Chapter 168
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: Garuda's Imperial Guard
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Team GGW's raid party arrived in Hoa Binh and stayed in the city for a day.
This small city, once home to around 200,000 people, had become a frontline military fortress maintaining its lifeline ever since the war against the darkness monsters began and the Bird Tower—one of the 12 disasters, Garuda's stronghold—took root.
The next day, after shaking off their travel fatigue, Minguk and his team members left the city under military escort, just like the other raid parties.
With dungeon breaks unleashing monsters into the open, the military units and heroes cautiously advanced across the contaminated wasteland.
Occasional sharp cracks echoed from distant artillery shells exploding, and fighter jets streaked by now and then, but fortunately, no colossal entities made an appearance.
"The monsters seem quieter than expected. Probably because the broken dungeon is only [B] difficulty."
Kim So-jeong commented while listening to the military radio chatter.
"Then clearing the temporary dungeons shouldn't be much trouble?"
"It looks that way, but we can't let our guard down."
"Right."
Minguk nodded in agreement with So-jeong's words.
From Vietnam's perspective, it was a massive relief. If a [A-2] difficulty dungeon had broken like before, it would've been a catastrophe.
That didn't mean the current situation was safe, though. Temporary dungeons were still spawning nonstop, and the ones already active had their timers ticking down. Delay too long, and a chain explosion was inevitable.
This is France's Imperial Guard raid party. Commencing assault on the [A-2] difficulty dungeon at coordinates 20.642363, 104.808455.
Roger.
The Imperial Guard's transmission was met with a crisp acknowledgment from who seemed to be their commander.
That kicked things off, and raid parties from around the world chimed in simultaneously. The full-scale temporary dungeon assaults had begun. Team GGW started with a [A-8] difficulty dungeon.
"Shield up! Melee dealers, Ye-rin Jeong, Na-yeon Shin—no attacks!!!"
"Got it!"
"Choi Yuna!"
"Switching to shooting mode!!! Cover me!"
The trial difficulty of the monsters in the [A-8] dungeon was no different from what Minguk had faced before.
Sometimes they even encountered exact replicas of dungeons they'd cleared previously, speeding up the trials considerably.
But they never got complacent. Nor did they push themselves or their comrades to the brink.
Minguk had been furious seeing Vietnamese victims slain by monsters, but charging in blindly was a mistake. Staying cool-headed was the only way to avoid dying by their claws.
Minguk-nim. Next reward will be a Mana Crystal.
'Got it. Two of them?'
Ugh! J-just one. Sorry!
The translucent window sweated profusely in response to Minguk's words.
Ppuu's daily quest, received before heading to China, applied here in Vietnam too.
As a quest granting up to four Green-grade Mana Crystals daily, it was a huge boon for Minguk's current needs, accelerating growth for him and his team, even if just a bit.
"Whoa?! Another Mana Crystal!"
"Wow! As expected from our Cheonho-dong Lucky Girl!"
"How many is that now? Wait, our tank Oh Hyun-ah, isn't your Mana Crystal drop rate suspiciously high? Did you hack the boxes or something?"
"Ahem. You just noticing? This hand right here is my cheat hand that pulls only Mana Crystals. Speaking of, Choi Yuna the archer—your DPS is piercing the heavens. Using hacks too?"
'Good grief.'
Minguk was dumbfounded watching Hyun-ah and Yuna shamelessly hype each other up.
The Mana Crystals pouring from the boxes were all thanks to his Ppuu quest. No way the team knew that, and he had no intention of telling them.
Still, Hyun-ah's lucky streak kept raid morale sky-high. Tough schedules felt easier with big rewards.
"Checking the crystal! Drumroll... Intellect Crystal!"
"Oh yeah?!"
No sooner had Hyun-ah shouted than Ye-rin Jeong, who was resting, leaped up with a cheer.
Applause erupted toward her. Intellect was vital for healers, but for Ye-rin wielding ice magic, it was her top priority stat.
Whenever Mana Crystals dropped from defeated monsters, Minguk and the team divvied them up in order of need.
"Shiranui enemy disruption! Missed it just now!!!"
"Focusing up!"
"If the melee dealers can't handle aggro, Choi Yuna, Ye-rin Jeong—you two disrupt enemy focus! Use your judgment!"
"Yes, got it!"
The trials pressed on.
