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

"Damn it... I should have known better than to be so greedy!"

"Shit, who knew it would turn out like this?"

The 'Twins.' Once renowned as a B+ rank guild operated by twin Hunters.

The Co-guild Masters of The Twins, the Oh brothers, Oh Chul-jin and Oh Chul-su, deeply regretted not breaking the Gate core sooner.

Their party members were all wiped out.

The foundation of their guild had been uprooted, and now they had to worry about their own survival.

The Gate trembled ominously, as if refusing to grant them even that. The world within the Gate was shrinking. The startled monsters were pushed towards the exit.

As soon as the Gate opened, there would be chaos outside.

"If only we had broken the core earlier...."

"Who knew the Guardian of the core would be such a monster?"

"We knew, we just underestimated it."

Who could have guessed that they wouldn't be able to defeat the Guardian after successfully hunting down the Gate boss?

The monster hadn't been registered for long, but the record clearly stated it was quickly defeated.

They had made a crucial mistake by trusting the system information without thorough preparation.

If they had looked more into it, they would have taken precautions similar to a boss raid.

"Regardless, we need to get out alive."

"What's the point of surviving? Don't you know that even a tier 1 guild can't stand if we don't close the Gate? We're doomed. Absolutely doomed."

"Shut up. You're embarrassing yourself. Who would see you as a Guild Master..."

Crash!

"... Huh? Damn, we're screwed."

The area in front of the brothers was engulfed in flames in an instant.

Looking back, they saw the damn monster that wiped out their party members.

Even though they had to make a run for their lives, they were caught up in the end.

There was nowhere to escape.

The brothers, already exhausted, braced themselves for the battle.

If they hadn't been careless while rushing into the hunt, they wouldn't have been so one-sidedly beaten. They saw its small size and attacked, only to pay in blood.

They didn't know the Hunter who had defeated the monster, but they had newfound respect for them, considering what a monster it must have been.

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"It seems we might not make it out alive after all?"

"Since it's come to this, let's not die embarrassingly. If that thing gets out, it'll wipe out all the remaining kids and our staff. We might not be able to prevent the outbreak, but let's at least take it down."

The two brothers charged determinedly toward the Guardian.

Fortunately, the four Hunters nearby followed Kang Mu-hyuk's instructions.

"In times of crisis, follow the person who moves first."

They acted according to the unwritten rule of the Hunter industry.

Of course, having the backing of the Titan Guild was also effective. They knew that fighting separately would be of no use.

In an emergency, usually, the most experienced Hunter or a Hunter from a guild of a certain size, especially a party leader or a tank, took command.

If that wasn't possible, they organized themselves in the order of those who had led famous raid parties or freelance party leaders.

Though it was not legally defined, it was an implicit rule learned from the long-term experience of the Hunters.

Such choices reduced the possibility of disputes over command in critical situations. It prioritized experience, thus lowering the chance of poor decision-making.

Because Kang Mu-hyuk was a former Strategy and Tactics Team Leader from an A-class guild, he was at the top of the pecking order. That was, of course, except for the fact that he was not a Hunter.

As the Hunters gathered, Kang Mu-hyuk disembarked from the truck.

They all wore strained expressions.

It wasn't that they disbelieved Kang Mu-hyuk's affiliation with Titan, rather, their faces reflected their knowledge too well.

The title 'Strategy and Tactics Team Leader from a non-Hunter background' was unique in the industry, and due to a recent press conference, his face was easily recognized.

Even freelance Hunters were supposed to recognize a Strategy and Tactics Team Leader from an A-class guild.

Without connections based on school, family, or blood, freelance Hunters were reliant on their network. Information about industry celebrities was essential to them as they were thirsty for opportunities to build connections.

'It's convenient that I don't have to prove my identity. But it's clear that not being a Hunter is a significant barrier. Their expressions remind me of the old days of Titan Guild members.'

What they thought internally was predictable.

How could someone who wasn't even a Hunter...

One of the cautious Hunters finally dared to voice his concern.

"We've gathered haphazardly... I apologize, but is it appropriate for someone who isn't a Hunter to issue orders? The field is a world apart from the desk."

Such distrustful gazes had been absent for some time.

Skeptical, or outright distrustful.

It was only natural for them to be skeptical of orders from a non-Hunter, as they were the ones who had to stake their lives on the line.

However, Kang Mu-hyuk did not react to the dismissal in their eyes and recognized the representative Hunter.

"Go Yoo-han from the Poonglim Guild, right? Naturally, field orders should be managed by Hunter Go."

"Huh? You know me?"

Of course. He was intimately familiar with the promising draft and the records of the key Hunters from medium to large guilds.

"Indeed. You were the ninth pick in the second round of the draft two years ago. I've been keeping an eye on your potential. It was unfortunate that A-class guilds had limited participation so we never got the chance to connect. I regret not having the opportunity to see your growth."

It wasn't a lie. Nor was it entirely truthful.

He had reviewed Go, but despite his solidity as a tank, he lacked agility, making him a less suitable candidate for the multi-tank role that Kang Mu-hyuk desired.

If he had genuinely wanted to recruit him, he would have made contact before the draft.

Upon receiving the unrequested praise from Kang Mu-hyuk, Go Yoo-han's face flushed with embarrassment.

Disregarding his previous stern tone, he chuckled awkwardly.

