170. That Guy Isn't Such a Nice Fellow
Dragon Hunter Guild.
Among the top Tier Guilds, the Dragon Hunter Guild was a prestigious name that even the Slayer Guild had to defer to in terms of history.
It had been founded by Jeon Ye-jun, the hero of the Great War who had passed away long ago and was known as Korea's last S-rank hunter.
Back then, it started as a strike team formed by people who had lost their families to the rampages of dragons, the monsters dubbed the worst of all at the time.
The strike team evolved into a clan, then into a full guild under his son.
In the world hunter community, they unanimously praised him as the strongest hunter the world would never see again.
Many believed that if Jeon Ye-jun hadn't died while slaying the final dragon in the 'Nine Dragons Tomb Raid'—one of the Great War's fiercest battlegrounds—the Dragon Hunter Guild would now reign as Asia's top guild, surpassing even Korea's limits.
Time passed, and recently, the Dragon Hunter Guild had inaugurated its fourth guild master.
The new guild master's name was Jeon Ye-seong.
He was the grandson of the founding guild master, Jeon Ye-jun.
His family had been hailed as a hunter dynasty for three generations, with skills among Korea's elite and deep respect within the Dragon Hunter Guild.
Jeon Ye-seong becoming a Tier Guild master at the young age of 34 was seen as a natural outcome within the guild.
Since taking the helm, he'd been called the prodigy of the hunter world for the past two years, drawing all eyes.
But over the last six months, the spotlight had shifted elsewhere, leaving him to swallow his regrets.
He chalked up the Dragon Hunter Guild's recent lag behind Slayer Guild to a weakened brand. To fix it, he believed he needed to plant himself at the industry's center.
And now, the man who had stolen every bit of attention from him was on TV.
That was why Jeon Ye-seong was watching this hearing.
-Please permit the formation of a national unified strike team.
-If you grant me full authority over the strike team, I will restore the Tumen River defense line and succeed in raiding the Makyung boss.
Jeon Ye-seong, watching TV from his office, shot to his feet at the voice emanating from the screen.
"That bastard's trying to steal my rice bowl again?"
The reason for his explosive rage tied back to his grandfather, Jeon Ye-jun.
National unified strike team.
The last time such a team had been formed was during the Great War's Nine Dragons Tomb Raid. Jeon Ye-jun had been its commander.
Because of that, Jeon Ye-seong saw his grandfather as the symbol of Korea's representative hunter. And it had been true.
Now some non-hunter shows up trying to snatch that symbol—it was enough to make his blood boil.
"Even when the director system was revived, I stayed quiet for Joo Se-ah's sake. Didn't think the punk would lose all sense of place and go wild like this."
Jeon Ye-seong ground his teeth.
"They won't actually approve it, right?"
He cranked up the TV volume with the remote, eyes glued to see what the committee chair would say next.
The close-up showed Jeong Woo-su frozen with the gavel in hand, mouth half-open, fingers trembling. Not fear, but sheer shock at the unexpected proposal, at a loss for words.
Finally, the words that burst from his mouth were:
-This concludes the hearing.
-Bang! Bang! Bang!
Not an adjournment—a declaration of closure.
Jeong Woo-su stormed out of the chamber. Officials filed after him, captured by the camera, while Kang Moo-hyuk remained seated, watching their backs.
Moments later, the feed cut from the hearing room to the studio. Amid the panelists' murmurs, the host took some documents and explained the national unified strike team to viewers.
Jeon Ye-seong hurled the remote.
Crack!
"What is this, some K-drama? How do you just end it there?!"
Staring at the TV now streaked with colored lines from the impact, he huffed roughly through his nose.
His head boiling with fury, he took deep breaths to calm himself. Soon composed, he analyzed the situation coolly.
'Unified strike team, huh... Could it actually happen? Plenty of eyes are on it. But even if it does, they won't hand command to a civilian. If they try, just let it be—they'd have to force it past the Tier Guilds' opposition anyway... So the commander spot stays vacant for now.'
Jeon Ye-seong forecasted how events might unfold.
It was the judgment that proved he hadn't become a Tier Guild master solely on his grandfather's halo.
'Whatever happens, I need to prepare. Actually, this could work out better. Might as well seize the chance to become the unified strike team commander myself. The grandson succeeding his grandfather—great optics. Nail the raid, and I could even eclipse Slayer going forward.'
His initial rage had morphed into opportunity.
Jeon Ye-seong immediately started calling contacts saved in his phone.
"Ah, Congressman Yoo. It's me. Yes, Jeon Ye-seong. First time since my inauguration, right? How've you been?"
-If you grant me full authority over the strike team, I will restore the Tumen River defense line and succeed in raiding the Makyung boss.
Han Byung-gu clicked his tongue watching TV.
"Tsk tsk. I knew it, but hearing and seeing it still makes my head spin. Why isn't Se-ah stopping him?"
"Even our guild master can't rein in Director Kang."
Go Eul-ji replied, biting into a slice of pizza beside him.
She had hidden in the trunk when Han Byung-gu visited Cheongjin City, fleeing to Seoul.
On the return to Seoul, Han Byung-gu in the back seat heard odd noises from behind and pulled over. Opening the trunk, he was stunned.
His granddaughter snoring and drooling in the cramped space...
He was mortified in front of Cha Gil-ju, the department head with them.
