The Time-Limited Leader Makes the Raid a Success - Chapter 83
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Ch. 83 – The One Who Misses Takes the Next Step
“Alex, Raven. Don’t hurt him.”
Upon hearing Aila’s command, Alex and Raven sprang into action.
Mr. Jo kicked over a street stall to obstruct their view. Fish-shaped bun machines, sweet bean paste, and dough flew through the air toward Aila. Alex stepped in front of her, swatting the items away.
Raven destroyed the street stall as he reached out for Mr. Jo. The moment Mr. Jo was caught by Raven’s hand, only afterimages remained, and his actual body vanished.
Unperturbed, Raven expanded his senses. This was a basic skill any Hunter mastered, but an A-rank Hunter like Raven had almost supernatural sensing abilities. He located his invisible foe and lunged at him.
“Ah, what a nuisance!”
Mr. Jo, who had been climbing up a utility pole, landed back on the ground, narrowly avoiding the lunging Raven. He showed no emotion but was internally startled by how quickly Raven had discovered him.
‘He found me even though I was disguised as a fish-bun vendor. Does he have some special ability?’
Mr. Jo prided himself on being unparalleled in the arts of stealth and disguise. Even against an A-rank, he didn’t feel inferior. Yet, it was suspicious how quickly his opponent found him.
As Raven swiftly pursued, Mr. Jo threw a smoke bomb on the ground. This wasn’t just any smoke; it contained paralyzing substances extracted from the ‘Toxic Lizard.’
However, Raven seemed unaffected and threw a punch towards Mr. Jo.
‘What kind of monster is this? Even A-ranks flinch at this smoke!’
Mr. Jo twisted his body like a spinning top to dodge. The punch hit nothing but air.
Three times in a row.
The number of times Raven had missed his target.
‘He’s not A-rank. At best, B+. But he evades like an eel.’
By this point, it was clear that the opponent had extraordinary abilities.
“Raven, he’s moved beyond the detection zone.”
Hearing Alex, Raven dusted off his hands and turned around.
“I didn’t expect to find another assassin-class Hunter in Korea of my level. Where is he from?”
“Who knows? I didn’t feel any hostility, just curiosity? That’s probably it. I had a lot of questions. It’s a shame. Shall we go back?”
“Yes, I’ll escort you.”
As Aila waved her hand, the surroundings seemed to change. In reality, nothing had; it simply felt as though the air had lightened. Simultaneously, the once-empty street bustled with people.
While the area around Aila filled with pedestrians, a two-meter radius around her remained empty. The only ones aware of her presence were Alex and Raven.
And one other person.
‘A skill that makes both her space and presence unnoticeable? What exactly is she? She even noticed me. If I wasn’t hiding among people like this, I’d have been exposed.’
Having quickly changed his appearance and attire using his Doppelganger abilities, Mr. Jo pulled his hat down and left without regret.
Kang Mu-hyuk received a call from Mr. Jo and sank into thought.
‘A run-in with foreign Hunters in front of the Hunter Association? And one of the women had long ears, like she was not human? Used something like spatial magic?’
The woman’s identity was a secondary concern; if they were foreigners involved with the Association, he had some ideas.
‘Han Byung-Gu, the President of the Hunter Association, was active during the Great War era. Korea was the center of the world’s Hunter community back then. It played a role in the current World Hunter Federation structure. If these are foreign Hunters visiting the Association, it’s pretty obvious who they are.’
The World Hunter Federation. It was an organization whose name was familiar to even ordinary people. Despite its fame, its actual influence seemed insignificant, even among Hunters.
‘From the perspective of average Hunters, maybe. But in reality, the Federation wields significant influence over top-tier Hunters and elite guilds. Some even say that the most powerful and wealthy guilds are members of the Federation.’
If his adversary was from the Federation, then the woman’s identity could be inferred from that alone.
‘Her long ears don’t conclusively prove anything, but she does resemble an elf from a movie. There were rumors before that Ain-species appeared on Earth. The Federation had dismissed those as baseless. Could those rumors have been true?’
While it was a stretch to connect long ears to the Ain-species, he couldn’t help but let his thoughts wander in that direction.
