Chapter 25
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Newbie Team 4
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Dark Giant Delon
▷ The Dark Giant Delon moves slowly but boasts high health and attack power. The tank drawing aggro must enter battle determined not to allow any normal attacks except special ones.
▷ Dark Pillar – Delon swings his hammer to smash a hero. Though the attack speed isn't fast, it's fully avoidable with prior preparation.
However, dark mana begins to boil at the spot where Delon's hammer crashes down, so heroes must evade immediately from that location. Ranged dealers and healers, in particular, must dodge the Dark Pillar while avoiding separation from allies.
▷ Dark Agony – Delon targets one individual and chants a curse spell. Ten seconds later, the cursed hero takes dark mana damage and transmits the curse to one nearby ally within 10 meters. However, if no target is within 10 meters, the curse fades after a 3-second stun.
Dark Agony targets all heroes except the tank. Thus, the cursed hero must quickly withdraw from the group. But take care not to stray too far from the formation and out of the healer's recovery range.
▷ Dark Mana Storm – Delon summons a storm of darkness. The dark storm sweeps across the battlefield, inflicting massive damage on heroes in its path. Nearby heroes must swiftly evade when it approaches.
"A classic monster that tests the team's movement and judgment."
Han Minguk said as he read the dungeon report sent by the Rose Shield Clan. As an old-established clan, their report was incredibly detailed. It covered the boss monster's traits and attack patterns, even explaining how to handle crisis situations.
This dungeon with the new team members featured three Grade 3 monsters. However, the first two were essentially Grade 2 monsters masquerading as Grade 3—only their health and attack power were boosted, with attack patterns that weren't particularly tricky.
In the end, the only monster requiring real caution was the dungeon's guardian, the Dark Giant Delon.
"I have a rough idea of how to attack it... but I think it'll only click once we actually face it?"
Hyun-ah said in an uncertain voice. She understood the report intellectually, but comprehension didn't guarantee her body would follow suit.
"Me too..."
Yuna, the new recruit from Rose Shield, chimed in cautiously. Han Minguk pondered for a moment before speaking.
"The clan should have raid success videos. Watch them a few times by tomorrow, and you'll get a feel for it."
That alone would provide substantial help.
The explanations were complex, but boiled down simply: maintain proper distances between teammates and reposition the formation according to the boss's attack patterns, and it could be cleared.
Han Minguk's gaze then shifted to the right side of the conference table in the Newbie Team 4 room. A mature beauty with gray hair reaching just below her chin was intently reviewing the dungeon report with a serious expression.
'Kim Sojeong.'
Han Minguk recalled her profile.
Sojeong wielded a greatsword and ranked 26th among dealers who passed this year's Raid Qualification Exam, placing 82nd overall among heroes.
Among the team, Hyun-ah held the highest rank at 19th for tanks (71st overall), but healers were valued more highly than dealers or tanks, so both their overall rankings were counted a bit lower.
Kim Sojeong, in her late 20s this year, was a special case who had awakened her mana quite late, as her age indicated.
'Yet she's listed as a rising star, so her talent or mental fortitude must be exceptional.'
In any case, her mature aura and provocative outfit exposing her upper chest had left a powerful first impression on Han Minguk. He'd been flustered at first, but seeing no one else react to Sojeong's attire, he now accepted it nonchalantly.
A notable detail: she had a four-year-old daughter. The father had divorced her—or rather, fled—upon learning of the pregnancy.
'And Jeong Yerin.'
Dealer rank 31st, overall 93rd.
Her hair cascaded down to her waist, long enough to seem cumbersome in motion. Yet the widely spread strands looked incredibly soft.
Moreover, when their eyes first met, Han Minguk had unwittingly let out a gasp—her deep blue circle lenses were that striking.
Today's outfit was a blue dress with a yellow coat—an utterly mismatched color combo. Strapped to her back was a sparkling sky-blue staff, unmistakably signaling an ice mage to anyone who saw it.
Age 24. Notably, she was one class ahead of him at Hero Academy.
"I ask both of you to watch the video materials for a smooth clear as well."
"Got it. But Raid Leader, how many tries do you expect for this dungeon?"
The question came from Kim Sojeong. Han Minguk replied matter-of-factly.
"If you just follow my instructions perfectly, we can one-try it."
"......One-try?"
"Yes."
Sojeong fell silent.
As the highest-ranked new dealer in Rose Shield this year, she was somewhat dissatisfied with the situation. For starters, being in Team 4 irked her.
Naturally, she wanted to join Team 1 over Team 4. Lower numbers implied higher priority in the clan's eyes, or so she thought. With a child to support, she needed to succeed as a hero faster than others to secure a better contract.
Moreover, Team 4's raid leader was a male hero—and a total newbie with just one week of leadership experience.
