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

Hunters were running for their lives, frantically pursued by a horde of orcs.

"If I'd known it'd be like this, I wouldn't have learned the Sprint skill."

The dealer had gone as far as taking out a loan to learn the skill, thinking that quick feet would be a lifesaver. Now he found himself as the first target in an engagement with orcs.

And not just any orcs. He had become a provocateur to a veritable army of hundreds of them.

"Talk about bad luck."

There weren't many orcs directly behind him, but the moment one caught up, a whole swarm of others would inevitably follow. The Hunters ran as if their very lives depended on it.

"Woah!"

"Hey, are you out of your mind? That's a minefield!"

"Damn it, they mostly don't even go off."

Boom!

A loud explosion and orcs' screams echoed from behind.

"See? One in twenty actually detonates."

Due to the high concentration of mana in the air, explosive weapons were generally useless here. But when buried in the ground, the reduced mana concentration allowed for a low probability of explosion.

Boom!

"Another one?"

"More like one in ten, now."

Startled by the repeated explosions, the lead Hunter of the party momentarily lost his balance and tumbled. He quickly recovered with agile grace, but in that brief moment, he'd lost his sense of direction. Behind him were orcs; ahead, mines. Panic set in, and he began to lose track of where the mines were buried.

"Where was it again?"

A Hunter following him shouted as he nudged him from behind.

"There's a marker up ahead!"

Only those who set them up could recognize the small, ground-level markers. Despite their inconspicuous size, the tops were painted yellow, making them visible to the keen-eyed Hunters.

"Stop messing around and follow me!"

A Hunter who had been running in the second row skillfully took the lead, zigzagging his way forward by following the markers. The rest of the party followed suit without hesitation.

The Hunter at the very back kept a watchful eye on their rear. Maintaining just enough distance from the pursuing orcs was essential, so he often glanced back to gauge the gap.

After the mine explosions, the orcs were clearly slowing in their pursuit.

"I got lucky. The orcs have become a bit more cautious after tasting those mines. The raid leader said he'd set off a few more if needed... Ugh, the mere thought is terrifying. I don't want to be running through a minefield that's actually exploding."

The image of Jang Deuk-goo, who was leading the raid, crossed his mind. The man would undoubtedly have pressed the detonator, whether people were in the area or not.

"Just a little further to the rendezvous point! Hang in there!"

The orcs didn't recklessly pursue them; instead, they adhered to a limited path, running shoulder to shoulder. Occasionally, their sniffing at the ground suggested they were using their sense of smell to detect mines.

The orcs had become more cautious, especially after two mines had already exploded. Their slower pace gave the Hunters a window to focus on their escape. But that didn't mean they were safe yet; caution was still imperative.

Either infuriated by the elusive humans or growing accustomed to dashing through the minefield, the orcs began to speed up.

"Full throttle! Speed up! We've got an orc captain on our tail!"

"Damn it! We did sign up for a raid, but this is ridiculous! Are we monster bait or what?"

"After this raid, I'm definitely quitting the team. For real, I'll throw in the towel... No, not there! Turn left!"

Finally, the Hunters reached their target location.

It was a spacious area with no mines around, cleverly hidden by trees and shrubs, making it invisible from the outside.

The pursuing orcs began to flood into the designated meeting point. At a glance, there seemed to be at least twenty of them.

Party One immediately took a defensive stance. With no designated tank in the group, they lined up in a row, spacing themselves out to avoid interfering with each other's evasive maneuvers. It was a makeshift formation, designed to share the burden of the orcs' attacks.

Without hesitation, the orcs charged at the Hunters, who skillfully dodged the onslaught. The orcs, growing increasingly angry at the nimble moves of the Hunters, doubled down on their aggressive pursuit.

"You guys are done for."

As one of the Hunters skillfully evaded an attack and leaped back to create distance, a shadow descended behind the orc ranks.

The snarling orcs suddenly closed their mouths and looked back. Instinctively, they felt the presence of something malevolent.

'So it's just three orc captains. Guess at this scale, you don't get the bosses just by simple baiting. I was thinking of reducing the number of troublesome foes for later.'

With a sigh of slight disappointment, Jang Deuk-goo unsheathed his sword, eliciting cheers from the Hunters.

"Team Leader!"

"Please sweep these bastards off the field!"

"You orcs are all dead now."

Jang Deuk-goo broke the triumphant mood with a single utterance.

"Seems like everyone's in high spirits. Good. After we deal with these, we'll lure the main force."

At Jang Deuk-goo's declaration, even the Hunters fell silent, and an eerie calm settled over the area.

