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

A total of twenty people. Four parties.

The Yellow Dragon Guild’s half-raid team and guerrilla unit, known as ‘Flash Strikers,’ swiftly moved through the forest. The leader of the attack team, running at the front, looked back and shouted orders as they ran.

“We’ll circle around the forest and block the entrance to the Harbin Gate. Party 4, prepare the switch while the rest of us guard the Gate until it’s open!”

Following his orders, the Hunters entered Harbin City and immediately engaged the Russian Hunters who were guarding the Gate.

“Damn it, it’s those Flash Strikers again!”

“Requesting backup… Khak!”

The Russian forces had no time to respond to the swift assault by the Flash Strikers guerrilla unit. With the Yellow Dragon, Sundown, and the newly arrived Daemyung, and Anti-God Guild’s forces now on the battlefield, most of the troops were on the western defense line. Although the Russian Hunters stationed at the Gate were formidable, the Flash Strikers team had the upper hand. 

Utilizing their advantage, they executed a flawless ambush. The Russian Hunters, caught off guard, were quickly pushed back, with no escape route when they finally found their allies behind them. They had no choice but to fight to the last.

“If I’m going down, I’ll take at least one of them with me!”

“Don’t be reckless! Just hold out! Reinforcements are on the way!”

The Russian Hunters fought desperately, but their resistance didn’t last long. Support only arrived after the last Russian Hunter was struck down. Reinforcements approached from the front.

“Damn it, what’s going on at the front lines? If they told us to strike from behind, they should’ve held them in place.”

“Captain! These guys are the Fire Bear Raiders!”

One of the Flash Strikers Hunters recognized the enemy. The Fire Bear Raiders were a notorious team from St. Petersburg’s Bloody Sunday guild, known for their expertise in hunting down other Hunters. 

They were frequent adversaries in the Demonic Realm and were familiar to Flash Strikers, who had grown confident that they were the boss here. The Flash Strikers raid leader spotted a familiar face, drew his sword, and shouted.

“Lysenko! Crawled all the way here just for a losing fight, huh?”

“Well, if it isn’t Wujing! Nice to see you. Let’s talk—after I knock you down.”

With Lysenko and Wujing leading the way, Hunters from both sides threw themselves into battle. 

This was a hunt for humans, not monsters. Mana-charged swords clashed, and chaotic spells filled the air. Axes swung down on heads as though splitting logs. Bones broke through skin, and blood sprayed like a fountain.

Some Hunters tried to pour potions on their wounds to stop the bleeding, but it was too late. One Hunter died leaning against a wall, the life gone from his eyes. Others weren’t as fortunate—a Hunter’s body was burned to ashes by magic and scattered in the wind, while another was reduced to an unrecognizable pulp of blood and flesh.

The fight lasted only about ten minutes, yet both sides lost nearly half of their strength in the fierce clash. Now, the two raid leaders were calculating the best moment to retreat.

‘No matter how much we fight, this won’t end until everyone’s dead.’

‘We’ve managed to halt the Flash Strikers, so we can count this as a strategic victory. Better not get greedy.’

Both leaders began preparing to withdraw, cautiously keeping an eye on each other.

A group of people entered the battlefield, moving through the ruins. The collapsed buildings were the only indication that this had once been a city.

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“Watch out! It’s a tomahawk!”

The Hunter who shouted the warning didn’t survive long; his head was severed in an instant. It was a bipedal bear, gnawing on the Hunter’s neck. 

This bear carried an axe similar to the ones used by Native Americans, which was why Hunters called it a ‘tomahawk’ rather than by its official name, ‘Warrior Bear.’

“Wujing, let’s call it quits here. Better to avoid ending up in that bear’s stomach.”

“Hah! Thanks to that monster, you get to keep your life. Take good care of yourself. I’ll deal with you someday.”

Wujing and Lysenko stood far apart, exchanging words, while the Hunters on both sides—who had just been trying to kill each other moments before—now shifted their focus to the new intruders, their swords drawn.

“Form up in Party Formation 3! Tanks, set up a shield wall!”

“Northern advance! Tighten the formation! Bring the wounded inside the line!”

About twenty Warrior Bears watched the Hunters as they got into battle stance, then began gathering the corpses scattered across the ground.

“Those sneaky bear cubs. They don’t attack when they’re at a disadvantage—they just snatch up the dead and run.”

Someone ground their teeth in frustration, but inside, everyone was relieved. The Warrior Bears were formidable opponents, skilled enough in combat to make one wonder if they were truly monsters. Moreover, these bears were cunning; if they sensed their opponent was strong, they would just grab food or a weapon and retreat.

As the Warrior Bears carried off corpses like prized treasures, the remaining Hunters stared at each other awkwardly. When the standoff lingered, Wujing was the first to make a decision.

“We’re backing off. Slowly.”

The Flash Strikers had lost half its strength and could no longer be considered an attacking force. As a guerrilla unit, they had no nearby supply base and no reinforcements.

In contrast, the Fire Bear Raiders could summon reinforcements at any time. Additionally, some of their equipment was damaged or lost during the battle, meaning their mission had already failed. There was no reason to continue fighting.

Seeing the Flash Strikers withdraw, the Fire Bear Raiders sat down to rest. Lysenko, hiding his exhaustion, contacted the Harbin Operations Department to report the situation and requested a team to guard the Gate entrance. He then began scouting the surrounding area.

After a while, reinforcements arrived from their main base. But as the Fire Bear Raiders prepared to secure the area, another force emerged—from the Chinese side. A new team appeared in the path where the Flash Strikers had retreated.

“Well, I guess this is it for me.” 

Lysenko had missed his chance to retreat and was dragged into yet another battle.

