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

Rows of orcs stood beneath the Gate. They did not seem like disorderly monsters. Far from it, they weren't perfectly aligned with a palpable sense of order.

It was almost like an army.

Around them various totems were erected, fitting the orcs. The totems were woven from branches and wildflowers but mainly consisted of dismembered monster corpses that were nearly unrecognizable.

'Quite the aesthetic. As if anyone would mistake them for anything other than orcs.'

Ju Se-ah wrinkled her nose. The air was thick with the foul stench emanating from the decaying totems.

She knew that the more totems made from corpses, the more aggressive the orcs would be. She suspected that these very orcs were responsible for the depletion of monsters in Cheolwon.

However, the totems weren't the most important aspect.

'They can freely enter and exit through the Gate. They've even built a settlement in front of it. This isn't a mere outbreak. They're consolidating power around this Gate.'

Ju Se-ah crouched low and hid in the bushes, inching as close to the Gate as possible without giving herself away. She needed a closer look.

Although she wasn't trained in the specialized ranger position, she had taken on similar missions before and approached skillfully. No matter how evolved these orcs had become, they were unlikely to detect her subtle movements.

Furthermore, the noise from the large congregation of orcs was enough to mask any minor sounds she might make.

'No Gatekeeper in sight. Have they vacated the post because it's been open for too long? Or did they clash with the orcs and were removed?'

Either scenario was plausible. Monsters from the same Gate didn't necessarily get along, and even within the same species, relations could be hostile depending on the tribe.

This time, she focused on the orcs.

'Spears, swords, even armor, and shields. They look wretched, but they're well-armed. A tribe advanced enough to have mastered blacksmithing? Cheolwon doesn't have any notable iron mines that I know of. Could there be a mine within the Gate?'

If their weapons were crafted from minerals mined within the Gate, then regardless of the blacksmithing skills, those weapons would be incredibly durable. Minerals harvested from Gates inherently contained mana and were far superior to any metals found on Earth.

In fact, some intentionally broke open Gates to permanently secure these mines.

During the era of the Great War, any open Gate was considered a disaster that needed to be sealed. However, with the corporatization of guilds, if a mine or an herb spawn point was discovered within a Gate, the government would intervene and classify it as a strategic asset.

But what if such a strategic asset was being utilized by a tribe of evolved orcs?

'That would be... a war-level mission. They've managed to keep this Gate a secret until now.'

Based on the sheer scale of the forces outside, this was not just a tribe of orcs; it was practically an orc kingdom.

And a war-level mission meant that tackling it would be beyond the capabilities of one or two strong Hunters. No, it would be difficult even for a modest-sized guild.

Even in the midst of battle, war required supply and rest.

Hunters were called superhumans, but they were still 'humans' who had transcended human limits.

As humans, they would get tired eventually.

This was true even for S-rank Hunters. Neither mana nor physical stamina were infinite. While they could fight much longer than other Hunters, they still had limits.

Ju Se-ah, who had been observing the orcs, suddenly recalled those who had infiltrated South Pocheon.

It was then that she understood what the gathered army of orcs was planning.

'They're heading to Pocheon!'

War.

These creatures were actually preparing for war.

The orcs that had descended to South Pocheon were a sort of reconnaissance unit.

'I need to contact the guild quickly.'

Ju Se-ah recalled the C-storage equipment recently included in her exploration kit.

She remembered the satellite phone that Do Gyeong-hoon had used to contact the Titan Guild; it was inside her backpack.

Stealthily, she moved away from the gate and took out the satellite phone.

Crackle---Crackle---

"Why isn't this working? Is it broken... Ah, right! The mana density!"

Ju Se-ah recalled the words of An Ji-il, the Equipment team leader, when she received the exploration kit.

"This satellite phone enables long-distance communication even in areas with mana interference. However, it may become inoperative in areas with excessively high mana density. It should work in North Pocheon, but the connection may break in places filled with mana, like where the Gate has opened."

