Chapter 221
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 221
Chapter Title: Her Wish
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"W-what?! P-pregnant?"
The toothbrush Hyun-ah had in her mouth clattered to the floor. Her eyes widened like saucers, clearly shocked by the unexpected word.
"Hold on! Just stay there for a sec."
Hyun-ah rushed into the bathroom, quickly rinsed her mouth, and came back out to the living room. She thrust her face right up to Minguk's, who had just hung up his coat.
"What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden? Pregnant?!"
"Senior Kang Chaeyoung really wanted it. I wasn't against it either, so I thought... if it happens, great?"
Minguk trailed off and glanced at Hyun-ah's face.
"D-does that even make sense?! Oh, sorry."
Hyun-ah yelped, then quickly bowed her head in apology. Her face flushed hot, and she fanned herself vigorously. But she had no intention of letting the topic drop quietly.
"Han Minguk, are you planning to marry Senior Kang Chaeyoung?"
Did she think he was going all-in on Kang Chaeyoung?
Minguk chuckled inwardly at Hyun-ah's urgent tone. Her jealous expression felt especially cute today.
"I'm not thinking about marriage right away... but having a kid? That seems fine."
As he spoke, Minguk shook his head. Talking about a kid without marriage felt off somehow, nuance-wise. Even though it was practically commonplace in this world.
"Anyway, I figure a hero like Kang Chaeyoung would make a great mom. And it's her wish."
"True... Plus, Kang Chaeyoung is one of the women in your cartel, Minguk..."
Hyun-ah's voice deflated with resignation. But that didn't mean Oh Hyun-ah would back down easily.
"B-but don't guys hate it when women get pregnant?"
"I'm fine with it."
Minguk's reply came instantly, as if he'd been waiting. And he meant it.
The only downside was not being able to introduce a lovely woman carrying his child to his family... But like when he'd played happily with Kim Sojung's daughter, Minguk didn't dislike kids. If anything, he liked them.
"Even so...! W-wait."
Hyun-ah raised her voice again at his response, then tilted her head. She scanned Minguk up and down. After a moment, she asked cautiously.
"So... does that mean I have a chance too? My dream is to be a great mom..."
"Hmm... Sorry, but no, not you."
"What?! Why?!"
Hyun-ah's mouth gaped, then she shrieked.
"I-I could be a great mom too!"
Taking his words to heart, Hyun-ah clung to him with a pitiful whine. Like Kang Chaeyoung, she truly dreamed of being a wonderful mother.
Especially if she could have a son who looked just like Han Minguk—she'd want for nothing.
'Ppuu. Seedless watermelon mode.'
《Got it! Applying to all personnel except Hero Kang Chaeyoung.》
But unlike with Kang Chaeyoung, Minguk had zero intention of getting Hyun-ah pregnant. There was nothing to be done about her disappointment.
"Sure, but you have to fight the darkness monsters alongside me, right? If the raid's main tank steps out for pregnancy, that's a problem."
Considering Team GGW's unique setup, losing even one member was a massive blow. Especially since Hyun-ah wielded the legendary class Phoenix Knight.
"Y-yeah, I guess so?"
"Exactly. Where am I gonna find another tank with your skills?"
"Well, I am pretty amazing... Uh, yeah..."
Hyun-ah made an awkward face at Minguk's frank praise.
Her mouth smiled, but her eyes brimmed with sadness. A face full of genuine regret. She must have been truly envious of Kang Chaeyoung possibly getting pregnant.
"Kang Chaeyoung's retiring anyway, so I figured I'd grant her wish."
"...Right. But is she really retiring? With her skills, she could still go active no problem."
"Guess her body's not listening anymore."
"Oh..."
A soft gasp escaped Hyun-ah as worry flickered in her eyes.
In a way, Kang Chaeyoung was a rival and colleague with Minguk in between, but she was the senior to most heroes active in Korea—a heroic legend who'd fought as the nation's shield against darkness monsters for nearly decades.
"Announcement hasn't dropped yet, right?"
"Yeah. I only heard yesterday out of the blue."
"We gotta keep this hush-hush. If the press finds out, it'll be chaos—not the fun kind."
Hyun-ah nodded vigorously. Given Kang Chaeyoung's status and symbolism, her retirement would shock the nation.
Still, no one could stop it. She'd earned her rest after all that hardship.
"Looks like she'll stick with the first string through this year, then pull back from the main raid team next year. Coach the juniors on a revival squad instead."
"And have a kid too?"
Hyun-ah pouted again.
No matter her seniority over every hero in Korea, it stung that Kang Chaeyoung—not her—would be the first to bear Minguk's child.
But it was reality. Unlike Kang Chaeyoung, who could retire without raising eyebrows, young Hyun-ah had over a decade left on the front lines.
Especially as Team GGW's main tank, second only to the raid leader in importance. Unless gravely injured, she'd fight alongside the team without fail, toppling darkness monsters.
