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

"What's up?"

"Oh~ My~ God!"

Kim Sunghyun gave her a skeptical look as she started making a big deal out of nowhere.

"What kind of mess did you get us into this time?"

"It's not that... I just realized something. This is my first time on a raid team."

"First time? We've done this before with goblins and orcs, haven't we?"

"No, not those. I'm talking about a boss-level raid. This is my first time going after a real boss. Not counting Gate bosses, of course..."

Kim Sunghyun thought back and realized she was right. During the goblin raid, the whole guild was involved, so it wasn't really an individual raid. And during the orc raid, she was busy guarding Kang Muhyuk, so she missed the actual fight.

Besides, they hadn't faced any bosses in those raids. Ju Se-ah took down the goblin matriarch, and the Slayer Guild dealt with the orc lord at the Cheolwon Gate.

"That makes this my first real raid as well."

"Exactly. All these years with the guild, and this is our first raid... What have we been doing with our lives?"

"Well, it's not that unusual. Most Hunters never get to join a raid."

"But we're guild members! This is embarrassing."

"Even in the guild, only the elites get to join raids."

"So, does that mean we're elite?"

"Don't flatter yourself."

"What? Can't we even dream a little?"

Choi Miran snapped, feeling insulted. Kim Sunghyun quickly waved his hands in defense.

"We're just on a thrown-together raid team right now. If this were an official guild raid, we wouldn't stand a chance. Just focus on moving up from C-rank."

"I'm not in C-rank, you jerk! I'm C+! And that's almost maxed out, damn it!"

"Almost maxed out? How much more do you need to level up?"

"Ever heard of 'late bloomer'? Big potential takes time to fill up."

"You're so big, you might kick the bucket before you ever fill up."

"Death doesn't care about age. Want to be the first to find out?"

Choi Miran threatened with a knife, and Kim Sunghyun backed off, shaking his head. As their argument grew louder, the freelance party leader turned around and scolded them.

"H-hey, keep it down back there! Are you guys new to raids or what? Keep your guards up!"

"Oh, right. Sorry about that."

Kim Sunghyun bowed his head apologetically, while Choi Miran muttered under her breath.

"Look at him, all high and mighty just because he's a B-rank. He's only been part of parties too just like us."

"Hey, young lady. Watch your mouth."

"Yeah, yeah. Should I just zip it up for good?"

Choi Miran shot back sarcastically. She was already in a foul mood because of the party leader who kept criticizing them since they formed up.

At first, his critiques seemed fair, but he had been nitpicking Choi Miran and Kim Sunghyun from the start, making it feel personal. He criticized everything from their understanding of the mission details to checking their gear, things any guild Hunter would know. He even questioned their competence as Hunters, trying to provoke them.

Kim Sunghyun, who was easygoing, didn't want any trouble, but Choi Miran was different. She didn't like a non-guild stranger judging her.

"All she has is a dang Iron Will badge. Acting like she's all that.Seriously."

"Yeah, I am all that. So what?"

The party leader stopped and turned around. Choi Miran stood up to him, glaring fiercely.

The other Hunters also stopped, watching the argument. They were freelance Hunters who followed the party leader for hunts and were used to scrappy fights like this---it was just part of life in the wild.

Sensing the tension, Kim Sunghyun quickly stepped in to separate them.

"Ayy, what's going on with you two? Come on, let's keep it together. This isn't the time for petty arguments. We've got a job to do."

Just then, spore seeds burst out from a narrow alley and attacked the Hunters who were watching.

"Ahhh!"

Kim Sunghyun reacted instinctively to the scream. He drew his sword faster than anyone else and sliced the spore seed attacking their teammate in half. Another spore seed charged, but a Mana Rope skill caught it mid-run, tripping it and causing it to fall. The tied-up spore seed rolled around, dragging other nearby spore seed down with it.

"The more we do this, the sharper we get. That training with Jang Deukgoo is starting to pay off," Choi Miran said.

"Yeah, Raid Leader Jang's drills really helped. I moved without even thinking," Kim Sunghyun replied.

Kim Sunghyun quickly dealt with the spore seed that had lost its footing. All of this happened before any of the other Hunters could react. The party leader glanced at Choi Miran, who had responded to the sudden attack even while arguing.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing... Just, you know, impressed," he replied.

The party leader looked back at his freelance comrades. They had been slow to react, and none of them had tried to save a teammate. They had only raised their shields and weapons to protect themselves.

Meanwhile, the two guild members had saved their comrade quickly and dealt with the remaining monsters.

'Is this normal for these Iron Will guild members? They didn't even break a sweat,' he thought.

He used to be annoyed seeing lower-ranked Hunters comfortably settled in such a prestigious guild. He had even wondered how these fools had managed to join a guild at all. But now, he thought he finally understood why.

The party leader realized he could no longer underestimate them.

Boom!

An explosion sounded in the distance. Kim Sunghyun called out, "Party Leader."

