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

"Guild Master? She said she's going back north to investigate something."

"North?"

Kang Mu-hyuk cocked his head in confusion.

Pyo Beom-hee had delivered the message without question, but for Kang Mu-hyuk, who knew precisely what Ju Se-ah was working on, this information only raised more questions.

'Investigate the north?'

The headquarters of Iron Will were situated at the far end of North Pocheon, in the northern region. The area was a narrow stretch of land connecting mountains, bordered by Sanjeong Lake.

In other words, it was unlikely that the orc tribe could be hiding there.

"Did she say anything else?"

"Nothing much. She took a 'Gate Kit' and an 'Exploration Kit' with her when she left."

"An Exploration Kit?"

"She said it would take a few days."

A hypothesis darted through Kang Mu-hyuk's mind.

Given that Ju Se-ah, always straightforward in her expression, had ambiguously mentioned "the north," it was possible that naming a specific location would be too sensitive.

Moreover, the fact that Ju Se-ah, who could handle most monsters with her own abilities, took an Exploration Kit suggested she had discovered something significant to camouflage herself.

In South Korea, there were only a few places that would require a Hunter of Ju Se-ah’s caliber to exercise such caution. Just north of North Pocheon was one such place.

A location that even Kang Mu-hyuk had pushed to the back of his memory.

'Cheolwon?'

For most South Korean Hunters, Cheolwon was an area to be avoided at all costs. It wasn't even considered a viable option.

Even if monsters could resist modern weapons, they weren't invincible. Areas like Cheolwon, laden with minefields and trenches, were inhospitable, especially for tribe-like monster orcs.

Monsters didn't farm; their survival depended on hunting. But the mine-infested region made hunting more trouble than it was worth, a place even Hunters avoided due to the risk of them stepping on mines.

'If the Guild Master chose to go there, there must be a compelling reason. She's seasoned in hunting, after all.'

The instincts of an experienced Hunter sometimes surpassed Kang Mu-hyuk's expectations.

Such instincts often teetered between keen insight and sheer bravado.

The factor that distinguished the two was battlefield acumen. At the pinnacle of this acumen lay expeditions. Ju Se-ah was an efficient ace and party leader who had consistently been part of the Tier-ed Guild expeditions.

Her intuition and judgment were certainly worth respecting.

"Why have you gone silent all of a sudden? Is something wrong? Wait, don't tell me. Is the north Cheolwon? Did the Guild Master head into Cheolwon? Why would she go to that hellish place?"

"That’s right. Your reaction, Team Leader Pyo, is typical. Normally, no one would consider going to Cheolwon to investigate."

But what if the orcs were truly hiding there?

'That’s where the question lies.'

Why hadn’t the orcs come down to North Pocheon until now?

And why had they decided to come down to the southern regions?

"Something must have changed. There's only one most likely variable that's different from before."

The Goblin Matriarch had disappeared.

"Monsters aren't exactly friendly with each other. In a world of limited resources, if it's tribe against tribe, power struggles are inevitable. In that respect, the Goblin Matriarch would have definitely been a natural enemy to the Orcs."

Orcs, being more physical-type monsters, distanced themselves from magic as they were particularly vulnerable to mental attacks.

The Goblin Matriarch was a top-tier entity in this area, so naturally, they would be cautious about making any moves in the south.

As Ju Se-ah opened up new possibilities, Kang Mu-hyuk's mind began to sketch out dozens of scenarios.

During a very brief pause in the conversation with Pyo Beom-hee, his thoughts continuously advanced, already forming contingency plans.

"So you're lost in thought again, huh?"

"Ah? Sorry, I got caught up in a few things."

"I won't say anything since you're the boss working on the big picture. But shouldn't we first deal with the Orcs that have infiltrated South Pocheon?"

"Right. We'll need to take care of them first to prepare for any subsequent threats."

