Chapter 184
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 184
Chapter Title: Baranoras's Forward Base
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"But Senior, why on earth did we come here?"
"What?"
"No, we came all this way to meet Han Minguk, the raid leader, and ended up wasting over three hours on pointless chit-chat... We didn't get anything out of it, did we? Wasn't the whole point to seduce Han Minguk?"
Bridget spoke in a flat tone at her senior's sky-high counterquestion.
"Tsk tsk. With no tact like that, how could a chick ever grasp a stork's intentions?"
"Huh? What was that? Where'd you pick up that weird Eastern lingo...? Eek?!"
Chloe smacked the cheeky junior hero's head with her palm as she glared with narrowed eyes, then opened her mouth with a pitiful look. Rookies were all the same.
"You've barely been with any guys, have you?"
"Wha—huh? D-don't you know my nickname's Casanova of the Imperial Guard?"
"Casanova? That's a laugh. You know our raid party's nicknamed the French Nun Knights, right?"
"N-nuns? Hahaha? Where'd you hear that nonsense?"
Chloe snorted derisively, letting Bridget's trembling voice go in one ear and out the other.
"Casanova, my ass..."
It was no secret to Chloe, a fellow team member, that most heroes in the Imperial Guard were more or less forced into nun-like lives.
They might hook up with the raid leader at best, but the rest were just beasts starved for men. Still, as heroes, they raked in good money, so it seemed none were completely inexperienced.
Should I call that a blessing?
Shaking her shaggy head, Chloe turned to Bridget.
"There's an order to everything, you know. To win a man's heart, you gotta ease in gently. Ever hear of listening well and empathizing?"
"Sounds kinda familiar...? So all that useless time we spent today was...?"
"Not useless—it was time spent listening to Han Minguk and showing empathy."
As she said that, Chloe held up her thumb and index finger, spread just a little.
"Those three hours with Han Minguk the raid leader? They've brought us that much closer."
"I'd rather get way closer than that. And if possible, down below."
Chloe scoffed at Bridget's hip-thrusting gesture and continued.
"Keep dreaming. No guy's gonna come running. You narrow the gap slowly like this to win his heart. Think guys like it when you charge in headfirst?"
"...The guys I've been with loved it."
"They loved your money, not you."
"I-is that right? Kinda rings true... but also not."
Bridget tilted her head, mumbling as Chloe's words somehow sounded convincing.
Anyway, today's visit to the GGW raid party had been about building rapport with Minguk, but it wasn't without other gains.
The new named monster Baranoras that GGW had faced. Including the Blue Drake spotted days ago, this was already the second noname from the expansion wave.
China's in chaos over it too—Association heads must be tearing their hair out.
And it was graver than it seemed. No guarantee another wouldn't pop up after the Blue Drake and Baranoras.
At least rank 6 or below, and it wouldn't be a big deal. Just overpower and smash 'em. With tanks' high specs, patterns were easy to read.
But anything stronger? Even the Imperial Guard couldn't take it lightly.
Especially now, with elite raid parties like White House, Tencent, and Crimson Chariot tied up handling China's consecutive dungeon breaks—the shields of humanity were stretched thin.
Screw it. It'll work out somehow.
After agonizing over it, Chloe shoved thoughts of the future aside.
No point stressing now; no solutions would magically appear. And more importantly...
"What about the wine?"
"Clan manager said they'd send something good. But seriously, you think this'll lead to some fun time with Han Minguk?"
"Trust your big sis. Close the gap like this, then pounce—that's the playbook. Gotta set the mood with good wine."
"Ooh...!"
Bridget nodded eagerly at Chloe's confident tone, laced with plenty of man-chasing experience.
"Man, wish we could snag him for our raid party."
"Han Minguk?"
"Yeah. He's so tempting."
"Sis, you wanna steer clear of Korea's Kang Chae-young forever?"
"If he naturalizes to France? I'd consider it."
