Chapter 69
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Clan Evaluation
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"We'll check right away."
In response to Tae-yeon's murmur, the leader of Memoria Clan instantly realized what answer he needed to give.
The others sprang into action as well. If Rose Shield cleared the dungeon before Memoria Clan, more than half the people in this room could lose their heads.
"Hold on, stop right there. The healer's mana just spiked back up massively?"
"What skill is that...? Mental Stimulation?!"
"Ye-rin is managing the stacks perfectly. She's popping debuffs from 4 stacks, maybe even 5."
True to their ranker clan status, Memoria's staff scrutinized Minguk and GGW's movements with hawk-like eyes. They quickly figured out how they were holding out against the Ice Drake this long.
"This is...!"
The Memoria Clan leader's face fell in despair as he read the report.
It was a surprisingly simple strategy. They were sacrificing dealer DPS to prioritize survival. They were even using Mental Stimulation, a skill that restored the hero's mana. It was incredibly efficient for heroes with low Gear Scores.
In contrast, Memoria Clan could overwhelm the Ice Drake with raw damage. But their healer's recovery wasn't enough. The healer would wipe before the drake fell.
On top of that, Kim Sung-cheol was healing even less efficiently than Han Minguk. It was unbelievable given his raid experience, but the raid logs confirmed it.
"We have to clear the dungeon first, no matter what."
The Memoria Clan leader bowed deeply at Kim Tae-yeon's icy command. On paper, the heroes' raw power should have secured victory. But something felt off now.
On the display showing GGW, the Ice Drake was soaring through the sky. It was a second phase Memoria's heroes hadn't seen yet.
"Follow me to the left!!!"
"Eek?!"
So-jung's face drained of color as she dodged the ice boulders falling from the sky under Minguk's lead. Her foot slipped on the ice, throwing off her balance.
She crashed down with a loud thud, and Ye-rin froze behind her. But that was the wrong call.
Boom!
A massive explosion rocked the area as the drake's ice boulder crushed the two heroes. Instant deaths. Minguk called a party wipe right away. With both dealers down, and the lone survivor Choi Yuna only having two attack skills, it was over.
A few minutes later, So-jung bowed her head before the Ice Drake again.
"I didn't expect the ice to be that slippery.... I'm sorry."
"It happens. No big deal. Just no more slip-ups from now on. Hyun-ah, whenever you get a breather dodging boulders, hurl your shield. Shatter all the ice patches.
"Got it!"
"Same for you, Yuna. But if you lag behind breaking ice and get smashed by a boulder, you know what happens, right?"
"Yes, sir!"
It wasn't a tactical flaw—just a minor mistake. Minguk gave quick feedback and reviewed the fight. It had dragged on, but keeping the team's health topped up was no issue.
"Yuna, don't forget Mental Stimulation about a minute into the fight."
"Yes, sir!"
Mental Stimulation was the perfect pick. Using it on cooldown massively boosted their sustainability. Focusing heals without wasting mana let them last even longer.
"Alright, everyone focus up!"
Minguk clapped, addressing the team. So-jung looked at him and spoke.
"Raid Leader, do you think Memoria Clan has cleared it already?"
"Who knows. Probably not, though."
So-jung eyed him skeptically at his confident tone. The others did too.
Memoria's party had started the dungeon with them. Even their lowest-spec hero, Kim Sung-cheol, was 5-star. They were stacked.
Two dealers were 8-star. And Minguk thought they couldn't take down the Ice Drake?
But Minguk had his reasons. He'd run thousands—tens of thousands—of raids in GGW, the VR mobile raid game. Dozens, hundreds of tries per day was routine.
He could roughly estimate clear chances from specs and skills at a glance.
"There's a reason I picked this dungeon."
The Ice Canyon final boss, Ice Drake, was nearly impossible under average Gear Score 230 without Mental Stimulation. Healer mana just couldn't keep up.
Stars and experience might cover some ground. But Kim Sung-cheol, responsible for the team's survival, wasn't up to it.
Minguk had pulled Memoria's second-string raid logs beforehand. He gauged Sung-cheol's skill. The 5-star senior was just an average healer.
'The dealers must be pissed.'
Pearls before swine. Memoria's top dealers didn't match a mediocre healer.
