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

[This is the raid commander. Withdraw the current formation. All units proceed to assembly Point Two. Implement Plan C. Special ops, execute your roles. Over.]

Sung Seonjae's message echoed in Go Eul-ji's head but she struggled to understand it. Rapid changes in direction at the speed of mach 1 put great strain on her body and mentally, she was out of it. Her eyes were safe because of eye strengthening skills she developed in Sinuiju. However, her build had its limits unless in the position of a tank.

'Ugh, just keeping up with it is already too much for me.'

Typically, humans could endure up to 10G. Even this was barely manageable for trained fighter pilots in G-suits.

Go Eul-ji was experiencing an overload of about 15 to 20G on average. Her body was being pressed down by as much as 30G. She had no choice but to face this while chasing after Garuda, which was sharply changing direction at supersonic speeds.

Of course, she was fully utilizing her ability to manipulate space to withstand the gravity. But, there was one fact she had overlooked, regardless of her abilities.

'Uaaah, I'm getting motion sickness! I should have taken some meds.'

Even the most seasoned Hunters weren't immune to nausea. Pyo Beomhee was concerned for Go Eul-ji who had the task of luring the named monster, so she sent Eulji a message.

[Eulji, buy some more time, and when I send you the signal, bring him to Assembly Point Two. You know where, right?]

[...]

[Why aren't you replying? Did you forget again? Lead him to Janggunbong.]

[Ah, right. Janggunbong, of course.]

The site was mentioned in the briefing.

Go Eul-ji remembered the name but not the location. She wanted to ask but didn't, scared of the nagging she'd have to hear. Instead, she relied on her spatial detection skills. She had honed these skills through demining drills.

Hunters with exceptional physical abilities were effortlessly running along the rugged mountain paths. They showed no signs of significant struggle, even while carrying two civilians. If they continued like this, they would likely gather at the assembly point soon.

Go Eul-ji thought that she needed to catch Garuda's attention first. She realized it would be difficult to carry out the operation by just chasing it. She decided to use her 'Original Skill,' which utilized her unique traits.

【Tenfold Shackles】

This technique aimed to bind Garuda with ten strands of gravitational chains. Unfortunately, Garuda sped up and escaped before being completely restrained.

'So this is how you're gonna play this, huh? Alright. First, I need to catch up with its speed.'

【Sonic Boom】

In an instant, the landscape was pushed back. The world seemed to stop. The bird appeared frozen in mid-air.

Go Eul-ji quickly caught up to Garuda. Startled, Garuda glared at her. She accelerated even more and spread shockwaves in all directions. Garuda's wings wobbled dangerously. It lost its balance and strayed from its path. Spinning dizzily and plummeting, Garuda barely regained its balance. It stopped in mid-air.

"That's right. Stay right there."

Go Eul-ji came to a sudden stop. She exited the realm of Mach. The shockwave trailing behind her surged upwards with a deafening roar. She lifted her hands high. The gravity, stacked layer upon layer in the space, was highly compressed. An unseen colossal hammer of gravity came crashing down towards Garuda.

【Divine Punishment】

Garuda felt the invisible force. It crossed its hands above its head and lifted them. But just before the divine punishment fell, it changed its mind. It shot upwards, and a supersonic spear surged toward the gravitational hammer.

Boom!

The sound of paper tearing echoed throughout Nampo Taesan mountain. Startled mountain birds took flight all at once. They fell back down again. Monsters hiding in various parts of the forest panicked and rushed outside the mountain.

"Ugh!"

The shock from the divine punishment reverberated through Go Eul-ji's hands. Her palms tore as blood splattered as her wrists and shoulders ached. But, she had no time to complain about the pain. The Garuda was not pushed back. Instead, it flew towards Go Eul-ji.

In an instant, Go Eul-ji created a defense shield with ten layers. When Garuda collided with it, nine layers shattered. The tenth shield cracked. Garuda stopped in front of Go Eul-ji. It puffed its cheeks and let out a strange cry, as if expressing its frustration.