‘Whatever the case, the Federation, which hardly paid any attention to Korea, has suddenly contacted the Association. Could it be because of my report?’
His report was shared with the Federation whenever new or threatening monsters appeared.
Kang Mu-hyuk had intentionally added the keyword ‘summoned’ when mentioning the Goblin Matron.
Experiencing an unknown entity had made him more cautious.
Although it may not be related, his intuition told him that he might meet with Federation representatives soon.
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He had already prepared a plan for when he would have to deal with the Federation, so there was no need to panic.
However, he had separate concerns.
‘The Federation taking action isn’t a good sign. I hope nothing’s amiss.’
A month had passed since the Orc tribe raid, but the Iron Will Guild was still a hot topic in media and public discussions.
However, the Hunter community was buzzing about Iron Will for a different reason.
It all started with an announcement that appeared on the guild app one day, neatly organized like a card news article.
[Iron Will Guild opens North Pocheon Special Activities Zone.]
Hunt various monsters in North Pocheon hunting ground, with designated routes for different ranks and parties.
Enjoy tax-free benefits at Iron Will headquarters’ monster byproduct purchase service.
Shop for supplies, repair broken equipment, and relax at Iron Will headquarters.
Why waste time and money traveling? A clean, affordable Hunters’ village awaits you.
Enjoy a coffee while studying the monster encyclopedia. Turn your hunting into a business. Network with other Hunters at the café.
Whether you’re a beginner, wanting to keep up with new hunting trends, or need hunting expertise, end your worries now. Register for courses led by top-tier instructors.
Rent exclusive Iron Will Guild hunting equipment. Once you experience the convenience, you won’t go back. Welcome to a new world.
Criminal activities by powerful Hunters within the Special Activities Zone will be dealt with directly by Guild Master Ju Se-ah. Beware, troublemakers.
Special consideration for couples. Opening on December 26th. See you in North Pocheon.
“What is this? What’s with this cheeky advertisement?”
Ju Se-ah looked at the actual project Kang Mu-hyuk had told her to expect and her face turned incredulous. What she saw was full of whimsical phrases that appeared to be a joke.
“Ah? Are you saying this because of the meeting? The phrase ‘will be dealt with directly’ is not meant literally. You don’t have to get involved every time. Just consider it a warning.”
“No, that’s not it. This looks like some kind of local amusement park advertisement.”
“I told Team Leader Pyo to handle it, and it did come out a bit light-hearted. But the concept is set that way, so it’s fine.”
“…”
Ju Se-ah was momentarily confused.
‘What kind of concept is this? It looks so cheap. What’s the scheme this time?’
As always, Kang Mu-hyuk began to explain after a brief pause.
“Since we can’t construct outlets or hotels yet, we’ve focused on refurbishing existing motels and targeting a lower-ranked customer base.”
“But even so, this concept seems too budget-oriented, doesn’t it?”
“Our guild’s capacity can’t handle an influx of high-ranked players. Even though the dominant Goblin tribe has disappeared and the overall monster level in North Pocheon is rising, the hunting grounds are still not at a level to accommodate high-ranks. High-ranks will seek out appropriate locations for the sake of their reputations. Announcing it with this B-grade vibe will naturally filter them out.”
Ju Se-ah had already reviewed the business plan, so she understood the overall picture, but she didn’t expect it to start this way. After all, Kang Mu-hyuk had always been very serious in his approach.
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However, upon further thought, she realized it wasn’t a bad starting point for Kang Mu-hyuk’s long-mentioned agenda of leveling the playing field among Hunters and making hunting gear more accessible.
It was easier to disseminate Iron Will’s methods through the less impressive low-ranks than the demanding high-ranks.
Ju Se-ah resigned herself to the guild’s advertisement and decided to move on to the next report.
“Let’s wait and see about this. Any issues with manpower?”
“For lodging management, food courts, and sanitation, we prioritized hiring local residents through the ‘South Pocheon Mutual Cooperation Plan.’ The area already has few job opportunities, so essential staffing was smooth. However, for the checkpoint security, we outsourced it to Hanju Group’s security firm as they require basic training. We plan to concurrently train newly hired staff.”
“You intentionally left out Taesung, didn’t you?”
