Lee Ye-chan, a new Hunter from ‘Orenotern.’ He was having a dream. A dream where countless people were praising him in unison, for he had finally become the greatest Hunter.
Lee Ye-chan, with a confident face, was waving to them. Behind him, an orchestra of several dozen members began a magnificent performance.
Zzzzzzzzzzz.
“Aargh!!”
In an instant, Lee Ye-chan’s vision turned crimson. His head felt like it would shatter, and a nauseating dizziness tormented him endlessly. The applauding crowd and the orchestra were no longer visible.
All that remained for Lee Ye-chan was endless pain and a ringing in his ears. The horrifying sensation, as if he were about to faint, left Lee Ye-chan’s body and mind in tatters. And a moment later, Shhh…
A warm feeling enveloped Lee Ye-chan’s body, like when he was growing up in his mother’s arms. It felt like encountering paradise after experiencing hell. His body, which had been trembling like an aspen tree, gradually found its calm.
A gentle sensation that the word ‘warm’ was utterly insufficient to describe. At that moving feeling, Lee Ye-chan’s eyes began to well up.
“Umm…”
His face stained with tears, Lee Ye-chan opened his closed eyes. He was lying face down on a green plain.
Why.
How long had he been here. One by one, the corpses of Harpies came into his view.
“!!!!!!!”
Suddenly, the hair on his entire body stood on end. Only then did he realize that he had been in the middle of a battle.
“The… the boss Monster?!”
Leaping to his feet, Lee Ye-chan looked up at the sky like a madman. But there was nothing left in the sky. Not only were the wretched swarms of Harpies gone, but even the source of the nightmare, the ‘Singing Harpy,’ was nowhere to be seen.
“Seeing you so full of life, the healing must have gone well.”
“?!”
A familiar voice. Lee Ye-chan’s gaze shifted from the sky to the ground. There stood the celebrity who had received an ‘S-rank’ right after his qualification test.
Cheon Hae-seon.
“Hun… Hunter Cheon Hae-seon!!”
“Shh.”
He put his index finger to his lips as if to say he was a disturbance. Cheon Hae-seon was moving from person to person, repeatedly healing them. Lee Ye-chan was the only one standing properly.
The other Hunters were sprawled on the ground, just as Lee Ye-chan had been when he fainted a moment ago. It seemed he had been the first one to be healed. When he was attacked by the ‘Singing Harpy,’ Lee Ye-chan’s last thought was this.
‘We’re all going to die for sure.’
But what was this. The ‘Singing Harpy’ that emitted deadly soundwaves was nowhere to be seen, and only Cheon Hae-seon remained, healing the others.
“The boss Monster… what happened to it?”
Instead of answering, Cheon Hae-seon pointed in one direction. The corpse of a great giant that looked to be about three times the size of a person. After blinking a few times, Lee Ye-chan was able to realize that it was the ‘Singing Harpy.’
“No way…!!”
Lee Ye-chan ran over in a single breath to check the Harpy’s corpse. It was definitely the boss Monster’s body. Its eyes were still glinting with terror, but its limbs were already stiff and cold.
The dried bloodstains were a bonus. Crucially, there was a gaping hole in its chest. The ‘Core,’ known as the heart of Monsters, was gone.
The death of a Monster is classified into two types. When the Core remains, and when it has been extracted. If they die of natural causes or from fighting amongst themselves, the Core remains intact, but if the Core has been extracted like this, it was one hundred percent ‘hunted.’
By Hunters.
“Who on earth…?”
The ‘Singing Harpy’ was clearly hunted by a Hunter. The marks of the Core being gouged out were so clear. Was there anyone in our party capable of killing a 6-star boss Monster in a secondary dungeon?
No, there wasn’t. The highest-ranking Hunter among us was only a ‘B-rank.’ Moreover, the senior Esper capable of ranged attacks had fainted even before he did. Then, who in the world could have caught this boss Monster?
