Chapter 68
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Clan Evaluation
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All eyes turned to the chaebol heirs as they arrived at the Ice Canyon.
Both Suyeong Cho and Taeyeon Kim had rarely shown themselves in front of clan officials like this in nearly half a year, excluding their meetings with the clan leaders. It was a clear sign of just how seriously they were taking this bet.
Suyeong, catching Taeyeon's eye, flashed her a smile. It felt refreshing to see her friend—who usually stayed cooped up in her penthouse, dubbed the princess's castle—out in the open like this.
"I figured you wouldn't show."
"I wanted to see you throwing a tantrum. And to confirm once more that Rose Shield is in second place. Oh, right—R’s Clan was ranked fifth, wasn't it?"
"Tch."
Suyeong's face crumpled mercilessly after casually bringing it up and getting thoroughly shot down. It was so typical of a chaebol heir to bare her fangs like a dog in heat at the mere mention of her group.
There was no point talking to a friend already geared up for battle and radiating hostility. As Suyeong glanced around, her eyes landed on R’s Clan's leader, Oh Hyun-jung. Hyun-jung, meeting her gaze, bowed deeply at the waist.
'Oh Hyun-jung...'
Suyeong didn't particularly like her, but keeping Minguk Han's words in mind, she approached and spoke casually.
"How's it going?"
"...Pardon? Ah, we're up against the Ice Drake right now. It's the dungeon's final boss monster."
"The final boss? What about Memorria?"
Suyeong's eyes flicked to the screen. Two large displays showed R’s Clan and the Memorria Clan raid teams preparing. Both faced the same identically shaped monster: an Ice Drake.
"Whoa? For real? And they're rookies? Doesn't Memorria have Kang Chaeyoung?"
With a shocked expression, Suyeong's head swiveled around. There was someone else who needed to know this. Sure enough, Taeyeon stood before the groveling Memorria leader—who had just received a report—with a hardened face.
"Heh heh."
Suyeong shot a sly grin at Taeyeon, and even from afar, she could see her flinch. Taeyeon had to be fuming. Just watching lifted Suyeong's spirits. Maybe that's why her voice turned syrupy sweet.
"As you know, I'm not well-versed in hero dynamics. But isn't this impressive already?"
"It is. If they defeat the Ice Drake and clear the 【B-5】 dungeon, it'd be the world's first for a raid team made entirely of first-year rookie heroes."
"Hmm. Hmm. The world's first? Is it that tough?"
Suyeong's eyes widened at the allure of "world's first." She knew Team GGW was impressive, but a Korean raid team—not even American—achieving a world first felt off somehow.
"It's an achievement pulled off without any senior heroes' help, using only rookies. 【B-5】 always spawns a Rank-4 special entity, monsters too much for underdeveloped rookies to handle."
"So you're saying their clear speed matches Memorria's raid team, which includes Korea's top-ranked dealer, Kang Chaeyoung. Impressive. Who's shining the brightest?"
"Raid leader Han Minguk. His precise leading and healer skills—beyond what you'd expect from a rookie—have cleared every raid in one try."
As Hyun-jung's praise continued, a satisfied smile played on Suyeong's lips. He wasn't just full of stamina; his abilities exceeded her expectations. A guy with that kind of prowess... intriguing.
'A raid leader on par with the world's best...'
Suyeong's gaze toward the display grew serious.
R’s Clan was originally destined to crumble slowly without her group's backing. But if they could nurture a raid leader on par with Park Dayoung—who had led Rose Shield's golden age—they could revive it to its peak without massive investment.
"This is tempting."
Didn't Vice President Jo Eun-young rise to successor by growing R’s Clan into Korea's top? Securing that would solidify her own path to group chairwoman.
With things like this, even losing the bet wouldn't hurt much. They could replace the lost leader and heroes with money. Or better yet, build a team around Han Minguk—if he grew properly.
Either way, this raid was another chance to confirm just how exceptional Minguk's abilities were. Clearing the dungeon was impressive enough, yet they matched Memorria's pace.
"Alright, I'm ready."
"Me too!"
At Minguk's words, Ye-rin Jeong shot her hand up. Sojeong and Hyun-ah followed suit, signaling their combat prep. Finally, Yuna raised hers.
"Yuna, you swapped the skill stone, right?"
"Yes! Mental Stimulation."
Mental Stimulation, which restored mana, was useless for a dealer like her.
No matter how much she poured out her abilities, she rarely ran out of mana. If a dealer burned through mana without dropping the monster? It meant the foe outclassed her by miles.
