The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 229

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

Yeo Joo Saves the World
Part 2, Episode 50

“Oh, do you know each other?”
“…Not to that extent.”
Ji Jung Hwi answered briefly, but the Association Staff member grew even more animated.
“As I thought! A righteous Hunter like Kim Young Sang must be quite close with the Justice Guild members!”
It seemed Ji Jung Hwi was using a false identity instead of his real name.
Well, that made sense.
How could someone who’d served as Association Director for years go unrecognized?
Finding it strange, I pulled up Ji Jung Hwi’s status window.

Ji Jung Hwi A
1. Obedience Command ( A )
2. Mind’s Eye ( A )
3. [ Empty ]
Abnormal Status – Darkness Addiction 55%, Nightmares, Trauma
Equipped Item – ‘B-Rank Kim Young Sang’

What on earth was this ‘B-Rank Kim Young Sang’ item?
This was exactly what the ‘I See What I Know’ skill was for.

[ ‘B-Rank Kim Young Sang’ Mask (A)
: A mask that causes the wearer to be recognized as B-Rank Hunter Kim Young Sang.
( Does not apply to those who already know the wearer’s true identity ) ]

‘So items like this exist too.’
The world of items truly was boundless.
But setting that aside, watching Ji Jung Hwi borrow the power of such an item to masquerade as someone else and clear the Gate was somehow both pitiful and amusing.
I suppressed the laughter threatening to escape before asking.
“It seems Hunter Kim Young Sang does a lot of good deeds.”
“Oh, absolutely! He’s our Jeollanam-do Branch’s benefactor! We can’t thank Hunter Kim Young Sang enough for his hard work every time a Guerrilla Gate opens!”
I’d expected as much.
I glanced at Hunter Ji Jung Hwi, whose face had flushed crimson and rendered him speechless, before speaking.
“The fact that Hunter Kim Young Sang will be clearing this Guerrilla Gate solo remains unchanged. We’re simply entering together as a precaution in case anything unexpected occurs.”
“Of course, of course. Hunter Kim Young Sang is certainly capable on his own, but how much more reassuring it would be with the Guild Master, who is equally strong, entering alongside him! The weight of asking a B-rank Hunter to enter a B-rank Guerrilla Gate alone….”
“Let’s go in.”
Hunter Ji Jung Hwi, unable to endure listening any further, abruptly cut off the staff member’s words and rushed into the Gate ahead of us.
Wait, why?
I was actually enjoying listening to that.
Together with Kang Han, who was suppressing laughter just as I was, I followed him inside.

* * *

“We’re counting on you, Hunter Kim Young Sang.”
At my greeting upon entering the Gate, Hunter Ji Jung Hwi’s face contorted.
“How are you here? Didn’t you go to Seoul?”
“The story didn’t add up, so I came to check.”
“Check what?”
“You’re holed up in a mountain village where Gates aren’t even a concern, yet you’re going berserk? That makes no sense.”
“….”
Hunter Ji Jung Hwi’s face showed a moment of realization.
According to current knowledge, Gates appear far more frequently in densely populated urban areas.
It couldn’t be otherwise.
They were passages for entities whose purpose was to destroy this world.
Therefore, Gates opened at locations where they could inflict maximum damage.
So a Hunter living in a Gate-free zone with only a handful of elderly residents going berserk simply didn’t make sense.
After discreetly investigating, I discovered that since Ji Jung Hwi had settled in Mii Village, there was a record of one Hunter monopolizing the clearance of all Gates that opened in the Jeollanam-do Island Region.
‘Given his personality, he simply couldn’t ignore it.’
Having served as Association Director for so long, I understood better than anyone.
How severely regions outside major cities like Seoul suffered from chronic Hunter shortages.
“…This isn’t a pleasure trip. Let’s clear it quickly and go our separate ways.”
Hunter Ji Jung Hwi deftly averted his gaze and changed the subject.
Part of me wanted to tease him further, but I held back—that subtly timid man would likely sulk if I did.
“I’ll take the lead.”
Kang Han, drawing his sword, naturally stepped forward.
Ji Jung Hwi didn’t say anything either.
The Association Staff member’s earlier words had been correct, after all.
No matter how experienced I was, tackling a B-rank Guerrilla Gate alone would be pushing it.
It might be possible, but I’d definitely be overextending myself.
The Jeollanam-do Branch lacked both personnel and resources, so there wasn’t even a camera crew accompanying us, and there was no reason to do something foolish.
True to the description of a small Dungeon, the interior wasn’t particularly spacious.
The meadow that began right before the Gate soon gave way to an enormous flower field.
“It’s really beautiful.”
The flower field, blooming with flowers of every hue, was so vibrant it felt almost unreal.
The fragrance was so thick that I felt dizzy for a moment.
The way the wind blowing from somewhere caused waves to ripple across the flower field gave me goosebumps.
It was undeniably beautiful, so why did something feel off?
The thought struck me, so I checked.

