The Time-Limited Leader Makes the Raid a Success - Chapter 78



Only Noblemtl

Episode 79

79. From now on, it’s ‘my turn’.

“Wow, Jo Chung-hyun is flying like this? It’s so spectacular I’m speechless.”

Noh Song-rin dodged the fist that grazed her shoulder and burst into laughter.

The conspiracy of Jo Chung-hyun revealed by Kang Moo-hyeok was still heating up the public communication network. The shock to the hunters was considerable.

If Do Kyung-hoon, who had recently left the guild due to an unpleasant incident, had betrayed the organization called the guild, then Jo Chung-hyun had abandoned the members he belonged to. He had even sacrificed them to a monster.

The anger was indescribable. The hunters who had even the slightest connection with Jo Choong-hyun reacted particularly fiercely. They criticized Jo Choong-hyun even more fiercely, fearing that even a spark might fly. The calculation was that if they cut off the relationship quickly, they would not suffer any disadvantages.

-Everyone, come to your senses?! Focus on the orc in front of you!

When the commotion showed no signs of abating, Jang Deuk-gu, unable to stand it any longer, shouted.

The hunters immediately shut their mouths as if they had made a promise. This was because rumors had already spread about how Jang Deuk-gu had treated Jo Chung-hyun.

In addition to the image they originally had, hunters who witnessed the direct violence relayed their fear to their colleagues, and the rumors grew even more widespread.

Ironically, that fear without a source added majesty to Jang Deuk-gu’s words, which ultimately solidified Kang Mu-hyeok’s control.

Noh Song-rin kept giggling because that part was funny.

‘Even if the methods are different, in the end, the strong will use their methods. There is no method as sure as fear. The captain certainly knows how to use people. Without getting his hands dirty.’

This time, a fist swept past my ear. Whoosh, it was a thrilling blow that set my semicircular canal ablaze.

Noh Song-rin threw away the weapon he was holding, saying it was cumbersome. Then he pulled out the karambit sword on his waist.

A curved knife that fits perfectly in one hand.

The blade, sharpened on both the inner and outer edges, gleamed in the sunlight reflected off the water that filled the paddy field.

“If I catch you, this place will be over. So let’s not rebel unnecessarily and die gracefully, okay? I’ll catch you quickly and go see the traitor.”

Nosongrin placed his index finger on the ring at the back of the knife handle and held it in reverse. The blade flashed before the orc general’s eyes, dazzling him.

Compared to the sword that Nosongrin had discarded earlier, it was much shorter, but somehow the orc general felt that the karambit sword was more threatening.

The general who had been swept away by the water and was left bare-handed was not intimidated by the sword and pushed forward, but this short sword seemed different.

The general calmed down his wild swings and approached cautiously.

“Quo. Quo.”

“You think so too? I want to end it here too.”

The hunters who were dealing with the guards guarding the Orc General in the vicinity stuck out their tongues as they watched Nosongrin talking to the monster.

The captain certainly seemed out of his mind when he entered the battle.

‘You’re throwing away a weapon that has an advantage in distance, and trying to fight with a single-handed weapon like that? The reach difference is huge. You probably won’t even use your skills, right? I told you, it’s bad taste. Dismantling monsters with just a weapon. I can’t understand the minds of A-rank hunters.’

Would I be able to do that if I became an A-rank?

Lee Ki-young shook his head.

“That’s probably because he’s the leader. Anyway, I’m telling you this.”

Lee Ki-young took advantage of the moment when Noh Song-rin clashed with the orc general to timidly mutter gossip.

“Okay, let’s go!”

Nosongrin lowered his body close to the ground and charged. The orc general raised his left foot and stepped on him.

thud!

Nosongrin quickly dodged the attack and cut off his left ankle. The general staggered. Taking advantage of the momentum, he stabbed the instep of his right foot with his blade. Without even screaming, the general swung his right arm.

Nosongrin narrowly avoided the attack this time and turned back. The Orc General, whose back had been stolen, flinched. Where is this human climbing? The feeling of climbing on his back as if climbing a mountain sent shivers down his spine. A karambit sword was stuck near the wing flap.

“Kuwang!”

“It’ll be over soon. Just stay still.”

The voice whispering was eerie, though the meaning was unknown. It screamed in unknown fear rather than pain.

The orcs, sensing the general’s danger, tried to help, but the hunters would not let him go.

The Orc General turned both his hands towards his back, but his thick muscles prevented him from reaching.

Noh Song-rin dug her left finger, filled with mana, deep into her back and held on. The karambit sword she held in her other hand stabbed her back, shoulders, and neck here and there.

