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

Detective Kim Buyong gripped his throbbing, hangover-afflicted head as he drove.

His mind was clear, but his stomach churned. He longed to gulp down a bowl of hangover soup and sweat out his nausea in a sauna, but a sudden call to a crime scene forced him to rush to the scene.

The wheels of his car slid several times on the muddy ground, still wet from yesterday's rain.

There were quite a few unpaved roads in South Pocheon. It was all the result of the chaos that occurred when North Pocheon turned into a Special Activities Zone.

As the population of Pocheon plummeted, the tax revenue decreased. Thus, in less populated areas, they did not pave the roads. It was full of infrastructure that was broken during the commotion and had not been repaired yet.

The national subsidy received due to it being a designated disaster area was busily invested in creating jobs to fill the employment gap.

Lately, however, the Iron Will Guild's decision to establish the Special Activities Zone as their base had sparked hope for economic revitalization.

Indeed, Iron Will prioritized Pocheon companies for its headquarters construction, food material purchases, and various other fields.

Thanks to that, outsiders had increased, and so had the police workload.

Not that it was a complaint. A dying city was coming back to life.

"The number of incidents has increased as well. Ugh! Oh, my head. Huh? What's this? Why is the scene such a mess?"

The view outside the car window was filled with villagers. The small number of police officers looked strained just to hold the police line, but fortunately, the people were orderly, staying outside the line and merely watching.

As Kim Buyong got out of the car, a junior detective who had been managing the crowd ran up to him.

"Detective Kim, why didn't you answer your phone?"

"I drank too much at the team dinner last night and passed out."

"Exactly, you should drink less. You always say you're going to die and then drink like you want to die, honestly."

"How can I refuse a drink offered by the chief? Wait until you're my age. If you want to become a team leader, you have to endure those occasions."

"So you still have thoughts of promotion?"

"I have three kids. I have to get ahead to make a living."

The two detectives showed their IDs to the police at the line and entered the crime scene.

"I heard the gist of it. Murder?"

"It is murder, but..."

"What's making you hesitate?"

Kim Buyong couldn't continue his sentence.

A foul smell stung his nose.

Even before he saw the scene, the smell of blood and rot vibrated at the tip of his nose.

As they entered the barn, the scene revealed was not merely gruesome, but rather ghastly.

"What, what is this? Ugh---"

"You're usually not so squeamish. What's wrong?"

"It's, it's the alcohol. Wueeack!"

"I understand. The rookies who saw the scene for the first time all threw up. I was a bit nauseous myself. I've seen a few murder scenes before, but this is my first time seeing something like this."

It was Kim Buyong's first time too.

A human head was stuck in the middle of a barn pillar.

What seemed to be entrails of some sort were tightly wound around the pillar. He didn't even want to imagine what part it might be.

The surroundings were splattered with blood, and the floor was strewn with flesh and innards.

In a certain place, there was not even a place to step foot.

"Does it look like a human's doing?"

"Detective Kim thinks so too. A human couldn't do this. And look here."

"Is this, by any chance, a cow's head?"

"Yes. From the decay, it seems a few days old."

"The head's been stuck on a stake?"

"I've seen something like this in a book before. A totem or something. It clearly looks like some shamanistic ritual, doesn't it?"

"You think it's a monster's work?"

"There are signs of it being torn apart and eaten raw. If it's the work of a monster, it's not a solitary one. Probably a group of them roaming around."

Kim Buyong realized the seriousness of the situation.

Not just one or two? How did they pass through the electric fence without getting detected?

Though there were a few breaches in the past, the alarms allowed for immediate response. But this time, they had crossed unnoticed.

'No, that's not the important thing. The whole of Pocheon could collapse at any moment.'

It was problematic that the monsters were roaming around, but even more difficult if they dispersed in all directions.

The damage was secondary; the primary concern was that it would instill fear in the citizens of South Pocheon.

A community that was just beginning to stabilize could collapse entirely.

"Report it above. I don't think we can handle this on our own."

...

Kang Mu-hyuk spent his days in a whirlwind, assessing the abilities of the newly joined members.

The gap between the abilities assessed through documents and reputation was being filled by evaluations written by Team Leader Lee Jin-joo, who was overseeing the process herself.

Leader Lee Jin-joo, sunk deep into the conference room sofa as she added to her evaluation, "Hunter Baek Seong-bin is definitely good. Solid, enduring. But he doesn't feel like a main tanker. Maybe a sub-tanker. He lacks patience."

"That's fine. We're not going to train him as a tanker anyway."

"What? If you're not going to make a Hunter who's solid and has a Healing Factor into a tanker, what will you use him for?"

"If not a tanker, then a dealer. What else could it be?"

"That's quite random, isn't it? He's not even fast on his feet."

"Not all dealers have to be fast. His speed isn't bad, and he loves to jump out. We should let him jump out all he wants."

"Well, you did push the magic swordsman style onto me, too. At first, I thought it was a crazy idea. Even the guild master opposed it. But in the end, it was a great success. There's precedent, so I have nothing to say."

