The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 318

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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 139

“When was that, exactly?”
Kang Han’s green eyes wavered with confusion.
“There were so many casualties back then.”
Yet in this world, aside from the first Gate that came without any preparation, there had been no catastrophe with casualties on that scale.
Should I push the matter further here?
I was just about to open my mouth with that thought when—
“Sub-guild Master.”
Yang Hwa Yeon slipped into the space where only I and Kang Han had been, and relayed her message.
“Master contacted us saying additional data on the Gate opening tomorrow has been deciphered.”

+++

Hunters who received the emergency meeting summons gathered one by one in the Guild Master’s office.
They appeared to be the personnel entering this Gate together.
“Master, you said there was new information about the Gate.”
Even as I heard Hunter Kang Young Won’s voice, my gaze remained fixed on Je Hwa, who materialized as a hologram the moment the appointed time arrived.
Intellectually, I understood it well.
That person was merely an illusion created by the Dungeon.
But the pang of regret rose unbidden.
‘So this is what Je Hwa would have looked like, trapped in mannerism.’
Ultimately, he had abandoned item crafting and now lived merely as the Guild Master of Maestro before everyone’s eyes.
Creating things was not work for Je Hwa.
It was the driving force that made him live each day.
Perhaps because he had surrendered something so precious, the Je Hwa before my eyes resembled an old train that had stopped running toward a destination, standing listlessly on the tracks.
Separate from finding such a man pitiful and worrying, a deep sense of relief washed over me.
Because the real Je Hwa outside the Dungeon was surely still running, belching hot steam.
[ “I couldn’t read it perfectly like other Gates, but I succeeded in interpreting several meaningful pieces of data.” ]
“That’s certainly welcome news. So?”
[ “This Gate will open in Cheonho-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul—specifically in the area around Cheonho Station.” ]
I flinched without meaning to.
An S-Grade Gate opening around Cheonho Station.
That was precisely where the Fifth Dungeon Break had occurred.
‘Is this also a reflection of Kang Han’s unconscious mind?’
I stole a glance at Kang Han when no one was looking.
“Of all places, a densely populated area….”
But he was merely unsettled by the news of an S-Grade Gate appearing in the heart of the city, showing no sign of connecting it to that strange sense of discord I’d felt moments before.
[ “The size is estimated to be large or greater. And….” ]
Jung Je Hwa, who had been relaying the data analysis results to Kang Young Won, trailed off with a faint furrow between his brows.
He seemed to be deliberating over something until the very end.
“Master?”
[ “The boss monster’s data cannot be read.” ]
“What do you mean by that?”
[ “There are two possibilities. One is that the boss monster’s rank is so high that the currently established System cannot read it, and the other is that the boss monster’s position within the current Gate is vacant.” ]
What did that mean?
It seemed others were equally confused, each tilting their heads in bewilderment.
But Jung Je Hwa couldn’t provide a definitive answer either.
[ “Until additional data is read, we cannot know anything for certain, but the second scenario has an extremely low probability. And in the first scenario… we will need to prepare.” ]
I felt the entire room tense.
A boss monster beyond what the System could read.
My complexion darkened as well.
‘If I die inside the Dream Dungeon, I’ll be consumed by the illusion itself.’
Even if Kang Han eventually awakened from the dream, I, already bound to the Dungeon, would be unable to return to reality with him.
This was a nightmare, pure nightmare.
Then, with a beeping sound, Jung Je Hwa turned his head.
He stared intently at something not rendered as a hologram, his expression grave, before speaking.
[ “Data indicates that the terrain inside the Dungeon will be solid. At least it won’t be an Underwater Dungeon.” ]
Even when hunters entered an Underwater Dungeon equipped with items to handle breathing, it was always troublesome in numerous ways.
“…That’s a small mercy, at least.”
Hunter Kang Young Won shook her head, but no one seemed relieved.
It was because of the previous news.
A boss monster with power that even Jung Je Hwa’s System couldn’t read, or the absence of a boss monster altogether.
Unable to determine which of the two was the truth, I too remained silent.

