The Time-Limited Leader Makes the Raid a Success - Chapter 123



Only Noblemtl

Episode 123

123. So even if it’s not fun.

Kang Moo-hyuk, who saw Hyun Jeong-geon laughing as if he found it funny, said bluntly.

“It’s not fun.”

“Why do you have to be so serious? You’re the kind of person who always makes things fun by yourself.”

Kang Moo-hyeok glared at Hyun Jeong-geon once again. Hyun Jeong-geon smiled in vain at his cold gaze.

Kang Moo-hyuk said as if the other person’s attitude didn’t matter.

“Just because we have a bridgehead doesn’t mean we can enter the Korean Peninsula at will. We have to be mindful of other countries, and it’s even more difficult to blatantly try to take control.”

“That’s right. Even though they’re not as active as they used to be, there’s still a lot of Korean hunters. They won’t be easily defeated. Plus, there’s the UN resolution, so it’ll be hard for hunters to try to take over foreign markets.”

“Then the work at the Demonic Crusade must have been a preparatory step to utilize the bridgehead. A situation where they knew that Shinuiju was being crossed but couldn’t stop it. Or a situation where they couldn’t care less.”

“You could view it as a completely separate incident.”

“Is it really unrelated?”

“It’s just a possibility. In reality, it would have to smell really bad. There’s just no evidence, and it’s such an obvious story. It’s enough to be suspicious.”

“Is that why you called me? Because you don’t want to see a predictable story? To ruin it?”

“No matter how much I think about it, there’s no one as expert at screwing over monsters or hunters as you, Commander. I’m not a patriot. It makes me sick to my stomach to see those dogs running wild in my living room.”

That was when.

“I knew this would happen. You pretended not to know, but you knew everything, Mr. Hyun.”

A man speaking Chinese was suddenly standing on the road across from the station.

Kang Moo-hyuk could clearly sense his opponent’s hostility. He tapped the tie pin that had the translation skills he had acquired from the Federation. Then, Chinese began to come into his ears.

“I’ve been hiding in the ‘prison village’ all this time, so it’s been hard to see your face. Now that you’ve come out, I don’t know where to put myself, Mr. Hyun.”

“Haha… Jang Joong-sun. Did a big shot suddenly appear?”

Kang Moo-hyuk was able to confirm two things from their conversation.

First, the prison village.

According to the information sent by Noh Song-rin, the prison village was a slum. It was named that way because it was centered around the former Sinuiju Prison.

The reason why this place in Sinuiju should be particularly noted is because most of the people living in the slums are descendants of former North Korean hunters or newly awakened hunters who succeeded them. They are a force that has been able to hold its own even in the midst of Chinese hunters gaining power due to their considerable skills.

‘I was wondering how Hyun Jeong-geon was doing after making the Chinese guilds uncomfortable. As expected, he was in the prison village.’

The next person to look at was the Chinese person in front of us, Zhang Zhongxun.

‘The expedition leader of the foreign guild ‘Nakhwa’ located in Sinuiju. If Noh Song-rin’s information is correct, he is an A-rank. He certainly deserves to be called a big shot in Sinuiju.’

Nakhwa was known to be a guild based in Sinuiju, but the fact that he was here now was proof enough that he was a lackey of one of the Chinese guilds that Hyun Jeong-geon had mentioned.

Kang Moo-hyuk could feel once again how dangerous this situation was just by the fact that a hunter of his level took action to deal with Hyun Jeong-geon.

“Mr. Hyun. Useless curiosity shortens your life… … .”

“Yes, yes, I know, I know. Even though my Chinese is short, you can understand everything. Do you think that if you know too much, you’ll get bored? What kind of villains have such long tongues?”

“Huh? A villain?”

Jang Joong-sun laughed as if he found it ridiculous.

“If I’m a villain, are you an apostle of justice? In my view, Mr. Hyun is just an extra. A speck of dust, a speck of dust that will disappear from here today. I came here to personally clean up something worthless like you. Be grateful.”

“You’re talking at length about wanting to kill me.”

Zhang Zhongxun approached. A sword was pulled out from his back. The moonlight that was just rising in the sky licked the cold blade. The figure of Hyun Jeonggeon was reflected in the sword. He sneered at Zhang Zhongxun.

