Ch. 69 - A Plan With A High Probability of Success

Kang Mu-hyuk set up a laptop and projector in the company lobby, gathering the Hunters together.

He waited for everyone to find a comfortable spot to either sit or stand before projecting the screen onto a white wall.

"I apologize for not having more time to prepare. I've only managed to bring up a single map. Let's move on to the briefing for our mission to eliminate the orc forces."

The map displayed on the wall centered on the Sanjeong Lake and extended to North Pocheon.

"As you all know, most of the routes coming down from Cheolwon are minefields. According to our intelligence, it seems the orcs have figured out that the asphalt roads are clear of mines. So, we assume they'll move along the roads."

Using a laser pointer for presentations, Kang Mu-hyuk pointed to the northern part of Sanjeong Lake.

"First, we have Highway 387. It's a narrow route but the fastest one leading from Togyo Reservoir, where the orc headquarters is located, all the way to Cheolwon. Next is Highway 78 to the west. It's a bit roundabout but connects to Cheolwon via Yeongbuk-myeon. The road is wide, which makes it easier for large troops to move, and offers good visibility, which would be advantageous if they decide to attack our headquarters."

Kang Mu-hyuk used his laptop to jot down numbers on the map.

"About 200 orcs are moving along Highway 387, and roughly 800 along Highway 78. Our target is here; Sanjeong Lake."

At that moment, someone raised a hand.

"Shouldn't we retreat, given these numbers?"

"Good question, Team Leader Cho Chung-hyun," Kang Mu-hyuk replied in a voice tinged with sarcasm.

Cho Chung-hyun flinched, fully aware of the mistake he had previously made. Being pushed to the margins of the guild due to the oversight that led to a breach in the encirclement was an indisputable mistake.

That was why he was resolved to stand out by questioning the plan openly. Lately, he couldn't fully trust Tae Soo-man, the second son of the Taesung Group, whose behavior had been increasingly unpredictable. In contrast, he considered Kang Mu-hyuk to be a safer bet.

Cho Chung-hyun knew he had to prove his loyalty. At the same time, he needed to remind the higher-ups of his influence within the guild.

'Damn it! How did I end up like this? Pushed into a corner. This is all Kang Mu-hyuk's fault,' he thought.

When Kang Mu-hyuk didn't respond further, Cho Chung-hyun clenched his teeth and spoke up.

"We're dealing with over a thousand evolved orcs. Frankly, our guild isn't powerful enough to confront them head-on."

"You're right, it's risky. We might even die here. So, shall we retreat?"

"..."

Faced with Kang Mu-hyuk's casual offer to abandon the mission, Cho Chung-hyun closed his mouth. His face couldn't clearly convey his thoughts.

The other team members felt the same, hesitating and confused. They secretly wished for a retreat, but without knowing what their leader intended, they remained indecisive.

As had been demonstrated by the case of Do Gyeong-hoon, Kang Mu-hyuk was a cold-hearted individual. Even during his days at the Taesung Guild, he hadn't blinked an eye while laying off members who had been with the guild for a long time.

What was even more surprising was that Do Gyeong-hoon couldn't utter a word in protest and was simply dismissed. This was astonishing, given Do Gyeong-hoon's notoriously rough and aggressive demeanor.

While Kang Mu-hyuk appeared gentle on the surface, many murmured that he was perhaps even more tyrannical than Do Gyeong-hoon.

Finally breaking the uncomfortable silence, Kang Mu-hyuk spoke.

"If we retreat, we'll be close to Nam-po Stream. The chaos and casualties would be incomparable to when seven orcs entered the area. So what then? Shall we flee from there as well?"

"We should form an alliance with other guilds..."

"Timely reinforcements to fight against a thousand orcs are doubtful. Even if they could come, it's questionable whether they would arrive immediately. How many guilds would risk reducing their own power to face an orc army? It's a shameful truth, but the guilds in South Korea are more concerned about their own safety and profits than the lives of citizens. Please discard any naive hopes and dreams of receiving support."

"So what are you suggesting? That we should let all of our members die?"

Cho Chung-hyun couldn't hold back any longer, exploding in frustration. He was annoyed at Kang Mu-hyuk's evasive speech, which felt like mockery.

"We will win. That's what we will do."

"How exactly?!"

Kang Mu-hyuk pointed with a laser pointer to one corner of the Lake Sanjeong map.

"Nakcheonji Waterfall."

