Chapter 102
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: EP.102 Each One's Circumstances
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The meeting dragged on like a marathon. Naturally, none of the clan leaders gathered there wanted to send their clans to Vietnam.
In a way, it was understandable. The war against the darkness monsters, which had dragged on for decades to the point of boredom, had been more than enough time to loosen the resolve of everyone present.
The fact that named monsters hadn't shown any activity in the past decade or so played a part too.
If it had happened in South Korea, that would be one thing, but heading to another country—Vietnam, no less, where a dungeon break had occurred—was a dangerous expedition.
"Our clan has an expedition to Busan next month."
"Everyone knows Hero Era is guarding southern Gyeonggi Province, right? How many [A]-rank dungeons are there just in that area? Even with the top-tier teams raiding every three days, they barely get a moment's rest!"
Even with the World Hero Association's request on the table, no one wanted to go. They were all openly showing their refusal with their whole bodies.
Besides, all an expedition offered was the honor of protecting humanity. That was it. No one would compensate the clans for their losses.
"Isn't this about fighting darkness monsters? Not just anyone can step up—it has to be the top clans. What's the point of Ranker Clans if not for this?"
"Hang on, does that mean our clan fights someone else's battles? Aren't we fighting the darkness monsters in our own country? They're recruiting raid teams to handle [B]-rank dungeons in Vietnam, so why don't those teams apply there? If that's the case, we'll consider sending a raid team from our clan."
"What?"
A few hot-blooded leaders who didn't like the current situation grimaced uncomfortably, but even they couldn't bring themselves to say they'd send their raid teams to Vietnam. Just imagining an accident happening there was horrifying.
"……."
Like the other leaders, Hyun-jung had zero intention of sending Rose Shield's raid teams to Vietnam. For the already understrength Rose Shield, she just wanted to quietly weather this storm without getting swept up in it.
The initial topic of GGW from the start of the meeting had long since faded away. Sending a rookie team like GGW on an expedition would draw massive media scrutiny, and no one wanted that.
If they really sent GGW, then even the Ranker Clans would have to dispatch their first-string teams to save face. That was why the Strong Women leaders who had first brought it up, along with the others who had agreed, were now wisely holding their tongues.
In the end, with no consensus reached, the meeting wrapped up fruitlessly. As a result, Association President Lee Si-yeon's face was flushed red and blue with anger.
"By 2 p.m. tomorrow, the nineteen clans excluding Memoria—negotiate however you must and decide which one will send a raid team to Vietnam, then notify me. If not! If there's no word by then, I'll use my authority as president to forcibly dispatch eight—no, sixteen raid teams to Vietnam. It'll be under the banner of protecting humanity, and the World Hero Association will love it!"
Fuming, Si-yeon glared sharply at each clan leader before storming out.
She hadn't been president for long, but Lee Si-yeon was a woman of her word. If no raid teams were decided by tomorrow at two, eight teams would indeed be conscripted, just as she promised.
"Heh. Looks like no sleep tonight."
"Make sure your phones don't die, everyone."
"We have messaging apps—do we really need phone calls?"
"Both. Calls separate, chats separate."
In the meeting room after she left, the clan leaders shook their heads wearily.
Hyun-jung pressed her throbbing temples with her fingers. It looked like she wouldn't get a proper night's sleep tonight either. She could already see some leaders exchanging glances, starting their backroom deals and negotiations.
"Is South Korea sending an expedition raid team too?"
Her secretary hurried to Hyun-jung's side as they left the meeting room. News of the dungeon break had already spread like wildfire. Even the regular news was covering the Vietnam incident heavily.
"Yeah. Including Memoria's first string, at least five teams."
"That means four more need to go. So the expedition teams will come from Ranker Clans...?"
"Can't say for sure. Everyone seemed reluctant. But it'll probably be one first-string team that can tackle [A]-ranks, and two raid teams for [B]-ranks."
"That's a relief for our clan, then."
The secretary said. Rose Shield's first string struggled with even [A-4] dungeons. In a situation where an [A-1] dungeon had exploded, sending their first string on an expedition would only invite criticism.
At minimum, clans on par with Memoria should handle the [A]-rank capable first strings—that was the secretary's view. And it was the sensible one. But Hyun-jung shook her head at the secretary's relieved tone.
"The [A]-rank teams will come from Ranker Clans anyway. It's an official request from the World Hero Association, even if it's for another country—who wants to risk offending them? The problem is the [B] teams."
"I see. Rose Shield's first string could handle [B]-rank dungeons with ease."
"Not the first string. Those lunatics are floating GGW's name."
