Chapter 21
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Raid Qualification Exam
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Hero Association Korea Branch Director's Office.
True to her role as the powerhouse of the Association, dedicated to protecting humanity from the monsters of darkness, the director's office at the Hero Association's Korean branch occupied a vast space nearly 2,000 square feet in size. This naturally included the areas used by the secretaries assisting the branch director.
"Fortunately, a good number of girls took the qualification exam this year as well."
A woman checked the report on her desk and let out a sigh of relief. Lee Si-yeon. She was an 8th-rank hero and the director of the Hero Association's Korean branch.
Having awakened to mana at a young age and fought on the front lines against the monsters of darkness, she had been recognized for her contributions by the Association. Five years ago, upon her retirement, she took over as director of the Korean branch. But managing heroes for the Association was no easy task.
"Still, that's about 4% fewer than last year."
The secretary who had submitted the report said. The director's face darkened.
"Hmm..."
As the secretary said, for the past twenty years or so, the number of girl heroes awakening to mana had been steadily declining, little by little. Compared to the time when Si-yeon was active, the current number of awakening heroes was less than 60% of what it had been back then.
If things continued like this, there was a real possibility that there wouldn't be enough heroes to fight the monsters. This was somewhat mitigated by the discovery of Revival Stones and the fact that, a few years ago, the monsters of darkness had ceased their activities and gone quiet. But if a full-scale monster invasion occurred, it was obvious that heroes would be in short supply everywhere.
"What class is the group of graduating heroes this time?"
"66th class. That's 243 fewer than the 65th."
"Sigh..."
Si-yeon shook her head vigorously to dispel her anxiety about the future ahead. You never knew. A hero with exceptional talent might pop up out of nowhere and save them all.
There was solid reason for that hope. The heroes of this era had excellent instructors who could teach them how to combat the monsters of darkness—unlike her own generation—and weapon systems had advanced as well. Talent was abundant too. That's what Si-yeon believed.
"And about 19% of those who received raid qualifications in Korea this year are expected to leave for foreign countries. Of those, roughly 72% are Korean."
"I expected it, but more are leaving than I thought."
"The U.S. and China seem to have thrown quite a bit of money around this year."
Those two nations, prioritizing their own safety, pulled out all the stops to attract heroes from other countries.
The Korean Hero Association also offered various perks to new heroes who obtained raid qualifications, but it couldn't compete with those two in terms of economic scale or money. The fact that about 80% of new heroes stayed in Korea was fortunate in itself.
"What about the reserve top 100 rankers?"
"About half are expected to head overseas. Destinations are the U.S., China, and Europe."
"No chance they'll stay in our country?"
"They probably think those countries are safer from monster attacks..."
At the secretary's report, Si-yeon clenched her fist tightly. Top talents were fleeing abroad one after another.
Once this became public, the media would no doubt savage her. She could already feel the irritation building.
With the situation like this, clans would be on high alert this year too. Especially the frontline clan leaders responsible for city defenses—they probably wouldn't even have time to sit down.
"Any other notable matters?"
"...There's a male hero among this year's qualifiers."
"Hm? A male hero took the raid qualification exam?"
Si-yeon's eyes widened in surprise. It was certainly notable. And the only male hero who could earn a raid qualification this year was Seoul Hero Academy 64th class, Han Minguk.
"With so few male heroes, I can guess who it is. Han Minguk, the ranged dealer, right? I remember his skills weren't anything special..."
"That's true, but according to Hero Guide records, he changed his class to healer."
"To healer?"
Si-yeon looked up at the secretary.
Heroes could freely choose their classes based on talent and aptitude, but switching from dealer to healer was quite rare. Their combat styles were so drastically different.
"His raid scores are quite good. He took down ten 3rd-rank boss monsters in a week, participated as a healer in every battle with A+ or higher contribution, and even acted as raid leader."
"Hmm? A+? And as a newbie raid leader? Is that even possible?"
Si-yeon's head tilted at the secretary's continued report.
Frankly speaking, Han Minguk was nothing special aside from being male. As one of the rare male heroes worldwide, the media had made a huge fuss, so even Director Si-yeon knew his Hero Academy grades well.
From what she remembered, his ranged dealer scores at the academy were only C-. He wasn't even on the promising rankers list. Yet suddenly switching to healer and pulling A+ contributions in real combat?
But what baffled her even more was the report that he'd acted as raid leader.
"Any chance it's falsified...?"
It was suspicious enough. Not everyone submitted honest documents. But the secretary shook her head.
"There are raid videos saved on the Hero Pad. We checked them, and there were no signs of tampering."
