The Time-Limited Leader Makes the Raid a Success - Chapter 35



Only Noblemtl

Episode 35

35. I will show you. In my own way.

“You’re quite strong. Aside from Se-ah, this is the first time I’ve seen someone make a request in front of me. Well, that’s why the captain and all, he doesn’t hesitate to do such outrageous things.”

“I understood it that way from the first words of the chairman. You’re saying I’m good at holding a line? If you’re going to grab hands, wouldn’t it be better to grab one thing that’s certain rather than grabbing hands here and there? To me.”

“I’m glad I didn’t say too much. Seah hired a good worker.”

Tae Jin-seong nodded his head, saying he was satisfied.

“What can I do for you? Cancel the guild name change? Cancel the relocation to Bukpocheon? Tell me what you want.”

“That guild name, you can move a house as you wish. Instead.”

“… … .”

“My request is heavenly. You want to catch a goblin? Fail at that big time.”

“!!”

Kang Moo-hyuk clenched his teeth, then relaxed his jaw and asked again.

“What level of failure are you talking about?”

“Se-ah will come to her senses only after people die. She’s a child who has seen many people die since she was little, so if she dies once or twice, it won’t matter. It would be appropriate if at least half of them are wiped out. She’ll come to her senses only after seeing for herself the consequences of her reckless actions.”

A warm feeling welled up in Kang Moo-hyuk’s heart. His cold head started to heat up.

‘Don’t be angry yet. Being angry won’t solve anything.’

Kang Moo-hyuk lowered his eyes, repeating to himself several times. He did not meet Tae Jin-seong’s gaze. For fear of revealing the anger boiling inside him.

He took a deep breath and spoke.

“Is it really necessary to go through all this trouble? Why not just disband the guild?”

“Why? Don’t you want to do it?”

“When dealing with people’s lives, you have to risk your own life as well. I’m afraid that Guild Master Ju Se-ah will take my head off because of this incident. As you know, Guild Master Ju Se-ah is the best hunter in South Korea. I’m not someone who can avoid you just because you protect me.”

“You’re good at finding excuses to refuse. But do you know that? Before you avoid Sea, you have to worry about how to get out of here.”

As soon as Tae Jin-seong finished speaking, the man who appeared to be the chairman’s bodyguard glared at Kang Mu-hyeok. Although he was standing far away, his chilling gaze was enough to give people goosebumps.

Kang Moo-hyuk felt his skin tingle. His body convulsed slightly in response to the momentum. He felt the flow of mana.

‘You were a hunter.’

Never, was it a mess.

Of all the hunters he’s met, there are only a few with this much momentum.

Kang Mu-hyeok was still not used to feeling mana, but if the opponent didn’t seem to be trying to hide it and had that much mana, he couldn’t help but know without having to put in the effort to read it.

‘At least A-rank. Maybe?’

Contrary to the public opinion that he has no interest in guilds, Taejinseong has a high-level hunter by his side.

‘I thought you were just an old man with no interest in doing business as a hunter.’

Kang Moo-hyuk felt the need to revise his evaluation of the chairman.

“If you accept, then go out and go to Pocheon as planned. Do as I say there. Understood?”

Kang Moo-hyuk quickly cleared his mind.

What is the best move we can make now?

If you don’t accept it, you could really be killed here.

The fact that the Hunter intervened means that there is a means to make Kang Mu-hyeok disappear from this world without anyone knowing.

You could throw it to some mountain monster and have it crushed without even being able to pick up the bones.

Monsters were the perfect allies in disposing of corpses.

‘Even if you let it slide as a lie, it’s a problem. You may be able to avoid the immediate situation, but you won’t be able to prevent the aftermath.’

It was difficult for a large corporation to exert influence over the hunter industry, but as long as the Iron Will Guild was under the Taesung Group, it was not free. It was obvious that Chairman Tae Jinseong would interfere in some way.

A way to overcome this was needed.

While Kang Mu-hyeok’s head was moving busily, Tae Jin-seong pointed at him with his chin.

“Okay, then go. Director Jeong, take care of the guests.”

The hunter moved along with the concubine.

The moment he felt compelled to not back down like this, a lightning bolt flashed through Kang Moo-hyuk’s head.

He said, kneeling down quickly.

“Wait a minute, Mr. Chairman, I need to gain something from it before I take the risk, don’t I?”

“Haha, even in this situation, you’re busy looking after your own interests. Don’t you have any pangs of conscience when you have to betray your superior?”

“If the role the Chairman wants me to play is that of a traitor, then I guess that’s the right thing to do.”

“Okay, what do you want?”

At the end of the conversation, a cold voice shook Kang Mu-hyeok.

Kang Moo-hyuk said as he sorted out the thoughts that had been swirling around in his head.

“Of course it’s Gilma’s seat. At the very least, I need the chairman’s promise to guarantee me the position of team leader.”

