Seong Team Leader, Just Play Your Hand
Kang Moo-hyuk had been preparing for this all along.
All the dirty tricks he could pull against Baekho Guild.
"I wanted to try every single one, but that would've made cleanup impossible, so I trimmed it down a bit. Still, we need a scenario to minimize the chaos."
"I have a feeling I don't want to hear it. If I do, I might not come back to being myself. Your plans are like junk food—they stick in my head."
"It's different from junk food. It's good for my body and only bad for the enemy."
"The addiction's the same."
"It was already too late when you made me division head. Just give up and listen. The guild master has to handle the most important part."
"So this is the devil's temptation. I don't want to hear it, but I kind of do. What do I need to do?"
"First, announce at the press conference that you've become an S-rank. And then..."
Joo Se-ah, Guild Master of Iron Will Guild
"Hello, this is Joo Se-ah, Guild Master of Iron Will Guild. The reason I've called this press conference is to announce that, as of today, the Korean hunter world has entered a new era."
"After the Great War era, when the lineage of Korea's S-rank hunters had been severed, I, Joo Se-ah, have now added my name to that legacy."
"As the one and only S-rank hunter in Korea, I will stand at the forefront to protect the nation from monster threats, safeguard our citizens, and defend your homes and livelihoods."
"I will actively respond to any threat that disrupts peace on this land—be it monsters, villains, or a third force. I will deal with them decisively."
"As my first course of action, I intend to excise the cancerous tumor lurking within the Korean Peninsula. I can't reveal details yet, but the force that meddled in the Tumen River incident and pushed Korea into crisis is hiding within our nation. I warn them publicly now."
"Run. Before you get caught."
Joo Se-ah's chilling gaze was broadcast nationwide through the camera lens.
Kang Moo-hyuk, watching the TV from the headquarters office in North Pocheon after a long time, picked up the remote and turned off the screen.
Mr. Jo, who had been watching alongside him, sat with his mouth agape, unable to tear his eyes from the blank screen.
"S-rank... for real?"
"Now do you see who's calling the shots?"
"What can I do for you, Division Head Kang Moo-hyuk?"
"As expected of Mr. Jo. So, vacation's over now, right?"
"Aw, when did I ever get a break? I'm open 365 days a year."
"Wasn't it? The guy who's been dodging my calls until now?"
"I lost my smartphone."
"Oh, lost it? You don't use mobile banking, just regular internet banking? Last time the payment didn't go through, you came running."
"I prefer bank tellers. Won't even touch an ATM. Feels wrong dealing money with machines."
"Fine, whatever. Let's talk business."
"Then, the payment..."
Kang Moo-hyuk clicked the computer mouse a few times, and a chime rang from Mr. Jo's pocket.
Mr. Jo pulled out his smartphone to check. A broad grin spread across his face.
"Using mobile banking now?"
"Wasn't comfortable before. Figured I'd give it a shot now. Gotta act like a proper CEO with a family. Can't just stick to my stubborn ways if I want to do business. Haha."
"Alright, then let's look at the materials our CEO prepared."
Mr. Jo straightened up, changing his tone, and handed over a thick envelope.
Kang Moo-hyuk pulled out the documents inside and flipped through the pages rapidly.
Mr. Jo sat across the desk and explained the intel.
"Couldn't get eyes inside Baekho Guild HQ since it's a tier guild. Even disguised as a regular employee, I could only access the office floors. Couldn't get near the upper levels with the leadership and elites, or the basement training rooms and item vault. But I did scout their external defenses."
"How are the external defenses set up?"
"They've got fake offices in the lower floors of surrounding buildings. Outermost ring has pairs with detection skills, inner ring a full combat party, and right up against HQ, five fully armed parties encircling it. Normally only a few are active, but when I checked recently, all posts were manned."
"Means they're assuming the worst-case scenario too."
"Ampoule kits arrived in bulk lately. Spotted them setting booby traps too."
"Booby traps are usually set in secret. If we spotted it so easily, maybe that's a trap itself?"
"Thought that at first too. But watching longer, it doesn't seem so. Felt more like they were rushing it."
Kang Moo-hyuk sensed one of his schemes had hit home.
'The rumors from Kwan Hong must've been exaggerated. Told them just to scare 'em, but they pushed it to feel like a life-or-death threat.'
He'd made a deal with Kwan Hong, but to Baekho Guild, it would look like Iron Will allying with Hwangryong.
They'd hunker down, cut external ops, but tighten defenses.
"Now with the news of our guild master hitting S-rank, it'll get even worse. Doesn't matter if she steps in, though. Can't end it quietly anyway."
"Of course. Can't start a war in downtown."
"Why bother scouting this stuff if we're not fighting?"
