The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 226

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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 47

The Grandfather I’d met at the Village Community Center had definitely made it sound like he was heading to the Village Back Mountain.
The location was indeed behind the village, but the terrain was as treacherous as a climbing course.
Still, the landscape afforded by such rugged terrain was quite magnificent.
The reason I could leisurely admire the scenery even while climbing the mountain to find Ji Jung Hwi, the Hunter who’d gone to pick chestnuts, was simple.
“Ah, this shouldn’t become a habit.”
Clinging to Kang Han’s neck as he carried me on his back—an S-rank Hunter who didn’t break a sweat even while rapidly ascending the mountain with an adult woman in his arms—I felt completely secure.
Nothing beats the comfort of not being jostled around.
“…It’s fine if it does become a habit.”
As Kang Han spoke, I felt a low vibration resonate through his chest where my body pressed against his back.
“Should we carry you like this every time we enter a Gate?”
“And what would people say? Today’s incident is a secret, remember.”
“Hmm, now that I think about it, it doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Gates are most dangerous right after initial entry, so if we entered like this every time….”
I pressed my palm against Kang Han’s mouth to stop him from spiraling into more unnecessary thoughts.
“That’s not happening. Stop.”
“…Understood.”
I felt his lips curve into a smile beneath my palm.
“You know the Guild Master has quite the playful side, don’t you?”
“Your reactions are entertaining, Yeo Joo.”
“Keep that up and you’ll get yourself into trouble… Wait, isn’t that the group over there?”
About ten people were visible on the relatively gentler slope of the mountain.
“It appears to be them.”
I felt Kang Han’s body tense momentarily before he changed direction and began sprinting toward the group.
As we drew near, among the elderly still preoccupied with picking chestnuts, there was a middle-aged man who turned to look at us.
A beard that hadn’t been trimmed in months, unkempt hair, tattered clothes, and skin darkened by the sun’s rays.
“He looks quite different from his photograph.”
The former Association Director Ji Jung Hwi I’d searched for before coming here was a man who embodied the phrase “handsome middle-aged man” perfectly.
A sharp three-piece suit wrapping a muscular frame without an ounce of excess fat, a heavy watch, polished shoes, and a handsome face that had grown dignified with time.
One could confidently say his appearance had played a significant role in his high approval ratings as the former Association Director.
But the man who straightened his hunched back upon sensing our presence was simply.
‘…Is he actually a hermit?’
When I first met Chung Soo, I’d thought he seemed like a hermit too.
But while Chung Soo, who shuffled around the mountains in three-striped slippers, had resembled an idol who’d dropped out of a survival variety show, Ji Jung Hwi was the real deal.
If he suddenly disappeared into the mountains, he’d become so completely one with nature that no one would ever find him.
Even though Kang Han had set me down, I hesitated to approach him like I would a wild animal and offer a greeting.
While I wavered, Kang Han stepped forward first to Ji Jung Hwi and politely extended his hand for a handshake.
“Hello, Hunter Ji Jung Hwi. I’m Kang Han, Guild Master of Justice Guild. It’s been a while since we last met.”
“….”
Ji Jung Hwi said nothing.
He simply stared down at Kang Han’s outstretched hand, then cast an inscrutable gaze toward me standing behind him.
“Hello. It’s my first time meeting you. I’m Yeo Joo, a healer from Justice Guild.”
Seeing Kang Han’s handshake being ignored, I clasped my hands together and bowed respectfully instead.
But when I lifted my head again, Ji Jung Hwi showed no interest in me whatsoever.
He simply strode over to Kang Han and asked abruptly.
“You’re S-rank?”
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
“Got any real power?”
Did he really just ask an S-rank combat hunter if he had any real power?
Couldn’t he tell just by looking?
To Ji Jung Hwi’s sudden and somewhat rude question, Kang Han answered concisely.
“I use it as well as anyone else.”
“Good. Climb that tree over there and shake the branches a bit.”
Where his dirt-stained fingertip pointed stood an enormous chestnut tree, towering majestically.
I’d heard that ordinary chestnut trees don’t grow to such sizes, and once they reach a certain age, they stop bearing fruit.
It seemed the villagers ventured deep into this harsh mountain specifically because of this tree.
But whether the chestnut tree was remarkable or not was beside the point.
“We didn’t come here to gather chestnuts. We came hoping to have a conversation with Hunter Ji Jung Hwi….”
“What does it look like I’m doing right now?”
Ji Jung Hwi cut off my words and asked.
“Do you think I’d want to face people who showed up without warning before I’ve finished gathering all the chestnuts?”
…He had a point.
In the end, I turned back to Kang Han and said.
“Guild Master, please go up there and shake the branches well.”
Kang Han, whose brow had furrowed slightly, soon let out a small sigh and removed the hunter’s jacket he’d been wearing instead of his uniform, which had been torn to shreds in the Double Dungeon.

