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

Kang Mu-hyuk needed to come up with a solid plan.

'Just trying to hold them off won't work.'

The defense line, which stretched from Cheongjin along the East Sea down to Hyesan, south of Mount Baekdu, was barely holding on. Baekam County was in a particularly dangerous position. It was located on the Baekdu Plateau, the highest point in Korea.

The Sky-Touching Mountain Range stretched north to south from Mount Baekdu, and the Hamgyong Range extended southwest to northeast from the Gaema Plateau. This made Baekam County a perfect place for monsters to roam.

In war, high ground usually gave an advantage, but it was different when dealing with monsters. If they sneaked down the steep mountainsides, even the most skilled Hunters might not spot them. A single monster could kill hundreds of civilians in a moment, so missing even one was not an option.

'Hunters can't perfectly cover a 150-kilometer defense line.'

In theory, they could cover every inch if all available Hunters were used. But in reality, this wasn't possible. Hunters vary greatly in skill. Not every Hunter can handle a powerful monster alone. Often, at least a small team was needed to defeat them, depending on the type of monster. Sometimes, a half-raid team was required, and occasionally, a full-raid team was necessary.

If there were many monsters, even if they weren't very strong, it was difficult for small teams to handle them. One needed enough manpower to manage the situation.

'If a 'named' monster appears, the entire area could be in danger very quickly. To keep the Hunters safe, we can't just send them out without a plan. We have to use small scouting teams and deploy strike forces to where the monsters are moving... But who knows how long this strategy will work?'

Hunters were stationed at key points along the defense line. The main defense strategy was to scout around these bases and respond when monsters were spotted. If any monsters got past the initial defense, sniper teams positioned at the back would take them out.

Kang Mu-hyuk wanted a more dynamic and aggressive defense strategy using elite forces, but his plan couldn't proceed without control over all the guilds.

While others failed to suggest anything beyond a defensive strategy, the defense line was starting to feel the strain. Though the warning signs were subtle, Kang Mu-hyuk, who had been tirelessly gathering and analyzing information, knew the situation was dire.

'The Hunters are getting tired, and supplies are starting to run low, even if only slightly. The Tier guilds are hesitant to send their Hunters. The small and medium guilds are afraid of taking losses, so they're staying out of it. Given that, unaffiliated Hunters are avoiding the risky areas. Meanwhile, the number of monsters moving south keeps increasing.'

That wasn't the only problem. With elections coming up, the government was downplaying the crisis and the damage at the front lines. The media, afraid of the monsters, wasn't doing any real reporting and was just repeating the government's statements. If the Tier guilds hadn't stepped up to do the bare minimum, the defense line would have already been breached.

During a leadership meeting at the Iron Will guild, Lee Sookyoung, who was constantly by Kang Mu-hyuk's side like a secretary, asked curiously, "I hear the Tier guilds have a lot of influence down south. Why aren't they letting people know what's really happening here?"

"That's because Tier Guilds are gaining more power by keeping quiet. The government knows that if the guilds decide to pull out, everything would fall apart, so they're making a lot of concessions. They're already giving them tax exemptions on their purchases. I wouldn't be surprised if the Tier Guilds are stockpiling supplies while they have the chance."

It was a game of mutual exploitation between the government and the guilds, and that was why the crisis wasn't being resolved quickly. Kang Mu-hyuk knew it was time to act. He couldn't wait any longer; he needed to take the lead. He didn't know how far-reaching the consequences would be, but he couldn't delay in getting rid of the monsters and protecting the people.

"Talking only gets you so far. From now on, we need to let our actions speak for us."

If they wouldn't move on their own, we'd make sure they have no choice but to act. Hunters always followed the first one to take action.

Kang Mu-hyuk picked up the phone.

"Yes, it's me, Kang Mu-hyuk. I need to discuss something with Guild Leader Anton Ivanov."

Vladivostok's top guild, Tsar, was led by Anton Ivanov. After receiving a call from Kang Mu-hyuk, Anton found himself deep in thought.

"If it was just a minor inconvenience, I would've outright refused but-...."

Kang Mu-hyuk's proposal was too important to ignore.

Anton took out a top-secret map of the Demonic Realm. This map was compiled by the Tsar Guild based on their expeditions. It showed the distribution of monsters, vegetation, and resources in the Demonic Realm. It also highlighted the most recently updated Gate locations.