During his time in Titan, Kang Mu-hyuk did try to address this issue, but the project was left incomplete due to it being canceled by the guild.

"I'll have to move further away from the Gate and try again."

While cautiously stepping back and keeping an eye on the front, Ju Se-ah suddenly felt a presence approaching her location.

"Kwerr! Kwerr! Kwerr!"

The coarse breathing of the orcs reached her vicinity. She quickly hid herself.

She wouldn't be fazed even if a hundred orcs came at her, but she wasn't reckless enough to engage in battle without any information right in front of an open Gate.

Moreover, there was nothing to gain by alerting the orcs to her presence. To gain a tactical advantage against such a large army of monsters, it was crucial to keep them in the dark about her awareness of their movements.

'I need to catch them off guard. If I'm to find a weakness in the orc tribe, I can't be discovered now.'

Her intent to sneak away was good, but the place she had retreated to posed a problem.

A sensation she had felt several times since arriving in Cheolwon came through the soles of her feet.

'Landmine!'

Ju Se-ah reacted with superhuman speed.

The instant before the landmine exploded, she enveloped her feet in a spherical barrier made of condensed mana.

Flames and shockwaves violently convulsed within the barrier.

While light escaped, heat and sound were completely contained.

Gritting her teeth, Ju Se-ah wrapped both hands around the explosive force of the landmine and suppressed it.

"Eeegh...!"

Containing all the explosive force was a task requiring a high level of mana control. It was more demanding than merely destroying, exploding, or blocking things with mana.

Ju Se-ah exerted her full strength to suppress the explosion, weaving a barrier of mana.

Only after breaking out in a sweat did the explosion subside.

However, in the meantime, she was discovered by two approaching orcs.

"!!"

Just as the orcs reached for their weapons slung on their backs, intending to shout to their nearby comrades, Ju Se-ah lunged at them.

Almost flying across the ground, she closed the distance in an instant and wedged herself between the two orcs, grabbing each by the neck.

In order to leave no trace, not even blood or bodily fluids, she strangled the orcs' necks with both hands.

Unable to even let out a proper moan, the suffocated orcs frothed at the mouth before their necks snapped, falling limp.

Holding the lifeless bodies of the orcs who hadn't even drawn their weapons, Ju Se-ah expanded her senses to scan the area. She still felt the presence of a few more orcs lurking around.

She leaped into a tree, still holding the orcs in her hands. Moments later, another group of orcs passed the spot where she had been.

After they were gone, she descended and quickly found a way to slip away. She hid the orc corpses in a nearby abandoned house.

Finally escaping the orcs' watchful eyes, Ju Se-ah sprinted back through the path she had come, aiming for an area where she could communicate.

Though she ran as fast as the wind, it strangely felt slow.

Ju Se-ah grew anxious.

'The guild is still not ready for a War-tier raid. It will come down immediately. I need to hurry and prepare a strategy.'

...

As soon as the operation was complete, Kang Mu-hyuk quickly evacuated the command control center.

The media scrutiny began just as the operation ended. Even a slight slip-up could result in misinterpretations, leading to distorted news stories.

Iron Will was still a fledgling guild, in many respects both internally and externally. It was crucial to prevent the members from becoming agitated by unnecessary disputes.

'Even tier-ed guilds can't perfectly control this. Hunters do as they please. If the media stirs things up, it only leads to rumors and disrupts discipline.'

Iron Will had already received more attention than most guilds of its level.

They had numerous enemies, and with a star Hunter like Ju Se-ah, gossip naturally sold well.

Some tabloids even churned out rumors about a relationship between Kang Mu-hyuk and Ju Se-ah, making it better to give no room for such speculations.

"We couldn't completely block it. Not that I planned to block it anyway."

Of course, things in the world didn't always proceed as planned.

Pyo Beom-hee greeted the recently returned Kang Mu-hyuk with a displeased expression.

