Against the Clock: The Team Leader's Pursuit of Glory-Chapter 209 - There Will Be No Need to Show Your Teeth

When it was the next day in Korea, this land was shrouded in darkness at dawn.

News from the distant East reached a small, Middle-Eastern kingdom that was established less than twenty years ago.

The satellite signal was pointed to a massive villa in a remote corner of the kingdom.

"Yes, there... The most important value we pursue as hunters? Money... is of course not the answer. That's right, it's, you know, peace that we value. I know it sounds cliché but think back to just two months ago. We were living in constant fear of the evil dragon's attacks. The Tumen River defence line had collapsed and countless lives were lost. Reclaiming the Korean territory back was nothing short of a miracle. We almost lost peace. If that dragon had come south earlier, not even an S-rank hunter like me could've stopped it. That's why the guilds gathered here in Sinuiju came to an important decision---to protect our land."

On the TV, marked "LIVE," South Korea's most famous hunter was holding a press conference.

Above the podium, where the hunter spoke, was a banner that read "Inauguration of the Sinuiju Guild Council." Beneath it were the faces of South Korea's prominent guild leaders.

"Hah! A Tier Guild Union. I guess you really do see everything if you live long enough," scoffed Son Joong-beom as he watched the enormous TV covering the villa's 5-meter-high walls. His voice carried an edge of laughter.

Eum Youngjin, standing nearby, wore a similar expression.

"Ironic, Isn't it? The person taking over the Hunter world in our place is Ju Se-ah. I hate to admit, but in the end, it feels like we chased away the wolves only to bring in the tigers."

Sitting alone on the eight-seater sofa that curved gently to the right of Son Joong-beom's four-seater sat Eum Youngjin, who hung his head with remorse.

They had once prided themselves as wolves, but now, they were nothing more than a bunch of defeated stragglers. They had retreated with promises of a comeback, yet their pride bore deep, irreparable wounds.

Unlike Eum Youngjin, who simmered in frustration, Son Joong-beom spoke with calm resignation, as though he had accepted their fate.

"She's the only S-rank in Korea and also teamed up with the Slayer. Who could stop her? Honestly, even I'd want to be part of the game she's playing."

"As long as their alliance remains intact, we can't return to Korea. But we can't just settle down as warlords in the Middle East or Africa. If we want to establish ourselves here, we'll eventually have to deal with the mess back home. But securing manpower for a foreign guild is difficult, therefore waging a war is off the wall."

"I have no intention of settling down here. I'll return home someday. For that, their game is definitely not something we need in our way. I need to shake up their game board one way or the other."

Son Joong-beom's resignation didn't mean he had lost the will to fight. He was a realist. He had abandoned the idea of going after Ju Se-ah directly. Instead, he focused on undermining the organisation and allies she depended on. He was even willing to rekindle ties with the Chinese to accomplish that.

"Even if the Yellow Dragon Guild betrayed us, as long as the Demonic Realm exists, the Chinese and Korean hunter communities are bound to clash. They'll want an extra card in their hand, too."

"Can you really trust them again? If they've betrayed us once, what's stopping them from doing it again?"

"Who in this scene operates on trust anymore? Those guys are long dead."

"That's true, but..."

"I know what you're worried about. We can't just rely on the Chinese guys---we need to secure our own future. That's why I'm considering to bring in the Guild Association Alliance."

"Guild Association Alliance? You mean Japan?!"

Son Joong-beom's lips curled into a bitter smile as he stared at Ju Se-ah on the TV.

"She's all smiles now, flaunting her S-rank. She should enjoy it while it lasts. The White Tiger Guild will rise again---"

Boom!

Son Joong-beom didn't get the chance to finish his sentence. He leapt over the sofa just as a pile of broken stones crashed onto where he had been sitting.

Eum Youngjin instinctively threw himself backwards at the same time. The eight-seater sofa tipped over, covering him like a shield. He pressed his back against the fallen cushion and cautiously peeked over it.

Step, step, step, step.

Through the thick cloud of concrete dust, a figure emerged. Their footsteps echoed unusually loud against the rubble.

"J-Ju Se-ah...!"