"Coo-wo. Coo-wo."

"You're pretty good."

Despite blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, Go Eul-ji did not make a sound of pain.

Garuda spread its wings wide. Its feathers stood stiff like blades as it tried to envelop her.

Startled, Go Eul-ji shot herself down. The wings collided where she was just before with a clap. A chilling metallic sound echoed.

'So the wings are made of metal. It will be hard to tear them off.'

Go Eul-ji turned her back to the ground and looked up at Garuda, who flapped its wings as it surveyed its prey. The dull eyes scanned her. Then, it suddenly puffed up its body. The feathers on its dog form transformed back into hundreds of blades.

"Planning to come to me?"

Go Eul-ji figured out Garuda's intention. It was a high-speed dive attack from above. She concluded that a powerful attack was coming, and she could not take it head-on. She deliberately stayed closer to the ground.

"Miss, and your head's gonna crack."

Go Eul-ji waited for Garuda like a bullfighter. She planned to evade Garuda's attack. The moment it plunged into the ground, she would unleash her best attack. What was initially a simple baiting mission turned into a life-or-death situation. However, since the odds were now in her favor, she did not avoid the confrontation.

Just then, she got a message from Beomhee.

[Eul-ji, lure it over! Go around to the north peak of Nampo Taesan without being detected, then head south!]

Go Eul-ji's eyes twitched.

Should she retreat, or should she face it?

In an instant, she calculated the battle with Garuda. The result showed that she was at a disadvantage. It was a monster that could break through even divine punishment with its bare body. Even if she dodged its attack and countered, she could not guarantee victory.

The overwhelming power of a named monster was beyond what an A-rank Hunter like Go Eul-ji could handle.

"See you later."

Go Eul-ji quickly exited the battlefield. She sent a message that said, [I'm on my way.]

Sung Seonjae sent the two helicopter pilots, rescued by the fifth party, back in the helicopter he had arrived in. He then established the strike force's formation. Once the positions and missions of each party were set, he checked the roles of each Hunter.

"Go Wonmae."

"Yes, Team Leader... I mean, Raid Leader."

"The fifth party sniper missed the shot. Can you slow down the Garuda?"

"The fifth party's sniper is Yuk Sungju from Raven Guild, right? He is a skilled guy. Did he miss?"

"Just answer my question. Can you catch it, or not?"

Sung Seonjae was a member of the same guild as Wonmae, but he was hard to approach. After he became the Unified Raid Commander, his tone felt even sharper, so much so that no one would believe he had been away from the field for nearly ten years.

Go Wonmae spoke nervously, "How much faster is it?"

"At least 1.5 times faster than estimated. It also changes direction quickly."

"Hm, with that level of agility... I think I can impede its movements."

"Come on. Debuffing is your specialty. The guild invested so much in the skill book. Now it's time to show what you can do. Slow down the Garuda as much as possible."

"Yes. I will give it all I got."

Next, Sung Seonjae called for Yeo Mungi of the second party. Being the Slayer Guild's premier mage he was, he spoke up before Sung Seonjae could give him an order.

"I'll prepare the frost spells. Once Wonmae slows it down, I'll immediately lock onto the target."

"Great. I trust you."

Next was Gong Jungmoon of the third party. Another mage Hunter, he was an enchanter from Wanderer Guild, he was capable of casting various buffs.

"Seeing how you came to see me specifically, you want me not to act as usual, right?"

"Yes. Fast creatures are tricky to catch by aggro. Expect the aggro to be erratic. Don't focus buffs solely on the first party; apply them to the tanks of the engaging party."

"That'll be quite chaotic, especially if I need to minimize the buff delay showtime."

"You have the necessary skills to do it."

"It'd be embarrassing to mess up after hearing that. You're really putting on the pressure."

"According to Hunter Go Eul-ji, who is tasked with pulling, the creature has formidable attack strength. Make sure the defense is properly reinforced."

