The Time-Limited Leader Makes the Raid a Success - Chapter 71



Only Noblemtl

Episode 72

72. It’s really sad.

Until yesterday, the two hunters were walking around Sanjeong Lake dreaming of a bright future, but today, they were walking with heavy steps, feeling like prisoners heading to the execution grounds.

“Haa~ I should have noticed when you said that the manager was a hero who saved the daycare center and that the future was promising.”

“Sister, have you never heard anything like that?”

“You didn’t do it?”

“Yeah. I didn’t hear that.”

“That’s strange. I think I’ve heard it before.”

“I heard you’re good at drawing monster aggro. I don’t know if that’s a compliment or an insult. Either way, it’s exactly as they said.”

“That’s right. That’s unlucky. The induction gift is a thousand orcs.”

Kim Soo-jung shook her head, shaking her head.

“Anyway! I signed it for nothing.”

“Okay, I’ll think about it more carefully. What if I enlist without thinking about the consequences and without a plan?”

“Gilma personally trained you. That Joo Se Ah! This is a privilege that you can’t get even if you pay for it. You came in because you were tempted, so why are you doing this to me?”

“That’s… I got carried away by the atmosphere… … Anyway! A thousand orcs. What are we going to do? Did you see their muscles last time? Those guys with good strength are the ones whose swords don’t stick well. There are a thousand of them. If we don’t do it right, we’ll end up crossing the Jordan River.”

The thought of an army of orcs made me feel daunted.

As Yoo Seong-ju said, even a one-on-one match was a tough opponent. Among them, there were probably sergeants, centurions, and even generals. If you made a mistake, you could be finished in an instant.

“Should I throw it away?”

“If you jump, you’ll be buried in this world. Do you want to work as a freelancer for the rest of your life? No. Even being a freelancer would be precarious. If you get blacklisted by the guild association or association, you’ll lose your Hunter qualifications.”

“Hey, you can’t possibly think of it as something that was thrown away… … .”

“This older sister doesn’t know anything about the world. Don’t you know the article that says that if a monster poses a threat to civilians, the hunter on site has a duty to stop it? That’s the first thing you learn during training. Be careful.”

“How many hunters are guarding that? They all run away after seeing the situation.”

“If it’s free, it’ll probably get by somehow. The problem is that we’re now part of a guild. If it goes against the guild policy, that’s fine, but if you decide to fight and run away, there’ll be repercussions… Anyway, if you bring up the issue, your job as a hunter is over.”

“Ugh! I’m crazy. I’m blinded by wealth and fame.”

“What kind of riches and honor can a C-ranked brat have?”

Kim Soo-jung grabbed her head. Yoo Seong-ju clicked his tongue and ran away.

Then a shadow suddenly appeared between them.

“Are you a little worried?”

“Go, Kang Mu-hyeok! … Captain?”

Kim Soo-jung screamed in surprise when she saw Kang Moo-hyuk suddenly appear.

While returning after handing over the landmine to Jang Deuk-gu, he happened to catch Kang Mu-hyeok’s eye.

“Come to think of it, I was so out of it that I didn’t pay attention to the two new recruits. I feel really sorry for them. For making them do such a large-scale raid right after they joined.”

“No. I know you’re busy… I also know it’s something you can’t avoid.”

At least Yoo Seong-ju responded calmly. But as always, Kim Soo-jung’s mouth was the problem.

“Then, let’s cancel the contract… … .”

“Sister, stay still. Don’t be embarrassing.”

Yoo Seong-ju scolded Kim Soo-jung without moving his lips as if he was performing a ritual.

But surprisingly, Kang Mu-hyeok answered willingly.

“Of course it is possible.”

“Wow─”

“Let me see. How much is the deposit?”

“─Ahhh… Now that I think about it, subjugating orcs seems like a really good experience. Haha… … .”

Kim Soo-jung forced a smile with a stiff face. She couldn’t remember the exact amount, but she remembered that it was an amount that would be difficult to pay right away.

‘Wow, somehow the conditions were so good. That’s why I didn’t even think about the high deposit.’

Regardless of her burning emotions, Kang Moo-hyuk spoke calmly.

“Don’t worry too much. The special forces will be fine. If you have to, hide behind the hunter with a lot of facial hair. He’s the leader of the salt-blooded team. We used to work together on Titan. He’s a very skilled hunter. If you fight next to him, you won’t be in much danger. If you watch from behind, you’ll be of great help to the two of you. He’s a tank.”

“You’re a member of Titan?”