To prepare for any unforeseen incidents, heroes' battles were automatically recorded by their Hero Pads. Combat logs and achievements were all preserved there.
"Really? I don't know what's going on, but if that's true..."
Si-yeon nodded and began tapping the desk slowly with her pinky finger—a habit when she was deep in thought.
'A skilled male hero. Talented enough in combat to lead raids...'
If she could just package this fact well, it could greatly boost the Korean Hero Association's profile. That would draw more applicants and interest from new heroes.
"Monitor Han Minguk's movements for now. Check if he continues leading raids after getting his qualification. And if he decides to go abroad, report to me immediately."
But if there was even a hint of falsehood in the records, it would be a scandal for the Association. Still, it seemed worth watching.
Team GGW's goal had been to obtain raid qualifications.
Now that it was achieved, GGW naturally disbanded. As a short-term temporary team, there wasn't even a final gathering. Lin Sha, having gotten her qualification, returned straight to China. Ashlyn sent only a message wishing them luck as she went off to spend time with her boyfriend.
Choi Yuna at least stayed in Seoul. But she was busy applying to her desired clans and preparing for interviews. And Minguk...
"Haang...! Aaah!"
Against the backdrop of Hyun-ah's sultry moans, he gripped her slender legs and thrust his hips relentlessly. Having entwined their bodies multiple times already, their movements synced perfectly. The pleasure they felt only intensified as a result.
"Ahhng! Ah! Yes! Give it to me!!! Aaaah!"
As the act grew more intense, Hyun-ah couldn't hold back her ecstasy and began crying out. With her climax, Minguk collapsed atop her, panting heavily.
"Huff. Huff."
Minguk's breath came ragged to his throat. He'd started strong, caught up in the mood, but now his whole body felt drained. Thinking back, they'd begun around 7 p.m., and dawn was breaking.
'Heroes have insane stamina. At this rate, I might actually die...'
But Hyun-ah's temptations were lethally irresistible to any man.
"Haa... Haa... That was amazing. Really..."
Feeling the hot sensation inside her, Hyun-ah beamed with joy. Sex with Minguk was pure bliss. She was convinced nothing in the world could feel better.
With that thought, she reached out and stroked his chest. Turned on by their romp, his nipples were slightly hardened. That thrilled her to no end. And to keep having times like this...
"Have you decided on a clan you want to join?"
Hyun-ah asked, caressing his manhood with her hand.
"Not yet. I'd prefer one in Seoul if possible, but there are so many clans..."
His inbox overflowed with polite invitations from various clans. But he couldn't accept just any—he wanted to choose carefully, as it could be a lifelong commitment, like a lifelong job.
He'd scrapped the idea of starting his own clan.
Research showed it required a 10 billion won donation to the Hero Association, and the leader had to be at least a 5-star hero. Contracts with members were needed too.
He couldn't meet any of those, especially as a fresh 1-star hero with a new raid qualification.
'Ranks rise naturally with raids, but rushing it...'
Mana crystals, rare drops from reward boxes like Silver Tickets, raised mana purity and thus star rank upon consumption. Time would solve it.
"A clan in Seoul? Oh... What about the other terms?"
"Terms?"
"You know, signing bonuses, gear support... Good clans these days offer signing bonuses and housing too."
With her spot in Rose Shield already set, Hyun-ah was getting a $350,000 signing bonus and a 25-pyeong officetel.
Gear would be provided to Gear Score 120. Considering all the new heroes joining, it was a solid investment.
But Hyun-ah was a top-20 tank prospect in Korea. You had to offer at least that to keep her.
'Minguk's even better skilled than me and can lead raids too...'
Plus, he was male. The media wouldn't stay quiet during his exploits. That attention would boost the clan and revenue massively.
Factoring that in, clans would need to offer at least $1 million to snag him.
Even without proven track record, Hero Pad records didn't lie. That alone made him worth investing in, Hyun-ah thought. After a moment's thought, Minguk asked her.
"Hmm... What about you? You said Rose Shield, right? What were the terms?"
"R’s. It's Rose Shield, not Shield Rose. Anyway, $350,000 signing bonus, $1,000 weekly salary. Officetel support, gear too. Oh, this is a secret, okay? Don't tell anyone till it's official."
"Huh? Isn't it official already?"
Minguk asked, surprised by her finger to her lips.
"About 90%? Still need approval from the parent company running Rose Shield. But of course, they won't reject me."
"Ah..."
Parent company. Unexpected, but clans needed funding, so corporate backing made sense.
"$1,000 a week..."
That came to about 5 million won a month. Compared to nearly quitting GGW for 2.5 million, he could barely imagine her 5 million salary.