"Here. We will blow up this area."

...

"That's it."

As Kang Mu-hyuk concluded the briefing, the headquarters lobby was engulfed in an awkward silence.

Even the new recruits, who were generally noisy when gathered, kept their mouths shut.

Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer, Baek Hyeonggyu nudged his colleague, Na Dongpa, next to him.

"Dongpa, ask him something."

"What, what should I ask?"

"He said we'd be taking the center, right? That looks suicidal!"

"But considering our current guild power, doesn't that seem like the right call?"

"Are you saying we made a mistake? Are you accepting this plan?"

"Be honest, you think the same, don't you? We are the only ones who fit the role. We're skilled, and we have long-standing teamwork. Would he place Noh Song-rin, who is better at killing humans than monsters, in that position after Do Gyeong-hoon's faction was wiped out? Or would he place the newbies? It has to be us."

"Do you think I don't know that?!"

Frustrated, Baek Hyeonggyu raised his voice at Na Dongpa. Realizing a moment too late that he'd shouted too loudly, he covered his mouth with his hand, but the gazes of the guild members had already turned toward him.

Naturally, Kang Mu-hyuk had noticed it too.

"Yes, Hunter Baek Hyeonggyu, do you have a question?"

Scratching his head and clearing his throat with a cough, Baek Hyeonggyu stood up.

"Ahem, it's not really about anything else... but is that plan really feasible?"

Na Dongpa chuckled beside him.

'Weren't you going to ask that in the first place?'

Ignoring him, Baek Hyeonggyu focused his attention on Kang Mu-hyuk.

"What concerns you?"

"Well, I understand the concept of attacking with water, but... I'm skeptical that collapsing a single dam would capture the orcs. I've never seen such a tactic in real combat or any manual."

"If I had to give an example, I guess it would be the Battle of Salamis. Is that too far-fetched? Let's just call it a classic military strategy then. Like something out of the Three Kingdoms."

"But our opponents are monsters, not humans."

"Ah, I see I didn't explain thoroughly enough."

Kang Mu-hyuk nodded as if understanding, and continued to elaborate.

"The Sanjeong Lake was originally renovated for agricultural purposes before it became a Special Activities Zone. Thanks to that, its water capacity has increased significantly. On top of that, it's almost full due to the heavy rainfall from this autumn's typhoon. It holds 460,000 tons of water, covering an area of 240,000 square meters. To put it in layman's terms, imagine about 50 soccer fields put together. We lure the orcs and blow up the floodgates, followed by the explosion of the downstream waterfall. Given the height of the waterfall, even Ogres wouldn't withstand being swept away by such a flood. The chances of success are fairly high, I'd say. Does that answer your questions?"

"No, that's not what I meant..."

The plan seemed tedious just by hearing it.

When did he have the time to calculate all of this so precisely?

From the way he spoke, it seemed he had this plan prepared in advance. Perhaps he'd been pondering such a strategy since retaking this area.

'But wait. Isn't he considering the guild's headquarters at all?'

If the floodgates were destroyed, the headquarters---remodeled from a resort---would also be swept away. It was clear that the building wouldn't be safe from a lake with a circumference of nearly three kilometers.

Investing so much money to renovate it, only to wipe it out in one go. He couldn't tell if this guy was a big gambler or just a nutcase.

Many Hunters in the lobby shared this sentiment, but none dared to voice it.

'So he's willing to destroy the headquarters just to capture the orcs? Ha... the rumors were true. This guy's mad about monster hunting. I'd always taken those stories lightly, but maybe they weren't exaggerating?'

Baek Hyeonggyu lacked the courage to ask the question he really wanted to.

Why did they, who were neutral within the guild, have to be at the forefront of fighting a horde of orcs? It was a question he wanted to ask but couldn't.

Na Dongpa had given a plausible reason, but Baek Hyeonggyu had a different train of thought.

'Are we going to end up like Do Gyeong-hoon? Or is this some kind of test? Is he telling us to make our loyalties clear?'

He felt that digging any further might reveal something he'd rather not hear.

Satisfied with his own explanation, Kang Mu-hyuk nodded and issued further instructions.

"All Hunters, please make sure you're fully prepared. Party leaders, scout out your designated areas and find suitable hiding spots in advance. Once the orcs are scattered by the flood, move quickly for individual takedowns. Please pay close attention to party tactics. Stay in camouflage and wait for a signal from the reconnaissance team before taking action. Oh, and for those who don't have a messaging skill, please take a short-range radio device. Team leader An Ji-il will distribute them, so make sure you understand how to use them. That will be all."

