Chapter 553: New Encounter (1)

The place we moved to with other recovery-type hunters, presumed to be trash or something similar, was a temporary safe zone created in the center of the abandoned village dungeon.

Originally, this place would have been the amusement park’s parking lot. Since it was over 10 years ago, there were hardly any cars left, and even the ones that remained were abandoned like scrap metal.

Still, the sure thing was that, fitting the description of a safe zone, there were hardly any monsters around.

There were no particular signs that guild staff had cleared out monsters beforehand; since it was a location close to the border of the three zones, it was highly likely that it naturally became a safe zone.

Since it was a point where monsters from the three zones, each with different characteristics, clashed, it must have been difficult for any single type of monster to claim the area. Consequently, it wasn’t a favorable environment for any of the three types of monsters to inhabit, so it inevitably became relatively safe.

As soon as we arrived at the safe zone guided by the staff, we encountered the other recovery-type hunters gathered as if they were already waiting, but.

For some reason, the newly encountered recovery-type hunters didn’t look very motivated either.

“Haaah, when will this end….”

“Koooool….”

“……”

Seeing the women making bored expressions, clearly acting like they were dragged here by force, or others who had laid down mats on the parking lot floor and were fast asleep, memories of my past life, forgotten for a long time, suddenly surfaced in my mind.

‘…Reservists?’

Seeing them slumped around listlessly as if lacking motivation, or focused solely on smartphone games, it was truly a scene that could only be described as ‘reservists’.

Even though recovery-type hunters extremely dislike entering dungeons, I never imagined they would be so oblivious to social cues and openly show their displeasure like this.

The reason they could afford to show such uncooperative attitudes was likely because there was no one else who could replace their abilities.

It wasn’t for nothing that recovery-type hunters were called the ‘kings of kings’ among the ‘top dogs’.

Seeing the true nature of recovery-type hunters, who are responsible for the lives of hunters, it was a moment that inevitably made me feel strangely bitter.

‘No wonder it always seemed so crowded whenever I worked in the treatment room.’

It wasn’t just the difference between male and female doctors; the very attitude towards providing recovery must have been clearly different. At least I actively checked symptoms and treated patients meticulously, without showing any signs of annoyance. Even though I’m a man, I didn’t hesitate when it came to touching a female hunter’s body.

But looking at the recovery-type hunters here, I could roughly picture the scene in a recovery room without even needing to imagine it. Even I would probably want to go to someone who actively asks where and how it hurts and treats you sincerely, rather than a healer who treats you carelessly with annoyance.

‘Ideally, I wanted to become friends with a recovery-type hunter and properly learn recovery spells.’

Seeing that most existing awakened recovery-type individuals are like this, I don’t know if there’s really anyone among them who could teach me. I even thought they might have less recovery experience than me, who juggles combat and healing inside dungeons.

Of course, even among these people, there was bound to be at least one decent person mixed in.

One female hunter, radiating a particularly bright aura, began to boost the hunters’ morale with a lively voice.

“Everyone~! Let’s all do our best today~!”

“Ah, so noisy….”

“……”

“So that everyone can gain energy together, I’ll cast a Blessing of Vitality on you all~! One, two~!”

She brushed off even the complaints directed at herself easily, and instead cast blessings on the other hunters. The holy power, starting from the woman with pink wavy hair, spread instantly among the recovery-type hunters. I, too, was briefly surrounded by the mysterious light emanating from her body and somehow suddenly felt a surge of vibrant energy, enveloped in a strange sensation.

-Rustle, rustle…

“…Ah, seriously.”

It seemed I wasn’t the only one feeling a similar sensation; the attitudes of the other recovery-type hunters were clearly showing the effects of the vitality boost. Hunters tidying up their earphones or relaxing their stiff expressions and showing slightly more motivated looks was quite surprising.

“Now, everyone~! You’re starting to feel energized, right~? Let’s all give it our all~!”

“F-Fighting!”

Seeing her cheerfully spreading positive energy, I too, before I knew it, was naturally getting swept up in the mood along with her energy. As soon as the pink-haired woman saw me respond positively, the others also slowly, even if weakly, began to show reactions of trying to join in.

“Y-yes…”

“…F-Fighting…”

To turn that scene, reminiscent of reservist morale-boosting sessions, into this atmosphere in an instant. The moment I witnessed this small miracle that appeared before my eyes, only one thought entered my mind. If I really wanted to learn recovery and blessing spells properly, becoming friends with this hunter was undoubtedly the best way.

Meanwhile, in Zone B of the abandoned village.

A-rank hunter Kang Hye-eun, dispatched to deal with the large monsters in Zone B, known as the Amusement Park Zone. For some reason, unlike her past participation in large-scale subjugation events, she was entering combat with a slightly unsettled heart.

‘I told him so much, I hope he doesn’t really go somewhere and come back strangely injured….’

Kang Hye-eun prepared for battle with an anxious heart, like a parent watching their child near water. Because she knew Sung Taekyung’s personality well, worries about him constantly filled Kang Hye-eun’s mind. Since they had already parted ways and moved to different zones, there was nothing she could do.