“Even the dust makes my throat itch. Did you think I would just take it?”

In an instant, a gun was pulled out of his arms. It wasn’t a pistol, but a submachine gun. It was small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but its shape was clearly that of a submachine gun.

“Where is the gun… …!”

Tata tata tata!

As Hyun Jeong-geon excitedly pulled the trigger, Kang Mu-hyeok bent down and moved to the vehicle.

Zhang Zhongxun didn’t even think about dodging the hail of bullets. The dark gray armor coat he was wearing had strong physical defenses on its own, but as an A-rank hunter, his resistance alone was enough to render firearms useless.

“You’re throwing a tantrum.”

Jang Joong-shin let out an annoyed sigh and quickly closed the distance between himself and Hyun Jeong-geon. His sword cut through Hyun Jeong-geon’s neck.

“Ugh!”

He was cutting through the black air. What he cut was the afterimage of Hyun Jeong-geon.

Hyun Jeong-geon, who was precariously lowering his head under the blade, was laughing bitterly. His outstretched arm reached out to Jang Joong-sun. With his palm open, Jang Sim was pushing and twisting Jang Joong-sun’s weak side precisely.

“Did you think they were civilians because they were using guns?”

Zhang Zhongxun realized that he had been deceived.

‘There was no information anywhere that this guy was a hunter… … .’

The price was his ribs. Hearing the sound of bones breaking, Zhang Zhongxun gritted his teeth and swung his sword again.

But Hyun Jeong-geon was already out of the attack range.

Just as he was about to attack again, Zhang Zhongxun heard the roar of a car engine. The headlights that suddenly appeared blinded him.

Hyun Jeong-geon jumped onto the car driven by Kang Mu-hyeok and supported his body by digging his palms into the roof.

Jang Joong-sun tried to regain his eyesight by controlling the light that was bothering his pupils with his dark vision skill. However, Kang Moo-hyuk turned off the headlights just in time. For a moment, Jang Joong-sun’s eyes darkened as the light was blocked excessively.

Kang Moo-hyeok hit Jang Joong-sun with his car. The bumper was crushed and Jang Joong-sun rolled over the hood. The windshield cracked and he then climbed onto the roof of the car. Hyun Jeong-geon, who was lying flat on the roof, hit him like a volleyball toss and threw him backward.

“Goodbye. See you later.”

dump!

“Ugh! These kids!”

Jang Joong-sun, who was rolling on the floor in humiliation, threw a sword towards the driver’s seat, but Hyun Jeong-geon threw a dagger and deflected the sword.

“You’re really persistent.”

“in front!”

While they were leisurely jeering at Jang Joong-shin, who was walking away, Kang Moo-hyuk’s warning was heard.

Hyun Jeong-geon turned his head straight ahead. Hunters were rushing in, emerging from between the trees on both sides of the road.

“My specialty is not head-on confrontation!”

In an instant, dozens of daggers shot out from Hyun Jeong-geon’s arms. As they aimed for the vital points of the hunters who surrounded the vehicle and rushed in, they all groaned and fell out.

But the crisis continued. The hunters who followed behind started chasing the car. It seemed that they would be caught soon as they were running at full speed without the car.

Hyun Jeong-geon broke the passenger window and got into the car, shouting.

“Chief Kang, is this all you can do? Step on it more!”

“I really shouldn’t have gotten involved with you.”

Kang Moo-hyuk gritted his teeth and pressed down on the accelerator pedal. The engine let out a labored scream and busily pushed the heavy SUV forward.

The car running along the railroad eventually reached a river. It was a tributary of the Amnok River, but it was as wide and deep as any other river.

A bridge crossing the river appeared before his eyes. Kang Mu-hyeok tried to drive along the road, but Hyun Jeong-geon quickly stopped him.

“If you turn right, you won’t get a good look. There are some hidden guys.”

“Then, where to?!”

There was only one place to go. Before Hyun Jeong-geon could answer, Kang Mu-hyeok turned the steering wheel. The car broke the closed sign and climbed onto the railroad bridge.