She herself was a fresh hero who had just obtained her raid qualification this year, but still, Sojeong preferred gaining experience and building her career under a more seasoned leader. That was precisely why she'd joined the ranker clan Rose Shield.
"You've both seen my profile already. Yeah, I must look like an unreliable rookie raid leader. But in one week, I've successfully cleared ten Grade 3 monster raids. Seven of them were one-tries."
"......"
Sojeong nodded. It was hard to believe, honestly. But that record was why she hadn't objected to the clan and stayed in Team 4. If the raid leader's profile was true... it meant he was genuinely exceptional.
And Han Minguk smiled as he added,
"That record isn't fake. You'll confirm it during tomorrow's dungeon clear. So long as you follow my orders."
For a fellow newbie hero who got his qualification this year, his confidence was overflowing. But Sojeong didn't mind it—in fact, it appealed to her. That level of self-assurance meant equal confidence in his skills.
Per the contract, Rose Shield's Newbie Team 4 had to clear a total of 80 dungeons over the next year.
With 180 Revival Stones provided by the clan during that period, they needed to average just 2-3 per dungeon clear.
"That's insanely tight?"
"If a ranker clan's support is this lean... what do mid-tier or small clans even get? Can you clear dungeons without Revival Stones?"
Hyun-ah nodded deeply in agreement with Yuna. Hearing this, Han Minguk better understood why Yuna had come to him in tears after failing to join a ranker clan.
"That's why most newbie raid teams repeatedly tackle easy dungeons or ones they've cleared before. They sell the loot for Revival Stones, then use those to attempt new ones."
Sojeong explained, glancing at Han Minguk.
This was why newbie raid leaders joining clans typically revisited dungeons they'd cleared during Raid Qualification Exam prep.
But not Han Minguk. He'd chosen a brand-new dungeon, one he'd never experienced. A 【B-9】 difficulty dungeon featuring Grade 3 monsters—not even a C-rank one.
Rose Shield's Newbie Team 4 took the clan bus to the dungeon in Jungnang-gu.
En route, Han Minguk began quizzing the team on the monsters they'd face. Hyun-ah and Yuna, having experienced his style before, handled the sudden questions smoothly.
"Next, Kim Sojeong. Our formation's at 5 o'clock when a Dark Mana Storm heads from 6 to 5. You're hit with Dark Agony on the formation's right flank. What do you do?"
But Sojeong and Jeong Yerin stumbled whenever questions came their way. Han Minguk's oral-exam style was unlike anything under other raid leaders.
And whenever answers veered off, his sharp reprimands followed.
"......Hey, you said you've been with Raid Leader Han Minguk from the start? Do we always have to take tests like this?"
Jeong Yerin, her back soaked with sweat like she'd just fought a battle, nudged Yuna.
"Yes.... But you get used to it."
"Sigh.... It's almost been a year since I graduated Hero Academy."
Yerin muttered blankly at Yuna's reply. But Han Minguk's quizzes were proving hugely helpful in real combat.
"6 o'clock vortex! Dark Agony on Kim Sojeong! Main formation to center—Sojeong, sprint to 2 o'clock!"
Mid-battle against the final boss, Dark Giant Delon, a situation almost identical to one Han Minguk described unfolded.
Tank Hyun-ah immediately grabbed Delon's aggro and shifted to the battlefield's center. Sojeong bolted toward 2 o'clock.
The two dealers dodged the vortex to 12 o'clock near the center, while Han Minguk positioned between Sojeong and the dealers, casting recovery magic.
"Ngh!"
Sojeong bit her lip against the agony of dark mana ravaging her body. But the pain was fleeting—Han Minguk's healing mended her wounds instantly.
He even used his newly slotted Awakening skill to snap her out of the 3-second stun the moment it hit, fully neutralizing the crisis.
'This is the newbie raid leader who passed this year's exam...?'
Sojeong swallowed her words. She knew he was confident, but his crisis response and orders were beyond impressive—chillingly perfect. And true to his word, not a single team member died in this dungeon clear.
- Grraaaaaah!
Mana-infused hero attacks hammered Dark Giant Delon relentlessly. With a final piercing screech, the giant's body began to crumble.
▶ Cleared "Giant's Mini Arena".
▶ Granted 1 Achievement Point to Hero Pad.
▶ Hero Bestiary entries updated.
"We... got it?!"
Jeong Yerin halted her attack spell mid-cast, mana draining from her staff as she checked Delon's corpse. Her eyes turned to raid leader Han Minguk—her mouth slowly agape.
"A real one-try?"
Not a single team member had experienced "Giant's Mini Arena" before—not even raid leader Han Minguk. Yet he'd toppled the boss in one attempt through precise judgment and apt orders.