Still dissatisfied, Hyun-ah huffed roughly. Minguk addressed her in his usual steady tone.
"Ahem. Well, once we drive out the darkness monsters..."
"...Drive them out, then?"
Hyun-ah's ears perked at his words after the throat-clear. Something meaningful was coming. After a long pause, Minguk chuckled.
"Just saying 'I'll knock you up then' sounds irresponsible. Anyway, we'll see when the time comes."
"R-really?!"
Hyun-ah shot to her feet.
No exact promise, but anyone with half a brain could tell what he meant.
"Awesome! We'll smash all the darkness monsters! With the world's blessings...! Three kids sound good?"
"Three...? Isn't that greedy?"
"Nope, you can do it, Minguk. Practice starts now, for motivation?"
Minguk smirked and shrugged at Hyun-ah, already fantasizing about their future with a sly gesture. It reminded him of his cafe chat with Kang Chaeyoung.
"Oh, right. Before retiring at year's end, Senior Kang's planning a big expedition."
"...Big expedition?"
Hyun-ah cocked her head. Then pessimistically:
"That might be tough."
No dungeon breaks meant no expeditions for them.
Even if one hit, public backlash against top raids going overseas was huge amid the China-Vietnam crises.
"Don't worry. Not overseas."
"Then? What big expedition spot do we even have here...?"
"Daegu Break. She wants to settle it before retiring."
"Whoa..."
Hyun-ah marveled, then sighed deeply at Minguk's words.
"Even so, isn't that impossible? You know how many dungeons are in the Gumi-Daegu area?"
"Couple hundred?"
"Yeah. And nine of them are A-4 difficulty or higher. All managed by ranker clans."
Hyun-ah cleared her throat lightly. Clearing that many was unimaginable.
"Repeated clears might do it, though?"
"...Maybe?"
Team GGW's recent string of dungeon collapses bolstered the theory: drain void mana to the limit, and it crumbles.
But data was still thin.
Many dungeons saw repeats, yet only those Team GGW and Minguk cleared had actually collapsed.
Minguk wasn't aiming to liberate all of Daegu single-handedly. As Hyun-ah said, hundreds of dungeons exceeded Team GGW's power alone. They weren't staying there forever.
"We need A-4+ clears for purple mana crystals anyway, right? Two birds: tackle Daegu while farming them."
"True. And if we collapse the A-2 Daegu City Hall Dungeon? Total uproar."
Hyun-ah nodded.
The flagship dungeon under Memoria Clan. Its fall would drain void mana from the surrounding void lands, erasing them—like Stone Mountain Dungeon.
"Ha, if that happens..."
Imagining it, Hyun-ah grinned wide. They'd be national heroes.
Minguk was surprised watching her. She never seemed to care about public image.
"...What? Senior Kang Chaeyoung's retiring?"
"And a big Daegu-related expedition beforehand?"
Team GGW, suddenly gathered in the clan house conference room, reeled in confusion.
The shock of top dealer ranker Kang Chaeyoung possibly retiring, followed by a potential Daegu expedition.
"Nothing's set, so just keep it in mind. And her retirement? Keep it from the press."
"Got it!"
"Our lips are sealed."
Jeong Ye-rin and Shin Na-yeon zipped their lips dramatically. Minguk glanced elsewhere.
"But..."
The usual hype girl was eerily quiet today. His eyes landed on Choi Yuna at the room's edge.
"......"
The moment he saw her face, Minguk shut his mouth instead of joking.
It was ghostly pale. Her big eyes trembled noticeably.
Clearly, she had history with Daegu.
"Y-Yuna! You okay?!"
Other members voiced concern. As worried voices filled the room, Yuna shook her head slowly and spoke.
"I used to live in Daegu."
"......"
Before she finished, Giselle squeezed her eyes shut. She could guess the rest.
"Apartment near City Hall. Big mart nearby, school close. And... Dad's work. He was a civil servant."
"N-no way..."
Jeong Ye-rin clamped her mouth. Her eyes shook violently.
"Yes. Worked at Daegu City Hall. Died in the dungeon break. Mom and I luckily visited Grandma in Busan and escaped."
Tears teetered on her lashes.
Giselle hugged her gently. Different nationality, but she knew the pain of losing family to monsters.
"Daegu City Hall's A-2 difficulty, right? We have to clear it."
Tanya murmured as Yuna's sobs broke free.
"Yeah."
Shiranui Mai nodded in agreement. She'd lost her whole family to darkness monsters too.
Almost everyone here had lost kin to them. Team GGW understood Yuna's pain best.
"Then let's start with A-4 dungeons. I'll scout ones with special mobs dropping good gear."
Minguk followed up.
To hit 8-star heroes via purple crystals, they needed A-1 to A-4 clears anyway. Once adapted to 8-grade threats, spin the City Hall Dungeon.
For Kang Chaeyoung's retirement gift—and the team's revenge.