Against the Clock: The Team Leader’s Pursuit of Glory

The moment Kang Mu-hyuk said those words, Guan Hong cursed Bi Wen Jun before anything.

‘You didn’t give me a chance. I was the condition for the negotiation. Bi Wen Jun! You’re no Black(Sword) Dragon, you’re a fox!’

Of course, Guan Hong couldn’t help but feel wronged since he had jumped into this with his life on the line without even knowing that. But he quickly fixed that line of thought. Even if he had known beforehand, it wouldn't have made much of a difference anyway.

In the world of Hunters, rank was everything. Black(Sword) Dragon’s S-rank was a league of its own—an insurmountable gap. Guan Hong was far behind in the guild rankings, so he never had a real choice in the first place.

Still, he had one regret: not being able to shape the situation into something more favorable for himself.

‘No, it’s not too late. There must be a reason why Kang Mu-hyuk specifically chose me.’

As he thought long and hard about it, one thing immediately came to mind. Kang Mu-hyuk pointed out the two others Guan Hong had brought along, and hinted that perhaps Kang Mu-hyuk wanted to share information that shouldn’t reach those two.

‘Maybe he wants to talk about something like my lifeline? Something for which I have to deceive my guild?’

Honestly, if Kang Mu-hyuk threw him a lifeline, Guan Hong felt he could take it right away. That was just how desperate he was. The lifeline that Bi Wen Jun had thrown his way earlier was nothing more than a rotten rope.

Kang Mu-hyuk saw the desperation on Guan Hong’s face.

‘The Yellow Dragon Guild restricted information to keep Guan Hong in check, but they played right into my hands by doing that. It was a shallow trick. How could they think they could outwit someone as sharp and strong-minded as Guan Hong? I mean, if I reveal the truth, he’d have cracked right away.’

Now, Guan Hong would no longer see the Yellow Dragon Guild as an ally.

“I think you understand the situation now. I’d like to have a proper discussion with you, Mr. Guan. My people will leave too.”

At Kang Mu-hyuk’s proposal, Xiao Zhan and Wen Hao immediately objected.

“What are you on about? You’re going to kick out the negotiating team?!”

“That’s ridiculous.”

The Chinese weren’t the only ones objecting to it. Kang Mu-hyuk didn’t tell Ju Se-ah and Jang Deuk-goo about the exclusive meeting with Guan Hong, so they also voiced their concerns.

“Guild Leader Kang, this guy is a Hunter. How can we just leave you alone in a room with him?”

“If this is an order, I’ll follow it, but if something happens, you can’t expect to follow orders then.”

“Jang ahjussi, what’s even there to follow? No. I can’t allow this. How could we trust these people—the same people who opened the Gate to the Demon Realm—with Guild Leader Kang?”

Kang Mu-hyuk turned to Ju Se-ah, who had flames in her eyes.. 

“It’s okay, Guild Master. Mr. Guan is in a pretty pitiful situation right now. If he harms me, he’s done for. But if he plays his cards right, he has a chance to save himself. So there’s no way he’d act rashly. In this sense, you could say we have a shared destiny.”

Guan Hong was stunned by Kang Mu-hyuk’s statement.

A shared destiny while practically saying ‘lay a finger on me, and you die too?’

Though Kang Mu-hyuk’s words were framed as advice, they could just as easily be interpreted as a threat.

‘What hurts the most is that he’s right.’ 

Guan Hong let out a sigh and turned.

“Everyone, leave the room.”

“Mr. Guan Hong!”  

“Team Leader Guan!”  

Xiao Zhan and Wen Hao shouted, but they had to give in as Guan Hong cut them off.

“You two made serious mistakes in Sinuiju, didn’t you? If this negotiation goes well, it might just save your positions in the guild.”

Reluctantly, the two left the room, their mouths shut tight as if glued. At this point, even Ju Se-ah could no longer insist on staying. Kang Mu-hyuk’s wink softened her resolve.

“Fine. I’m the one who gave you full authority, so I’ll trust you. But listen, if you so much as lay a finger on our Guild Leader, you won’t be dead or alive. I’ll show you just how creative an S-rank can be in torturing someone.”

