The One and Only Raid Team 1
After the clash between China and Japan, I returned to my daily routine. As Lee Musin had said, Japan would stay as quiet as the grave for at least two or three years. I had no idea what they'd try after that, but I planned to build a domain they could never touch during this time.
If someone asked whether a single hunter could stand against an entire nation, I could answer with absolute confidence. I can do it.
But China was different from Japan. For starters, Japan's hunters were all registered through the Hunter Association, so their identities could be verified. The Baiya Gate hunters, on the other hand—except for Heo Jinhyuk—weren't registered at all. And even Heo Jinhyuk was registered as a Korean hunter, not Chinese.
When dungeons first appeared and hunters emerged, nations waged shadowy wars to recruit as many as possible. Korea had joined in, and records showed Heo Jinhyuk, an orphan at the time, registering as a Korean hunter.
In this situation, if China denied everything, we had no recourse. Having decided to take Heo Jinhyuk in, we couldn't create any trouble for him. Worse, exposing his identity would embarrass the Hunter Management Bureau and Lee Musin. Rumors that one of the Five Great Guilds' leaders was a foreign spy would draw global finger-pointing, and people would blame Lee Musin's incompetence.
As long as I supported him, his position wouldn't change, but it would still hurt him. With that conclusion, the only way to punish China was using the data Heo Jinhyuk had sent—but problems arose.
First, the victim nations in the data were already too dependent on Chinese aid to stand alone. Even if they learned the truth, they couldn't confront China right away. Some had already suspected but stayed silent to avoid stirring trouble. Harsh reality had buried old wounds.
That was the better case. Nations with pro-China regimes were hopeless.
These tangled issues took far more time than expected. Instead, Association President Alfredo stepped in personally, burning with enthusiasm. It was a golden opportunity to boost support from smaller nations, so he dove in as eagerly as if he'd chugged a healing potion.
This was the best we could do for now.
With China's issue handed off, I could finally focus on my own work. A mountain of tasks awaited, starting with forming the raid team.
While hashing this out with Lee Musin, application submissions ended. They surged through day three, dipped slightly on day four, then plummeted on day five. Word spread that all the Five Great Guilds' elites had applied, scaring off mid-to-large guild hunters.
My guildmates and I, skipping primary selection from day three, now reviewed stacks of applications frantically.
"Whoa! How many is this?!"
Kang Jeonghun gaped at the piles on the desk. I gave an awkward smile.
"Around two thousand?"
Guildmates shook their heads in dismay and dove in. After two and a half sleepless days, primary selection wrapped.
"Woo! It's done—!"
"It actually ended."
Kang Jeonghun and Seo Taeju whooped as the last application cleared. Hunters didn't tire from one sleepless night, but the mental strain of raid selection was beyond imagination. Everyone's faces showed exhaustion melting into relief.
"Um... it's not over yet. There's secondary selection, and interviews for finals."
I said quietly, looking apologetic. Primary was done, but the real work might just be starting. We'd picked around four hundred qualifiers, but needed fifteen more—excluding twelve auto-finalists from primary and our three existing members.
The issue: All four hundred were solid picks. Skill gaps existed, but not the obvious kind from before.
Guildmates' faces hardened at my words. Seo Taehee shot up.
"Guildmaster. Healing potion orders came in. If we don't start now, we can't meet deadlines. I hate to leave early, but duty calls."
She spoke with icy finality. I blinked in surprise.
"Y-yeah, of course. Go ahead."
I missed the relieved smile as she turned—distracted by Ha Geonmin jumping up.
"Guildmaster, leather armor orders too, so I have to..."
Before she finished, everyone rose.
"Me too, magic pattern engraving..."
"Sorry, gotta prep herbs for Taehee-noona."
"Hyung, really sorry, but I have a crucial prior commitment today."
"Guildmaster, apologies. Shield refit scheduled."
Choi Deokhui, Seo Taeju, Kang Jeonghun, Bang Taegeuk, even Ha Yeji—all bolted. They vanished in a blink, skills flashing. I stared blankly at the door, soul fled.
By the time I snapped out of it...
"...I got played!"
From four hundred twenty-five primary qualifiers, we picked eighty-two for secondary. I didn't do it alone—Bang Taegeuk, Kang Jeonghun, and Ha Yeji helped.