Pyo Beom-hee didn't ask further, sensing that Kang Mu-hyuk's answer was more of a monologue. However, she became alert when the word 'threats' came out of his mouth. She realized he wasn't just talking about the Orcs that had infiltrated South Pocheon.

"So, where are you hiding?"

Kang Mu-hyuk glared at the last known CCTV footage of the Orcs.

…

The land Ju Se-ah stepped onto had rejected human presence for decades.

Cheolwon County.

North Korea had collapsed two weeks after the first Gate, termed Hellgate, opened.

The government hurriedly constructed a defensive line along the armistice zone to hold back the monsters flooding down from the north.

Troops were stationed near the armistice lines stretching from Paju City, Yeoncheon County, Cheolwon County, Yanggu County, Inje County, to Goseong County, and a large number of mines were scattered.

In Cheolwon County, which was a major invasion route for the monsters, half of the mines deployed along the entire defensive line were installed, amounting to tens of thousands.

Even before the birth of Hunters, mines were continually added to the point where even the military wasn’t aware of the exact number anymore.

After the chaos subsided, the area stretching from the DMZ to Cheolwon became a chaotic zone, mixed with monsters and mines, rivaling the 'Majing' of China's northeastern three provinces.

That was why some people even called it the Peninsula's Majing.

"It's strange that the monsters in Cheolwon haven't ventured out yet. The government has designated this place as 'restricted,' but they've never attempted to reclaim it. This place is peculiar."

Even after reclaiming old North Korean territories, leaving such a hazardous area in the center of the Peninsula was inexplicable to Ju Se-ah.

In hindsight, it seemed like the government was deliberately controlling information about Cheolwon.

It was never covered in the media. Guilds and related institutions treated Cheolwon as if it were non-existent land.

If it weren't for the recent orc invasion, Ju Se-ah would have never thought about Cheolwon, a place that had been thoroughly forgotten.

Click—

"Huh?"

Boom!

Suddenly, the ground beneath her exploded. Soil and dirt flew into the air, and as the dust settled, Ju Se-ah appeared, unscathed but shaken.

It was a close call; her armor coat could have been torn to shreds had she not acted fast to protect herself.

"How much does this cost?"

Sure, the armor coat could withstand a few mines, but it was essentially a consumable item. She couldn't help but feel it was wasteful to use it when not battling monsters.

Underneath the coat, the armor she wore was custom-made and she was not thrilled to see it being damaged by a mere explosive, rather than a monster.

Treating her gear with the caution one might reserve for a designer handbag, Ju Se-ah meticulously inspected her equipment. Then she surveyed the rice paddy ahead, peppered with mines. A few scattered bones hinted at the explosive fate of some unlucky creatures.

Standing there, Ju Se-ah made a troubled face.

"I’ll have to use up all my mana to get through this."

She regretted not bringing a supporter. While she could create a shield using mana, her self-applied mana control technique was far less efficient than a supporter's skill.

Besides, she might exhaust her mana reserves before even leaving this potentially extensive minefield.

What was more, the noise from the explosions might attract monsters.

There was no point in drawing unnecessary attention to herself when she had no idea about the number and types of monsters in Cheolwon, or how its monster ecosystem functioned.

Lost in thought, something caught her eye.

"There's always another way."

Ju Se-ah spotted utility poles lining the perimeter of the rice paddy. Some were knocked over, but they were sturdy enough to walk on.

"Ha!"

Ju Se-ah climbed onto a pole and jumped to the next, making her way across as if hopping on stepping stones.

Along the way, she encountered some monsters but none posed a significant threat. What struck her as odd, however, was that the monsters seemed to avoid stepping on the mines.

Growing curious, Ju Se-ah descended from her perch to investigate, only to step on a second mine.

Boom!

"Damn it! How are these creatures moving so freely?"

Observing the monsters more closely, Ju Se-ah soon found her answer.

'Smell? They detect the mines through smell?'

