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

"Wow, you really know how to make our team leader angry, huh? So what? You think you can get rid of me?"

Thanks to Ma Taesik's provocation, Kang Mu-hyuk became rather calm.

Get rid of him?

It was an appealing choice, but... there was not enough justification for it.

Of course, rebelling against a superior could be a reason to get someone transferred to another department. Kang Mu-hyuk was not just an ordinary team leader; he held a certain amount of power within the guild, and no one would say anything if he sent a team member away.

It would be the same even if Ma Taesik was the younger brother of the Vice Guild Master. It was already shameless enough to have inserted his brother into the guild, but if he interfered in personnel affairs as well, the Vice Guild Master would become a joke. It would diminish his authority if he was seen as someone who couldn't distinguish between personal and professional matters.

'I can't just kick him out either. If I actually do it, I'll only end up being ridiculed. They'll say I can't even manage my own team members.'

As the Strategy and Tactics team leader, Kang Mu-hyuk held a powerful position with many responsibilities to uphold. In times like these, when superiors had to save face, they were often criticized as old-fashioned. But in order to fight against Hunters, one had to create and maintain a semblance of dignity.

No one in the guild could ignore Kang Mu-hyuk now. As a non-Hunter who had reached this position, he had encountered all sorts of hunters.

Some had cursed him from the very beginning. Some had even tried to throw a punch at him. Compared to those, Ma Taesik's antics were nothing more than the petulance of someone who had fallen from grace.

'Damn, it's been so long since I've had to deal with something like this that I got uncharacteristically riled up.'

Kang Mu-hyuk took a short, deep breath and said, "Everyone knows you're the Vice Guild Master's brother. But before that, you're my team member. If you can fulfill your basic duties as a team member, I won't say much, but if you cross the line, I have no choice but to act as a team leader."

"What action are you talking about? Telling my brother? Begging the Guild Master? Or are you going to call in some Hunters you know to teach me a lesson? Let's see."

"First, I'll bring Hunter Lee Jin-joo into our team."

Startled.

An immediate reaction followed.

"Is that even possible? She's an Expedition Hunter... Abandoning a better position to join the Strategy and Tactics division...?"

Although Ma Taesik's tone had been certain that it wouldn't happen, color drained from his face.

'Judging by his stuttering, it seems Lee Jin-joo really gave him a beating. Well, she did break all his limbs. Tsk, tsk!'

It was a slightly underhanded tactic, but bringing in Lee Jin-joo was no lie.

Lee Jin-joo had always had her eye on the Strategy and Tactics team position. As a Hunter, she had both exceptional skills and great ambitions.

To become a future Expedition leader?

Female Expedition leaders were few and far between in the history of Hunters. Naturally, it was a long and difficult path to tread. To claim that position, it wasn't just enough to be good at fighting alone. From planning strategies to managing supplies, one must possess a comprehensive understanding of both organizational operations and monster hunting.

In that sense, the Strategy and Tactics Team was a necessary step for becoming an Expedition leader.

Of course, the current Expedition leader managed to keep Lee Jin-Joo from leaving, but eventually, he would have to let her go, as her will was incredibly strong.

And Kang Mu-hyuk had the power to accelerate that moment. Previously, he had to watch the Expedition leader's moves carefully, but now it was possible without a significant clash.

'Thanks to Ma Taesik's screw-up, the Expedition leader has no face to stop Lee Jin-Joo. In the end, he'll tie his own feet because of his mistakes.'

Whether the threat worked or not, Ma Taesik couldn't continue his words.

A guild was simultaneously a company and a violent group.

Such a threat was possible only because a Hunter's world was a domain that made sure that they couldn't break away from a guild.

Kang Mu-hyuk decided he couldn't find any more value in dealing with the situation and ended this fruitless quarrel.

"Let's not act like children. Just accept your week's punishment."

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Leaving Ma Taesik, who gritted his teeth as a declaration of defeat, Kang Mu-hyuk returned to his seat. The team members who had been anxiously watching the confrontation finally breathed a sigh of relief and dispersed.

Although Ma Taesik grumbled and exited the office, Kang Mu-hyuk did not stop him. It would only spoil the atmosphere if he remained in his seat. He had no intention of learning, so teaching him would be a waste of energy.

So, as usual, they began their work, and after a while...

"Team Leader, aren't you going to eat?"

It was only after Oh Chang-su's careful questioning that Kang Mu-hyuk checked the time. It was already past noon. He had been so focused on shaking off the unpleasant morning event that he had lost track of time.