+++

Fortunately, by the time we arrived at the Training Center in Gimpo, the heavy atmosphere had lifted considerably.
After all, these weren’t the types to brood endlessly over problems without immediate solutions.
“Wow, it’s been ages since I’ve been here!”
Yang Hwa Yeon stepped off the bus and stretched dramatically with a loud exclamation.
“Our Guild has everything, but it’s too deep in the city. Even just stepping outside the urban area makes the air feel completely different, don’t you think, Yeo Joo?”
“I suppose. I actually prefer Jongno since it’s closer to my home.”
“Aha! Right, you were commuting here until just a few days ago!”
I nodded with a wry expression, and Yang Hwa Yeon’s laughter grew even louder.
That mischievous personality of hers was the same whether awake or dreaming.
Once she got going, there was no mercy for anyone nearby, so I was gradually edging away from her when someone suddenly grabbed both my shoulders and steered me in a different direction.
“The Training Facility we’ll be using today is this way, Yeo Joo.”
“Ah, yes.”
I would have figured that out on my own.
“You changed your clothes?”
Kang Han, who had always worn a suit since entering the dream Dungeon, was now dressed in a black t-shirt and dark gray techwear pants.
He was even wearing combat boots.
It was a far more familiar look to me.
“This outfit is more comfortable for training.”
Yeah, that made sense.
Kang Han was definitely a techwear guy.
As I found myself being led along like we were playing a train game, Yang Hwa Yeon’s eyes widened.
“Did you two become really close in just a few days?”
Not just Yang Hwa Yeon, but everyone who had gotten off the bus was staring at us with surprised expressions.
Even Kang Young Won, Kang Han’s mother and a Hunter, was watching us quite intently.
“Aha, the Sub-guild Leader has been taking such good care of me.”
“Kang Han? Wonders never cease. What’s gotten into you?”
But instead of answering Yang Hwa Yeon’s question, Kang Han leaned closer to me and spoke in a low voice.
“Didn’t you say you’d call me by my name?”
“…There are other people around.”
Even in a dream, I wanted to avoid the stigma of a new employee constantly using the boss’s son’s name.
“Hmm. A secret between us—I like that.”
“Was he always like this originally?”
“Originally?”
“…Never mind.”
I really can’t get used to this version of Kang Han in the dream.
I tried not to pay too much attention to the large hand still resting on my shoulder as I continued walking.
Moments later, we arrived at the front of the building that occupied the largest area of the Training Center, exactly as I’d expected.
This massive dome-shaped arena was the Justice Guild’s pride—the Simulation Training Ground.
It was supposedly a cutting-edge technological marvel built at an astronomical cost.
It was said to recreate the experience of being inside an actual Gate more vividly than the real thing, which was why other Guilds paid substantial rental fees to use it.
Regardless, without activating the simulation device, the dome was simply a spacious indoor arena where people began freely warming up their bodies.
“You’re Yeo Joo the Healer, right? It’s nice to meet you. I’m Yoon Ki Baek.”
“I’m Gye Young Ho! Let’s get along well from now on!”
They were S-Grade Hunters who served as team leaders of Conquest Team 2 and Team 3, respectively.
Yoon Ki Baek was a Shield user, and Gye Young Ho was a mage, if I recalled correctly.
Gye Young Ho in particular was a relatively young team leader in his thirties who possessed skills related to fire, water, and wind all at once.
“Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you both. I’m Yeo Joo.”
These were faces I didn’t recognize, yet Kang Han would miss them dearly.
They had all died alongside Kang Young Won during the Fifth Dungeon Break.
Besides these two, there were several other Hunters who would enter the Gate with me tomorrow.
They were gathered a short distance away, joking and chattering freely with Kang Han and Kang Young Won.
They were all people who had vanished in the Cheonho-dong Gate, just like Yoon Ki Baek and Gye Young Ho.
“Things must have happened so suddenly that you were quite shocked. But please don’t worry too much. I’ve entered S-Grade Gates many times so far, and I’ve always returned safely each time, and this time will be no different.”
Yoon Ki Baek comforted me kindly.
“The Guild takes care of supplies well, but there are still some useful things to bring along, you know? I’ll tell you about them after training ends!”
Gye Young Ho also spoke warmly with a friendly smile.
“Thank you for your concern, both of you.”
Without a previous generation to serve as a reliable foundation, the reality of our struggling efforts stood in stark contrast to this situation, and I could only manage a hollow smile.

+++

Screeeech—!
The first scenario summoned was the most straightforward type: a Cave Dungeon.
Overhead, a bat-type boss monster—the most common kind in S-Grade Cave Dungeons—flew about, but as always during training, I as the Healer had little to do.
I simply retreated far to the rear and watched the Hunters in combat, keeping an eye out for any injuries that might occur.
Thud.
So when a small noise came from above, I paid it no mind.
I merely thought that despite being cutting-edge, the simulation even rendered stone fragments falling from the cave ceiling due to the impact of combat.
But the stone fragment that rolled at my feet seemed slightly odd.
Rather than part of a black, solid Cave Dungeon, it looked more like a cement fragment used in construction….
In that instant, the simulation around me flickered violently once, and noise erupted.
“What is this, a malfunction….”
As I reflexively tilted my head upward, my eyes caught sight of something falling directly above me—a simulation device the size of a car.

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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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