Her suspicion was quickly confirmed. A monster resembling a wild boar, known as 'Tusked Snout,' was sniffing the ground and altering its direction accordingly.

Although it was a short distance if the creature went straight, it made a long detour to reach the asphalt road it seemed to prefer. It appeared that it had learned over time that the road was a safe zone in Cheolwon.

Following the path of the Tusked Snout, Ju Se-ah climbed onto the road. The open road stretched out to the north.

She adjusted the bag on her shoulder and reached back to check the hilt of the longsword that rose over her shoulder. It had been a while since she had brought out her primary weapon instead of her fists.

"Geez, it's not like I'm entering a Gate or anything. Did I overdo it by bringing all my standard equipment?"

Perhaps it wasn't Kang Mu-hyuk who was tightly bound by the shadow of the Goblin Matriarch but herself.

With a wry smile, she moved on.

…

"Ah, the dust."

"Is this your car, sis? I can't tell if it's a supercar or a junker."

Choi Mi-ran frantically dusted off her car, but it was a futile effort.

The dust wasn't there for a day or two. The car had been left in the guild's exclusive parking lot near North Pocheon for months, making it almost impossible to restore to its original color without a steam wash.

Her colleague Kim Seong-hyun clicked his tongue.

"You should've left it with a management company like other Hunters."

"Do you know how much they rip you off?"

"Then you should've sold it like I did. I told you repeatedly that you won't need a car in Pocheon."

"No way. I can't sell this one. Do you know how hard I worked to get it? I even took out a full loan for it and haven't paid it all off yet."

"Then just install a mana cartridge. You need at least an engine protection device to drive it in the special zones."

"Do you know how expensive that is? If I drive this in North Pocheon, even a loan shark couldn't cover it."

Watching the indecisive Choi Mi-ran, Kim Seong-hyun fell into serious contemplation.

'Should I really trust her on the hunt?'

Though her rank hadn't risen beyond C+, Choi Mi-ran was a decent supporter in the hunting field. She was quick-witted and diligent.

Though her skills were few, their variations were effective enough that she lacked nothing when capturing monsters of her level.

But what concerned him was her temperament.

'Her personality is a ticking bomb.'

It was fortunate, at least, that she had become somewhat more reserved since the new team leader had taken over.

Choi Mi-ran, having brushed off most of the dust, started the car.

"Get in."

"We're going in this? I'm gonna be embarrassed."

"You sold your car. We're short on search personnel, so we have to get there quickly. We'll go in my car."

"When have you ever been diligent... Ah, it's for the bonus, right? The one for the orc necks?"

"If you're a Hunter, it's all about the money! I'm going to be a slave to capitalism!"

"Stop with the cringy slogan. It's not like you're becoming a Pirate King or something."

Grudgingly, Kim Seong-hyun opened the passenger door.

"Hold your equipment so it doesn't scratch the car."

"Yes, yes, I'll be careful not to hurt your precious car while getting i—"

Suddenly, a shadow loomed overhead. Kim Seong-hyun halted his attempt to get in the car and looked back.

At the same time, a dark piece of metal flew into his field of vision.

"...Damn!"

Crash!

As Kim Seong-hyun rolled on the ground, a scream erupted from inside the car.

"Ah, my car!"

Kim Seong-hyun could see what had attacked him.

It was an axe.

And the one wielding the weapon was—

"Hey, I can't see from here. What is it? What hit us?"

"Sis, it's an orc! An orc!"

"An orc, my foot. Why would they be—?"

"Behind! Behind!"

Kim Seong-hyun urgently warned without further explanation.

There were two orcs.

In addition to the one that had attacked him, another was approaching the driver's seat.

Choi Mi-ran hastily checked the rear view through the side mirror.

She saw the face of a familiar monster.

She quickly abandoned her attempt to get out of the car and instead dove towards the gearshift.

An axe embedded itself in the roof above the driver's seat.

Crash!

"Stop! Damn orcs!"

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