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

"Wow. This is so refreshing. Is this the same guy we used to talk about? How on earth did you manage to get rid of that idiot? Our leader is truly talented."

Smack!

"Urgh...!"

Noh Song-rin's fist landed on the abdomen of Lee Gi-young, who was standing in front of him.

Gasping, the fallen Lee Gi-young bore the pain and quickly returned to his place. He maintained a stationary posture, staring straight at the wall in front of him with fervent determination.

"Can't you keep an eye on one kid while I'm away?"

"I apologize."

"Do you expect me to handle outside matters in this state, Gi-young?"

"I'm deeply sorry."

Lee Gi-young didn't even make eye contact with Noh Song-rin. The ones from Ujungdo knew what a vile character he was. Perhaps his persistence, stemming from a rough childhood, had made him obsessively determined.

That obsession spawned a possessive desire and allowed him to exercise charisma that swayed other Hunters. He could be more brutal than anyone else when something slipped out of his hands.

He was angry, regardless of whether Byun Jeong-cheol was useful or not.

'Just because he's from Ujungdo doesn't mean he can't return as a Hunter. But a proper guild would never accept him. What kind of lunatic would insert Party Leader Noh into Taesung? Sure, I'm a small-time player, but Party Leader Noh is...'

Lee Gi-young too had risen from humble beginnings, but he thought there was a problem in accepting these lunatics as the core Hunters of the guild.

It was somewhat fortunate that after Ju Se-ah assumed the Guild Master position, she didn't blatantly cause trouble.

And Ju Se-ah was not the only one to be cautious about. What about Jang Deuk-goo? If one clashed with him...?

'That would be horrifying. Well, can this guild even be considered a decent guild, with Jang Deuk-goo in it?'

Noh Song-rin landed a few more punches on Lee Gi-young before pulling back his fist.

"What really matters isn't Byun Jeong-cheol. You know why he couldn't really join our family, right? He wasn't worthy. The question is how that new Guild Leader will behave in the future. Unlike his predecessor, he's overly active in the guild. It could interfere with our business."

"Should we handle him secretly?"

"What about Jang Deuk-goo?"

"As long as we don't get caught..."

"Hah?! Do you think he'd behave if there's no evidence?"

"That's not it."

"And the Guild Master Ju is a problem too. She has let us be so far because we haven't crossed the line."

"But isn't it a line we have to cross eventually?"

"Definitely not now. Oh, this is a headache. A non-Hunter becoming the Guild Leader is troublesome. I would rather have a successful Hunter as the Vice Guild Master. At least he wouldn't want to deal with us."

Crossing his arms, Noh Song-rin sank into thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"For now, leave him be. It'll be trouble if we provoke him and he digs deeper. Concede to him as necessary. Pretend to obey. Nicely. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand."

"And handle Byun Jeong-cheol. He dares to leave without my permission? He needs to be taught a lesson."

"Yes."

'No matter how you look at it, it's uncomfortable.'

Hunter Stat Evaluation (Percentile/Rank)

Noh Song-rin

▶ Stamina 81 / A-

▶ Strength 83 / A-

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▶ Agility 79 / B+

▶ Magic Power 80 / A-

▶ Physical Resistance 61

▶ Magic Resistance 45

▶ Average of the 4 Primary Stats 80.75 / A-

To be recognized as an A- rank, the average score of the four primary stats had to be between 80 and 83, and at least two ranks, including Magic Power, had to reach A-. Even if all the other stats were A-, if Magic Power wasn't A- rank, or if only Magic Power met the qualifications, the promotion was not recognized.

Judging by the basic measured stats alone, Noh Song-rin was an impeccable A- rank. While there could be stark differences among those in the same A- rank based on detailed stats and tactical evaluations, he was by no means a Hunter lacking in experience, given his monster hunting history.

With his capabilities, he was qualified to be a regular party member in an A-rank guild, or even an elite or an ace in a B-rank guild.

'Sadly, he's in a 'Rain-rank' (rank with one stat falling short of the standard). Well, it's unlikely that the representative of the Assault Team faction would be a 'Water-rank' (rank that just meets the minimum stat requirement).'

The point that kept bothering Kang Mu-hyuk was right here.

Taesung Guild was a guild that fell far short of B-rank in skill assessment.

Noh Song-rin was too valuable a rank to be in a place like this. He should have transferred to a higher guild sooner.

'Of course, the fact that he is from Ujungdo is a hindrance. But why on earth does this guild have so many members from Ujungdo?'

