I Awakened as a Dark History - Chapter 47

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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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Episode 47
I abandoned my search for a penalty removal item and stopped by the hospital instead.
The hospital staff gasped when they saw the wound, stitched it up, and even brought out a cast.
I refused the cast but accepted the medication.
“Since these are dissolving stitches, you don’t need to come back. Just visit us if the wound reopens, starts weeping, or doesn’t heal properly.”
“Understood.”
After settling the bill while the nurse finished her instructions, I left the hospital.
I slung the bag over my unwounded shoulder.
‘Now I need to stop by the Hajae Guild.’
But there was something I had to do first.
‘If I hadn’t run into those people in Hunket, I wouldn’t have to do this.’
I pouted and moved with purpose.
Since I’d promised to visit in the afternoon, my pulse quickened.
Ding-dong—
“Welcome. Can I help you find something?”
“Something with a hood.”
Unplanned expenses were always painful, but there was no way around it.
Baek Mun-il, the guild master, had sharp instincts and keen eyes.
If I showed up in the same clothes, he’d notice something was off immediately.
I picked out a clean hoodie and black pants.
I couldn’t afford to be careless about any detail.
“Can I try these on and change here?”
“Of course. The fitting room is this way.”
I changed efficiently, paid, and finally headed for the Hajae Guild.
I synced on the subway and left my shopping bag in a locker.
Only then did I face the towering Hajae Guild building.
‘How much does a building like this cost?’
I stared at it with my mouth hanging open.
The moment I thought about meeting someone who owned a building this massive, tension crept in.
“Phew.”
I took a deep breath to shake off the nervousness and stepped inside.
Staff and hunters moved back and forth through the lobby.
I pulled down my hood and approached the front desk.
“Hello there.”
“Yes. How can I help you?”
Thankfully, the staff member didn’t react strongly to my hair.
A perfectly professional weekday attitude.
“I’m here to see the guild master.”
“What’s your name?”
“I’m… a Healer. You’ll know who I am if you say Healer.”
I’d instinctively started to give my name before catching myself and changing course.
The moment the staff member heard the word “Healer,” their eyes widened.
“Ah, yes—we were told you might come. One moment, please.”
The staff member quickly picked up the phone and dialed somewhere, then gestured to me.
“Go inside and you’ll find an elevator. Take it to the top floor.”
“Okay, thank you.”
I hurried forward, following the directions.
I could feel people passing by giving me bewildered looks.
“I don’t recognize them. Did we hire someone new?”
“Right? Did someone dye their hair?”
“Must be a hunter.”
“Probably.”
I quickly stepped into the elevator.
‘The highest floor is…’
Twenty-five.
It seemed the entire building belonged to the Hajae Guild.
And the top floor likely belonged to Baek Mun-il, the guild master himself.
I pressed the button for the twenty-fifth floor, nerves taut.
The elevator rose smoothly and silently.
Ding— twenty-fifth floor.
A soft mechanical chime announced our arrival, and I stepped out onto the twenty-fifth floor.
“Healer, welcome!”
A familiar face on the twenty-fifth floor waved at me eagerly.
I felt the tension drain from my shoulders in an instant, breaking into a bright smile.
“Seo Jo-yang!”
Seo Jo-yang grinned back, then caught sight of the Subspace Item on my wrist.
“Ah, you brought it with you.”
“Yes. I had to bring it. You came to pick it up?”
“No, that’s not it. I’m here to submit a report.”
Seo Jo-yang waved a stack of papers as if to say, “Look at this.”
“Since there was an unexpected situation that nobody anticipated, I wanted to be thorough with the report.”
“Ah, I see.”
I smiled awkwardly. I felt a twinge of guilt—after all, what happened was my doing.
Seo Jo-yang noticed my discomfort and changed the subject.
“We’ve been talking about work since the moment we met. Shall we head in together?”
“Yes.”