Still, Yuna synced the Mental Stimulation skill stone into one of her three slots without a hint of doubt, following Minguk's orders.
"Then Hyun-ah, enter on my signal. You know the attack pattern?"
"Bite, forepaw, forepaw, swing, bite, swing, forepaw."
"It might change, so keep that in mind. I'll signal for tail swings right away. Dodge like jumping rope in a group. You've all done it as kids, right?"
Maybe because of the Rank-4 special entity and final boss ahead, the team felt tense. Minguk lightened the mood with a joke, drawing chuckles here and there.
"Good, go!"
Minguk signaled Hyun-ah, who was poised to charge. The tank dashed at the Ice Drake.
Kuoooooh!
Sensing the approaching hero, the Ice Drake roared and rose its massive bulk. Spotting Hyun-ah, it gaped its maw and lunged.
Shwaaak!
Hyun-ah slid forward like a baseball player stealing a base, dodging as the Drake's neck slammed into the ground behind her.
"Eat this!"
Slipping inside the Ice Drake effortlessly, Hyun-ah edged her shield and hurled it upward like a boomerang. A dull thud echoed as the heavy shield struck, prompting the Drake to roar and flap its wings.
Hyun-ah snatched the falling shield, braced herself, and prepared for the boss's attacks.
'Tougher than expected...'
While Hyun-ah held aggro, Minguk wrapped the team in "Seed of Life." It wasn't a huge heal but a DoT recovery boosting their HP every 3 seconds.
A B-rank skill rated rare among healers due to low drop rates, but essential in raids—easy to acquire and not pricey.
'We can block it just barely.'
After casting on the team, Minguk checked the Bitter Cold Blizzard damage via his Hero Pad. The Drake's passive dealt damage to allies every 10 seconds.
Heroes damaged by the blizzard recovered via Seed of Life. Not 100% mitigation, but about 90% of the damage.
Seed of Life lasted only a minute, but that was plenty. He skipped the tank—her shield and single-target heals would handle it anyway, making the DoT redundant.
Kwaaaaa!
The Drake's attack dove for Hyun-ah's neck. Minguk clocked it: second forepaw strike. He yelled reflexively.
"Tail prep!!!"
Simultaneously, the Ice Drake's tail cracked down with a boom, then swept the ground like a massive log. But the heroes, warned by Minguk, leaped skyward in sync.
"Whoa, cleans house nicely. Whoops?!"
Ye-rin landed stylishly but slipped on ice, falling on her butt. Minguk warned immediately.
"Watch the ice!"
Senior heroes hadn't flagged it much, but the battlefield's ice patches hindered movement plenty. Slipping mid-action could spell disaster.
"Choi Yuna! Hit that ice over there!"
"The ice? Got it!"
Following Minguk's call, Yuna's arrows shattered the ice near their formation. Better safe than sorry.
"Jeong Ye-rin! Four stacks now! Burst it!"
"Y-yes!"
Twisted Curse stacked on every cast, so Ye-rin paused attacks midway to purge debuffs. Damage ramped exponentially with stacks, so she kept it to 4-5 max.
It cut her DPS—the dealer's core duty—but Ye-rin didn't mind. Clearing this raid was achievement enough, and it was for progression anyway.
Under Minguk's leading, Team GGW handled the Ice Drake steadily. But Memorria Clan's side was different.
"Ugh... umm..."
A stiff groan escaped Taeyeon, watching the raid. Memorria's ace heroes fell helplessly to the Ice Drake's assaults. Her eyes turned to the clan staffer by the display.
"Why aren't the heroes' HPs filling?"
"The healer's recovery isn't applying."
"That's what I'm asking—why?!"
The staffer bowed under the sharp gaze of Raon Group's heir and clan owner. As Taeyeon's voice rose, the clan leader cut in swiftly.
"Healer's mana shortage. Ice Drake's passive and Twisted Curse heavily burden healers."
"Mana shortage means... our healer retires before the boss? Countermeasures?"
"Dealers are minimizing damage... but it'll take time to get the feel. They're top heroes, but gear score gaps make them rush a bit."
"Gear score gaps, huh."
Taeyeon nodded like she got it. Unlike her, they were pros. Her gaze instinctively shifted to the other display—not Memorria's. She froze.
'No way?'
They'd entered around the same time. While Memorria wiped, R’s Team GGW—all rookies—still fought the Ice Drake.
"Healer's mana shortage?"
Minguk, GGW's raid leader in charge of HP, ceaselessly converted his mana to recovery. The polar opposite of Memorria's retired healer.