Against the Clock: The Team Leader’s Pursuit of Glory

Dragon Slayer Guild.

The Dragon Slayer Guild was a prestigious name in the Hunter world, even acknowledged by the famous Slayer Guild. It has a long history and is one of the pillars of the Tier Guild.

The guild was founded by Jeon Yejun, a legendary hero from the Great War and South Korea's last known S-rank Hunter. He formed the guild by gathering people who had lost their families to dragons, which were considered the most dangerous monsters at the time.

Initially, it was a raid group, but it grew into a clan, and later, his son transformed it into a full-fledged guild.

In the global Hunter community, Jeon Yejun was revered as the strongest Hunter the world had ever known.

Many believed that if Jeon Yejun had not died while slaying the final dragon during the 'Guryong Ridge Raid,' one of the toughest battles of the Great War, the Dragon Slayer Guild would now be the top guild, not only in South Korea but also in Asia.

Over time, the guild continued to thrive, and recently, the 4th guild leader was appointed.

The new leader's name is Jeon Yesung.

He's the grandson of Jeon Yejun and son of Jeon Yejin, the first guild leader. The Jeon family is now a well-known Hunter dynasty, and Jeon Yesung is considered one of the most skilled Hunters in South Korea. At 34, his rise to leadership in the Tier Guild seemed natural to the guild members.

The Jeon family, now three generations deep, is renowned as a distinguished Hunter dynasty. Jeon Yesung himself is not only one of the most skilled Hunters in South Korea but also highly respected within the Dragon Slayer Guild.

At the young age of 34, Jeon Yesung's rise to the leadership of the Tier Guild was seen as a natural event by the guild members.

For the past two years, ever since he took over, Jeon Yesung has received a lot of attention, being praised as a prodigy in the Hunter world.

However, in the last six months, the attention has shifted away from him, leaving him disappointed.

The Dragon Slayer Guild has recently been overshadowed by the Slayer Guild, and Jeon Yesung believes this is due to weaker brand recognition. He is determined to bring himself and his guild back into the spotlight to regain their former glory.

Jeon Yesung was watching TV when the man who had stolen all the attention from him appeared on the screen.

That was the only reason he was even watching the hearing.

-Please authorize the creation of a Unified National Strike Force.

-If you grant me full authority over the raid, I'll restore the Tumen River defense line and take down the demonic realm boss.

Hearing this, Yesung shot up from his chair in his office.

"That guy's trying to steal my spotlight again, huh?"

Sitting in his office, Ye-seong abruptly shot up from his chair at the voice coming from the TV.

"That guy's trying to steal my spotlight again, huh?"

Ye-seong's frustration wasn't just about the man on TV. It went deeper, all the way back to his grandfather, Jeon Yejun.

His grandfather had led the last Unified National Strike Force during the Guryong Ridge Raid in the Great War.

For Yesung, his grandfather wasn't just a hero; he was the symbol of South Korean Hunters.And rightfully so.

Now, a non-Hunter was trying to take that legacy away, and Yesung was furious.

"I stayed quiet because of Se-ah when she crearted the guild leader system, but I didn't think this guy was this oblivious of his place and would get so out of control."

Grinding his teeth, he muttered, "There's no way they'll approve this, right?"

He turned up the volume on the TV, focusing on the chairperson's next move.

The camera zoomed in on Jung Woosu, the chairman holding the gavel. His hands were shaking, and he looked completely shocked by the proposal.

Finally, the chairman spoke.

-This hearing is adjourned.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

It wasn't a recess---it was an official closure.

Jung Woosu stormed out of the room, followed by other officials, while the camera showed Kang Muhyuk watching them leave.

Moments later, the scene switched back to the studio where panelists whispered among themselves. The host, holding notes, began explaining the Unified National Strike Force to the viewers.

Yesung threw the remote.

Crash!

"What is this, a K-drama? How can you just end it like that?!"

Looking at the cracked TV with distorted images, Yesung sighed in frustration.

He took a deep breath, calming down. Once his anger faded, he started thinking more clearly.

"So... a unified stroke force, huh? Will this actually happen? A lot of people will want to be part of it. But even if it's approved, no one's going to let a civilian lead it. If they try, I can't just sit by and allow it. The Tier Guilds will stop it anyway... So, the leader's position will be up for grabs."

He began piecing together what could happen next.

His sharp judgment showed that he wasn't just riding on his grandfather's legacy---he had real leadership potential.

"Whatever happens, I need to be ready. This could actually be the perfect opportunity. I'll make sure I become the leader of this unified strike force. The grandson, following in his grandfather's footsteps---that's a good look. If I pull off this raid, I might even knock the Slayer Guild out of the top spot."

His anger quickly turned into an opportunity.

Yesung started making calls from his contact list.

"Ah, Representative Yu! It's me, jeon Yesung. First time we've talked since my inauguration, right? How've you been?"

"If you give me full authority over the raid, I'll restore the Tumen River defense line and take down the Demonic Realm boss."

Han Byunggu clicked his tongue as he watched.

Tsk, tsk. I knew this was coming, but even hearing it now still makes me dizzy. Why isn't Se-ah stopping him?"

"Our guild master can't control Guild Leader Kang either."

Next to him, Go Eul-ji, munching on a slice of pizza, chimed in.

She had hidden in Han Byung-goo's car trunk and escaped to Seoul when he visited Cheongjin City.

On their way back to Seoul, Han Byunggu heard a strange noise from the trunk while sitting in the back seat. He stopped the car and opened the trunk. He was in for a surprise.

There she was, his granddaughter, snoring and drooling, curled up in the small space.

Embarrassed, Han couldn't meet the eyes of Cha Giljoo, the director accompanying him.

Later, after Lee Jinjoo had hunted a smoke snake, she realized Go Eulji had "deserted." By then, it was too late to bring her back.

