The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 228

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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 49

“I’m not sure what you mean by ‘do your best,’ but fighting spirit, I guess. That’s what I mean.”
I took Kang Han’s hand.

[ Skill ‘Darkness Purification’ is activated. ]
[ Purification efficiency increases due to special constitution 【 Ally (Protected) 】. ]
[ Purification efficiency increases due to high affinity. ]

Just as I thought. Keeping affinity high pays off in moments like these.
I confirmed that Kang Han’s darkness addiction rate, which had been creeping up, had dropped to 25%, and I released his hand.
Or rather, I tried to.
“…Guild Master?”
“Was the ‘stamina management’ you’ve been doing all this time… this?”
“Ah.”
I felt a bit embarrassed.
He’d figured out that I’d been holding his hand under the pretense of raising his stamina because I couldn’t mention the Darkness Purification skill.
For a moment, a habitual lie was about to slip out, but since things had come to this, I decided to tell Kang Han everything.
“Yes, that’s right. I’m sorry for that lie too.”
I bowed my head apologetically, and the room spun slightly.
The alcohol was hitting me.
“But it wasn’t always like that. There were plenty of times I genuinely healed you for stamina management.”
“You’ve had it rough too, Yeo Joo. Keeping secrets and looking after us.”
“…You’re not being sarcastic, are you?”
“Of course not.”
Kang Han smiled quietly.
“I meant it exactly as I said—thank you for all your hard work.”
“I appreciate you saying that.”
I couldn’t help but glance away, feeling flustered.
Kang Han, still smiling faintly as he watched me, spoke.
“If you reveal your status window to people, many things will change.”
“That’s true. That’s why I kept it secret until now. But something feels strange.”
“What is it?”
“I thought I’d be incredibly worried when the time came to reveal it to people.”
I paused and looked inward for a moment, but my heart remained calm and undisturbed, with no trace of anxiety.
Why was that?
As I tilted my head in confusion, the protagonist of this world—the one who’d been watching me intently—came into view.
…Was it because Kang Han was on my side?
It was a plausible hypothesis.
It wasn’t just because this world revolved around Kang Han.
‘If it’s Kang Han…’
For some reason, that single phrase echoed in my mind.
Amused at my own absurdity, I let out a soft chuckle.
“Strangely enough, I’m not worried at all.”
“That’s because you don’t need to worry.”
Kang Han spoke firmly once more.
“You don’t need to worry.”
There was no explanation that followed.
But there was no need to spell it out.
“Thank you.”
I nodded and took another sip of fig wine.
The night breeze was cold, but as the warming liquor went down, my shoulders trembled slightly of their own accord.
“Where did you leave the uniform?”
“Where did I put it… It’s probably in the car?”
“I’ll go get it. Just wait a moment.”
As I watched Kang Han’s retreating figure and took another sip of the sweet liquor, someone suddenly thrust a shallow bowl brimming with makgeolli right in front of me.
“…Ji Jung Hwi?”
“Have a drink.”
I reflexively set down the glass I’d been holding and accepted the bowl.
‘Oh, I shouldn’t mix drinks.’
I could already picture myself suffering from a hangover tomorrow morning, but I couldn’t refuse the makgeolli Ji Jung Hwi offered.
The makgeolli I gulped down without even a toast turned out to be surprisingly delicious.
As I closed my mouth and savored the lingering sweetness, Ji Jung Hwi spoke.
“We’re heading back to Seoul in the morning.”
“Honestly, that works better for me too.”
Before I could stop myself, the truth spilled out.
I regretted it immediately, but my alcohol-laden body refused to listen to reason.
“But we really do need a proper Association Director, you know?”
I let out a heavy sigh and continued my grumbling.
“You know the Dungeons are changing, right? You know the Hunters are splitting into factions—the Gong Gil Yeon Alliance and the Jung Dong Alliance—and fighting each other? There’s never been a time when an Association Director was more crucial than now. But then Sa Ma Young just goes ahead and sets up a puppet, slaps the title of Association Director on them, and calls it a day. At this rate, everything’s going to fall apart in no time, I’m telling you?”
Though I spoke breathlessly, Ji Jung Hwi said nothing in return.
“Ugh, this is eating me up inside.”
I drained the entire bowl of makgeolli in gulps.
The sensation of my head spinning grew even more intense, and with a heavy sigh, the frustration that had been building up dissipated.
“Yeah, well. If I were in their shoes, after tasting retirement in a place like this, I wouldn’t want to go back and work myself to the bone either.”
The life of a Hunter is arduous.
Though many envied them for earning substantial sums, I suspected most of those admirers would abandon such fantasies the moment they stepped through a Gate and faced a monster.
What good was all that future wealth if death claimed you first?
And even escaping a Gate unscathed didn’t mean the ordeal was over.
The frequency varied from person to person, but everyone suffered the relentless torment of Rampage.
“Sigh.”
Contemplating Rampage drew another deep sigh from me.
I caught Ji Jung Hwi’s hand just as he was setting down his cup.

[ Activating skill ‘Dark Purification’. ]

I patted the back of his hand gently and spoke.
“Even if you decide not to become Association Director, I won’t resent you. But if you ever sense another Rampage episode coming on like this, please contact me. Don’t stubbornly endure it alone and suffer needlessly. Your body takes such a beating each time you Rampage. Hunter Ji Jung Hwi, you need to think about your age now.”
Ji Jung Hwi, whom I expected to pull away immediately, remained still instead.

