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

"Why? What went wrong?"

As Kang Mu-hyuk's words were cut off, Noh Song-rin looked puzzled.

'It doesn't make sense.'

Up until now, Kang Mu-hyuk had been suspecting that the entity that had released Kim Myung-jun from Ujungdo was the Slayer Guild.

It wasn't because of any evidence. It was a logical inference.

It was because it didn't make sense for a murderer who was imprisoned in Ujungdo for killing several Hunters to be released as a model prisoner after only serving for 7 years.

Of course, it wasn't completely unheard of. Occasionally, there were cases where prisoners received a reduction in their sentences by being drafted for impossible hunting missions. Or a powerful influence could illegally extract them.

According to the records, Kim Myung-jun had never gone hunting after he left Ujungdo. Naturally, Kang Mu-hyuk had assumed the latter was the case.

It was only logical.

After being released, he joined a secretive satellite guild of the Tier-ed Guild, which was disguised as a small business.

The Slayer Guild's plan to use Kim Myung-jun as a cleaner.

'I thought so.'

But if Noh Song-rin was right, then Hanseong Enterprise was actually founded on Kim Myung-jun's suggestion, not as a result of Slayer's creation.

Of course, if the Slayer hadn't thought about it at all, it wouldn't have happened. It was right to think that Kim Myung-jun had intervened just at the needed time.

'Then, Kim Myung-jun was released in a different way.'

A flash of insight struck Kang Mu-hyuk.

Union, Hanseong Enterprise, Kim Myung-jun, Slayer Guild.

And finally, he reached a conclusion.

"Kim Myung-jun was not merely a servant of the Slayer."

"What?"

"He might have been under the Slayer's influence, at least on the surface... but perhaps he was also collaborating with another force."

"Another force?"

"It seems like we've finally identified our negotiation target."

"What are you talking about? I can't figure out what's going on."

Noh Song-rin asked again at the sudden mumble, but Kang Mu-hyuk deferred his answer. He made a call somewhere.

"I understand. We must meet urgently. ... Serious? Well, it may not end well."

...

"Yes. This is Kim Myung-jun. Who is this? Ah! Iron Will. It's Guild Leader Kang Mu-hyuk, isn't it? I haven't even given you my contact information, how did you know? So, why did you call? Ah, I see? Tonight? That's fine. I'm good with it. Unfortunately, I have to work late tonight. What? You'll come over yourself?"

Kim Myung-jun tapped his desk a couple of times with his finger.

"That's fine. Yes. 8 PM. I'll be waiting."

After ending the call, Kim Myung-jun stared at the phone. An internal number connected from the administrative team. He tried to recall whether he had told Kang Mu-hyuk that he was with Hanseong Enterprise.

'I met him only once at Chairman Tae's villa. The conversation was short, and I never left any clues about my identity. Director Jung's mouth is tight, so it wouldn't have slipped out. But suddenly after poking around with Titan, he contacts me in just a few days?'

It was too slight a connection to simply attribute to mere coincidence with Kang Mu-hyuk.

Kim Myung-Jun searched through his contacts on his smartphone.

[Noh Song-rin]

-Connection is unavailable, diverting to voicemail.

"Hmm, is he still in North Pocheon? This is really inconvenient since they moved the guild."

Even planting a spy was useless if the call wouldn't go through.

It was disturbing.

Normally, avoidance would be the best strategy, but he couldn't just shrink away and protect himself in a situation like this.

Furthermore, hiding itself would raise suspicion.

Whether Kang Mu-hyuk's intention was mere social activity or probing into the Titan matter, Kim Myung-Jun had to avoid any actions that might give him unnecessary leverage.

"There's no harm in being cautious, though," he mused.

Kim Myung-Jun's hand quickly dialed on the phone.

"It's me. Everything alright? Come to the headquarters."

...

Despite the sun setting, many people were still working in the industrial area on the outskirts of Seoul where Hanseong Enterprise was located. The small and medium enterprises handling item-related processes were enjoying a boom, and that was why.

However, the number of employees working overtime was significantly lower than during the day.

Before heading to Hanseong Enterprise, Kang Mu-hyuk parked his car on a quiet road.

"I might have left the old phone at the guild, but I'm anxious they might suspect something if we don't communicate enough."

