Chapter 125
Chapter 125
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: The 5-Star Raid Challenge
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"How can I believe you'll actually be able to retake Gangneung?"
Recapturing Gangneung, which had been overrun by magic beasts, was no easy task.
The sheer numbers dwarfed anything seen in dungeons, and there were plenty of powerful boss-level entities to boot.
"You know why we've left Gangneung alone until now."
The government and Hunter Association had held off on touching Gangneung to avoid stirring up a hornet's nest.
Mess with it, and the magic beasts might pour out and head straight for Seoul.
"Yes, I know."
Shin Yu-hyun nodded.
To retake Gangneung, they'd need overwhelming force to sweep it clean in one go.
Anything half-hearted would only lead to disaster.
"Knowing that, you're still set on retaking it?"
"Yes."
Shin Yu-hyun replied with unwavering resolve, his expression unchanging.
'Even if we leave it alone, the magic beasts will come bursting out anyway.'
The Gangneung magic beast invasion.
Once the beasts breeding there hit a critical mass, they'd broken free.
Magic beasts that overran an area via dungeon stampede only grew in numbers over time.
Which meant the occupied territory kept expanding.
And the ones holding Gangneung had started invading Seoul to establish a new hive.
'About three months left.'
Countless superhumans and hunters had been mobilized to hold back the endless waves heading for Seoul.
Superhumans from the four great clans and hunters dispatched by the Hunter Association.
Shin Yu-hyun himself had joined the rear guard back then.
The superhumans had taken heavy losses against those thousands-strong hordes.
But they'd not only driven the beasts back—they'd even recaptured Gangneung.
'This time, it's my turn.'
Later revelations confirmed a queen in the hive they'd set up in Gangneung.
And once that queen fully matured, it would mass-produce magic beasts explosively.
Strike before it reached that point, and victory was feasible.
The numbers would be far fewer than during the Seoul invasion.
"So, how exactly do you plan to take Gangneung?"
"I'll throw everything I have at it."
"Can you get specific?"
"Sorry, but I can't yet. I'd like to keep it under wraps until we start the operation."
With at least three from Seven Arcs and the Immortal King's legion, recapture was more than doable.
But he had no intention of mentioning the Immortal King. He planned to keep parts of his abilities hidden.
In truth, the only one who knew his full capabilities was Diana Shuv from Seven Arcs.
"Hm. I see."
Nam Hyun-cheol stroked his chin, lost in thought. Shin Yu-hyun was right—retaking Gangneung was incredibly enticing.
Just mining the rare minerals there would bring massive profits.
The issue was whether Shin Yu-hyun could actually pull it off.
"If you really can retake it, I'd like some proof."
"Proof?"
"Yes. A 6-star boss rules Gangneung. Doesn't that mean you'd at least need to clear a 5-star raid dungeon?"
Indeed, failing a 5-star raid made retaking Gangneung a pipe dream.
Clearing Gangneung was far tougher than any 5-star raid.
"A 5-star raid dungeon?"
"That's right. Fail that, and Gangneung's nothing but a fantasy. Succeed, and I'll invest."
Nam Hyun-cheol laid down the condition.
To determine if Shin Yu-hyun could deliver—or if it was all talk.
Clear it, and he'd be worth the investment.
"Plus, it'll give me something to tell the board about the funding."
Nam Hyun-cheol grinned.
The artifact research lab required enormous capital, so he needed to pitch it to the group's executives.
If Shin Yu-hyun cleared a 5-star raid for the Gangneung op, that would be the perfect hook.
'A 5-star raid dungeon.'
Shin Yu-hyun pondered Nam Hyun-cheol's words.
Raid dungeons were brutally difficult.
Vaster than normal dungeons, with hordes of magic beasts.
Raid parties needed at least twenty members, including long-range attackers.
'Push in the skeleton units, and it should be fine.'
Plus specialized skeleton types and boss summons.
Shin Yu-hyun nodded and spoke up.
"Got it. I'll do it."
"Looking forward to it."
Nam Hyun-cheol smiled at the response.
On the drive back to the clan.
Shin Yu-hyun leaned against the back seat, gazing out the window.
"How'd the meeting go?"
