The Time-Limited Leader Makes the Raid a Success - Chapter 416



Only Noblemtl

Episode 416

#416. Sometimes there are guys like that.

The rookie hunters, including Han Garam, lined up in front of the BEXCO 1st event hall while being cursed at.

They also knew that the Nagas were coming to attack. They also knew that there was nowhere to run. They knew that if they didn’t fight, they would die.

I was prepared to go into battle, but as soon as I finished preparing to fight, all sorts of distracting thoughts started to bother my mind.

‘Why did I come to Busan? I won’t be able to enlist anyway, so I should just stay at home.’

‘Second draft, fucking shit!’

‘He’s always going out and coming back, and he’s going to die in his debut match. His specialty is tanking… ‘

‘Mom, I joined the guild, but it looks like I’ll be leaving right away.’

The distracting thoughts soon turned into fear. For Northeast Asian hunters, Nagara was a monster they had only seen in textbooks. Usually, newcomers were consumed by the fear of the unknown in front of the gate and monsters.

In fact, it was a tough task for the newbies. They weren’t even used to simple hunting yet, so they had to face a war-level mission.

It was a fight where you could get contribution points and some rewards due to the national quest commissioned by the guild cooperation office, but other than that, there was nothing to gain from it.

Of course, for the hunters who survive, it will be a more valuable experience than any other hunting.

“Everyone is fighting! Yeah, this is what a rookie should be. Hahahaha!”

A group of people appeared with hearty laughter.

The one in the lead was a huge man. He walked with a figure-eight gait, carrying on his shoulders an axe blade the size of a man’s torso.

The newcomers’ shoulders naturally shrank from the awe radiating from his size. Before anyone could say anything, they made their way left and right.

It was because of the emblem of the Fighter’s Guild painted on the armor coat.

“Okay, the path is open. Please pass through, Team Leader Ki.”

“Godukpal, you’re in your first year now. Where are you sulking?”

“Yes. Sorry.”

Rookie hunter Godeokpal became sullen at Ki Seungil’s criticism and lowered the sack from his shoulder.

The other hunters who saw that sight opened their eyes wide and glared at Godeokpal.

‘This kid was a rookie too?’

‘He looks like he’s been around for almost 10 years?’

Some of them recognized Godeokpal. There was a murmur of chatter among the newcomers.

“That bastard Godeokpal has joined the fighting party?”

“That guy was the first pick in last year’s draft.”

“They said it was the best in Busan, so it went into the Tier Guild as expected?”

When he saw the hunters who knew him, Godeokpal straightened his back and put more mulberry on his shoulder again. Then, he got kicked in the butt by the senior of the Fighting Father Guild who was following him.

“Relax your shoulders, Shasha. There’s a guy the size of a bear just sitting there doing a shoulder dance.”

“Ugh! This, Irina, the party leader. But it’s a bit much to point your toe and poke at it… .”

“Why? Should I pierce your ear instead? So you listen to me? When I say nice things to you, you should be polite. Huh?”

“yes.”

“What’s that shit-chewing look on your face? Are you dissatisfied?”

“No, sir.”

“Just cover your face with your helmet. Your expression is unpleasant.”

“yes…….”

When Irina appeared next, with her long hair tied into a ponytail, exclamations rang out among the hunters.

Irina was a female hunter well known to the public.

If there is Joo Se Ah in Seoul, there is Irina in Busan, so she was a famous person. She was talented, but she was even more popular because of her innocent beauty. Of course, her mouth was like that of a veteran hunter.

One thing was certain, Irina’s mere appearance here had caused morale to soar.

The fact that a star fighter like Irina appeared here meant that this was not a battlefield to be abandoned.

‘It’s really convenient when you have that guy. But what’s wrong with that awkward personality?’

Ki Seung-il, who knew Irina’s true identity, shook his head and went ahead.

Veteran hunters who had been drafted from each guild to the central command center were waiting in the ranks of the hastily assembled hunter unit.

As Kang Mu-hyeok said, they were planning to fight at the front so that the rookies would not easily fall.

Although their numbers were not large, they were skilled enough to be sent to the central command center by each guild.

‘Maybe it’s because Busan is so small, but there are quite a few hunters I’ve seen before. I guess our chemistry isn’t too bad.’

Ki Seung-il nodded to the other guild hunters around him and then climbed onto the car parked in front of him and turned around.

The newcomers who encountered Ki Seung-il focused on him even though they didn’t know English.

“This is Ki Seung-il, the leader of the Ssaul Abi Guild Strategy Team!”

The whole area was in an uproar as he introduced himself in a booming voice.