After giving detailed orders to the key members of each party, Sung Seonjae finally addressed the special task force. He was particularly interested in Pyo Beomhee.

"How much poison can you use?"

"Enough that I don't have to cower in front of anyone?"

"With that unique item, it should be strong enough to handle Red Gate monsters, right?"

Sung Seonjae pointed to the talisman accessory securely fastened to Beomhee's armored coat. She flinched. The talisman, disguised as an accessory, was actually the rare unique item 'Poison Well.' It was nearly impossible to find something like it domestically.

This item, leased long-term from the World Hunter Federation, had raised Beomhee's status far beyond that of a typical A+ rank Hunter.

The unique item's abilities were exceptional, making it highly coveted by others. That was why she had camouflaged it to keep it hidden, but Sung Seonjae had seen through her disguise with ease.

He noticed her discomfort and spoke reassuringly, "No need to be surprised. Guild Leader Kang Mu-hyuk told me about it."

"Guild Leader Kang?"

"Yes, he also explained how it could be useful in our operations---whether it's blocking monsters or poisoning them."

"Well then, I guess there's no need for a long explanation. How can I assist you?"

"The other Hunters will restrain Garuda. Could you poison it? I'm not expecting a lethal dose---just slow it down as much as possible."

"I've got a pretty strong paralysis poison mix. I'll give it a try."

"Yes, it sounds good. And Hunter Yeom Soohyung."

"M-me?"

"I've heard about your Giant trait as well. If an opportunity arises, I'll give you orders separately. Please be ready to act at any time."

Yeom Soohyung nodded without further questions.

Sung Seonjae glanced at Jang Deukgoo as well, but only gave him a slight nod without saying a word. This was Sung Seonjae's way of giving Jang Deukgoo a 'free role.'

Jang Deukgoo nodded back with a small motion.

"It's coming. The eastern slope of Nampo Mountain," reported a Hunter with detection skill.

Sung Seonjae shouted, "Everyone, to your positions! The Garuda raid begins now!"

As soon as Garuda launched its first attack, the raid was out of Kang Mu-hyuk's control. That was the limit of the strategy leader's role. Being a non-Hunter, he couldn't interfere directly in the raid.

Especially against a named monster, there was nothing an ordinary person could do.

'Strategy leader was just a position held by military officers during the early and mid-stages of the Great War anyway. But by the later stages, experienced Hunters with hunting knowledge took over the role.'

In the late stages of the Great War, Hunters who took on the role of the strategy leader were directly involved in raids and gave orders on site. But that didn't mean Kang Mu-hyuk's role was insignificant. He was the one who planned all the formations and strategies for this raid.

Although the raid commander's final approval was needed, Sung Seonjae hardly made any changes to his plan. Not only that, but Kang Mu-hyuk was involved from the very start of the unified strike's formation. He selected elite members from each guild and got their cooperation.

He even arranged the loan of equipment from the guilds without much trouble and negotiated with the guilds to resolve any internal conflicts within the strike force.

While most of his work was behind the scenes, out of sight, it was vital, yet the Hunters didn't fully grasp the importance of the strategy leader.

In the midst of all this, Sung Seonjae was the one person who recognized Kang Mu-hyuk's value in resolving all these issues. This was the biggest reason he sought to recruit Kang Mu-hyuk.

'I can't just be satisfied with being a strategy leader. As long as the raid isn't over, I'll keep doing whatever I can.'

But even Sung Seonjae made the mistake of subconsciously thinking Kang Mu-hyuk's role was limited to the time before the raid began.

Kang Mu-hyuk, sensing that something was off, checked the raid information coming from the UAVs and drones.

'This is strange. What is this? This isn't like a usual raid. Has Garuda always been this sensitive? Could it detect enemies coming from such a far distance? Flying monsters can move around without being affected by the boss monster, so there was no reason for it to come south.'

As he went over the information about Garuda again, he finally reached a conclusion.

'Wait a minute. Garuda evolved from a harpy, right? Then... Could it be...?!'