I Awakened as a Dark History - Chapter 22

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 22
The end of the workday was drawing near.
I’d breezed through my tasks, and now all I did was wait for the clock to hit five—a thief marking time at my desk.
But I had something good to distract myself with.
[Hunket Sales Team] A notification from Hunket Sales regarding your consignment.
Thank you for entrusting your items to Hunket.
We are pleased to inform you that the Behemoth’s Horn and Harpy’s Wing Feather from your consignment have sold and payment has been processed.
The Sea Serpent’s Venom is currently undergoing auction.
We appreciate your patience—there are many interested buyers, which is why the process is taking time.
We wish you a wonderful day.
Thank you.
I downloaded the receipt from the attachment, and the file opened immediately.
Before my eyes stretched an endless string of zeros.
“Whoa!”
I remembered I was in an office and clapped a hand over my mouth, but the exclamation had already slipped out.
A few coworkers glanced my way.
I kept my eyes on the screen, pretending to focus intently, and ignored their stares.
It was all routine—they lost interest quickly and returned to their work.
I unlocked my phone again and checked the receipt once more.
The Harpy’s Wing Feather had sold for fifteen million three hundred thousand won each, and the Behemoth’s Horn for seventy million.
Even after the eighteen percent commission, there was a substantial amount left.
My hand trembled as I turned off the screen.
The sum was so large my heart hammered in my chest.
‘Now I understand why Hunters spend money so freely.’
For a moment I even entertained the thought of buying some gear myself.
Wouldn’t the profit be even greater if I purchased equipment and delved into Dungeons properly?
‘But my stats change depending on which form I Synchronize into.’
When I became a Fairy, I needed equipment to supplement my strength; when I became a Dark Fairy, I needed equipment for resistance.
The other stats remained the same, but considering the price of even a single piece and my Synchronization options, I couldn’t bring myself to commit.
‘Besides, the Fairy and Dark Fairy seem connected, so their stats are similar. But the other Synchronizations might have completely different stat distributions.’
Buying equipment rashly could end up wasting money.
With that thought, I abandoned any lingering attachment to the idea.
‘I can’t go to the bank right now anyway. Let me just shut down the computer.’
I sighed and reached for the mouse.
Just as I pressed the power button, my phone rang in my pocket.
Ding-ding, ding-ding.
The bright, cheerful ringtone drew everyone’s attention once more.
But with quitting time so close, they quickly turned back to packing their bags.
In that collective indifference, I switched the phone to silent mode.
Then I checked the message that had arrived.
Someone was calling for me in the chat room.

Healer!

Healer, are you there?!
The person looking for me was the Mage.
She was calling out to me with some urgency.
I typed a reply into the chat.

What’s wrong?
At my brief question, the Mage responded as if she’d been waiting, sending a rapid flurry of messages.

Nothing urgent, but—do you happen to be free starting this evening for about four days?

Would you be willing to join my Conquest Team on a Dungeon run?

―A Suction-Type Dungeon appeared at Gatchisan Station about thirty minutes ago. People were caught in it, so it’s quite the situation.

An urgent request for a quick conquest went out to all Hunters, and our team’s application was accepted.

Since this is a Dungeon we’re clearing for the first time, preparation is crucial, and I thought it would be really helpful to have a Healer on the team.

If you don’t have the time, you’re free to decline!
I glanced at my calendar. Fortunately, today was Friday, but the problem was I didn’t have four days free.
‘Even if we leave this evening, that’s two nights and three days… and thinking about having to be at work Monday, I can’t stay too late on Sunday either.’
Even with that assessment made, I found myself tapping the screen hesitantly.

Is it enough to just clear the Dungeon and come back out?

No. First priority is rescuing the people trapped inside.

Our goal is to identify the major Monsters and terrain within the Dungeon, and if possible, confirm the Boss Monster before we leave.

We compare the collectibles or byproducts that drop from the Dungeon with how dangerous it is, and use that to decide whether to keep the Dungeon open.

This one’s in a bad location, so it’ll probably be closed unless something unexpected happens.
Dungeon management is far more meticulous than I’d realized.
And the work Hunters do turns out to be far more varied than I thought.

Then… is there any chance we could finish early?

Four days works for me, but five days won’t.
The Mage didn’t answer my question for a moment.
She might have been discussing it with the Conquest Team, so I waited patiently. Soon her reply came through.

In that case, you can clear with us for just four days, and then head out early!

If you guide the survivors we find and exit first, that would actually be perfect.
By myself?
Before I could even tilt my head at that question, another message arrived.

Of course with an escort. We have more than enough party members for that. Don’t worry.
Even so, I still couldn’t shake my hesitation.
Was there really any reason to voluntarily take on work during the weekend?
I stared at my phone screen, gnawing at my lower lip.
And just as if she’d sensed my deliberation, a message came flying in from the other end.

Oh, I forgot to mention the most important part.

The most important part?

We’ll allocate thirty percent of all Magic Stones and items that drop to you as the Healer!

And most importantly, we’ll definitely give you the best items we find!
Thirty percent—how much is that exactly?
Before I could even begin mentally tabulating, the Mage added more.

According to the Association, this Dungeon looks like it’s at least A-Rank.

We’ll definitely get at least two A-Rank items, and that’s not even counting all the B-Rank items and lower!
I lifted my head for a moment and looked at the mailbox on my screen.
And my deliberation was over.

When do I need to be there by?

As soon as possible! We’re aiming to assemble within an hour.