"This try, no mistakes—we take it down and rest! First clear buys meat from me!"
The raid restarted.
Roaaar!!!
The drake charged Hyun-ah with a roar, just like before, jaws wide. She twisted sharply, evading, and flung her round shield.
It smacked the drake's cheek with a clang and dropped.
"Damn, that must piss it off."
Minguk stared in disbelief. What a hit. Sure enough, aggro locked. The drake unleashed a barrage on Hyun-ah as she scooped up her shield and braced.
"Dealers hold DPS!"
Minguk tied hand seals for Seed of Life on So-jung as she drew her greatsword. Feeling the warm glow, she charged. Her massive blade slammed the drake's foreleg.
Grrr...
The drake's sharp eyes flicked to So-jung in pain. But only briefly. Aggro held—its claw swipe flew at Hyun-ah.
"4 stacks! Popping 'em!"
"Go for it!"
Having fought once, Ye-rin knew her role. Minguk healed her as she dashed to an open spot.
"Ngh?!"
Her curse exploded like a hex, draining 20% HP. But Minguk's heal refilled it. Seed of Life burrowed in after.
"Tail incoming! Now!!!"
Thud—tail sweep. On Minguk's cue, everyone but Hyun-ah leaped skyward. The drake's long tail swept the field clean and reset.
"Yuna!"
"Yes, sir! Mental Stimulation!"
Already prepped, Yuna triggered it on Minguk's call.
"Urgh...."
A groan escaped Minguk. Like chugging cola, a fizzy rush hit, mana surging thickly. Addictive.
Thus, Rose Shield's newbie Team GGW chipped away slowly but surely at the Ice Drake. Meanwhile...
Memoria's dealers dodged desperately to ease healer pressure, pouring in DPS. Weapons from first-string aces like Kang Chae-young shaved huge chunks off the drake's HP.
The second-string tank held firm despite undergeared. Raid leading was pro-level. But raids spike in difficulty with one weak link.
"Heal! Heal! Heal!!!"
"What the hell is this guy doing?! Can't keep one thing alive and calls himself a healer?! You really 5-star? Did some guy carry you on a bus?!"
Dodging the ice trap, their dealer-raid leader died. Seeing another first-stringer fall, Chae-young snapped.
It was the fifth wipe like this. No one said it, but faces soured.
"Hoo...."
The raid leader shook his head, speechless. Team chemistry demanded a fix.
"Whoa! What is this? It's actually fun?!"
Su-young's eyes darted everywhere. Not just her—the clan leader Hyun-jeong beside her craned her neck too.
Rose Shield newbies crawled like turtles but tanked the Ice Drake solidly. Beyond expectations.
Memoria's elites shredded HP faster than GGW could dream. But they kept dying first.
"We can beat them to it, right?"
Su-young pointed at the display. GGW clustered under Minguk's lead, dodging boulders flawlessly. How did he spot fall points from a quick glance up?
"It... seems possible."
Hyun-jeong answered hesitantly.
It shouldn't be. By her logic, impossible. GGW was fresh heroes, barely a month in.
Not even prospects. Hyun-ah topped rankings at 71st. Minguk barely ranked.
That raid team tackling B-5? On try two? Newbies clearing B-8 earned praise. Hyun-jeong's mind reeled watching.
"Should've called the press...."
Su-young sighed wistfully. Not seriously—tanking Memoria and Raon too hard hurt her too.
"If GGW clears B-5 tonight, dinner's on me. Book the hotel now."
"Yes, ma'am."
Raid unfinished. But Su-young bet on GGW and Minguk first. And it happened.
"Huff... huff... D-did it drop?!"
"Unnie! Don't jinx it?! Woo!!!"
Yuna cheered, scolding Hyun-ah's taboo word. Hero Pads lit with victory messages from the dungeon link.
"We got it! Woo!!!"
"Yes!! Raid Leader, I could die happy loving you! You're the best!!!"
"Everyone did great.... Mmph?!"
Excited over B-5 clear, Ye-rin lunged at Minguk with a fierce kiss. Tongues clashed, hot breaths warming cheeks.
"Damn. Wanna go wild here...."
"No exposure kink for me, pass. Good work anyway."
Minguk ruffled Ye-rin's hair and looked away. Center field, a copper chest gleamed. Loot from the rank-4 special mob.