The car rocked up and down because of the railroad tracks laid on the bridge. The hunters quickly caught up with the car that had slowed down.

“Damn, do I have to fight?”

While Hyun Jeong-geon was preparing himself, Kang Mu-hyeok was checking the hunters spreading out along the left and right railings in his rearview mirror.

“CEO Hyun, do you trust me?”

“What are you talking about? Out of the blue in this situation. Then, Director Kang, do you trust me?”

“I don’t believe it.”

“Yeah, it’s normal not to believe. That’s how you survive in this world. But that doesn’t help much right now.”

“But I trust your skills as a hunter. So please take good care of me.”

“back?”

Suddenly, Kang Moo-hyuk turned the steering wheel. It was toward the river. The car crashed through the railing and bounced off the bridge. The car flew through the air and crashed into the river. The driver and passenger seats were surrounded by airbags.

with a plop!

The hunters, bewildered by the unexpected situation, looked down at the sinking vehicle, spitting out air bubbles, from the bridge.

Jang Joong-sun, who arrived late, urged his subordinates.

“What are you just looking at?! Are you stupid! Hyun Jeong-geon is a hunter! Do you think he’d die like that?!”

“Huh, you mean Hunter?”

“What, you little brat?! Are you talking about Hunter? What?! What are you talking about?!”

“Ugh! Ugh! Ugh… … !”

Jang Joong-sun, who was angry that those who had not even properly understood the information were asking questions, beat the hunter who answered mercilessly.

Only after the hunter had collapsed in a heap of blood, Zhang Zhongxun gave another order, breathing heavily.

“What are you guys doing?! Why don’t you hurry down and find him! If you don’t catch Hyun Jeong-geon today, you guys will get your throats cut off!”

* * *

The riverside of Sinuiju, not far from the railroad bridge.

Hyun Jeong-geon waded through the water and climbed up onto the embankment. He was holding Kang Mu-hyeok in one hand. He grabbed the back of Kang Mu-hyeok’s drooping neck and pulled him out of the water.

“Ugh… … .”

“Does it hurt? Of course it does, you punk. Because you just recklessly crashed your car into the river. If it weren’t for me, your head would have been broken instead of your arms and legs. Mr. ‘Kang Moo-sik’.”

Kang Mu-hyeok responded to Hyun Jeong-geon’s sarcasm with a voice that was crawling with pain.

“It was a more likely escape route than breaking through a siege.”

“Hey, you’re not a hunter. Normal people don’t make decisions like that. Do you think this is some kind of action movie? It wasn’t like this before. How can people be so reckless?”

“I thought the current president would do something about the rest. He actually threw himself into protecting me.”

“What would have happened if there had been no water in the river? It’s the dry season now.”

“I knew there would be water. I had seen in advance that after the construction of the Sinuiju Dam, they had built dams in several places to store water for use as irrigation. This is the same.”

“Huh? Even if I die soon, my mouth is still alive?”

Hyun Jeong-geon laughed as if he couldn’t believe it.

In the end, it was a nice decision, but Kang Moo-hyuk’s actions without even caring about his own life were shocking. It was similar to the past Titan days, but somehow different.

‘It’s better than I expected. It’s even more fun now?’

Hyun Jeong-geon was happy to see Kang Mu-hyeok’s changed appearance.

“Chief Kang, if you start off like this, how much fun are you going to make me later?”

Kang Mu-hyeok coughed with a pale face.

“Cough cough… So even if it’s not fun… … .”

“Hey, what’s wrong… Damn, there’s blood on the back of your head…? That’s why I said don’t trust me. Hey, Captain. Come to your senses!”

Hyun Jeong-geon lifted Kang Mu-hyeok up. The chase would begin soon. Before that, he had to find a safe place and treat Kang Mu-hyeok.

“Don’t die from the start. The real fun starts now, right?”

* * *

When Kang Mu-hyeok opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was an unfamiliar ceiling.

I felt dizzy as my vision was still unfocused. I closed my eyes and the smell of yellow earth wafted in. My hearing, which had been noisy, returned after I swallowed a few times. My body was still heavy and my head was heavy, but the scenery became clearer.