“It would be awkward to entrust the Gate to them.”
“People will talk. They’ll say you should look after your family business first.”
“We addressed that by citing regulations against unfair internal transactions. Since the Guild Cooperation Division sent out an official warning, we had no choice but to outsource.”
“I must say, you’re quite crafty.”
“Craftiness becomes the standard when backed by the government.”
Next was the issue of funding.
Ju Se-ah frowned as if she was nauseated just looking at the numbers.
“We’re already tight on funds for the headquarters’ repairs, where did you pull all this money from?”
“We established the ‘North Pocheon Reconstruction Fund’ with Hanshin Financial Group, whom we had previously borrowed from. According to guild laws, it’s guaranteed by a Credit Guarantee Fund, so we quickly reached our initial target. A second round of funding is also being prepared.”
“I know that even if it’s stipulated in guild laws, it’s hard to get such a fund approved…”
“The Guild Cooperation Division pushed for it, and we had support from members of the National Assembly, so it was easier than expected.”
“Support from the National Assembly too?”
“Having taken a few photos and mentioned it during the interview, they took care of it quite well. You know how sensitive South Korea has always been to national security issues. When monsters became a matter of national security, politicians from all sides were willing to step up. Of course, there’s an election next year, so they’re probably even more attentive,” Kang Mu-hyuk said casually, but it was far from easy.
Ju Se-ah was well aware of how the Guild Master of the Slayer Guild, Sa Mun-Hyuk, collaborated with politicians. Providing campaign funds was a given, and they even offered the commodity of ‘violence’ to some politicians. The guild had wealth, power, and military strength, but they couldn’t ignore the influence of democratically elected representatives.
Unless they wanted to overthrow the country, they had to cooperate with them in some way, so they ran the guild with moderate compromises.
‘Before questioning ethics or conscience, our guild doesn’t have the capability to act like Sa Mun-Hyuk. How did he manage this? I heard he influenced public opinion, but he never said how it was done. How can anyone know?’
After addressing a few more items on the agenda, they concluded the meeting. Just as Kang Mu-hyuk was organizing the documents, the phone in the conference room rang.
Just as Ju Se-ah was about to stand and leave, she answered the call. “Hello?”
“Ah, fortunate that you picked up, Guild Master. This is Assistant Oh Jeong-yeon from the communications team. We have an external call for you. Would you like to be connected?”
“Who is it?”
“Hunter Association President Han Byung-Gu.”
“Why would he be calling?”
“Excuse me?”
“Nevermind. Connect me, please.”
Upon hearing the mention of the Association, Kang Mu-hyuk stopped what he was doing. “Guild Master, put it on speakerphone.”
Complying, Ju Se-ah switched to the speakerphone and put the receiver down.
“Ju Se-ah, Guild Master, it’s been a while. No problems lately?”
“Why are you so smooth all of a sudden? Planning to spout some nonsense?”
“You rascal! I was trying to be formal, and you’re ruining the mood!”
“Shouldn’t the only time we observe formalities be at your funeral? I’ll make sure to wear black.”
“Tsk, tsk. Even if the Legendary-tier item, Three Rivers Five Rings, is involved, nobody but you would dare treat me like this.”
“I learned how to defeat monsters before I acquired Three Rivers Five Rings. If you have nonsense to spout, I’ll just hang up.”
A sigh came from the other side of the phone.
“Fine, you stubborn brat. Let’s get to the point. I’d like to meet your Guild Leader. Whether you come or not is up to you.”
“Why our Guild Leader?”
“Come and find out, won’t you?”
“How do I know it’s not a trap?”
“What would I gain from setting a trap?”
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“It’s just your image. You come off as sinister.”
“You…you little…oh my, my blood’s boiling. How could such an impudent brat be the next-generation S-rank? Heaven is truly indifferent.”
“Maybe I turned out this way because I’ve been dealing with you. You should reflect on yourself first.”
Sekalipun dia tidak dapat melihatnya, dia tahu wajahnya akan berubah menjadi merah dan biru dalam berbagai warna.
Kang Mu-hyuk sudah cukup mendengar pertengkaran yang tidak perlu itu dan menengahi. “Presiden Han, ini Kang Mu-hyuk. Apakah ini tentang masalah Aliansi?”
