The Time-Limited Leader Makes the Raid a Success - Chapter 50



Only Noblemtl

Episode 50

50. Just take it easy.

“Non-returnee?”

Kang Mu-hyeok, who had just returned to the Bukpocheon Guild headquarters, questioned the unexpected report.

After the goblin tribe raid, the hunters were given a break in turns.

Since it was a long-awaited vacation, some extravagant hunters, especially young ones, were expected to indulge in partying and return late.

It wasn’t necessarily an issue that Pyobeomhee had to mention with a serious face.

“Who didn’t come in?”

“No one can say anything. Half of the people who went on vacation never came back.”

Only then did Kang Moo-hyuk realize the seriousness of the situation. Not one or two, but half. It seemed like something was wrong.

“There were twenty-seven people on vacation this time, right?”

“Fourteen of them are missing.”

“What about emergency contact information?”

“The power was all turned off. And it smells a little bit? Maybe someone attacked them. The wolf pen is worth it, after all.”

“Even if we were greedy, we wouldn’t resort to such a noisy method at this point in time when we are in the spotlight.”

Kang Moo-hyuk shook his head at Pyo Beom-hee’s opinion, but did not deny the fact that he had been attacked.

‘It could be something other than violence.’

Even before Kang Mu-hyeok joined, Iron Will was not on good terms with the Slayer Guild because of Joo Se-ah. Since the resumption of the position of the leader, he has been in a position similar to public service in the industry.

It meant that anyone could hold a grudge.

But things changed immediately after the announcement of Rider Wolf. The industry’s view was that it would be more beneficial for the guild to cooperate rather than be hostile.

There was no longer any justification for hacking.

“What should I do? Should I go out and find out?”

Kang Mu-hyeok stopped Pyo Beom-hee, who was about to get off the chair and head to Seoul right away.

“No. Team Leader Pyo, you protect the guild. There is someone else who will look into it.”

“who?”

“Hunter Noh Song-rin. He’s the perfect person for this kind of work.”

* * *

Gangnam’s famous club Hexagram.

Noh Song-rin looked at the line of people waiting to enter, which was as long as the heat of a cold Friday, and took a deep drag on the cigarette in his mouth. The hunter’s superhuman lung capacity burned the cigarette right up to the filter in one breath. The ash fell to the floor as it broke. He blew out the cigarette.

The butt landed on the tip of the shoe of the guard guarding the entrance to the club. Sparks flew across the polished leather.

The guard frowned, but didn’t get angry. It was an occupational disease.

Do not act rashly before accurately identifying the other person.

People living in the age of the Hunters, especially those closer to the dark side, needed to be more careful.

Club guards were not criminals, but due to the nature of their jobs, they were often involved in various troubles. It was not uncommon for them to make a mistake and end up getting caught by a hunter and becoming disabled.

Noh Song-rin ignored the waiting line and headed toward the entrance.

“Customer, please line up to enter.”

“Is Taekwoo here? Kim Taekwoo. I heard he’s a VIP here.”

“Customer information cannot be disclosed… … .”

“Who told you to reveal it? Just tell me whether you came or not.”

“That is not within my authority.”

“If you don’t know, let me check.”

As Noh Song-rin stepped inside, the guard blocked her way.

“If you want to get in, line up… … .”

“what?”

The guard’s body swayed for a moment. The opponent only lightly hit his shoulder, but it felt as if a strong man had used his strength to push him away.

‘As expected, you’re a hunter.’

Before the guard who was rolling on the floor could respond, other guards who had not yet grasped the situation blocked Noh Song-rin.

“I told you, just look for Taekwoo. Kim Taekwoo of the Ironwill Guild. I heard this place is called Club Jukdol.”

It was only after the word guild came out that everyone realized that their opponents were hunters.

The guards’ eyes turned to the back. A man who caught their gaze came out from a corner. He was the club’s entrance manager.

It seemed like a forced position, but it was different if the man was a hunter. It was a position that managed access, but it had a so-called ‘final move’.

Noh Song-rin looked the other person up and down and then snorted.

“It’s probably around C-rank. Does a C-ranked guy fight people instead of monsters? And in a bar at that?”

“… … .”

“You ran away from the gate?”

A tone that is clearly ridiculed.

The man flinched. The fact that he matched his rank in one breath meant that his opponent’s rank was higher.

As the bouncer of the most popular club in Gangnam, it’s not surprising that there are many people with high ranks, but when the opponent was picking at his wounds, he got really angry.

Fugitive at the gate.

After all, it’s talking about losers who are afraid of hunting and can’t enter the gate.

It was a point that was not easy to readily acknowledge, even if it was a fact.