We walked through a short corridor and reached a door labeled “Guild Master’s Office.”
Seo Jo-yang knocked once on the door.
“Come in.”
At Baek Mun-il’s casual reply, Seo Jo-yang pushed the door open.
“Guild Master, the Healer has arrived.”
“Hello.”
“I got word from the lobby and was waiting for you. Good timing.”
Baek Mun-il rose from his desk to greet me.
Since we’d parted just this morning and were meeting again this afternoon, his greeting felt oddly formal.
But that awkwardness was mine alone to feel.
I unstrapped the bracelet from my wrist and held it out to him.
“Here it is—the Subspace Item. I accidentally wore it out, so I’m sure I gave you quite a start.”
“The equipment management team would’ve been more startled than I was. Though honestly, things get broken and lost fairly often around here. Nothing to make a fuss over.”
Baek Mun-il took the bracelet without concern.
“And here is the report.”
“Ah, thank you.”
The report Seo Jo-yang had brought found its way safely onto Baek Mun-il’s desk.
Baek Mun-il turned the bracelet over in his fingers as he spoke.
“I’ll need to take this down to the equipment management team.”
“Ah, then. Shall I head out?”
I was about to turn and leave when Baek Mun-il shook his head.
“No, come down with me. I’ll give you a tour.”
Baek Mun-il gestured for me to follow.
It seemed his earlier boasting about the guild’s benefits wasn’t just talk.
I couldn’t suppress my smile and stood beside him.
“Sure. What floor is the equipment management team on?”
“Fifteen. The staff work on that floor, and the equipment is split between sixteen and fourteen.”
“I see.”
Baek Mun-il counted off on his fingers as he recalled the guild’s inventory.
“Sixteen mainly holds distribution items we hand out to guild members for dungeon raids—things like Potions and Subspace Items.”
“Then fourteen has special items?”
“Since carrying personal weapons around is a hassle, that’s where we keep personal item lockers and manage the guild’s own equipment storage.”
Baek Mun-il added as if he’d been waiting for this moment.
“We’ve got a few Healer-exclusive Items up there, but they’re just gathering dust since we don’t have anyone to use them.”
Baek Mun-il sighed dramatically for effect.
“If a Healer signs on, I could give them those as part of the signing bonus. Better than letting them collect dust, don’t you think?”
That was exactly the kind of thing to make a person’s heart waver.
If I’d only awakened as a plain Healer, I would’ve already stamped my signature on that contract.
I made an effort to keep that desire from showing on my face.
But Baek Mun-il fanned the flames once more.
“And get this—there’s even an item that boosts Healing Skill effects by almost thirty percent.”
“Wow… that’s incredible.”
Genuine wonder spilled from my lips unbidden.
I couldn’t even imagine how much my efficiency would skyrocket with something like that.
Isn’t it practically the same as having two Full Recovery Skills?
“Isn’t it?”
The moment I seemed to take the bait, Baek Mun-il’s voice brightened.
I cleared my throat deliberately and changed the subject.
“The Healer who was here before—you didn’t use her?”
“I used her services, but the Hajae Guild owns the contract. When it was terminated, she left it behind.”
It sounded like he was saying he could hand it over to me.
Must be my misunderstanding.
I avoided Baek Mun-il’s gleaming gaze.
Baek Mun-il also looked away briefly as he reached for the elevator.
“Oh, right. I saw your friend in Hunket today.”
“Cough-cough! Cup!”
I broke into violent coughing.
Baek Mun-il patted my back with a worried expression.
“Why the sudden fit?”
“Oh, no, cough! Ah, my friend, the one… cough cough. That, um… who?”
Even knowing, I found myself asking.
As my heart trembled, Baek Mun-il inevitably spoke the name.
“Ha Cho-eun, she said?”
Why had I put the bracelet on my wrist before leaving?
‘So I wouldn’t forget!’
I blamed my past self while making excuses, squeezing my eyes shut.