You can fly over, right? Can you make it as fast as possible?
I sent back an emoji confirming I understood.
Today, I’m leaving work right on time.
* * *
Gatchisan Station was utterly barren and desolate.
The station had been closed because the Dungeon had opened.
Since the subway didn’t run to Gatchisan Station, I’d had to get off at the previous stop.
‘Thanks to that, I Synchronized in the restroom and flew the distance of one station.’
As a result, my arrival had been cutting it close.
I’d arrived just one minute before the hour mark.
If I’d flown from the start, I would’ve arrived with plenty of time to spare, but it was better to be late and apologize than to draw attention from the crowds.
Of course, I wasn’t late now either.
“Ah, Healer!”
The Mage waved from the station entrance.
I fluttered my wings and approached her.
“Thank you so much for coming. I know the request was sudden and must have caught you off guard, but I’m grateful for your help.”
“The gratitude is mine. Thank you for reaching out.”
I took stock of the people around the Mage.
Three people wielding swords, two with shields, and one more who appeared to be a Mage.
“Ah, these are the members of the Conquest Team who work with me. Let me introduce everyone quickly, then we’ll head in.”
The Mage smiled and introduced herself first.
“My real name is Lee Ji-eum. These are my teammates. The tallest one holding a sword is our leader.”
He wore a bulletproof vest and combat pants with thick leg wraps.
If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve mistaken him for a special forces operative rather than a Hunter.
“Hello. I’m Choi Jeong-mun, the leader. As you can see, my weapon is a sword. Please look after my team.”
He smiled ruefully and extended his hand.
I took it and shook it lightly, returning his smile.
“Not at all. I should be asking for your help.”
At my greeting, two people with shields burst forward from behind Choi Jeong-mun.
“Hello, I’m Choi Se-i, a Front-liner. This is Lee Jae-cheon, my fellow Front-liner. We heard you’ll be heading out on the fourth day. At that time, I volunteered to escort the survivors and you, so please take care of us.”
Oddly enough, they wore armor that looked like it belonged in a historical drama, and carried large, square shields with an image of a haetae painted on them.
“Nice to meet you. That armor is impressive.”
At my words, Lee Jae-cheon’s face lit up with a radiant smile.
He looked like someone who’d been waiting for exactly this kind of compliment.
“Right? It was quite a hassle to obtain. It’s Dujeongrin-gap, made from the scales of a Drake, a Drake Species. I hunted the Drake myself, but making the armor was…….”
“We’re in a hurry, so save the rest for the way. You never miss a chance to brag about that armor, do you?”
A person holding a spear pulled Lee Jae-cheon back out of the way and stepped forward to face me.
“The three of us will handle close combat. I’m Seo Gyeong-se.”
“I’m Kim Jeong-seon!”
“Yu Geum-chan. Pleased to work with you.”
I turned my attention to the last remaining Mage.
The Mage bowed awkwardly.
“I’m Song Hye-yum.”
Once everyone had finished introducing themselves, Lee Ji-eum, the Mage, interjected and smiled at me.
“We’ve introduced ourselves with our real names, but you’re welcome to go by whatever you’re comfortable with—your real name or a nickname. Since we’re the ones who brought you in, we have no suspicions.”
“In that case, please just keep calling me Healer.”
As I said this, I assessed the members of the Conquest Team.
Fortunately, they all seemed to accept this without question.
The leader made an ‘okay’ gesture with his fingers and spoke to the team.
“Alright, let’s do a final equipment check and head in.”
The Conquest Team quietly tightened their armor further and checked the condition of their shields and weapons.
Leader Choi Jeong-mun looked me over a moment later.
“By the way, Healer, is your equipment…… well, do you have any equipment at all?”
Choi Jeong-mun had corrected himself mid-sentence.
I understood. Looking at me in a shirt and slacks, it would be hard to call that “just” my equipment.
“I…… haven’t managed to prepare any yet.”
Had I answered too honestly?
I watched my Synchronization rate rising in my peripheral vision.
I hoped the meaning contained within it wasn’t innocence.
Purity, naivety, honesty…… something like that.
‘Ugh, this is making me sick. Let me just settle for being a simple fool.’
While I was reining in my self-awareness, Choi Jeong-mun spoke.
“I understand. It’s not easy to find an item with the exact performance you’re looking for. But then again, buying inferior items feels risky—what if the item you really want shows up later and you don’t have enough money for it?”
He gestured into empty air and produced something, offering it forward.
“Here, wear this at least.”
It was a Gold Bracelet set with a transparent gemstone.
“It creates a single defensive barrier once per day. I’m not sure what rank this Dungeon will be, but it’s blocked attacks from B-Rank Monsters before.”
An item worthy of a second life.
My eyes widened involuntarily.
“Can I really borrow something like that?”
“You’re our Healer—our second life. Of course you can. Besides, I hardly use it anyway. More than that, looking after the Conquest Team is the leader’s job.”
As I slipped the Gold Bracelet onto my wrist, it shrank to fit perfectly, neither loose nor tight.
“Oh.”
At my exclamation, Choi Jeong-mun smiled with quiet satisfaction.
While I was still fastening a single piece of equipment, the Conquest Team had finished checking theirs.
“Leader, we’re ready.”
“Then let’s head in.”
Choi Jeong-mun pushed open the barricade bearing the Hunter Association’s logo and descended toward Gatchisan Station.
The Conquest Team filed down one by one.
Lee Ji-eum, the Mage, tapped my shoulder lightly.
“Don’t be nervous. Just stay with us at the back.”
Her words meant to calm me only heightened the tension.
I exhaled sharply and followed them down.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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