"Well, I wouldn't say that...haha..."

He was a second-year Hunter, fresh out of formal training. A young man in his early twenties, exempted from military service due to being a Hunter, with no experience in social interaction.

His ability as a Hunter was secondary to his vulnerability in business relationships.

Even praise from a non-Hunter who was the Strategy and Tactics Team Leader of an A-class guild made a prideful Hunter dance to his tune.

In contrast to Go Yoo-han, the rest were freelance Hunters.

They were essentially day laborers. A kinder term would be contract workers.

The freelance Hunters were taken aback, glaring at Go Yoo-han, a Hunter from a mid-ranking guild, as he melted at those simple words.

While there was no difference in status between Hunters, there was a difference in rank.

A good guild, a high rank, it was as good as an identity card.

Go Yoo-han was a Hunter amongst them who had a clear identity.

And when a Hunter who could represent the group was flustered and let down his guard at a few words, the rest of the Hunters naturally lost their speaking rights as well.

As the Hunters hesitated about how to intervene, Kang Mu-hyuk beat them to the punch.

"My name is Kang Mu-hyuk. We're in a hurry, so I'll confirm your profiles starting from the left."

He pushed them, as if he would not accept any objections. The Hunters, checking their watches, stopped arguing and began to speak.

"I'm Seo Suji. 3 years in, C- Rank. Position dealer, I use a bow."

"I'm Lee Chuljin. 4 years in, C+ Rank. Position sub-tanker, specialized in strength with a shield and a one-handed axe. My hunting style is pull and delivery. I assure you my aggro transfer is reliable, I'm confident in supporting the main tank."

"Go Yoo-han, 2 years in, B- Rank. Position is main tank, my body is rock solid."

"I'm Yu Taejin. 8 years in, B- Rank. Dealer. Agility specialized. Dual daggers. Don't worry, even though they're short, they stab well. I can also scout, remember that."

Kang Mu-hyuk recorded the Hunters' profiles in his mind and arranged the formation.

It was a hastily assembled party with a decent composition, considering there were two in the B-rank range, but the limit was clear as there were only four of them.

"We won't push ourselves. At all times, prioritize your safety. From now on, our party's role is limited to citizen rescue and containment. We will hold the frontline monsters from entering the city, buying time until support arrives, but without pushing ourselves."

"Ugh, a tough job with no pay."

"For the freelancers, don't worry about national contribution scoring, I will vouch for you. Please focus on the orders."

Kang Mu-hyuk kicked the handle of a case lying on the ground, silencing the worries of Hunter Seo Suji.

The case opened, revealing an assortment of various objects.

"What's this?"

Instead of answering, Kang Mu-hyuk demonstrated.

He fitted an old-fashioned radio-like device onto a wide square panel, then attached an antenna on top of it.

He shouldered the assembled item like a cross bag. It tilted to one side due to its weight, but it wasn't burdensome to move with.

"Hunter Go Yoo-han will take charge of the field orders, but I will control the overall directions. This device is Titan Guild's equipment that allows field communication during an Outbreak."

"Oh! There's such a thing?"

"Truly, an A-rank is different."

The Hunters each let out an exclamation of admiration.

And they had a reason to, for during an Outbreak, communication devices in the vicinity would become inoperative.

One of the tricky aspects of an Outbreak was not only not knowing which monster would come out of the Gate, but also the paralysis of communication made it difficult for parties to communicate with each other in complex or wide terrains.

This situation didn't matter to Hunters equipped with telepathy skills, but it posed a significant burden for ordinary Hunters.

'Thanks to my absent-mindedness, the fact that I didn't return this to the storage turned out to be a divine intervention.'

Kang Mu-hyuk had always carried around a device from C Warehouse. He had prepared it at all times, believing there would be a significant day to use it.

He hadn't expected that the demonstration would be during an Outbreak.

As he pulled out his smartphone, Kang Mu-hyuk said, "Take out your smartphone. You should all have the guild app installed. There are freelancers here, so please log in as individual users. I've just opened a party chatroom. The password is 0321. Switch to voice chat. The channel 'titan1' will appear."

Kang Mu-hyuk inserted wireless earphones into his ears. The other Hunters followed suit. Some of them didn't have earphones.

"You can use the speakerphone. Can you all hear me?"

"Hmm, to think that a regular smartphone can connect in the Gate environment. This is a tempting device."

The most experienced Hunter, Yu Taejin, was the first to recognize the utility of the communication device.

The freelancer Hunters nodded in agreement. However, Go Yoo-han, who had telepathy skills, did not look particularly pleased.

'This is a nuisance. I have a skill, so why this cumbersome device? It's disgraceful for a Hunter.'

Although Kang Mu-hyuk perceived Go Yoo-han's thoughts, he did not try to convince him. He would understand once he tried it himself. Unlike the telepathy skill, which only allowed one-to-one transmission, the device had a significant advantage in that the entire party could simultaneously share their situation. If the Hunter set aside his pride, he would be able to realize its value.

"This is still a prototype, so the communication range is only 300 meters. Do not stray beyond that, and if communication is lost, retreat to within the effective range."

No sooner had Kang Mu-hyuk given his instructions, alarms began to ring from his wristwatch. Shortly after, the rest of the Hunters' wrists also became noisy.

"Current time, 1:29 PM. Let's begin with the mission."