Will You Permit It, or Not?
"Push Ma Tae-soo? All of a sudden? What is this, a mood swing hotter than boiling blood, or are you just messing with me? Just the other day you were telling me to withdraw support for him, and now you're saying prop him up again."
—Does it matter which? Just fulfill the two requests I made, and our deal is done.
"Expedition Leader Kang Moo-hyuk, are you really saying these two things are all there is to our agreement?"
"Executive Director Kim isn't the type to be bound by promises forever, is he? Better to wrap it up clean and simple with these two. You're not someone who'd give in just because I threaten you."
"I can't deny that."
Kim Myeong-jun felt uneasy.
Was it really over?
For demands from a winner who held all the leverage—his weakness and his lifeline—it was an unusually tidy transaction.
This guy's impossible to pin down.
It wasn't even hard—just a few phone calls. And he could refuse if it felt unfair.
Unlike himself, who would cling to a weakness until death, this was a different breed of man.
For someone like Kim Myeong-jun, who fundamentally distrusted people, suspecting Kang Moo-hyuk was only natural.
He tried to infer what was going on behind the scenes.
There must've been some deal with Ma Tae-soo's side. What could it be?
The moment he decided to dig deeper, Kang Moo-hyuk's warning came through like a ghost.
—No need to go prying. Everyone will know in a few days anyway. I hope you don't stir things up secretly and shatter the fragile peace we've just restored.
"After what happened, do you think I'd act rashly? Don't worry, Leader Kang. I still have some shame. Haha."
—Shame, I don't know about. But you seem sharp enough, so I'll say this: keep holding hands with those connected to the Union, and it'll be dangerous. Cut ties at the right time.
Kim Myeong-jun flinched.
So he does know? Or is he just probing?
Kang Moo-hyuk hadn't named the Union directly but alluded to the force behind it—the very reason he'd tried to kill him, only to fail because of Joo Se-ah. Catching Kang Moo-hyuk now wouldn't keep the secret anyway. All he could do was hope the man kept quiet.
Kim Myeong-jun bluffed with a joke.
"They say you grow fond in the heat of battle. Are you actually worried about me?"
—I just don't think you'll be the only one who sees blood.
Suddenly, Kang Moo-hyuk's voice grew heavy.
Kim Myeong-jun tensed at the shift. It sounded polite, but the words carried weight that couldn't be ignored.
This guy was not to be taken lightly.
Kim Myeong-jun raised his guard anew.
"If blood's spilled, I'll see it first. Though whether it's mine, yours, or someone else's... who knows."
—Our deal is done. Let's not get tangled again.
As the call ended, Kim Myeong-jun rubbed his chin and gave a bitter smile.
"Don't get tangled? ...That's not for me to decide, Leader Kang Moo-hyuk."
Lately, Choi Mi-ran had been feeling restless.
"Nothing's going right. Like a lost duckling on the Nakdong River. Never thought Do Kyung-hoon would stab us in the back like that."
"Still, we're the lucky ones. The squad members who quit to follow him, banking on joining Titan? They're the ones truly screwed."
Kim Seong-hyeon shuddered. Betrayed by their expedition leader Do Kyung-hoon, he dropped even the honorifics.
Until recently, he'd agonized over quitting.
Follow Do Kyung-hoon, the head of the old Taeseong Guild's expedition faction, or stay with Iron Will?
Rumors that following Do would land them in Titan had swayed him hard.
That's when Choi Mi-ran stopped him.
Leader Kang Moo-hyuk wasn't one to trifle with.
Do hadn't quit cleanly—he'd been caught sneaking members away and kicked out. It was thug behavior in the industry; no way the leader would let that slide.
In the end, staying with Choi Mi-ran had been a brilliant—and life-saving—choice.
The ones who signed with Titan joined as contracted, but Do Kyung-hoon never even reached the front door before being discarded like trash. The uncontracted followers? Instant rejects, suddenly unemployed.
They could freelance, but gone were the guaranteed salary and guild support—the cushy life.
"What do you think, sis?"
"What?"
"The future. Our guild."
"Who knows. Stuck in North Pocheon... but we've got the rider wolves. It'll work out, right? Might take time."
"Yeah, the mount stable's a real vision. One of the few worldwide? And rider wolves are pretty much the only combat mounts."
"If we're talking vision, it's the guild master and leader first."
Kim Seong-hyeon nodded naturally in agreement.
Joo Se-ah's combat prowess was arguably Korea's best, and Kang Moo-hyuk's guild management spoke for itself in results.
Their synergy perfectly filled each other's gaps—a rare collaboration in the industry.
But Kim Seong-hyeon saw it as both strength and weakness.
"Still, just the two feels shaky. Raids aren't solo. We've already lost dozens of hunters to quits."
"We're short-staffed bad. That's why we're grinding like this."
Choi Mi-ran's gripe was justified.
Patrol parties were short, forcing double and triple shifts on routes.
Hunters could handle basic patrols, but North Pocheon's size meant zero downtime.