After a moment of silence, Tae Jin-seong opened his mouth.

“Show the results first.”

‘Achievement… Is this guy talking about a person’s death as an achievement?’

“If you show results, rewards will follow.”

As Tae Jin-seong added, a determined light appeared in Kang Mu-hyeok’s eyes.

“I will show you the results. In my own way.”

* * *

Dozens of trailer vehicles travel on the national highway.

A dreary downtown area.

It was a quiet street.

A few people were out for a late lunch, proving that this wasn’t a ghost town.

People crowded the road, their eyes riveted on the passing trailers.

Eventually, I discovered the words ‘Ironwill Guild’ written on the attachments on the side and back of the trailer.

“It’s Iron Will!”

“at las…….”

Because they were the ones who were more interested in Taesung Guild news than anyone else in the Republic of Korea, they were able to recognize the new guild name.

The citizens of Pocheon believed that the Iron Will Guild would bring hope to the city.

In the SUV assigned as the lead vehicle to lead the trailer, Kang Mu-hyeok repeatedly tapped on his tablet PC and checked the plan several times.

“How is it? Are you confident?”

Joo Se Ah looked at me from the side and asked.

“I’ve never been confident when planning a hunt. I just try my best to make the best plan, have a plan in case it doesn’t work, and if the plan doesn’t work, I try a new method.”

“Haa~ What am I supposed to do if I take something so light-hearted seriously?”

Kang Mu-hyeok paid no attention to Joo Se-ah who was complaining and was looking at the map of Bukpocheon.

I looked especially carefully around Sanjeong Lake.

It was a monster ecology map created from the testimonies of freelance hunters who went hunting in special areas.

‘The goblin village was confirmed, and their radius of activity was predicted based on their haunts… But the information is too old. At some point, hunters stopped hunting in that area, so it wasn’t updated.’

The reason was obvious.

This was because difficult monsters were gathered below the line of Sasaengsan and Gwaneumsan surrounding the southern part of Sanjeong Lake.

Hunters probably didn’t feel the need to go up north to hunt these monsters.

According to previous information, the monsters should be staying further north.

Their habitat had now moved south.

‘I got pushed out. By the goblins.’

Bukpocheon was a magical realm where many monsters, such as Watusi Snake, Blood Squirrel, and Illandria, could not be ignored by hunters.

How big of a tribe would a goblin have to be to push out such monsters?

‘No. It’s not a problem of lack. No matter how many rabbits there are, they can’t defeat a tiger. The rabbits must have turned into wolves. They live in packs. So even a tiger would be pushed out.’

In fact, if you look at the information that was obtained here and there, there were slight differences in the appearance of the goblins.

The goblins seen by the first encounterer and the witnesses years later were slightly different in size and appearance.

The individuality of the intelligent, tribal monsters that adapt to their environment and evolve over generations is clearly revealed.

Kang Moo-hyuk took his eyes off the tablet and asked Joo Se-ah.

“How prepared are the hunters?”

“Party play is smooth. As long as the monsters aren’t 5-star or higher. Honestly, the overall level is low, so I can’t even guarantee 4-star monsters.”

“Raid hunting”

“Well, I guess it falls far short of Director Kang’s standards?”

“So you’re saying the calculations don’t work out.”

“First of all, I lack proper hunting experience.”

Kang Mu-hyeok looked at the map again and thought for a while before making a decision.

“Let’s first check the information gathering capabilities. After that, we will either operate a party or launch a frontal attack.”

* * *

A season that brings us one step closer to midsummer.

The cicadas’ chirping filled the forest with a noise reminiscent of a concert hall.

A group of green-skinned dwarves passed by in groups of three or five down the forest path.

The ears were triangular and long, and hung backwards. The nose was hooked, and there were wart-like bumps all over the face. The eyes were as big as a king’s bell, and the height was around 160 centimeters. Unlike the other members of the tribe who were of small stature, the body was solid and muscular. The weapons he held were not his main poison darts or stone axes, but proper iron swords and shields.

‘Are you sure it’s bigger than the average goblin?’

Two eyes shone through the grass swaying in the wind.

As the goblins disappeared, the hunter, who had been observing with his eyes open, spoke softly to the earset.

“Headquarters. This is Alpha Three. Five goblins are moving from the direction of Yeouibong toward the Green Pension. Their type is Soldier.”

-Is this Fox Pass Road?

“Yes. I’m moving along the road.”

– Then, you are a new group. Identification number ‘A6’ will be given. After the shift change at 17:00, return to base camp.

“Received.”

After finishing his report, the hunter crouched back down under his camouflage.

I didn’t forget to spray the surrounding area with a spray made from snake juice to keep human odor from spreading.

The forest was once again filled with the sound of cicadas.

* * *

“Five goblin soldiers on the west path of Fox Pass.”