The orc general struggled to somehow get Nosongrin off, but it was no use.

Green blood soaked his back and the floor. The general threw himself on the floor. He tried to crush Nosongrin with his heavy body.

“Oh, even if you just stay still.”

Before the general’s back touched the ground, Nosongrin jumped down to the ground. Then he moved to the orc’s upper body. Then, he took the mount position and cut both shoulders with his sword.

The general’s arm fell limply. He had a keen understanding of the orc’s body structure and had only cut the tendons.

The sight of a giant orc being crushed by a much smaller human was more terrifying than comical.

This appearance was the same for both orcs and hunters.

Noh Song-rin smiled as she thrust the karambit sword in front of the general’s eyes.

“Who would attack like that? They don’t know how scary humans are.”

“Kuwaaaaang!”

The orc general’s last words marked the end of Bukpocheon.

* * *

“By now, the Bukpocheon area should be starting to settle down. Is that okay?”

“If Chief Kang’s operation had been carried out well, there wouldn’t have been any major problems.”

Lee Jin-joo glanced at Joo Se-ah. Her expression was not just words, but a genuine expression of being carefree.

Although she was inside the gate and couldn’t use the satellite phone, Joo Seah was calm even though she must have been worried about the guild news.

‘Do you trust the captain that much?’

I wondered how he could be so trustworthy when we had only been working together for a few months.

“You and the manager work well together as if you’ve been working together for years. If someone saw you, they’d think you’d known each other for a long time.”

“… … .”

After a brief moment of silence, Joo Seah said.

“I trust my judgment. I chose him to grow the guild. It’s only natural to support him.”

“Giving them full authority. It’s easy to say, but it’s not easy to actually do it. When I was on Titan, Number One and Number Two fought every day. Even though they used to be able to entrust their lives to each other.”

At the end of Lee Jin-ju’s gaze was Matae-su Bugilma. He was trying to deal with the soldiers as quickly as possible and head towards the Oak Road.

But before that, there was a force that confronted the Orc Lord’s guards.

Jusea clicked her tongue as she watched those who were waging an all-out war to capture the Oak Lord.

“As expected, you’re fast. Slayer… … .”

The guild he was a part of before.

Seeing their skills again after such a long time made me realize how great my former coworkers were.

‘How much time and resources would it take to run an engineering school with that level of skill?’

Maybe I could never make it in my entire life. The power of the Tier Guild is not something that can be completed just because you have money.

Even if they had the power, it wasn’t easy to protect them. It was harder to keep a guild from collapsing than to build one.

“Huh? The Lord is trying to escape. He still has plenty of power. He’s quick to judge for an orc. But it won’t be easy. There are hunters everywhere. What should we do, Gilma?”

Lee Jin-joo glanced at Joo Se-ah. Since they had never gone hunting together before, she wanted to figure out Gil-ma’s tendencies. When there was no response, she asked again to confirm.

“Chief, your plan was to prevent them from escaping. Catching them also prevents them from escaping. Maybe we can eat them?”

“Well, I think it would be difficult for us alone.”

“I think there’s a catch. If Gilma and I go in as an assassination squad. I don’t know about other hunters, but with Gilma’s specialization, he can tank alone, and no matter how much he evolves into a lord, an orc is still an orc.”

When Joo Se-ah judged the situation pessimistically, Lee Jin-ju became slightly discouraged and added a simple strategy.

“No, I just thought they might get in our way.”

Lee Jin-joo looked back in the direction Joo Se-ah was pointing.

It was the headquarters of the Slayer Guild.

The man standing in the center of it.

“The Holy Spirit… … .”

He was a hunter known to everyone in the industry as the ‘Warryong of the Slayer Guild’.

He was known to be great when he was on the field, but after changing his position to the strategy team leader, he was able to achieve results that could be called unprecedented.

“Do you see that hunter standing over there?”

“Who is that? The one with the twin swords on his back?”

“I think you came because of me. Remember. The 3rd party leader of the Slayer Guild Expedition. Gam Woo-young. He may be useless, but he’s really skilled.”

Gam Woo-young had an unusually handsome appearance for a man. Even if you said he was a celebrity, not a hunter, you would believe it.

Of course, Lee Jin-joo didn’t have any feelings for him because of his looks. Instead, she was concerned that he was a talented person who Joo Se-ah had personally chosen.

Gam Woo-young turned his head toward Lee Jin-joo, perhaps sensing her gaze. He looked at Joo Se-ah and waved. Joo Se-ah nodded slightly as if she knew.

