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

Ju Se-ah's strategy was audacious.

Following the east highway, she aimed to charge straight into Sanjeong Lake and assassinate the goblin matriarch.

The plan was simple but with a definite purpose---once successful, half the battle against the goblins would be considered over.

"Even if their defenses are lax, there will be at least a few guards," Jang Deuk-goo warned. "The matriarch may have other monsters. We should first send in dealers specializing in stealth-based assassin skills to eliminate them."

Ju Se-ah shook her head.

"Regardless of whether they are able to learn late or slowly, the matriarch will eventually become aware of it. Another monster under her control could be an interference. It would be better to act quickly and strike before the goblins can prepare."

Jang Deuk-goo's advice was for Ju Se-ah's safety, but she was eager to leap into danger.

She had confidence. Even if the goblins had set traps, she was sure she could break through them.

It might pose a bit of a challenge, but she believed it wouldn't be a significant danger.

Naturally, worrying about a Hunter on the verge of S-rank seemed ridiculous.

Yet, Jang Deuk-goo didn't like the fact that Ju Se-ah had to be the one to take the lead and break through the traps. Was it because he had known her since childhood?

Even though he knew she was strong, he was always on edge, like a child left on the water's edge.

"We're not as sturdy as you, Guild Master. Considering the variable of goblin matriarch, I oppose rashly charging in," someone added.

Unexpectedly, he was joined by Do Gyeong-hoon.

Jang Deuk-goo and Do Gyeong-hoon weren't on good terms; Jang Deuk-goo had even threatened him in the sauna. However, Do Gyeong-hoon pointed out the dangers since he was included in this mission.

Ju Se-ah had set a minimum rank of A- for party members required for this hit-and-run mission.

Although few in the guild were of that level, it was just enough to form a single party.

Reluctantly, being part of the goblin matriarch assassination party, Do Gyeong-hoon had no choice but to voice his displeasure.

"If you're scared, drop out. I don't want to be held back by someone scared," she replied.

Persuasion? Plea?

These were actions that didn't suit Ju Se-ah. Nor had she forced a command. She had merely pricked on the Hunter's pride.

With just that, Do Gyeong-hoon was rendered speechless. If he opted out now, he would be branded a coward.

Hunters lived on pride, and as an A-rank veteran Hunter, he had a significant responsibility. If he backed down now, he would be labeled as a coward and an idiot.

'Why are the others just standing there? Especially that guy, Noh Song-rin. What's gotten into him today? Why is that weakling staying quiet?'

The usually uncooperative Noh Song-rin was quietly preparing for the hunt without voicing any complaint.

At this point, backing out would embarrass him to the others in the party. With that, Do Gyeong-hoon had to indicate his participation through silence.

"Isn't it wonderful when everyone agrees like this?" Ju Se-ah nodded in satisfaction before speaking.

"It seems we have no more complaints. Let's get moving if you're ready. Let's go hunt some goblins."

As Ju Se-ah moved east, Kang Mu-hyuk prepared the rest of the guild members. He distributed the Ampule kit sets they had received from Hanju Group and brought out the new equipment.

"I had a tough time fixing these. Didn't have time to conduct repairs, so I just wiped off the dust and oiled them. I've checked to ensure they work, so we've gotten rid of the faulty ones, but they were left neglected for a long time, so there might be problems during use."

An Ji-il, the Equipment team leader, was distributing the items he had brought out from Warehouse C to the guild members.

Most were grouped into party-sized sets, so distribution was quick. However, explaining how to use the equipment was a challenge.

Fortunately, it wasn't overly complicated, not to mention he had taught his team while he was repairing the equipment.

The base camp turned noisy with team members demonstrating to the Hunters how to use the equipment using gestures and steps.

Kang Mu-hyuk examined the equipment An Ji-il had set aside. He was filled with fresh nostalgia upon seeing these items after such a long time.

"What's with those gloomy eyes?"

"I never thought the day would come when these would be used in real combat."

"It would've been impossible at Titan. Those bastards only saw my work as scrap."

"Very expensive scrap. They were planning to start a project with it at Titan too, until you got involved in an unsavory incident."

"If a project collapses just because I leave, then it says it all. Even if they had gone ahead with it, they wouldn't have been successful. Too many loudmouths there."

Kang Mu-hyuk couldn't refute An Ji-il's words. It was the outcome he had anticipated, but it was impossible for him to not feel a lingering regret in his tone. As a result, his mood soured.

In the end, the limitation of a non-Hunter moving a guild was evident.

'That's why Iron Will is important. It's rare to find an open-minded Hunter as Guild Master Ju Se-ah. If we can't do it here, it'll be even more difficult elsewhere.'

Kang Mu-hyuk, thinking of Iron Will as his last resort, sat in the Guild Leader's seat.

However, there were those all around him who wanted to ruin this opportunity.

