Chapter 121
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: High-Tier Raid
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Heroes who raided high-difficulty dungeons were tremendous high earners. Thanks to the banner of "protecting humanity," they also paid relatively low taxes.
"Money? You can always earn more, right?"
That was why Minguk had no qualms about dumping all the cash he'd made so far—including the payout from selling Revival Stones to his clan—straight into buying a Class Stone. It still wasn't enough, so he'd had to take out a loan like Ye-rin, but he felt no regrets.
The investment was steep, but in the end, 【Class Stone (A) - Blade of Malice】 became Minguk's. And the moment he acquired it, he immediately began the imprinting process.
Successfully imprinted 【Class Stone (A) - Blade of Malice】
Having successfully imprinted 【Class Stone (A) - Blade of Malice】, Minguk switched his class to it, dropping 【Focused Healer】.
The moment he changed classes, the warm, life-filled mana that had always made others feel cozy began to churn violently. The aura he exuded shifted dramatically as well.
"Ngh...!"
It wasn't unpleasant or painful, but the unfamiliar sensation after so long made Minguk groan involuntarily. A moment later, he examined his new form.
Where it had once felt gentle and green as a healer, now it pulsed with a violet, femme fatale vibe—rough and dangerously alluring.
"Guess it's time to shake off the rust, then."
Minguk opened the nightstand drawer beside his bed and pulled out a pair of sharp daggers. They were cheap practice blades he'd snagged from the auction house right after confirming the 【Class Stone (A) - Blade of Malice】.
Whistling casually, he spun the daggers on his fingers and headed to the training ground on the hotel's middle floors.
Whoosh! Swish!
The sharp daggers sliced through the air with a fierce whistle.
Quick thrusts followed by cross-slashes to fell foes in one go, throwing daggers and reeling them back with mana—the moment he dove into training, Minguk rediscovered the basics any dagger-wielding gamer could handle.
It felt a bit clumsy at first, but after a few swings, the sensation returned, and power began building in his strikes.
As Minguk sweated it out, someone entered the training room.
"Huh? Wha—?"
The woman who stepped in spotted Minguk swinging daggers from across the room and let out a startled voice. Minguk sheathed his daggers at his hips, wiped his sweat, and turned to Hyun-ah, the source of the noise.
"Wha... yeah. What the—? Han Minguk?! Since when do you use daggers? You look pretty slick with them!"
Hyun-ah gushed excitedly. She'd only caught a glimpse, but Minguk's dagger work was no joke. He could've passed for a full-fledged dealer.
"I've practiced with them as backups now and then since Hero Academy days."
"Oh, really?"
Hyun-ah tilted her head at his words. She'd never seen him wield daggers back at Hero Academy.
But recalling how drastically he'd improved since then—enough to make "leaps and bounds" feel like an understatement—she accepted it easily.
"Here to train?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm the main tank for GGW, the world's most hyped prospect raid team, right? Gotta tank better than Tanya at least."
Hyun-ah nodded at Minguk's question, joking around. She shared tanking duties for GGW with Tanya Ruth, the Russian prodigy, but lately she'd felt the pressure mounting.
She'd always been confident no one could match her talent for blocking boss attacks and shielding allies. But the world was vast. Tanya had been taking main tanking more often these days.
It was a tactical call to maximize Tanya's massive shield stance, but it still left Hyun-ah uneasy.
"She's got a lot on her mind."
Minguk gave her a knowing look. With his experience as raid leader, he could easily guess what was eating at her.
"Hah! Hup!"
Hyun-ah took a spot not far from Minguk and began swinging her sword and shield with spirited kiais. It was shadow training, simulating enemy movements.
"Her form's solid, no doubt."
Minguk watched quietly. She was a hero brimming with talent. Her swordplay and shieldwork were both top-notch. But if he had to pick one...
"Sword edges it out."
Her offensive side scored higher.
If she got a longsword dealer class stone... it might be worth considering a switch. In high-tier raids, tanks swapping to dealer was a common position shuffle.
And Hyun-ah could more than hold her own as a dealer.
Four days after spotting the second pillar of light, GGW's schedule resumed.
They were still tackling mid-to-high 【B】-rank dungeons. But the team members faced this run with heavy hearts, especially the dealers—their expressions graver than ever.
As the Chinese military escorted them to the dungeon, the heroes' armored bus interior fell into heavy silence. Unable to bear the boredom, Na-yeon's eyes flicked toward Minguk, who was checking his Hero Pad.
