Chapter 140
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: Sisters? Mother and Daughter?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Beep! Beep-beep! Beep!
Han Minguk rustled around and checked the clock. It was just past 9 a.m. Normally, this would be the time he'd be getting up.
'You've worked so hard. On behalf of all the clan staff, I extend my deepest gratitude. Take a week off and rest well before returning.'
But recalling what Clan Leader Oh Hyun-jung had said last night, Minguk closed his eyes again.
'Must be the jet lag... my body's ridiculously heavy.'
It wasn't just a feeling; his body truly felt weighed down.
Minguk grimaced for a moment before slyly reaching out with his hand. Sure enough, Hyun-ah was pressed right up against him. She looked dead to the world, out cold like she'd fainted.
Even as a tank, the exhaustion from the grueling march in Vietnam must have piled up immensely.
"She really is gorgeous."
True to her status as a mana-awakened hero, Hyun-ah's beauty was stunning anywhere you went. Her figure went without saying. He lightly pressed the swell of her breast in his view, and Hyun-ah twisted her body like it was a nuisance.
He'd planned to pounce if she reacted, but she looked so utterly drained that he couldn't bring himself to.
Minguk closed his eyes to go back to sleep, but having woken up once, his mind was growing clearer by the minute.
"Eh, no point trying."
Giving up on sleep entirely, Minguk grabbed his Hero Pad and lay back on the bed.
"Ugh..."
The moment he naturally opened the internet browser, a low groan escaped Minguk's lips. His own face was plastered prominently on the portal site's main page.
[Proud Heroes of Korea]
It wasn't just his face. There were Memoria's raid leader and dealer leader Kang Chae-young, the raid leader of Strong Women clan, and other heroes who'd shone in Vietnam, all featured in the main ad slots.
He naturally hit refresh to change the ad.
"Jeez..."
But the next ad that popped up was just another shot of himself in a different pose.
During the roughly three-month Vietnam expedition, Rose Shield's raid team GGW had successfully contained the spread in Vietnam and returned to Korea.
Minguk had worried Garuda might pull some stunt right up to the end, but fortunately, nothing happened. No more weird voices either.
In fact, Garuda had been so eerily quiet that while fighting her "avatar," Minguk even wondered if the voice he'd heard was just his imagination.
At any rate, the heroes stopping Vietnam's spread could be called a victory in the war against the darkness monsters.
The World Hero Association was already hailing it as humanity's triumph. Naturally, the heroes who'd stayed till the end on the front lines drew massive attention from reporters and the public alike.
- Raid Leader Han Minguk! Just one word, please!
- Raid Leader! Raid Leader!
Minguk shook his head at the memory of reporters swarming past the guidelines the moment they landed at the airport.
Five raid teams and fifty heroes from Korea had fought in Vietnam, but only certain ones drew the press focus.
As the sole male hero—and the one who'd compiled the Garuda avatar strategy—Minguk had fielded most of the questions, despite his team tackling below 【A】-rank difficulty.
"Way tougher than expected."
He wondered how real celebrities handled this insane scrutiny so casually. Still, it wasn't all bad.
- Wooaaah! Woooh!!!
Was this how World Cup-winning national team players felt returning home? As he stepped out of the press conference, hearing his name chanted from all directions stirred his chest—even if he hadn't chosen to come to this world.
Caught up in interviews everywhere, Minguk and Hyun-ah hadn't made it home until nearly dawn. After that, they crashed instantly.
The internet was flooded with praise for Memoria and the other raid teams in Vietnam's spread crisis. GGW ranked second in attention after Memoria.
Probably because their raid leader was a male hero—their achievements weren't even that standout, but the interest was huge.
'Dragged into it by the quest, but... not bad.'
The expedition had yielded massive gains for GGW and Minguk.
Not only raid experience, but everyone absorbed heaps of mana crystals too.
And Legendary and Unique classes to boot. Gains you couldn't buy for any price.
'The pity is...'
Things got messy at the end, so he couldn't clear Qoo♡'s quest. With Garuda liable to pop out any second, no choice.
The other raid teams he needed to "target" were barely at the hotel after China's announcement, so no chances to meet.
