Chapter 77
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Suspicion
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"……."
The clan leader handling the clan's major and minor affairs rarely fidgeted in front of one of her affiliated heroes. The gap between them was just that vast. And it was even more unthinkable if the hero facing the leader wasn't the clan's poster child or an ace raid leader, but merely a first-year hero.
Yet Oh Hyun-jung, the leader of Rose Shield, felt uneasy every time Han Minguk came to see her. She could never predict what bombshell he might drop next. And then Minguk spoke in a calm voice. No, it was more like a declaration.
"I'm planning to tackle the 【B-2】 difficulty dungeon 'Night Citadel'."
Hyun-jung's eyes widened as she stared at him. His raiding pace was on a completely different level from ordinary heroes.
Including Team GGW, there were six teams operating as Rose Shield's new raiding parties. But the others were only now syncing up on 【B-9】 clears and attempting 【B-8】. They were following the standard path for new raiding parties.
In contrast, the 【B-2】 dungeon Minguk wanted to raid was one tackled by the clan's second- and third-string heroes. Most were fifth-years, with some tenth-years mixed in.
"Hmm... It's got 4th-grade special entities like Ice Drakes clustered together, so it won't be easy, right?"
She couldn't outright tell the raid leader planning a dungeon assault to stop. Besides, Han Minguk, who led Team GGW, had already proven himself with tremendous achievements.
Still, jumping three steps ahead from 【B-5】 to 【B-2】 felt like a stretch.
"Even among special entities of the same grade, some are tougher, others easier to handle. And 'Night Citadel'..."
"Even so, they're on par with Ice Drakes at best. Sure, it relies on individual skill to tank the attack patterns, but I think we can clear it with our team's capabilities."
"...The representative from the World Heroes Association will arrive in Korea soon."
"What... Let's show them a 【B-2】 clear, and if it doesn't work, we can farm Ice Drakes instead. 'Ice Gorge' is something we could clear while munching on a burger."
Hyun-jung let out a chuckle at that.
Fair enough. Team GGW's daily reports were filled with multiple successful Ice Gorge clears just to farm orange-grade crystals. He'd probably foreseen this situation early and prepared accordingly.
Maybe that's why. To Hyun-jung, Minguk's demeanor seemed almost mystical. He didn't feel like a first-year hero at all.
"Have you done any regressing or something? Or are you a reincarnator?"
"...Pardon?"
"Oh, no. Just ignore that nonsense. Raid Leader Han Minguk's moves are so unbelievable, it's got my mind wandering. Jeez. I'm such a mess."
Hyun-jung fanned herself, embarrassed after blurting out what she'd been mulling over. Her secretary standing nearby gave her a strange look. After fanning for a while, Hyun-jung turned back to Minguk.
"So, when do you plan to start raiding?"
'Night Citadel' featured six 4th-grade special entities. Each one matched an Ice Drake in power, so thorough preparation was essential. Plus, the average 【Gear Score】 required for the clear was a whopping 360.
'Wait... Team GGW's average 【Gear Score】 is nowhere near 360, is it?'
Raid Leader Han Minguk himself was only at 290. The other dealers were similar. Item prices skyrocketed around this gear score range, making upgrades impossible on the cheap.
"The day after tomorrow."
Hyun-jung and her secretary could only gape at Minguk's response. They wanted to yell at the rookie hero with his relaxed expression—how is that even possible?
Collivor Fallen to Darkness.
It was the boss-grade monster you'd encounter first upon entering 'Night Citadel'.
Its size rivaled a massive truck, but with its unmistakable dog-like form and yellow fur, heroes capable of tackling it nicknamed it 'Yellow Dog'.
The nickname also implied it would eat anything. Aside from front paw swipes pressuring the tank, its main attack pattern involved scooping up rotten meat chunks from the battlefield and spewing breath.
▷ Collivor Fallen to Darkness
Collivor is a time-attack boss monster that enters a berserk state by exploding its mana if not defeated within 10 minutes of combat start. Once berserk, it requires a tank hero with 8-star gear and over 700 【Gear Score】 to clear.
▷ The tank's role in Collivor raids is straightforward: Block front paw attacks, dodge breaths, and guide Collivor.
▷ Collivor's acid spit splash is unavoidable. Healers must pre-heal party members' HP before it uses acid spit.