...

As soon as Kang Mu-hyuk left his seat, the lobby erupted into a bustling marketplace of chatter.

Among them, the new recruits who were connected to Kang Mu-hyuk, whether by a good or bad relationship, were particularly loud.

"Wow, did you see that? I thought the rumors were exaggerated, but now it seems legit. Blowing up a lake to kill an orc? Man, he's more intense than he looks."

"What are you talking about? What rumor?"

"You know, the Titan Guild. When he was their head of the Strategy and Tactics team, I heard he completely demolished a mana stone mine just to kill a single boss."

"Jeez, that's extreme. A mana stone mine is like the ultimate resource."

"I know, right? Who in their right mind would use mana stones like that?"

"Actually, that's true."

Unable to hold back, Baek Seong-bin interrupted. He felt oddly protective of Kang Mu-hyuk, disliking the way he was being disparaged.

"How would you know?"

"I'm originally from the Taeguk Guild. We were rivals with the Titan Guild, so I've always kept an ear out for their activities."

The truth was, he had heard this all from Cho Ikjoon, but even if that wasn't the case, the raid was famous enough that any guild in Yeouido would have heard about it at some point.

"There are also other raids led by Guild Leader Kang, and compared to those, the Sanjeong Lake incident can be considered minor."

"Oh, a fanboy, are we? You make it sound like you have a crush on him. Giving him too much credit, don't you think?"

The sarcastic comment came from Seo Dae-chi.

He didn't like Baek Seong-bin, everything about the man bothered him. There was a previous altercation, but mainly it was Baek's entire demeanor that he found grating.

"Seo Dae-chi, if you don't know the Guild Leader well, keep your mouth shut."

"Wow, your tongue has gotten quite sharp. Acting all high and mighty now, aren't you? But who says I don't know the Guild Leader? I probably know him better than you do."

"What?"

"Want some advice? Don't trust Kang Mu-hyuk. Compared to him, I'm a saint."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't rush it. Take it slow. There's fun in gradually finding things out."

Adjusting his goggles slightly, Seo Dae-chi flashed a smug smile before making his exit.

Baek Seong-bin watched his retreating back, feeling uneasy.

'This guy. Now he's spouting nonsense. The one who gave this desperate man a place to go must be the Guild Leader.'

Seo Dae-chi, who precariously straddled the line between Hunter and villain, was a person that Baek Seong-bin found deeply distasteful.

"Just try messing up. I'll put an end to you."

...

Ju Se-ah looked up at the helicopters swarming overhead.

The guild emblems painted on the bottom were all familiar.

If she, who had spent time in the Tier-ed Guild, recognized an emblem, it meant it belonged to a major guild. Among them, the emblem of the Slayer Guild caught her eye the most.

She frowned as if something didn't sit well with her.

"To think the Guild Leader would go to such lengths. Ingenious in a way, but... Can a proper strategy even be executed like this? Everyone's just doing their own thing in the competition."

Orcs were swarming to the area where Ju Se-ah's gaze had landed, disoriented by the sudden appearance of a helicopter and shouting in confusion.

Hunters leaped from the helicopter hovering above the heads of the orcs.

Like they were rappelling, they grasped onto ropes, and their powerful skills erupted into the air. The orcs scrambled to avoid them, but the elite Hunters from the top-tier guild left no room for error. They mercilessly slaughtered the orcs almost as soon as they touched the ground.

In no time, the Hunters landed and quickly secured the drop zone, grabbing their equipment as they got off the helicopter. A few orcs hurled spears, but ended up getting caught by Hunters who had just stepped out of the newly opened door.

"Sung Seon-je... is here too?"

It was a considerable distance, but Sung Seon-je turned his gaze toward her, as if aware of Ju Se-ah's presence.

He took off his sunglasses and gave a faint smirk in Ju Se-ah's direction.

She couldn't hear him, but she felt like she knew what he was saying. He had always provoked her with the same words.

'Don't get too cocky this time, little lady.'

Click!

"Alright, Sung Seon-je. Let's see who wins this time!"

...

"Let's not fight this time, Guild Master Ju Se-ah."

"What are you doing, Team Leader?"

"Just greeting someone I know. But she seems rather lively over there, huh? Haha."

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