"It should be fine this time. The communication lines haven't been set up yet since we just got into North Pocheon. For now, keep up the current stance, working as a double spy."

"Are you really sure about going in alone? Kim Myung-Jun. He's a very dangerous man."

"He seems to be someone who protects himself as much as he is dangerous. It should be fine. I've insurance, haven't I?"

"You trust me? I'm not confident... What if you end up stepping on the axe you trust?"

"I don't trust the axe."

It was a puzzling response. Noh Song-rin felt disappointed, more by the fact that he felt untrusted than by the words themselves.

Kang Mu-hyuk dropped Noh Song-rin off and headed towards Hanseong Enterprise. Watching his retreating figure, Noh Song-rin stuck out his tongue.

"He's really gutsy, going alone into a place that even scares me. Is he really not a Hunter?"

...

Hanseong Enterprise was different from the nearby factories, bustling with machinery; there was no overtime work there. Most of the employees had left, but signs of life were still felt here and there. A person was even seen smoking in a hidden corner.

Kang Mu-hyuk instinctively realized that they were Hunters.

As he passed the factory's main gate, the metal door closed with a loud, grating noise. Checking the rearview mirror, he saw two people pushing the doors as it closed on either side.

'The personal guards from Ujungdo, as Hunter Noh Song-rin mentioned.'

Though it was a low metal door, a suffocating pressure that seemed to block his retreat settled around his neck. But Kang Mu-hyuk was not perturbed.

His opponents were Hunters who were better at catching people than monsters.

They were the kind he despised.

He could not allow himself to show fear to such an opponent.

He straightened his chest and got out of the car. The spirited energy from various places pricked at his skin. To Kang Mu-hyuk, who had high sensitivity to mana due to mana addiction, the energy was felt vividly.

"Where should I go for Executive Kim Myung-jun's office?"

He asked the Hunter who was crouching closest. The Hunter was startled, as if stung by a bee, by the unexpected question. He's not a Hunter, but he's not trembling? He tilted his head with this thought.

Unaware that the ash was falling from the cigarette in his mouth, the Hunter hesitated for a moment, then quickly stood up and pointed to an annex building next to the factory.

"Third floor, right corridor."

The path he walked without guidance was utterly desolate. He intended to kill his energy with a rough atmosphere.

Kang Mu-hyuk didn't fall for it, calmly heading to Kim Myung-jun's office.

As he knocked on the door, a deep voice answered.

"Come in."

Kim Myung-jun greeted Kang Mu-hyuk, leaning back deeply into the sofa. It was a rude gesture to have a guest stand while he sat.

Kang Mu-hyuk didn't care and freely sat down on the opposite side of the sofa.

"The atmosphere for working late here is good. Everyone looks comfortable. And no one seems to complain if you don't work."

"I do enjoy a very free atmosphere."

"You've been too free. You must be busy running a business, and yet you worry about someone else's guild."

"...What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. Union, Titan. Do you have anything else to say?"

"Oh, that? I had momentarily forgotten. Chairman Tae Jin-sung keeps pestering me about it. I'm reluctant, but what can I do? A supplier must do as the big company says."

"These days Hunters are also supplying?"

"Large conglomerates like the Taesung Group need companies like ours sometimes. They may act haughty, but they have to protect what they have, even by illegal means if necessary. A necessary evil, shall we say?"

He was a crafty one. Slyly shifting the blame to Tae Jin-sung. Since Tae Jin-sung had originally disliked Ju Se-ah being in the guild, it was not strange at all.

'But he admitted it too easily. He was prepared and answered immediately. How can someone whose identity and actions should be secret be so frank? Liars become honest usually when they need to hide something else.'

He narrowed his eyes. In contrast, Kim Myung-jun met him with a smiling face.

Kang Mu-hyuk took a breath and spoke calmly.

"Then, please step back."

"You should say that to Titan. Even though we asked them, they are the ones actually moving."

"Titan doesn't seem to want to listen. They're blaming it on the Union."

"Then you should go to Union."

"Weren't you the one who controlled the Union, Executive?"

"Control is a bit of a harsh word."

"Why? From what I see, you seem to have a very close relationship with them. Shall we dig into it?"

"You keep crossing the line."

Kim Myung-jun's smile disappeared from his face.

'It's still okay,' thought Kang Mu-hyuk.

