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

The path swept by mana was in chaos. Shacks swayed in the sword wind, and the dirt ground was rutted up from running feet alone.

A tank, who had been overwhelmed by the enemies' skills, was thrown as he crashed into a persimmon tree. The trunk cracked and broke. At that moment, a dealer, who had been waiting for an opportunity, pounced forward.

"Die!"

"Just what one would expect of you bastards! You shameless bastards! What about our promise?"

The sword of flames burned the air. When the air collided with a mana-infused sword, sparks flew everywhere. The heat was so intense that it could melt flesh if not protected with mana.

The ground burned, and the shacks turned to ashes. The front yard's water tank melted, and the liquid metal flowed like lava.

"Team 1! Are you just going to let your tank die?! Team 2, what are you doing?! You won't have anyone to blame if you run and die!! Get in there now!"

Cheon Deok-soo's roar slowly sorted out the tangled battle lines. He was sweating coldly. One mistake and a whole party could disappear. In a fight with no reinforcements or support, the loss of one party could be fatal.

'Even all this is thanks to us fighting in our backyard. If the fight was anywhere else, we would've died ten times over by now.'

It was only possible to face them head-on thanks to Kang Mu-hyuk's trick of diverting the rest of the enemy's attack squads here and there.

As time passed, the situation was getting worse.

"Cheon Deok-soo."

Amid the Hunters' shouts, a familiar voice came through. Cheon Deok-soo turned to look at the Hunter glaring at him.

"Finally found you."

"Wen Hao!"

Wen Hao stabbed the ground with his spear and leapt high, attacking Cheon Deok-soo.

Cheon Deok-soo also drew his twin swords to confront him. The spearhead was entangled between the blades that intersected in an X above his head. As the weapons clashed, both poured their mana into them. It was a tense moment where even a slight delay could cause them to lose their weapons.

High-rank Hunters used this technique to fight for long periods without wasting mana, but now it had turned into a personal tactical battle of timing to catch each other off guard.

They applied force to their gripped weapons and their faces drew closer.

"You annoying bastard. Just die quietly."

"Where on earth is there a huntsman who'd die quietly? You should be the one to take it easy and die!"

Cheon Deok-soo exerted great strength and flicked the spear away. Wen Hao retreated, jabbing his spear repeatedly. It was a move to maintain distance. Cheon Deok-soo evaded and relentlessly pursued.

The narrow alley became a dueling ground for the two Hunters. The other Hunters, who had been fighting fiercely, could no longer engage and withdrew to catch their breath. The twin swords and spear drew chaotic afterimages as they swept the surroundings. All the obstacles that had been in the way were shredded into scattered wreckage. If those obstacles were people, they wouldn't have left even a drop of blood behind.

The sight sent a chill down the other Hunters' spine, who swallowed dryly and prayed. They prayed for their respective leaders to win. Because if not, they would be the next victims.

Kim Gilyoung regretted it. So did Park Cheol-i.

'We shouldn't have come here.'

At the same time, both felt relieved. It was a good thing they hadn't brought their friends. The battlefield was more vast than the children had imagined. The fight had mixed to the point where the front lines were meaningless.

The two children screamed and ran amidst the fierce melee.

"Aaaaah!"

"Eeeek!"

Every time Hunters clashed above the alley, sparks flew everywhere. Wherever the sparks landed, fires started. Where there existed rubber or plastic, acrid smoke rose and obscured the view. Whenever it seemed like the wind was blowing through the unseen black smoke, the two dove to the ground.

Although they did that out of fear, it saved their lives. A storm of mana brushed past their heads and blew away the house behind them.

"Uaaaackk!"

"This is all your fault. Ugh, please someone save us."

A few Hunters from the prison village saw the children but couldn't help. They had no leeway to turn around, or they'd lose their heads immediately. Some of them recognized him as the son of a patrol colleague, but they had no time to help. All they could do was hope that the children would run as far as possible while they distracted the enemy.

"L-let's go. We have to get out of here somehow."

Kim Gilyoung grabbed Park Cheol-i's collar and pulled him up. Park Cheol-i's legs had given out, haunted by the terrifying scene earlier. But he wasn't scared enough to just cry like an ordinary child. The words his patrolman father always emphasized as  his shout echoed in his ears.

'When you're evacuating, never stop moving. Keep going.'

Park Cheol-i moved instinctively. He forced his trembling legs to run. The karambit knife in his arms felt so heavy. He wanted to throw it away.

"We made it! We're out! Uncle Kang is probably at our house! We just need to pass three more intersections!"