Right away was Chairman Tae Jin-sung, who had no interest in the guild's survival. He wouldn't bat an eyelid at the death of dozens of Hunters and only pursued his own goals.

'I can't let such a man have his way with the guild.'

Kang Mu-hyuk reaffirmed his resolve and muttered to himself, "Chairman Tae Jin-sung, the guild belongs to those who risk their lives. It won't go your way."

Kang Mu-hyuk moved the Hunters towards the southern intersection of Sanjeong Lake, along National Road 387.

More than a hundred Hunters had formed twenty parties for a large-scale raid.

Unlike usual, Kang Mu-hyuk was on the field to personally command the raid.

For a non-Hunter civilian to enter the field was a decision fraught with danger. It wasn't courage, but arrogance. He was nothing but a burden.

Kang Mu-hyuk, who had been with the guild long enough, knew this all too well. Yet he still stepped forward because he had faith.

There were two things to consider.

"Why are you showing your face at the front when you can't even handle a single goblin? Just fall back like the other guild staff."

One of his reliance was on Pyo Beom-hee.

Although she was currently leading the Management team, she was an A-rank Hunter who was competitive even in Tier-ed guilds, a veteran with plenty of experience.

She had opted not to participate in Ju Se-ah's strategy and had escorted Kang Mu-hyuk instead.

At the same time, she had also taken on the role of providing a remedy to the situation if anything went wrong with the main force.

Even with her long disappearance from the field, she was a top attacker and head of the party even in Titan. It was a task she could handle.

"I have Team Leader Pyo, don't I? I won't at least die. And I have this, which will save my life when it becomes dangerous." Kang Mu-hyuk patted the holster around his waist as he spoke.

Inside it was a gun.

"You said you were broke and yet you've brought that expensive thing? The cost of bullets isn't cheap."

In areas dense with mana, electricity, and radio waves were rendered useless. Even gunpowder weapons were completely ineffective.

Although there was a workaround, it came at a price.

Naturally, that price wasn't easy to pay. Especially the mana bullets, which even medium-tier guilds had to think twice before using due to their extremely low efficiency despite the huge cost.

The cost of firing one round was comparable to that of a top-grade potion.

Among monsters, only lower-tier ones like goblins would die with one shot of a mana bullet.

And even then, if the shot missed or didn't hit a vital spot, it was a waste of money.

Kang Mu-hyuk, too, had only brought the Gate-specific pistol as a last resort. He had no intention of using it.

Recalling his miserly self in the impoverished guild, he smiled bitterly.

"But will she pay attention to us? The Matriarch, I mean."

"She'll have plenty of eyes scattered around the base camp. According to the records, for a monster, the Goblin Matriarch is highly sensitive to information. She reacts in an overly sensitive manner to the enemy's movements, let's say."

Kang Mu-hyuk added to his analysis of the Goblin Matriarch.

"Typically, mobs with mental magic tend to eliminate the most threatening factors in the battlefield first, despite having a lower aggro percentage on the tank. The Matriarch is the same. She's been reported to manage this aspect even more meticulously. With a hundred Hunters moving, she definitely won't stay idle."

"So, if we move up, she'll respond immediately?"

"She'll likely block the narrow road. There's a high probability that she'll place Watusi Snakes or other monsters on the mountain path to prevent us from bypassing. Our main force's role is to feign a breakthrough to distract her. Meanwhile, Guild Master Ju Se-ah will take down the Matriarch."

It was an operation to act as bait in order to increase the success rate of Ju Se-ah's strategy.

If they could disperse the goblins to the south in addition to the ones that had already moved west, the tribe would naturally become an empty house.

Pyo Beom-hee stuck out her tongue at Kang Mu-hyuk who had even grasped the behavior pattern of the Matriarch.

The Goblin Matriarch, which had only appeared twice in the world's records so far. It was rather astonishing to be able to glean this much from the scarce information at hand.

In Korea, where strategies relying more on Hunter's experience and independent judgment were the norm, Kang Mu-hyuk's approach was particularly unique.

"Clearly, it's a tough mission. But looking at your expression, you seem confident, Guild Leader Kang?"

"The success of our Guild Master is of utmost importance. Ironically, I'm not overly worried about that. Barring any major upheaval, we will likely be dining at Sanjeong Lake tonight."

Just as the Iron Will Guild was nearing Sanjeong Lake, news reached the situation room, which was on the verge of closing down.

"What do you mean, hostages?"

"There are people captured by the goblins in the west. We have not confirmed the exact number, but it is estimated to be about sixteen."

"We have been evacuating and blocking the area for two weeks... Could it be?" Kang Mu-hyuk quickly understood the situation.

Hunters didn't listen even when the city of Pocheon tried to stop them. Furthermore, North Pocheon was an area that the government had given up on.

There must have been plenty of tricks and collusion with the 'Minheon' (private Hunters).

