Ch. 27 - Chapter 27

“What???”

Park Hyosang and Kim Chuho stared at me with wide eyes.

They probably thought I would quietly agree to the contract, never expecting to get a counteroffer out of nowhere.

“Hahahahaha.”

Albeit belatedly, they burst into laughter, their shoulders shaking.

They seemed to think of me as some clueless rookie.

The two men chuckled for quite a while, while the two rookie hunters watched the scene with anxious eyes.

“Mr. Chun Haesun. There seems to be some misunderstanding, but it’s a healer’s duty to treat party members. Just like it’s our job to stand on the front lines and take down monsters.”

“I know.”

“...Huh?”

“Of course, if anyone here gets hurt, I’ll heal them. I have no intention of breaking the rules set by the Hunter Association.”

“Then what do you mean by two million won…..”

“As I said before, that’s only if you’re requesting ‘protection,’ not ‘healing’.”

It was only then that Park Hyosang and Kim Chuho seemed to understand what I meant.

But their gazes still remained cynical.

“Mr. Chun Haesun. We know you're a top-tier healer. But dungeons are more dangerous than you think. You’ll have to worry about your own safety before you can even think about protecting us.”

To think I had to hear this from a guy I seriously doubt had ever experienced a 5‑star (★★★★★) dungeon.

My tongue itched to say more, but I cut to the chase.

“I’ll take care of that myself. If you don't add an additional clause in the contract, I won’t be signing it.”

“Well, this is..…”

As Park Hyosang scratched his head, the blond, tanned Kim Chuho egged him on.

“Brother. Why are you worrying about something like this? Whether it’s two million or twenty million won, it’s not like something like that’s ever gonna happen.”

“Hm….. Alright, then. Let’s do that, Mr. Chun Haesun.”

Park Hyosang added the clause I requested to the contract and stamped it with his seal.

I thought this would be a dull dungeon, but perhaps it was going to be more fun than I expected.

***

“Eek!!”

“Oh dear, our little princess is quite surprised. Heh heh heh.”

Park Hyosang, as if teasing the young Esper, lifted the limp nutria above his head.

The inside of the dungeon resembled an abandoned sewage treatment plant.

The Poison Dungeons were mostly comprised of dense forest.

It seemed the structure varied depending on the monster type.

Whish.

The veterans moved more skillfully than I had expected.

The idea of extorting protection fees was absurd, but in reality, they cleared the dungeon quickly without needing any support from the Espers.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, a nutria sprang up from the river and lunged toward the male Esper’s face.

Squelch!

At the perfect moment, Kim Chuho’s blade stabbed the nutria in the side.

Seeing the creature flailing its limbs in midair, the Esper’s face went completely pale.

"Haha. Don't worry. We're receiving protection money for a reason."

The Esper nodded with a frightened look on his face.

‘Seriously..…’

It was not my business, so I let it slide, but it was unbelievably frustrating.

At this rate, what was the point of the Association running training programs at all?

What was the point of racking up dungeon clears like that?

If all they ever did was get protected and coast through, how would they ever be able to hold their own in real combat later?

"Why don't you try doing something?"

"What....?"

“I mean, I’ve got nothing to do if no one’s injured, but that’s not the case for you two, right? You finally made it into a dungeon, are you really going to leave without even trying anything? Even after paying that hefty one million won?”

"......"

“The nutrias here are nothing more than oversized rats. Even if you get bitten, I can heal you right away, and there won’t even be a scar. You didn’t become Hunters just to scream, did you?”

They may look young, but they were actually two or three years older than me.

Of course, there was a significant gap in our ranks, but depending on how you take it, what I said could easily be seen as insulting.

But I chose to speak harshly anyway.

Because I couldn’t stand their helplessness.

The people who died so brutally in Gaebang Neighborhood.

If the same situation were to occur in the future, would they be able to protect people?

"What Mr. Chun Haesun said... is right.”

Though her face had gone pale, the female Esper turned around and gathered Aether in both hands.

Zzzt.

Fzzzt.

The harshly spoken advice transformed into a piercing lightning bolt that struck the nutria.

Despite taking a direct hit, the creature was still alive, I guess ‘E’ rank really is just ‘E’ rank.

But it didn't matter.

At least they showed some effort to do something.

“Haha. I told you there’s no need for that.”

The two veteran hunters chuckled and glanced this way.