Still, considering the abandoned village was a B-rank dungeon, it was somewhat comforting, but. At least, considering Sung Taekyung’s abilities shown so far, the possibility of him being in danger within a B-rank dungeon could be considered non-existent. Besides, he wasn’t participating as a combatant like herself; he was participating as a healer. If he was just playing the role of treating injured hunters from the back, naturally, there would be no danger of him getting hurt.

Of course, considering Sung Taekyung’s personality, the fact that he probably wouldn’t just stay put and heal from the back was the element making her anxious. All she could do right now was focus on the monster before her and present her shield.

-Clang!

‘Kkuaaaah…!’

Putting weight into the heavy shield created by her awakened ability, Kang Hye-eun charged with her whole body at the Treradon. With the Shield Bash she unleashed, the giant Treradon’s body tilted. Bending one leg that took the impact, it began to lean its massive body forward.

“Now, Jihee-ssi!”

“Got it!”

After leaping towards the Treradon’s face, which had lowered its stance after Kang Hye-eun’s attack, Cheon Jihee kicked towards the monster’s eyes in mid-air. Her powerful kick, imbued with energy, burrowed into the monster’s weak point, its eyes. Cheon Jihee’s kick accurately targeted the monster’s weak spot, aiming for its life…

-Pukwaaaak!

“……?!”

Unlike Cheon Jihee’s original intention to simply pierce the eye area and kill it with critical bleeding, the Treradon hit by her kick had its entire head crushed. With part of its head bursting and letting out a half-hearted groan, the B-rank monster immediately met its end.

‘Kkeueugeu….’

Its head nearly halved, the large monster collapsed instantly. Compared to herself when she participated in last year’s subjugation, the ridiculously increased power of her kick left Cheon Jihee feeling considerable bewilderment.

‘…I’ve gotten stronger than in the Crystal Spider cave last time.’

Even when I tore off one leg of the Queen Crystal Spider with a kick, it felt like my prime abilities had returned, and I felt quite happy, but. The moment she confirmed the power of her kick against the Treradon today, Cheon Jihee couldn’t hide her surprise once again. The Treradon’s characteristic was its tough body parts; normally, just destroying the eye area would have required considerable effort, but in today’s attack, even though I deliberately controlled my strength and struck a little less forcefully, I witnessed its head being nearly halved instead.

She could now be sure that she had not just recovered her peak abilities from the past, but had reached an entirely new level.

‘…Is the sex we had that day really helping this much?’

Was her body truly starving for a man, causing her to weaken gradually? Or was it because she satisfied her sexual desires through Hye-eun right then and there that she was able to recover like this? Or, as he said, was it because her feelings for both Kang Hye-eun and Sung Taekyung were love that it produced such a greater effect?

Lost in thought over a conclusion that was still hard to reach, she didn’t even notice Kang Hye-eun approaching her side for a moment.

“What are you spacing out about, Jihee-ssi?”

“…Ah, no, Hye-eun-ah! I wasn’t thinking anything weird!”

“Huh?”

Although Cheon Jihee’s reaction was clearly suspicious, Kang Hye-eun wasn’t particularly interested in what she was thinking. Looking at the fallen Treradon’s corpse, she murmured her thoughts.

“Anyway, large-scale subjugation events are certainly convenient because you can just hunt monsters without worry, since other staff handle material collection and dismantling.”

“Y-yeah, that’s right.”

“By the way, Cheon Jihee-ssi, haven’t you gotten stronger than last time? I saw your kick earlier, its power…”

-Gogogoo….

“……?!”

“…A monster, again?!”

As they walked and talked, preparing to take down the next monster, a huge shadow suddenly fell over Kang Hye-eun and Cheon Jihee’s heads. Thinking it might be an attack from another nearby monster, the shape of a giant mud golem cast upon the two who took defensive stances made them feel considerable tension. At the fact that there were no mud golem-type monsters in the abandoned village, Kang Hye-eun was momentarily flustered, but the sight that met her eyes afterward left them speechless.

-Peooeok!

‘Kkuaaaah….’

The mud golem and the large monster suddenly began fighting, as if watching a monster war. Seeing that, Kang Hye-eun and Cheon Jihee quickly understood the suddenly appearing monster was a type of summoned creature. As soon as they saw the woman holding a folding fan nearby and controlling the giant mud golem, they could tell at once she was an earth mage controlling it.

“…It seems like I’ve almost never seen a mage come to Zone B to fight monsters before.”

“…That’s right.”

“So as not to disturb her unnecessarily, let’s go over there, Jihee-ssi. There are plenty of monsters anyway.”

“Okay, Hye-eun-ah.”

Since they had no intention of just watching someone else hunt, Kang Hye-eun, along with Cheon Jihee, quickly moved towards where other monsters could be seen.

“…Somehow, it feels like I smell Taekyung.”

…Harboring the illusion in her heart that, for some reason, she felt a familiar scent emanating from the woman holding the folding fan.