Against the Clock: The Team Leader's Pursuit of Glory-Chapter 207 - This is Unimaginable

Namdaemun Fish Street. Once reduced to ruins during the monster war of the Minor War, this food street was revived through the Namdaemun tourism restoration project. Now, it thrives, alive and bustling once more. But things were no longer the same. The buildings were reconstructed in a sleek, modern style, offering a far more comfortable space than before.

On the outskirts of the market, neatly built commercial and office buildings, though only a few floors high, housed unique shops, transforming the area into another landmark of Namdaemun.

Nestled among these shops was one of the outer outposts of the White Tiger Guild.

“If you step outside, there are cafes filled with delicious food. And here? You can be pathetic and play Go-Stop with old men armed to the teeth. Haa, how did my youth end up like this? Yay, Godor(winning move)i!”

White Tiger Guild Hunter Jin Sohee screamed as she flipped over the Hwatu card. What started as a way to pass the time had turned into a high-stakes game, with each point worth over a hundred thousand won. Adding to the excitement was the infamous "Hunting Card Shark Rule," which allowed Hunters to cheat using their physical abilities.

Fraud was fair game, as long as you didn’t get caught. If you were caught, however, you had to pay back double the stakes. But if you succeeded? The thrill of outsmarting your opponent was worth the risk. It was a gamble many Hunters couldn’t resist.

“Didn’t you just take that card from the bottom of the deck?”

“Yeah, I did. What are you going to do? If you think it’s unfair, catch me red-handed.”

“I’m suspicious, but I have no proof. You better stop with the tricks. You’ll lose a hand.”

To a regular person, the sight of a Hunter spinning a long sword nearby might have seemed like a bloody joke. But under the hunting master's rules, if someone was caught cheating, they could actually be struck with the sword.

Of course, it wasn’t a lethal blow, nor was mana used—but it was still strong enough to leave an ordinary person crippled. As the group laughed and enjoyed this tense, dangerous game, someone knocked on the office door.

“Hey, the food’s probably here. Go open the door.”

“You lost the last round, so you get it.”

“Ugh, fine. Hey, just leave it outside!”

The Hunter with the 20-point hwatu card shouted, unwilling to move.

Knock, knock!

“I said, leave it outside!”

Drip!

“Jeez! Are you deaf? Just leave it out there!”

Finally, the Hunter, irritated, heaved himself up and opened the door.

“Do you want to die? I told you to leave it outside—Who are you?”

“Me? Gam Wooyoung.”

The Hunter had no idea who he was dealing with. The man standing at the door looked unassuming—plain clothes, no visible equipment, and a warm smile. There was no reason to think he was a threat.

“You think I asked for your name… Gam Wooyoung? Where have I heard that before? No, wait. Why are you even here… Wait a minute. Gam Wooyoung! Slayer?!”

“Wow, that took a while. How embarrassing for me.”

“Damn it! He’s—!”

Before the Hunter could finish, Gam Wooyoung’s fist hit a gap in his armor. The Hunter collapsed as the sound of something rupturing echoed from his belly. The remaining four Hunters sprang into action.

A dark qi flew straight toward Gam Wooyoung’s face, but he turned his head effortlessly, avoiding it. The attack missed and embedded itself in the wall behind him. Three dark qi shots were now stuck there, each decorated with a bird emblem.

“You had godori(winning move)? Sorry for flipping the board.”

The Hunter who had thrown the Hwatu card glared, refusing the apology. Instead, he drew his sword.

“A knife fight at the gambling table? This is why gambling addiction is a terrifying thing.”

“What the hell are you rambling about?!”

Gam Wooyoung, stung by the verbal abuse, responded with his fist.

Snap!

The second Hunter crumpled to the ground, his skull cracking. The remaining Hunters began charging their weapons with mana.

Gam Wooyoung bent down and picked up the sword dropped by the fallen Hunter.

“You’re pointing a sword at me? Bold move. But it’s better to put those down while I’m being nice about it. Once I swing my sword, I can’t take responsibility for what will happen next.”

The Sword Demon, Gam Wooyoung.

The moment the most skilled swordsman of the Slayer Guild—who had fearlessly challenged Ju Se-ah since his rookie days—raised his blade, the White Tiger Guild Hunters froze, their breath caught in their throats.

'We’re no match for him.'