And because of that, the silence stretched far too long.
Baek Mun-il’s eyes grew gradually sharper.
I barely managed to collect myself and spoke.
“Right. She’s a friend who helps me a lot.”
“Is that so?”
Baek Mun-il seemed to have something more he wanted to say.
A faint curiosity pricked at me, and I tilted my head.
Ding—
But the elevator that arrived at just that moment kept me from voicing it.
Seo Jo-yang waved from outside the doors as if he still had something to do.
“Until next time, Healer.”
“Ah, yes.”
In the end, only Baek Mun-il and I stepped into the elevator.
As the doors closed, Baek Mun-il suddenly asked.
“So, did you pass along what I said?”
“What? What did you say?”
I asked reflexively. Only after asking could I recall what Baek Mun-il had said.
‘Still, having a friend give you a push makes it even better, right? Tell her the Hajae Guild benefits are incredible.’
Realizing my slip, I tried to change my answer even now, but Baek Mun-il’s eyes had already grown thin.
“You didn’t pass it along. Wonder why you didn’t.”
My mouth snapped shut at Baek Mun-il’s murmur.
I had the distinct feeling I’d buttoned the wrong holes.
Soon Baek Mun-il opened his mouth again.
“Is the reason you maintain anonymity because of that friend?”
“What?”
Baek Mun-il asked lightly as though merely curious, but something in his tone felt decidedly off.
“If you’re going to operate independently and use Hunket anyway, it would be to your advantage in many ways to join a guild. I was just curious about your reason.”
I rolled my eyes this way and that.
I had the sense that I couldn’t afford to misspeak here.
“No, it’s not because of someone. It’s just my personal circumstances.”
“Hmm.”
Misunderstandings, so long as they didn’t expose my true identity, were always welcome.
But Baek Mun-il’s current demeanor was difficult to welcome outright.
I sensed something discordant in his attitude.
To pin down what that discord was, I ventured softly.
“Why?”
“Just. Curious, that’s all.”
Baek Mun-il let his words trail off, then abruptly changed the subject.
“By the way, you know? When you register properly as a Hunter with the Hunter Association, you get a new identity.”
“Really?”
Could I legally create an identity separate from Ha Cho-eun?
My eyes lit up at the unexpected revelation.
Baek Mun-il smiled and continued his explanation.
“Think about it—Hunters are rare talent. Even more so if you’re a Healer. Getting a Korean Hunter Registration Certificate is basically the same as gaining full Korean citizenship. Isn’t that nice?”
“I suppose it is.”
I currently had three forms, possibly even four if I could add another. Each form could carry its own separate identity.
Wouldn’t that be convenient?
Then perhaps I wouldn’t have to live in constant fear, and could actually belong to a Guild.
Baek Mun-il wore a satisfied expression as he watched me sink into contemplation.
“So think carefully. Just living virtuously isn’t everything, is it? You have to look out for yourself.”
……
Wait a moment.
I looked at Baek Mun-il, struck by a hypothesis crossing my mind.
Baek Mun-il met my gaze with a kind smile.
“Getting along with friends is important, but being bound to a friend is another matter entirely, don’t you think?”
This man hadn’t changed the subject at all. Right now he was——
“You might not trust the Hunter Association, but it’s also an organization meant to help Hunters.”
He was treating me like some ruthless exploiter!
“Of course, I also want to help you anytime.”
And he saw me as a pitiful victim on top of that!
Ding—Floor 15.
The conversation ended with the elevator’s arrival chime.
Baek Mun-il casually extended his hand to me, who stood there dazed.
“Well, shall we go return the items to the management room?”
I stepped out of the elevator, pushing the troublesome matter aside for now.
‘Should I just leave this misunderstanding as is, or fix it? No… I don’t see any way to fix it.’
I let out a quiet, hollow laugh.
At the arrival of this utterly irresolvable misunderstanding, my head throbbed on its own.

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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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