[ Current target’s Dark Addiction Rate: 63% ]
[ Current target’s Dark Addiction Rate: 55% ]

Oh no. I’d forgotten to drink Chung Soo’s tonic again.
But it was already too late.
As my stamina drained, I felt the alcohol’s effects surge through me, and I collapsed forward.
“Whoa there.”
Ji Jung Hwi’s startled voice and the sensation of strong hands steadying my body were my last clear memories.
Or perhaps I’d heard Kang Han’s voice too.
Either way, my recollection ended there.

* * *

“Ugh…”
It wasn’t a mixture after all.
I clutched my throbbing head and collapsed onto the table at the Village Community Center.
I thought a bit more rest might help, but the circumstances didn’t allow for it.
“Oh my, the Seoul girl is finally awake.”
“So you drank an entire bottle of fig wine yesterday?”
“…Yes.”
Though it wasn’t even lunchtime yet, the Village Community Center was already bustling with residents.
It was remarkable that I’d managed to sleep this long.
“Yeo Joo, drink this. The grandmother who gave you the fig wine yesterday prepared it for you.”
“Wow, honey water. Wow.”
I gratefully accepted the cold honey water Kang Han offered with both hands and drained it in one go.
I hadn’t even realized my throat was parched from the headache.
As the cool, sweet honey water entered my body, I finally felt my senses returning.
It was a miraculous elixir nearly as effective as Chung Soo’s medicinal tonic.
“Ahh, now I feel alive again.”
“You’re quite the drinker, aren’t you?”
Ji Jung Hwi, who had been disassembling a broken fan that a village elder brought over, clicked his tongue at me.
Wait, whose fault is it that I’m in this state?
“If I just hadn’t drunk that makgeolli yesterday, I would’ve woken up fine!”
“Anyone listening would think I forced you to drink something you didn’t want.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
I didn’t have the energy to bicker with Ji Jung Hwi, so I was drinking more honey water that Kang Han had brought when—
Trrrrrr—
An unfamiliar phone number with the 061 area code appeared on my screen.
“Yes, hello. This is Yeo Joo.”
[“Hello. This is the Awakener Association Jeollanam-do Branch. We’re showing that Hunter Yeo Joo and Hunter Kang Han are currently located in Jeollanam-do. Is that correct?”]
“That’s right. What’s the matter? Has a Guerrilla Gate opened nearby?”
I noticed Kang Han and Hunter Ji Jung Hwi turn to look at me.
[“Yes, well, not exactly nearby, but a B-rank Guerrilla Gate is scheduled to open.”]
“How much time is left?”
[“About 40 minutes remaining.”]
“40 minutes.”
I hummed thoughtfully for a moment before responding.
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible. I’m suffering from severe hangover right now.”
[“…Pardon?”]
“Plus, I’m planning to return to Seoul soon anyway. You’ll need to find another Hunter to clear it.”
[“Understood. Thank you for your time.”]
After ending the call with the Jeollanam-do Branch, I looked up to see Kang Han and Hunter Ji Jung Hwi wearing complicated expressions.
I paid them no mind and simply shrugged before finishing my honey water.
“…All fixed.”
Ji Jung Hwi quickly reassembled the fan and rose from where he’d been sitting.
Then he spoke coldly to Kang Han and me.
“You two should head back to Seoul now. Before it gets any later.”
With those words, Ji Jung Hwi turned sharply and left the community center.
He didn’t even glance back once.
I watched his retreating figure while crunching the remaining ice in my cup, then spoke to Kang Han.
“Let’s go too. The hangover’s subsided a bit anyway.”
“Sure.”
After telling Kang Han to wait by the car first, I headed to the restroom and splashed cold water on my face.
The icy water seemed to wash my mind clean.
Shortly after, I said my final goodbyes to the elders at the Village Community Center and got into the car where Kang Han was waiting.
“It’ll take a while to get to Seoul, so maybe you should get some sleep….”
“No, actually there’s somewhere I need to stop by first? I have the address… right here.”
I entered the address I’d received after the phone call in the restroom into the car’s navigation system.
“Where is that?”
“You’ll see when we get there. Let’s go.”
We arrived at our destination, driving down a quiet road with no traffic congestion.
Not far away, I could see a Gate torn open through the empty air.
It was that Guerrilla Gate I’d been asked to clear just moments ago.
As I unbuckled my seatbelt to get out of the car, I heard Kang Han chuckle.
“What?”
“It’s just so like you, Yeo Joo.”
“What are you talking about? I really do have business here.”
After getting out of the car and walking toward the Gate, an Association Staff member approached with a bright expression and greeted us.
“Hunter Yeo Joo, Hunter Kang Han! Thank you so much for coming!”
“Hello. We were just planning to provide support from the rear, really.”
“Still! A B-rank Guerrilla Gate suddenly opened, and we were so worried, but thanks to you both, we can finally breathe easy. The hunters who will be helping us today are… ah, there they come!”
Following the Association Staff member’s gaze as I turned around, I saw a face I’d grown familiar with.
“What are you two doing here….”
It was Ji Jung Hwi, his eyes wide with shock.

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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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