Yet Revival Stones shattered with every new monster trial and even familiar ones.
Sometimes they cleared without casualties, but special entities always demanded at least three stones per wipe.
Through endless trials and combat experience, Team GGW members were cracking their eggshells, gaining raid savvy bit by bit.
At the center was raid leader Han Minguk.
"Know why we just wiped? Oh Hyun-ah-ssi?"
"Uh... Because I died?"
"Exactly—why did you die? Why would our main tank Oh Hyun-ah drop dead like that?"
Every wipe, Minguk immediately reviewed shortcomings with the team.
It was a hassle, but time was running short. He needed them playing smart on their own.
The team listened intently, faces serious. Han Minguk's genius as raid leader was legendary domestically and worldwide. They etched his advice deep.
"We can take this one? Let's try 10 to 15 pulls."
"Hmm... Our specs might not tank the special patterns. Pass. Hand it to a top raid."
Team GGW swiftly cleared Hoa Binh's temporary dungeons.
They maxed what they could handle, passing tougher ones to elite heroes without hesitation.
Ppuu kept supporting via daily quests and Mana Crystals. Quu♡ did the same.
"Haa! Ah! Aaaah!!! O-oppa...!"
Yuna writhed under Minguk, flailing limbs lost in long-denied pleasure.
Sex with a woman who'd done it once: 1 Sex Coin.
Otherwise: 7 Sex Coins. Virgin: 50 Sex Coins.
Sex with an 18-20-year-old virgin triggered some bizarre Chaos Shop upgrade repeat quest, but regardless, Minguk steadily earned Sex Coins via Quu♡'s quests.
Not as direct as Ppuu's help, but it scratched his urges too. Who knew when he'd need them.
About ten days after Team GGW set up in Hoa Binh...
Minguk-nim. Garai has built a camp.
Ppuu's message popped up as Minguk sat for breakfast.
He nodded for details, and the message window churned out new text.
A camp is like a fortress dungeon for darkness monsters. It spawns monsters outside and expands the contaminated land.
'To fight darkness monsters, we have to destroy them, right?'
Minguk frowned at Ppuu's forming sentences.
Yes. Darkness monsters know this too, so camps are guarded by powerful monsters. This one's definitely defended by one Garai trusts.
A monster trusted by Garai. A named one among the darkness beasts—trial difficulty would be brutal. And it had to be taken down.
'So?'
The issue: He and GGW heroes were mere 5-stars. Gear Scores around 590. They could handle up to 6th-grade specials from [A-8] to [A-6] dungeons.
Stronger foes were out of reach.
Of course...
Garai's trusted monster would surely exceed GGW's capabilities.
One of the 12 disasters Garuda's underling's underling. Still, given the disasters' might, at least 7th or 8th grade.
We can take it, Minguk-nim.
'Watch your words. Not "we"—me, you freeloader. Trying to mooch off me?'
Blatant as ever.
A mere quest-dispensing game dev wannabe. Wait, did that make him the one who needed to play nice? Absurd—Minguk couldn't help but chuckle.
'We can take it? It's Garai's trusted monster, you said?'
Yes. "Gale Baranoras." 7th-grade special entity managing Garuda's Wyvern Legion.
The name alone suggested it outclassed Garai.
'7th grade...'
To the ignorant, it might sound doable. GGW handled 6th-grades handily; just one grade up.
But that gap was heaven and earth. Without 6-stars, it was suicidal. Minguk assessed coldly.
'Can't do it. Need at least two weeks—no, a month more.'
Ppuu occasionally deluded itself.
Just because global raid standards lagged didn't mean GGW could waltz in.
After countless raids, Minguk's eye for feasible kills was sharp.
Even optimistically, they needed 6-stars and better gear for a shot at 7th-grade.
Trials before that? Pointless wipes.
A brave pup doesn't fell a wolf. Build muscle, sharpen fangs first—become a max-level bulldog to hunt mammals.
GGW was barely past puppyhood, muscles forming.
There's a way.
But Ppuu wouldn't quit.
Defeat Baranoras's Wyvern Legion first. Isolate it.
Minguk sighed, about to rethink—then Ppuu dropped a weird line.
'......'
Gale Baranoras without Wyvern Legion aid is just a 6th-grade special. Stronger than average, but you can handle it, Minguk-nim.
And a quest appeared.