It would be much easier for them if someone helped.

The pair of rookie hunters attacked the nutria from behind the knight, and the hunters’ hunting pace gradually quickened.

The veterans skillfully extracted the core from inside the nutria’s body.

They said they'd distribute it later, but if someone hadn't counted the number from the beginning, they'd definitely try to pull the wool over our eyes.

"How much further do we have to go?"

"Hoo. Just about 10 meters ahead from here. There, you'll find a nutria as big as a house.”

"Wow..."

At the mention of it being as big as a house, the male Esper flinched.

‘They’re just messing around.’

There was no way a monster that size would appear in a 1-star (★) dungeon.

The only real monster that was as big as a house was...

Right, Big Tigger.

That’s the kind of creature I'm talking about.

Anyway, I guess it was time.

It was time to forcibly ‘protect’ the hunters who were too busy chasing money.

Swish.

Healers usually stay at the very back of the party.

They’re vulnerable to enemy attacks, and on the other hand, they rarely get the chance to attack from the side.

That’s why no one realized I had drawn my Exa while in the ‘White Dream (白夢)’ state.

With White Dream activated, I dipped the blade into the river.

Zzzt…

A faint white vapor slowly spread inside the sewer.

Too much would backfire, so this amount was just right.

The blade in White Dream had two powerful effects:

A tranquilizing effect.

And an anesthetic effect.

As an S-rank healer, I wouldn’t be affected at all, but they wouldn't be so lucky.

Whish.

“Ugh!”

Park Hyosang, who was skillfully slashing the nutria, suddenly got one arm bitten by the creature.

"Haha. Brother. What are you doing in front of the kids?"

Kim Chuho chuckled as he slashed the nutria clinging to Park Hyosang.

“Damn it. How embarrassing. I guess I’m getting old.”

Park Hyosang grumbled as he walked over toward me.

Before entering the dungeon, Brie had ingested a large amount of my poison, leaving me with a surge of healing power.

I thoroughly healed Park Hyosang’s injured area.

“Oh wow. As expected of an ‘S’ rank. It’s like new skin has grown back completely.”

He looked genuinely impressed and chuckled.

Hey, moron.

Now’s really not the time for that, is it?

“B-Brother!!”

An urgent voice rang out from behind Park Hyosang.

Nutrias were clinging all over Kim Chuho’s arms and legs.

“What?!”

Park Hyosang, now fully healed, quickly rushed over.

The previously easygoing situation suddenly took a sharp turn.

They were locked in a fierce battle with the nutrias, struggling desperately.

His field jacket had long since become tattered, and despite being healed just now, fresh blood flowed again.

“Fuck! Why are they so strong all of a sudden?”

I covered the corners of my mouth, which had slightly raised, with one hand.

The nutria hadn’t become stronger.

Their reactions had simply dulled.

The smoke created by White Dream was temporary, but it was enough to affect everyone here.

Taking advantage of their struggle, I grabbed the hands of the two Espers.

“Come this way.”

Shrrrrr…

At first glance, it might have seemed like a gesture to avoid the nutrias, but that was just an excuse.

The moment I grabbed their hands, I completely erased the ‘White Dream’ substance that had infiltrated the two Espers.

Let's just watch the show and eat some rice crackers.

With a clear mind.

"Uh… what should we do?"

The Espers aimed at the nutrias with their respective skills, but unlike before, the creatures were clinging all over the two men’s bodies, making it difficult to strike easily.

The flustered Espers asked me with worried expressions.

I scratched my head and gave a vague answer.

“I didn’t expect a one-star dungeon to be this tough. Those two might be in real danger if we’re not careful.”

“That…!!”

Ziiiiiiiik.

As if in response to those words, a rougher, more aggressive cry echoed than before.

To make matters worse.

A massive nutria, although smaller than what the veterans had mentioned, about two meters long appeared.

"Ha....!!"

The espers, who had shown some fighting spirit, instinctively took a step back. The creature’s appearance was utterly grotesque.

Unlike the smaller ones we were facing, this giant’s fur stood on end like a mane.

Of course, if the two veterans worked together, they could easily take it down.

That was, if they were in their ‘normal condition’.

“Ugh…!!”

A shadow of despair fell over the faces of Park Hyosang and Kim Chuho, who were locked in a desperate struggle with the nutrias.