It had only been a passing mention that got glossed over, but Hyun-jung didn't like the fact that GGW—a mere first-year rookie raid team—was even coming up in the leaders' discussions.
Lee Si-yeon's stern warning as president must have lit a fire under the leaders.
Before Hyun-jung even reached the clan house, the [A]-rank expedition raid team had been decided: Memoria, plus the Strong Women and Ewha Clans.
It wasn't hard to predict that the No. 2 ranked Strong Women would join Memoria on the expedition—they had the skill for it. But Ewha stepping up was a surprise.
Ewha wasn't weak, but clans like Hero Era, White Flower, and Angel Wings ranked higher. Plus, Ewha had volunteered.
"This is a headache."
Regardless, Strong Women joining the expedition was bad news for Hyun-jung, Rose Shield's leader. With an expedition inevitable, the Strong Women leader was bound to bring up GGW again.
'That's why I tried to push Hero Era instead...'
But Hero Era's responsibility for southern Gyeonggi's dungeons must have swayed the others. Their complaints in the meeting weren't exaggerated— they managed a significant number of [A]-rank dungeons.
"They think it's not them going, so they talk big. That's the problem with people in high places..."
On top of that, Rose Shield's parent company, Rose Group, was subtly pressuring for Rose Shield to join the expedition.
It was a chance to boost Rose Group's global name, and they had a vehicle plant in Hanoi. As a key subsidiary, Hanoi's fall would deal massive damage to the group.
- Is Rose Shield so flush and skilled that we're sending expedition raid teams to Vietnam? They're not that clueless about reality, are they? We're barely managing domestic dungeons as is. We're clinging to single-digit rankings by a thread—want us to drop further?
Club owner Jo Soo-young was providing some shield, but the situation was growing weirder.
With pressure from other clans, media outlets reporting on the Vietnam dungeon break were slyly mentioning Rose Shield. It seemed like sending one team from Rose Shield was just a matter of time.
"If we have to send a team anyway..."
She'd prefer the second string over the first. Using the first string, which could tackle up to [A-5] dungeons, for [B]-ranks? Like using a cattle butcher's cleaver to kill a chicken.
Plus, pulling the first string would leave no one to raid Rose Shield's [A]-rank dungeons. The second string, with its big skill gap, couldn't even fill in.
GGW didn't even need mentioning. Sure, they were promising high-potential rookies, but still just first-years.
Beep!
As she tried to clear the fog of complicated thoughts, an alert chimed in Hyun-jung's ear. She wondered if it was from another clan, but it was from the secretary's office.
"What is it?"
"Your sister is here. And..."
"Hyun-ah? Send her in."
Hyun-jung released the button connecting to the secretary's office.
Come to think of it, GGW had tackled the second floor of the Void Tower yesterday. Their growth was blinding—dazzling to the point of awe for a first-year team. She quickly checked the report, and sure enough, they had succeeded.
"She's outshining me by miles."
Hyun-jung was immensely proud that her little sister was the core of such a raid team. As long as she was leader, she planned to pave a rose-strewn path for GGW. Of course, one that Rose Shield walked too.
"Sis!"
Moments later, the door opened and Hyun-ah entered. Hyun-jung was about to greet her beloved sister warmly when someone suddenly appeared behind her—Han Minguk, GGW's raid leader.
Now she remembered the secretary trying to say more. Hyun-jung's gaze snapped to Minguk.
"Long time no see, Raid Leader Han Minguk. Oh, and congrats on clearing the second Void Tower floor. Impressive results."
The report confirmed GGW had acquired a Class Stone from the Void Tower.
[Class Stone (A) - Focused Healer]. It was worth a whopping 19 million dollars on the current market. At that price, the team members' shares would be substantial. The clan could finally touch some real cash too.
"Just luck. But I hear Rose Shield might send a team to Vietnam... Is that true?"
"Where'd you hear that, Raid Leader?"
"Everyone's saying it. The news has that vibe too."
Hyun-jung's expression hardened at her sister's words. Rose Shield sending a team wasn't set in stone. They hadn't even coordinated with the other clans properly.
'The parent company won't help— just headaches.'
Even with Minguk and Hyun-ah right there, Hyun-jung roughly scratched her head. She'd half-expected it, but now that it was happening, her mind was in turmoil.
She needed to extract as much as possible from the parent company and other clans, but she couldn't even guess how far they'd yield. Then, Minguk spoke up.
"If Rose Shield has to send a team to Vietnam, could we go? I hear it's just [B]-rank dungeons anyway."
"What...?!"
Hyun-jung's eyes widened at the completely unexpected words. Minguk hadn't planned to say it either—until that damn quest popped up out of nowhere.