The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 219

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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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Yeo Joo Saves the World
Part 2, Episode 40

BOOM—!
A tremendous explosion echoed so violently that even my head, standing far away, rang from the impact as Kang Han was sent flying backward.
The force of his landing with a heavy thud seemed considerable, but what truly concerned me was that Kang Han had taken the full brunt of ice shards scattered like shattered glass from the explosion across his entire body.
“Kang Han!”
I called out his name loudly, but the fallen Kang Han didn’t so much as twitch.
Just as everyone froze in shock, a quiet yet profound change occurred.

[You have defeated the Master of the Pilgrimage Path, ‘Eye of ??? (S)’!]
[You have prevented the collapse of the boundary!]

The colossal statue—the husk of something that had failed to become a god—was dissolving into black sand and scattering into the water.
There was no time to be astonished by the encounter with an S-rank threat.
Crawling forward on all fours against the undiminished pressure of the water, I screamed out.
“Hurry! Someone bring Kang Han here!”
Like a paused video resuming playback, everyone sprang into action at once.
Jang Su Ho, who had been knocked roughly to the ground in the final moment and thus spared, abandoned even his shield and rushed toward Kang Han.
It was visible even from outside the plaza.
The blood flowing from Kang Han’s entire body spreading crimson across the surrounding water.
“Yeo Joo!”
Jang Su Ho and Jung Yi Do, along with Shield, each grabbed one of Kang Han’s arms and supported him as they approached.
Kang Han’s condition, unconscious and limp, was catastrophic.
From his crushed face to his entire body, there was scarcely a part of him left unscathed.
Especially his chest, which had taken the full force of the explosion, exposed white bone beneath the surface.
Judging by the severity of his injuries alone, it would have been no surprise if he were already dead.
“Just… lay him down.”
My voice trembled involuntarily as I spoke.
He couldn’t be dead.
As long as he wasn’t dead, I could save him.
I had resented being non-combat class, forced to watch others suffer, but in this moment, I was grateful beyond measure that I was an A-rank healer.
I carefully placed both hands on Kang Han’s chest.
Thump, thump.
Faint but unmistakably, his heartbeat remained.
“He’s… alive.”
“Haah.”
“Th-thank goodness.”
Jung Yi Do and Jang Su Ho covered their faces with their hands in relief.
But I couldn’t share in their relief.
I pulled out Im Chung Soo’s stamina-boosting elixir from my Subspace and downed it in one gulp, then pressed both hands against Kang Han’s wounds.
One hand on his exposed ribs, the other on his abdomen—torn beyond recognition of its original form.
With each beat of Kang Han’s heart, hot blood seeped through my fingers, drenching my hands in moments.

[ Skill ‘Body Restoration’ activated. ]
[ Current Stamina: 134/150 ]
[ Using 100 stamina to restore the target’s body. ]
[ Due to the effect of ‘Stamina Elixir (A)’, stamina will not be consumed. ]

