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

Kim Buyong locked eyes with the orc that had killed his junior.

There wasn't even time to grieve for the death of his junior; he had to struggle to survive.

“Damn!”

He hastily reached for the gun holstered at his waist. Perhaps due to his urgency, the holster flap wouldn't open easily.

The orc approached, brandishing an axe blade as large as a human torso.

‘Damn it! Who would have thought the day would come when I’d actually have to use a gun.’

The memory of his seniors joking about Pocheon being one of the few areas in South Korea where carrying firearms was a regular occurrence flashed through his mind like a zoetrope when he was first assigned here.

He had thought it was nothing serious back then.

Only after facing the monster did he realize.

This was the place for it.

He drew his gun and put a finger on the trigger, without even taking time to aim, he pointed the gun out the window. Then it hit him.

‘The window is closed, isn’t it?!’

Though it was neither bulletproof glass nor something that could actually obstruct a bullet, the sudden realization that something was in the way caused his mind to freeze in panic.

At that moment, the approaching orc swung its axe at the car door like a golf club. The window shattered, sending fragments flying.

Kim Buyong screamed and cringed. Fortunately, the axe was stuck in the metal part below the window.

In a frantic reaction, he pulled the trigger, shouting.

“Arrgh!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The unaimed bullets missed pathetically.

The gun only served to make the orc more cautious. Startled by the noise and the sight of stones breaking on the ground, it put distance between itself and Kim Buyong.

This cautiousness now gave Kim Buyong an opportunity. As the orc moved away, he found a moment of respite. He lifted the gun and shot at the orc's chest as it entered his view.

Bang!

“Gruagh!”

The orc screamed and staggered but didn't fall. Even the penetrating power of a magnum couldn't pierce the orc's thick chest muscles.

Feeling fortunate that he hadn't loaded his gun with the ineffective terror bullets designed for monster encounters, Kim Buyong fired the remaining two bullets.

“Die!”

Both bullets hit the orc. One even struck its head directly, but somehow it didn't die. Although the impact made the orc kneel on one leg, it seemed largely unaffected.

Only then did Kim Buyong remember why monsters were considered dangerous.

Creatures with exceptional mana reactivity that could neutralize modern firearms.

It was common knowledge, but he never thought that even orcs, known to be among the weaker monsters, would be immune to guns.

A new shadow loomed over the astonished face of Kim Buyong.

It was another orc.

The orc swung its axe down at Kim Buyong, then pulled it back.

“F*ck, monster...”

The blade of the axe became larger and larger in Kim Buyong's eyes. He knew he had to dodge, but his body was frozen in terror, unable to respond.

Darkness descended, and his vision went black.

Clang! Bang!

“Ah...!”

What darkened his view was a human back.

A person bracing against the orc's attack with their back against the car door.

Though the car's metal panel was dented, the person was unharmed.

Only a moment too late did Kim Buyong think of the one being capable of blocking a monster head-on.

"Heh, Hunter!"

At Kim Buyong's cry, the suddenly appeared Hunter laughed derisively.

"So, I'm a Hunter... Uh, what's the big deal?!"

…

Kim Su-jeong, who had been engaged in a strength contest with an orc, crossing her sword with its axe, was taken aback. She had lunged at the orc, thinking it was nothing, but it had far exceeded her expectations.

"Yikes, why is this orc so strong?"

Had it been a Gate or a Special Activities Zone, she would have observed the monster carefully before attacking, but as this was downtown and there was a person who looked like a police officer in apparent danger, she had intervened without thinking...

'Is this really an orc?'

She never thought she would be overpowered in a one-on-one fight.

'No, I’m not using my full strength, so am I slightly superior?'

Frankly, this alone was absurd.

Kim Su-jeong was a C-rank. Orcs were D+ or C- ranked creatures that anyone could easily catch, the next easiest after goblins.

Not long ago, she had heard a rumor that the Iron Will guild had struggled against a tribe of evolved goblins, but as Iron Will was a relatively unknown guild, she had ignored it.

Moreover, evolved goblins were considered challenging by many in the industry.

'There was no news of evolved orc tribes here.'

Orcs were not even mentioned in the North Pocheon monster ecological information. That meant they must have appeared relatively recently, and it was a reasonable judgment that these were orcs that had not evolved, having inhabited the area for a short time.

It appeared that a few of them had gathered, but she had felt confident enough to handle them.

