Chapter 161
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 161
Chapter Title: Omen
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"Excuse me for a moment."
Before Minguk could even respond, Hyun-jung popped a cigarette between her lips. She rummaged through her pocket.
He wasn't one to hate the smell of smoke, and having walked the smoker's path himself once upon a time, Minguk could fully understand Hyun-jung's actions. In a situation like this, the temptation of a cigarette felt stronger than any drug.
"Smoking indoors isn't usually allowed, but given the circumstances, I'll let it slide this once."
Tsss.
As the secretary grumbled, the filter tip ignited.
Hyun-jung drew in a deep breath and exhaled, filling the clan leader's office with acrid smoke.
They say a beauty who smokes is even more alluring...
Minguk's gaze drifted toward Hyun-jung. The decadent allure radiating from her made his body ache faintly.
Suddenly, memories of their intense threesome with Hyun-ah flooded back. Back then, instead of a cigarette, he'd filled those lips with himself—and finished inside her with his seed.
If the secretary weren't here... No, would it matter if she was?
A chuckle escaped him at the thought flashing through his mind.
It was the delusion that if he just tempted them, these two women would eagerly satisfy him.
Lately, with all the internet streams hyping him up and so many people praising him, all sorts of wild ideas were creeping in.
"So, the reason you called me here is to have Team GGW head to China, right?"
"Yes, exactly. Truth be told, I didn't want to send you, but the Hero Association begged for it. And this expedition will include the clan's first-string raid team as well."
"...Pardon?"
Minguk stared at Hyun-jung's face.
Sending the first-string team alongside Team GGW was unexpected.
Even if Rose Shield's first-stringers fell short of top ranker clans, they could handle 7th-grade boss monsters—specifically, the easier ones among them.
In terms of difficulty, they could clear up to [A-4] or [A-5]—putting them in the upper tier of heroes.
That was the level of dungeons Rose Shield was assigned. The revival raid team left behind in Korea could never clear difficulties like that.
Yet they're sending the first-string raid team to China anyway...
It meant the situation was that dire.
Still, they wouldn't abandon Korea's issues and throw heroes in without a plan. The woman before him wasn't that foolish—quite the opposite, sharp as a tack.
"That said, if Raid Leader Han Minguk doesn't want to go, I won't force you. You've just returned from Vietnam, so people won't look at you poorly either way."
Minguk nodded as Hyun-jung continued. Being a man surely played a big role in that. But...
It's better if we go.
For his and his team's rapid growth, heading to China was the right call.
They needed to clear the temporary dungeons popping up like weeds in the Dark Ruins, absorb mana crystals, and boost their hero grades quickly. Only then could they equip better gear and raid stronger monsters.
It would be a tough road for him and his team, but for growth, they'd have to endure.
"How soon do we need to prepare by?"
If they were going, sooner was better.
This world was still at war. They were just enjoying a brief peace.
No one knew when an overwhelming enemy might appear. They had to raise their power fast before that happened. Time wouldn't wait for Team GGW to grow.
"If you want, we can depart this afternoon. A plane from China is already waiting at the airport."
Hyun-jung said.
"Ah!"
And her words didn't end there.
"We'll squeeze Team GGW's travel expenses and life insurance out of the Chinese government. So, like in Vietnam, just come back safe. And if things look dangerous, run—no exceptions."
Minguk nodded. He agreed: run when it's risky. With that, Team GGW's deployment to China was decided.
Vroooom!
The transport plane waiting at the airport roared to life and took off.
The heroes aboard were Team GGW and the first-string raid team from a clan called Ra Yunian.
Ranked 18th, Ra Yunian's raid leader—a woman brimming with a sense of justice for humanity, from their brief chat—also showed intense hatred for monsters, hinting at some backstory.
"......"
The destination was Beijing. En route, Minguk closed his eyes and focused, prioritizing what to do upon arrival.
First things first: handle the temporary dungeons.
Temporary dungeons with short timers could break if you let your guard down. And the land turned Dark Ruins would spawn more dungeons and monsters in a vicious cycle.
If Team GGW was deployed to the spread phenomenon, they'd likely handle [A-9]-level dungeons.
Push it higher, and up to [A-6]. Anything beyond went to top heroes, like in Vietnam.
[A-8] would normally be a stretch for us, but...