As the skill took effect, Kang Han’s severe trauma began to mend gradually.
Twisted and fractured bones knitted back together, and the flow of blood diminished.
His face, which had been torn ragged as if clawed by a beast from sharp ice shards, slowly returned to its original appearance.
Then I noticed Kang Han’s right hand—mangled far worse than his chest.
Realization struck me.
In his final moment, Kang Han had pushed Jang Su Ho to safety, then chosen to shatter the shell creature’s core rather than protect his own body.
“Idiot.”
If he had time for that, he should’ve protected himself instead.
Though the skill was rapidly restoring him, watching his completely lost fingernails slowly regrow was agonizing in itself.
After some time passed, just as I thought the bleeding had finally stopped, Kang Han’s long eyelashes trembled once.
“Guild Master! Are you coming to?”
Those green eyes slowly revealing themselves—I’d never thought I’d be so glad to see them.
“…Yeo… Joo.”
“That’s right, it’s me. Don’t move. I’m still using the skill, so recovery isn’t complete yet.”
“The monster’s core…?”
“You destroyed it, Guild Master. It’s all over now, so rest easy.”
“Haah.”
Kang Han exhaled a long, weary sigh.
“Han… hyung…”
“Han.”
The hunters who had gathered nearby watched Kang Han with somber expressions.
“Is everyone… okay?”
“We are. No one’s seriously injured.”
Han Ji Sung answered in a sorrowful voice.
Kang Han was like a towering tree that never fell.
Through all the large and small battles that had occurred, Kang Han had never once suffered an injury.
But now, seeing him barely revived from death’s threshold, the shock was overwhelming for everyone.
Kang Han’s gaze finally settled on me.
“Yeo Joo.”
“Yes.”
“You drank the potion Chung Soo made, right?”
Who’s worrying about whom right now?
Something swelled up in my chest, threatening to spill over, but I swallowed it down hard—I couldn’t raise my voice at an injured person—and answered.
“Yes, and once your wounds are fully healed, you need to drink it too. You understand? Chung Soo’s tonic is incredibly bitter.”
“…Ha ha.”
Kang Han laughed softly.
But even that small movement seemed to cause him considerable pain, his handsome face contorting.
“Haa. Then, just until then… I’ll rest for a moment.”
With those words, Kang Han closed his eyes.
At first it seemed like he was simply falling asleep, but he had lost consciousness.
I could see people flinch in alarm at the sight, but no one tried to forcibly wake Kang Han.
Instead, I turned to Jang Su Ho.
“Can you carry the guild master and run?”

* * *

I prevented the S-rank shell bastard from the Double Dungeon from escaping outside.
I also pulled Kang Han back from the brink of death.
But our ordeal was far from over.
“13 minutes remaining!”
“Run! Run faster!”
“Aaaahhhhh!”
This damned Underwater Dungeon had a time limit.
Once time ran out, we could no longer breathe freely.
We’d momentarily forgotten about it with the shell’s appearance, but when the time limit expired, we’d all be as good as dead.
After gathering Yang Hwa Yeon and Yoo Jin Rok, who had fallen behind on the Pilgrimage Path, the water pressure returned to normal once we escaped the Double Dungeon.
If it hadn’t, we—already bearing numerous injuries both large and small—would likely have been dead already.
After collecting Im Chung Soo and Choi Su Won, along with the third team’s personnel and Cheongmun’s recruits, all I remembered was running like a madman.

[ 00 : 03 : 41 ]

“W-we’re almost there!”
“I can see the Gate!”
With barely three minutes remaining, the Gate we’d entered through finally came into view.

[ 00 : 01 : 33 ]

As Lee Yu Chan rounded the final corner of the path, he cried out.
“I absolutely refuse to die in the water!”
“Don’t say such unlucky things!”
Lee Yu Eul struck the back of her brother’s head hard, then grabbed Lee Yu Chan by the collar as his pace faltered and hurled him directly toward the Gate.
“Get out first!”
“Damn it!”
Lee Yu Chan, who had arrived at the Gate first and hesitated, bolted outside at his sister’s command.

[ 00 : 00 : 59 ]

The moment the time limit dropped below one minute, I escaped the Underwater Dungeon for the third time.
It was thanks to Sung Yo Na, who had used her spatial compression skill in front of me.
“Gasp!”
The cold wind brushed against my drenched body, but I barely felt the chill.
Overwhelmed by the relief of survival, I forced my trembling legs to move and splashed out of the water.
“Huff, huff….”
“I thought we were done for!”
As I emerged from the dark tunnel, I heard the rest of the guild members safely escaping through the Gate behind me.
For a moment, I wondered if my eyes had gone strange from spending too long underwater.
Many people were standing outside the tunnel.
“Yeo Joo!”
Lee In Gyu from Team 3, who had left to request reinforcements, and the members of Cheongmun were being restrained by Awakener Association hunters.
“What the hell is happening right now?”
We had barely closed the Double Dungeon and survived the threat of drowning.
A single curse wasn’t enough, so I glared daggers at the Association hunters, when one of them who appeared to be in charge approached and spoke.
“We are arresting the hunters of the Justice Guild and Cheongmun Guild on suspicion of violating Double Dungeon protocol.”

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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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