Chapter 186: Destruction King (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 186: Destruction King (2)
"Ughhhhhhh—! I'm so tireeeed!"
As soon as we destroyed the final dungeon core and emerged, Kwon Ye-jin let out a scream-like stretch and flopped onto the ground.
Anna slumped over her as if collapsing, and Hornet leaned against an equipment case with a weary face.
"I didn't expect we'd have to run the last dungeon five times."
Lee Yu-na let out a bitter laugh, her face drenched in sweat.
Today, we cleared dungeons a total of eleven times.
For the previous dungeons, the dungeon core appeared after only three runs, but for the last one, the mana levels wouldn't drop even after resetting, forcing us to go through it five times.
The anomaly actually gave me a bit of a scare, too.
I had confidently declared we’d destroy three today, but when the core didn't appear even after the fourth run, I considered giving up.
Since it was the first day, I had planned to keep it light with about nine clears before heading back, but this Dungeon Impact is no joke.
If the party members hadn't shown such resolve, saying it would be a waste to quit after coming this far, we probably would have headed back.
Satomi and Yoon A-young also looked exhausted, but they seemed satisfied watching the dungeon entrance collapse, giving me small smiles.
"You really... destroyed three of them..."
"Yes. Going in five times was unexpected, but it went according to plan."
"According to plan..."
Atsuko muttered to herself, staring blankly at the crumbling entrance. My idea of a "plan" and hers were clearly different.
"Are the other Korean parties like this too...?"
"It was only B-1, after all. If other A-rank parties came, they could probably destroy even more."
Smack!
I ended up getting smacked on the butt by Yoon A-young. I gave an awkward smile, realizing she was telling me to stop bragging while acting like it was nothing.
"Black Unicorn will continue to operate on this kind of schedule."
"So you'll keep clearing B-1 dungeons?"
"No, we're going to keep moving up the ranks and clear B-rank dungeons. We can handle the C or D-ranks anytime once the number of higher-rank dungeons reaches a safe level."
I made sure to explain it properly this time. I spoke carefully while gauging Yoon A-young's reaction, and Atsuko just blinked before giving an awkward laugh and nodding.
"Let's head back. There's an onsen, so it'll be good for resting."
I clapped my hands to call the party members, and they all stood up with groans.
"The inn said they've prepared a grand dinner, so let's find the strength to get back."
"The food is delicious, but they give such small portions," Kwon Ye-jin said regretfully.
Heroes eat two to three times more than average people, so the meals provided by the inn were insufficient.
"I heard other heroes complained about that too, so they're switching to a buffet style."
"Really? Then I'm going to eat my fill."
At Lee Yu-na's words, Kwon Ye-jin excitedly tucked Anna under her arm and hopped into the car.
After arriving at the inn, I told the party members to rest and headed to the headquarters.
The people at the Support Headquarters were scurrying around busily, but they stopped and looked surprised when they saw my face.
Why?
"Hero Jeong Yeon-woo of Black Unicorn has arrived!"
"Waaaaah—!"
As soon as the first person spotted me and announced it, the others burst into applause.
As I stood there dazed, Song Jae-ah came out from the back and approached me.
"I already got the word. Let's go inside."
"What kind of news did you get that makes everyone so happy?"
"There isn't a single party that destroyed three dungeons in one day. You deserve the applause."
Really? I knew we did well, but not even one?
If they went into lower-rank dungeons, they could easily destroy five or six, not just three. With Attacker Rush Tactics, the speed should be decent.
When I asked my question after entering her private office, Song Jae-ah gave a small smirk and answered.
"Because it's better to handle high-rank dungeons first. Everyone entered dungeons suited to their level. Out of all of them, yours is the only party that destroyed three."
I guess I wasn't the only one who thought lower dungeons could be cleared anytime.
Well, that makes sense.
Even if a dungeon explodes, which is scarier: thousands of Goblins pouring out of a D-rank dungeon, or a single S-rank Belarus?
