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

'Are they just helping each other, or are they deeply connected?'

He leaned toward the latter. Coincidentally, Iron Will was being pressured at the same time as when they were trapped in the prison village. Even if they were hired, a Tier guild like White Tiger wouldn't be making such a loud move.

'In that sense, Ju Se-ah's judgment is flawless. Protecting the guild is the top priority, no matter what. Who knows what those reckless White Tiger guys might do. Not only that, but dispatching Hunters to rescue the leader is quite something. They aren't just bulldozing their way through as the rumors say.'

Having worked with Kang Mu-hyuk in the strategy and tactics team, Hyun Junggeon had a clear view of the current situation. He set aside the complicated issues and focused on two major things for now.

Rescuing Kang Mu-hyuk and securing the injections. When he mentioned this, Mr. Cho and Go Eul-ji reacted unexpectedly.

"Is the Guild Leader sick?"

"Mr.Kang needs serum? What's that about?"

Their response surprised Hyun Junggeon.

"So, the both of you...didn't know about his illness."

"Tell us more. What's wrong with him?"

Go Eul-ji urged. Hyun Junggeon kept his mouth shut. He could guess why Kang Mu-hyuk hadn't disclosed his illness.

'The health of a Guild Master or Vice Guild Master can pose a risk to the organization. Revealing the illness becomes a reason for distrust. The opposing forces also know of your weakness.'

Kang Mu-hyuk wasn't a Hunter, and once ousted from the industry, that would be it. Returning to the guild industry with an illness would be difficult.

'I can't have that happening. If Mr.Kang steps down from his position, what about the big fun ahead!'

While Hyun Junggeon hesitated, Go Eul-ji pressed him.

"Why are you clamming up? Speak up."

"It's not my place to say. It's better if you hear it directly from Guild Leader Kang."

"Oh my. I saw this soap opera. When someone is really sick, they avoid answering. Is Guild Leader Kang dying?"

"Were you even listening? He's fine as long as he gets the medicine."

"I can't have the Guild Leader Kang die on me. If he does, grandpa will drag me back home."

"Oi, Mr. Cho. Is she always this bad at listening to others?"

"There are only two people in Korea who can control her. Kang Mu-hyuk and Ju Se-ah. Not even her family can manage her. She's always been a my-way person."

While Hyun Junggeon and Mr. Cho shared a nonsense common ground, they began to formulate their next steps.

Mr. Cho's conclusion was simple.

"Whatever happens, we need to go back in."

"We escaped so suddenly that I couldn't ask the Guild Leader where to get the injection. We need to get him out, so we'll have to go back in anyway."

"Which route do we use to infiltrate?"

"The place we just came through was the only exit I found. It's probably blocked now, so we need to find another way in."

"In that case, we have two options on our side."

Mr. Cho held up two fingers.

"What are they?"

"One is Go Eul-ji infiltrating. The other is me infiltrating."

"What's the difference?"

"Go Eul-ji is a telekinetic. Despite how she acts, she's a high-ranker."

"What's wrong with how I act?!"

Go Eul-ji protested angrily, but Mr. Cho continued the conversation unbothered, "We could infiltrate from the air. It's hard to pinpoint the exact location in the dark, but if we do a vertical drop from a very high altitude, we shouldn't be easily detected."

"That's out of the question. The Chinese have a guy with a high-level detection skill. It's almost passive, so he'll notice right away."

"It doesn't matter if they notice. I'm quick enough to slip in unnoticed."

"You're underestimating Sinuiju. They've got an interception team. The skies over Sinuiju are tough even for flying monsters. Even an A-ranker would struggle to withstand multiple hits from the air. Even if you make it, getting detected would immediately alert them, and they might enter the prison village thinking a rescue team has arrived. Given Guild Leader Kang's current situation, escaping while fending them off is impossible."

Go Eul-ji fell silent. Then Mr. Cho raised his hand.

"Then, I guess it's best if I go."

"What's your specialty?"

"You saw it in the underground tunnel, didn't you? I'm good at hiding."

"I'm pretty good at hiding too. But that perimeter isn't just guarded by people. There's a ton of equipment specialized in detection and search."

"It's fine. I don't mind being detected."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just going to walk in openly."

"??"

Hwang Dongsu gathered his followers late at night.

Even during the night, the assembly wasn't difficult. The people in the prison village always had an emergency contact network ready just in case. Moreover, like a mutual aid society, they were connected by neighborhoods. Naturally, the young people following Hwang Dongsu had their own line of communication.

Around thirty young men gathered at Ui Judaek's house.

Ui Ju-daek offered the master bedroom and the living room at Kang Mu-hyuk's request. She knew them all, and since she had even raised some of them like younger siblings, she wasn't annoyed by the late-night commotion.

While Hwang Dongsu hadn't shown up there yet, the young Hunters started speculating about the reason for the gathering.

"Why do you think Dongsu called us at this hour?"

"Do you know what's going on? I just came because he told me to."

"If he called us this late, he must have made a decision, right?"

"What decision?"

"You know, that thing?"

"That thing... You don't mean..."

The noisy house suddenly fell silent. There was an expectation that something they had long requested of Hwang Dongsu might be coming to fruition.

At that moment, Ui Ju-daek emerged from the kitchen.

"Everyone, you must be hungry, coming here at night. Help yourself to some snacks."