They were already struggling to deal with the small fry, and now they had to face the boss mob too.

“Damn it!! What are you doing!! Why aren’t you attacking quickly!!”

Park Hyosang, growing desperate, hurled curses at the Espers and urged them on.

“B-But. They’re too close!!”

“You idiots!! Then at least keep that big guy over there from getting close!!”

“Yes… yes!!”

Hmm.

If they did that, the boss monster’s target might shift to the Espers.

Judging by the looks on the two men’s faces, it seemed like they didn’t care about that at all.

No, actually, it seemed they were desperately hoping the ‘Huge Nutria’ to attack someone else.

Sqwaaak—

Bang!

“Grrr….”

The two Espers’ attacks hit the boss monster, but aside from flinching briefly, it showed no signs of taking damage.

This was the extent of a rookie Esper's long-range attack.

Amidst the fierce battle, the veterans checked the boss monster’s condition and wore expressions of despair.

“Brother. At this rate, we’re all going to die!”

“Stop whining and kill this thing already!”

Thwack.

The two men ultimately couldn’t hold their ground and retreated this way.

I quickly restored the two men.

Of course, excluding the effects of White Dream.

"Brother. It seems the monsters have grown stronger. Let's wait for the next opportunity."

“Are you crazy? Who’s going to give permits to hunters who failed a one-star clear next time!”

The nutrias slowly approached.

The four men and women trembled with anxiety.

I lightly covered the corner of my mouth and asked Park Hyosang,

“Shall I protect you?”

“...What?”

“It seems you two aren’t quite capable of protecting us. If you request protection from me, I’ll clear the dungeon for you.”

Park Hyosang was so stunned he couldn’t even give a proper response.

Although he had been healed, the Aether within his body had its limits.

If he kept using it without rest, he’d run out completely.

“Cut the crap. There’s nothing you can do anyway, you’re just a healer.”

“Oh, really? Then hurry up and go fight. Like you just said, you can't be real hunters if you can't even clear a one‑star dungeon.”

Park Hyosang glared at me for a moment, then gritted his teeth and ran into the battlefield.

A few minutes later.

“Huff, huff. He-Heal me, please!!”

With his Aether already depleted and now paralyzed, there was no way he could fight properly.

He returned almost lifeless, barely able to move.

Shrrrrr…

“I can’t keep healing you like this forever. My Aether has its limits, you know…”

“Is that really true?”

Of course, that was a lie.

Yes, there might be limits, but healing these small fries was something I could handle even if hundreds showed up.

But since I needed to hear those two words, I intentionally stirred up their anxiety.

“I’ll ask again. Shall we proceed with the additional contract?”

"......"

"Damn it, Brother!! If we keep going like this, we'll all end up dead. Either get us out of here or pretend to be fooled and agree to the contract!"

A knight being protected by a healer.

Given their personalities, it was an utterly humiliating situation.

But in the end, Park Hyosang had no choice but to surrender.

“Chun Haesun… please protect us… If we clear the dungeon, we will honor the contract.”

"Yes."

With a curt reply, I jumped up.

The Exa in my hand had already transformed into its distinctive black color.

The lethal weapon, deadly even with a mere graze, began ravaging the nutrias alongside my Poison Step.

Crack!

Shreek! Stab!

“Chii…!!!”

The extreme poison’s infiltration allowed not even a scream.

Over twenty nutrias plunged their heads into the gutter in mere seconds.

"This... This...!!"

"This can't be happening!!"

Not only the two Espers, but also the two knights looked over at me with eyes full of shock.

For them, it was probably impossible to even comprehend what had just happened.

“Sssshreeeek!!”

The huge nutria leaped forward, seemingly enraged.

Just as the beast’s snout was about to bite my head, I leapt to a position far above the nutria.

Crack!

The sound of teeth clashing echoed loudly, and with the nutria losing its target, I slashed at the back of its neck from above.

Fwoosh—

Thud!

Battle over.

Putting to shame the veterans who had fought fiercely and were drenched in blood, I cleared the dungeon in less than 30 seconds.

'So this is how easy combat can be when you're allowed to kill.'

Having always avoided it and looked for alternatives, this way of fighting felt much more comfortable.

“Mr. Chun Haesun! You…!!”

“What exactly are you?”

Beyond the fallen nutrias, four men and women stood with their mouths agape, unable to close them.

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