'But what's with this one?'

An orc equal to a C-rank?

It was unfamiliar.

As unfamiliar as it was, it sent shivers down her spine.

'Three of these... Wait. The kindergarten! A few went in there. I wonder if Seong-ju is okay?'

She had been worried about Seong-ju who had taken on the orc that had gone into the kindergarten, but Kim Su-jeong could not afford to pay attention to that side anymore.

The remaining two orcs were approaching her.

…

"Orcs have been discovered. A report has been made to the police."

"Location?"

Gong Du-ri immediately pinpointed the coordinates on the monitor.

The marked location on the South Pocheon map was zoomed in.

"Shineup-dong?"

"Next to Cheongseongsan Park."

"The darkest place is under the lampshade. It's right nearby, right?"

Kang Mu-hyuk muttered to himself, grinding his teeth.

It was fortunate that they had been discovered quickly, but the location of discovery was not good. The orcs had already entered Pocheon City, the most densely populated place, and if monsters had broken in, there was concern that the damage would also be substantial.

"Issue deployment orders to the nearest party, and contact the other parties in the city to build a cordon near the coordinates as they arrive on the scene. Delegate the location assignment by sharing the map with each party leader, but as soon as they are in position, have them share their location with the situation room immediately."

As the operators conveyed Kang Mu-hyuk's orders to the field, Gong Du-ri reported a new situation.

"Here's some additional information. There's a kindergarten near where the orcs were found."

"You don't think the orcs are targeting..."

For a moment, Kang Mu-hyuk recalled the way orcs chose their prey.

An easy opponent rather than a strong one, prey on a young beast rather than an adult. This was the same even for orcs that had become stronger through evolution. Despite their appearance, they were extremely cunning and retained the habits of their weaker days before evolution, preferring to hunt with minimal injury.

"If harm comes to the children... I swear, I'll grind all the orcs in this land to dust."

Kang Mu-hyuk struggled to calm his turbulent heart, outwardly striving to maintain his composure.

A leader must always maintain their absolute cool-headedness, he repeated to himself over and over.

"And I heard gunshots."

"Gunshots? There must have been police."

He momentarily hoped.

Could they delay until the Hunters arrived?

The answer was 'No.'

He knew all too well the peculiarities of the police in the border region near the Special Activities Zone.

Always carrying firearms, fully loaded with live ammunition without blanks.

They often practiced shooting, and received quarterly training on how to act when encountering monsters. They assumed they could encounter monsters at any time, even when dealing with humans.

It was all because of the Special Activities Zone that had split Pocheon in half.

But education wasn't always effective. There were not a few examples of over-relying on firearms and charging at monsters, even though guns could only handle the weakest of monsters at best.

If the monster's rank was only a bit higher, it was difficult to get anything more than slowing it down or drawing its attention.

Could they barely knock it down by shooting several bullets into its vital organs?

Kang Mu-hyuk thought that the police might not be safe either, but still clung to a glimmer of hope, wishing they could at least buy some time.

'Maybe even if the police can’t, I can save the children....'

It was a cruel calculation, but there was no way to save everyone.

He issued the best command he could make at that moment.

"Share the new information with the scene. Don't pick and choose, just get there quickly."

…

"Tch! Thrown into a worthless job as soon as I arrive. Orcs and low-level monsters might be big to some, but for a B-rank Hunter like me, it's hard to even cover the cost of potions. And there are only a few of them? But how many Hunters have been deployed here? All the new recruits, right? Everyone seems to be doing their own thing. Isn't this a complete loss?"

The endlessly complaining man was wearing goggles as sunglasses. Those around him knew who he was. He was a rather infamous Hunter. And not in a good way.

So no one spoke to him.

But someone couldn't just let his words go.

"Money isn't the important thing here, Mr. Seo Dae-chi. The purpose of the guild is to protect people."

"That's what old-timers say. Who are you, did your family get killed or something?"

Seo Dae-chi's mocking words made Baek Seong-bin's face turn rigid.

"Oh? Really? I was just saying. Sorry about that. But is there anyone around here who hasn't lost someone? Don't act so serious. I dislike those who make a fuss."

"Lost someone? Is it unusual for people to die?"

"Hey, stop whining. I don't want to hear it."

"I can't understand why the Guild Leader brought someone like you in. You don't know responsibility or duty, and you lack even dignity, like a hoodlum."

"Are you picking a fight?"