***

White Phantom of the Anti-God Guild stood across from Sinuiju. He looked down at the Yalu River, which reflected the lights of the city. The old Yalu River Bridge, partially destroyed during the Korean War, swayed in the waves.

White Phantom took in the scenery of Sinuiju with a hint of regret in his eyes.

“Has it really been 10 years?”

10 Years. It took ten years to cross this river.

“It was faster than I expected. At first, I had planned to cross the river again after 20 years, but luckily, I managed to cut that time in half. I guess I’ll be able to go back in a few days.”

But why did those few days feel like they passed so slowly? It was as if time itself had stopped.

White Phantom felt both anxious and excited.

“What should we do when we get back? Should we deal with our enemies first? No, they’re still useful, so let’s wait. Should we confront the Korean government? No, that wouldn’t be worth it. Then what would be the best move, Daecheol?”

The one listening to White Phantom’s words was Do Daecheol, the leader of the Hunters who followed him in the Anti-God Guild.

“Finding your place comes first, no matter what you plan to do.”

“Such a dull response. When someone is full of anticipation and nostalgia, you’re supposed to match their mood or at least flatter them.”

“If you want to fool around, find someone else. I’m good at catching monsters and Hunters, but not flattery. Of course, if you order me to do it, I’ll pretend to try.”

White Phantom let out a laugh. It could have come across as unpleasant, but Do Daecheol’s expression remained unchanged.

“I take back what I said. How could I call such a funny guy boring? Anyway, Daecheol, you have a strange talent for being funnier when you’re serious.”

“That doesn’t sound like a useful skill.”

“No, it’s a skill. At least it makes the stiff look on your face less awkward.”

Only then did Do Daecheol realize that White Phantom was teasing him. But, he didn’t complain. He continued speaking with an indifferent expression.

“Please stop here and don’t cross the river.”

“It’s still early.”

“It doesn’t matter if you go later or now.”

“No. It’d be easier to cross once the monster from the Gate has moved.”

“Is this because of those idiots in Sinuiju?”

“I know you look down on the Korean Tier Guilds because you’ve been through rougher battles in the Gobi Desert, but the ones in Sinuiju are Hunters from the Expeditionary Force—the best of the best. I’ll feel more at ease if I deal with them first before going in.”

Do Daecheol nodded.

“Alright, I’ll move the plan forward.”

“I’ve already sent someone into the Demonic Realm. It won’t be long before we see results.”

White Phantom turned his head to the northeast, thinking of the Gate boss that must be lurking somewhere in the Demonic Realm.

“How many lives will be lost before it can be stopped?”

***

Guan Hong gritted his teeth as he made several phone calls to verify what Kang Mu-hyuk had said. It was only when the promised hour was almost up that he was able to confirm the truth.

“Really? The General Information Bureau has already obtained intel? Where did it come from? The market? Japan, Korea, Russia—everywhere? Okay, I understand. Please hold off on informing the party for now. Before we make an announcement, we need to find a solution for the Shenyang Gate. Yes, Director, I’ll visit you soon. Alright.”

Trembling, he put down the phone and gripped the armrest of his chair so hard that the plastic split. The metal inside was bent.

“If the party found out, they’d make it public to the people.”

Guan Hong could see through Kang Mu-hyuk’s strategy.

It was a straightforward move: while the Communist Party’s leadership was in disarray over the Shenyang Gate, they would leak the information to the public through the media. China, which had lost the three northeastern provinces long ago during the ‘Demonic Gate Turmoil,' was likely to fall into panic once again.

It was clear that the people of Hebei Province and Inner Mongolia, areas adjacent to the capital, would all evacuate, leaving northern China completely paralyzed. In situations like this, having a large population became a liability. When hundreds of millions moved at once, there was no way to control them.

'In the end, the party will put pressure on us. That’s the easiest move for them. So, we have no choice but to resolve the situation in Shenyang City first.'

From the perspective of the guild’s interests, it made sense to attack Jilin City. If the existence of the Gate opener was discovered, they would face criticism and sanctions from the international community.

Guild activities would be severely restricted.

'It’s checkmate. I can’t avoid going to Shenyang either.'

‘If I had known this was coming, I would have destroyed the evidence at the Jilin City Gate first. I never imagined they’d target a Gate that had already been opened.’

Guan Hong took a deep breath to clear his complicated thoughts. After a few deep breaths, his mind grew calm.

“Alright, I’ve made up my mind.”

Guan Hong’s eyes grew cold and determined.

***

Kang Mu-hyuk went to meet with Sung Seonjae to ask for another favor.

“I’m planning to move the Unified Strike Force.”

“But from what I know, we’re not prepared to attack the boss yet.”

“I’m not planning to attack the boss.”

“Then, what are you planning to do?”

“I need you to move to Jilin City.”

“Jilin City? Isn’t Kamensky there now?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Sending the Unified Strike Force there… Guild Leader Kang, do you think the Yellow Dragon Guild is targeting Jilin City?”

Kang Mu-hyuk paused, considering his answer. He ran through a few more scenarios and made a prediction.

'Human decisions aren’t always based on reason alone. I don’t know exactly what kind of person Guan Hong is, but one thing is certain: he’s smart.'

One could see it in his plan to destabilize Russia and Korea through the Demonic Realm Gate.

'He’s smart and ambitious. The Yellow Dragon Guild isn’t a place that tolerates failure. He might take a risk.'

Having finished his calculations, Kang Mu-hyuk spoke again.

“I’m not suggesting we go there to fight. Just to keep a close watch, in case something happens.”

“Keep watch? You’re not suggesting we take on an S-rank threat, are you? Or are you saying there might be an expeditionary force joining us?”

“Possibly.”

For the first time since becoming Titan’s Strategy Team Leader, Kang Mu-hyuk wasn’t certain in his own words.