Chapter 11: Run If You Want to Live.

In an instant, Kang Moo-hyuk's eyes swiftly caught Jang Yi-hyeon's expression and tone. It was almost instinctive. His mind recalled Jang Yi-hyeon's profile and information on those around him.

'Jang's the vice guild master's line, right? Mid-tier party leader. Decent age, good personality. The bridge connecting newbies and veterans. Nearly died because of Ma Tae-sik. One hunter dead under him, two critically injured. One retired from a career-ending crash. His party disbanded. And yet, they let the guy who caused it off with just expulsion—not enough, he causes more trouble, goes to prison, and they drag him back out?'

Any hunter worth their salt would be pissed.

'Unexpected division, but not my problem. Though it'd be perfect to package up nicely for the guild master.'

Kang Moo-hyuk thought he'd wrap it up neatly for the guild master as he spoke.

"It's already too late."

"Wh-why? Didn't Team Leader Kang suffer because of Ma Tae-sik too?"

"Party Leader Jang."

"Yes."

"What does that have to do with you?"

"Pardon?"

"On what authority are you demanding I go back on my word with the vice guild master?"

"I-it's not a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠demand, it's a request."

"Then you know it's an impudent one."

"Th-that's..."

He'd dragged up the shared grudge with Ma Tae-sik to build rapport. But to Kang Moo-hyuk, it just sounded like gossip without seeking proper understanding.

If Jang Yi-hyeon wanted to make a request, he should've appealed to logic with clear reasons, not emotions.

He didn't want to piss off Ma Tae-soo, but he hated seeing Ma Tae-sik walk free even more.

From Jang Yi-hyeon's position, he'd probably been tasked with soothing the young hunters who'd absurdly lost comrades. But trying to pawn that choice off on someone else?

Nice guys and good hunters were two different things entirely, Kang Moo-hyuk thought.

For once, he adopted the strategic team leader's businesslike tone.

"The vice guild master made me a fair offer, and I set reasonable terms to close the deal. So what have you brought me? 'Don't let Ma Tae-sik out'? Go tell the vice guild master everyone's opinions yourself. Speaking your complaints honestly has a better chance than whining to me."

"It won't make a difference if I do!"

"No difference? How do you know without trying?"

"Uh? Well... th-that's..."

Ma Tae-soo was authoritarian, but he didn't close his ears. If he saw you as his own, he took decent ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠care of you.

On the flip side, he was adept at friend-or-foe binaries. That's why guild members didn't want to become his enemy.

That duality had Jang Yi-hyeon cornered.

The moment he uttered the taboo name Ma Tae-sik, he'd be branded an enemy of Ma Tae-soo.

Stammering in response to Kang Moo-hyuk's counter, Jang Yi-hyeon finally spoke.

"Because the vice guild master hates hearing about Ma Tae-sik too."

What the hell did that mean out of nowhere?

Before Jang Yi-hyeon could elaborate, Kang Moo-hyuk pieced it together.

"So despite hating it, the vice guild master has to pull Ma Tae-sik out? There's a reason?"

"...That's right. I should've explained properly."

His sigh carried a world of emotions.

Jang Yi-hyeon wasn't just placating young hunters' complaints. Loyalty to the vice guild master drove him too.

"Since we're spilling it all, might as well go all in. One of our guild's major shareholders is backing Ma Tae-sik."

"What ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠does Ma Tae-sik offer to warrant that?"

"As a hunter, he's trash, but he's got a pretty face, right? Seems popular with women... I'll stop there. Any more would hurt the vice guild master's dignity."

Got it. Knew more than he wanted to.

Kang Moo-hyuk recalled vague info he'd brushed off. Just rumors, not very credible, in one ear and out the other.

'Madame Kim Yang-hee. Younger lover, huh? That was Ma Tae-sik?'

He had no desire to judge lovers.

But for a guild to fracture over something this petty?

An A-rank guild, no less.

Knowing the truth drained Kang Moo-hyuk.

At the same time, he understood why Ma Tae-soo protected his brother so fiercely.