"Team Leader Lee Jin-joo was a case that worked well. Not all my attempts were successful."

"If a batter hits .300, he's considered good. You were far above that, Commander. It was an uncommon success rate in the industry."

"Hunting coordination is not baseball. When deciding the future of a Hunter, you need to focus on failure rather than success. Accurately understanding the limit to which you can recover from a failure is key."

Team Leader Lee Jin-joo shrugged her shoulders.

'He was being so serious about a subject she had tossed out casually. If only he could fix that pedantic part, he wouldn't have clashed with the Vice Guild Master. Well, I don't have much to say about the Vice Guild Master either.'

With a knock, Ju Se-ah entered the conference room. Lee Jin-joo immediately straightened her posture.

"It's okay. Make yourself comfortable. We're not a guild that fusses over such things."

"No, it's not okay. If the guild master becomes too casual, it could create a bad image in the eyes of others. You would know well as a former Slayer, but every little action of the members reflects on the reputation of the guild master. A minimum level of formality is necessary."

Kang Mu-hyuk hadn't given any particular caution, but Lee Jin-joo knew to conduct herself properly.

Having been a key figure in large guild expeditions, it was not just about being skilled at hunting. If she wanted to be considered for a position as expedition leader, she needed to take care of even the invisible aspects.

Ju Se-ah found her statement a bit distant, but quickly understood her words and nodded, moving on.

"You were out of your seat. Where have you been?"

"I was patrolling the area."

"Patrolling?"

"We're short on hands, even with the new members. I have no choice but to fill in for the time being."

Kang Mu-hyuk scratched his head. It was regrettable. In other guilds, it would be unheard of for the guild master to handle such trivial tasks.

On top of that, Ju Se-ah was one of the top-tier Hunters. She was not meant for mere patrolling.

This time, even Kang Mu-hyuk couldn't advise Ju Se-ah to maintain her dignity as a guild master. If Ju Se-ah didn't step in, the fatigue level of the other Hunters would increase.

"While we've greatly improved in terms of quality compared to previous members, numbers still matter. If we can't fill the shortage, it'll hold us back in the long run."

"I'm planning to solve that issue soon."

"How?"

"I have a backup plan in case we can't fill the required number through transfers. I've mentioned it to the Guild Master before."

"Before? A draft? The winter season is coming up."

"A draft is like playing a prearranged card game."

Lee Jin-joo interjected, tilting her head. Kang Mu-hyuk spoke.

"Sure, large guilds have the first pick of outstanding school graduates. But freelancers, except for a few renowned Hunters, are mostly outside the mark of HR managers."

"But freelancers don't have any objective data. That's why they come out in drafts. And rumors are the only things we hear. Occasionally, if a hunting scene is made public and acknowledged, scouts from all over the country flock in. How can a small or medium-sized guild like ours compete? This transfer worked out because we were able to play according to some personal circumstances."

As Ju Se-ah pointed out, skilled freelancers preferred large guilds. At the least a medium-sized guild was considered tempting.

Those freelancers who were merely filling in numbers received no special treatment even in small and medium-sized guilds. Though supported better than independent hunting, it was not enough to give up a free hunting lifestyle.

The longer one remained a freelancer, the harder it became to adhere to a guild's discipline. Only a medium-sized guild that could offer something more would be worth considering for membership.

"Teaching the newcomers from the beginning was doable, but the freelancers pick up strange habits, so it becomes difficult. It's also hard to check on them before recruiting," one of them said.

"So we must look for raw talents that haven't lived the freelance life for too long. A regular one-year course at the school doesn't help us sift through all the raw talents. Among the top performers, there were Hunters who fell behind due to stalled growth. Conversely, there were also Hunters who grew significantly after being pushed out to freelance by small and medium guilds," another explained.

"Such Hunters received investments and organized private attack teams, and even went on to establish guilds."

"If you hadn't been in the Taesung Guild, Guild Master, you would have chosen that route too, wouldn't you?"

"I have a reputation, you know. And confidence in my abilities. If Team Leader Lee Jin-joo were to leave the guild to form an attack team right now, investors would flock to her."

"I'd refuse even if investors were to flock to me. There's a failed case among my seniors. Outside the guild, one is left cold and hungry," Lee Jin-joo replied, shuddering as if she had experienced the wild life herself.

"Anyway, there are ways to replenish our ranks, right? If so, I will trust the Guild Leader and plan the training curriculum."

"Go easy on them. Don't hurt the members by following the Slayer standard like last time."

"Th-That time... Okay, okay. Tsk! Did you think I couldn't handle that? It was a lower-rank training course after all. How will they get stronger if treated like that?"

While Ju Se-ah was grumbling, the door to the conference room opened a crack.

"Are you busy?"

"Team Leader Pyo, what's the matter?"

"A call came in on the hotline. Some monsters seem to have escaped in South Pocheon."

...

