Chapter 275
Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 275
Chapter Title: Nanjing Assault
"Choi Yuna, now! Grab the object first!"
"Got it!"
At Han Minguk's sharp shout, Yuna, who had been glancing around, spotted the black orb and bolted toward it.
The second named boss of the Nanjing Dungeon, 'Quaesiul'.
This darkness monster, resembling a ghost straight out of a fantasy game, resisted nearly 90% of standard attacks.
Conventional strategies simply wouldn't work against it. According to the PLA Clan's strategy guide, you had to use the adds it summoned—'Quaesiul's Remnants'—to damage the named boss.
"Found the vessel! Heading there now!"
Defeating 'Quaesiul's Remnants' would drop something called 'Quaesiul's Vessel,' a black orb-like item. You had to carry it to an altar in one corner of the battlefield and smash it there to inflict damage on the named boss.
Yuna, the fastest runner on the team, was in charge of collecting and breaking the vessels.
"That darkness...! I'm pulling out of the battlefield!"
"Jeong Yerin! Support Shin Nayeon...!"
Spotting Shin Nayeon debuffed and retreating from the fight, Minguk quickly issued the next order. But Jeong Yerin, as if reading his mind, was already unleashing an AoE attack toward Nayeon's position.
She's got it down pat now, huh?
Minguk had already seen this play out several times during today's tries.
"...Everyone's in top form today, I guess?"
Giselle was the one who responded to Minguk's remark.
"They say even a dog from a school recites poetry after three years. After raiding with you for years, Captain, this much is a given."
"...Your Korean's improved a ton. You even know idioms like that?"
"I've actually been thinking about immigrating. No one I know in Brazil anyway. And Kendall's here too."
As she spoke, Giselle cast a shield on Tanya, the tank. With a resounding clang, the weapon swung by a 'Quaesiul's Remnant' targeting Tanya was blocked by Giselle's barrier.
Minguk glanced at Giselle's profile as he healed Tanya's light wounds.
Immigrating, huh...
He couldn't tell if she was serious or joking.
But if the Budsen sisters really moved to Korea?
It would be great news for the R's Clan and Team GGW. Brazil wouldn't take it lying down, though—losing two 8-star heroes on their watch.
Even so, I doubt Brazil could do much about it...
Major powers like China and the US openly poached heroes from other countries all the time. Korea was just the latest target.
"I'm smashing the orb!"
Yuna shouted after reaching the small altar-like spot with the black orb. Minguk signaled his acknowledgment and fell back.
"Giselle! Get your ultimate ready!"
"Shield of Dawn...!"
At Minguk's command, Giselle took position in a safe spot and began channeling her mana explosively.
The ultimate skill of the Legendary class 'Dawn Saintess': Shield of Dawn. Pure white mana erupted from her body, forming a hemispherical barrier.
"Everyone, group up!"
At Minguk's yell, the heroes scattered amid the darkness monsters rushed into the Shield of Dawn. Once everyone was inside, Yuna shattered the orb with her sharp dagger.
Rooooar...!
The moment the orb broke, sealed void mana burst out like a shockwave, wreaking havoc around the altar.
But the void shockwave from the orb didn't stop at the altar.
Fwoooosh! Fwoooosh! Fwoooosh!!!
The intense mana swirled like a vortex across the battlefield. It had the power to reduce everything present to nothingness.
"Ngh...! Heal up!"
Inside the Shield of Dawn, Minguk gritted his teeth against the shockwave and activated his recovery skill.
He didn't need to check his Hero Pad to know the raid team was in bad shape. Rank 9 monster attack patterns were brutally overwhelming.
"Captain! Sh-should I use Divine Authority?!"
Kendall, spamming heals non-stop just like Minguk, asked in a strained voice.
Activating the Star of Regeneration's unique ultimate, 'Divine Authority of Life,' would get them through this crisis. Its healing was powerful enough to save anyone short of outright death.
"No! We hold without it!"
Using 'Divine Authority of Life' now would leave them without a way to mitigate damage or heal during the next orb smash.
"We can win if we just endure! Hang in there a bit longer!"
Lost in a frenzy of healing, he noticed the mana surging from the orb starting to weaken bit by bit.
"Whew..."
Minguk shook his head with a sigh.
Thankfully, the whole team had survived. They'd cleared this hurdle, rough as it was.
"Alright! Focus up! The try isn't over!!!"
But they'd only passed the first major hurdle. The Quaesiul try wasn't successful yet. The named boss's HP still sat at 70%, visible on the Hero Pad.
* * *
The three women in the meeting room turned their eyes to the screen.
It showed the [S-9] Nanjing strategy battle. Ten heroes facing off against a Rank 9 powerhouse. Naturally, the stars were the GGW raid team from their clan.
"How about from now on, we call GGW the 1st string and step back to 2nd string, clearing [A-4] and [A-5]?"
Jo Seon-ah, the 1st string raid leader of Rose Shield, let out a hollow laugh as she watched the footage.
"As I said before, the clan's 1st string belongs to you, Hero Jo Seon-ah."