Isia, at the wheel, asked quietly.
"There was a condition, but it's not bad. Have to clear a 5-star raid dungeon."
Shin Yu-hyun gave her a quick summary of the talk with Nam Hyun-cheol.
He skipped the Gangneung part.
"A 5-star raid?"
Isia's eyes widened in surprise.
Clearing one just to build the artifact lab in Black Tortoise Hall?
"Can Black Tortoise Hall's sword division handle it?"
She voiced her concern cautiously.
A 5-star raid demanded at least twenty mid-4-star superhumans at minimum.
Thirty for stability, and even one 5-star superhuman would boost success odds dramatically.
"Don't worry. I'll handle the raid myself."
He hadn't been counting on Black Tortoise Hall's forces anyway.
The Azure Dragon Sword Division was still growing.
New recruits were mostly 3-stars.
They needed to hit late 3-star or early 4-star at least.
Hence the intense training they were undergoing now.
"You? You're not saying you'll solo it, right?"
Isia whipped around in alarm.
"Of course not. I'll take the summons."
"Oh, right. The summons."
She nodded, convinced, a beat late.
Shin Yu-hyun chuckled at her reaction.
He'd operated solo so often lately, she'd overlooked the summons.
'What to tackle first?'
Leaning back, he mulled it over.
Three months until the field overflow from Gangneung.
He'd bolster Black Tortoise Hall's forces and strengthen the Immortal King's legion in the meantime.
Scout talents like Lee Chae-hwa or Kim Sung-hoon, upgrade skeleton units with soul points, acquire more Seven Arcs members.
Now, add clearing a 5-star raid to the list.
'Raid first, definitely.'
Clear it to meet Nam Hyun-cheol's condition and secure the investment.
Until then, Nam Yeon-ah could hold down Black Tortoise Hall.
His current Immortal King forces could handle a 5-star raid easily.
'And with Shuv.'
Shuv Rani Gud, ruler of Geumun Castle and 6-star mage from Seven Arcs.
Her help would make it a breeze.
'What 5-star raids are available now?'
He racked his brain for options.
Time regression didn't mean he remembered everything.
"Isia."
"Yes, Hall Leader."
"Head to the Hunter Association."
"Hunter Association?"
"Yeah. Something came up."
"Understood."
She sounded flustered but turned the car promptly.
Meanwhile, he pulled up the Hunter Association site on his smartphone for dungeon info.
A quick scan of the dungeon board, then he pocketed it.
'Better to go in person.'
The Association buzzed with hunters trading fresh intel not yet posted.
Moments later, they arrived at the Hunter Association building.
Upon arrival, Shin Yu-hyun checked raid dungeon listings right away.
[5-Star Raid Dungeon List]
Corrupted World Tree of the Black Forest.
Corrupted Sky Garden of the Floating Island.
Corrupted Chaos Monolith.
'Monolith?'
His eyes lit up scanning the known 5-star raids.
Corrupted Chaos Monolith, a 5-star raid in the outskirts of Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province—currently occupied by magic beasts.
'Now I remember.'
The name jogged his memories.
In his past life, mid-tier guild Fenglin Volcano had attempted it and failed.
Triggering a stampede.
Its location near Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan in Hwaseong had forced the clan to scramble containing the spill.
But Shin Yu-hyun had been on probation in Black Tortoise Hall for botching a clan mission, then exiled.
He didn't recall the details.
Didn't want to. That was his rock-bottom era.
Until the Getia invasion.
'This one?'
Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan was in dire straits now.
Casualties from the beast raid on the clan grounds, second son Shin Cheol-jin dead.
Then villain groups like the Iron Flame Gang and Ashen Cult—Getia worshippers.
Exhaustion from nonstop crises.
Facing another failed raid's overflow would break them.
'Good chance to deal with Fenglin Volcano while I'm at it.'
He stared coldly at the note: Fenglin Volcano Guild attempting the raid.
The guild was sizable, with a decent public image.
But Shin Yu-hyun knew better.
What Fenglin Volcano really was.
He'd joined them not long after his exile.
'Time to settle old debts from that life.'
Shin Yu-hyun's lips curled into a chilly smirk.