He had a certain level of recognition as the strategy team leader of the Tier Guild.

“I won’t talk too much! I’ll keep my eyes open and watch the battle today! Is this a talent we can recruit? Or is he just another piece of crap? In other words, this is your chance! If you’re a Hunter, prove your skills yourself!”

Ki Seung-il’s words meant that he should demonstrate his abilities and show that he was a talented person who would join the guild.

It was a stopgap speech to boost the morale of the newcomers.

But to the ears of the newbies, it sounded like they had to catch his eye if they wanted to join the Fighting Father Guild.

The morale skyrocketed in an instant.

“Wow!”

“What the heck! Is the second draft even a big deal?! Let’s do it!”

“Mom, if I do well today, I might be able to get into the Tier Guild.”

“Come on, come on!”

Ki Seung-il realized that his words had caused misunderstandings, but he couldn’t take back his words now.

‘As long as the results are good, that’s all that matters.’

Ki Seung-il thought he was at least ready to fight. From the beginning, he had no intention of fighting and winning against them.

‘You just have to hold on for a little while longer and hold on.’

The rest of them had to wait for the hunters waiting inside the building to create a siege and deal with them.

“Naga is coming!”

Someone shouted and Ki-seung-il looked back. A group of Nagas were pushing in from the end of the road.

“You made it just in time.”

As reported by the hunters hiding in the building, the Nagas’ movements were not hasty.

Rather than rushing in, the troops marched proudly like a large army heading to war.

The sight was truly that of an army.

‘Perhaps, as Captain Kang Mu-hyeok said, the king of Naga was born. He’s too orderly to be called a monster.’

Ki Seung-il thought of Kang Mu-hyeok, who had been left in charge of the situation room.

Even though he was the leader of a small guild that had just become a B-rank, he wasn’t worried. He would give appropriate orders based on the reports coming in from all over Busan.

In a situation where he had all the information, Ki Seung-il himself could have made a judgment that was no less than his own, but as of now, there was no one who could give the right orders as much as Kang Mu-hyeok.

Kang Moo-hyuk’s ability to remember information was ridiculous. On top of that, his ability to grasp and analyze real-time information was also amazing.

‘You’re also great at improvising. In that chaotic situation, you set up a trap like this just in case something happens.’

If it weren’t for Kang Moo-hyuk, the rookies who participated in the second draft today would have literally been ‘murdered’.

In that sense, today’s rookies owed Kang Mu-hyeok their lives.

‘I understand why Bugilma wanted to recruit me. I guess that’s why I was able to work with Seongseonje. I should forget about the situation room. Let’s focus on the battle for now.’

Ki Seung-il shook off his distracting thoughts with a deep breath.

It was the first time in a long time that he had been standing on the scene. However, the A+ rank hunter’s dignity did not disappear. As soon as his eyes calmed down, the army entered the parking lot.

The newcomers flinched at the advance of the Nagas, trampling and destroying parked cars.

There was less than 10 meters left between the Nagas and the Hunters.

Suddenly, Ki Seung-il jumped forward.

He kicked the side door of the vehicle he had just gone up to speak in. The car was pushed out, hitting the oncoming Nagas. Seeing this, other veteran hunters also ran over and kicked or threw the vehicles in front of them.

The vehicles pounced on the Nagas. The Nagas screamed as they were crushed, run over, and crushed. The momentum of their advance was noticeably reduced.

Ki Seung-il pulled out his sword and raised it high, shouting.

“All hands on deck!”

* * *

The battle against the monster group was a battle of momentum.

If you have a skilled tanker with all the equipment in the front line, you can use a strategy of holding out and flanking, but in a situation like now where everything is lacking, a first-mover strategy is especially important.

‘It’s hard to withstand the monster’s brute force by just standing still. It’s even harder for a newbie.’

In that respect, Iron Will’s new recruit, Han Garam, deserves a passing grade.

Noh Song-rin was dealing with the Nagars while keeping Han Garam in sight. Although Seo Dae-chi was by Han Garam’s side, he felt uneasy about leaving everything to a hunter who had not yet reached a high rank.

‘Wow, that guy was shaking and acting all dazed. But he’s actually quite good at fighting me.’

E-rank hunter.

Although he was a hunter known as a superhuman, Hangaram was a beginner who had just begun to escape the shackles of being human.

Since he was still far from being able to confront Naga head-on, he was given the role of drawing Naga’s attention as Seodaechi’s assistant.

‘But aren’t the attacks more fierce than I thought? I heard that you managed to catch Naga’s vital point by chance… Even though your form is awkward, you’re dealing with it quite calmly.’