Lee Jin-joo, who had hunted the smoke serpent, belatedly noticed Go Eul-ji's AWOL(?) stunt but was too late to drag her back.
Kang Moo-hyuk, fresh off a call from Han Byung-gu and briefed by Lee Jin-joo, let her go. It coincided with the rear strike team's rotation into rest, so he treated it as leave.
Truth be told, Go Eul-ji hadn't ditched irresponsibly. Exhaustion from endless battles had pushed her to her limit. She griped outwardly but endured, fearing someone might get hurt without her. And since it synced with the team swap, there was no manpower drain.
Kang Moo-hyuk knew she'd overexerted since the Sinuiju battle, so he turned a blind eye.
Han Byung-gu sighed at his granddaughter demolishing her fifth pizza.
"Did Director Kang starve you?"
"The food there sucks. Total army chow."
"A guy who never served knows army food?"
"The kitchen staff were soldiers. I'm probably the only high school girl in history who ate three squares of army grub for a month straight. The famous 'army-vet high school girl'? That's me. Heh heh heh! Saying it out loud cracks me up. Right, Grandpa?"
"That's funny to you? Your jokes are starting to sound like that director's."
"No way. No one's more humorless than him."
Go Eul-ji shot back seriously at Han Byung-gu's words.
She stacked four pizza slices, wolfed them down, chugged a cola, burped, and patted her belly.
Now full, she glanced at the TV she'd ignored earlier.
"So, Grandpa, what's this unified strike team? Different from a regular one?"
"It's a strike team that can draw on any hunter in Korea."
"Pfft, that's it? Happens all the time—guild alliances raiding gates."
"The national unified strike team has binding authority."
"Binding? Like a mobilization order?"
Go Eul-ji was a high schooler but, as a hunter, had completed basic training. She grasped the hunter systems.
Unlike academy-trained awakeners, she'd done her curriculum through the Association, keeping her existence under wraps.
Han Byung-gu stroked her head approvingly for recalling the national hunter framework.
"Mobilization orders treat all Korean hunters like soldiers. The unified strike team lets the commander draft only selected hunters. Quasi-mobilization, if you will."
"Commander picks 'em? Top-tier only, then. Basically an all-star team."
"You could say that."
"How's the commander chosen?"
Han Byung-gu explained at her question.
"A temporary committee of government, assembly, Association, and major guilds appoints them, regardless of affiliation. The appointed commander has full say in team composition and can draw raid assets under government guarantee."
"Assets?"
"Items."
"Items... even named gear?"
"If needed."
Only then did Go Eul-ji grasp the unified strike team's immense power.
Named artifacts were wielded by famous hunters or hoarded as guild treasures—irreplaceable.
Being able to commandeer them meant...
"Jackpot!"
"In a way, yes."
"Tier Guild kids'll watch their backs now? To keep their gear?"
"Tier Guilds won't hand 'em over easily."
"But it's like mobilization?"
"Unless they plan to burn bridges forever."
"Ah, lingering grudges."
"That's why commanding's a headache. Raids to run, guilds to negotiate, hunters to placate."
"Ugh! Who'd want that mess? Director Kang's a total masochist."
"Watch your mouth. Masochist? What's that mean?"
"Come on. He's begging for trouble. Been sus since the orc hunts—eyes bloodshot slaying monsters despite not being a hunter. Scary sometimes. If he were a hunter, it'd be game over. Lucky he's on our side. What else is that but masochism?"
Han Byung-gu unwittingly nodded at Go Eul-ji's words.
'Maybe it's a blessing he's not a hunter.'
Even now, who knew what he'd pull? If he were one, the imagination alone was exhausting.
"Anyway, if the unified strike team forms, you'll get drafted too, Eul-ji. Steel yourself."
"Huh? Why me?"
"No one matches you for clearing mobs before the boss."
"Mages exist, mages. Grab higher-rank ones."
"How many mages solo ops without support? If I were Kang Moo-hyuk, you'd be top pick."
At Han Byung-gu's words, Go Eul-ji shivered as realization dawned.
"N-no way... The leave he gave me..."
"Figured it out now? That guy's not such a nice fellow."
"Uwaaaah! Kang Moo-hyuuuk~!"
Long after the cameras left the hearing, Kang Moo-hyuk lingered alone in the chamber.
He was waiting for someone. No set time, but certain they'd come. His wait paid off with Jeong Woo-su's aide.
"The congressman wants to see you privately."
The aide led him to Room 406 in the National Assembly main building.
Not Jeong Woo-su's office, but the main chamber for the Hunter Special Committee plenaries.
The vast space held only Jeong Woo-su. Even the aide left, leaving just the two.
Jeong Woo-su held up his powered-off smartphone.
"It's blowing up since the hearing ended. Even VIPs calling—folks who ignore me otherwise. Gets how much you've stirred the hornet's nest up top, right? With elections looming, dumping this headache on them? You've made enemies."
"Doesn't matter. I didn't vote for the president anyway."
"Oh! One of ours, then?"
"Who knows. Can't say. Secret ballot."
"You stick to election principles but love bending laws?"
"My stance is consistent. Invoke emergency clause 17."
Unlike his hostile hearing demeanor, Jeong Woo-su gave a wry smile, softening.
"Fine. Not the point now. Let's skip that. One thing to confirm."
"Yes. Ask away."
"Did a gate really break in Makyung?"
"Yes. One did. At least four more queued."