Kang Muhyuk, already informed by Han Byunggu, wasn't worried. It was a shift change for the rear assault team, so he figured it was the perfect time to let her have a break.

In fact, Go Eul-ji had left not out of recklessness but exhaustion from constant battles. Although she complained, she stayed to avoid putting anyone at risk. Her departure during a shift change caused no disruption. So that's when she left.

Knowing she had been overextending herself since the Sinuiju battle, KangMuhyuk let her leave without fuss.

Han Byunggu watched as his granddaughter wolfed down her fifth pizza. 

"Did Guild Leader Kang now feed you or something?"

"The food there was terrible. Total army slop."

"You've never been to the army. How would you know?"

"The soldiers run the kitchen there. I'm probably the only high school girl who ate military food three times a day for a whole month! I'm basically famous---a 'military-certified high school girl.' Haha, sounds funny when I say it out loud, right, Grandpa?"

"You think that's funny? Your jokes are getting as bad as your guild leader's."

"No way. I'm not that serious. There's no one less funny than him."

Go Eul-ji shot back immediately, her face turning serious.

She then stacked four slices of pizza, eating them all at once, followed by chugging a can of cola. She burped loudly and patted her stomach, satisfied.

Now full, she turned to the TV she'd been ignoring. 

"Hey, Grandpa, what's this Unified National Strike Force? Is it different from a strike team team?"

"That's a team where they can call any Hunter in South Korea."

"Pfft, that's it? Guilds team up for raids all the time."

"The difference is, the Unified National Strike Force is mandatory."

"Mandatory? Like a draft?"

Even though she was still in high school, Go Eul-ji had completed her Hunter education, so she had a good understanding of how the system worked.

Unlike most awakened Hunters who trained at regional academies, she had gone through a special curriculum with the association, which kept her somewhat unknown to the public.

Proud of her sharpness, Han Byunggu patted her head affectionately and continued,

"A draft means using all the country's Hunters like soldiers. But with the unified strike force, the leader gets to hand-pick the Hunters they want. So, it's more like a partial draft."

"So, the team leader gets to choose? They'll probably only pick the best, huh? Sounds like an all-star team."

"Exactly."

"How do they choose the raid leader?"

"The leader is appointed by a temporary committee, which includes the government, parliament, the association, and the major guilds. It doesn't matter what affiliations they have. Once the leader is chosen, they have full control over the team's makeup and can use any resources needed for the raid, backed by the government."

"Resources?"

"Mainly items"

"Wait, does that include named items...?"

"If necessary, yes."

That's when it dawned on Go Eulji just how much power the Unified National Strike Force had.

Named items, or artifacts, were only used by the top Hunters or kept as guild treasures. These weren't items that were handed out easily.

The fact that they could use those items meant only one thing.

"That's insane!"

"Yeah, you could say it's a big deal,"

"The Tier Guilds will be protective, right? They won't want to give up their items."

"Of course, Tier Guilds won't give them up without a fight."

"But isn't it basically like a draft?"

"They'll have to lend them unless they want to burn bridges permanently."

"Oh, so it creates tension?"

"That's why being the raid leader is so difficult. They have to manage the raid, negotiate with the guilds, and keep the Hunters happy."

"Ugh! Guild Leader Kang's signing up for all of that? Is he a pervert?"

"Watch your words. What do you mean, pervert?"

"I mean, who willingly takes on that much stress? I already thought it was weird when he started taking down orcs. The guy's not even a Hunter, but his eyes light up when monsters are involved. It's freaky sometimes. I'm just thankful he's on our side. If that's not a pervert, what is?"

Han Byunggu found himself nodding along.

"Honestly, it might be a blessing he's not a Hunter."

Even now, as a non-Hunter, who knew what he might pull off? Just the thought of what he could do as a Hunter was exhausting enough.

"Anyway, once the unified strike force is up and running, you'll get called too. So, get ready."

"Huh? Me? Why would they pick me?"

"There's no one better than you at taking out the minions before the boss fight,"

"How many mages do you know that can handle a mission solo without backup? If I were Kang Muhyuk, you'd be my first choice."

Suddenly, Go Eulji felt a chill as something clicked in her mind.

"Wait... could it be? The reason Guild Leader Kang gave me time off..."

"You're finally catching on. That guy's not as nice as you think,"

"Nooo! Kang Muhyuk youuu~~~!"

Meanwhile, long after the hearing was over and the cameras were packed up, Kang Muhyuk remained in the room, waiting.

He didn't have a specific time arranged, but he was confident someone would show up. Finally, Jung Woosu's aide arrived.

"The assemblyman would like to meet with you privately."

Kang Muhyuk followed the aide to Room 406 in the main parliamentary building.

It wasn't Jung Woosu office. It was the room where the Hunter Special Committee usually held full meetings.

Inside the vast room, Jung Woosu was the only one there. After the aide left, it was just the two of them.

Jung Woosu held up his switched-off phone and replied, "Ever since the hearing ended, the calls haven't stopped. Even the VIP gave me a call. He usually doesn't get involved. Your proposal really stirred things up at the top. Dropping this kind of problem right before an election... well, I'm sure you've made some enemies."

"I don't care. I didn't vote for the president anyway,"

"Oh! So, you're on our team?"

"Well, I can't say. It's a secret ballot, after all."

"For someone who respects the four democratic principles, you sure like bending the rules."

"My stance is consistent. Let's invoke Article 17's emergency clause and be done with it."

Jung smiled, much friendlier than he had been during the hearing, and said, "Alright, let's leave that for now. That's not the real issue. I need to confirm one thing."

"Go ahead,"

"Did a gate actually open in the demonic realm?"

"Yes. One has already opened, and at least four more are waiting in line."