Although Han Garam was fighting so well that Noh Song-rin said he was fighting well, he was not really that relaxed inside.

Hangaram looked at the dagger in his hand with a regretful expression and then swung it vigorously toward Naga.

“Hey, man!”

But it couldn’t reach Naga, who already had a long reach.

Nagaga, who flinched at the attack that came flying from the corner of his eye, looked at Hangaram with embarrassment. Hangaram also scratched his head and said.

“Haha, it’s shorter than I thought?”

“Keeeeeek!”

“Eww!”

Naga got angry and rushed at Hangaram. Hangaram covered his head and narrowly avoided Naga’s claws and ran away.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry!”

“What the hell are you apologizing to a monster for?!”

Seodaechi shouted as he thrust his sword into Naga’s side.

Hangaram, who came to his senses suddenly at his harsh words, screamed in a way that was neither a scream nor a shout and turned around, reaching out his dagger towards Naga.

‘also?’

The dagger that Han Garam stabbed hit Naga’s vital point. The most delicate skin among the tough flesh. The dagger dug into Naga’s flesh in an instant and drank the sticky green blood.

‘You hit the nail on the head again. Was this not a coincidence?’

When Seo Dae-chi glared at him with a subtle gaze, Hangaram flinched and made an excuse for running away a little while ago.

“It’s a strategic retreat, sir.”

Seo Dae-chi’s expression became even more incomprehensible at that ridiculous excuse.

Hangaram changed his words like a thief whose feet had become numb.

“I’m sorry. I ran away because I was scared.”

“You… are truly an ignorant person.”

“yes?”

Seodaechi jumped towards Naga, who was nearby, leaving Hangaram, who was tilting his head with a puzzled look on his face. Hangaram followed behind him, looking embarrassed.

‘There are guys like that sometimes. Guys who achieve results either by luck or skill. Those guys are usually one of the two.’

Become a big shot or die early.

Which side is that guy on?

* * *

“Director Kang Mu-hyeok. The part you mentioned earlier. It’s starting to come up little by little.”

At the operator’s report, Kang Moo-hyuk approached him and checked the monitor.

‘As expected, SNS can’t be stopped.’

Even though they said they were controlling the press, they couldn’t block SNS. To block it, they had to cut off all internet networks in the Busan area, but this could have caused problems later.

At least in South Korea, which claims to be a democratic country, the government may face a backlash if it raises the claim that freedom of expression has been violated even in an emergency situation.

‘There is no such thing as perfect security when hunters receive monster alerts anyway. Still, the news spreading through SNS causes anxiety and confusion among the general public.’

This was something we had already experienced in the previous Northeastern Defense Battle.

Social media, which started out as a way to share facts, has now become a hotbed of fake news, which has been replaced by fear.

Although a belated government announcement followed, the already widespread rumors fueled people’s suspicions.

‘That’s why I expressed my opinion that controlling the media is not the solution… … .’

The problem is that once a government policy is set, it is difficult to change.

As the various situations and positions of the political world become intertwined and the two sides fight over each other, it is very likely that they will forget what they were originally trying to do.

‘The problem is that the level of risk that is made known through SNS is not perceived. That’s where accidents occur.’

Most people sense danger and avoid places where monsters appear, but there are some who enjoy the thrill.

To put it nicely, they are just enjoying the thrill, but in reality, the problem is the creators who cannot tell the difference between right and wrong and are only after one follower or one subscriber.

And the foolish people who believe their words and come out to watch.

Some people even laughed at the idea, saying it was ridiculous. Who would risk their lives to see a monster? Where are those crazy people?

‘I wish there were no such people, but that’s not the reality.’

Kang Moo-hyuk hoped that people like this would not appear in monster-infested areas and interfere with the hunters’ operations.

“I will relay this to the guilds in charge of the coastal areas. After the road control, speed up the evacuation of civilians. We will change our policy to forcibly remove civilians who try to enter. If this becomes a problem in the future, the Central Command Center and the Guild Cooperation Office will take responsibility.”

Kang Mu-hyeok received a new order.

The operators quickly relayed orders to the guild in charge.

At that time, another operator who was monitoring SNS approached me cautiously.

“Hey boss, I think you should take a look here.”

“What’s going on?”

“There has been a surge in feeds about the Naga raid recently.”

“I just confirmed that. If we tell the government to lift the media control, it will be resolved to some extent.”

“No, that’s not it… The problem is where these posts are coming from.”

“Where are the posts uploaded?”

Kang Moo-hyuk went to the operator’s seat who had pointed out the problem and checked the screen.

“Could this be… … .”

“Yes. China and Japan… they were also attacked by Nagas.”

“!!”