As the explosions and flames died down, Kim Gilyoung, now safe, looked back at Park Cheol-i, who was following him.

"Huh...?"

Park Cheol-i had collapsed. His left arm was gone. The blood splattering in the air seemed unreal. The ground was soaked with dark red, and Park Cheol-i lay there groaning. It all felt like a dream.

And above them, a house without its pillars was collapsing.

"Cheol-iiiiiiii!"

"I can't stand it any longer. How many hours are they dawdling? Just a few outsiders joined them and we have to face this disgrace?"

Zhang Zhongxun finally learned from a late report why the attack team was delaying their advance. Someone had intervened and messed up the command structure. And he realized that this someone was likely Hyun Junggeon, who had taken another person's face.

Moreover, even the central attack team, mainly composed of the Falling Blossoms Guild, was slow. Despite the risks they took to actively use the parties, their momentum mysteriously broke at crucial points.

It felt like someone had set traps and was waiting.

'That someone must be Kang Mu-hyuk. Damn it. He's completely looking down on us.'

Zhang Zhongxun thought of the attack squad waiting in Dandong. The force there was powerful enough to change the situation in an instant if deployed.

'No, not yet. I can't be branded as incompetent.'

It was an elite attack force ready to enter Sinuiju, just across a single bridge from Dandong. If he had called them from the start, the result would have been different. Calling them now would not only harm his pride but also cast doubt on his competence.

Zhang Zhongxun decided to swallow his pride. He gave orders to all the Hunters of the Goryeo Alliance.

"Deploy all five of Sinuiju's top fighters. Tell them to strike the enemy's head. Tell the rest to break the encirclement and enter the village."

Kang Mu-hyuk continuously issued commands while looking at the map. The messenger was No Song-rin, who had a messaging skill. Fortunately, several high-ranking officers, including Yeon Jung-moon, Cheon Deok-soo, and Hwang Dongsu, had messaging skills.

The Demonic Realm was as rewarding as it was dangerous. Even though skill books were rarely found outside Gates, the long years of hunting had borne fruit. For Kang Mu-hyuk, it was a fortune among the countless misfortunes.

"Yeon Jung-moon's Team 3, head to the persimmon tree intersection. Hwang Dongsu's Teams 4 and 5, standby in Youngcheol's front yard."

Kang Mu-hyuk gave orders using familiar landmarks to the prison village Hunters. Assigning numbers to different zones was efficient, but it took time for the Hunters to memorize them.

With no other choice, Kang Mu-hyuk created a village map with the help of the villagers and memorized it all.

"Guild Leader, Youngcheol's place is completely gone."

"What about Byungsoon's place a block behind?"

"Wait a moment... Yes, it's still there."

"Tell them to wait there for an ambush on the way to Sinuiju Prison. Cheon Deok-soo's Teams 1 and 2 hold their ground and have Teams 3 and 4 flank them."

No Song-rin frowned while relaying Kang Mu-hyuk's orders.

"Cheon Deok-soo is going to have a hard time."

"Why?"

"He's up against a guy named Wen Hao."

Kang Mu-hyuk immediately recalled the name Wen Hao. He was mentioned in the documents No Song-rin had obtained from an informant.

'One of The Five Top Fighters of Sinuiju. A-Rank. Evenly matched with Cheon Deok-soo. They've sent in a sniper to target our high-ranking Hunters at this point? Despite our efforts to avoid it, we've been tailed.'

The Five Top Fighters of Sinuiju. It was laughable how they gave themselves such titles in the small town of Sinuiju, but here, it meant they were the top powerhouses. The problem didn't end there. Kang Mu-hyuk realized that the Five Top Fighters of Sinuiju were starting to make their move.

As if to confirm his intuition, messages continued to arrive for No Song-rin.

"Hwang Dongsu and Yeon Jung-moon have also encountered those so-called Five Top Fighters or whatever they are. And one of them is with the patrol unit. Uhm, they might all be wiped out there. What should we do? Should I go?"

"If you leave now, our communication network will collapse."

"You're pretty cold."

"We knew sacrifices were inevitable. But if we let emotions take over, we all die. This is the time to stay cool-headed."

Even as he spoke firmly, Kang Mu-hyuk bit his lip.

'My job is to protect. I can't get lost in sentimentality.'

He needed to come up with a plan immediately. He wanted to call in another Hunter with a messaging skill and send No Song-rin to help, but no ally Hunter seemed capable of leaving their place right now.

Kang Mu-hyuk checked his wristwatch. It was just past 2 PM.