Eum Youngjin's gaze darted frantically between the person on the TV screen and the figure standing in the room before them. His disbelief was palpable.

The TV broadcast was still live, streaming through internet news and media outlets. There was no way it was a fake.

'Then how did this witch get here?!'

Ju Se-ah locked eyes with Eum Youngjin. Her voice cut through the air, which was even more shocking than the safe house being discovered.

"I told you, didn't I? That I'd beat the shit out of you?"

A suffocating wave of killing intent held Eum Youngjin in his place.

Suddenly, the living room door burst open with a shriek.

"Guild Master!"

Elite hunters of the White Tiger Guild stormed in, fully armed. More hunters poured in from outside the shattered walls.

Once they surrounded the room, they finally identified the intruder.

"Witch!"

The first to react was Park Beomil. Without hesitation, he charged at Ju Se-ah.

As he rushed forward, his body transformed. His shoulders broadened, his posture shifted higher, and his hair extended into a wild mane. His hands and feet grew unnaturally large, resembling those of a beast.

Both hands, armed with knife-like claws, gleamed with mana.

【Beast Claw】

He slashed at Ju Se-ah in a flurry of attacks, his claws carving horizontal and vertical strikes forming a # symbol.

Clang! Clang!

However...

She didn't need a weapon or shield. The strikes didn't even scratch her armour.

Ju Se-ah deflected the attacks effortlessly with her left palm, his attacks not getting through at all.

"My... my cl-claws...!"

Park Beomil stared at his shattered nails in disbelief. As a beast, his claws were his ultimate weapon---stronger than any blade. And now, they were broken. His gaze darted between his ruined hands and Ju Se-ah's calm face.

"Oh? So you wanted to fight me too?"

Ju Se-ah drew her fist back, ready to strike.

"Damn it! I told you to fight me before. After reaching S-rank...!"

Park Beomil's long snout twisted grotesquely as his neck snapped. His body fell forward, but his face remained twisted backwards, frozen in shock.

Park Beomil's death was the trigger.

"Plan E! Run!"

"Scatter in all directions!"

The remaining hunters, fully aware of the futility of fighting an S-rank, bolted in every direction.

Their only hope was that, by scattering, a lucky few might survive.

Of course, Ju Se-ah had no intention of letting them escape.

"Do you think an S-rank is that easy to deal with?"

She raised her right foot slightly and brought it down hard.

Thud!

A storm of mana erupted from where her foot struck, radiating outward like ripples on water.

Though Ju Se-ah's actions weren't visible to them, they knew she did something when the floor beneath the hunters splintered like a spider's web.

The problem was that they couldn't grasp Ju Se-ah's intentions at their level.

But it didn't take long for them to understand her trick. While they were trying to figure out her movements, none of the hunters managed to escape the scene.

The bodies of all the hunters in and around the safe house come to a standstill, as though caught in a spider's web. They were completely immobilized.

"Once you reach S-Rank, you can do things like this. I heard the Tyrant used this technique, so I decided to give it a try. Turns out, I can imitate it pretty well."

The skill Ju Se-ah used was a basic S-Rank ability, one that the Tyrant had famously used against the Tsar Guild Hunters during the disastrous Oopoomangbawoo Raid.

Mana Hold.

It was a technique that allowed the user to freely manipulate mana and control the surrounding space.

At first glance, it seemed similar to Go Eul-ji's ability, but since it didn't rely on unique characteristics or skills and instead processed the ambient mana, it consumed less magic and stamina.

Satisfied with the technique she was testing for the first time, Ju Se-ah drew the sword strapped to her back. Her eyes fixed on Son Joong-beom, who hadn't been able to escape.

"They say a tiger leaves its skin behind when it dies, right? Thank you. I'll make good use of it."

"Wh-what...?"

Son Joong-beom, who was about to ask back, soon understood what Ju Se-ah's meant and shouted.

"No way, you mean the underground...!"

Before he could finish, Ju Se-ah's sword closed in on him.

***

Three months later-

"It's been a while, Chairman. How are you feeling? The doctor said you've improved quite a bit."