"Iron Dragon, you think it's okay for a raid leader not to know his own team? That irresponsible?"
I pressured him with his raid leader title. Kang Jeonghun and Ha Yeji had it easy.
"No raid selection entry, no more potions."
They were potion slaves now—too simple. Others could be threatened too, but these would fight alongside us, so their input mattered most. The rest got a pass.
Interviews remained. Fifteen spots from eighty-two. I picked two I'd been dying to chat with first.
"Tell them you're withdrawing today."
"Why should I?"
"Duh? The guild won't run without you."
"I've delegated everything for my absence. And what guildmaster abandons their guild for another guild's raid team?"
"No law says guildmasters can't join other raids. By that logic, a vice-guildmaster joining is nonsense too."
"One more time: I never accepted vice-guildmaster."
Kang Tae-hoon and Park Chan-yeol bickered like kids en route to Support Guild. Driver Choi Hye-rim—Kang Tae-hoon's secretary—finally snapped.
"Please, both of you, stop! Why do perfectly fine people turn childish together? Even kindergarteners talk better. Have some dignity!"
One scolding didn't silence Kang Tae-hoon. After her second yell, the car quieted.
"Dignity doesn't feed me. And this guy's picking fights."
"Guildmaster!"
At "Guildmaster," Kang Tae-hoon shut up; Park Chan-yeol followed.
Fun. Calling us both 'Guildmaster' at once.
Park Chan-yeol had been bickering half-heartedly, mind on Kim Suho. He hadn't expected a joint interview.
His prediction: Both pass or both fail. For a real SSS-rank dungeon, pass; for show, fail.
But "interview" made him chuckle genuinely.
An interview, huh. Kinda exciting.
"Thanks for coming all this way."
I greeted Kang Tae-hoon and Park Chan-yeol entering the interview room.
"No trouble. Time flew from interview nerves."
Park Chan-yeol smiled warmly. After light pleasantries, we began.
Interviews were to be with Bang Taegeuk, but for these two—Park Chan-yeol especially—I had questions, so I handled it solo after getting clearance.
"Must've been sudden, but thanks again for coming. Skipping basics for busy folks—straight to it."
I eyed their faces before the bombshell, curious how they'd react.
"I believe you two are serious about joining the raid. Right?"
They nodded.
"To gauge that sincerity—hope this doesn't offend."
Another nod. Here came the question.
"Why drop the guy next to you? Convince me, and the other auto-passes."
As expected, their faces shifted dramatically—but not upset. Surprise, then smiles.
"Then, alternate turns. Kang Tae-hoon first."
Kang Tae-hoon grinned, pointing at Park Chan-yeol.
"This guy's harsh on evaluations. Even rags on me: 'Can't beat a brain?' But he called Kim Suho 'interesting.' First time I've seen him praise anyone. Didn't get it at first—now I do. Anyway, why drop him..."
His smile faded to seriousness.
"Tough. Decent ability for a ranged DPS—has debuff skills, solid damage. Mana's quick to drain, minor flaw."
He seemed stumped for reasons to cut. Sounded more like reasons to keep. Mana issue? My mana recovery potions fixed that.
Just as it seemed over, his killer move.
"But even if picked, he won't join properly. Post-interview, I'll bury him in guild work—no distractions for months. No real rest."
He declared abusing guildmaster power boldly, dead serious. No mischief—just natural confidence. Park Chan-yeol didn't flinch, even nodding lightly as if expected.
What? Am I the weird one?
Flustered, I turned to Park.
"Your turn, Vice Guildmaster Park Chan-yeol."
"One question first?"
"Of course."
"Raid goal exactly?"
"SSS-rank dungeon clear."
Park nodded knowingly.
"SSS-rank needs perfect teamwork. Kang Tae-hoon and Choi Taesu aren't enemies, but styles clash. Tae-hoon's calculated precision versus Taesu's freestyle—picking both guarantees issues."
New info—valid concern. Not average hunters; friction could wreck team cohesion. Solvable, though—not dire.
Park pressed on, vengeful.
"Side note: You'll be swamped too, so minimal raid time even if picked. I'm seriously considering quitting the guild. Any spots at Support? I'm capable—no regrets."
To be continued in the next chapter... The Hunter Who Awakened as an NPC