The Time-Limited Leader Makes the Raid a Success - Chapter 81



Only Noblemtl

Episode 82

#82. You should consider him an S-rank scammer.

“I heard the story. What Jo Chung-hyun did. He even went to headquarters.”

Joo Seah’s eyes were somewhere between anger and resentment.

Although he had lumped it together by saying that he had gone to the headquarters, he had noticed that Tae Jin-seong was behind this betrayal.

Not saying it out loud was the minimum patience I had to keep myself from getting emotional and causing trouble.

‘Is it a good thing I didn’t run right away? I guess it’s safe to say that he’s aware of his position as the guild leader. It would have been awkward if I had gone to the chairman and asked him about Jo Chung-hyun.’

Since Jo Chung-hyun’s fate was not yet known, Kang Moo-hyuk changed the subject to divert Joo Se-ah’s attention.

“It’s annoying, but I don’t have time to worry about someone who has already retired.”

“As expected, Captain Kang is so cool-headed. Even after something like that happened. Are you feeling okay?”

“Thanks to the potion. The bones haven’t fully healed yet, but the rest is almost fully recovered.”

Even to Joo Se Ah, he looked relatively fine, except for his right hand, which was fixed in a cast. His pale complexion was a concern, but since normal people would rapidly lose stamina if they used potions, it wasn’t a particularly unusual symptom.

“So, what’s the next step?”

“Of course we have to rebuild the guild.”

“That’s a well-known fact.”

“It’s not just about rebuilding. It’s about leveling up.”

“Level up? Not restart?”

“Evolved goblins and orcs. We’ve fought two war raids that no C-class guild can experience. If we stay here, the next step will be regression. It may be a bit early, but it’s time to ride the tiger’s back and boldly take another step forward.”

Joo Seah sighed deeply and rested her arms on the table, resting her chin on it.

“The problem would be money. Is it difficult to do it with just the bank loan that Director Kang arranged last time?”

“You are already struggling just to prepare for the upcoming business. If you sell the future and use it to cover the immediate recovery, you will never level up.”

“It really hurts not to be able to eat the mine. If I had sold my shares, I could have made some quick money. Should I bring forward the shipment of wolves?”

“The Ryder wolf is not at that stage yet. Since only adult males go out, the population is small. We need to increase the size a bit more.”

“To do that, I have to take care of the pens again, right? There’s no way to make money, but there’s a lot of work to do. Ugh~!”

“So, I have a few options in mind.”

Kang Moo-hyuk pressed the remote control on the table. The beam screen that had been folded down on the wall of the office lowered. Then he operated the laptop and played a video.

“This, this is… … .”

Joo Se Ah couldn’t take her eyes off the video for a long time. The scenes she couldn’t see because she was in Cheorwon were passing by breathlessly.

When the video finally ended, Kang Moo-hyuk continued speaking.

“These are the footage shot with the gate-specific camera that Team Leader An Ji-il upgraded. These are the footage that Team Leader Gong simply edited using the original, basic editing, without the use of a professional editor.”

“Why this… … ?”

Joo Seah tilted her head as if she had no idea.

Occasionally, large guilds would upload raid videos. These were propaganda videos to appeal that the guild was protecting the citizens. Or, most of these videos were released by guilds that had political intentions and were affiliated with the country.

Such videos are usually for promotional purposes and are edited to a level of extravagance that rivals movies.

In contrast, the video just now was brutal and cruel, just like Kang Moo-hyuk said, raw.

“From now on, we will abandon the image of a C-class guild. Instead, we will adopt the image of a guild of justice, a guild that protects the citizens.”

“yes?!”

While talking about financial issues, he suddenly said he would improve the guild’s image. Joo Seah’s doubts grew even more.

Isn’t it normal to take care of the guild brand when you have enough to live off of it? The guild isn’t a consumer goods company. It’s safe to say that there was no effect on sales that could be gained from advertising. In fact, advertising only cost money.

Kang Moo-hyuk, who noticed what Joo Se-ah was thinking of after seeing something from Slayer, quickly added an explanation.

“Usually, guilds tend to think that promotion is a waste. Because they are large guilds, because they are large corporations, they have no choice but to do it when the time comes for their image. This is also due to the unique characteristics of guilds that are different from those of ordinary companies. It is because there is an underlying perception that guilds only need to be good at hunting.”

“Actually, it’s not that wrong. I don’t know how this can solve our guild situation. I’m worried that it’s only hurting the members’ trauma. The regular staff are already worried about staying in Bukpocheon because of this incident. No, I heard that there are quite a few members among the hunters who are unsettled.”

Kang Moo-hyuk nodded and admitted it.

“Bukpocheon is one of those images. It’s dangerous. It’s poor. It’s similar to our guild. So we’re trying to improve the image of this region through this opportunity.”