“Yes. And you know Team Leader Pyo Beom-hee, right? She’s the one who guided us on our first day here. Team Leader Pyo will also be assigned to that raid team. She was also a member of Titan, and is an A-rank hunter, so she’ll be a great help.”

The two felt a little relieved. The fact that they had deployed hunters from the captain’s former workplace, Titan, meant that they were not throwing away their cards. In addition, the two team leaders were high-ranking. They thought that since they had someone they could trust, they were able to be more relaxed.

“As expected. The captain has a plan for everything.”

“Oh my, we thought you didn’t care about this side… No, it’s not that we don’t trust you, Captain, but it’s because the scale of the operation over there is so large.”

“No way. In reality, the northern defense line is more important. If they hold out, it will be easier for us. Oh? And if Team Leader Yeom’s eyes roll back or he suddenly growls, immediately retreat behind him. It’s best to get as far away as possible.”

Kang Moo-hyuk tightened the tension towards the two who were feeling relieved with a passing remark.

“Huh? How are your eyes?”

“Growl… What?”

“Well then, good hunting.”

Kang Moo-hyuk left after leaving a mysterious warning.

The two left alone looked at each other. They had an uneasy feeling.

“What do those last words mean?”

“Well, I’m not sure… but it seems strangely fucked up?”

* * *

“Okay, shall we begin?”

Kang Moo-hyuk drove the command vehicle himself and parked it at the Sanjeong Lake parking lot.

An Ji-il was away on his own as the head of the C project, so he and Gong Du-ri were the only civilians currently present.

The parking lot was an open area on all sides, but it was located between the 1st assault team to the west and the 2nd assault team to the north. If either of the two places were breached, it would immediately become the front line.

It was Kang Mu-hyeok’s own version of the truth. Since it was a dangerous operation, he also meant to go with the hunters.

Of course, there were those who did not agree with his determination.

“You said you were going to be somewhere safe? Where is safe here?!”

“Two hunters will protect you.”

At Gong Du-ri’s screaming protest, Kang Mu-hyeok pointed outside the vehicle. Outside, the two hunters that Kang Mu-hyeok had pointed to were seated. They were faces that Gong Du-ri was familiar with.

“It’s a C rank!”

“It’s a full C+!”

“Haha, did you hear that?”

“If I open the door and shout, you’ll obviously hear me, right?”

“For your information, I’m a B-rank, Team Leader Offer. I’m on a different level from Miran.”

“Kim Seong-hye-eon! I’m already getting angry because our little brother got scrapped. Don’t make me angry.”

When Choi Mi-ran growled, Kim Seong-hyeon shrank his neck and avoided her gaze.

Kang Moo-hyuk shook his head at the chaotic atmosphere and said.

“You two, I ask you to take care of me in case of an emergency.”

“Honestly, I don’t know about one or two orcs… If they come in a flock, we’re useless, Commander.”

“I just need to catch one or two of them. If it gets to that point, we’ll all die anyway. Then we’ll have to run away. It’s best to avoid situations where we end up there.”

Kim Sung-hyun burst out laughing in embarrassment.

Is it telling me to be prepared or not to worry?

Choi Mi-ran also looked at Kang Mu-hyeok with a serious expression at the strange encouragement.

Kang Moo-hyuk closed the car door without paying attention to her gaze.

“Let’s get to work. Check communications from each party.”

“Communication confirmed. Standby. Report from 1st raid party.”

Gongduri put on his headset and repeated the instructions in a cheerful voice that made the previous fuss seem colorless.

As the order was given, the hunters’ voices began to flow out of the speakers.

-101 Party. Okay.

-102 Party. Seated.

-Party 103. Arriving in 30 seconds.

-104 Party… … .

After the reports from the 14 parties were finished, Kang Moo-hyuk gave the overall order.

“Chief Jang Deuk-gu, I will leave the on-site orders to you.”

-I’ll do my best.

“The leader of the low-level group that tied together parties 4, 5, and 6 is a Nadongpa hunter. Hold out as long as you can, and then retreat immediately when the cue signal drops. Until then, no matter what you do, you must not fall.”

-Please don’t be too late.

“The strike team will be led by Hunter Nosongrin. Once the water gate collapses, we can just kill all the orcs we see.”

-I’m originally a specialist in something other than monsters. Well, this time, let’s try harvesting some orc heads.

Kang Moo-hyuk nodded at the confident voices of the veteran hunters.

He just deliberately broadcast the communication onto a public channel so that all the Hunters could hear it.

