said he wanted to show a repentant appearance when the team leader comes in tomorrow morning, so he should not contact him and let him speak with you directly."

"Is Deputy Oh stupid or naive? That kid wouldn't just repent like that! At the very least, he should have reported it through text!"

Ma Taesik was the most at fault, but Oh Chang-su had also made a big mistake.

Regardless of his true intentions, he had ignored the reporting system, and in the end, the consequences were severe.

If it had been a normal night, it would have ended with a reprimand or a slap on the wrist, but now he couldn't just let it slide. If this fact became known to higher-ups, it would not end with a simple disciplinary action.

Furthermore, Kang Mu-hyuk was in no position to protect his subordinates or shield them from blame.

A Hunter's life was at stake.

It was a situation where the fallout could reach anyone.

"Who knows about this so far?"

"The duty officer who woke up after taking the sleeping pill, the four situation room agents on standby in the dormitory, and then you."

"That's a lot. What about Party Leader Park Min-soo?"

"I don't know yet."

"And Ma Taesik?"

"His whereabouts are still unconfirmed. His phone is off as well."

"This crazy bastard. I knew he was brainless, but just to spite me... Damn it, of all times, a problem arises and gives me a headache."

Ma Taesik's trick was obvious. By paralyzing the situation room for a few hours, the responsibility would fall on the situation room head and the Strategy and Tactics team leader.

Even if it was a subordinate's mistake, it was ultimately the boss's fault.

He probably calculated that he wouldn't receive a major disciplinary action but couldn't avoid the scolding.

His impulsive and petty desire for revenge was now growing uncontrollably.

'If the rescue party is late and gets wiped out...'

He could only see darkness ahead.

Kim Mangi, who saw Kang Mu-hyuk swear for the first time, flinched and lowered his head.

"Call Oh Chang-su and have the intelligence team locate Ma Taesik."

"Yes."

"And for now, focus on the Sillim Gate. I'll handle Ma Taesik's problem myself."

Although Kang Mu-hyuk told Kim Mangi to concentrate on the Gate, his own head was throbbing due to his complicated thoughts.

It was blatantly obvious that the situation wouldn't end with just personal revenge or deviation.

'Could this lead to a bloodbath?'

Where would that bloodbath end?

As he climbed the emergency stairs, a chill ran down the back of his neck.

Titan Guild Master Lee Cheoljung appeared in the situation room dressed in training clothes. With his entrance, the atmosphere in the situation room became heavy.

It was rare to see any guild members other than the vice-guild master and the head of the Strategy and Tactics team holding their heads high in front of him on any normal day, so he wanted to simply let it pass as usual today. However, for some reason, the atmosphere felt like everyone was watching his every move.

"What's the matter with you all? It's not the first time a Gate has turned into a mess, right? Loosen up and get to work. Don't make mistakes because you're nervous."

After receiving the report on the Gate situation, Lee Cheoljung noticed Kang Mu-hyuk's request for a private discussion with a glance and moved to his office.

"The standby team has been deployed to the Gate, so all that's left is to wait. Do you have anything more to say, Team Leader Kang?"

With his hair cut short in a sporty style, Lee Cheoljung was a steadfast and serious tank, represented by his square jaw and thick neck.

As his heavy voice filled the guild master's office, pressuring Kang Mu-hyuk, Kang carefully opened his lips.

"There was an issue within the guild related to the rescue signal for this Gate incident."

Although he had used the word 'issue' to describe it, to Lee Cheoljung, it sounded like a big accident had occurred.

"Tell me."

Kang Mu-hyuk relayed the information he had received from Kim Mangi, as well as the reason why he had assigned Ma Taesik to a week's duty.

After listening to the whole story, Lee Cheoljung spoke with cold, sunken eyes.

"Is there still no contact with the vice-guild master?"

"Yes."

"What about Ma Taesik?"

"His phone is off."

"I can see that the vice-guild master knows about it, right?"

"No, it could simply be that the connection is not working."

Kang Mu-hyuk hastily added. Although he was also suspicious, he had to avoid confirming a simple guess without any evidence.

Even if his conjecture was correct, as the head of the Strategy and Tactics team, he might have to reprimand the vice-guild master. He had to ensure that Ma Taesik and the vice-guild master were not linked in any way.

'The relationship between the guild master and vice-guild master isn't like it used to be. I shouldn't create a reason for them to fight. The guild would fall into chaos.'

Lee Cheoljung had clashed with the shareholders on the principle of "the guild is run by Hunters," but Ma Taesu believed that the times had changed and that the will of the shareholders should be actively reflected.

The differences in opinion between the guild master and the vice-guild master were becoming increasingly intense as time went on.

This was the reason Kang Mu-hyuk had accepted Ma Taesik at Ma Taesu's request, despite his reluctance.

Because Lee Cheoljung had cornered Ma Taesu by driving Ma Taesik out of the Expedition party due to his accident, he had to make sure that they should not cross the line.

Kang Mu-hyuk had considered Ma Taesu's pride and feelings.

He didn't like Ma Taesik, but he couldn't let his mistake tarnish the vice-guild master's reputation.

He had regretted his decision hundreds of times a day, but he didn't think his intentions were wrong.

That was why he tried to tie a bell around Ma Taesik's neck, even mentioning Hunter Lee Jin-joo. Expelling him was considered the last resort.

'The two of them are the pillars of the guild. Only when they maintain balance can Titan function fully.'

But now, everything was ruined. How was he going to fix this?

Kang Mu-hyuk found himself troubled by having to deal with the power struggle between the two superiors, rather than focusing on the Gate strategy.

'You people, if you're Hunters, focus on hunting. Stop getting involved in politics.'

He was frustrated with his own situation, caught in the middle of their conflicts.