Chapter 76
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Suspicion
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One, two, three! Good, good. Keep your shoulders down and again—four! Five!
"Nngh."
A girl dressed in a white crop top and black leggings was diligently working out in her room, following along with a video of a famous trainer on TV.
She boasted a sleek figure that didn't seem to need any special maintenance, but she moved her body with unwavering focus, not missing a single breath. Just as the girl was deep into her routine, her door swung open.
"Yuna! Dinner's ready!"
"No, Mom! I'm in the middle of working out! You can't eat right after!"
"Just come sit anyway. When else are we gonna see your face if not now?"
Yuna pursed her lips like she was about to snap at her mom's words. But she nodded soon enough. Her raid schedule had been brutally packed lately, leaving no time for proper family meals, just as Mom said.
"Woof woof!"
Yuna generously filled the food bowl for Ppocchi, her ecstatic pet dog, before sitting at the table. It was a large four-person table, but only two spoons were set out. And only one person picked one up.
Yuna eyed the mystery stew that looked like kimchi jjigae and chided her mom.
"Looks like today's cooking flopped too. Why not just order some side dishes?"
Her mom, who was hopelessly hopeless in the kitchen unlike some people, simply couldn't make anything edible. That was part of why Yuna skipped meals sometimes.
Ppocchi, who had tasted Mom's cooking for the first time ages ago, now bolted around the house in terror at the mere sight of her in the kitchen.
"Whatever. There's salad in the fridge—grab some later. But you're a Mana Awakened hero; why bother with body management? Normal folks are jealous enough as it is."
"I just wanna be a little prettier. Don't you know your daughter's blowing up right now, Mom?"
"Yeah, your aunties were all green with envy. So, what's the deal with that Raid Leader Han Minguk? As great as the rumors say?"
"The best. The absolute best."
Yuna flashed a thumbs-up at her cautiously probing mom, as if it was the most obvious thing.
She'd met tons of heroes back at Hero Academy and cleared dungeons with classmates aspiring to be raid leaders, but the raids she was in now were on another level entirely.
Minguk's meticulous leading felt like fighting a boss monster with editor tools at your fingertips. His feedback pinpointed cores like a famous tutor nailing weak spots.
Thanks to that, Yuna was the talk of her Seoul Hero Academy classmates. She'd made hero history as a dealer in Minguk's team, conquering a 【B-5】 dungeon. Immense glory.
Sure, the spotlight went to Raid Leader Minguk, but Yuna was thrilled just to have her name etched there. Without his stellar leading, recovery skills, and the team's help, that monster would've been impossible.
"Really? Glad you like it... but Mom's still a bit worried."
"About what?"
"A raid leader that great? Tons of heroes must wanna join his team. And he's a guy hero, right?"
"Yeah... I guess?"
Yuna nodded slowly. She could easily guess her mom's concern. Her dealer scores at Seoul Hero Academy hadn't been stellar.
Not bad, but lacking for a dealer in the hot new raid group GGW.
Still, grinding raids had honed her skills bit by bit, and conquering high-difficulty dungeons shot her ranking way up. Even so, she was barely scraping top 40.
Compared to Kim Sojeong at 6th and Jeong Yerin at 2nd, it was pitifully low. Yuna fidgeted her lips before smiling.
"But it's fine. I'm on our raid's special ops squad for cleanup duties, you know? Raid Leader trusts me big time. During the 【B-5】 clear, I synced my skills perfectly to his lead—huge play. Without my mental stimulation, we never would've taken that Ice Drake, no way."
"No kidding? Wow, my girl's amazing."
"There's this awesome senior hero, Shin Nayeon, who just joined our clan. She wanted in on our team bad, but Raid Leader said we're full up and turned her down. I thought I'd get cut then, but he kept me on, just told me to level up my skills more."
Yuna's mom gazed warmly at her excited daughter rattling on. Then she smiled faintly.
"That's a relief. You've been grinding raids so hard lately; I was worried. Seeing you thrive as a hero eases my mind. Just don't push too hard."
"Yeah. I'm working hard. And keeping my skills sharp... so that..."
Yuna trailed off. After a long pause, she continued in a low voice. Her eyes drifted to the empty seat beside her mom—one that would stay empty forever.