"Who said we're not?"
"Huh? You just said no war."
"There are many ways to fight. No war doesn't mean no battle."
"What kinda nonsense is that?"
Mr. Jo grilled him on the plan, but Kang Moo-hyuk didn't answer. Instead, he asked about another commission he'd requested.
"By the way, how's the side gig?"
"Side gig? Oh, that thing with Manager Man? Surprisingly lucrative. Like you said, after the dragons went wild, inquiries exploded. Had to hire extra help just for the phones."
While Mr. Jo was away, Kang Moo-hyuk had proposed a few businesses through his subordinate Mansu-ro.
One was brokering escape routes for the rich fleeing overseas.
If Zmei Gorinich came south to the peninsula, elites would bolt abroad.
But by the time they heard of dragon movements, airports would be shut. They'd turn to smuggling.
"Providing limited smuggling to criminals as requested. That Wig ship you hooked us up with is a real moneymaker. Top pick in the biz—newcomer shooting in like a comet."
"They do popularity polls for smugglers?"
"Just a figure of speech."
"Ah, figures."
"Anyway, word's out, we're hustling sales. Rest is on you. Gotta bite if Division Head plays it right."
Kang Moo-hyuk neatly stacked the documents on the desk.
"Just make sure your net's tight. No gaps."
"Sinuiju Alliance's first project before it's even official—evicting Baekho Guild..."
Seong Seon-je calculated the pros and cons of Kang Moo-hyuk's proposal. The answer came quick.
"With that cheat character Joo Se-ah, won't be much bloodshed. Calling in other tier guilds means you need a show of force?"
"Yes. Show overwhelming power, and even a tier guild like Baekho can't stand against it."
"Think they'll back down without a fight?"
"We trash them as rootless, but they've got history like Dragon Slayers or Slayer Guild. Staying tier without big feats means they avoided massive failures like other fallen guilds. What built modern Baekho... hmm, patience."
"Or sneakiness?"
"Better word. They never gamble big. If it's risky, they kneel without hesitation. Tier guild pride? Only while alive. Survival first, always."
Kang Moo-hyuk recalled Mr. Jo's Baekho history report.
Oddly, guild masters weren't picked for power or leadership. Predecessors chose the most cautious, scheming hunter as successor.
Current master Son Jung-beom was industry-famous for prudence, top-tier in skill and charisma too.
Baekho boomed under him—had to credit that.
"Maybe Son Jung-beom as master put them in this corner. If slightly less capable or ambitious, no opening like this. But cornered, he'll fall back on ancestral survival instincts. He'll mull even unreasonable demands."
"What if they fight?"
"Then they taste our guild master's fist."
"Ugh, rather not."
Calculations done, Seong Seon-je laid out conditions.
"Evicting means disbanding. Victor takes spoils, naturally. How much you claiming? Tier guilds are greedy."
"Includes Slayer, right?"
"Won't deny. No reason to pass on prime meat."
"Honesty deserves straight talk. Iron Will takes none of Baekho's legacy. Domestic accounts frozen by state, but HQ assets go to others. Use that to sway the tier guilds, Team Leader Seong."
Kang Moo-hyuk's concession was massive.
Guild wealth: hunters, funds, items. Hunters most vital—raise their level, guild tiers up.
Items next.
Some items outvalue hunters—unique grade+. Locked in HQ basement vaults.
Handing over HQ meant ceding prime items to tier guilds.
Even Slayer couldn't resist treasures from a historic guild like Baekho.
Swaying the alliance? Easy.
What remained:
"Laying the groundwork. A justification that won't cause backlash."
"My specialty. I'll set the board solid—Team Leader Seong, you just play your hand."
"Our guild's holding your friends. Release 'em, let's meet."
Eum Yeong-jin blanked on who Kang Moo-hyuk meant.
Made sense—Iron Will held lowlifes caught trying to assassinate Yi Suk-young.
'What do those guys matter now?'
Eyes wide shut anyway. Assassins tied to Hwangryong, Baekho aided Korean ops—no proof, hush it.
Even confessions? North Korean hunter hit irrelevant next to Sinuiju or Makyung.
Grandstanding over harmless trash—Eum Yeong-jin was baffled.
But as vice master, he caught on quick.
"How should I take this? Want to talk nice?"
"Of course. Good talk incoming."
Sounded culty, but Eum Yeong-jin couldn't refuse.
"Fine. Let's meet. Where?"
"Baekho Guild HQ."
Eum Yeong-jin chuckled dryly after setting the meet.
'Gutsy.'
Enter the tiger's den, stay sharp?
'Only for sleeping tigers. Let's see against a hungry one.'
Hours later.
Post-presser, Eum Yeong-jin faced the tiger.