This thought raced through their minds, yet retreat wasn’t an option. They were Tier Guild Hunters, after all. No matter the cost, they had to stand their ground.

“Attack!”

“Kill him!”

Their coordinated strikes came crashing down on Gam Wooyoung’s entire body.

“Not bad. I guess Tier guild members are pretty decent,”

A moment later, a sword wind erupted, tearing through the room. Every office window shattered. Furniture was obliterated, embedding splinters into the concrete walls. The light fixtures exploded, plunging the space into near darkness. Only a faint, flickering glow from the pantry’s auxiliary light remained.

When the chaos settled, Gam Wooyoung was the only one left standing. He dropped the borrowed sword to the ground, pulled out his phone, and made a call.

“I’ve taken care of the Fish Street. I’ll join the offensive point soon.”

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

***

Son Joongbeom was so shaken by Kang Mu-hyuk’s threats that he couldn’t even muster a response. This was a first time feeling for him.

Someone was threatening White Tiger Guild’s master—arguably the strongest in the world.

'And what’s funny is he’s not even a Hunter. This is unimaginable.'

Eum Youngjin, eavesdropping on the conversation from afar, was equally stunned.

'No matter how much he trusts Ju Se-ah, he’s got to be insane to pull something like this when he’s right within his reach. I’ve got to admit it—this guy’s the craziest person I’ve ever seen in this industry.'

Finally recovering from the initial shock, Son Joongbeom managed to speak.

“Alright, Guild Leader Kang Mu-hyuk. I get that you're a rare breed of lunatic. Let’s see what cards you’re holding. Just what kind of absurd request do you have that you’re going to such lengths?”

“Disband the White Tiger Guild.”

“What?!”

“Exile the guild executives and key members abroad.”

“You’re not just a rare breed. You’re a lunatic who’ll go down in history. You call that a condition for the negotiation?”

Son Joongbeom decided he couldn’t take it anymore.

‘Yeah. I’ll kill him myself. Rip his tongue out. Rip his tongue out, break his neck, twist his limbs behind his back, and crush his spine. That’ll shut him up for good.

Ju Se-ah?

It doesn’t matter anymore. I’ll kill this guy first and deal with the fallout later.’

As Son Joongbeom was about to use his hand–

“I warned you. If you touch Guild Leader Kang Mu-hyuk, you die.”

His hand froze mere inches from Kang Mu-hyuk’s nose. Pain shot through his wrist as a vice-like grip held him in place. Startled, he turned to see who had stopped him. It was Ju Se-ah towering over him.

'When did she get here...?'

Just moments ago, she had been across the street. But when did she cross the street and enter the lobby? He hadn’t sensed her movement at all. The realization hit him like a brick—this was what it meant to face an S-rank.

While Ju Se-ah and Son Joongbeom were locked in a battle of dominance, Kang Mu-hyuk calmly picked up his coffee cup. He took a slow, deliberate sip from the untouched coffee.

Son Joongbeom, disgusted by the sight, couldn’t help but release killing intent even as Ju Se-ah overpowered him.

For an ordinary person, the killing intent from a high-ranking Hunter like Son Joongbeom could be fatal, enough to trigger a heart attack. At that moment, he was fully intent on killing Kang Mu-hyuk.

But–

“You really don’t listen.”

Kang Mu-hyuk took another casual sip of coffee and Ju Se-ah responded by twisting Son Joongbeom’s wrist.

The bone snapped, piercing through his skin, yet Son Joongbeom didn’t scream. The pain was excruciating, but his pride as a Tier Guild leader wouldn’t allow him to show weakness.

“Guild Master!”

Eum Youngjin rushed over in a single stride, flanked by elite White Tiger Guild Hunters who had been waiting in the lobby. They looked ready to unleash their skills on Ju Se-ah.

“Everyone, stop!”

Son Joongbeom barked. Fortunately, the Hunters obeyed his command.

“The outcome is obvious here. If we clash just because of a broken wrist, we’ll all die. Thank God Park Beomil isn’t here.”

Park Beomil, the White Tiger Guild’s strongest fighter, was still at the Tumen River. If he were present, there was no doubt he would have disobeyed Son Joongbeom’s orders and attacked Ju Se-ah.

The moment an attack was launched, it would mean war. Cold sweat dripped down Son Joongbeom’s face. Had he ever felt this close to death before?

‘S-rank really is amazing. I never thought too much about it. They’re not called strategic weapons for nothing.’