“That’s a bit harsh. That rank isn’t even a government position. I don’t know how great of a hunter you are, but it’s not my type, so how can you get a medal from me─ Ugh!”

Nosongrin’s outstretched hand brushed the man’s right ear. The sharp hand tore the earlobe. A chilling sensation accompanied by a drop of blood spurted out.

Then, he grabbed the back of the man’s head with his wrist like a hook and started pulling out his hair. Noh Song-rin pulled the man’s head towards her and kicked his ankle with the sole of her foot.

The man’s body was twisted and turned in the air. He didn’t even have time to fall. He rolled around on the floor in an awkward manner due to the quick leg kick.

There was no physical shock, but the mental shock was great.

People who had not paid attention to the simple quarrel that often occurred on Friday nights were startled by the sudden violence. It was an unusual scene for a large person to be thrown around like that.

Some of the club regulars were even more surprised because they knew that the manager who had just been hit was a former Hunter.

Some took out their smartphones to film, but when Noh Song-rin looked over their shoulders and shouted, “Who’s going to kill me?” they didn’t dare press the button.

The man, who was so ashamed of having been treated so savagely, barely managed to raise his head. Noh Song-rin was looking down at him.

Shudder.

It was a cold, no, indifferent gaze. It was as if he wasn’t even in the picture. He felt discouraged and avoided eye contact.

“A hunter’s rank is his position. You don’t know that, so that’s why you’re here like this.”

“Gulp!”

The sudden violence caused silence in the surroundings. Only the sound of the man swallowing his saliva could be heard. Noh Song-rin spoke to the guard next to him.

“Should I wait any longer?”

“Yes, yes?”

“Kim Taek-woo. Iron Will. He’s probably playing around in a room. Show him around.”

* * *

“Drink! I’ll pay today! Hahaha!”

Kim Taek-woo, with his eyes wide open, poured alcohol into his mouth. Half of it was drunk, half was spilled. No matter how low his rank was, he was a hunter. He usually wouldn’t get drunk, but on this day, he acted as if he was soaked in alcohol.

The acquaintances sitting on either side of Kim Taek-woo at the U-shaped table raised their glasses and cheered. They also congratulated him with half-sweetened, hazy expressions.

“Are you really transferring to the Titan Guild?”

“Well, there will be a penalty, but since my contract rank is not high, the amount won’t be much. And Titan will pay for it.”

“Aha! So that’s what happened.”

Kim Taek-woo turned his head at the unfamiliar yet familiar voice.

The door to the new room that he hadn’t noticed was open. The moment he saw the man sticking his face through the gap, Kim Taek-woo’s face turned pale.

“No, No Song-rin… … .”

“Am I your friend? Do you want to die?”

“Hiccup! Oh, no!”

Kim Taek-woo’s eyes, which had been relaxed until just a moment ago, suddenly tightened.

‘How is that human here?’

Noh Song-rin was a person who was avoided even by members of the same guild. It wasn’t just because he was from Woojungdo. His unique murderous spirit and vicious atmosphere made him a type that was not easy to approach. Even Kim Taek-woo, who was from a different faction, was nervous.

After such a Nosongrin took the reins from Kang Muhyeok, he became the guild’s military discipline leader. It was a perfect role for a hunter who was difficult and feared by everyone.

In the past, I could just avoid him as if he didn’t exist, but recently, after cracking down on the behavior of guild members, I’ve become someone I don’t want to meet even more.

It was natural for Kim Taek-woo to come to his senses.

Nevertheless, the eyes slowly open again.

Noh Song-rin, who had guessed something from his absent-minded reaction, quickly scanned the table.

The red powder scattered all over the table caught my eye.

Noh Song-rin sniffed the powder with her fingertips as if wiping away dust. She felt a warm scent that was so pungent that it made her nose tingle all the way to the back of her neck.

“It’s the powder of the Mimongnabang. It’s not illegal, but it’s not for the average person. Can a hunter use this? What kind of A-class guild is this for someone who can’t even take care of himself properly?”

The powder of the moth was also used as a hallucinogen to reproduce the effects of monster skills.

Unlike drugs, it doesn’t cause any major damage to the body other than slight paralysis, but that’s just what ordinary people say.

In the case of Hunters, they experience a phenomenon where their senses become dull when they are in a long-distance fight with a monster. It was bound to have a negative effect the moment they got into a fight where they couldn’t let their guard down. For Hunters, it was something they had to avoid even more than alcohol.

Of course, this was something that any guild with proper manners would never allow.

Noh Song-rin raised the corners of her lips and walked inside the U-shaped table. Kim Taek-woo flinched and stepped back, but there was nowhere to run as he was blocked by the back of the sofa.