Minguk had strategy three nonames with unknown patterns already.
And his raid party weren't seasoned vets who'd rolled battlefields for years.
GGW under Rose Shield was full of greenhorns, 1-2 years in, Minguk included. Sure, packed with world-spotlighted heroes, but still.
"Meaning Han Minguk commanded the raid solo...?"
"But Senior, isn't his leadership skills already kinda famous?"
"Sure. But it's even better than I thought."
Chloe nodded.
The war against darkness monsters, started ages ago, was nearing a century. No end in sight.
In this chaos and endless war, talented heroes were paramount. Especially raid-leading ones. Minguk was a warrior worth any price.
"But possible? Korea or Rose Shield aren't idiots. I'd never let him go for all the gold in the world."
"From nation or clan view, sure. But a hero's heart? Who knows."
"Fair, but I'd rather snag his body first."
"Win the heart, the body follows."
"...Can't argue with that."
Even non-heroes got her full affection if they showed interest. But in Hoa Bin, frontline against Garuda's legions? No men here. Still, Chloe's take resonated.
GGW's combat contributions under Minguk were objectively stellar. Didn't feel like a 5-6 star hero squad at all.
"He'd be a huge boon if he came to France. Different from other male heroes, huh?"
"Not just different."
France had plenty mana-awakened male heroes.
But most? Zero monster fights. Few even in hero-related jobs.
Imperial Guard called 'em ornaments.
Minguk? Different. Fought darkness fiercer than most women.
"Need more like him for the wars ahead."
"Doesn't seem likely. Male heroes are rare; even female numbers are dropping."
Bridget trailed off.
Darkness war's population plunge plagued the world, not just France. Birth rates accelerating it.
"Kids are scarce these days."
"Women can't get pregnant. Damn men. If useless in war, at least fuck properly."
Despite the crisis, men acted blameless. Bridget vented crudely, frustrations piled high.
But she wasn't unique. Frontline women heroes mostly agreed.
"Early war, men's sacrifices kept humanity alive."
Chloe defended them—her great-grandpa, grandpa, dad among the fallen.
"Anyway, gotta survive this expansion..."
Things felt off. Vietnam's second expansion already. China's dire too. Experts saw signs of the 12 dormant Calamities stirring.
Short peace after decade-plus war shattered; heroes dying again.
"Gotta bang Minguk first..."
Chloe shook her head at Bridget's lust-brained quip amid doom. Fair enough—revival stones finite, death anytime.
"Hah?"
The monster inhaled deeply, slowly shaking its head. Thick mana swirled around, probing like eyes.
"What the hell? Where's Baranoras, and why's the forward base trashed like this?"
He knew what the scene meant.
Just absurd shock spilling out. Bones at his feet? No doubt his subordinate, "Gale" Baranoras, tasked with the base.
"What kinda bastards...!"
Despair, rage, then irritation surged. Garai clenched his fist, then raised his arm high.
Kukukukung!!!
Vast mana vibrated the air; gales born from it rampaged through the wrecked base. Venting fury, Garai's face turned grave.
"This is bad. Can't just sit."
This dungeon break? His superior, Garuda—one of 12 Calamities—pushed hard for it.
Even Bycon's aid to distract humans. Failure unthinkable.
But forward base—the break's dungeon nexus—gone from the start.
Without it, couldn't hold human assaults; retreat to Bird Tower possible.
"And I'd be done for."
Recalling Garuda's wrathful face twisted Garai's.
Couldn't report base loss. Abilities questioned, summoned and killed.
To salvage? He had to act personally.
"Kyaaak! Kyaaak!"
Sensing his mana, harpies approached. Garai seized them as base workers.
"No choice. I'll be the nexus myself."
Raiders—human elites—might swarm endlessly. But he endured to fulfill orders.
Garai's mana upheaved the ruins; affected monsters fell into deep sleep, brimming with power to guard ahead.