CH 9

Ms. Kang Soo-jung, we have the main offensive team anyway, so don’t push yourself too hard. Come to me immediately if you get hurt.”

Surprisingly, the young hunter’s sharpness was shattered.

“…You said you were a healer, right, eonnie? Well, regardless of which team we’re on, I’ll protect you unconditionally.”

“Thank you.” Seo-ah beamed, making Kang Soo-jung blush.

‘Now that I think about it, Baek Eun-hee mentioned that I was able to amplify her damage output.’

Would those people be affected by that too?

Ding!

[ Mission 1: Touch the Hunter (6/10) ]

“Now, come on! I’ll make some final announcements,” Kim Dae-hoon’s voice boomed. He pointed to a swirling blue portal. “That’s the E-class gate we’re going to be targeting today, as approved by the Guild.”

The Hunters’ Guild was always tracking the flow of mana and were thus able to put out an estimated appearance date and class level.

A guild or party could then make a reservation, and they would review the matter and determine if the matchup was safe.

Sudden gates like the one Seo-ah had been involved in were ones that the Hunters’ Guild could not detect in advance. At first, one appeared every few years, but recently the cycle had been getting shorter and shorter, down to one every few months.

“As promised, Team 1 will focus on the boss and will share the spoils from it. Team 2 can have the items from the surrounding mobs as well as 1 million won. Now, please do a final check!”

Each member did their own thing, except for Ahn Ji-yoo and Seo Hee-eun.

Kang Soo-jung looked at Seo-ah curiously. “Eonnie, what are you doing? I’ll be buying a potion at the store.”

“Store?”

A familiar blue window appeared.

There were various types of weapons and potions, but she could not buy anything because… on the lower right corner was her balance, 0G.

The girl clicked her tongue knowingly. “You didn’t exchange money for gold, did you, eonnie?”

“Oh, yes. That’s right, I forgot…”

“Speak casually, eonnie. I’m only in my third year of middle school.”

As expected, Kang Soo-jung was indeed a minor. There must be a reason why she was here working, but Seo-ah decided not to ask for now.

“I see.”

“Just hide behind me.” Kang Soo-jung looked at Ahn Ji-yoo. “By the way, do you have any weapons? I heard you were a D-class hunter.”

He pulled out a small wooden stick, It was the staff used by novice casters, and it looked so awkward in his hands, like something he’d just bought.

Kang Soo-jung turned to Seo Hee-eun with disbelieving eyes.

The tank waved her arms up and down. “This is my weapon.”

“Don’t you have a shield?”

“I don’t need anything like that. My body is strong enough.”

Seo-ah stared at Ahn Ji-yoo and held out her hand. “I look forward to working with you, Mr. Ahn Ji-yoo.”

“…” He held her hand lightly.

Seo Hee-eun also shook hands with her. “Don’t go to dangerous places, Ms. Healer.”

“Oh… yes.”

“It looks like we’re all set,” Kim Dae-hoon yelled. “Let’s go!”

Team 1 stepped into the gate and disappeared from sight. Shortly after, Team 2 followed.

Seo-ah’s vision wavered, and as soon as she opened her eyes, she was fully inside the gate. Reeds, wild grass, and bushes grew next to each other on the wide plain.

“That’s good,” said the healer on the first team.

Kim Dae-hoon sighed in relief. “It’s a normal field. This’ll be easier than I thought, so let’s get it over with!”

“How do you know if a gate is easy or difficult?” Seo-ah asked Kang Soo-jung, who sighed but responded coolly.

“You don’t know? Oh, right, it’s your first raid. What we’re seeing now are plain fields, and are often low-level zones. But, if you’re particularly unlucky, they might be very difficult to clear.”

Kang Soo-jung answered Seo-ah’s questions in detail, perhaps out of pity for her inexperience.

“There!” She sprang forward, pulling out her knives and throwing one.

A rabbit-like creature collapsed with a strange sound.

“I got it! I got the Big-Clawed Rabbit!”

‘Oh, a monster.’

On another note, she looked very much like a hunter in that moment.

“Wow, that’s amazing!”

Kang Soo-jung smiled pleasantly at the compliment and casually pulled out the rabbit’s claws.

That was probably what Kim Dae-hoon was referring to when he said “items from the surrounding mobs”.

“What will you use them for?”

“I’m going to keep them in my inventory and sell them later. I’ll share some with you later, eonnie.”

While Team 1 took the lead, Team 2 stayed in the rear and occasionally handled small monsters. Most of them were caught by Kang Soo-jung, while Seo Hee-eun sometimes kicked off the monsters that suddenly rushed at them. She’d said that her body was tough enough to warrant not having a shield, and she seemed to live up to her words.

Seo-ah glanced at Ahn Ji-yoo, who wasn’t doing anything. She hadn’t even seen him cast a single spell.

‘Well, I’m sure he’ll be fine.’

“I’m in especially good form today! I was able to slay a Carnivorous Deer alone! I was almost killed by one before!” Kang Soo-jung came up to her, holding a pair of antlers, forehead scratched.

“Come here!” Seo-ah quickly used her skill, touching the girl’s forehead.

Light gathered around the spot where they touched.

Kang Soo-jung blinked. “I feel like I have my own healer.

“Well, you’re not wrong.”

“Before, even if I got hurt, I couldn’t get near a healer.”

“Really? But you said you’ve gone on four other raids prior to this one.”

The wound vanished without a trace.

Seo-ah felt a burst of pride. Her ‘Recovery’ skill was improving.

“Well, healers are precious, so senior hunters are treated first.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. It’s sad, but true. They’re prioritized because they need to be able to defeat the boss… It would be better for a party to conserve their healer’s strength as much as possible—a Horned Squirrel!”

The girl was bursting with energy.

‘I think Soo-jung is also being affected, just like how Baek Eun-hee became stronger at that time.’

What was this ability? How was it leaking out of her when her status was still locked?

It was frustrating not knowing.

The first team had gone a long way ahead, about to enter the forest.

Whoooooo-hoooo!

The cry from the forest was loud enough to echo in their ears.

“Ugh!”

“Gah!”

The backup team rushed in.

“What are you doing? Fall back! Didn’t you just get injured by the Roaring Bear?” Kim Dae-hoon shouted.

When Seo-ah got closer, she saw the large bear-like demon swinging its front paws.

Upon inspection, the injured person happened to be their main healer, who was currently healing himself. One of his arms was limp, and his injury seemed serious.

In the meantime, the rest of the team was fighting the bear, their injuries mounting.

“Team 2! Come over here!”

Seo-ah looked at her teammates. Kang Soo-jung seemed hesitant, while Seo Hee-eun and Ahn Ji-yoo completely ignored Kim Dae-hoon’s order.

“Damn, what are you waiting for? Hurry up!”

‘I don’t think that Roaring Bear is the final boss… If it’s like this, how are we going to defeat the gate?’

In any case, she approached them little by little because she could not bear to turn a blind eye.

The bear grew more enraged at the first team’s clumsy attacks.

Whoooo!

The biggest problem with this type of enemy was that those who heard its roar were momentarily seized with fear, making their movements sluggish.