"Can you believe this? Didn't Iron Will promise to protect South Pocheon and make it their base? Yet the monsters crossed the iron fence. What were they doing to let it get to that point?"

"Councilman Kim, please calm down first..."

"Does this look like a time to calm down? Where is the Mayor now? At this time, right now. Tsk! Anyway, we, the city councilors, should take the lead in condemning this, regardless of party lines."

The South Pocheon City official in charge of communication with Iron Will was sweating as he tried to calm the raging city councilors.

The councilors believed they were in control.

When the secondary benefits became apparent due to Iron Will choosing the Special Activities Zone, they wanted to intervene in various interests.

On the other hand, the executive realized that Iron Will was actually in control. The section chief felt the need to defuse the overheated atmosphere before the councilors could cause any trouble.

"It's a bit unfair to say that it was Iron Will's fault. The management of the iron fence has not yet been transferred to them. Since they've just settled in, it was arranged for us to take care of it until they established a system."

"Do you think we're making a fuss because we didn't know that? The problem is that you haven't transferred management since declaring a base."

"The declaration of a base was made some time ago, but the actual recapture wasn't that long ago..."

"Tsk! The Manager doesn't seem to understand what I'm saying. This will be on the evening news today. It will be blasted nationwide. It's making us look incompetent. How are we going to quell the anger and anxiety of the Pocheon citizens?"

"How can the media even know about this..."

Only then did the Manager grasp the context of the situation.

They caught a whiff from the media in less than a day?

Doubt crept in.

Information on Gates or monsters was handled with extreme confidentiality, whether by the government or local authorities. It meant legal control over the reporting.

The police who witnessed the scene had their lips sealed, and except for the initial reporter, no residents had seen the scene directly.

In other words, the media couldn't have known unless someone deliberately leaked it.

'Using public opinion to pressure Iron Will and then grill them? Damn, even against the guild that's helping save Pocheon?'

It was frustrating.

Just as he was at a loss on further persuading the city council members, the door to the conference room opened.

"Ah? You are...?"

The one who revealed himself in the conference room was Kang Mu-hyuk.

He feigned recognition of the Manager, with whom he had met a few times.

"Manager, we have met before, haven't we?"

"Ah, yes. But why are you here?"

"I received a hotline call. A monster has crossed into South Pocheon. You've had a hard time. I'll take it from here."

The city council members who belatedly recognized Kang Mu-hyuk flocked to him.

"You are Guild Leader Kang Mu-hyuk?"

"Let's deal with this matter first."

Kang Mu-hyuk whispered to the Manager and then looked at the council members.

"Starting from this moment, the City Council building will operate as the command center for the extermination of the monster that has invaded South Pocheon. Those who are not related to the control center will be evacuated."

"What, what? What are you saying..."

Before the council members could protest, burly men entered the room. At a glance, their toned bodies revealed they were Hunters.

They pushed the council members' backs with their bulging arms. The council members resisted but couldn't overpower the Hunters.

In the end, all they could do was protest.

"You are making a mistake now!"

"What is this outrage?! Do you know who we are to do this......!"

"Do you think we'll just stand by?!"

Ignoring the council members' loud protests, Kang Mu-hyuk issued instructions to the guild's situation room members entering behind him.

"Team Leader Gong Du-ri, how long will it take for the system to be set up?"

"If the internet is working, it will be quick. Device setting is the issue. Everything else will be connected to the guild headquarters, so information sharing will be immediate. It'll be done within three hours."

"The members are already deployed in the field. Information sharing is vital for smooth operations. Don't set an overly generous time frame; halve it. Finish the setup in an hour and a half."

"Ugh, you are demanding. Yes. I'll finish it quickly."

Gong Du-ri and his team members immediately set off to work.

The Manager, who had been bewildered by the sudden situation, cautiously spoke up.

"Excuse me, Guild Leader Kang Mu-hyuk."

"Yes. Do you have a question?"

"What's happening here... The council members earlier, and now this. If you kick them out like this, it could lead to problems later on."

Without a word, Kang Mu-hyuk pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket.

At first, the manager did not recognize the paper, but he soon recognized the familiar writing.

"This is a copy of the contract between our city and Iron Will."

"It's a photocopy of the relevant clause. Please check the part specified in Section 3."

"This is... the content that allows the forced conscription of the city hall as the main headquarters."

"I intentionally added that."

"You did? Intentionally... why?"

"I have some experience dealing with regional life in my previous workplace. There were many problems, but the most annoying were the local politicians."

The manager nodded naturally.

Though he couldn't say it as a civil servant, he too was frustrated by politicians' tendencies to meddle in matters that would be beneficial for them.

Kang Mu-hyuk spoke as if understanding the grievances from his counterpart.

"Work was urgent, but the politicians' talk always got in the way. Persuading them in an emergency is difficult and time-consuming. That's why I included the clause. It's easier to shut them up by kicking them out of the room rather than keeping them at a distance. After all, people tend to watch their mouths outside their own home."

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