Ju Se-ah had said it was the result of external figures brought in by previous Guild Masters to seize control of the guild.

Perhaps, given the lack of proper Hunters at the Taesung guild level, they had hastily gathered Hunters with disqualifications.

But at the A- rank, being from Ujungdo was no longer a problem.

Criminal records were scrutinized in A+ and larger guilds, but it was worth considering for recruitment from B-rank, and for C-rank and below, it was a rank worth recruiting even at the risk.

Even if it wasn't Taesung Guild, there would have been places willing to recruit him at any time with just a little scouting.

'But, he came to Taesung after all?'

And it was not like he was getting paid a lot either?

Given Taesung's situation, where gate conquest achievements were drastically low, allowances for conquests, dispatches, and danger were virtually non-existent.

The gate clear bonus and the loot distribution were the biggest pieces of the pie, but with no opportunities, they couldn't even dream of making extra.

In an industry salary structure where the extras outweighed the base, these various allowances were important income sources for the Hunters.

Hunters' base salaries might seem overflowing to the general public, but they weren't sufficient. This was because they spent as much as they earned.

Think of it as a baseball player. Baseball players also bought and used equipment suitable for their bodies with their own money. It was the same for Hunters.

Considering the dizzying cost of Hunter equipment, relying solely on a salary without any allowances wasn't viable.

Of course, the guild provided support in the form of Ampule Kits or standard equipment, but most Hunters used custom gear that fit their hands perfectly. The difference in weapons could determine life or death.

Moreover, Noh Song-rin had not had his stats measured for two years. By now, it wouldn't be surprising if he'd reached 'Grass-rank' (a rank that meets the qualifications for all stats), as he only fell slightly short in the Agility stat.

Kang Mu-hyuk had doubts about Noh Song-rin's identity.

Was his presence at Taesung Guild simply coincidence, or was there some hidden scheme at play?

If there was a scheme, was it in collusion with external forces, or an independent power play?

If it was an external force, was it related to Taesung Group, or another organization?

'The information is insufficient.'

The flashes of inspiration and accurate judgment brought about by mana addiction could only be triggered when ample information was collected.

Kang Mu-hyuk made a phone call to the same person he'd contacted about the Byun Jeong-cheol case.

"Look into Noh Song-rin for me. I heard he's from Ujungdo. Send me the basic personal details by email. I'll settle the cost together with the previous task."

A strip of bars frequented by the members of Taesung Guild.

It had been quiet for a while due to the subdued atmosphere in the guild, but since the incident worth gossiping about occurred, small groups started gathering after work.

Employees coming out from a pork belly restaurant where they'd had dinner for the first round planted their buttocks in a beer hall for the second round, where they unloaded heaps of stories.

"Did you hear the rumor?"

"What rumor?"

"The new Guild Leader who just took office. Apparently, he's from Titan."

"Titan? That high-flying one nowadays?"

"Yeah. And he was the Team Leader of the Strategy and Tactics Team too."

"Hey, what would a non-Hunter... wait. Wasn't there news about a non-Hunter Strategy and Tactics Team Leader a while back?"

"Yes. That's our new Guild Leader. If you search it up, it pops right up."

"Wow, this is the first time I'm seeing a non-Hunter taking on the role of a Strategy and Tactics Team Leader."

"He must be at that level to have clinched the Guild Leader position."

A man who was chugging a 500cc draft beer at a nearby table pricked up his ears at the employees' conversation.

'Guild Leader?'

He peeked out beside a flower pot blocking his view. There were a few familiar employees in sight.

'These people are from our guild, right? Guild Leader? What happened while I was away on a few days' trip?'

He was quietly eavesdropping on the conversation to understand the situation when he heard some surprising news.

"Did you hear about today's bombshell?"

"You mean Hunter Byun Jeong-cheol?"

"Yeah. The one who assaulted a manager. The Guild Leader resolved that issue. That Byun guy left the guild today."

'What? Byun Jeong-cheol left the guild?'

"No way, would anyone listen to what Hunter Byun says? He probably couldn't control his temper and left."

"I have a friend from our training days in the management team. He was saying the Guild Leader..."

"Welcome!"

The waitstaff's greeting drowned out the rest of the conversation at the nearby table, prompting the man to stand up.

"What are you doing now?"

"Huh? Brother Dongpa?"

The man was surprised by the sudden approach and turned around. In doing so, he exposed that he had been eavesdropping on the employees.

"Hunter Baek Hyeonggyu?"