“Taekwoo, you’re going to Titan? I’ll congratulate you.”

“Yes? Congratulations?”

“Yes. It’s an A-class guild. It wouldn’t be strange if it were to become a higher tier soon. That’s something to celebrate.”

I thought it was wrong to leave the room normally, so why are you suddenly congratulating me?

That too, Nosongrin!

“But I wonder if they would accept a herbalist who enjoys moth powder?”

I found a hole to jump out of, and then suddenly fell precipitously.

Kim Taek-woo prayed, sweating profusely.

“That, that is… Captain Noh. You won’t tell Titan, right? Please… … .”

“But we eat the same guild food, so it’s a bit much to speak ill of it. But I don’t want to keep my mouth shut. Instead, let’s just talk comfortably.”

“What, what… are you saying?”

“The reason you didn’t come back from vacation. Is it because of the Titan? Tell me more.”

* * *

“Is that Titan? Okay, I understand. Thank you for your hard work.”

“What’s with the Titan all of a sudden?”

As soon as Kang Mu-hyeok finished talking to Noh Song-rin, Joo Se-ah urged him on.

“These non-returnees have received a transfer offer from Titan.”

“All of them?”

“That’s what happens to the hunters who haven’t returned yet.”

“Wow~ This is ridiculous. Even though they are Titans, they take away hunters without even formally requesting it from their guild? And those who accepted it with open arms are like that. Not only did they leave the guild without permission, but they are also willing to pay a penalty? These guys don’t even have basic basics!!”

Joo Seah clenched her teeth nervously. A crack, a sound like teeth breaking, echoed throughout the office.

She wasn’t upset about the Hunters’ transfer itself. It was common for Hunters to be taken away from this place.

So most guilds set high deposits to keep their main hunters, or even raise the transfer clauses to astronomical amounts.

However, even in an industry where betrayal was commonplace, there was a rule that had to be followed. When receiving a transfer offer, the least one could do was to be respectful to their guild.

The higher the guild’s status, the more often it had to prioritize honor over money. It was a world where being ignored meant being eaten up, so if you looked ridiculous, it was over.

The Titan Guild and the non-returners had touched this taboo.

“Iron Will’s position is definitely far below that of Titan. It’s a guild that has no pride to protect and no loyalty to uphold. We’ve been reforming the guild in various ways and are seeing some results, but that’s still where we stand.”

“So, should we just leave it like this?”

When Joo Se-ah frowned as if she was displeased, Kang Mu-hyeok quickly added.

“Guild Master. If you go to Titan, you must not do what you did in the Slayer Guild.”

“What am I?”

“It’s a mess.”

“Do you think I cause trouble all the time? As long as you don’t touch me, I’ll stay still.”

“Who would mess with the guild leader… huh?”

Kang Moo-hyuk nodded, thinking about the gap between Titan and Slayer.

Certainly, in Slayer, there were hunters and parties that could mess with Joo Sea, but in Titan, there were none.

Of course, even on Titan, if the top-ranked hunters gathered together, they could fight, but it would not end well. If there was a fight, it would be a burden whether they won or lost.

As for Joo Se Ah, she would have liked to be touched first, but the best policy was to avoid even meeting her face to face.

“Are you defending me because I’m your family?”

“Rather than condoning it, I’m just giving advice because I don’t know what the intention is. You might get caught up in it and get into trouble.”

“A secret plan?”

Kang Moo-hyuk rested his chin on his hand and took a moment to collect his thoughts. He had a knack for calming those around him. When he stopped talking, Joo Se-ah sensed something was wrong and waited.

“By Titan standards, these vacationers are hunters of a lower overall level. So why are you taking them away?”

“That’s… why? It definitely doesn’t make sense. Oh my, I feel ashamed to be in such a position to have to say this.”

“And why are you antagonizing us at this point?”

The time that Kang Mu-hyeok spoke of was when the Rider Wolf issue came up.

It didn’t make sense that most guilds, especially tier guilds and A-rank guilds aiming for a higher rank, would bother to touch Iron Will when they all wanted to get at least one wolf.

Although Kang Mu-hyeok was currently in a different guild, he had no ill feelings toward Titan. Rather, as his family’s guild, he was able to draw a line ahead of other guilds. This meant that they could build a good cooperative relationship.

“You need to know the reason first. Then you can know what line you are moving along and respond accordingly.”

“Where can I get information? Do you have any close Titan friends?”

“Information from people within the guild is obvious, except for the top executives. No matter how close I was to them, the guild would come first. It’s not easy to say, and it would be difficult to know the background of such a large-scale transfer.”

“So how are you going to approach it?”

“There’s a place I use for times like this. I had some work left for me a while ago, so I think it’s time to meet up.”