"Everyone, don't worry about me. Go ahead. I'll handle it myself."

Having lost his appetite, Kang Mu-hyuk declined lunch. Oh Chang-su didn't insist, accepting it quickly. Anyway, he couldn't hide his true feelings. He didn't really want to eat with his boss and he had just asked out of politeness.

Waaah!

"!!"

Just when they were leaving to enjoy lunch...

Suddenly, an alarm sounded.

As the brief alarm continued, the team members who had been grabbing their coats froze.

"Please let us have lunch in peace."

Oh Chang-su muttered under his breath towards the speaker and looked upset. The other team members also screamed in silence, clutching their heads.

It was at that moment, Kang Mu-hyuk yelled, "What are you doing? Move quickly when the bell rings!"

As soon as his shout ended, the phones all around the office started ringing. The employees were too busy to answer the phone and instead followed the emergency manual, contacting each other according to their assigned roles.

Kang Mu-hyuk saved the document he was working on, provided a few instructions to his team members, and immediately picked up the phone. The situation room line was on his extension.

"This is the Strategy and Tactics Leader. Where is it?"

-A gate appeared at Sogang University.

"What's the status of the standby team?"

-They just left by helicopter.

"Get the follow-up team ready, and prepare the regular force's equipment. The others should be making calls right now."

-Do you mean the whole force?

"Sogang University is right nearby. Do you want to see another guild take over while we hesitate?"

-Yes, understood. Will the assault gear be enough?

"Start with the basics, and prepare another helicopter. I'll personally head to the scene."

Hanging up the phone, he grabbed his coat as a bulky man followed closely behind.

"The analysis team's vehicle has left."

"Who is the team leader today?"

"It's Manager Lee Chungho."

"That guy is a bit slow. Tsk! Unacceptable. Manager Kim, come with me."

"Me?"

"You used to be in the analysis team. If Manager Lee falters, we'll switch him out immediately."

"Ah, I'll just end up being resented..."

Although Kim Mangi frowned, he didn't voice any complaints. There existed a reason that made him trust this decision. Even if he belonged to a different department, when on field, one had to obey the orders of the Strategy and Tactics Leader. Apart from the core organization of the Expedition, the orders from the Strategy and Tactics Leader were prioritized.

Kang Mu-hyuk took the emergency elevator to the rooftop.

The propeller motor hummed, and as he climbed onto the helipad, wind pushed against him. Bending at the waist, he barely boarded before the helicopter took off.

He put on the headset and looked down below.

The sight of him ascending above the 31-story building was breathtaking. The National Assembly building briefly passed beneath his feet. Looking around, helicopters could be seen taking off from buildings similar in size to the Titan Guild building.

"Everyone's eager."

"We have to be diligent to secure the key."

"Arriving early doesn't guarantee success. We might just end up doing someone else's bidding."

"That's why you're going, isn't it, Team Leader? You're a genius at assessing the situation and finding the right moment to act."

"Remind the reserve team. Tell them not to clumsily mess with the gatekeeper. If they barge in like last time, they'll be on standby for a month."

The helicopter headed for Bamseom Islets. It was a route helicopters normally couldn't take, but during gate creation, exceptions were made.

Thanks to this, guilds from Yeouido Island all flew towards Bamseom Islets. The situation could lead to a dangerous race, and there had been instances of collision in the past.

After the collision, guilds silently agreed to yield the lead to the first helicopter to reach the Han River boundary line. Still, there were always some reckless individuals risking their lives in front of the gate.

"Hey, Team Leader Kang! This time, you're leaving later than us, huh?"

A sly voice sounded through the shared channel for Yeouido Island guilds. Kang Mu-hyuk's forehead creased.

Looking to the side, another helicopter was flying extremely close. A handsome man with slicked-back hair waved from the window.

"Please keep your distance, Team Leader Cho Ikjoon. We don't want any accidents."

"You're the one who should back off. Our reserve team arrived at the location first, so yield this time, will you?"

"We won't know until we've secured the gatekeeper. Let's talk after we have the key in our possession."

"Whether it's a 1st tier or not, A-rank is still A-rank. Won't either our Taegeuk Guild or yours secure it?"

"Don't let your guard down, or a B-rank guild might snatch it."

"What kind of bad joke is that?"

"Whether it's a joke or a prophecy, we'll see after we win the gate-clearing rights."