'What the hell? It was dicey even now, and you're saying you'll bring hundreds more?'

The color drained from the Hunters' faces.

"Screw it! I'm really quitting!"

...

Jang Deuk-goo tormented the orcs by repeatedly engaging and disengaging.

Though the power disparity was negligible, navigating through a maze of mines restricted the orcs' aggressive nature. A few impatient orcs chased after him off the safe path, only to be lured into mana stone mines and blown up. This deterred other orcs from recklessly charging in.

'It looks like they've had some bad experiences with mines in Cheolwon. They don't blindly follow the scent.'

Kang Mu-hyuk's strategy worked well. Had it not been for the mines, getting close to the encircling orcs would have been risky. At best, they would have been restricted to long-range attacks to gauge reactions.

The issue, however, was the sheer number of orcs, which was becoming a limiting factor.

"Team Leader 1, what do you think? Can we proceed with the lure?"

Kang Mu-hyuk, who was astonishingly tuned into the situation despite not being on-site, contacted at just the right moment.

Jang Deuk-goo clenched his teeth. It was a sign that the situation was not good.

"We've destroyed the Sanjeong Bridge 2 and laid mines along the stream. But I can't guarantee that the orcs will only move upstream and not sidestep the trap."

"They will go upstream. The Buso Stream has been blocked and hasn't been maintained for a long time. It's only ankle-deep. Given that they avoid mines, they'll have no choice but to follow the water."

"I sincerely hope so."

"If they don't take the bait, I suggest you and your team retreat to an ambush site. We'll switch to Plan B, albeit less effective. We intend to lure them closer to the headquarters before detonating the explosives."

"That won't capture even half of the orcs."

"Better half than none."

"Don't jump to conclusions yet. There's still a tactic I can try."

"A tactic?"

"If the Guild Leader went to the trouble of setting all this up, the rest is up to us Hunters. It's time to showcase our field expertise."

"May I ask, is your expertise similar to that of Guild Master Ju Se-ah?"

"It was my expertise first. Seems like you've forgotten. I have trained Guild Master Ju Se-ah since she was a teenager. That means she learned everything from me."

"...Understood. No more questions then. Given the circumstances, I can't strictly advise against it."

"Expect to see traditional tanking at its finest."

"I've always thought your style was unconventional, but I hope that this 'traditional' method stays within the bounds of common sense. Please don't overdo it."

...

Yeom Soo-hyung felt dazed throughout the battle.

As if intoxicated or half-asleep.

His enlarged body felt as though it was being possessed and controlled by someone else.

The more he exerted himself, the deeper his consciousness submerged.

'I'm okay for now. I can handle up to Level 1.'

A giant at three meters. That was the limit to which he could exert himself while still maintaining control. Pushing himself, he could somewhat manage Level 2, but his memory would become patchy beyond that point.

'As long as I don't go up to Level 3. But if I sink too deep into Level 2, I'll unwittingly move to Level 3. Let's end this at Level 1. No more than that... I've already seen too many sacrifices. Yes, Level 1. Level 1. Level 1. Level 1... Maybe Level 2... Yes, Level 2. Level 2. Level 2....'

"Team Leader Yeom!"

Zing!

"Aaargh─"

Jolted by a crushing impact to his head, Yeom Soo-hyung woke up. He had almost been consumed by his dreamlike state. Before, he could manage at Level 1, but this time he momentarily lost control.

He shuddered.

What would have happened if Pyo Beom-hee's backup was just a bit late?

'Have I weakened? Or have I gotten stronger?'

He couldn't be sure if the problem was his mental strength or if his abilities had enhanced.

In a moment of confusion from Yeom Soo-hyung, Pyo Beom-hee quickly scaled his back and raised a sheathed sword high over her shoulder. Just as she was about to strike at his head, Yeom Soo-hyung hastily ducked.

"Arooo."

"Oh? Woken up, have you? Seriously, why do the people around me always need to get hit before they come to their senses?"

"Uuuuuu."

"Feeling wronged? If you're wronged, then don't lose focus. If you lose focus again, instead of the sheath, the blade will pierce you, filled with mana. Aye, step on that orc captain over there!"

Thud!

Caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, the orc who had been trampled underfoot was squashed without even letting out a scream.

"Now, keep your focus. Go get those orcs."

Pyo Beom-hee jumped down to the ground. Orcs rushed at her from all sides, but the moment her mana-infused blade flashed, their skin darkened and they writhed on the ground, foaming at the mouth. Pyo Beom-hee then stuck her blade into the throats of the fallen orcs before moving on to her next prey.