'Just as they say, the plan starts to fall apart the moment it's created. This is the perfect example.'

Kang Mu-hyuk's mind began to whirl.

Do Dae-su felt like he was about to die.

'No, I might actually die...'

When he first encountered a goblin rider during his journey to the hunting ground, he wondered what on earth was happening.

A goblin rider was a prized breed among the warrior class. The loot or items they carried weren't extraordinary, but the wolves they rode were a different matter.

Any large guild that frequently visited gates would salivate at the sight. This was because the rider's wolf, once tamed, would serve a new master if its original one died.

This applied to humans as well.

In other words, humans could also ride wolves like riders.

Rider wolves were generally large and powerful monsters that possessed great stamina and didn't get tired easily.

In a Gate where modern means of transportation were useless, riding one of these wolves felt just as good as driving a Bugatti or a Lamborghini.

In fact, their price was even higher than most sports cars, except for some limited editions.

At this point, the issue wasn't about tourists. The jackpot was shimmering in front of his eyes. Why would he worry about a trivial tourist business?

Thus, Do Dae-su made a detour to capture the goblin rider.

"Damn! I was just being a little greedy..."

He should have noticed when the goblin rider didn't run away and just lingered around them.

This was a trap.

As he approached, dozens of riders sprang out from behind a hill where they had been hiding.

It was an ambush. The riders targeted the wheels of his vehicle as soon as they revealed themselves.

Realizing that they were trying to immobilize him before the hunt, Do Dae-su immediately abandoned his slow minibus and switched to an SUV.

Ignoring the screams and cries bursting out from inside the minibus, he escaped.

Though his skills were inadequate, Do Dae-su's judgment, honed by the wiles of the Hunter world, was spot on.

By sacrificing the passengers in the minibus as bait, Do Dae-su and his crew managed to escape.

No, they had believed they had escaped.

"Boss, the engine's dead. It won't start!"

"Damn it! A spear's lodged in the engine, of course, it's not going to work!" Do Dae-su yelled in a fit of panic.

Among the numerous spears embedded in the car hood, one appeared to have struck the engine directly.

Surrounding the immobilized vehicle, the goblin riders formed a circle, creating a blockade.

"But why are they so calm? They're not attacking."

"I'm so scared, I might pee myself."

The riders were forming a blockade without launching an attack, steadily tightening their ring.

Do Dae-su instructed his party members.

"When I give the signal, kill the rider in the front line. Then, steal his wolf and escape."

It was a daring strategy, appropriate for the desperate situation they found themselves in. However, there was a world of difference between planning and execution.

Do Dae-su's plan only had merit if they could easily overpower a goblin rider.

No doubt, a goblin rider of the warrior rank was a monster that Do Dae-su could handle one-on-one.

The issue was that the riders were grouped into units.

Since he had neither learned nor experienced how to deal with this aspect, Do Dae-su had devised a plan based on his shallow knowledge. He was forced to pay the price for his miscalculated strategy, immediately.

'We can't break through.'

Due to the riders continuously circling them, Do Dae-su and his crew couldn't step a foot out of the encirclement.

In an attempt to forcefully break the blockade, one of the Hunters was even torn to shreds.

Seeing that no other Hunter dared attempt a break-out. Even Do Dae-su's fighting spirit dwindled upon seeing the Hunter being reduced to chunks of meat.

'The only strange thing is that they're not charging. Why are they just surrounding us and not attacking? They could have killed us already if they wanted to.'

It was when Do Dae-su was wondering about this.

One side of the encirclement opened, and the goblins dragged something in.

"That... That's..."

What was being dragged in, strung together like dried fish on a rope, were the tourists that Do Dae-su had brought along.

Do Dae-su noticed that they were still breathing. They were sprawled out, unable to support themselves, but their chests rose with each breath, suggesting that they had only passed out.

Seeing that two out of six were missing, it seemed the others were dead. Even if they had managed to escape alive, they were as good as dead in this particular hunting ground.

"Boss, it looks like they're asking us to surrender?"

"Seems like it, doesn't it?"

Goblins taking prisoners?

It was an absurd proposition, but the situation suggested otherwise.

'We'll end up dead anyway at this rate. Maybe we should pretend to be crazy and surrender?'

Carefully, Do Dae-su placed his weapon down on the ground and raised his hands.

"If you don't want to die, put down your weapons."

As soon as the boss made his decision, the rest of the Hunters had no choice but to follow suit.

They knew that without their fighting spirit, all it would lead to was a miserable death.

Fortunately, Do Dae-su's gamble paid off.

The goblins didn't attack; instead, they tied them up with ropes. Although they had saved their lives for the moment, they were now prisoners of the goblins.

Faced with a bleak future, Do Dae-su was led away, his head bowed in defeat.

If there was any last glimmer of hope, it was this:

'I have no choice but to trust the Iron Will Guild... Please, succeed in your goblin subjugation.'

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