“…”
“Keheninganmu menunjukkan bahwa aku benar. Kau butuh waktu lebih lama untuk menghubungi kami daripada yang kuharapkan.”
Ketegangan terasa saat suara di ujung telepon berkata, “Kau membuat banyak masalah, sulit untuk melacakmu. Tunggu, bukan itu intinya. Kau menipu cucuku agar menandatangani kontrak dengan serikatmu, bukan? Kami akan mencari pengacara untuk membatalkannya.”
“Anak di bawah umur juga bertanggung jawab atas kontrak yang mereka tandatangani sebagai Pemburu. Jadi, pengacara Anda tidak akan banyak membantu.”
“Guild macam apa yang merekrut seorang idola, ya ampun? Apa kau sama tidak warasnya dengan Ketua Guild-mu?”
“Apa pentingnya bagimu, orang tua?!”
Saat percakapan kembali memanas menjadi pertengkaran, Kang Mu-hyuk buru-buru menyela, “Silakan sampaikan pesan ini kepada para Tetua Aliansi. Kita harus bertemu di tempat terpencil.”
Setelah jeda sebentar, sebuah suara yang tidak dikenal menjawab, “Jadi, sepertinya orang yang kamu tuju adalah pengintai dari terakhir kali. Kita akan bertemu hari ini, Ketua Serikat Kang Mu-hyuk. Katakan saja tempatnya.”
“Lokasinya akan kami sediakan. Lagipula, bukankah seharusnya pihak yang menyesal yang pindah?”
Kim Myung-jun akhir-akhir ini merasa terpojok. Karena masalah yang menjengkelkan ini, ia sering tidak bisa tidur dan kehilangan nafsu makan.
“Sial. Bagaimana aku bisa menghadapi Ju Se-ah?”
Dia merasa bahwa para petinggi bertindak terlalu tergesa-gesa. Mereka ingin dia mengganggu Iron Will, dan bahkan jika dia tidak mengejar Ju Se-ah secara langsung, dia pasti akan berselisih dengannya. Tentu saja, ada banyak cara untuk menangkal gerakannya, tetapi masalahnya adalah dia tidak bisa bertindak gegabah.
“Jika aku mengganggu Serikat Rakyat sekarang, saat mereka menjadi bahan pembicaraan di kota, akulah yang akan kena masalah. Apa yang harus kulakukan terhadap si Pembunuh? Jika terjadi sesuatu yang salah, Serikat bisa saja bubar dan mundur, tetapi aku harus tetap di sini dan menerima tekanan atau bersembunyi—bahkan mungkin melarikan diri dari negara ini.”
Duduk di sofa seberang, Chae Dae-su akhirnya berbicara, “Apakah kamu mempertimbangkan pilihan lain?”
“Apa maksudmu?”
“Bukankah kau juga menahan diri dalam masalah Titan?”
“…”
“Aku tidak melaporkannya kepada Tetua mengingat hubungan kita sudah berlangsung lama. Dan sepertinya itu tidak akan menjadi masalah besar bagimu, jadi aku mengikuti langkahmu. Namun jika kau duduk diam dan mengacaukannya lagi, aku tidak akan bisa mengabaikannya.”
“Siapa kamu berani mengabaikan aku?”
“Saya hanya menyampaikan keinginan Tetua sebagai wakilnya.”
Mendengar kata-kata itu dari Chae Dae-su, yang mengaku hanya seorang utusan, membuat Kim Myung-jun menyadari betapa buruknya situasi.
Kim Myung-jun menatapnya dengan dingin.
“Sulit untuk segera bertindak karena Kang Mu-hyuk. Meskipun kami tidak menandatangani kontrak apa pun, pada dasarnya kami memiliki perjanjian damai. Jika saya menusuk mereka dari belakang sekarang, itu akan menjadi perang habis-habisan. Namun, saya juga tidak dapat menentang mereka saat ini. Saya perlu mengulur waktu.”
Sambil mendesah, Kim Myung-jun memejamkan mata dan mengangguk, “Mari kita pikirkan cara untuk menangani ini.”
“Saya harap solusi yang baik muncul.”
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