It wasn't family loyalty. He'd wondered, since that wasn't Ma Tae-soo's character.

Ma Tae-soo shielded Ma Tae-sik to appease major shareholder Kim Yang-hee and her influence over the others.

Saving Ma Tae-sik beat bowing to the guild master.

'Impressive in multiple ways. And the guild master must know. Those ears of his miss nothing.'

He'd hushed it up anyway. The guild master wasn't free before major shareholders either.

This was why he'd avoided shortcuts.

He'd pushed for self-reliance without outside capital, but between monster-hunting priority for him and 1st-tier guild ambitions for the guild master, the gap was unbridgeable from the start.

Kang Moo-hyuk wanted no more words with Jang Yi-hyeon.

"I want no part in that mess. Pretend I didn't hear."

At his cold demeanor, Jang Yi-hyeon didn't dare stop him.

Kang Moo-hyuk scrapped meeting the guild master. Even facing him now felt off.

Descending in the elevator, he thought.

'I knew it. A-ranks can't just hunt monsters purely anymore. Ignored it. As long as we hunt monsters, the crooked path's fine.'

But was hunting monsters enough?

Maybe he'd been naive about guild management, not the guild master.

"Guess that's why I caught this terminal illness—to avoid this shit. Better just handle Joo Se-ah quick and wash my hands of it."

Exiting the parking lot, Kang Moo-hyuk dialed the unfamiliar number from Ma Tae-soo's file.

Sparks rained down like flaming snow.

The metallic tang stung her nose. Small puddles gleamed red.

She'd been tossed into a tiny apartment room.

"Mom..."

Mom smiled to the end. Even as the monster devoured her.

In her final moment, a voiceless message reached her.

'Run.'

That one word sent her bolting without looking back. She blended into the evacuating crowd.

Screams and explosions echoed everywhere.

She ran sobbing, tripped over something.

A person. Dead.

Seeing the horrific monsters chasing from behind, her legs gave out.

Then a hand extended.

"Grab on!"

"R-run! Monsters...! Kyaa!"

She screamed, scrambling up. Sweat soaked her. Sunlight flooded the office through floor-to-ceiling windows.

Glancing aside, the sofa armrest she'd napped on was shattered. Must've gripped it hard in her sleep.

"You alright, Guild Master?"

A man entered through the office door. Seeing Joo Se-ah drenched in cold sweat, he fetched a towel from the attached bathroom.

"Dreaming of the old days again?"

"Been a while. Probably 'cause I met Kang Moo-hyuk. Seeing another guild's mess stirred up bad dreams."

Joo Se-ah wiped her sweat-slick face and neck with the towel, standing.

The man clicked his tongue at the broken sofa.

"Gotta replace the sofa again. At least this one lasted half a year—pretty good."

"That's why I said get cheap ones."

"Just sleep in bed. Don't pretend you're busy napping on the sofa—go home and rest."

"Bed's broken too. Sofas are cheaper to replace."

"This sofa's expensive. How about a cheap La Crac bed for value?"

"This is Taeseong Group. Even cheap, La Crac looks tacky. We've got history and tradition. Gotta maintain guild master dignity."

"Yes. A C-rank with history and tradition."

"Sigh, should've left you rotting at Immortal Guild, Jang Deok-gu. All talk."

"Should've quit ages ago myself. Leaving high-end talent like me idle over a year at some no-name guild?"

Joo Se-ah grinned, scratching her head at Jang Deok-gu's grumbling.

"Hey, thanks to you, we settled nicely with Slayer. You got a fresh start. For a wasted year, not bad business."

"Thinking of Slayer screaming they'd kill you still gives me chills. Lucky it worked out—nearly became gate ogre chow. What were you thinking, using the Immortal Guild master's blackmail material for a deal?"

"What else? Keep playing house with you forever at Taeseong? Nah, honestly. They're top-tier, so act like it—instead, petty rumors 'cause we skipped contract renewal? Can't recruit anyone."

"Not just skipping renewal. You beat up their top expedition party."