“Even if the guild is like that, I think the two of you are on good terms personally.”

“Should I say that was good? Or should I say that was bad?”

“yes?”

“I fought with that guy the most. Not with words, but with knives.”

“… … .”

Lee Jin-joo couldn’t get the hang of it. They’re close friends who talk with swords. What kind of guild is Slayer?

‘Seongseonje. Even deploying a sniper squad. I didn’t know you’d mobilize an expeditionary force. And who would have thought it’d be Gam Woo-young? He’s so difficult. His bad personality is still the same.’

Joo Se Ah also coveted the Oak Lord. Kang Moo Hyuk’s operation was only a guideline. Ju Se Ah was solely responsible for making decisions on the spot.

Then isn’t it the hunter’s way to eat what is edible?

“I guess I’ll have to talk to the Taegeuk Guild.”

“The captain told me not to get involved with Jo Ik-jun… … .”

“They’re probably on the shit line by now. Things are different now. From now on, it’s ‘my turn.’”

* * *

It was a cheap expression, but it was just as Joo Seah said.

Jo Ik-jun was literally riding on a shit rope.

‘Tch! At this rate, we’re going to miss out on this quarter’s sales.’

It wasn’t that the Taegeuk Guild was making slow progress, but it was inferior to the Slayer Guild’s progress.

Jo Ik-jun considered forming an alliance with several guilds to stop Slayer’s monopoly, but the guilds were blinded by greed and would not cooperate.

In the midst of this, as Jo Ik-jun was running around trying to gather opinions, the Slayer Guild quickly entered the gate before they could finish cleaning up the surroundings. The guilds that felt impatient at the sight followed them in, and the alliance ended up in a fight.

Even after entering the gate, Jo Ik-jun did not give up and tried to take advantage of the confusion, but the Slayer Guild did not tolerate any openings from the beginning.

I was getting through it quickly, without making a single mistake or feeling any difficulty.

‘It’s not an expedition, nor is it a regular unit… . Huh! This difference is quite painful. It’s not that our members are falling behind in rank. How on earth did they train that we’re falling behind?’

The other guilds felt the same way as Jo Ik-jun. The Slayer looked like a monster.

There are a total of seven guilds that have entered the final stage of the Orc Lord’s conquest.

They were all Tier 1 or A-class.

It meant that it wasn’t a guild whose skills were so poor that there was a noticeable difference.

‘No, should I say eight?’

Jo Ik-jun looked at the person approaching him.

“It seems like you’re having quite a hard time, Team Leader Cho.”

“Your Majesty and I are both struggling. I won’t beat around the bush. Today is the only chance to take this gate. If we get a good day, we won’t have time to work together.”

“Half and half.”

“… … .”

“The raid stake is about that much.”

“The power mobilized is different. That’s a bit… … .”

“Do you see those hunters next to Team Leader Seongseonje?”

Jo Ik-jun looked around at the hunters that Joo Se-ah had pointed out. Most of them were unfamiliar faces.

“You don’t have to try to remember their faces. Except for the party leaders, Slayer rarely reveals the identities of the expedition members to the public. Besides, the party leader over there is someone who was promoted not long ago and is not well-known. He is also just as skilled as me.”

“!!”

Jo Ik-jun was more surprised by the fact that his opponent was on par with Joo Se-ah than by the fact that he was part of the expedition team.

“Who is the party leader?”

“The guy with the dual swords.”

“What’s your name?”

“Gam Woo-young.”

“The fact that the expedition team members aren’t going to attack… means that if we approach, those guys will block us.”

“We’re snipers. I’ll take the lead. When they come out, I’ll mark them myself.”

“I understand. Half and half. Good.”

“Deal done. Let’s do our best.”

Jo Ik-jun grabbed the hand that Joo Se-ah extended.

* * *

The guild headquarters building, where the water is slowly starting to drain away.

Kang Moo-hyuk sighed in exhaustion after seeing the damage to the building.

The lobby floor was completely destroyed. The windows were all broken and the interior was soaked with water, making it very expensive to repair.

In addition, the auxiliary facilities such as the restaurant and training ground on the lower floors were completely damaged by the flood, so it seemed that the guild would not be able to function properly for the time being.

The only thing that’s fortunate is that the communication line that cost the most money is safe?

Afterwards, Kang Mu-hyeok let out a sigh of relief after receiving the final report from the raiding party that was hunting the orcs.

“Thank goodness there are no more casualties. We’ve captured the general, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

It seemed like everything was resolved, but the problems were just starting.

