The Time-Limited Leader Makes the Raid a Success - Chapter 39



Only Noblemtl

Episode 39

39. Approach it with that kind of determination.

Bukpocheon border area.

Checkpoint 2-B.

An unexpected scuffle broke out at a checkpoint managed by a private company.

“Hey, what’s going on between us? You won’t open the door when there are guests?”

“Not now. Iron Will is inside. It would be a problem if we run into each other.”

“I told you I’m not going that way. I’ll hang around the outskirts and then come back.”

“Can you do that? What if more customers ask to come in? When will it be up to the owner?”

“You and I both live our lives based on money, is this really going to happen? You said you gave Dong-soo’s gang a few days ago?”

“That’s hunting. Mr. Dodaesu, you’re a tourist. If a civilian gets into an accident, you can’t get away with it.”

“When have you ever seen me cause trouble? Don’t do that. Come on, take this and let me in. Let me go. Save me. The guests are watching.”

Dodaesu gestured behind him with his chin and thrust an envelope into the outpost manager’s arms.

The manager also became greedy when he put something a little thicker than what he was given every time in his inner pocket.

He repeated the process of rubbing his lips and shaking his head several times, but finally, as if he could not resist, he buttoned up the collar of his coat and cleared his throat while holding the envelope inside.

It was an okay sign.

Do Dae-su patted the manager on the shoulder and winked.

“Safely. Without being caught. Got it?”

“Okay. Anyway, I told you not to worry about anything useless.”

After successfully completing the negotiation, Do Dae-su returned to the stopped vehicle.

Two SUVs and a minibus sandwiched between them.

Of the three vehicles, he boarded a minibus.

It looked like a minibus on the outside, but the interior was different from a typical interior. The space between seats was wide, and the seats were large and soft, like business class seats on an airplane.

From luxurious leather seats reminiscent of a limousine to a wine refrigerator.

And it’s full of bottles of alcohol.

The sight of three men and three women rolling around in broad daylight, blowing on bottles of vodka, was so obscene that it was almost frown-worthy.

But Dodaesu smiled brightly and closed the bus door.

“Okay, customers. The gate has finally opened. Shall we begin today’s monster tour?”

* * *

“What is all this?”

Joo Seah asked as she looked at the unfamiliar trailer vehicle.

The trailer had a familiar logo on it.

HANJU

A large corporation ranked in the top 10 of the business world, similar in size to the Taesung Group.

If Taesung had strengths in the field of gate materials, Hanju had significant shares in biotechnology and chemistry.

The vehicle she was looking at was a chemical subsidiary of that very same group.

“It’s a sealed container. Is there anything inside… ?”

“Yes. It’s an ampoule kit. Only the healing potion is of the first grade, and the rest are of the third grade. I received a full set of 230, enough for the guild members to use.”

Joo Seah opened her mouth wide.

The healing potion alone was an expensive item, costing at least 40 to 50 million won.

Moreover, it wasn’t just one piece, it was a full set of ampoule kits.

Although the rest of the potions were only tier 3, they contained items that could be useful on an expedition, such as hemostasis, detoxification, purification, stamina, and elemental resistance.

In terms of price, it’s an item that costs almost 300 million won per set. Depending on the situation, it can sometimes reach up to 500 million won.

There are some ordinary people who think that Hunter equipment is cheap at only 300 million won, but if you consider that disposable consumables cost 300 million won, it is not an amount that even a Hunter can ignore.

‘The problem is that money isn’t the only thing that can buy it.’

Of course, Joo Seah used this set as her basic equipment during her time in the Slayer Guild. However, she never got to see it after she came out.

It was easy to obtain advanced equipment and potions from Tier Guilds, A-grade, and B-grade in that order.

The basic policy of suppliers was to distribute limited resources to capable guilds first.

It will only be effective when used by skilled hunters, and it offers more cost-effectiveness than any advertising.

The reason why the Titan Guild struggled at the threshold of tier guild promotion was because of the difficulty in securing such high-level equipment.

“So. You gave me this in one week?”

“I received it from a friend. As a token of our friendship.”

“… … .”

“Why do you look at me like that?”

“It’s too much to call it friendship. Is that friendship not some kind of blackmail or conspiracy or something?”

“It’s a somewhat calculated friendship. They want my know-how on establishing and operating a guild. We plan to sign an MOU.”

“Oh, a week? Friendship? Their reputation is not good. Isn’t this a case of getting your nose pierced by something? Even though I gave you full authority, wouldn’t it be okay to tell me about non-urgent matters in advance? Isn’t that the least courtesy you can show Gilma?”

Joo Se Ah pursed her lips and glared. It was different from her usual murderous glare, but it was a gaze so fierce that it would make a normal person cringe.

Kang Moo-hyuk said, catching her sharp gaze.

“Aren’t you going to tell me now? The postmortem report. It’s in the contract.”

“Just in case. Are there any postmortem reports that haven’t been submitted yet?”

“Yes. I met the chairman before coming here.”