Ui Ju-daek and Kim Gilyoung carried trays of simple refreshments.

"Ju-daek, hand this over to me. Why would you do this stuff? Have your son do it."

"Hey, young one(little one). My hands are about to break. What are you doing?"

"Jeez, whatever. Even an orc can't break them. How could a tray? Just eat up. Dongsu will be here soon anyway."

The commotion on the first floor was loud enough to be heard in the attic.

Kang Mu-hyuk, who was with Hwang Dongsu, asked, "Everyone seems to treat Ui Ju-daek with great respect."

"Yes. She's the one who married the much-respected Byungju, and she's like a sister and mother to the local guys."

"What about Cheon Deok-soo's gang?"

"They're... Not much different."

"Yet they threatened her."

Hwang Dongsu couldn't say anything because he was reminded of Cheon Deok-soo. The one responsible for splitting the village in two. He hated him, yet he was frustrated that the village couldn't function without him. Even he had to secretly get his mother's medicine and food from that guy's black market after all.

Plus, he himself was ready to kill two people, in exchange for his mother's treatment.

'It's shameful, but I've been too indifferent to the village's affairs. I won't use my mother's illness as an excuse anymore. I need to set things right now. And make sure my mother gets treated. I've already committed to this person, so I have no choice but to see it through.'

Hwang Dongsu looked down at Kang Mu-hyuk. He seemed to be deep in thought. Although they had only met a few hours ago, Hwang Dongsu had a rough grasp of Kang Mu-hyuk's nature. It was best to wait quietly when he was deep in thought.

'It keeps bothering me. Ui Ju-daek...'

Kang Mu-hyuk recalled the time when Ui Ju-daek faced Cheon Deok-soo's gang at her house.

From his vantage point, he couldn't hear the conversation, but the atmosphere was clearly bad. It was evident that they didn't get along well, yet the expression on Ui Ju-daek's face as she turned away was sorrowful. She didn't have the venomous look of someone facing the underlings of her husband's killer. Instead, it was more like the eyes of young Gilyoung sharpening his knife for revenge.

'Before Cheon Deok-soo betrayed them and joined the Chinese, the whole village lived like a family. It's not that I can't understand those feelings, but...'

No matter how he thought about it, Kang Mu-hyuk sensed something unsettling in Ui Ju-daek's expression.

'When the mana poisoning flares up, I become overly sensitive. It's exhausting to read so many unnecessary expressions.'

As his illness worsened, his thoughts sped up, and every scene others might miss replayed vividly in his mind. Memories long forgotten became clear, and the gathered information formed a distinct picture in his head.

A strange phenomenon where his mind grew sharper even as his body deteriorated. Kang Mu-hyuk was mentally mapping out Sinuiju entirely. He was just beginning to paint the first strokes of his plan.

"Seems like everyone's here. Let's go down."

"Phew~ will it work?"

"You seem nervous."

"Honestly... I'm more scared than when facing high-level monsters."

"It's okay. I'm always scared."

"What?"

Hwang Dongsu, puzzled by the man who remained composed even before an assassin, asked again.

Kang Mu-hyuk slowly rose from the bed and said, "There's nothing more terrifying than being responsible for someone's life. Hunter Hwang Dongsu, you've just realized that."

"..."

Hwang Dongsu was speechless. Only then did he fully grasp that the fate of dozens of young people gathered downstairs was in his hands.

"Ugh."

"Be careful."

Hwang Dongsu quickly supported Kang Mu-hyuk as he staggered while getting up.

Kang Mu-hyuk landed a light pat on Hwang Dongsu's shoulder and said, "Don't be overwhelmed by the burden. Shake it off. You won't bear the weight alone."

Hwang Dongsu's trembling stopped as if by magic, thanks to Kang Mu-hyuk's encouragement.

"Let's go. At least today, no one will die."

"Yes!"

Zhang Zhongxun stood on a building overlooking the prison village. Though the building was only ten stories high, it was a rare high-rise in Sinuiju. He felt that tonight was particularly long. Though he had always seen the village shrouded in darkness, he felt sentimental knowing its days were numbered.

'After causing so much trouble, now it's finally coming to an end. I guess it's a relief that Kim Byungju isn't around anymore.'

A Hunter with steadfast and unwavering eyes. The only person Zhang Zhongxun acknowledged in the so-called garbage heap prison village.

There were many Hunters ranked higher than Kim Byungju, but few had his depth of mind and strength of will. Though they belonged to different nations, he was respectable as a fellow Hunter.

'I didn't feel good about killing him that way. To let a Hunter I respected die over mere smuggling? But what could I do? The orders of the organization come first.'

Zhang Zhongxun planned to crush the prison village by noon after having Cheon Deok-soo deal with Kang Mu-hyuk and Hyun Junggeon. He had already brought the necessary forces from the mainland.

If he brought them in directly to Sinuiju, they might be discovered. So they were waiting in Dandong city across the Yalu River.

'I've used Cheon Deok-soo well enough. Thanks to him, I managed to control the prison village without major issues, maintaining peace in Sinuiju, and raising my reputation with the higher-ups. Though it's a shame to discard him, it's better to do that than to keep him when I don't even know what he's thinking. The real problem is Yeon Jung-moon.'

But he had brought assassins to deal with him, so it shouldn't be a big issue.

"Tomorrow will be interesting."

Zhang Zhongxun smiled cruelly.