▷ Collivor periodically picks up the nearest rotten meat chunk to sate its hunger, then unleashes a 180-degree frontal breath. Tanks must time their dodge perfectly before the breath; dodging too early risks Collivor turning toward your main group and wiping the party.
▷ Some rotten meat chunks on the field are poisoned. Feeding them to Collivor increases damage taken from heroes' attacks, with stacking poison. The raid leader must quickly identify poisoned chunks and reposition the group accordingly.
▷ Dealers' sole job in Collivor raids is dealing damage. Tanks handle aggro and guidance, healers handle survival. If Collivor berserks despite that, it's the dealers' fault.
"The strategy is simple. Feed Collivor rotten meat while dealing damage, and that's it."
The briefing ended, plunging everyone into silence. As always, it sounded easy. Still, Collivor was the easiest 4th-grade special entity in 'Night Citadel' to clear.
"Uh, um... What about the others?"
Yuna asked cautiously while watching Collivor raid footage. The conference room display showed dealers unleashing ferocious firepower on the bizarre giant dog.
"Ah! We'll end the 'Night Citadel' raid after taking down Collivor."
"Huh? Why?"
"For item farming. With our current specs, downing any other boss-grade monsters besides Collivor would be extremely tough. But Collivor drops gear between 【Gear Score】 350 and 380."
The key to Collivor clears was feeding it rotten meat nonstop. Even subpar dealers could melt it that way.
The question was whether Hyun-ah, the tank, could hold its attacks. With her A-grade class stone turning her into a Guardian Knight, plus Minguk's skills, it seemed feasible. Multiple footage reviews confirmed it.
"We'll need a ton of Revival Stones, though?"
Kim So-jeong chimed in this time.
"That's not an issue."
They still had dozens left, and more would come from the World Heroes Association and their Japanese allies.
Each Collivor attempt might burn a Revival Stone for safety, but scoring 350 gear made it worth it. Revival Stones cost around $100,000 each, while 350 gear fetched about $5.2 million.
Especially Collivor's exclusive Golden Fang accessory—a BIS (Best in Slot, aka graduation gear) must-have for melee dealers. No need to swap until 450+ gear.
'We'll farm Collivor like that, burning Revival Stones until the team's specs rise enough, then go all-in on 'Night Citadel' proper.'
With incoming association gear, farming would speed up, Minguk figured. For this raid pattern, hands-on reps beat video training for adaptation.
Even Minguk couldn't distinguish plain rotten meat from poisoned via footage alone.
Team GGW headed straight to 'Night Citadel'. As a high-difficulty dungeon shunned by heroes, Seoul's sole 【B-2】 dungeon was deserted.
The soldier women manning the entrance eyed the long-overdue guests with welcoming smiles.
"It won't be easy, so trials might drag on. But let's stay focused, knowing we can take it."
Minguk addressed his team. They'd just skipped three difficulty steps outright—ignoring recommended specs entirely.
"Entering now."
"Yes."
The team followed Minguk into the portal. Ominous swirling mana enveloped them, and emerging, a damp chill oppressed everyone.
"It's right ahead. No trash mobs means smooth pulls."
Minguk scanned the surroundings first, wary of ambushes. None stirred. Ahead, in a vast garden, a massive yellow dog lay huffing roughly.
"Gulp..."
A 4th-grade special entity from a 【B-2】 dungeon. Indescribable pressure crushed the team. Same grade as Ice Drake, but Collivor's specs were worlds apart.
As eyes locked on Collivor, Minguk surveyed the battlefield. Not just open space—the garden had fountains, fences, canals, and tricky terrain.
'Big fountains? Smash 'em while kiting Collivor. Canals need watching, though.'
Minguk memorized the layout, plotting shortest paths. For the poisoned rotten meat core strat, speed was key to directing Collivor right.
"Alright, briefing again."
He patiently re-explained the Collivor raid flow. Tedious, but necessary to down it faster.
"Good. Hyun-ah, grab aggro and turn its head now."
"Yes, Raid Leader!"
The raid began. Hyun-ah cracked her joints, surging her mana, then charged.
Kraaaang!
Sensing an intruder, Collivor snapped its eyes open, roared, and lunged like a beast, swiping at Hyun-ah.
Kaboooom!!!
Monster paw met shield head-on, exploding with ear-shattering noise. A 【B-2】 beast through and through—even perfect defense shaved 15% off the tank's HP.
Minguk's heal wrapped Hyun-ah instantly, followed by a shield. Other attacks unknown, but front paws? She held firm. As expected.