“Chairman? Father? Why are you telling me that now?”

“I forgot.”

“There’s nothing else to forget!”

“You are talking nonsense. It was not something worth listening to. Huh? This is the guild leader’s father. Did I speak too harshly?”

“No. It doesn’t matter because we’re not biologically related, so I don’t care. More importantly, what did you say? I don’t think you’d hear anything good from someone who’s a bit harsh.”

“It certainly wasn’t a pleasant thing to hear. It was like he was trying to play with people’s lives.”

Kang Moo-hyuk told what happened with Chairman Tae Jin-seong.

Joo Se-ah, who had listened to the whole story, made two different expressions at the same time.

Anger towards Tae Jin-seong for ordering half of the guild members to die, and bewilderment towards Kang Mu-hyeok for hiding such an absurd threat and order.

“No. Are you only talking about such a serious matter now? Oh my, this is ridiculous.”

“It’s not really my style to speak irresponsibly and without a plan. I needed time to gather my thoughts.”

“But does talking mean that things are sorted out?”

“I have a few ideas, but the current situation is beyond my expectations, so I am holding off on making a decision.”

“Because of the Goblin Godmother?”

“Yes. Maybe it’s because I feel like sacrifices can’t be avoided.”

“… … If that happens, regardless of your intentions, you will end up listening to the chairman. Right?”

Joo Seah hit the nail on the head.

When Kang Mu-hyeok did not respond, she ground her teeth.

“Captain, did you really think so? You thought we should wait a bit because our men might die during the hunt? If someone dies, you won’t have to think about it and just solve it? If that’s true, then this is a bit disappointing.”

“I don’t want anyone to die. I just considered all possibilities. I’m still constantly thinking of ways to avoid the worst case scenario. Isn’t that my job?”

“No. I think you’re misunderstanding something, Captain. The fact that someone’s sacrifice is collateral is annoying in itself. This is making me a little angry.”

Joo Se-ah looks at Kang Mu-hyeok with cold eyes like never before.

Kang Mu-hyeok stared calmly into her eyes and slowly opened his mouth.

“Guild Leader. You don’t seem to fit in that position yet.”

“What did you say?”

Joo Se Ah, who had been hoping for an answer that would clearly admit her mistake, glared at the unexpected words.

“You’ve held important positions in the Slayer Guild, such as the expedition ace, solo one-pick tactician, and boss tool player, right?”

“So? What are you trying to say?”

“All those positions are about ‘doing well’ yourself. But have you ever been responsible for someone’s life? Have you ever been in that position?”

“I have always risked my life hunting. I have fought on the front lines to keep others from dying.”

“So, has anyone ever died while hunting?”

“… … .”

Joo Se Ah remained silent with her lips tightly shut.

There is no such thing as a perfect hunt where no one dies or gets hurt.

Although there were some cases where I was lucky and such, the more I went hunting, the more deaths I had to endure.

The empty space is quickly filled, but the person who left never returns.

That was a fact that could not be avoided even if he stood at the forefront of the gate.

Joo Se Ah couldn’t carelessly answer Kang Moo Hyuk’s simple and obvious question. She seemed to have a vague idea of ​​what he was trying to say.

Kang Moo-hyuk nodded at her silence and continued speaking.

“The strategy team leader or expedition leader sets several priorities when conducting a raid. Who will be the next in command when the senior is absent, what the tanking order is, what order the night shifts are, what time to eat, what time to go to the bathroom, and other little details. But among these, there is one thing that they choose first. Do you know what it is?”

“… … .”

“The people who will live and the people who will kill.”

“What is that… … .”

“If the raid fails and a safe retreat is impossible, you have to prioritize who to save and who to give up.”

It was something Joo Se Ah had never experienced before.

Since she joined the expedition, the Slayer Guild has achieved a 100% gate capture rate.

There was no need to use the last resort, nor was there any need to hear the process of how to do it.

Although he was a steadfast ace hunter, the guild could not possibly place such a burden on a young man in his mid-twenties.

Rather than being considerate of Joo Se-ah, it could be said that it was a choice made to efficiently use a skilled hunter.

Kang Moo-hyuk had a rough idea of ​​the situation. Titan also tried not to make the young hunters responsible for the life and death of the party.

There comes a time when a hunter feels more responsible for the party than for himself, or for the raid group than for the party.

Although Joo Sea was trained to be the strongest hunter, she was not educated to be a capable leader or guild leader.

That was because I left the Slayer Guild at that point.

Kang Moo-hyuk thought that it was time for Joo Se-ah to learn what kind of position Gil-ma was.

“It’s an unspoken agreement made during the Great War. It’s for future raids. In order to survive and protect humanity, you have to prepare for the future. Have you ever heard of this saying? Future generations will catch the next monster based on the experiences and sacrifices of their predecessors. This is… … .”

“I know. It’s what’s carved on the Hunter’s Association wall.”