If Kang Moo-hyuk hadn't shared reinforcement plans, mutiny might've brewed.
"But is it doable? Leader says quality upgrades with numbers. High-rank skilled hunters coming to North Pocheon? No way."
"What do I know? That schemer's full of dirty tricks—blackmail, scams, whatever. He's got something."
"Sis, do you like the leader or hate him? Can't tell."
"Ability: yes. Character: suspect. First impression was total shit... Huh? Isn't that an orc over there?"
Choi Mi-ran spotted a monster peeking from a hill off the road and pointed.
Kim Seong-hyeon craned his neck, squinting.
"Skin's darkish, kinda iffy... But orcs have tons of types. Ugly's definitely orc."
He pulled out his tablet and searched 'orc' in local info.
"No orc sightings in other patrols. Not in North Pocheon monster guide either."
"New spawn? Special zones regen mobs randomly sometimes."
"Still just an orc."
"You ate shit from goblins recently and say that? Orcs level up and get worse than goblins."
"Fresh spawn, probably not evolved. Hunt it?"
"Climbing sucks... And orcs don't solo. Pals nearby? They're annoyingly persistent—always a dogfight. Don't wanna get bloody. Pass. Report it; others'll handle."
Choi Mi-ran wasn't in the mood for half-assed hunting. No point sweating for an orc nowhere near the South Pocheon route.
They ignored it and moved on. Even after they vanished, the orc glared at the road. Grim faces popped up behind it.
The orc pack Choi Mi-ran predicted.
Seven orcs sniffed the air, catching human scent on the wind.
The lead orc neighed like a horse, pointing south.
The orcs trudged that way.
What Iron Will Guild needed most right now—first, people; second, people.
Not just hunters; regular staff too. The civilians had all returned to Seoul after contracts ended.
"Even if contracts were till North Pocheon stabilized, maybe I should've begged the civvies to stay longer."
Faced with a mountain of work, Joo Se-ah had been staring at her monitor all day.
Slayer party leader, expedition ace—she was used to raid plans and docs. But the endless pile had her near surrender.
"Hunters can't help hunting monsters, but North Pocheon is brutal for civilians. No work-life balance without a pub for post-shift beers. Tougher with families."
"Hunters hate it too. Young ones love blowing raid cash."
At Joo Se-ah's reply, Kang Moo-hyuk looked up from work, staring intently.
Over a decade in the game, but she was just twenty-five.
Prime hunting age, yet her veteran status made her sound like a pre-retirement 30- or 40-something sometimes.
"Why?"
"Nothing. I agree. North Pocheon doesn't suit young hunters who see guild work as a job, not a mission."
"So, plan?"
"Can't keep desk-jockeying. Patrols are dying. Need goblin hands at this rate."
"Can't hire just anyone. Do Kyung-hoon cut out the rot. Can't pour pus on fresh wounds."
"C-grade guild like us picky?"
"Logically, no. Good hunters won't come."
Kang Moo-hyuk's typing sped up, keyboard clacking loudly.
Thinking he was venting stress, Joo Se-ah tried to intervene.
"You'll break the keyboard. See? That's why you egged on good members to follow Do Kyung-hoon? Should've sweet-talked, put out fires first. What'll Lee Jin-joo say when she starts? 'Lured with expedition leader promise, but no squad? Total job scam!' Won't defend you if she grabs your hair."
"Lee Jin-joo isn't that aggressive. She knows our situation, came prepared. Best is avoiding hair-grabs."
"How?"
"Draft/FA's in the plan I showed, but not main focus—long-term. We already have a good way."
"When?"
Kang Moo-hyuk upped speed, then stopped abruptly. Silence fell. He clicked the mouse, grabbed his tablet, perched on Joo Se-ah's desk, and handed it over manipulated.
Joo Se-ah took it reflexively, checked the screen: resumes with photos and careers.
She scrolled through.
"What's this?"
"Recruitment list. Like Lee Jin-joo, pitch transfers to guilds with good talent."
Joo Se-ah checked again.
"This work? Insane resumes. Mid-tier okay, but A-grade? No guild or hunter would bite unless shot in the head. Me? Wouldn't even then."
"Not 100%, but worth trying."
Joo Se-ah was speechless. Kang Moo-hyuk didn't bluff or bet on odds. Must have odds. She scrolled again.
Really pull these? So many B-ranks? A-rank too? Red Gate vet. Wait, I know this one?
Face buried in tablet, she glanced up at him.
"What do you want from me?"
"Nothing else. Just infinite discretion on personnel."
"Promised in contract. Haven't interfered."
"You haven't used it, but clause gives guild master veto. Getting pre-approval. It'll be bold ahead. Need firm no-touch on my recruits to proceed."
"Ugh, what? Making me nervous."
"Will you permit it, or not?"
No details, Joo Se-ah sighed.
"Sigh. You won't stop if I say no. Do it. Whatever, Leader Kang."
"Then, first contact: Taeguk Guild."