As the situation room operator operated the device according to Kang Moo-hyuk’s instructions, a green circle with the number ‘5’ written on it appeared on the 120-inch monitor.

‘There are 89 scouts roaming around the outside so far. The scouting range extends beyond the lakeside to Mangbongsan and Yeouibong. Excluding the flat land to the west, the radius is almost 4 kilometers. The size of the tribe is probably larger than the known information.’

Kang Mu-hyeok looked at the map focusing on where the base camp was located.

We set up a camp at an elementary school in Nogok-ri, 7.5 kilometers south of Sanjeong Lake.

Because the northern part of the special zone was severely distorted by mana and had poor communication, temporary communication antennas were installed on the summits of Mt. Gwaneum on the left and Mt. Sahyang on the right of the gateway to Sanjeong Lake.

All of this was thanks to An Ji-il, who maintained the equipment brought out from Warehouse C.

Thanks to his efforts, communications were able to reach the Fox Peak in the northeast and the area around Sanjeong Lake in the center.

‘There aren’t many Hunters in Iron Will who have telepathy skills. It’s such a popular skill that the top guilds monopolize it, so it’s hard to obtain. If Team Leader Ahn hadn’t come up with it after years of research, this operation would have been even more difficult.’

Kang Moo-hyuk also thought that the future of hunting depended on the C Project.

“But why are you running a reconnaissance team, Captain? I saw the equipment team earlier and they had a drone.”

In a corner of the situation room set up in the old elementary school teachers’ office, Gongduri asked while operating the equipment.

“Every time you use it, a low-level mana stone is consumed. It’s still not very efficient, so 20 minutes is the limit.”

“You’re using a low-level one? Wow, it’s a money-eating drone?”

“Besides, flying a drone only makes the goblins more vigilant. The camp was placed in the south instead of the west, where it’s easy to get to the lake, so it’s out of the goblins’ sight.”

The road to Sanjeong Lake was National Route 78, which runs east to west, and National Route 387, which runs north to south.

The goblins tightly blocked the narrow roads to the south, east, and north, while actively moving to the west where it was easy to advance and retreat.

Just by looking at these behavioral patterns, you could tell that they were a tribe of goblins with a fairly advanced level of intelligence.

‘A hobgoblin, of course, and maybe a goblin chief or clan head.’

A large tribe with a well-established leadership system.

The Goblin Clan of Sanjeong Lake was a more difficult opponent than expected.

“I will continue to collect more information for a few days, so I will upload it to the database as soon as I have it, and share it on the external bulletin board… … .”

It was the moment when Kang Mu-hyeok gave instructions.

Profit!

-This is Delta Two! Blood Squirrel! Blood Squirrel is coming!

An urgent voice rang out over the radio.

Kang Moo-hyuk urged his opponent with a calm voice that was the opposite of his usual one.

“Aren’t you reporting properly? Just calmly report and do as you are told.”

-Sorry, sorry. There’s a bunch of squirrels gathering. I think they’ll head south soon. There’s about twenty of them.

“Has Delta Two’s location been discovered?”

-No. It seems like he doesn’t know yet.

“What distance?”

As Kang Mu-hyeok looked at the monitor, Gong Du-ri cleverly raised the Delta Two position.

‘The entrance to Mt. Sasang, the distance is 2 kilometers. It’s a 30-minute walk, but it takes less than 10 minutes at the normal moving speed of a squirrel.’

Kang Moo-hyuk assessed the situation and gave an order.

“Delta Two, stand by. Keep an eye out for follow-up monsters.”

-Yes, I understand.

“Team Leader Gong, tell the long-range blocking team to retreat to the forward outpost.”

“Yes.”

Kang Moo-hyuk grabbed another microphone attached to the operator equipment and brought it to his mouth.

As he pressed the button next to the microphone, a short beep echoed throughout the camp.

The hunters and staff flinched at the sound of the alarm.

Then Kang Mu-hyeok’s voice rang out.

– To all camps. First-level combat alert. Situation broadcast. At least twenty blood squirrels are moving south from the north of Route 387. The camp is in a defensive posture. Over.

Kang Mu-hyeok, who gave the order, immediately opened the door to the teachers’ office and went out.

It was to check the hunters’ readiness.

Amid the commotion in the hallway, Kang Moo-hyuk went out to the central entrance.

Joo Sea was there first.

She frowned as she looked around the classroom. Kang Mu-hyeok, standing next to her, had a similar expression.

“Why can’t I come to my senses? It’s just twenty squirrels.”

“They’re the most difficult of the three stars… but this one’s definitely problematic.”

Joo Se Ah couldn’t help but sigh at the sight of the hunters floundering around. It was fortunate that they were able to find their place, even if it was only by groping.

Kang Moo-hyuk felt like he was putting a stone on his chest that was heavier than Joo Se-ah’s sighs.

‘Even if it wasn’t Chairman Taejinseong’s request, we would have been wiped out by the goblin tribe.’