“How?”

“We are creating a holy place.”

“Holy Land?”

“I told you. What is the Iron Will Guild? It is the Guild of Justice. They fought against the Orc army and protected the citizens of Nampocheon. This place is not a dangerous place, but a holy place where everyone must make a pilgrimage. It sounds grandiose, but in reality, this is just a form of image making. But that image will change everything.”

Joo Se Ah opened her mouth slightly as if she was dumbfounded and stared at Kang Mu Hyuk.

‘What on earth is going on in this guy’s head?’

An idea I’ve never thought of before. Is it because I’m not a hunter? I guess that aspect isn’t completely absent, but more than that, it seems like he’s someone who refuses to be ordinary.

“Even if we make a hundred concessions and go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and completely change the guild’s image, it still doesn’t seem like the problem has been solved?”

Joo Se-ah was not fooled by Kang Mu-hyeok’s words and got to the point.

“It’s resolved.”

“Where are you going? You’re still a broke, miserable guild. How about we start with this image? Honestly, I’m more drawn to a rich guild than a justice guild.”

Kang Mu-hyeok smiled faintly and answered calmly.

“Sometimes images can be money.”

* * *

A college student who was sitting in a cafe preparing for his final exams stretched to loosen up his stiff body. Then, he saw his friend next to him spending time watching YouTube videos instead of studying and scolded him.

“You’re going to get kicked out of the house if you eat too much this time, right? Study hard, Shasha.”

“Oh, just look at this one more time.”

“What are you so excited about? Did you find a pretty cam girl somewhere?”

His friend suddenly handed him his smartphone.

“Have you seen this?”

“What is it?”

“It’s a video that was uploaded to NewTube. It’s a fight between orcs and hunters.”

“Hey, what am I saying? If they’re orcs, they must be idiots. Hey, there are boss raids on Newtube with famous foreign guilds. Do you see stuff like this?”

“I told you, it’s not just fighting. It’s war, war.”

“war?”

“You know Bukpocheon? The guild that went there recently. I told you that’s where they fight the orc army.”

“Haigu. How great is this that you’re making such a fuss? Play it.”

The two college students watched a video playing on their smartphones. There was no sound, but the image was magnificent.

From the start, I was overwhelmed by the long line of orcs lined up on the road. In addition, the orcs were very different from the pictures I had seen on the Internet. They looked bigger and had darker skin, making them seem quite strong.

Among them, there was an orc who was larger than the other orcs and had tattoos all over his body, and his appearance was so frightening that it made one wonder if he was really an orc.

The part where the hunters approach and entangle those monsters was thrilling. I was nervous that they might grab me by the back of the neck and tear it apart at any moment.

The scenes where the ground exploded after the orcs entered were like watching a war movie.

Among the breathtaking scenes, the best one was definitely the one where the hunter collapsed the bridge and stood alone in front of the orc.

The scene of cutting down orcs rushing towards me armed with spears and swords brought about a certain thrill.

In the comments, there was already chaos with the nickname ‘Jangpanpa equipment’.

But the real highlight came at the end of the video.

A huge amount of water rushes in as the waterfall explodes.

The scene where water was sweeping away the orcs made me exclaim in admiration without realizing it.

The video ended with the hunters riding wolves and rushing towards us.

“Hey! What, what is this? Isn’t this a movie?”

“Is this real? Look at the channel name. It’s the official Iron Will Guild channel. The video description says it’s a war-level mission. And in the photo on the front page, you can see the captain and Joo Se Ah from the news.”

“It could be fake.”

“Who put this much effort into making a fake channel? The video isn’t even CG. It must have cost billions to make something like this.”

“Wow, this is beyond words.”

The war-level raid against the orc army didn’t just surprise two college students. The video went viral on the internet within hours of its release.

-Have you seen the Iron Will video? It was awesome.

└What’s so great about fighting an orc?

└The guy above clearly hasn’t seen the video. If he had, he wouldn’t have said something like that.

└I know because I’m a hunter, but those are evolved creatures. No matter how much of an orc it is, it’s hard when it evolves.

└Evolution is bullshit. Where the hell are you coming up with that weird stuff? LOL

└A kid who doesn’t even know X is hitting the target. Do you know about hunting?

└Better than you.

└(Comments containing profanity that does not comply with bulletin board regulations will be deleted.)

-But is the video real? Are there a thousand orcs?

└They said the gate on the Cheorwon side was breached.

└Where is the source?

-Video Summary: Jangpanpa equipment. Salsu Battle. Wolf dog is cool. The End.

└What are you talking about?

└ㅋㅋㅋ I admit it.

└Recognition 2.