"Mudanjiang."

The place he pointed to with his hand was Mudanjiang, a major city in Heilongjiang Province that had now become part of the Demonic Realm. Mudanjiang, now part of the Demonic Realm, was about 240 kilometers northwest of Vladivostok, practically within reach.

The city was currently in ruins but had once been home to three million people. The area it covered was about the size of Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and Chungcheong provinces combined, making it densely packed with monsters. Being an urban area, it also had many tribal-type monsters hiding in the buildings, making it difficult to deal with.

'This place is tricky because if you attack one monster, they all swarm you. Most of these tribal monsters are bipedal and have flimsy hides, so unless they drop valuable artifacts, it's not worth the effort. We've avoided it because it was too much trouble, but now it's become a major problem.'

A Gate had recently appeared there. If the Gate opened, it could trigger a massive migration of tribal monsters being pushed out.

'Normally, as per the 'Demonic Realm Treaty,' it would be up to the guild, whether Chinese or Russian, that found the Gate first to take action. But this time, it's not going to be so straightforward.'

The Demonic Realm Treaty between Russia and China required both countries to cooperate against the monster threat in the Demonic Realm. It had provisions to keep governments out of guild conflicts and disputes among Hunters. Thanks to this treaty, incidents in the Demonic Realm hadn't escalated into wars between nations, but the battles between Hunters from both countries had become fiercer.

In this world, Gates were as valuable as gold, so when a promising Gate was found, treaties didn't matter; it was every man for himself.

The Mudanjiang Gate was a prime target. It was so valuable that even though a Chinese guild had initially claimed it, many Russian guilds were also interested.

"So it's all fake? A conspiracy? I had my doubts, but I never thought the Tumen River incident would actually be a Gate outbreak. I knew those Chinese guys were a bit unhinged, but now they've really gone off the deep end."

Anton turned Kang Mu-hyuk's words over in his mind.

'The Tumen River incident is probably due to the Jilin City Gate. Seeing so many monsters heading south, the Gate boss is likely somewhere between Jilin City and the Tumen River. This means the monsters in that area have all fled south to the Korean Peninsula. So, if the Mudanjiang Gate opens, where would the Gate boss go? If all the Gates known to Russia open at the same time, we could be facing the worst-case scenario.'

Gate bosses recognized each other once they emerged. Monsters were not allies, so they fought for territory. But, strong monsters usually avoided direct confrontation with each other, as if they were cautious about getting hurt.

'To the northwest of Mudanjiang is Harbin, to the north is Jiamusi, and to the southwest is Jilin. So, the Mudanjiang Gate boss's only option is to head east.'

This meant Vladivostok could also be in danger. Kang Mu-hyuk's final words echoed in Anton's mind.

'We could be facing another Nazhezhinsky incident all over again.'

Anton realized he couldn't remain idle. He told his secretary to prepare a vehicle and called his Deputy Guild Leader.

"Let's head to the Vladivostok council. We need to have a word with Moscow."

"It's great to have you back, but... What's this all about?"

Darden waved a business card at Igor, who was tearing into a steak with his bare hands.

"A Witch gave it to me. Said to get in touch."

"The Witch... you mean Ju Se-ah? Are you saying she actually tracked you down in the Demonic Realm?"

"Well, you weren't answering her calls, so she decided to bother me instead."

Darden looked at the card again. It had some Korean writing on it that he couldn't read, but there was also an English name printed below. This made it clear who it belonged to:

Kang Mu-hyuk.

'Dealing with this guy is always a losing game. I've been avoiding the Tsar Guild's constant interference, but now they're reaching out to my brother. They're persistent, I'll give them that.'

Darden was at a loss for words, genuinely shocked. He never thought they'd use Igor to get to him. Using an S-rank Hunter as a mere messenger was unheard of. Plus, Ju Se-ah was the Guild Master, which meant she was Kang Mu-hyuk's superior. Treating a superior that way wasn't something you'd see in any other guild.

'The most surprising part is that my brother actually listened to Ju Se-ah's pitch and came to me about it.'

Igor wasn't called "the Tyrant" for no reason. When he got angry, even his own brother didn't matter. He never listened to anyone. It was only after Darden managed to negotiate with Moscow that Igor stopped being known as Russia's worst villain.

Darden couldn't ignore this. He was too curious about how they had managed to get through to his stubborn brother.