Ju Se-ah still gripped his wrist tightly. Blood soaked her hand, and the exposed bone rubbed against her palm.

Son Joongbeom couldn’t meet her gaze. His instincts for survival whispered to him:

Close your eyes.

When he turned his head, he saw Kang Mu-hyuk. Blood was splattered across his face.

Oddly, Son Joongbeom felt the same sense of danger from Kang Mu-hyuk as he did from Ju Se-ah. In some ways, Kang Mu-hyuk felt even more unsettling.

If Ju Se-ah was an inevitable disaster, Kang Mu-hyuk was an express delivery disaster—one that wouldn’t let go no matter where you ran.

Kang Mu-hyuk spoke with the blood on his face unwiped.

“It should be about time for the call to arrive.”

As if on cue, the elevator doors opened, and the operator team leader stepped out. He hesitated, overwhelmed by the murderous tension in the lobby.

“What’s the matter?” Son Joongbeom asked, sensing something was wrong. Twisting his body caused sharp pain in his broken wrist, but he gritted his teeth and endured it to maintain his reputation as the Guild Master.

“That, uh… “

“Say it properly.”

“Uh, the outpost… is under attack...”

He didn’t even need to hear the details.

Kang Mu-hyuk responded instead, “The Slayer, Wandered, Green Wings Guild, Warrior—looks like we’ve gathered quite the Tier Guild party. How about using this lobby? It’s big enough to fit everyone.”

“Damn it! No wonder you were so bold. How dare you people join hands to pick a fight with the White Tiger Guild?!”

Son Joongbeom shouted before his voice was cut off by Ju Se-ah tightening her grip on his wrist.

“Any more and you might lose your chance for regeneration treatment for your hand. I’d suggest you behave.”

“Thank you, Guild Master. You’ve made the conversation so much easier.”

“Ohh please. I don’t mind making this much effort at all.”

Son Joongbeom cursed silently at Ju Se-ah's irritating actions, forced to listen as Kang Mu-hyuk continued, “The White Tiger Guild’s crimes will come to light tonight, one by one. You won’t be able to escape then. We’ll close down the headquarters building ourselves. I’d recommend grabbing what you need and leaving before midnight. But be warned—if you try to take the safe, the scary folks outside will make sure you don’t get far.”

“So, I wondered what the other Tier Guilds’ movements were about. So you handed us over to them as prey, huh? They probably see this as a chance to swallow a Tier Guild whole and justify their actions.”

“When you’re standing at the top of this world, it is all or nothing, isn’t it? But I’m not cruel. I’m giving you a way out. Take it.”

“Huh! If you decide to wage war in the city, even if you win, won’t it be hard to handle the aftermath? People will panic, wondering if their lives will end up like South America or Africa with Hunters fighting each other for their lives. Innocent casualties among the civilians will make any excuses of yours worthless. Any excuse will be dust in front of the tears shed by the family of an innocent victim. People are more vulnerable to tears than they are to any kind of justification. They fear bloodshed. You’re just worried about that and so you’re acting concerned for us and telling us to go to exile. How about that? Did I say something wrong?”

“You know well. Then what’s your plan? Start a war?”

Son Joongbeom sighed deeply.

'I attacked too soon. I didn’t prepare enough. I should’ve avoided the fight from the start. Underestimating Kang Mu-hyuk was a grave mistake.'

The enemy has already come prepared with a tough trap. The trap was already drawn tightly around him, making him unable to escape. It was choking him, trying to cut off his breath. His only option now was to loosen it just enough to survive.

“Promise me. Can I trust you?”

“What? Oh? You mean that we’ll let you live. Just leave quietly, and they won’t touch you.”

“Fine. I accept.”

“You have until midnight. Don’t try any tricks.”

“I kinda hope you will try some tricks.”

As Ju Se-ah released his wrist, she really seemed like she wanted that to happen.

Son Joongbeom saw the look in her eyes and knew leaving when he had the chance was his only chance to survive.

'Our guild has faced collapse before. We’re just retreating right now. Most of our major assets are overseas—we can get back on our feet when the time comes.'

Son Joongbeom thought conserving strength and avoiding unnecessary conflict was the best move.

Meanwhile, Kang Mu-hyuk had other thoughts.

'Once you leave, I’ll make sure you never return. A comeback won’t be easy.'