I barely opened my eyes and looked around carefully.

The place he was in was an attic with wooden rafters, a space that is not often seen these days.

The ceiling is so low that your head almost touches it when you stand up, and the sunlight creeps in through the narrow window that doesn’t even allow a good view of the outside.

I realized that one night had passed. My mind suddenly snapped as I became aware of my surroundings.

“Where is this… . Big! My head… .”

Kang Moo-hyuk fumbled with the bandage wrapped around his head. But he intuitively realized that his headache was not due to a head injury.

‘I’ve become addicted to mana.’

I felt like I was struggling in the water. My head was heavy and I felt like I had lost my sense of balance, and the sky was spinning. A feeling that was subtly different from the usual symptoms made my whole body feel lethargic.

‘Come to think of it, I didn’t get the injection yesterday. But that’s strange. My health doesn’t get this bad just because I’m a day late. Is it because of the aftereffects of the accident?’

While Kang Mu-hyeok was wondering about his suddenly worsening physical condition, Hyun Jeong-geon came up the stairs.

“Huh? You’re awake. Man, this almost was a disaster. It’s a good thing I had the potion I had saved up, I almost fell into a hole.”

“Potion?!”

Kang Mu-hyeok was shocked.

“Oh, yes. It’s a potion. Why? Are you worried that you might have used a defective one? Don’t worry. Even though the grade is a bit low, I used a good one.”

Only then did Kang Moo-hyuk realize why his body was in this state. The potion was causing him to experience the early symptoms of mana intoxication.

“Damn it, potions are poison to me.”

“Poison? What are you talking about?”

“My clothes. There should have been a case for my top. Where is it?”

“If it’s a case… Oh, the syringe that was in there? I threw it away. It was all broken.”

Kang Moo-hyuk laughed in vain as he watched Hyun Jeong-geon speak innocently.

“Huh? This is driving me crazy. You weren’t supposed to come.”

* * *

“Wow, this is driving me crazy. Where am I?”

Noh Song-rin was lost. No, was there even a path in the first place? He was in the sewer system under Shinuiju. He had no choice but to open a manhole and hide while trying to avoid the endless stream of enemies.

“They said they dug the underground area for war purposes. When did they start constructing a sewer here?”

When I was young and heard stories about Shinuiju from my father, I was curious about this underground facility. I could only imagine how big it was that it was used as a secret base for children and as a shelter for people in times of emergency.

But when I actually went inside, it was unbelievably spacious. Even if I exclude the fact that some of the underground space was converted into a sewer, I thought it would be spacious enough to accommodate all the citizens of Shinuiju, even if I were to add a little bit of a lie.

Even the basement wasn’t just one floor. There were two and three floors.

After wandering around for a while, I felt a noise at the end of the sewer passage.

‘five.’

No Song-rin hid herself in the darkness of the twisted passage.

‘Your footsteps are quiet. Are you a skilled assassin?’

The shadows stretched long as the light turned on in the darkness. He slowly approached the place where he was hiding. Nosongrin held the karambit sword tightly in his hand.

‘Let’s get rid of it and get out as quickly as possible.’

It was the moment when a faint shadow touched the ground. Noh Song-rin ran out of the shadows, spreading a murderous aura that could subdue his opponent.

“Dead!”

“Kkaaa!”

“Whoaaah!”

Nosongrin’s feet froze with a shrill scream.

“These guys… what are they?”

“Wow!”

“Eww!”

“Eww! Eww~!”

Nosongrin looked down in confusion. The dwarves barely reached his waist. The beings he hated the most, perhaps even more feared than monsters, were looking up at him and crying.

“Hey, kids, why are you guys here… Hey, what are you guys doing? Why are you guys here?”

“Waaaaaaah!”

“Wooooow~!”

“Hey, don’t cry. Hey, I don’t like this kind of thing. If you guys keep crying, this guy’s going to scold you? He’s going to eat you!”

Noh Song-rin, who was flustered by the endless crying, threatened to kill him, but it turned out to be his downfall.

“Phew!”

“Whoaaang!”

“Ahh… What did I do…?”

Noh Song-rin felt confused as she watched the children crying while holding onto their trouser legs.