Kang Mu-hyuk greeted Tae Jinsung with an expression brighter than ever. It was the first time he had greeted him this cheerfully since the time when he slyly tried to flatter him when he initially joined the group.

"What an irritating face. We're not close enough to ask each other how we're doing now, are we? Just get to business. Keep it professional."

"I felt bad about meeting you with a frown every time, so I thought I'd come smiling for a change. Yet you greet me with such hostility, why?"

"They say time mellows people, but that old saying doesn't apply to you. Every time I see your smug face, I feel like spitting on it."

"Maybe you should save your spit for your son, not me."

Kang Mu-hyuk placed an envelope on the table.

"This is evidence of the request Vice Chairman Tae Sucheol---your eldest son---made to the White Tiger Guild."

"Aren't you quick? It's been months since you took over the White Tiger Guild and you're bringing it up now? Have you been scheming on how to use it?"

Although it was information he wanted, Tae Jinsung reprimanded Kang Mu-hyuk.

Kang Mu-hyuk responded with a smile.

"After Son Joong-beom backed up the guild data and burned the rest at their headquarters, I had to track him down to recover it myself. That took time. On top of that, the White Tiger Guild's data was massive and encrypted. Decrypting it wasn't easy."

"If you were determined enough to chase down the White Tiger Guild's assets to the very end, you could command ghosts. Don't tell me it took this long just to crack a password. Honestly, it sounds more believable that you forgot about it in the shuffle."

"Admittedly, I was preoccupied with the Sinuiju situation. Vice Chairman Tae Sucheol's issue wasn't exactly a top priority."

"...Hah! Ridiculous. You used my logistics company to break into the White Tiger Guild's vault, and now you're shrugging it off when it's time to pay me back? If I file a complaint against you, it could suffocate you to death."

Tae Jinsung frowned as if he were angry and yelled.

Kang Mu-hyuk nodded.

"I admit it. Even your kids are going off the tracks dealing with your constant nagging. How would I be able to endure it?"

"..."

Tae Jinsung was left speechless, unable to come up with a retort. He simply stared at Kang Mu-hyuk with an ambiguous expression, then clicked his tongue.

"You won't let one word go, will you? Seriously. Tsk."

Tae Jinsung shifted his gaze to the unopened envelope and studied it for a long time.

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Kang Mu-hyuk broke the silence cautiously.

"You're not gonna bury this, are you? If you don't want to deal with the Vice Chairman yourself, leave it to me. Even if you hate him, he's your son. No parent should be forced to kill their own child. But I'm good at handling bad guys. Tae Sucheol wouldn't be very difficult of an opponent."

"No. Family problems are best handled personally. I'll take care of it."

"Your resolve seems firm. But you wavered for a while, didn't you?"

"I hesitated because I was deciding how to deal with him. The moment he tried to kill me, he severed our ties as father and son. Still, I needed time to figure out my next steps."

"Well, the group's internal matters aren't my concern right now. Just make sure to keep your promise to me. The guild is to remain independent from Taesung. Hand over your full authority to Guild Leader Ju Se-ah and don't meddle there. If you do, I won't bare my teeth at you."

Kang Mu-hyuk smiled as he spoke, but Tae Jinsung didn't return the gesture. He understood all too well what Kang Mu-hyuk had done.

'No. His disguise might just be me knowing everything. There's no way to predict what dangerous schemes he's plotting behind closed doors.'

If Kang Mu-hyuk were ever to become his enemy...Tae Jinsung wasn't confident he could handle him.

After all, he was no longer a tiger.

Old, frail, and nearing the end of his days, Tae Jinsung knew, even in his prime, that Kang Mu-hyuk would have been a formidable opponent.

'And those eyes... They wouldn't hesitate for a second to bite me.'

Tae Jinsung had fought battles for money, but Kang Mu-hyuk fought with his life on the line.

Though a non-hunter's life didn't hold much meaning in the hunter world, Kang Mu-hyuk was different.

He had carved out a place for himself in the hunter world---a name which couldn't be ignored or looked down on across Korea and Asia alike.

"Come to headquarters soon with Se-ah. Let's settle this matter quickly."