‘No matter how good the strategy is, if your hands and feet don’t work together, it’s useless. Usually, when your hands and feet get stiff, it’s because of fear. There’s nothing that has a better effect on the morale of hunters than the voice of a strong hunter and a capable squad leader. It won’t be ineffective.’

Just because a hunter is called a superhuman doesn’t mean he isn’t afraid of monsters.

Although Kang Mu-hyeok is a monster nerd, he doesn’t force people to hunt him blindly.

I always kept in mind that monsters stimulate the primal fears of humans.

Knowing what was scary allowed us to prepare our operations more thoroughly.

Kang Moo-hyuk, judging that the atmosphere had ripened to a suitable level, changed the channel to the commander’s exclusive channel.

“Chief Jang Deuk-gu. Can you just come and see me with Parties 1 and 2?”

-Anyway, with 800, you can’t go deep.

“1, 2 parties are made up of hunters with good speed. Let’s lightly hit and retreat to see how they react. Also, check if there is partial pulling. If there are any that follow you, deal with them if the number is manageable, and if there are too many, completely withdraw from the front line. In the minefield, show the orcs an explosion at the right time.”

-What should I do if they follow me through a minefield? Do I deal with them or just run away?

“Lure them to the ambush where the strike team is hiding and capture them. There shouldn’t be any orcs that escape to the side. After that, you can lure them to the valley where the Nakcheonji Falls is. The mines will reduce their radius of action, so if you pull them well, they will enter the valley without difficulty. There, join up with the low-level team and block the orcs.”

-No matter how narrow the valley is, five parties won’t be able to last long.

“It doesn’t need to be long. Just hold out until the main Orc force enters the valley. You just need to hold out until the moment when the dam and valley are blown up.”

There was silence for a moment, followed by a sigh.

-This is the specialty of a gentleman with a good sense of humor. Okay, I understand. Anyway, if I can’t do it, we’ll all die, so I have no choice.

Kang Moo-hyuk closed all communications and let out a long breath.

‘I feel this every time. Not being able to fight directly… ‘

He muttered under his breath, feeling suffocated as if he was being weighed down.

“It’s such a sad thing.”

* * *

The battle began at ‘Gungye-ro’, north of Sanjeong Lake, which was under the 2nd attack force’s command.

“Coming.”

The orcs appeared, accompanied by someone’s short shout.

It was a narrow passageway where only three or four horses could pass at a time, shoulder to shoulder.

The orcs stopped when they saw the hunters. They seemed to have known about their presence, but they did not expect them to come out and fight.

However, after confirming that there were fewer hunters, his behavior changed. Unlike his initial confusion, he became more assertive and started shouting.

“Ugh! Those orc kids only like to shout… … .”

“Tsk, I can’t see behind me. Aren’t there more than 200 of them?”

“Are even orcs bulking up these days? Look at that armored guy. He’s twice as big as other orcs.”

The hunters who saw the evolved orcs for the first time were shaken. Since they were not experienced hunters, they could not help but feel intimidated by the size and size of the orc unit.

‘If you get pushed back by a monster, you’ll be useless.’

The salt-type instinct sounded the alarm.

Hunting had to be done with courage rather than a sword, or with wit, or even with a horse if that was difficult.

Hunting with a defeated mindset is already half a failure.

It was the time when Yeom Soo-hyung was preparing himself and gauging the timing of a preemptive strike.

Suddenly, a hunter stepped forward.

“Everyone, don’t be afraid of monsters! It’s a waste of your hunter license!”

The one who stepped forward, shaking his shoulders as if he was going to rush at the orc unit at any moment was Baek Seong-bin.

‘You’re a newbie. You have a lot of spirit. You’ll be a good example to the guys who are discouraged.’

Yeom Soo-hyung felt the tense atmosphere among some of the hunters whose pride had been hurt was loosening, so he just left Baek Seong-bin alone.

When no one dared to stop him, Baek Seong-bin went even further and tripped up the obnoxious Seo Dae-chi.

“Seodaechi, are you scared too?”

Seodaechi clicked his tongue at the sudden provocation.

“Tsk tsk. You don’t know what to do or not to do. Anyway, those guys who are addicted to special traits are bound to die like that. Do you think your healing factor is invincible? Inma, I’ll catch more than you at least, so don’t worry and just take care of yourself.”

“Really? Well then, shall we make a bet?”

“What? A bet?”

“Who catches more.”

“Shit.”