“Don’t worry, Guildmaster Ju. I value my life too—that’s exactly why I’m doing this.”

Ju Se-ah headed for the door. Jang Deuk-goo moved to follow her, but Kang Mu-hyuk stopped him and whispered, “Don’t let those two guys pay any attention to what’s happening in here.”

Jang Deuk-goo nodded, understanding he needed to prevent eavesdropping, and left.  

The negotiation room fell silent, with only Kang Mu-hyuk and Guan Hong remaining. Kang Mu-hyuk broke the silence first.  

“There won’t be any disturbances now.”  

“You still didn’t tell me why you chose me as the negotiator.” 

“Didn’t I already say it? You’re in a pretty pitiful situation.”  

“From what I know, you’re not the sentimental type.’

“Well, when people are in difficult situations, they tend to even grasp at straws. I did have an advantage in the negotiations.”  

“So, you’re going to exploit my weakness.”  

“I’m after more of a win-win situation.”  

“A win-win? In a negotiation with an enemy?”  

“Isn’t the very purpose of being open to negotiation to turn enemies into neutrals—or even allies?”  

Guan Hong tapped the table lightly, and pointed out.

“That’s the part I can’t wrap my head around. I’m not saying I know everything about you, but based on your actions so far, what happened at the Demonic Realm seems like something that has gone way beyond the scope where you can use it. Feels like you’re the type who'd rather see things through to the end than settle for a compromise. After all, isn’t that why you killed Shimwol?"

“I didn’t kill the Evil Demon of Namsan Island. Russia did.”

“Well, that’s true. But setting that aside, how can you even entertain the idea of negotiating with the Yellow Dragon Guild?”  

“In this world, there are no eternal enemies or eternal allies, are there?”

“I’m not foolish enough to take such comforting platitudes at face value.”

Their exchange seemed like a tense standoff on the surface, but in reality, Kang Mu-hyuk held all the power. Guan Hong wanted him to at least give a reason he could accept. Only then could he chart a clear path for himself.

Kang Mu-hyuk raised two fingers and said, “It’s because of two reasons.”

“Two reasons?”

“This negotiation. Do you know who reached out to you for it?”

“The Anti-God Guild…”

“Enemies of the Yellow Dragon Guild.”

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend? No, wait… By that logic, the Yellow Dragon Guild is a more dangerous enemy for you than Anti-God…”

Realizing what he had just said, Guan Hong stopped himself abruptly. 

It was undeniable: the conflict between Iron Will and the Yellow Dragon Guild was far worse than anything with Anti-God. While the Anti-God Guild had offered aid during the Demonic Realm incident, they had never directly clashed with Iron Will. At most, they helped with financial and logistical support, and with troops and supplies in the battle against Russia.

But Kang Mu-hyuk’s smile confirmed Guan Hong’s suspicions.

“Is it true? The Anti-God Guild? But why? They haven’t done anything to you yet. No, wait… If you got intel about us opening the Gate, you probably got it from the Anti-God Guild. So why are you going against them when they helped you?”

Guan Hong asked out of genuine curiosity. He wasn’t trying to offer Kang Mu-hyuk advice. Kang Mu-hyuk briefly outlined the context behind the current negotiations and then answered.

“I don’t trust the Anti-God Guild. Or, more specifically, I don’t trust White Phantom.”

“White Phantom... He’s a descendant of the old North Korean Hunters. It’s surprising that he managed to keep his identity hidden for so long—even the Yellow Dragon Guild couldn’t track him down. But if it’s because of White Phantom… I get it. He’s hard to read, but his skills are undeniable. He rallied a group opposing the Yellow Dragon Guild, formed a guild, and built it into a force to be reckoned with. So it’s not that surprising.”

“At first glance, White Phantom seems like someone who offers reasonable terms—conditions that are hard to refuse. But there are things that don’t sit right with me.”

“What is it that you’re unsure about?”

“There’s no need to say much. Why is he approaching me now? If White Phantom is as skilled as they say, he could’ve returned to Korea at any time. I suspect his timing is deliberate, after a lot of extensive preparation.”

It wasn’t clear whether White Phantom was plotting something. But Kang Mu-hyuk rejecting White Phantom’s proposal outright, based on mere suspicion, was risky. Instead, he decided to accept the proposal while preparing for potential complications.

