episode_0001

“Do-hyun, do you know about that?”

Jisoo, with a sword at her waist, asks me.

Her black hair tickled my nose, almost making me sneeze.

“There’s a big bar in Sindorim.”

“Moment? It’s an expensive place where drinks cost ten thousand won each.”

“Yeah. They say they give free drinks to hunters who recently captured a Grade 7 monster there.”

Jisoo’s eyes sparkle.

She was born to be a drinker.

“So what if it’s free? Isn’t it cheap stuff?”

“No way – no, the name of the drink is ‘Victory Toast.’ It’s a congratulatory drink thanking those who protected the city!”

Jisoo clenches her fists tightly with a determined look on her face.

“So, when we defeat the wyvern this time, let’s go there for sure.”

She says with a grin.

“Should I ask Party Leader Hyung to take me too…?”

“Why can’t you go? You’re our main party healer, after all.”

Even with her reassurance, I let out a deep sigh.

In reality, I’m someone who can’t fit in with this beautiful woman.

Despite Jisoo’s kind treatment out of pity, most party members, except her, resent my ‘uselessness.’

They only tolerate me because Jisoo, as the main damage dealer of the party, values me.

Sometimes I wonder why she treats me so well, especially when I’m neither handsome nor talented.

Under the grey sky, she smiles at me.

That smile answers my doubts and eases the frustration in my heart.

“It’s okay. Humans weren’t originally beings dependent on skills, right?”

Her golden eyes glisten in the backlight.

Looking into those lively eyes, I feel like I could accomplish anything, just like she said.

I feel like I could gain a new talent right now.

Thanks to that feeling, I endured the insults I received and managed to participate in this party.

“Before the gates opened, we didn’t have system windows or superpowers.”

I stop in my tracks at her words.

Before the gates opened to another world…

Five years ago, cracks appeared all over the Earth.

From those cracks poured monsters from another realm, and the world as I knew it came to an end.

Through system windows that appeared out of nowhere, we were each granted skills.

And we began to fight for humanity, for personal desires, against these monsters.

Some gained powers strong enough to be in myths.

Some obtained miraculous abilities akin to those in comics.

But not everyone received such abilities.

There were people like me with mediocre healing powers, and even some who were completely powerless.

It was a moment when the nature of the world shifted from a society to one based on abilities.

Suddenly, I imagine what I would have been like if I had met Jisoo before the world changed like this.

Meeting her at a normal university, going on ordinary dates.

“Hey! Are you coming or not?”

Party Leader Hyunsu calls me impatiently.

Thanks to his eccentric summons, I could barely escape my thoughts.

“Yes, I’m coming!”

I hurriedly ran towards the group.

The ruined Yeouido downtown.

Buildings with their facades torn off, exposing grim steel structures, cast dark shadows.

We know better than anyone that the grotesque figure looming there is today’s prey.

A Grade 7 monster famous for being impossible to defeat without a large hunter guild.

‘The Blue Wyvern.’

Its massive tail coils around a building.

With one movement of that tail, walls crumble; with two, steel beams twist.

“Get ready, here it comes!”

Gradually, the world darkens.

The giant wings of the dragon block out the sun.

“—–.”

The deafening roar of the monster that feels like it could tear your ears apart.

Amidst the ear-splitting noise, Party Leader Hyunsu and Jisoo draw their axes and swords with determined looks.

“Kyuseon, I’m counting on you!”

Kyuseon, the party’s archer, pulls back her bowstring.

Throughout, Jisoo focuses all his strength on his legs.

“I’m going!”

As he releases the bowstring, Dayeon’s arrow flies and embeds itself in a building.

As if having practiced countless times, Jisoo uses that arrow as a foothold to leap into the sky.

With a sword drawn, she rotates in mid-air, wielding her blade.

Following her sword strike, flames surge forth, piercing through the Wyvern’s thick torso.

“—-!!”

The monster immediately lashes its tail to attack the small swordsman flying towards it.

That’s dangerous…

It’s a tail strike several times larger than his body.

Even Jisoo, no matter how skilled, would face a fatal blow if hit in mid-air.

“!”

Party leader Suhyun raises a massive shield and throws himself in front of the tail, catching Jisoo.

At that moment, the impact is so strong that the shield crumples, enveloping both of them amidst the debris of the collapsing building.

Hurriedly, I run towards my comrades.

This is the only thing someone like me can do.

I clear away the rubble and reach out to the two.

“Heal.”

A faint light emanates from my fingertips, enveloping their wounds.

Gradually, the once pale injuries stained with blood start turning red.

“That should do!”

Hyunsu abruptly stands up from receiving healing.