I tried to meet the neutral hunters who were the greatest contributors to this raid, who had stopped the main Orc force, but I was turned away.

Since a colleague who had worked with them for a long time had died, they could not have looked kindly on Kang Mu-hyeok.

Kang Moo-hyuk understood their feelings and stepped back for the time being. The conversation had to be attempted again when the sadness and anger subsided.

‘There may be some Hunters among them who want to retire. Or maybe all of them.’

The war was over, but Kang Mu-hyeok couldn’t rest. He had to drag his battered body and think about what to do next.

bang!

“Oh! They were all dying, but now they’re okay?”

A lively girl enters the office, kicking down the door.

It was a county.

“I took medicine and potions. I’m slowly recovering, except for the fact that my right hand bone hasn’t healed yet.”

“Why are you suddenly using formal language? What is it? Does it seem strange?”

“… … That aside, I haven’t even been able to properly thank you. Thanks to you, Go Eul-ji, I was able to get out of this crisis. I sincerely thank you.”

“Oh, I’m embarrassed. I’ll say hello. Anyway, I came because it was Grandfather’s order. If you want to thank me, thank Grandfather.”

“Of course I should. But I also wanted to tell Mr. Go Eul-ji that I am grateful.”

“Just in words?”

“Is there anything you want?”

Goeulji suddenly twisted his body and made a circle with his thumb and index finger while saying.

“I, I need some money… I’m still a student… So my grandfather won’t let me join the guild… It’s not like I’m asking for a lot. I just need to buy my brothers’ goods and this album…”

“… … .”

“Actually, I don’t really buy all of them. I need a lot of tickets for the fan meeting raffle, so I don’t have enough money… Hey, shit! I’m embarrassed to say this, and you’re not even talking. Are you going to act so mean? I saved your life. Give me some compensation.”

While watching the townspeople causing a ruckus, Kang Mu-hyeok was momentarily lost in thought.

‘Independent… A pumpkin has grown right in front of my eyes.’

Suddenly, Goeulji’s threats seemed cute.

“So are you going to give it to me or not? I’m not the type of person who is always so careless. My oppas’ fan meeting is just around the corner, so I’m a bit in a hurry. So─”

“Do you know, Grandpa? That you’re running around ripping people off like this?”

“No, you’re rip-offs? This is the first time I’ve helped a guild!”

Kang Mu-hyeok’s eyes lit up as he looked at the angry Goeulji.

‘As expected. I was hoping for a chance since he’s not well known compared to his skills.’

At this point, it’s become clear that Goeulji is the sword raised by the chairman of the association, Han Byeong-gu.

“What group are you?”

“huh?”

“My brothers who like me. What group is that idol from?”

“BTA. That world-famous singer… . Why, why is that? Are you trying to tease me by calling me childish?”

“wait a minute.”

Suddenly, Kang Mu-hyeok picked up the receiver and connected an extension line.

“Team Leader Pyo, do you know BTA? Yes. A male idol. Oh, he’s from the entertainment company you worked for before? That’s good. You said you saved some people from that company from a monster before, right? Is it possible to get a ticket to the BTA fan meeting? No. Not me. The female student who helped us today. Yes, yes. Please look into it and contact me. You can use the guild cooperation line.”

“What, what are you… … .”

Kang Moo-hyuk hung up the phone and said.

“As you can see, our team leader is someone who exerts some influence in the entertainment industry. A few years ago, there was an incident where a monster broke into a concert. At that time, he saved many people involved and idols. I personally heard that he has quite a few friends who call him older sister or older sister… … .”

“Ah, Yeoju International Festival?!”

“At that time, the team leader I just called by chance worked there for a while.”

“Really? Tickets to the BTA oppas fan meeting?!”

“The ticket is a token of our gratitude. How about a meal with BTA as a special privilege for joining our guild?”

“Where should I sign?”

* * *

“Mr. Chairman, your call has been connected to line 3.”

“Huh? Why are you calling?”

-grandfather!

“Oh my, Earya. You boiled and ate the train carton. How did you know Grandpa’s break time and call him right on time? So, did the trip to Bukpocheon go well?”

-I joined Iron Will! Just remember that!

“What, what? What is that… … .”

Too─ Too─ Too─ Too─

“Go, go, go, you bastard Kang Mu-hyeok! You took my granddaughter away from me after I pulled her out of the water? I’ll put that bastard to death!”

“Mr. Chairman, this meeting isn’t over yet. Ugh! Security teams 1 and 2. The Chairman is having a seizure. Stop him!”