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend. But one day White Phantom could end up being that enemy.”

“Then… When that happens I might be able to become your ally.”

Kang Mu-hyuk liked Guan Hong’s response.

‘He said his own name and not the Yellow Dragon Guild. He’s a sharp guy after all.”

The Yellow Dragon Guild could never truly be an ally with Kang Mu-hyuk. He could never control their overwhelming greed. 

Kang Mu-hyuk knew his limits—he could only manage to mess around with a small part of the larger game.

“That’s why I want to bring you back to the center of the Yellow Dragon Guild, Mr. Guan.”

Hearing this, Guan Hong finally smiled. 

“Now I’m curious about the second reason. That seems like the real proposal you’re here to make.”

“You’re right. My real proposal is for a Korea-China-Russia trilateral Hunter consulting council.”

“!!”

---

‘A Hunter’s Council? Is that even possible?’

That was his first thought. But the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. He felt goosebumps at Kang Mu-hyuk’s vision.

‘A loose federation, not a rigid alliance. Just a liaison league with a minimal system? And at its core, the Yellow Dragon Guild, Iron Will, and Tsar Guild?”

To put it simply, Kang Mu-hyuk’s proposal was to unite all three guilds. It was an unexpected plan.

‘The Yellow Dragon Guild embracing Sundown? While filling up the place Shimwol had left behind?’

This could work.

At first, he thought it was impossible—after all, Shimwol’s death was the Yellow Dragon Guild’s fault. But Kang Mu-hyuk didn’t focus on blame; instead, he tackled the essence of the situation.

‘Sundown doesn’t have an S-rank anymore.’

That single fact created an insurmountable gap between Sundown and the Yellow Dragon Guild.

- Announce Shimwol’s death as heroic, framing it as a noble sacrifice against Zmei Gorynych.  

- Turn the Sundown Guild into heroes, appease them, and then bring them into the Yellow Dragon Guild.  

- They’ll leave the critical data untouched but they won’t hand it over. Because they need to keep it as leverage.  

- Instead, they’ll suppress Russia’s offensive in the Demonic Realm.  n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

- From then on, resolve future disputes through the proposed consulting council, strengthening each guild’s influence in the Demonic Realm.  

-But if opposition persisted, the core of the switch would be handed over, so no one could undermine the plan.

It was a well-constructed scenario. The core of the plan was for Iron Will to take charge of the Sinuiju Guild Alliance, while Tsar Guild, with Kamensky's backing, would form and lead a representative guild organization in Russia.

“Okay. It’s worth a try.”

On the car ride back to Beijing, Guan Hong made his decision. Either way, if he refused Kang Mu-hyuk's offer, the best he could hope for was to roam the outskirts, and in the worst-case scenario, he could lose his life. But if he succeeded, he could secure a strong position within the guild’s main command.

‘So, I just need to quietly get the families of the expedition team 3 out?’

When Kang Mu-hyuk mentioned Diniger and Sirinnai, Guan Hong realized just how prepared his counterpart was. Kang Mu-hyuk had even recruited an insider from the Yellow Dragon Guild as his ally, leaving Guan Hong with no room to escape.

Despite everything, Guan Hong couldn’t help but admire Kang Mu-hyuk. It wasn’t just the grandeur of his plan, which rivaled the scale of the Demonic Realm operations—it was the cause Kang Mu-hyuk put forward.

‘Let me warn you in advance. The reason I haven’t treated the Yellow Dragon Guild as my enemy until now is because of Zmei Gorynych. I don’t know when that dragon will wake up, but when it does, hell will surely break loose. I plan on taking down that dragon. The first step is the consultative council. If you mess up this cause, I will destroy you in the most ruthless way possible. So don’t even think about anything else.’

It was a threat, it didn’t offend Guan Hong. It gave him a sense of justification: his actions weren’t betrayal—they were in service of a greater cause. He didn’t need to feel guilty. He could frame his choices as a noble sacrifice to protect humanity from the return of an evil dragon.

‘It gives me purpose, practicality, and even personal satisfaction. It’s truly a win-win.’