“The guild leader who is heavily involved in hunting, the strategy team leader who deals with the lives of many people… I always think about that. It’s a cruel choice. I don’t like it either. But hunting must continue. That’s why hunters exist.”

‘But I don’t like talking about someone’s death so easily.’

Even though I understood it in my head, my heart couldn’t accept it.

Joo Seah still thought she could kill two birds with one stone.

Catch all the monsters without sacrificing anyone.

It was a confidence she could have because she was raised as an elite.

Even if it’s difficult now, it will become possible someday.

She truly believed that.

‘It may seem like you don’t understand, but it’s a good thing that you’re thinking about it.’

If the past 10 years were the first act of Hunter Jusea, the next 10 years would be the second act of becoming Gilma Jusea.

Kang Moo-hyuk added his final words.

“I am not a hunter. However, I am also a leader who must be prepared to sacrifice the lives of my guild members. However, I do not intend to treat their lives lightly. I will not avoid hunting. I will do my best to stop it. The guild leader should also be prepared to do the same.”

It was just words, but Joo Se Ah felt her breath catch in her throat.

Ironically, it was the emergency signal that saved her.

Kang Moo-hyuk answered the ringing sound in his ears by turning on the earset that he had turned off.

“What’s going on?”

-The goblin tribe has moved its forces west!

“!!”

* * *

“This guy is a goblin. He’s one of the monsters that most closely resembles a human, except he’s a little shorter. Luckily, the younger ones were out hunting, so I didn’t have to go too deep. I was lucky. How? Would you like to hit him yourself?”

Dodaesu tied the goblin’s hands and feet tightly, threw him on the floor, and placed the blunt weapon in the customer’s hand.

The man who had received the blunt weapon was drunk and drugged, his eyes reddened. His pupils were unfocused, and blood flowed from his nose, where his mucous membranes had been irritated by the powder he had inhaled.

puck!

“Keeeeeek!”

“Fuck. This kid screams once. And he’s killing the taste of his hands. It’s different from beating up a dog. Is it because he’s a monster?”

The blunt weapon cut through the air several times. Each time, the goblin screamed and turned into a blood clot. The women nearby cheered the man on, shouting “Nice shot!” as if they were doing it on a golf course.

As his breath finally died, the man turned his baton towards the goblin held beside him.

“Hey, stop it. Let me kill you too. Here, cut it with this knife.”

“Customer, please be careful when handling the sword. If you do it wrong, you will get hurt.”

“CEO Do, please hold the pose. Is this okay? They say this a lot in movies.”

“It’s hard to swing it with one hand. It would be better to hold it with both hands.”

Those who had tasted blood by using various weapons on the remaining goblins soon ran out of stamina and collapsed in the minibus.

Some people vomited blood, but it wasn’t because they were disgusted or scared. They just vomited because they had had too much to drink.

While they rested, it was the hunters’ job to bury the dead goblins and dispose of them.

If you leave the corpse as it is, all kinds of monsters will come and swarm you, so you can reduce the hassle by properly cleaning it up.

Do Dae-su, who was watching the hunters work, took a drag on his cigarette. Next to him, a hunter approached him secretly.

“Brother, isn’t this business coming to an end this time?”

“What’s up?”

“I heard that the Iron Will Guild has come in. They’ve made it their home territory, so they might be controlled in the future.”

“That’s the story of the kids who come to hunt. Are we gathering or hunting monsters that are worth some money? We’re just bringing rich kids here to experience monster hunting. Even if they get caught, they’ll just pay a fine and be done with it. The fine is something that can be done in one go.”

The hunter nodded at Dodaesu’s words.

Clearly, there was no legal basis for sanctioning monster hunting experience tourism.

The market itself was not widely known as a blue ocean and a pastime only for the rich.

Of course the drugs they were dispensing were illegal, but would the police come all the way to the special zone?

Even if he got caught, there were plenty of loopholes to escape since he didn’t procure it himself but just watched.

Dodaesu said, patting the hunter on the shoulder.

“The entry fee for this is 1,000 won per person. You also get a free drink, and there are additional costs for equipment usage and depending on the type of monster.”

“That’s right. If you take one team, you just get a few hundred million.”

“Yeah, that’s it. Can C-class guys like us make this much money hunting? It’s a better business to suck money from rich guys who just want to relieve stress through bloodshed and violence like a hunter. Let’s stop worrying about useless things and go hunt the next monster.”

Dodaesu threw his cigarette on the floor, put it out with his foot, and led his customers to the next hunting ground.

“The goblin was a bit bland, wasn’t it? Well, next time I’ll catch a more ferocious one. Alright, let’s go.”

After Dodaesu and his party left.

A wolf ran towards where they were.

Surprisingly, there was a goblin riding on the wolf.

The goblin sniffed and got off the wolf. Then he picked up a cigarette butt that had fallen on the ground.

The vertically thin black slits in the eyes, which resembled egg yolks, shone brightly.

The goblin found tire marks on the ground and roared in the direction the vehicle was headed.

“Kyaaaaah!”