“I understand you accepted. The bet is cash. You like money, right? How about 100 million? But if you lose, you get to quit. Why? Were you scared because you thought you’d lose?”

“This kid, if he dies, it’ll be a problem. Hey, even if you die, make sure you leave your account password behind.”

“Okay. Let’s get started right away!”

Baek Seong-bin suddenly ran out. Yeom Su-hyeong was startled.

“This crazy guy!”

Yeom Soo-hyung grabbed Baek Seong-bin by the back of his neck as he was passing by and threw him to the ground.

“Coolook!”

“I knew it.”

Amidst Seodaechi’s sarcasm, Yeom Su-hyeong looked back and spoke nervously.

“Table! Why did you put such a crazy kid here?!”

“But he has a healing factor. I think he’s promising.”

“What kind of healing factor is that Cerberus? Does it have two or three balls?”

“What the heck is Cerberus? It’s not even an old joke. It’s not funny anyway.”

“I’m not joking─”

Leopard Hee, who had been approaching with a leisurely gait, suddenly drew her sword. The hunters nearby also simultaneously raised their weapons.

Yeom Soo-hyung felt the air tightening.

“More than that, those orcs are rushing in?”

Even before he could turn his head forward, Yeom Soo-hyung felt a heavy vibration through the floor.

Looking straight ahead, I saw the orcs charging forward with great momentum.

I felt that they were determined to charge straight ahead and crush the enemy without getting off the road, spreading their troops to the left or right, or forming a formation.

“Damn, I lost a player for no reason.”

Leopard Hee said, pointing ahead.

“I think the fight will be won somehow if we block that boulder first.”

“I know.”

Yeom Soo-hyung examined his body.

A tight-fitting full-body suit like tights. It felt elastic, as if it was made of rubber. The arm guards and leg guards were thicker than the rest. When extended forward, it looked like a small shield.

Feeling the texture of the special armor he had been wearing for the first time in a long time, Yeom Soo-hyung took a step forward.

“Table. I will hand over the order.”

“Okay. Go ahead and go wild for the first time in a while.”

“If I do something wrong, please stop me.”

“You really talk a lot. You’ve become such a chatterbox before.”

“Maybe I’ve become more fearful.”

Yeom Soo-hyung muttered to himself and increased his speed. With each step, he became faster, and soon he leaned his waist back and ran forward using the momentum.

Several orcs running in front picked up their axes and threw them. The frosty axes flew towards Yeom Soo-hyung.

At that murderous aura, some of the hunters screamed ‘Eww’ and closed their eyes.

Leopard Hee muttered, not surprised at all.

“He’s not just some old man with a beard.”

Yeom Soo-hyung straightened his chest as if he was receiving an axe with his body.

‘You’ve been working hard from the start.’

The moment when the veins stand out from the muscles of his entire body.

【Gigant.】

The salt-type’s body began to change rapidly.

‘Ugh!’

The salt-type’s chest muscles swelled. His shoulders widened left and right as if their joints had fallen out, and his neck thickened and stretched upward. There was a crack, a sound like a bone breaking. His pelvis twisted, and his firm abdomen stretched in all directions like rubber. His thighs and calves thickened and lengthened up and down. His feet and hands grew so large that they reminded him of a pot lid.

Yeom Soo-hyung, who was already 190 centimeters tall, suddenly turned into a giant who was 3 meters tall.

His solid chest deflected the axe thrown by the orc.

“Ugh.”

Yeom Soo-hyung let out a sound that was hard to tell whether he was laughing or crying. His eyes were sharp, but his pronunciation was slurred, as if he was having trouble communicating.

“Quo… … ?”

The orcs, surprised by the human transformation, suddenly stopped. The rear ranks, who had not yet noticed the situation in the front ranks, suddenly bumped into the backs of the orcs who had stopped, causing the ranks to become a mess.

Yeom Soo-hyung didn’t miss that moment and threw himself at it.

“Eww!”

Screams and shouts erupted from all sides as his massive body slashed through the ranks of the orcs. An axe fell on him like a tree being cut down.

No attack was effective against Yeom Soo-hyung.

Only a full-out strike could deal damage, but the giant was agile compared to its size, so it did not allow any major attacks. Even if it did succeed, the black armor it wore would bounce off it with its rubber-like elasticity.

It wasn’t just the orcs who were confused.

“The commander… … .”

“Giantization? Did our country have this trait too?”

Leopard King shouted at the hunters who were absentmindedly staring.

“What are you doing? We have to seize this moment! Everyone, charge!”