'Damn! It's not an instant kill? These orc bastards have too much stamina. Their resistance to poison is no joke.'

She wanted to use a stronger poison, but she couldn't afford to do so in the heat of battle. The poison wasn't selective, it could affect allies as well as enemies. Pyo Beom-hee could somewhat control its direction, but various factors like wind or humidity could make it spread indiscriminately, requiring a flawless hunting strategy before use.

'What's really problematic is that I have to save energy because of that giant.'

Pyo Beom-hee had to be prepared for the eventuality that Yeom Soo-hyung would go berserk after advancing to the second or even third phase as a giant. A repeat of past tragedies had to be avoided. That was why she had been refining her poison skills for a long time, even developing a specific combination just for Yeom Soo-hyung.

Given the giant's high resistance and increased stats, using her poison skills required an enormous amount of mana.

"I hope we don't have to go any further, ahh, that's dangerous. Even though I've killed quite a few, this is taking too long. Clearly, you lack intelligence and skills."

There was no choice but to hold on while they decimated the orc forces, just as ordered by Kang Mu-hyuk.

Satisfied with her early momentum, Pyo Beom-hee issued a new order.

"Lead tanks of each party to the front! Keep Yeom Soo-hyung, the squad leader, in the rear! We're in defensive mode! Build a wall and control the line properly! If anyone breaks formation, I'll kill them myself!"

...

While both sides were engaged in intense combat, a presence was felt in the guild headquarters that should have been empty.

Inside Kang Mu-hyuk's office, someone other than the owner was picking up the phone.

"So, you're Cho Chung-hyun?"

"Yes, Chairman."

"I know you work under my second son. Considering you reached out to me, it seems my son must have disappointed you."

"That's a misunderstanding. I work for the Taesung Group, not specifically for Director Tae Soo-man."

"Then, I suppose we can move on to the first order of business."

"Tae Soo-man will soon be the Chairman, won't he? When I serve Tae Soo-man, it means I'm serving Chairman Tae Jin-sung."

"Heh. You have quite an eloquent way with words for a Strategy and Tactics Team Leader. But let me tell you, I don't put much stock in loyalty pledged merely through words."

"I know what you desire, Chairman. And I will fulfill it for you."

"What I desire?"

"I'm referring to eliminating Ju Se-ah's nest. A fledgling without a nest naturally searches for its mother, doesn't it?"

"Ah, I see you've heard about my proposal to that friend of mine, Kang Mu-hyuk, was it? It was back during that Goblin incident. I told him to take out a few of the guild members."

A chill ran down Cho Chung-hyun's spine. When the Chairman said "a few," he wasn't just talking about one or two people.

The man would stick to no ethical limits when it came to achieving his goals.

He saw human lives as nothing more than numbers.

'This is Chairman Tae Jin-sung. True to his nickname, a man without a shred of compassion.'

For a moment, Cho Chung-hyun felt shaken by the Chairman's sheer indifference, but he quickly composed himself.

"I heard it from Director Tae Soo-man. Guild Leader Kang tends to be quite candid with Director Tae Soo-man. That includes your conversations, sir. Thanks to that, I've gained some trust from Director Tae Soo-man, but that approach also makes a lot of enemies."

"So, Kang suggested an alternative way to acquire the guild. Do you have any other ideas?"

"That would take too long. Do you trust Kang Mu-hyuk, Chairman? Giving him time might enable him to pull off some unpredictable moves. From what I see, neither Guild Leader Kang nor you should be trusting people in business endeavors."

A brief silence came from the other end of the line. Cho Chung-hyun waited anxiously.

'It's a gamble. My standing in the guild has been shrinking. Even Director Tae Soo-man has started listening more to Kang Mu-hyuk. I was supposed to monitor the Guild Leader, but somehow, the tables have turned. If this continues, I'll end up being marginalized.'

His mistake during the recent Orc incident had driven him into a corner. He had no choice. Cho Chung-hyun was certain that once this issue was settled, Kang Mu-hyuk would aim for his neck.

Finally, the elder's breathing came through the receiver, followed by his voice.

"You're fighting the Orc army now, aren't you?"

"Yes. This is the perfect opportunity."

"And your plan?"

"Ruining the operation that Kang Mu-hyuk has laid out. That would spell the end for Iron Will."

"It seems like a plan where I have nothing to lose. Give it a try. Show results, and you'll be duly rewarded."

Cho Chung-hyun clenched his fist tightly.

'I did it!'

Concealing his elation, he spoke as calmly as possible.

"As you wish, Chairman. It shall be done."