“But your wounds are still…”

“If you keep getting healed, the bastard who’s running away will get away!”

His massive arm swats away my hand.

Gasping for breath, Hyunsu rushes back towards the colossal shadow.

Buildings structures raining down.

Blazing blue flames making it hard to even breathe.

Screams of comrades echoing from all around.

Yet tanks, archers, and swordsmen bravely charge towards the overwhelming force they face.

My legs tremble uncontrollably.

My body signals me to flee from my weakness here.

“It’s dangerous!”

Huh…?

As I snap back to reality, a concrete chunk falls towards me.

Gyuseon pushes me aside, both of us tumbling to the ground.

“Gyuseon…!”

“Hyung, what’s gotten into you! Did you think this Wyvern hunt was just a regular raid?”

“Sorry…”

“Gyuseon, why aren’t you shooting at the right time during the DPS phase?”

Hyunsu shouts, deflecting with his shield.

“I’m sorry! Hyung, I was just worried about Dohyun…”

“Don’t worry about that bastard, focus on your job. You’re not going to heal him yourself, are you?”

While Gyuseon pauses his attack, the Wyvern folds its wings again.

Thanks to that, the wounds Jisoo had managed to inflict are now concealed.

“Dammit! Useless piece of…”

Resentful.

Resenting my dog-like healing ability.

Resenting this suddenly changed world.

Resenting the senior who callously brushed aside my helping hand.

Amidst the noisy chaos, I bow my head and cover my ears.

If the world were to end like this.

Suddenly, a terrifying thought crosses my mind – wishing blame for a failed raid would fall on someone else, not me.

Lost in such negative thoughts, someone reaches out to me.

I knew the owner of that rough hand.

It was Jisoo.

Her face covered in ash, her body drenched in blood.

I couldn’t tell if it was her sister’s blood or the Wyvern’s.

“Healer, could you please heal me quickly?”

Jisoo asks me with her usual bright smile.

“…”

I gaze silently at her blood-stained palm.

I could hardly believe it was a woman’s hand after all the effort she had put in.

In contrast, my healer’s hand is as white as jade.

For a moment, I felt too embarrassed and almost pushed her hand away.

“Sister.”

“Yeah.”

“When this raid ends, find a new healer.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean it. I don’t want to be a burden to everyone anymore.”

I let out a deep sigh.

But soon, that sigh turned into a scream when my sister struck my head hard with her fist.

“You idiot.”

She glared at me with an unusually angry expression.

“Did I teach you that way?”

“What do you mean?”

“If things don’t go well, did I tell you to just run away?”

“But everyone is getting hurt because of me! I hate it too. I don’t want to live in constant guilt because someone is in danger because of me…”

I raise my head and speak to my sister.

Something seems to be caught in her eyes, causing her silhouette to blur.

“No one starts out as a strong person.”

Jisoo reached out to me again.

“Hyunsu also couldn’t even hold a shield with one hand in the past. Gyuseon couldn’t even hit a still apple with an arrow.”

“Of course, I swung my sword in the air while looking at a scarecrow in front of me.”

My sister chuckles and asks me back.

“But do you know how we got here?”

Her halo shines under the black sun.

“It’s because we all endured and waited for each other to grow. And we are also willing to wait for you.”

“Me…?”

“That rascal Hyunsu talks tough, but he actually worries about you a lot.”

That mischievous brother of mine…?

“We are investing in you. So stop talking nonsense. If you feel sorry to us, just work harder.”

I silently look at her hand.

I feel ashamed of myself who has only had shameful thoughts so far.

There is someone right in front of me who wants my abilities.

“That’s all there is to it.”

I steal a glance at her eyes with the back of my hand.

And without saying a word, I hold my sister’s hand.

A brilliant light emanates from our clasped hands in an instant.

The dazzling radiance, seen for the first time in my life, blinds my eyes.

“Angelic Hand.”

As if called upon, new flesh sprouts on Jisoo’s torn hand.

In just 5 seconds, not 1 minute or 10 minutes like before, her hand is restored to pure white.

“Now watch.”

Jisoo rises from the debris as if to show off.

“See what the hand you saved can accomplish.”

Jisoo firmly grasps the sword with both hands.

Soon, flames flicker on the blade, wrapping her entire body.

“Flame Dream.”

The realm achievable when a Hunter reaches A-rank with a Flame Sword.

A mere unnamed swordsman, not even a Ranker, soars into the sky on the debris.

Through the pouring sunlight, she leaps powerfully.

And towards the dark shadow that obscured the sun, she delivers a fierce blow with all her might.

As my sister’s red sword cuts through the sky, bright light pours through the gap.