“Could it be…”
It was incomprehensible, but all conclusions pointed in one direction. The man who was left alone healing while everyone else was unconscious. The ‘S-rank’ Healer, Cheon Hae-seon.
The conclusion that he had caught the boss Monster and was now taking care of the people.
‘A healer beat a 6-star boss Monster?’
A passing dog would laugh at that. Healers are fundamentally inept at killing. It was a common belief in this field that no matter how skilled a healer was, they couldn’t take on a Monster of 2-star or higher on their own.
‘No… It must be…’
Lee Ye-chan remembered. The scene before the boss Monster appeared, where Cheon Hae-seon was slaughtering the smaller Harpies. Although it was an absurd question to ask himself, he couldn't help but ask Cheon Hae-seon.
“The boss Monster… did you take care of it, Hunter Cheon Hae-seon?”
“Yes.”
Perhaps because the answer was so simple and clear. Lee Ye-chan lost even the timing to be surprised.
Right.
While everyone else was unconscious, who else but him could have caught the boss Monster. Logically, it was perfect, but emotionally, he was still confused.
“H-how?”
At that, Cheon Hae-seon answered with a sullen face.
“In cases like this, don’t you usually offer thanks first?”
“Pardon?”
Lee Ye-chan’s cheeks flushed red.
That’s right.
He didn't know the full story, but he was undoubtedly his ‘savior.’ Lee Ye-chan bent his waist at a 90-degree angle and shouted powerfully.
“Thank you for saving my life! I will never forget this kindness, even in death!”
For some reason, it felt like he had said something similar right before he fainted. While Lee Ye-chan was having such thoughts, Cheon Hae-seon’s lips twisted strangely.
“You can repay the kindness now.”
“Pardon?”
“By not asking what happened. Let that be your thanks.”
As he infused another Hunter with healing, Cheon Hae-seon stated it as if stamping a seal.
“Well then. Shall we leave?”
“Yes…!!”
The matter was resolved more easily than expected. It was an unspoken rule in this field that whoever defeats the boss Monster gets to monopolize its Core. No one from the ‘Orenotern’ Guild coveted the boss Monster’s Core.
Well, even if they did covet it now, it was something they couldn't have. After defeating the ‘Singing Harpy,’ I had to absorb its Core first. Healing the Hunters be damned, I had to live first.
If I hadn't used its body as a cushion, there probably would have been no survivors in the secondary dungeon. A blessing in disguise, perhaps. Since all the Hunters were unconscious, no one saw me absorb the Core right away.
A 6-star was a 6-star. I gained a considerable harvest just by absorbing one Core. The Black Ether level was one thing, but the real gain was something else.
That unusual voice that Yaksha and Gu Geon-yi used. I could now also use ‘Lion’s Roar,’ a skill that naturally intimidated opponents. With just ‘Lion’s Roar,’ I could make not only ordinary people but also Hunters vulnerable to mental attacks retreat.
‘What does sensitivity to psychic power mean?’
Was it because the ‘Singing Harpy’s’ ability was psychic-based? As soon as I absorbed its Core, the V1 delivered some significant information. Seeing as there was no message about a new ability being unlocked, it didn't seem like I would become an Esper right away.
If I kept absorbing psychic-type Cores, could I eventually shoot fire? I couldn’t rule out the possibility, but for now, no thanks. Just dealing with the ‘Singing Harpy’ was a life-or-death struggle.
There was one thing I learned during my probationary period.
‘Normal’ dungeons definitely have no merit for me.
Since I have a basic resistance to poison, a 5-star Poison Dungeon feels as easy as a 2 or 3-star normal dungeon. Conversely, the 6-star ‘normal’ dungeon I experienced today was truly… difficult in many ways.
“Please keep your promise.”
“Is there any question…!!”
At my request, Team Leader Choi In-ho nodded his head vigorously. Not only had I defeated the boss Monster, but I had also perfectly healed the entire team, so it was no wonder his face was filled with faith. The only promise I made with the ‘Orenotern’ Guild was this.