-But isn’t Joo Sea the only one in Iron Will? Who is wielding that spear?

└But where is Joo Se Ah?

-What would have happened if they had lost? Would there have been chaos in Nampocheon?

└Wow, just thinking about it is terrifying.

└I live in Yangju. It’s right below Pocheon, right?

└I’m in Dongducheon. It’s right next door.

└There’s also Uijeongbu. LOL

The war in Bukpocheon did not end with just an internet boom. Each broadcasting station also covered it as breaking news.

-Breaking news. The Orc Army of Bukpocheon advances. What will be the outcome of the war?

-This is YTM News. You may remember the orc invasion incident that ravaged Nampocheon last time. The Ironwill Guild was accused of covering up the incident, but in reality, they were trying to carry out an emergency operation to deal with a large-scale orc attack… … .

-This Battle of Bukpocheon was a joint response by the Iron Will Guild, the Guild Cooperation Center, and the Hunter Association…

– The valuable victory was followed by regrettable sacrifices. It is regrettable that dozens of casualties were reported from the Ironwill Guild in this battle… … .

-Pocheon City announced that it will set up a joint incense burner for these heroic hunters who sacrificed themselves to protect the citizens of Pocheon. The incense burner will be a place where any citizen of the Republic of Korea can pay their respects… … .

Following the media, the government also held an official press conference. Guild Cooperation Director Cha Gil-ju announced his position at the press center of the government building.

-This incident occurred when an undiscovered gate opened in Cheorwon. Fortunately, the Iron Will Guild sensed the danger and took immediate action. The Iron Will Guild prevented damage to the people in advance… … .

The government’s official comment stirred up a national uproar. The most sensitive groups were the guilds and hunters.

Among them, the guilds sensed that Iron Will’s status was suddenly reversed.

The Slayer Guild, which is at the top of the guild, also caught this atmosphere.

“This is it. At this point, I can’t even brag about eating mine food.”

When Seong Seon-je, who was watching TV, let out a hollow laugh, Gam Woo-young, who was next to him, became curious and asked.

“why?”

“Didn’t you announce that while Iron Will’s main force was defending, Joo Seah was going to attack the gate? But the one who ate that gate mine was Slayer? People would think that if they had just diverted that force to Bukpocheon, they would have been able to block it more easily without any casualties at Iron Will.”

“Isn’t it natural for someone to die while hunting? It’s natural for the guild to consider the pros and cons first. That’s why Kang Mu-hyuk uploaded the gate information to the guild app.”

“That’s what the Hunters think. Maybe people will feel betrayed. They say that they attacked the gate for profit instead of saving the citizens. Even if you don’t think so, the situation is such that they can take over at any time if they want. In times like this, you should stay quiet. Iron Will won’t necessarily fight us, so he won’t tell anyone.”

Gam Woo-young nodded in understanding at Seong Seon-je’s words, then said as if something had occurred to him.

“By the way, who would have thought to hunt orcs in the lake? It gave me goosebumps the whole time I was watching it. It’s the first time I’ve seen a raid done like that.”

“… … .”

Unlike Gam Woo-young, Seong Seon-je had seen this kind of raid before. To be exact, he had read about it.

‘Table Mountain Raid.’

An operation to blow up the entire mana stone mine, which was surrounded by cliffs on all sides, and bring down the boss at the top.

Due to the fall damage, the boss was unable to properly resist and was knocked down by the hunters’ attacks.

‘Kang Mu-hyeok. He’s not only good at running a guild. He’s also strong in the field.’

If it weren’t for that damn monster-slaying priority, I would’ve recruited him as a Slayer.

Seong Seon-je imagined for a moment the Slayer holding the cards named Kang Mu-hyeok and Joo Se-ah in both hands.

‘Just thinking about it makes me excited. If he had been there, I could have returned to the scene. If this structure had become reality, the Slayer Guild would have grown to become the best in Asia, not Korea. What a pity.’

Then he looked at Gam Woo-young.

The board he had been drawing on before was broken, but he was drawing a new board.

It’s just not ripe yet.

He was confident that if his plan was completed, he would be able to challenge the global market.

“Whatever it is, we won this round, so it’s a good one.”

“Anyway, the result is a win-win.”

“Well. If you call this a win-win situation… Kang Moo-hyuk is practically an S-rank fraudster.”

* * *

“Is this the rumored Joseon Rider Wolf?”

The dark gray wolf running powerfully in the video had an appeal that made one want to have it just by looking at it.

The man, who had been staring at the wolf for a long time with the video paused, spoke to his secretary, who was standing quietly next to him like a shadow.

“There’s such a wonderful guy on the peninsula. This is unacceptable. Tell Kim Myung-jun. Now that Joo Se-ah has wings, I can’t leave her alone any longer.”