Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: The Guerrilla Gate Assignment System
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Guerrilla gates were exactly what the name implied—dungeons that popped up out of nowhere, defying all predictions.
The prediction system, crafted by Jeong Je-hwa and run by the Awakener Association, was specialized for tracking large-scale or high-rank dungeons.
That meant small gates popping up sporadically in random spots often slipped through the system's net.
The dungeons inside these guerrilla gates were small, and the clear difficulty wasn't too high, but they still contained monsters. If left unchecked for too long, a dungeon break would occur, wreaking havoc on the surrounding area just like any other.
So the association's solution was the guerrilla gate assignment system.
"But that's usually handled by major guilds on a volunteer basis, right?"
Lee Yu-eul said, raising one hand.
Major guilds hated tackling guerrilla gates.
There wasn't much to gain from them.
A guild's main revenue came from items and byproducts harvested during dungeon clears.
But guerrilla gates closed almost immediately after the boss monster was defeated, due to their nature.
No time to mine mana stones or anything else.
The prep time was short, too.
As seen in the disaster alert text, anywhere from a few hours down to just minutes.
With such limited time, they couldn't devise thorough strategies or allocate personnel like they would for a major dungeon.
And the uncertainty of when or where they'd strike went without saying.
In such conditions, leaving it to volunteers meant no one would step up. So the association forcibly assigned major guilds a quota of guerrilla gate clears each month.
"It's called volunteering, but it's basically conscription."
"Small guilds even request assignments on purpose."
"True enough."
"Clearing guerrilla gates is great for boosting a guild's reputation, too."
Kang Han nailed it.
Not everyone was on board, though.
"We don't seem fully ready for a real raid yet..."
Jang Su-ho's concern was understandable.
Compared to the others, he hadn't overcome his weaknesses at all.
He was worried that once combat started, he'd lose control again and attack his allies.
"Perfect timing anyway. Let's watch first and talk after."
I said, flicking on the holographic TV in the training hall.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Hello, citizens! I'm caster Lee Ki-dae, bringing you today's dungeon raid broadcast!"
"And I'm commentator C-rank hunter Jo Tae-seok."
"Jo Tae-seok hunter, today's broadcast is special in a way, isn't it?"
"Yes. For the first time in a while, it's not a solo major guild raid but a joint operation by three mid-tier guilds."
"Viewers at home probably know already! But for anyone who doesn't, today's alliance is Taesan Guild, Mage Guild, and Nakseung Guild. Forty-five hunters combining forces to protect Korea once more!"
The caster's voice rose as he eyed the climbing real-time viewer count.
The broadcast had been on for less than three minutes, and already 570,000 were tuned in.
"What do you think, Jo Tae-seok hunter? In a joint raid, the key is how well the three guilds sync up."
"Exactly. Taesan, with their experience, will likely lead. Mage Guild, the magic specialists, will support from behind with attacks, while newcomer Nakseung Guild handles overall support."
"Ah, the guilds are entering the gate now!"
A crew member carrying a special camera—designed to transmit from inside dungeons—filmed the hunters' sturdy backs as they followed.
"Hmm, a cave-type dungeon, as expected."
"Yes, headquarters' predictions are never wrong."
"So how do you tackle a cave-type dungeon, hunter?"
"It's the most basic form, so there's no real trick. Control the monster numbers, locate the boss quickly, and clear it. That's the royal road."
"Haha, advice straight from a seasoned hunter."
"Back in my day, cave-types weren't even worth mentioning. Give me aquatic or glacial dungeons."
Outside, the mood was relaxed, but inside the dungeon, the entrants were on high alert.
Even a cave-type meant battle was imminent.
"Alright, let's start mapping."
A Mage Guild member pulled an item from subspace that looked like a blank map.
Soon, an invisible pen sketched out the dungeon's layout.
"Whew, big one. Drains a ton of mana."
"Boss monster seems deep inside. Let's circle counterclockwise along this path."
Taesan Guild master Kwak Ho-young pointed at the map, issuing orders.
It looked leader-like at first glance, but everyone there knew the truth.
He was mostly fixated on the camera angle showing off his handsome face.
"...Fine, let's do that."
The Mage Guild master agreed reluctantly.
Kwak Ho-young was a seasoned A-rank hunter, bad luck aside.
They'd agreed on his lead beforehand, so they followed.
"Nakseung Guild... let's do our best?"
"Yes, sir!"
The ten members of newbie Nakseung Guild shouted with full spirit.
They'd forgotten the unwritten rule: no loud noises before the raid to avoid aggroing trash mobs.
"...Right, let's move."
Kwak Ho-young, about to scowl at Nakseung, caught sight of the camera and smoothed his expression.
He looked every bit the hero on the surface.
📺 Live Streaming
[Taesan, Mage, Nakseung Joint Raid]
💬 Chat
— Anon
Nakseung Guild is such a nuisance;;
— Anon
Why do those Nakseung noobs scream total beginner?
— Anon
Taesan looks awesome! Fighting!!
— Fan
Kwak Ho-young looks handsome today too ♥
— Anon
Mage shelled out big for that mapping item. Maestro-made? Insanely expensive?
— Anon
How many hours to clear today?
— Anon
Cave-type with Taesan, no incidents and it'll be under 6 hours.
— Anon
Something feels off...
Things went south in an instant.
"Hey, you fuck! Don't pull aggro there!"
"Get back! Fall back!"
The first and second zones went smoothly enough.
But in the third, when flying monsters appeared, one panicked Nakseung member triggered a domino effect.
The standard play against flyers was to huddle against the wall, protecting the rear casters as they channeled skills.
But a shaky C-rank broke ranks in terror, charging into the Mage hunters' line and shattering the formation.
A Giant Wingbat seized the gap, snatching one Mage Guild member and flying off.
— Anon
Wtf;; what was that
— Anon
Can that Mage survive?
— Anon
No way, dragged to the nest.
— Anon
What a Nakseung trash. Who's that guy?
— Anon
Goes to same uni, Kim Jin-gyo C-rank archer.
— Anon
Raid's fucked;;
As the live chat soured, the caster and commentator's tones shifted.
The hopeful commentary vanished, replaced by nonstop criticism of Nakseung Guild.
"This is absolutely on Nakseung Guild."
"Such a shame! The hunter snatched by the wingbat is Mage Guild's Jo Yun-ha. Hopefully a rescue is possible..."
"At least Taesan's holding the front... Oh, even that's collapsing."
Under the relentless aerial barrage, the formation crumbled completely.
"Damn it! Retreat! Stick to the wall and fall back!"
Kwak Ho-young bellowed, veins bulging in his neck.
In the chaos, another exposed Mage Guild member was hooked by a wingbat's talons and yanked away.
"You Nakseung fucks, you're dead when we get out!"
"S-sorry, so sorry!"
"Shut your fucking mouth!"
Except for the camera crew, geared with items blocking A-rank and below attacks, every hunter was torn and slashed.
Their screams and curses aired live, sealing the joint op's failure.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
I hit mute on the remote and turned to the Justice Guild members.
Then I asked.
"If Justice Guild were in Nakseung's spot, would it have been different?"
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