* * *

“Is gathering chestnuts really this entertaining?”
I muttered to myself in bewilderment as I gazed at the large sack now brimming with my harvest.
Collecting chestnuts was far more enjoyable than I’d anticipated.
All I had to do was nudge the fallen chestnut burrs with my foot, crack them open, and gather the smooth, hard kernels—so simple that I’d completely lost track of time.
“Wait, that’s not why I came here.”
I snapped back to reality after getting mesmerized and picking up another chestnut that had fallen among the fallen leaves.
“Guild Master, we should go somewhere and talk—”
But Kang Han, whom I naturally expected to be nearby, was nowhere to be found.
“My goodness! Look at that young man move—absolutely spry!”
“That’s right, that’s right! Try shaking the upper branches too!”
Kang Han had somehow wandered far off, wielding a long pole and knocking chestnuts down from another tree.
Having finally encountered a young man with such strength and vigor after so long, the elderly villagers simply couldn’t resist putting him to work.
Just then, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
Trrrrr—.
The caller ID read “Dongbaek Guild Yoo Myung Hwa.”
“Hello, this is Yeo Joo.”
[ “It’s me, Yoo Myung Hwa.” ]
“Yes, thank you for calling me. What’s the matter?”
[ “I heard some news about Sa Ma Young and wanted to let you know. It seems he’s been quite busy lately. His close associates like Woo Jun Kyung and Bang Ri Ri have been quietly meeting with retired hunters.” ]
So he’s making his move.
Now that Jo Gye Young has been arrested for the corruption I exposed, Sa Ma Young is trying to fill the vacant Association Director position with one of his own people.
“I should have let him struggle a bit longer.”
[ “Hmm? What did you say?” ]
“No, it’s nothing. Thank you for the information. Has anyone been specifically chosen yet?”
[ “Not yet. But so many people are eager for the position that I doubt it’ll stay vacant for long.” ]
That makes sense.
Despite Jo Gye Young’s incompetent management, the Korean Awakener Association Director position wielded considerable power and influence.
While these chaotic times would certainly bring plenty of challenges, they also offered an opportunity for a true leader to shine.
“I understand. Please let me know if you hear anything else.”
After ending the call with Yoo Myung Hwa, anxiety suddenly gripped me.
What if Sa Ma Young beats me to it?
I need to talk to Ji Jung Hwi as soon as possible.
If there’s truly no hope of his recovery, then we’ll need to find someone else ourselves.
“But where did that old man go?”
No matter how much I looked around, Ji Jung Hwi was nowhere to be seen.
Did he really just lure us into gathering chestnuts and then disappear?
I spotted Kang Han perched on a rather large chestnut tree and ran toward him, calling out.
“Do you know where Hunter Ji Jung Hwi is?”
Upon hearing the name “Ji Jung Hwi,” Kang Han seemed to realize something and quickly glanced around.
Then he pointed toward the slope below, which wasn’t clearly visible from where we stood.
“It seems to be over there….”
Before Kang Han could finish speaking, he leaped down from the tree, scooped me up into his arms, and began running.
“Why, why so suddenly….”
“Ji Jung Hwi is collapsed.”
Kang Han spoke in a low voice, as if conscious of our surroundings.
It wasn’t long before we arrived at the location where Ji Jung Hwi lay unconscious.
Ji Jung Hwi was crumpled beneath a massive boulder, his body hidden as if tucked away, completely unconscious.
I hastily pulled up Ji Jung Hwi’s status window.

Ji Jung Hwi A
1. Obedience Command ( A )
2. Poison Heart Eyes ( A )
3. [ Empty ]
Abnormal Status – Darkness Addiction 97%, Nightmares, Trauma

“Damn it.”
Ji Jung Hwi was on the verge of a rampage.

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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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