"Y-yeah?" the leader replied.

"We need to get back to the mission before it's too late."

"R-right. Let's get back to the mission... Yeah, let's do that," the leader said.

The party leader, feeling intimidated, awkwardly turned his back to them.

A worrying thought crossed his mind---maybe he'd be stuck as a freelancer forever.

[This is Party 5. The mother just passed through. The three brothers also passed by.]

[Cut off the tail first.]

The raid team slowly attacked the back end of the massive monster horde being lured by Hyun Junggeon.

Every time they crossed a road, a designated Hunter would attack a small group, separate them from the pack, and lure them to an ambush spot. Hidden Hunters would then finish them off.

It looked like a simple tactic on the surface, but setting it up took a lot of preparation. They tore down structures to turn the streets into a maze. They toppled some buildings to block paths or cut off escape routes. They lured the monsters over an underground drain and collapsed the floor to trap them.

When there were too many monsters, they smashed open fire hydrants to create a water screen and then picked them off one by one. Sometimes, they lured the monsters into houses with yards, shut the gates, and hunted them down inside.

The city's infrastructure was getting wrecked, but they used the spore seeds' tendency to be unable to react with inanimate objects to their advantage. This allowed them to conduct the raid with minimal damage.

"The rear is all cut off. Now pull back the middle."

"Damn! One of the guards is chasing us!"

"Lead it toward Party Leader Hwang Dongsu!"

"Party Leader No has a guard on the other side too. Knock down the Go Club building! Didn't you hear me? Block the path!"

Reports of the intense battle were relayed to Kang Muhyuk through messages.

[Down! Down! One guard down!]

[50 monsters are tailing us near Lee Seungjoo's orthopedic clinic. Requesting backup.]

[This is Party 8. We're heading over for support.]

[Hunter No Song-rin also succeeded in the hunt! Two guards down, one left to go.]

As the number of spore seeds dwindled, the main creature's pace slowed. Even when Hyun Junggeon launched provocative attacks, it didn't pursue further. A gap formed between the main creature and the spore seeds in that short window.

Kang Muhyuk, informed of the situation, gave new orders, "All parties, head to the fire station intersection. Maintain your current formation and wait at your positions. On my command, attack from all sides."

The raid team gathered at the alleyways. Hyun Junggeon slowed down deliberately. This was the moment they had been waiting for. Hunters burst out from every corner and launched their assault.

Unlike their first raid, where the spore seeds formed a tight scrum and held their ground, this time, they attacked individually and were easily picked off. Aside from their numbers, the spore seeds weren't particularly powerful. Without the main creature's support, they couldn't withstand the hunters, who were now in perfect positions.

"Now it's just the mother and one of her sons left."

"I'll handle the main creature. Spy Hunter, take down the guard."

"Ugh, always with the 'Spy Hunter' nonsense!"

Hwang Dongsu charged at the main creature, ignoring the taunt. No Song-rin followed, grumbling.

While Hwang Dongsu kept the main creature busy, No Song-rin took down the remaining guard. Without its spore seed army, the main creature couldn't stand up to the high-ranking Hunters. With No Song-rin and Hyun Junggeon joining in, the mother creature's body shrank rapidly.

Hearing that only the mother creature remained, Kang Mu-hyuk updated the orders, "The spore seeds are gone, and the threat of the guards is neutralized. No need to chip away anymore. Launch a full assault."

The Hunters, fueled by their earlier frustrations, attacked the mother creature with ferocity. It didn't take long for the mother creature to be completely obliterated. The Hunters burned any remaining bits of its squirming flesh while doing the cleanup.

"Phew, we finally got them all."

"Man, I was wondering how we'd catch so many. But we managed it somehow."

"It's dawn already. I've never fought this long before. I'm totally out of it."

"Yeah, that was one hell of a fight."

The Hunters dropped to the ground, gasping for breath. Exhaustion hit them like a freight train. Those who had used up all their mana felt completely spent and lay limp on the ground.

Unlike the Hunters who were relaxing after the fight, the Iron Will guild members remained on high alert. The A-rank Hunters weren't as tired and could afford to stay vigilant, while the others kept their guard up thanks to the tough training they had undergone in the guild.

Choi Miran and Kim Sunghyun were running on empty, but they didn't collapse. They kept scanning their surroundings.

"I heard other cities got hit too. This probably isn't over, is it?"

"Can't you tell by looking at Party Leader No Song-rin? If he's getting serious, then you know things are bad."

"Damn it, I shouldn't have come. I came to take it easy, and now look at this mess I'm in."

"If you stayed at the guild, you'd be busy getting ready for deployment anyway. Everyone's heading up to Cheongjin."

"Cheongjin's gotta be better than here. At least it's a proper city. Oh man, I could use a bath."

"I just want to sleep...Huh?"

Kim Sunghyun suddenly looked up at the brightening sky. The other Hunters noticed it too and looked up.