[ Lackensia Flower ( C )
: A plant-type monster with a strong hypnotic effect in its fragrance. ]

Indeed, you could never let your guard down around things in a Dungeon.
“I should harvest some and bring them to Chung Soo.”
I pulled out the mesh bag and flower spade I always carried, carefully digging up Lackensia flowers to collect them.
Ji Jung Hwi approached with a helpless laugh, as if bewildered.
“What are you doing right now?”
“Our Guild’s Potion Master always tells me to harvest things like this when I see them. He says they can all be used as medicine.”
“Medicine? You mean potions?”
“Yes, our Potion Master is really skilled. Right now, he’s collaborating with Director Seo Yu Baek at the Korean Awakener Hospital to develop trauma treatment potions.”
I placed the mesh bag containing the Lackensia flowers back into my Subspace as I spoke proudly.
Ji Jung Hwi seemed startled by my words and asked again.
“You can treat serious trauma with potions?”
“Yes, not every Guild has a healer, after all.”
“…That could save many lives.”
“That’s the goal. That’s why, unlike concentration potions, we plan to sell them at a low price. According to our Potion Master and Director Seo Yu Baek’s opinions.”
“That’s good work.”
Ji Jung Hwi smiled rarely and nodded.
And the moment I saw that face, I knew it was time.
“But initially, demand will definitely far exceed supply. I’m thinking of asking the Awakeners Association for help to ensure the stock reaches as many Guilds fairly as possible, but I need to be able to trust the Association.”
“….”
Ji Jung Hwi didn’t give a particular answer.
But I wasn’t greatly discouraged.
These small reasons accumulate, and eventually one side of the scale grows heavy and tips.
Walking through the flower field without rushing, that’s when it happened.
Bzzzzzzzz—
“A drone?”
A sound like a drone flying suddenly echoed from somewhere.
A drone inside the Dungeon, all of a sudden?
I was turning my head around, searching for the source of the sound.
“Yeo Joo.”
Kang Han grabbed my shoulder and pulled me behind him.
“Why? What’s wrong?”
Not understanding the reason, I simply followed where his large hand led, ducking behind him as I lifted my gaze to follow his line of sight.
From a distance, I’d thought it was just a tree with slightly yellowed leaves.
But it wasn’t.
The thick branches and trunk of the towering tree were completely covered in something bumpy and mottled.
“…A wasp nest?”
The moment I realized what it was, a sharp chill raced down my spine, raising goosebumps across my skin.
Bzzzz—
Bzzz—
The sound like a drone flying was none other than the sound of wasps.
“What’s with their size?”
It wasn’t just the sound that resembled a drone.
The wasps were nearly the size of basketballs, their wing venation so clearly visible to the naked eye that every detail was apparent.

[ Zeta Hill Wasp ( C )
: A wasp-type monster that survived the harsh climate of Zeta Hill, possessing powerful neurotoxins in its fangs and venom. ]

“Yeo Joo, slowly back away.”
Kang Han spoke in an unusually tense voice.
I obeyed, retreating very slowly, keeping my breathing shallow and quiet.
But it seemed we were already far too close to the nest.
Bzzzzzzzz—!
The sound of wings suddenly grew so loud it hurt my ears, and hundreds of wasps erupted from the hive, swarming toward us.

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