'Two hours... We could say we've lasted this long. But even if I think about the guild's helicopter speed, we need to hold out for at least another hour for any help to arrive. Should I get the Guild Master out here?'

No matter how quickly the Slayer Guild could respond, Ju Se-ah could move faster alone. Although he was thinking about it, Kang Mu-hyuk decided against calling Ju Se-ah from her original position as a last resort. Using her now would be like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

'I still have a few cards left. But if I use them now, I won't have them when I need them most. Will I have to create a situation where I can use them as I intend?'

Kang Mu-hyuk reviewed his strategy.

Limited manpower, outdated equipment, and almost no potions. He separated what he had to give up and what he had to protect in order to fight with resources that were inferior to the enemy's.

The top priority among the things he had to protect was the people of the prison village. He had to defend Sinuiju Prison, where they were currently based. However, his last resort involved putting that priority in danger.

'If I skip the pre-planned response stages, there's no turning back.'

Just then--

Creak, the door opened.

"Uncle Kang!"

A young voice echoed through the house.

"Gilyoung? How did you get here...."

Kang Mu-hyuk's mind was racing.

Kim Gilyoung, covered in scratches and blood, was standing there. Kang Mu-hyuk quickly assessed his condition.

"It's not your blood, right? Don't tell me the patrol base was attacked?"

"No. It's fine over there. But Cheol-i...."

"Cheol-i? Park Cheol-i?"

When No Song-rin asked, Kim Gilyoung nodded.

"We came out to bring Mr. No Song-rin his knife... It's my fault. I suggested it...."

"Hey, kid. So, did Park Cheol-i die?"

No Song-rin's expression turned cold. Kim Gilyoung flinched at his demeanor but gritted his teeth and answered.

"He was still breathing when I left. But he lost a lot of blood... Ugh, his arm is gone... sniff... He's trapped under a collapsed house. I tried to get him out... hic... He was crying out in pain... Please save him, uncle."

No Song-rin couldn't answer. He didn't even look at Kang Mu-hyuk.

'I can't let one kid ruin the fight. Hunters are dying, so what's one kid?'

Damn it!

"Guild Leader, may I step out for a bit?"

"We'd be in a hard spot if you leave now."

"I know we'd be in a hard spot. But I have to go. Unless you order me to stay."

"Then let's say it's an order."

No Song-rin clenched his teeth. He couldn't understand why he couldn't ignore a kid. When did he start thinking about children? It was out of character for him as a Hunter. He was almost grateful that Kang Mu-hyuk refused. He was confused, and Kang Mu-hyuk spoke up.

"Save the boy named Cheol-i."

"What?"

"I have to make a decision too. This dilemma came at the right time. It cleared my head. We're moving to the final phase now."

Kang Mu-hyuk picked up the satellite phone.

Brrrring! Brrrring!

Hyun Junggeon pulled out his smartphone, which was vibrating violently in his pocket. The sticky blood on his hands bothered him, so he wiped them on a piece of clothing lying on the ground.

The clothing belonged to a person. A dead Hunter who was bleeding out and couldn't even close his eyes. Hyun Junggeon frowned at the extra blood on his hands, wiped them on his pants, and answered the phone.

"Yes, Guild Leader. No, about halfway? Haven't finished them all. Why? It's not the scheduled time yet."

"We're moving to the final operation."

"Already? Isn't that the last resort?"

"The enemy has brought in their elites. They'll soon tighten the encirclement and barge in."

"So they're trying to pin down our high-rank Hunters and overwhelm us with numbers. The Chinese tactics are always the same."

"Yes. It's easy to read but hard to counter. It's the most fatal method for us right now."

"So you want to use it now? You might regret it later."

"If there is a later."

"True."

Hyun Junggeon shook the black-bladed dagger in his hand, flicking off the blood. Although he left most of his equipment with the Titan Guild, he kept this as his last resort.

Five dead Hunters lay around him. After confirming they were all dead, Hyun Junggeon said, "Then I should proceed with the final mission now?"

"If you can. If it's too difficult, retreat. That mission was a plus option anyway."

"Of course I'll take care of myself. It's not my first day in this business. See you later."

Hyun Junggeon turned off his smartphone. From now on, he couldn't afford to take things leisurely.

"Okay, now. Let's cut off Zhang Zhongxun's head, shall we?"

"Hello. Uaah, Guild Leader Kang! Why are you just calling now? I was bored. You're safe, right? When are we going home?"

"Hunter Go Eul-ji. In ten minutes. Execute the final operation."

"Final? Wow, my first gang fight. Oh, this is giving me butterflies."