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

“Why aren’t there any attacks today?”

The Russian Hunters in Harbin grew anxious as the Chinese Hunters, who had been pressing them hard, suddenly pulled back, leaving no trace of their forces. Scouts were sent to check Harbin’s city center and the surrounding outskirts, but there was no sign of Chinese Hunters anywhere. This news reached the Russian Hunter Alliance headquarters and quickly spread to each guild.

This time, the Tsar Guild, which had previously withheld information about the assault on the Demonic Realm Gate, shared the news with Kang Mu-hyuk.

“You mean Harbin has fallen under Russian control?”

“To be precise, it seems that China has given up on it.”

“They just gave up?”

“Harbin Gate had similar strategic importance as Mudanjiang and Jiamusi. But suddenly, the Chinese forces withdrew. We don’t know the reason, so we’re still on guard.”

At that moment, Kang Mu-hyuk guessed what might be happening, though he kept his thoughts to himself.

“Thank you for the update.”

“We’ll keep in touch regularly from now on.”

The implication was to maintain their information-sharing relationship and put aside the issues around Kamensky. Kang Mu-hyuk, seeing no benefit in cutting ties with Vladivostok, agreed.

“Korea will soon enter the Demonic Realm as well. We look forward to our cooperation in this realm.”

After ending the call, Kang Mu-hyuk looked over a map of the Demonic Realm. Though labeled a ‘map,’ it was more of a historical document from a time when this land was still inhabited by humans. He focused on one particular detail: geography.

‘Harbin.’

He pointed at the city on the map and traced a line southward with his finger.

“Jilin City…”

It was over 200 kilometers south of Harbin. For a Hunter, however, that wasn’t much of a distance.

‘Each of the bases connecting the old cities regularly clears its roads.’

There wouldn’t be any monsters to interfere, and the Hunters could reach Jilin City quickly. Kang Mu-hyuk understood the strategy behind abandoning Harbin.

‘Are they trying to fight Kamensky with Shimwol?’

A deathmatch between the demons and the reaper. Kang Mu-hyuk was well aware that Guan Hong would hardly play fair in a fight where he could foresee the outcome. They’d need extra forces to slow Kamensky down and wear him out.

‘Harbin’s forces alone wouldn’t be enough. Against S-ranks, they’d serve as little more than a meat shield.’

In that case, they’d need the strongest nearby force.

“It has to be Dandong.”

An Expedition from the Yellow Dragon Guild in Dandong

The Yellow Dragon Guild had mobilized an expedition from Dandong. While its main role was to monitor Shinuiju, it couldn’t ignore Jilin City, which held something valuable enough to justify even deploying S-ranks—even at the cost of leaving Dandong undefended.

With the vast number of Hunters at its disposal, the Yellow Dragon Guild divided its expeditionary force into three teams. Losing one team wouldn’t be a major setback for the guild.

'In other words, this is something important enough to risk losing an entire expedition team,' thought Kang Mu-hyuk as he examined Shenyang City on the map.

340 kilometers from Jilin City

It was farther than Harbin and along a less direct route. But for an S-rank, the distance wouldn’t be much of an obstacle.

“I need to mobilize the Guild Master, the Tyrant, and the Unified Strike Force as well.”

***.

Kamensky sat by a fire, boiling ramen noodles in a small Korean pot. He had come to appreciate the Korean style of eating noodles, finding the savory flavor oddly satisfying. After years of practice, he had even become proficient with chopsticks.

“If there weren’t small pleasures like this, life in this frozen wasteland would be miserable,” he muttered, this time speaking in Chinese.

Just then, a shadow appeared within the firelight. Although the full moon had risen, the moonlight was dim in the Demonic Realm, and even a Hunter’s sharp eyesight struggled to see the shadow’s face clearly.

“Camping? What a filthy hobby—cooking food in a place swarming with monsters.”

“You don’t need to go looking for them. They’ll come to you on their own. Try it out, Demon(Shimwol). It’s more fun than you’d think—like fishing.”

“Don’t call me that nickname, old man.”

Shimwol despised that nickname. It reminded her too much of her time on Namsan Island—a brutal place for the weak and a living nightmare before she became S-rank. That Hunter Prison had been a torment, like the longest of death penalty.

“My apologies. As I get older, I find it harder to keep track of my manners. I was only trying to share with you the joys of fishing. I didn’t mean to offend.”

“You’ve never even touched a fishing rod. Let’s skip the small talk—both of us are busy, right?”

“You don’t need a fishing rod to catch a big fish.” Kamensky chuckled, pointing up at the moon.

“Wait—are you saying I fell for your bait?”

“That’s right. You came to the perfect place to meet your end.”

Before Shimwol could react, Kamensky charged, fists flying.

“Ugh!” 

She blocked with her crossed arms, feeling a heavy sensation. But Kamensky’s punches came one after another, dozens in a heartbeat. 

Shimwol shook her body to dodge the punches. She blocked the ones she couldn’t with her arms, swatting them away.  She twisted her body to deflect the punches she missed, reducing the damage she took. But one of the strikes slipped through her guard and landed on her side, sending a shockwave through her core, shaking her entire body.

Gritting her teeth against the pain, Shimwol countered with a sharp thrust, her long sword grazing Kamensky’s chest. He staggered back, feeling the blow reverberate through his body. Quickly drawing on his mana, he gathered whatever was swirling in his intestines and vomited it out. Thick blood fell to the floor like phlegm..