Even though they were only given quotas without specific instructions, it seems all the heroes were thinking the same thing.
"There were heroes who entered ranks lower than their own, but even they hit their limit at two. Their mana pollution levels got too high, so they had to rest."
As I thought, is it because of the orbs?
They're cash items, but the developers made sure they couldn't be used indefinitely. It was probably to prevent people from brute-forcing content they weren't leveled for.
If you apply that system to reality, there's no way to stop it other than mana pollution.
When we caught the Belarus, the 100+ tries were done by rotating S-rank parties.
The Jewel of Life is definitely a cheat item, but it can't be used recklessly.
But seriously, what kind of idiots used orbs in a rank lower than their own? What did they even do to die there? What a waste of an orb.
Song Jae-ah sat a bit away from me, looking pleased.
"Because there were so many special individuals, your party is also the only one that didn't use a single orb. The Japan Association is watching you with great interest."
"Since hundreds of parties came to help, the consumption of orbs must be massive."
As I sat on the sofa, Song Jae-ah moved slightly further away as she replied.
"Yeah. They're frantically gathering orbs, but the price has skyrocketed, so the Japanese government is having a headache. In that situation, they can't help but pay attention to the only group that didn't use any."
"They'll have to get orb support from other countries too."
Support for heroes, support for orbs.
They call it support, but it's all debt.
If Japan doesn't leave behind enough dungeons with good profitability among those created by the Dungeon Impact, they'll have a hard time later.
But if they try too hard to secure them, accidents will happen. I just have to hope the Japanese government doesn't screw up.
"Thanks to you, the perception of the Korean Support Team seems to be improving. A reporter was asking a lot of questions about you earlier."
No matter what country you go to, yellow journalism is a problem. Those people who incite the public, use provocative words, and promote discrimination or hatred.
It was natural for Song Jae-ah, who had been targeted by the tabloids as soon as she arrived, to feel good about our performance.
But why is she avoiding me?
"Ah, do I smell like sweat...? Sorry, I came straight here to report."
"You do smell like sweat, but... uh... your scent is strong, so it's actually go— I mean, no, that's not it. I don't mind. It's fine, it's fine."
I wondered why she kept moving away; it was because of the smell.
But she wasn't avoiding me because it was unpleasant.
Seeing Song Jae-ah's flushed face, I felt a bit mischievous and moved to sit right next to her.
She stayed quiet, glancing at me. She looked so cute that I leaned in until our shoulders touched and whispered.
"I worked really hard, so can't you give me a reward?"
"Gulp... Wh-what kind of reward...?"
Instead of answering, I hugged her.
I really wanted to just tell her to take off my pants and blow me, but I shouldn't push too hard.
Song Jae-ah awkwardly hugged me back with trembling hands. My back hadn't dried yet from the trip to the headquarters, but she didn't seem to mind as she gently stroked it.
She was trying to control her breathing, but her excited, deep inhalations were amusing.
So this is why women tease men.
Seeing an aroused partner hesitate like a dog told to wait for its food provides a unique kind of pleasure.
If this gets too extreme, people call it "playing the field" or being a tease.
Don't worry. I'm not some bitch who only holds out on me.
I'll fuck you fairly, so just wait a little longer.
I felt her body in the tight embrace before pulling away.
Her excited eyes were a bit scary, but thinking about how she couldn't do anything made me understand how women feel.
"I've received my reward. Now that the report is done, I'll be going. Don't overwork yourself."
"Huh? Oh... yeah, thank you too..."
Hearing Song Jae-ah's still-dazed reply, I left the room.
Ah, I forgot to ask about the plan for the next dungeon.
I came here on purpose and left without doing the most important thing.
Creek—
"Sorry, about the next dungeon..."
Song Jae-ah, who had her hand—the one that had been stroking my back—pressed to her nose while touching her own chest, froze in shock and stared at me.