[We will arrive soon.]

At the pilot's words, Kang Mu-hyuk cut off the shared channel. Cho Ikjoon continued to babble, but he didn't pay any attention.

The Sogang University campus was bustling with police cars and crowds of people seeking refuge.

Following the guidance of the controlling police force, they landed at a temporary landing site set up in the sports field. As there were still many helicopters left to land, the Titan-affiliated helicopter dropped off Kang Mu-hyuk and immediately returned to the guild.

As soon as Kang Mu-hyuk got off, a man in a white jacket approached him. On his chest was the guild emblem depicting Titan, the satellite of Saturn.

It was Park Min-soo, the party leader of the emergency standby group this week.

"Party Leader, how about the gatekeeper?"

Kang Mu-hyuk asked cautiously. Although his rank was higher as the head of the Strategy and Tactics, party leaders held an independent position due to the unique nature of being a Hunter. It was like the relationship between officers and non-commissioned officers in the military. It was courteous to use honorifics when addressing each other.

"No, should I prioritize the monster over me? Disappointing. We haven't caught it yet. Catch your breath and then speak."

"Where's the time to catch our breath when our performance for this year is on the line? We need to achieve our sales target early and take it easy at the end of the year."

"Don't worry. There's not even a single guild that has registered for the strategy ranking yet."

At Park Min-soo's words, Kang Mu-hyuk paused.

"None at all?"

"Yes. The list is completely empty."

Park Min-soo, who was speaking, had a headache as well. The fact that none of the standby parties from each guild, who had rushed like they were racing due to the Gate creation, had registered for the strategy ranking meant that the Gate's gatekeeper was that strong. Or it was an unregistered monster.

The most dangerous thing during a Gate conquest was not the presence of strong monsters. Rather, unknown, mysterious beings were even more dangerous.

In that respect, the fact that even veteran Hunter Park Min-soo, who had experienced all sorts of hardships, didn't put his name on the strategy ranking--

"Is it an Unknown?"

"Yes. It's one we've never seen before. It's not even in the database."

The place Park Min-soo searched was the 'Monster Encyclopedia' operated by the World Guild Federation.

It was a place where the entire world shared information to prepare for the threat of monsters. If a monster wasn't there, it was undoubtedly the first of its kind.

"Seriously, it's been over 30 years since the Gates opened. And we still have Unknowns coming out?" Kim Mangi grumbled.

"That's the weakness of the Gate. It's not called a 'Gate' for nothing."

Kang Mu-hyuk emphasized the first letter in response. He observed the atmosphere of the surrounding guilds, reading the shape of their mouths as they spoke.

Lip reading, commonly known as "lip reading technique," was what he used.

Kang Mu-hyuk's keen eye was exceptional, even acknowledged by other Hunters.

'It's helpful at times like this, learning from my mother.'

Lip reading was a skill he had learned to understand the difficulties of his hearing-impaired mother. Although he didn't usually need it, it was ironically useful for spying on other guilds at the scene.

[This won't work with just the standby party. We have to call in a regular raid team.]

[We can't handle this ourselves. Try to mediate a coalition with an allied guild. Wait until the analysis team reports back.]

[It isn't in the database? It may look weak, but we shouldn't attempt to strategize carelessly and get hurt. Let's check the atmosphere.]

The reactions of the other guilds were all similar.

Calm, cautious, and rational.

'After all, if the Strategy and Tactics Team went in recklessly, only the hunters will die,' Kang Mu-hyuk thought.

However, the world wasn't a place that solely operated on reason.

Sometimes, greed could consume people.

"Someone registered for the strategy ranking!"

At that shout, a harsh word sprang from Kang Mu-hyuk's mouth.

"Which idiot did that?"

A guild stepping forward to tackle an Unknown, possibly involving significant sacrifices, without even gathering any information.

It was the kind of people Kang Mu-hyuk despised the most.

"Why? Isn't it good if there's a guild entering first? We can gather information and plan our strategy."

At Kim Mangi's retort, both Kang Mu-hyuk and Park Min-soo glared at him simultaneously. Under their sharp gazes, Kim Mangi shrank his shoulders. Seeing his expression of not understanding their anger, Kang Mu-hyuk opened his mouth.

"Manager Kim, listen carefully if you want to continue working with me. Never take pleasure in any situation where people die. The moment our job prioritizes money, people die. A lot of them. If you tolerate that, you won't last long in this field. Ultimately, you'll ruin yourself."