"I'm surprised you listened to the Witch and brought her card back. I was expecting a full-blown fight, honestly."

"I almost did."

"Then why didn't you...?"

"She brought booze. And jerky. I'd been stuck in the Demonic Realm for a while, so I hadn't had a drink. I finished all the liquor I had. You can't punch the person who brings more, right? It'd be a waste."

"Booze? Ha?"

Darden laughed in disbelief, but Igor continued, "So, we had a few drinks and talked. After a while, it sounded pretty reasonable."

"What did you talk about?"

"She wants to form an alliance."

"An alliance?"

"Yeah, she mentioned taking down the Chinese. She also said a Gate's about to open. If you want the full story, call the number on the card."

"Hah! What a joke. In this game, today's friend is tomorrow's enemy. It rarely works the other way around. Why should we trust them for an alliance? What's in it for us?"

"They claim they've got something you need."

"Something I need?"

Darden tilted his head, puzzled. What could a Korean possibly offer him? Even if they had an S-rank Hunter, his Tyrant Guild was far ahead in size and resources. But curiosity began to stir inside him.

'No, even being curious means I'm falling into that guy's trap.'

As Igor continued eating, Darden struggled with the idea of whether to let himself be swayed by Kang Mu-hyuk's schemes or to hear him out before deciding. His face changed expressions several times as he battled this internal dilemma.

"You're driving yourself nuts. If you're that curious, just call him. If he's sending his Guild Master as a messenger, he must have something important to say. You've got nothing to lose with that Kang guy. If you don't like what he says, just hang up."

Igor's words snapped Darden out of his thoughts.

"Right. If it doesn't sound good, I don't have to go along with it. I'll call him and decide after that, just like you said."

Darden dialed the number on the card. After several rings, a voice answered, sounding like he had just woken up.

"This is Kang Mu-hyuk."

"It's 10 p.m. here. I suppose it's early morning over there? Did I wake you?"

"It's 4 a.m. Given that you knew the time and still called, you must have been quite curious."

Darden clenched his teeth. It bothered him that Kang Mu-hyuk had read his intentions so easily. His tone turned harsher.

"Sending your Guild Master to my brother tells me you're the one in a hurry. Should I just hang up?"

"We'll be holding an official conference in Vladivostok soon."

"What?"

He was ready to start a war of nerves, but the mention of Vladivostok caught him off guard. Despite himself, his interest was piqued, and he was even more irritated to realize it.

Darden vowed that if he ever saw this sly fox again, he'd tear him apart, but for now, he listened carefully.

"I understand you're having some difficulties because of the Oopoomangbawoo incident. And the support from the Kremlin isn't what it used to be, right?"

Everyone familiar with the guild scene knew that the Tyrant Guild, Moscow's top-tier guild, was involved in the Oopoomangbawoo incident. The problem was that, in Russia, it was an unwritten rule that guilds didn't encroach on each other's territory. The Tyrant Guild, since they were under Moscow's control, was seen as though they were trying to tighten central authority over regional guilds by seizing their territory.

Plus, the Tyrant Guild had tried not just to take over Vladivostok but to completely wipe out an entire city. One could imagine how the local guilds and self-governments felt about that. Already struggling to maintain control over Russia's vast lands, the Kremlin had no choice but to distance itself from the scandal involving the Tyrant Guild.

Seizing this opportunity, large guilds that had long held grudges against the Tyrant Guild began to encroach on its businesses and hunting grounds wherever they could. Since Kang Mu-hyuk was the one who orchestrated this mess, Darden's anger only grew.

"Are you trying to provoke me?"

"I'm offering to mediate a reconciliation between the Vladivostok local government and Moscow. Tyrant Guild can take the lead on this. On the other side, the Tsar Guild will step in."

"!!"

"Moscow will have to make some substantial concessions, but it could help appease the grievances of the other autonomous regions."

Darden thought carefully about Kang Mu-hyuk's proposal, then raised a few concerns.

"Even if Vladivostok and Moscow make peace, why would the other autonomous regions go 

along with it? I mean, it's not like Vladivostok speaks for them."

"No, but in a crisis, people tend to pull together."

"Pull together? Those scattered grains of sand?"

"Something big is going to happen in the Demonic Realm soon."

"Something big? What are you talking about?"

"There's a chance Eastern Russia could vanish entirely."