Feeling much better, Kamensky moved to the display case beside his tent. 

Shimwol, seeing this, pulled a five-section staff from behind her back. She swung it hard, like a whip, and it became a staff. She attached a short sword to the end of the staff, whipping it around until it transformed into a deadly polearm.

“Care to see the world’s greatest spearperson in action?”

Kamensky retrieved an enormous scythe from the shelf. Instead of a blade, it appeared to have a huge scythe larger than a person's torso attached to the end of the staff.

“The Reaper’s Scythe… from the Red Gate, right? Looks like my trip here is going to be well worth it.”

Shimwol swung her spear overhead, spinning it with a sharp crack that sliced through the air. 

Kamensky felt the force ripple through him.

“Demonic Spear… Interesting. That will make a fine addition to my collection.”

Kamensky lunged, scythe swinging down. Shimwol met his attack with her spear, their weapons colliding in a deafening clash. 

Clang!

For a second, they seemed pressed against each other, as if testing each other’s strength. Then, they suddenly broke apart, launching into a flurry of strikes—dozens of blows exchanged in mere moments. With each impact, their hands stung, their grips almost went numb.

Strength VS Strength

Mana surged through their weapons. The power of their clash sent gusts whipping in all directions. Kamensky’s pot of ramen rolled across the ground, crushed to bits, while weapons spilled from the overturned display case.

The asphalt beneath them cracked, and the half-crumbled buildings around them finally collapsed under the relentless force of their fight. The ruins had transformed into a wasteland.

'At this rate, this won’t end.’

Shimwol adjusted her attack method. She eased the pressure on his spear that was swinging forward and began swinging the shaft side to side.

In an instant, Kamensky’s scythe missed its target, slicing through the air. Just then, Shimwol’s spear darted upward, aiming for Kamensky’s arm.

“Hmph!” 

Kamensky scoffed, twisting only his wrist to redirect the scythe. His joints protested from the sudden movement, but he managed to intercept the spear blade.

As the danger passed, the chance came. It was Kamensky’s turn. He thrust his scythe forward in a stabbing motion. Shimwol watched and inwardly laughed. Stabbing with a weapon like a scythe? She saw it as a wasted effort.

Shimwol easily dodged the extended scythe by tilting her head. The next moment, a sudden chill ran down her spine. She quickly ducked, feeling the scythe’s edge graze the back of her neck. The scythe turned and passed over where her neck had been. Shocked, she backed off, reaching up to touch the spot. When she pulled her hand away, she saw blood.

“Well, it’s been a while since I’ve seen my own blood.”

“What a shame. It’s been a while since I got to show off my skills, too. You’re quite good at dodging,” Kamensky taunted, grinning.

Shimwol glared at him, cold sweat running down her back but acting calmly. 

'I can't beat this monster with just weapons alone.'

That single attack made it clear—Kamensky's weapon skills were sophisticated. Every strike, even the simplest, carried a depth honed over his years as an S-rank Hunter.

“I’d prefer if you just stood still and let me finish this.”.

“Enough warm-up. You’ve been around long enough. It’s time to die!!”

【Spear Shadow Charge】

Shimwol used an original skill she’d developed through relentless training. Unlike Gate skills, which came from skill books, original skills required a rigorous mastery. The power they unleashed was on another level.

“This is a worthy sight.”

Kamensky watched in awe as Shimwol’s spear multiplied, splitting into dozens of radiant projections that shot toward him.

Kamensky extended his scythe to full length and held it steady. He began spinning it in front of him, creating a barrier like an umbrella. As he infused it with mana, a shimmering shield took form.

【Protection of the Reaper】

This was Kamensky’s item-bound skill. While it drew on his mana, it was a unique ability that came with the scythe—a rare feature of high-tier weapons.

The shield expanded, growing stronger with each spin, deflecting the spears’ light rays, which scattered in every direction.

Shimwol didn't falter. She activated another skill immediately.

【Dragon Ego】

From her Red Gate abilities, Shimwol conjured a dragon of mana. The spectral beast, its jaws wide, charged at Kamensky with a fearsome snarl.

【Dimensional Slash】

Fight unique with unique.

Kamensky didn’t back down. He slashed his scythe horizontally, slicing through the dragon. The impact distorted the surroundings, as if reality itself was torn apart.

A massive explosion followed, obliterating everything in the vicinity. The concrete buildings nearby crumbled, fire hydrants shot into the air, and the street became a wasteland.

Shimwol planted her spear into the ground and braced herself. She drew out mana to shield her body, and her armor coat became tattered. Her metal armor underneath revealed itself. 

As she poured her mana into it, the armor moved as if alive and wrapped itself almost instantly. Donning a helmet, she looked like a medieval knight, clad in full plate armor with a spear in hand.

Kamensky was equally battered. His cloak lay in rags, his clothes shredded, but fortunately, he was not naked. He wore brown leather armor and specialized fabric on his lower half. Though less imposing than Shimwol’s armor, his equipment was of the highest quality from the Red Gate.

As the dust settled, Kamensky advanced, scythe in hand, while Shimwol strode forward, gripping her spear.

Shimwol felt a rare thrill. She hadn’t encountered a fight like this in ages.

“Now, let’s find out who’s truly the strongest in the Far East.”