It looked like a high-stakes gamble, a negotiation where lives were on the line, but Kang Muh-yuk did not feel threatened at all.

Had Kim Myung-jun been an indiscriminate killer, he would never have come in the first place.

Kang Muh-yuk assessed Kim Myung-jun as craftier and more self-preserving than anyone else. Even if he was to take action, he would examine everything thoroughly and move only when he could create a perfect alibi.

So now was not the time. The line hadn't been completely crossed yet.

Noh Song-rin had opposed this plan. Why was a madman called a madman? Because he exceeded expectations, he had said.

Kang Muh-yuk had agreed with that opinion.

However, Kim Myung-jun was no longer a criminal moving alone like before.

The Slayer Guild, Union Asset Management, and Taesung Group were all entangled, narrowing the path of fortune.

Even then, they were not all on the same side. Forces clinging to Kim Myung-jun with different objectives; in times like these, maintaining balance and secrecy was key.

'Therefore, they can't directly attack me.'

He stated his calculations without hesitation.

"Does the Slayer Guild know about Union? They say you use Japanese funds. Most of the Japanese financial capital coming into Korea is linked with the Yakuza, isn't it? The Yakuza have a close relationship with Japanese Hunters. Slayer wouldn't like that."

"..."

Silence. Another sign of affirmation.

Since the sacrifices of the Great War, the Slayer Guild, the mainstay of Korea's fallen Hunter community, had been consistently keeping Japanese Hunters at bay.

By bringing up this point, Kim Myung-jun had put himself in a bind.

Even though he was a collaborator rather than a servant of the Slayer Guild, the difference in power was profound.

He could not withstand being at odds with the Slayer Guild on Korean soil.

At this point, Kim Myung-jun had no choice but to raise his hands.

"So what do you want?"

"I won't ask why. Just back off from the Iron Will Guild. Now and in the future. Whether you do it directly or use other means, stop it all."

"Now you're openly crossing the line."

"It seems like a rather generous request, doesn't it?"

"Is it not a threat?"

"If that's how you hear it, well."

"There's no problem in accepting, you see."

"..."

"You'll continue to use that as a leash. From what I see, we will keep clashing. It would be troublesome to stumble over the Slayer Guild every time."

There was a chill in his voice.

"So. Will you be the one to cross the line this time?"

"Don't feel too aggrieved. You knew it too. That this was a tiger's den. It's your fault for coming in so defenseless."

Kim Myung-jun picked up a cigarette from the table and put it to his lips, lighting it, then stood up from the sofa and turned his back, walking to the window and puffing smoke as he shouted outside.

"Hey! Clear this away!"

Squeak, the door opened.

Kang Muh-yuk looked up at Kim Myung-jun's back from his seated position.

"You're not even a Hunter, you should've taken care of yourself. You trusted your mind too much--"

Kim Myung-jun's hand paused as he was about to shake off the cigarette ash, his lips twisted in a malicious grin.

Reflected in the dark window was a strange face, the glass mirroring the office scenery.

Kim Myung-jun's mind was momentarily ensnared by the eyes glaring at him through the window, and the burnt cigarette ash dropped with a thud.

Spitting out the half-burnt cigarette, he turned around.

"You think I came alone? Besides, the one who did wrong is the one at fault," he said.

Kim Myung-jun turned his gaze to Kang Mu-hyuk. Their eyes met.

It was a cool and emotionless look, devoid of triumphant satisfaction or ecstasy.

A shiver ran down his spine, ever so slightly. To be regarded with such absence of emotion...

He finally realized that the negotiation a moment ago had been nothing but a job to Kang Mu-hyuk.

Kang Mu-hyuk was not a man afraid of his work.

"How did you get in here? I didn't sense anything."

The words sounded funny once he'd said them. The cause was too apparent. If a Hunter close to S-rank decided to infiltrate, who would notice?

Ignoring him, a conversation happened between Kang Mu-hyuk.

"I told you, Guild Leader Kang? No need for a brawl if words will suffice. Sadly, words failed us this time," said the voice.

"I expected that much and summoned you for it."

"A Guild Leader who calls in a hitman... Well, I have some pent-up stress myself, so I'll forgive you just this once."

"You must not kill him."

The Walking Calamity approached with a fluttering black armor coat.

Kim Myung-jun gritted his teeth and shouted.

"Ju Se-ah!!"

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