At Jang Deok-gu's scolding, Joo Se-ah coughed awkwardly, averting her eyes.

"Ahem, well, they had it coming..."

"Slayer's Anseong Gate boss raid fell through because of it. Then you poked Immortal too. Even I'd flip. Curb that pissy temper, Guild Master."

Beep beep beep beep beep beep.

"Huh? Phone. Scolding later. Hmm, this guy's no saint either."

"Who?"

"Kang Moo-hyuk."

"Talk. I'll handle work."

Only after Jang Deok-gu left did Joo Se-ah hold the smartphone to her ear.

"Hello."

Joo Se-ah regretted blurting Kang Moo-hyuk's diagnosis first time.

Even with her brash, tactless nature from rough hunter life since teen rebellion, that was no way to speak to the terminally ill.

Jang Deok-gu always warned her, but her lockless mouth and brakeless fists were hard to rein in.

Still, she wasn't one to dwell or shut up.

Luckily, Kang Moo-hyuk took it in stride with a joke, so she loosened her belt and let loose.

"You're invincible now, huh. Nothing scares a dying man. So, what's up?"

"Heading to Taeseong HQ now. Need to discuss."

"Discuss? The Ma brothers?"

"You knew? Heard you ignored calls."

"Pestered through back channels instead. Was gonna storm Titan if they bugged once more. Coming now?"

"Don't hit the sick guy. Good for you too. So—crackle!"

"Hello? Hello? Good how? Hey! Why'd it cut?"

She yelled at the dead smartphone, but no reply.

Hoped it was just signal loss.

But Joo Se-ah felt ominous.

In the gate era, lost signals meant bad omens.

"Bad feelings always hit the mark."

"What's this? Signal dropped to one bar... no, gone."

Chills prickled his neck as he spoke.

Gangbyeonbuk-ro.

Horns blared like waves from afar.

Somehow, gridlock had turned the road into a parking lot. Cars hadn't budged a millimeter.

Despite being a highway, people started abandoning vehicles. Kang Moo-hyuk followed.

Some climbed car roofs, peering distant.

Sensing trouble, Kang Moo-hyuk climbed up too.

Vision clearing, a reddish haze shimmered like heat waves far off.

"Out... breaking..."

His murmur sparked it—people screamed the word.

"M-move!"

"Run if you don't wanna die!"

Most bolted on foot from the jam, but some tried driving.

No way out with the blockade. Selfish ones shoved anyway. Chaos erupted instantly.

Cars crashed into cars, cars into people. Dozens injured before the gate even opened.

An inattentive driver slammed into Kang Moo-hyuk's car.

Bang!

The jolt flung him onto the hood.

"Get your car out!"

The frantic driver yelled.

Shoulder throbbing from impact, Kang Moo-hyuk stood, dropped down.

'Fine. Not broken.'

Confirming by rolling his arm, he opened the door, grabbed the bellowing driver's collar, yanked him out.

"Ugh, what the—?"

"Run if you want to live."

Tossed to the ground, the driver nodded at Kang Moo-hyuk's intensity, bolted.

'Call dropped—guild ops rooms alerted. Signs for 3 minutes. Roughly 7 left. Varies by monster type, but civilians'll get tailed before hunters deploy. Gotta buy time here.'

Kang Moo-hyuk clicked his watch to stopwatch, set at 7:00.

Climbed a nearby truck, scanned.

'One, two. Three, four... more than expected?'

He counted those not fleeing toward the gate or lost in panic, checking watches.

One pulled a metal case from trunk; another shed a bulky coat.

Calm preparers were all hunters.

Kang Moo-hyuk dropped to his trunk. Inside: case like hunters' gear, megaphone.

Grabbing them, back atop truck, he switched on the megaphone.

Wheeeeeeng! Weeng! Weeng!

The ear-piercing blare drew pre-scouted hunters' gazes.

"Testing! This is Titan Guild Strategic Team Leader! Emergency—forming ad-hoc ops camp! Hunters, gather here!"