"Hunter Na Dongpa! Both of you are back...? Ha ha..."

An embarrassed Baek Hyeonggyu scratched his head and waved. The employees were busy racking their brains, wondering if they'd just been bad-mouthing anyone. Even in private, uttering words that could get them in trouble with a Hunter was taboo.

"Why's the mood like this? What's going on?"

"So, is it true that Byun Jeong-cheol really left?"

"What? Byun Jeong-cheol?"

Na Dongpa also showed keen interest and quickly joined them, but once again, Baek Hyeonggyu, acting as if he wasn't present, slid in between the employees and sat down.

"Uh, that is..."

"Ah, my mistake. I'll cover the drinks today. Just continue with what you were saying."

When the employees, noticing the situation, began to speak, Na Dongpa pulled up a chair and sat down next to them.

After a while, the two Hunters exchanged stupefied glances.

"So, the newcomer isn't a Vice Guild Master but a Guild Leader, and he expelled Byun Jeong-cheol, who assaulted a manager, in a day?"

"Expelled is a strong word, it was more like a voluntary departure..."

"That lunatic would never leave on his own."

Baek Hyeonggyu firmly countered the employees' timid words, worried that they might be misinterpreted. He had concluded that this Guild Leader had played some kind of trick.

"What I can't believe more is the sauna incident. Is that true?"

As Na Dongpa, who had been silently listening, asked this, one of the employees responded.

"I saw it myself. I had to run an errand to the sauna when I was called from the expedition team."

"Senior Jang is not the type to enjoy saunas. He met with Team Leader Do Gyeong-hoon... Why did a man who has been quiet so far make a move now?"

During the few days he was away, there had been mysterious movements within the guild.

Both Baek Hyeonggyu and Na Dongpa were Hunters who didn't care how the guild flowed, but they didn't like movements they were unaware of.

"Bro, it looks like we need to visit the office for the first time in a while, right?"

"Right. I'm curious about this Guild Leader."

The next day, 10 am.

Kang Mu-hyuk, who had scheduled a meeting with the Guild Cooperation Division, commuted to the Seoul Government Office building with Ju Se-ah in tow.

As soon as they parked in the basement, as previously arranged, an official approached them.

"Hello. I'm Park Choong-soo, who spoke with you on the phone."

"I'm Ju Se-ah."

"I'm Kang Mu-hyuk."

"We have a direct elevator for security. Please, this way."

Kang Mu-hyuk was satisfied with only Park Choong-soo coming out to greet them.

'The fewer people who know, the better.'

Kang Mu-hyuk's Guild Leader appointment article was just about to be released.

Whether good or bad, all guilds would be paying attention.

If news that Ju Se-ah and Kang Mu-hyuk had visited the Guild Cooperation Division overlapped with this, they had no idea what kind of interference might occur before they could proceed with their work.

The Guild Leader system itself was an obstacle to the large guilds, and there were sure to be Hunters eager to sabotage it outright.

The place Park Choong-soo guided them to was not the Guild Cooperation Division but a small conference room in the corner of the building.

As they entered, a middle-aged man with a bulbous nose and gold-rimmed glasses welcomed them warmly.

"I'm Cha Gil-joo, the head of the division."

"I'm Ju Se-ah, the Guild Master of Taesung Guild."

"I'm Kang Mu-hyuk, the Guild Leader of Taesung Guild."

"We're a bit cramped here. We're sorry for the inconvenience since we're conducting this covertly. Please, have a seat."

As soon as Cha Gil-joo took his seat of authority, Kang Mu-hyuk began speaking.

"Thank you for making time for us, despite our urgent meeting request."

"I originally had a meeting with the minister."

"..."

"But as soon as I mentioned the North Pocheon base, they readily conceded. That indicates its importance. The special activity area is more of a dangerous zone than a resource gathering area, at least for now."

"Perhaps the flow will change a bit in the future."

Kang Mu-hyuk pulled out the documents he had prepared and handed them over.

Cha Gil-joo cautiously received the papers and began to review them. Each time he turned a page, he adjusted his glasses. His eyes were filled with a curious light.

Despite having company, he didn't skim through but read meticulously, word for word.

Kang Mu-hyuk and Ju Se-ah waited patiently until he finished reading.

"Hoo~ You didn't show me everything. All these various plans are heading somewhere, but there's no actual result. It feels like I'm only seeing half of a blueprint."

"To see the other half, you need to pay a worthy price. What will you do? Would you like to see it?"