"I'm not a fool to pick a fight with an object rather than a person."

"Look at this kid? You talk back? Let's see if your tongue still moves after you've been stabbed. Say it again."

"If you were human, you would value life over money..."

Baek Seong-bin stopped speaking and looked down at his left shoulder. The tip of a knife had somehow dug into his skin. It wasn't a fatal wound, but it was in a position where, if he were an ordinary person, a tendon might have been severed, and he could have been crippled.

"Seo Dae-chi!"

Kyung Soo-hyuk, who had been watching their fight, shouted.

Though they had not known each other for long, they were, after all, colleagues from the same guild. He had no intention of intervening in a verbal fight, but a fight involving bloodshed was intolerable.

Seo Dae-chi, unaffected by Kyung Soo-hyuk's intervention, pulled out his knife. Blood splattered from Baek Seong-bin's shoulder.

"Thought I was joking when I said I'd stab you? My hobby is warning with jokes—Cough!"

This time, Seo Dae-chi's jaw twisted. Baek Seong-bin's left hand had struck him, and Seo Dae-chi staggered back a few steps.

"Animals are always beaten with sticks."

Wiping the blood flowing from his torn lips, Seo Dae-chi glanced at Baek Seong-bin's left shoulder.

"What's this? The stab wound has healed already? Do you have a Healing Factor? So that's why you dared talk back to me?"

"I spoke not because I trust my trait but my belief. After seeing you use a knife because you didn't like what you heard, I'm sure of it. You have no right to be in this guild."

"What? You impose your beliefs on others too? This pisses me off. I hate your kind."

Seo Dae-chi lifted his goggles.

Baek Seong-bin flinched.

White eyes.

Eyes without black pupils, entirely white, seemed to ensnare him subtly.

'Is that the famous White-eyed Seo Dae-chi?'

It certainly made him uncomfortable just looking, but it wasn't scary.

Both were ready to draw their weapons at any moment.

Kyung Soo-hyuk, who could no longer just watch, stepped between them, shield in hand.

"Both of you stop. We're in the middle of an operation. Don't be idiots, fighting among yourselves. If you want to fight, I won't just stand by as the party leader."

"I thought you were a good party leader, being so quiet. Are you a meddler? There are too many annoying people around... Shall we clear them out?"

As the atmosphere grew tense among the three members of the five-person party, the remaining two distanced themselves, grumbling. It was a gesture that they would remain spectators till the end.

"Damn, even if you get caught, you act like lunatics. Don't involve me, sort it out yourselves."

"Is this my third disaster this year? What kind of party messes up all year long? I thought things would be different in Iron Will, but it's the same here too. Tsk!"

The first hunting mission since joining, and the situation was on the verge of making the party members the prey instead of the monsters.

At that moment, a voice sounded through the earsets that everyone was wearing.

“Situation alert! Pocheon City, Sinui-dong, Nuribyul Kindergarten. Orc spotted. At least a platoon-sized force. Relaying to all parties currently searching Pocheon City…”

"Everyone, return to the vehicles."

The moment Kyung Soo-hyuk, the party leader, issued the order, Baek Seong-bin moved faster than anyone else. Instead of running to the car, he stopped a motorcycle that was coming from the opposite direction.

"Hunter Baek Seong-bin, what are you doing?" Kyung Soo-hyuk asked.

"I'm with Iron Will Guild. It's an emergency. I need to borrow your motorcycle," Baek Seong-bin replied, ignoring Kyung Soo-hyuk and addressing the motorcyclist.

"Eh? I have to make a delivery right now...."

Before the motorcyclist could say anything more, his vehicle was snatched away by Baek Seong-bin and placed on the ground. The motorcyclist's bike was stolen so swiftly and effortlessly that he had no time to resist. While the driver was still in shock, Baek Seong-bin twisted the throttle and zoomed away.

"Hey!"

Kyung Soo-hyuk tried to grab him but was a step too late. Baek Seong-bin narrowly escaped his grasp.

Kyung Soo-hyuk watched Baek Seong-bin's retreating back and turned towards the parked cars.

"Ugh, without even his equipment... Damn it, this isn't why I transferred here!"

Seo Dae-chi also began to move, letting out a hollow laugh. Looking back at the distance where Baek Seong-bin had disappeared, leaving only an afterimage, he shook his head back and forth.

"That guy, he might be even crazier than me. Or perhaps just a troll."

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