The clearing of the secondary dungeon would be entirely attributed to the efforts of the ‘Orenotern’ Guild. Some people might have doubts during the investigation, but a secondary dungeon is a battlefield that’s impossible to verify unless you’re inside. If they just lower the difficulty a bit and conclude it as their achievement, the ‘healer’ won't be highlighted.
Hunters are a breed that would rather inflate their achievements than downplay them. With four ‘B-rank’ Hunters and one ‘S-rank’ healer, if they reported the difficulty as around 4-star, the investigation would conclude without any issues.
“Um… I have one question.”
As the dungeon entrance came into view, Lee Ye-chan hesitantly asked.
“Why are you trying so hard to hide your achievements, Hunter? If it were me, I’d be dying to show them off.”
Do you think everyone in the world is like you? But being asked like that made it easier to answer.
“I don’t like being the center of attention.”
“What?”
“I have an introverted personality, so people’s gazes are burdensome. It’s a similar reason why I haven’t joined a guild yet, and if it’s revealed that I took down the ‘Singing Harpy,’ people’s curiosity will only grow. The demands on me will also increase, whether I know it or not.”
“Ah… I see.”
“Hahaha. Hunter Cheon Hae-seon. Don’t you worry. I will make sure everyone keeps their mouths shut about today’s events. Everyone, remember this! If you so much as utter the ‘Cheon’ from Hunter Cheon Hae-seon’s name after we leave this dungeon, you’re expelled!”
I gave a bitter smile towards Choi In-ho, who was laughing loudly.
“Will that be enough?”
“Pardon?”
“I was thinking expulsion might be too lenient.”
“Then…?”
“It was a promise made in exchange for saving your lives, so if you don’t keep the promise, I’ll have to take back what I gave.”
To take back a life. Simply put, it meant I would kill them. Hearing my words, the Hunters of ‘Orenotern’ turned pale in an instant.
These people.
They have a surprisingly naive side to them.
“I’m kidding. But I trust you will keep the secret.”
“Ah, ahahahaha. Of course. This is Choi In-ho! My rank might be ‘B,’ but my credibility is ‘S’! I always keep my word!”
Choi In-ho forced a laugh and pounded his chest with his fist. He was a trustworthy man. Watching him lead the team in a crisis, he had considerable leadership.
Besides, the proposal I made was something the ‘Orenotern’ Guild would have wanted anyway. A dungeon they entered for the purpose of training a rookie Hunter turned into a ‘secondary dungeon,’ and clearing it without a single casualty was a tremendous achievement.
The honor of the ‘Orenotern’ Guild would naturally rise, and depending on the case, they might even receive a reward. Who would refuse to have all the credit shifted to them? I had expected from the beginning that they would keep their promise.
“Wahahahaha!! I just did what I had to do!!”
Look at that. Spouting lies without a shred of shame even under the flashing cameras. Choi In-ho cut ties with my contribution at a reasonable level, saying, ‘The reason we could endure the endless battle of attrition was thanks to Hunter Cheon Hae-seon’s near-infinite healing capacity.’
This time, people were more interested in the Orenotern Guild that cleared the secondary dungeon than the ‘S-rank healer.’
“With this, the probationary period is over.”
I had completed all five mandatory runs. Now, as long as I report in advance, I can freely enter any dungeon. I never dreamed I would encounter a secondary dungeon during my probationary period.
Although it has quieted down recently, many people are still curious about my whereabouts. The opinion that I would eventually join the ‘Glory Guild.’ The opinion that I would continue to be independent.
And even the opinion that I might go somewhere outside the country.
“Ah, here it is.”
However, my actual decision was quite different from people’s expectations. The reason I sought out this dungeon in the first place was because my ‘destination’ was nearby. A dilapidated two-story building with concrete peeling off here and there.
At least the second floor had a sign, but the first floor was a vacant space, making it look utterly desolate. The first choice of the ‘S-rank’ healer who had just shed his probationary tag was right before my eyes.