<Iron Will Guild's Leader Kang Mu-hyuk Bullies Pocheon City Councilmen. Guild Tyranny Continues.>

<Who is Responsible for Fence Management?>

<Iron Will Was Unaware of the Orcs Approaching South Pocheon.>

"Look at these headlines. Quite blatant. Seems like the work of those councilmen, doesn't it? All local media, like Pocheon Times and Voice of Pocheon. And other internet media are spreading it."

In line with her role as the head of a department that had integrated public relations work by changing the department's name from the existing Management team to the Communication team, she had already identified the sources of the media reports.

However, he had no intention of responding. The motives behind these articles were all too obvious.

"If we acknowledge them, they'll only become more energized. Now we have people who won't rest until they've created false accusations. Let's keep quiet for now and issue an official statement when things cool down."

"It seems like the lawmakers really want to harass me. I'm thankful that all the phone lines except the hotline are inactive."

"Exactly. Being out in the sticks has its advantages at times like this. Normally, the phones should be ringing off the hook. Though, the reporters would have to know how to contact us to be annoying. Oh, would it even matter? There's no smartphone reception here anyway, and they can't risk their lives coming to North Pocheon, where monsters roam freely."

Pyo Beom-hee, suddenly aware of the advantages of their guild's location, chuckled repeatedly. She chatted with him until he entered his office.

"So, that's why our Guild Leader came to headquarters so quickly? To avoid the reporters? The city hall area must be swarming with them by now. I feel a bit sorry for them."

"It's not because of the reporters."

"Then why?"

"A single orc has escaped alive. I have a bad feeling. I think we should make some preparations."

"That sounds grand. Preparing for just one orc?"

"It's an evolved orc. To evolve to that extent, the clan must be large and the period of evolution must be long. Orcs, who are known for blindly charging in, even used their subordinates as bait to escape. There must be a reason."

"Guild Leader Kang, don't look so serious when you say that. Whenever you do, something bad always happens."

"Call a meeting in the equipment and support team leader's conference room. Oh, and also invite Hunter Noh Song-rin and Team Leader Lee Jin-joo. Team Leader Pyo, you should join too."

"Judging by your face, this isn't a trivial matter, is it? Will those four suffice?"

Kang Mu-hyuk hesitated momentarily before speaking.

"Add Hunters Baek Hyeonggyu and Na Dongpa as well."

Pyo Beom-hee's eyes widened; the names of the two Hunters were unexpected.

Baek Hyeonggyu and Na Dongpa were from the neutral parties even when the old Taesung Guild's three main factions were flourishing. Their abilities were exceptional, but because they only took on quests without deeply involving themselves in guild matters, they went largely unnoticed.

When Taesung changed its name to Iron Will, during the conquest of North Pocheon, and even when Do Gyeong-hoon siphoned off guild members, Kang Mu-hyuk did not significantly involve them.

That said, they were not idly sitting around. They had been diligently fulfilling the tasks assigned by the guild.

They had been maintaining a polite but distant relationship, and now, suddenly, he was calling even the neutral parties to a meeting.

'Is something happening that requires mobilizing all of the guild's resources?'

Kang Mu-hyuk had once remarked that the neutral parties were a force that should eventually be integrated into the guild. His acknowledgment implied that their skills were assured.

In other words, calling them meant there was a reason substantial enough to warrant it.

Pyo Beom-hee asked in a slightly tense tone, "A fight. Is there more to come?"

A shadow crossed Kang Mu-hyuk's otherwise composed face.

"Perhaps? I wish it were an unfounded worry, but..."

Just then, the phone on his desk rang.

"It looks like the internal line is restored."

"Only between the main building and the equipment room. The other buildings are still not connected."

Kang Mu-hyuk picked up the somewhat unfamiliar handset, it having been a while since he last used one.

"Yes, this is Kang Mu-hyuk. Ah, Team Leader An Ji-il. I was just about to call you for a meeting... The Guild Master is on a satellite phone? ... What's the matter?"

Kang Mu-hyuk listened intently for a while before he hung up, uttering a single sentence to An Ji-il.

"Team Leader An, please prepare the seal from Warehouse C."

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