Due to their national crisis, the Chinese Hero Association made a bold move.
They released all their stored hero gear for heroes aiding China.
Not thrilling for top-tiers, but a huge boon for mid-tier Team GGW.
They could snag gear several grades above their current set—for free.
Engraved gear was limited to one piece per slot, the rest standard, but for fresh 5th-grade heroes like Team GGW, it meant gear scores nearing 600.
And with China, hopefully lots of crystals too.
Temporary dungeons from spread phenomena dropped mana crystals, gear tickets, class stones, and rare items at higher rates.
No one knew why, but heroes' experiences confirmed it.
So, they needed lots of green-grade crystals—the step after yellow—to fuel powerful combat mana and reach 6th-grade.
Radio chatter buzzed nonstop in the cockpit. They were adjusting the flight path based on ongoing battles.
Turning his head, Hyun-ah sat beside him with eyes closed and arms crossed. Next to her, Shiranui Mai stretched her arms, looking stiff, swinging them side to side.
Behind them, the Budsen sisters quietly chatted over a tablet. With battle looming, surprisingly few seemed tense. Was it familiarity with this life, or deliberate calm? Hard to tell.
"Ah..."
As he watched his team, Minguk's expression turned serious. He nodded slightly. And then...
Come out.
《Did you call for me, Minguk?》
Minguk nodded slowly at Ppuu's words. He formed his question in his mind.
Why no quest this time?
It was the same as Vietnam: a dungeon break.
Back then, Ppuu had tempted him with a legendary class reward to send him there.
《W-We'd love to offer one, but the 12 Disasters are stirring ominously...》
Just give it through a dungeon.
He remembered suggesting that before.
《True, but...》
The message window quivered like it was vibrating.
《That limits what rewards we can give.》
Limits? To what extent? You're not gonna give something useless like a platinum gear ticket, right? And honestly, unique-grade class stones aren't really needed anymore...
Minguk's thoughts stretched on.
When he'd first fallen into this world, even bronze tickets felt meh.
But now? Different story. They needed to boost hero grades—basically game levels—as fast as possible. Better gear and classes too.
《We have various rewards available. But to give what you want, we'd need a Pillar of Light.》
The window rippled long, then formed words.
Figured as much.
If it required a pillar that wouldn't burst, no need. From class stones to gear—Team GGW had leveled up enough.
《A Pillar risks detection by the 12 Disasters' radar. And exposing you to their danger.》
That was bad. He and Team GGW couldn't handle the 12 Disasters, let alone their minions.
《To summarize simply: no Pillar, but rewards you need. This Ppuu will give you mana crystals as quest rewards.》
...Huh?
Minguk blinked at Ppuu's words. Not bad. Smarter than expected.
《Not multiple at once, though.》
Didn't matter. Mana crystals were rare even from special mobs. Even one extra per dungeon was golden.
Emergency! Emergency! Crisis Alert! Crisis Alert!
The dungeon break in China! The ominous void mana is surely from one of the 12 Disasters: Beicon. But Beicon watches from the Tower of Horses without triggering the break. We don't know the scheme, but given Beicon's power, it's fortunate.
《Yet Chaos's hero, humanity's hope, Minguk—who foiled Garuda's schemes—can surely restore the land tainted by Beicon's mana. This Ppuu, created by Chaos, will support you!》
This is a daily quest with bonus achievements.
[Goal] - Cooperate with other raid teams to destroy all 'temporary dungeons' from the dungeon break in China!
[Duration] - (Extremely Dangerous) Until Beicon moves.
[Rewards] - 「Destroy 1 Dungeon – 1 Green-Grade Crystal. Destroy 3 Dungeons – 3 Green-Grade Crystals.」
Fuck.
Reading Ppuu's quest chilled Minguk's blood.
As expected, this break tied to Beicon of the 12 Disasters. Artificial phenomenon.
Damn it... More chick-like bastards?
Garuda's clones from Vietnam came to mind.
Garuda's chilling curses with every kill still haunted him. One wrong move, and it'd shatter the Bird Tower and charge out.
The quest itself wasn't bad—great for a daily, even.
Effort could net four extra green crystals a day. But Minguk's face darkened compared to before chatting with Ppuu.
Meanwhile, the transport plane hurtled toward Beijing.