"Is the raid leader really going dealer...?"
Her round eyes drifted to Minguk's waist. Where there should have been nothing now hung a stylish rust-red dagger, unlike anything she'd seen before.
A 【Gear Score – 420】 blade borrowed from a Memoria clan dealer. Kang Chae-young had hooked him up after hearing he was shopping auctions for one.
- It's nothing special, so use it rough and return it. Oh, and grab a meal with Chae-young unnie sometime.
For Memoria's first-string heroes, 【Gear Score – 420】 gear was basically a collector's toy, so the dealer lent it without hesitation.
That bombshell announcement—Minguk joining as a dealer—had pulled Kendall Budsen, the older Budsen sister, into the expedition. She'd usually rested at the hotel, but now she'd cover healer in his place.
"Alright, time to announce the dungeon strike team."
Minguk stood as radio reports confirmed arrival at the target dungeon.
"Main tank: Oh Hyun-ah. Dealers: Jeong Ye-rin, Shin Na-yeon, Han Minguk. Healer: Kendall Budsen."
The named heroes grabbed their gear. This was a 【B - 3】-rank dungeon—not deadly for GGW's firepower, but no cakewalk either.
"Mm..."
Na-yeon felt uneasy even as she packed her hero gear per the raid leader's orders.
It was clearable, sure, but 【B – 3】 technically counted as high-tier. Debuting as a dealer here struck her as risky for Minguk.
One weak dealer meant the other two carried extra load. As Na-yeon fretted, someone stretched an arm around her neck in a hug.
Jeong Ye-rin, her fellow dealer for this run.
"Think of the raid leader as bonus DPS. Just trust this unnie, Na-yeon."
Ye-rin brimmed with confidence since classing into her Unique-grade Winter Witch. Her vibe screamed she could solo the 【B – 3】.
Na-yeon wriggled free with a grunt and said sternly,
"Jeong Ye-rin, hero. I'm the senior here."
"...Yes, ma'am."
Five years her junior in age, but as a third-year hero, Na-yeon outranked first-year Ye-rin.
GGW's strike team entered the 【B - 3】 dungeon to a vast plain dominated by a small tower pillar at its center. Na-yeon eyed it and spoke with certainty.
"I've seen this one before. It's 'Battlefield of Proof'—a defense-type dungeon."
She'd run identical layouts multiple times with Memoria.
"Defense?"
"First defense arena for me... How's it work?"
Hyun-ah and the others recalled Hero Academy lessons at Na-yeon's words.
Minguk did too. With his gaming background, he quickly grasped the strategy. Plus, Na-yeon knew the name spot-on.
He skimmed the Hero Pad'strategy guide and began briefing.
▷ A defense-type dungeon where protecting the objective is both the start and end of the strategy. Heroes must closely cooperate to fend off enemies spawning to destroy the objective in each phase.
▷ Monsters appear over 7 rounds total. If the objective breaks, you lose a life. Heroes who die mid-round won't revive even after it ends, so healers must focus on keeping allies' HP topped.
▷ Phase 1 spawns small monsters: Hop Goblins. Five types emerge—about 200 total—appearing sequentially after combat starts.
▷ They come in packs: Shield-bearing guards, flail-wielding squad leaders, long-staff mages, wand healers, and dagger scouts. Prioritize targets based on your strengths for efficient clears.
▷ Dealer skill is crucial in defense dungeons. Individuals often handle both tanking and DPS. Tanks prioritize guarding healers; healers focus recovery on encircled dealers.
▷▷ Phase 2: Black Orcs. They swarm in groups like the goblins and...
"Good that we're both ranged,"
Na-yeon muttered during Minguk's briefing. The open-field arena left flanks exposed. Monsters would swarm from all directions—east, west, south, north—creating weak spots inevitably.
Melee dealers would've struggled, but two long-range ones could cover it. Minguk being a total newbie among the three was the worry, though.
And he had to lead as raid leader too.
"I'll cover 2 o'clock, Ye-rin at 10, Na-yeon at 6. Hyun-ah, stick to protecting Kendall and reinforce wherever mobs cluster."
"Huh? Oh, got it."
Minguk briefed calmly despite Na-yeon's concerns. He pressed the protruding stone on the tower pillar, kicking off the raid.
Dong!
As everyone gripped weapons on alert, a bell tolled signaling monsters. Goblins' eerie giggles followed, and packs of red-skinned Hop Goblins—upper-tier kin—charged in.