"Tch. This is embarrassing..."
Clan leader Oh Hyun-jung continued in response to Seon-ah's grumble.
"And as we discussed when the Nanjing strategy request came up, GGW is basically an independent raid team now."
Her secretary chimed in, agreeing.
"Exactly. Once they conquer Nanjing Dungeon, GGW will be promoted to Shield-class. Given their obligations, they won't focus on clan duties. Especially since Raid Leader Han Minguk harbors strong hostility toward darkness monsters."
"Yeah, I figured... Anyway, that thing's a Rank 9 special entity..."
Seon-ah's gaze returned to the screen.
The monster in the footage was relentlessly pressuring the heroes with its immense mana.
At a glance, GGW's heroes looked like mere snacks to it. Yet they clenched their teeth and endured the onslaught.
"This... is a success video, right?"
After watching for a while, Seon-ah narrowed her eyes and asked.
They were weathering the attacks somehow... but rewind just one minute, and the whole team wiping wouldn't have been surprising. The crisis dragged on.
"Yes."
"...Ha. How the hell did they take down a monster like that?"
The fight continued heavily favoring the heroes' disadvantage.
Even knowing it succeeded, it was hard to believe they'd beaten it.
The try footage ran nearly 19 minutes.
GGW endured the monster's assaults desperately, stacking damage until they finally felled it.
The battle's ferocity showed in the aftermath: seven of the ten members dead.
Moments later, Shiranui Mai—one of the survivors—opened the loot chest. From a Rank 9 special entity.
Reaching in, her hand emerged with a brilliantly shining silver gem.
"Is that...?"
Oh Hyun-jung's secretary asked hopefully.
"Silver-Grade Mana Crystal..."
Seon-ah swallowed hard. A veteran top hero, and even she had never seen one before.
The Silver-Grade Mana Crystal, essential for reaching 9-star hero status.
But it dropped at low odds from dangerous Rank 9 specials, so even Shield-class raids invested massive time and resources for one.
"Yes. And last night, we got the report that Hero Shin Nayeon reached 9-star."
"What? Nayeon? Not Han Minguk?"
Seon-ah's eyes widened at the clan leader's words.
"Yes. I thought Minguk would be first too... But apparently, boosting the dealer's specs helps tries more."
"Ah..."
"Genius thinks different, I guess."
"We'll hype this point hard in PR."
"Domestic media's gonna explode again. Our country's first 9-star hero..."
Seon-ah said with envy.
She wanted to be a 9-star too. But even if she could join GGW, she lacked confidence in their hardcore try schedule.
GGW's packed calendar would exhaust even veteran heroes like her.
"Anyway, that's enough on GGW. Raid Leader Jo Seon-ah, no issues with our clan's dungeon management?"
"Huh? Oh, no major problems. Might change next year, though..."
Seon-ah sniffed.
This year, Rose Shield managed just two high-difficulty dungeons: [A-4] and [A-5].
Few for a clan with GGW, due to losing Ranker Clan status last year.
Next year would differ.
GGW led the Daegu strategy and was midway through Nanjing. Success meant instant Shield-class promotion.
With great power comes great responsibility—more dungeons for Rose Shield.
"At least Hero Han Minguk collapsed Daegu City Hall, one of Korea's deadliest."
Hyun-jung's secretary grinned.
GGW clearing the Leader-class Daegu City Hall Dungeon restored much of the polluted land. Now, mid-to-small clans were jumping on large-scales strategy like a trend.
Decent results too—over ten [B]-class dungeons cleared, per news.
But those present didn't know they tied back to Daegu City Hall.
"So, what's left for Korea's top-difficulty dungeons?"
"Just [A-2]s: one in Jeolla, one in Gyeongsang, one near Seoraksan. Shinan Salt Dungeon's the riskiest."
"Ah... Ewha manages that, right?"
"Manage? They're just stalling. One clear in a year?"
Seon-ah frowned at the secretary.
"Isn't one enough? Just clear it."
"Sure. But this year? Who knows."
"...Why?"
Seon-ah shrugged at Hyun-jung's question.
"Ewha has Minimum Mi, the 9-year vet dealer."
"...Sounds familiar. Wait, her?!"
Hyun-jung, tilting her head, suddenly exclaimed. It rang a bell.
"Yeah. The 9-year vet who immigrated to the UK during the dungeon break fiasco. Caused a stir—not switching clans, but straight-up leaving the country..."
Hyun-jung and her secretary nodded vigorously.
China's dungeon break chaos had rocked Korea when 8-star vet dealer Minimum Mi quietly emigrated to the UK, shocking the nation.
"She had big stake in Shinan strategy. Now she's gone..."
"strategy'll be tough."
"Yeah. Rumor is Memoria's teaming with Ewha on Shinan Salt Dungeon."
"Memoria must curse her name."
"Good thing Daegu City Hall fell. Otherwise... we'd have called in GGW for sure."
Seon-ah muttered lowly.
Hyun-jung shook her head inwardly. For 9-star promotions, GGW had to keep pushing Nanjing. It served R's Clan, Korea, and humanity.