"Ah... sorry... I'll come back tomorrow..."
Under her blank stare, I awkwardly bowed my head and closed the door.
I heard a loud thud from behind me, but I saw nothing.
She'll be embarrassed when we meet tomorrow, but work is work, so it can't be helped.
I left the headquarters immediately and returned to the inn.
"Yo— good work today."
Jeong Sae-bom, with her black hair and pink highlights, was walking down the hallway drinking a cola. She held out her fist when she saw me.
That hair turns me on every time I see it.
When I reached out to return the fist bump, she dodged my hand, tapped her fist up and down, moved her hand around, and finally gave me the fist bump.
"Your handshake is terrible."
Jeong Sae-bom chuckled and walked away, sipping her cola again.
"You worked hard today. Everyone's talking about Black Unicorn."
I watched Jeong Sae-bom's butt as she walked away coolly without looking back, then returned to my room.
The heroes passing by all acknowledged me, and after greeting them, I took a shower and came out.
"Master! Hurry up! Everyone's waiting!"
While I was at the headquarters, the party members had showered and gotten ready. They had impressively waited for me so we could eat together.
Anna and Kwon Ye-jin were eating with happy expressions, their plates piled high with food, while Lee Yu-na and Satomi brought small portions back multiple times.
"It's a pain, just bring it all at once. Are you acting coy because you're in front of Master? Master brings his all at once too."
"Ye-jin, why don't you try acting a little coy for once?"
I watched the two bicker over their food while I sipped a drink.
"Next is B-2."
"..."
When I spoke, everyone went quiet and looked at me.
Why? Do they still not believe me?
"If the Leader says so, we can definitely clear it."
Satomi nodded with a smile.
As expected, showing them once is better than telling them a hundred times.
Satomi, who trusted the supporter tactics and my abilities but thought the goal was impossible, now seemed to trust me completely.
"Do we have to go through this hell every three days? Sigh—"
Hornet complained, but her eyes were sparkling as if she'd do it the moment I gave the word.
It seems she's starting to enjoy clearing dungeons bit by bit.
The sensation is different from dealing with monsters or humans, and the exhilaration of protecting the world is a bonus.
"I trusted the Leader from the beginning."
"I trusted Master too."
"Don't lie. When Yeon-woo first mentioned it, your mouth was hanging open so wide I thought you were going to drool."
"Look who's talking, you didn't believe him either."
"I was just pointing out the risk factors. I've always trusted Yeon-woo."
Anna grinned while stuffing a large piece of meat into her mouth, while Lee Yu-na and Kwon Ye-jin bickered.
Yoon A-young didn't say anything but nodded as if it were obvious.
In fact, Yoon A-young was probably the only one among them who never had a single doubt.
"Tomorrow, we'll rest until noon. In the afternoon, as soon as the simulation training ground is set up, we'll do tactical training for the B-2 dungeon we're going to clear."
"Understood. But is the next raid in three days?"
"Yes. I haven't finalized the plan yet, but I'll set it for three days from now."
"We'll need to keep an eye on the pollution levels. Everyone, check yourselves before bed and let me know. We have to do this every day, so don't forget—especially you, Ye-jin."
Lee Yu-na was taking initiative to help with party management.
Nothing is more fatal to a hero than mana pollution.
We check every time we enter a dungeon, but with this many clears, the dungeon's mana accumulates in the body. You never know when the levels might spike, so it's best to keep checking.
I felt grateful to Lee Yu-na for being proactive, but it probably won't be necessary.
Because the device I invested two-thirds of my earnings into is on its way.
The shares I got from selling guns at Poltsmith, the money I earned as a hero, and the villain bounties—the results of investing all that money into Park Su-jin's company are finally coming out.
The efficiency isn't great yet and it's still in testing, but if not now, when would I use it?
I'm worried when I think about Park Su-jin, who has zero interest in business, but the people under her are reliable, so it'll probably work fine.
Probably.