There was a bright light in the sky, like the sun.

"Did we stay up all night? When did the sun come up?"

"That's not the sun. It's still nighttime."

"Then why is it so bright?"

"Up there."

"Huh? What's that?"

"I'm not sure, but I've got a bad feeling. Wait, is it moving?"

"What? Seriously?"

Choi Miran raised her hand to block the glare and get a better look, but the sun-like light in the night sky disappeared. Suddenly, a burst of flames erupted right next to her. A fiery hand shot out and grabbed her around the waist with a scorching grip.

"Huh?"

Boom!

"Ahhh!"

With an explosion, balls of fire scattered everywhere. Choi Miran leapt back in shock.

"Miran!" Kim Sunghyun shouted.

He grabbed Choi Miran and pulled her back to safety.

"Ugh, my stomach, my stomach! Did it burn a hole through me?"

"You're okay, you're fine. That guy blocked it."

Choi Miran realized she was unharmed because Hwang Dongsu had blocked the attack. He was standing where Kim Sunghyun pointed, holding his greatsword, having intercepted the mysterious creature's strike.

"Wow, A-rank really is something else, huh?"

Choi Miran cheered and clapped, but when she saw Hyun Junggeon and No Song-rin's joint attack fail, she quickly changed her tune. Even with one high-ranker holding it off and two more attacking, they didn't even make a dent.

"Cough!"

What the hell? An A-rank coughing up blood?

Hwang Dongsu staggered back, coughing up blood. His shoulder was scorched, the skin burned and smoking as if his blood had evaporated into steam.

Hwang Dongsu dropped his greatsword and retreated. Choi Miran was shocked to see the greatsword still floating in the air even after he had let go. There was a hole burned into the side of the greatsword. The metal around it was glowing red-hot, more like it had melted than been pierced. A hand emerged from the molten gap and threw the greatsword to the ground.

The fiery creature scanned its surroundings.

"A bird...?"

Choi Miran could see a being covered in flames.

It had a long, bird-like beak with four eyes arranged horizontally above it. Feathers resembling a rooster's comb flared on its head, and golden wings fluttered on its back. This was the same creature that had tossed Hyun Junggeon and No Song-rin aside earlier. Its hands were covered in snake-like scales, ending in sharp claws. It looked like a winged humanoid with the head of an eagle and the body of a snake.

Feeling the intense threat, the Hunters stood up and got ready for a fight.

"Everyone, get down!" No Song-rin shouted.

The Hunters were too stunned to react. Kim Sunghyun was in the same boat. Then, still on the ground, Choi Miran instinctively grabbed onto the hem of Kim Sunghyun's clothes and pulled him down.

Suddenly, a fiery whip lashed out, sweeping across the area. The Hunters, who had been laughing and celebrating their raid success just moments ago, were caught in the onslaught.

Some were killed instantly, staring down in shock at their severed waists. Others tried to block with their shields, only to have them melt away in the intense heat. Some lost their weapons and even their hands.

More than half the Hunters were wiped out by that one attack.

"Everyone, run!"

Hyun Junggeon shouted this time. No Song-rin grabbed Hwang Dongsu and pulled him back. Choi Miran and Kim Sunghyun had a gut feeling that if they didn't run now, they would end up dead. They took off without a second glance.

A few Hunters were too frozen with fear to move at first, but when they saw others scattering in all directions, they quickly followed suit.

Another fiery whip swung toward them from behind.

"Don't mess with me."

[Darkness Synchronization.]

Hyun Junggeon's body shattered into fragments.

The hundreds of fragments shattered further into thousands, then tens of thousands.

Like grains of sand, the particles flowed into the darkness, enveloping the flaming bird.

"Die."

Kang Mu-hyuk received a shocking report.

"A bird made of fire?"

It was fully engulfed in flames and looked like a miniature sun in the sky. It had wings, walked on two legs, had the head of an eagle, and limbs like a reptile. It used a fiery whip that either melted or sliced hunters apart. Half of the raid team was decimated by just one attack, and even Hunter Hwang Dongsu was injured and forced to retreat with Hunter No Song-rin.

Learning that Hunter Hyun Junggeon was holding the line, Kang Mu-hyuk bit down on his lip.

"Hunter Lee Sookyoung, tell Hyun Junggeon to fall back. He must retreat, no matter what!"

"What? Okay... Got it."

While Lee Sookyoung sent the order, Kang Mu-hyuk turned to the officials.

"Everyone, evacuate the county office. We're pulling back to Daehongdan. Send out an emergency alert to all county residents. Tell them to use any means---cars, on foot, whatever---to get out. Also, alert the Tumen River defense line. Order them to retreat immediately!"

"Why are you doing this? Why tell everyone to flee now? Wasn't the raid over?" an official asked.

Kang Mu-hyuk answered sharply, skipping any further explanation.

"A monster has shown up that we can't handle with our current strength. If we stay here, everyone will die."