"I'll get revenge for Dad. No matter what."
Kwaaaaaah!
The roar was so familiar now it felt almost affectionate. The Ice Drake's life force vanished as an arrow thudded into its forehead, and it slowly crumpled to the ground.
Clear time: 16 minutes. A 40% drop from their first clear. Everyone hitting 3-star hero had jacked up their 【Gear Score】 big time.
No crises anymore. Main tank Hyun-ah always held the line solid, and Raid Leader Minguk or the healer wouldn't let anyone's HP dip below 40%. Dodging falling ice chunks? They did it with casual flair now.
"Piece of cake."
Minguk eyed his team's victory grins. They'd felled so many Ice Drakes, no one cheered like newbies anymore. Battle-hardened now.
Loot drops were the same—'Another one,' 'Eh, dud'—nothing exciting.
Watching them, Minguk figured they had nothing left to learn here. Time to tackle higher difficulties.
'Let's see...'
Ppuu's quest to average 200 Gear Score across the four teammates? Cleared ages ago.
Three-month limit, done in one. Easy condition: just pump star ratings. Hero gear was auction-house cash grabs.
The five orange crystal summon tickets as reward went straight to boosting their stars. With that quest done, only one left: Southeast Asia-related.
But that was pie in the sky. Required clearing an 【A-1】 dungeon. Impossible with their current specs, dead or alive.
Anyway, reason to up the ante now, so 【B-5】 was done. Minguk gathered the team.
"Starting tomorrow, we're bumping up dungeon difficulty."
"【B-4】?!"
Yerin blinked in shock at his words.
"Our raid leader'll crush it, what's to worry? 【B-4】 or 【B-5】, just more grade-4 specials, right?"
Sojeong brushed it off toward Yerin. A first-year hero leading them to grade-4 clears? Pro raid leader. Play smart, and they could handle top diffs.
"Kim Sojeong Hero's right. So, tough road or easy road—which'll it be?"
"Ah... both sound sketchy coming from you?"
Hyun-ah grumbled warily at Minguk's follow-up. He pushed raids relentlessly; neither felt safe. Sojeong shot back.
"What're you picking, Raid Leader?"
"Hard road, obviously."
Trial and error would sting, but fastest way to grow. Revival Stones cut errors short. And he'd soon stockpile tons more.
"Then I'll take hard too. Follow your lead."
"Huh? Me too!"
Seasoning at work? Yuna gawked admiringly as Sojeong smoothly buttered up, then shot her hand up. Minguk smirked at them. Their choice—no backing out now.
"Briefing and training tomorrow on. Target: Night Citadel."
"Night Citadel? Dig the name. Kinda naughty. Like succubus vibes..."
Hyun-ah blurted thoughtlessly, then jolted, eyeing Minguk. He nodded.
"Not the 【B-2】 in Jamsil, right?"
"That's the one."
"Th-there's six grade-4 specials! And Succubus Queen Rudia...!"
A nightmare that corrupted countless heroes. But Minguk had no choice. Seoul's sole 【B-2】 was Night Citadel. 【B-1】s numbered four, higher diffs aplenty—weird shortage.
Seoul hadn't always had just one 【B-2】. A decade back, three others besides Night Citadel.
Raids that couldn't touch 【B-1】 5-grade bosses but could handle grade-4s—and clans chasing orange crystals for star-ups—were stuck at limited diffs.
They flocked to 【B-2】s. Endless clears later, luck or curse collapsed all but Night Citadel.
'Tricky patterns, but nail 'em and it's fine. Tough patterns build raid skill.'
So many heroes hit it, Night Citadel info flowed free—more than lower diffs even.
Minus final boss Succubus Queen Rudia and Bloody Maid Bella, mobs were manageable. Rudia though? Minguk figured dozens of tries, her strategy was nasty.
Thus, sole 【B-2】 but no time-distortion item rush. Sky-high diff kept raids away.
Still, Minguk picked it over 【B-3】 or 【B-4】. To sharpen team skills and raid sense, grind high-diff raids. And...
'Wonder what a succubus looks like up close?'
He was curious about fantasy's sex icon in Night Citadel. How exactly did it corrupt male heroes?