In the end, Minguk couldn't fill the ten-person quota for Qoo♡'s final reward and had to wrap the quest unfinished.
'Should've just gone for it from the start.'
He hadn't anticipated the sudden twists.
Regretting dragging his feet, thinking it'd be an easy clear.
'Should've checked the Stage 2 Chaos Shop...'
Stage 1 was nothing but junk. Higher stages meant better loot. Sucks to only get Sex Coins without finishing.
But water under the bridge.
Scrolling news on the tablet, Minguk tapped the big 【B - 1】 on screen. A list of domestic 【B - 1】-rank dungeons quickly sorted and appeared.
Some had bounties—timers nearly up, raid teams lining up applications for the rewards.
Excluding those, plenty of 【B - 1】 dungeons awaited teams.
"If we hustle..."
For the baseline to tackle 【A】, Minguk figured all members at 5-star growth, gear at least 440.
Only from grinding 【B - 1】 dungeons, especially grade-5 specials. Good thing Korea had plenty of them—no big issue leveling the team.
Temporary dungeons aside, regular ones didn't collapse often.
"We're eating here? You decided?"
Minguk tilted his head at Hyun-ah. She'd checked her phone right after waking and dropped a bombshell.
"Yeah, yeah."
"Wouldn't it be better to eat out? Inviting people here..."
His mouth quietly shut as Hyun-ah hugged his waist tight.
"It's fine, no need to stress. My sister's not the type to care about that. She'd probably love chimaek in a spot like this."
"Uh, yeah... really?"
Minguk scratched his head at Hyun-ah's cheeky grin.
It felt burdensome, but as homeowner and her little sis said so, what could he say?
'Come to think...'
Minguk's eyes scanned the room.
Cracks in walls here and there, peeling wallpaper. Never noticed before, but now it hit: the place was pretty rundown.
'Time to consider moving.'
Their current spot was a massive studio with kitchen space in the living room.
Since Chaos dumped him here, becoming a full hero, leading a raid team—lots changed, but this nest stayed the same.
Spacious enough that partitioning made it a two-roomer. With their funds, they could upgrade easy.
But habit from living fine here, plus packed schedules—no time to move.
"Why's the Leader coming here outta nowhere?"
In Minguk's memory, only teammate Yuna had visited besides team stuff.
But he realized his slip right away. Sisters don't need reasons to visit. Hyun-ah, though, looked unsure how to broach it.
A moment later, she spoke cautiously.
"Probably the contract."
"Contract? You? Or me?"
"Both of us, obviously. Think about GGW's showing in Vietnam. Who pulls that off in year one? Plus, we're packing punch like Rose Shield's second string now. Who's to thank?"
"Mm."
No gilding his own lily, but answer was clear. Hyun-ah continued.
"That's why. Before other clans poach you, Sis—Rose Shield's Leader—wants to re-sign. Using 'meeting me' as excuse to come here."
Her eyes turned to Minguk.
Contracts existed, but heroes could leave clans with penalties if they wanted.
Minguk was worth recruiting despite that.
"Makes sense. Salary bump incoming?"
"Massive one."
At least multiples of their current $4,000 weekly. Male hero raid leader premium? Even sweeter terms.
"Nice, but..."
Not thrilled ecstatic. Money was comfy already, not like they spent it all. Better if he could whale on items or mana crystals.
No noble humanity-saving mission, but wanted to smash monsters—or the Twelve Calamities—fast. For safety, and to beat darkness back to his world.
"Guess we clean up then."
"Clean? Why?"
Hyun-ah's eyes widened at his words, face screaming annoyance at "clean." Minguk couldn't fathom it.
"House like this, and you're inviting guests?"
Nearly three months away—no cleaning service. Surface fine, but desk swipe would blacken fingers with dust.
"...Wanna just eat out?"
"..."
Minguk handed her a rag instead of answering.
Meanwhile, as they deep-cleaned...
- Yes! Yes! Good! Oooooooh!
In a dim room, a girl with earbuds stared intently at a video feast of flesh tones.
Swallowing carefully lest her shameful secret leak, she was oblivious that someone had already watched and left.