The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 335

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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 156

Han Ji Sung’s Research Lab was in disarray.
Based on his appearance alone, one might assume he had obsessive-compulsive tendencies, but he surprisingly lacked any talent for organization.
It seemed to stem from his personality—when he focused on one thing, everything else simply faded from view.
Clink, clink.
Even now, Han Ji Sung sat before his workbench, holding something that resembled a small stone, deeply absorbed in his research.
He probably hadn’t even noticed me entering the Research Lab.
Thanks to that, I had the opportunity to sit across from the workbench and observe him quietly.
Naturally, my gaze drifted toward his chest.
Whether the aftereffects of the Dream Dungeon still lingered, I found myself checking repeatedly.
His body, clothed in a comfortable crewneck t-shirt, was perfectly intact.
There were no charred marks, and his chest wasn’t hollow where his heart should have been.
His silver hair, bathed in the afternoon sunlight streaming through the window, was serene, and his focused blue eyes sparkled with vitality.
‘My Han Ji Sung is fine.’
I reassured myself that way.
“Do you want it?”
“Pardon?”
Startled by the sudden question, I looked up to find Han Ji Sung smiling at me with his eyes narrowed gently.
“You seem like you want something.”
“Doesn’t a statement like that need a subject?”
“This necklace.”
Han Ji Sung touched the blue gemstone that hung long beneath his collarbone as he spoke.
“You kept staring at it.”
“Ah.”
It was a misunderstanding born from my intense gaze at his chest.
A necklace, of all things.
I only just noticed it existed.
“But what is that necklace? I’ve never seen it before.”
“I made it.”
“You made it?”
Han Ji Sung nodded shyly.
“You said my mana storage research was progressing well, remember? I’m not entirely satisfied yet, but since it was my first success, I wanted to keep it.”
“You succeeded?! If you achieved such an incredible result, you should have told me sooner!”
“It’s still too rough to call it a true success.”
Humility is a virtue, but not in this case.
I quickly read the information on the necklace.

[Mana Storage Necklace – Prototype (C)
: Contains a minimal amount of mana.
Creator – Han Ji Sung]

“This is insane.”
Even though it only held a minimal amount and was merely C-grade, this was an extraordinary breakthrough.
It was as momentous as a System upgrade!
“Explain it to me step by step. In the simplest terms possible.”
“Well, so….”
Han Ji Sung explained with his characteristic gentle tone, making the fundamentals of mana comprehensible even to someone like me who had zero knowledge of it.
How could his words sink in so naturally and stick with such clarity?
“Then I tried using depleted mana stones, and it worked.”
“Depleted mana stones….”
“Right. When they’re mined, they’re treated like gems, but once all the mana is extracted and used, they’re discarded. They’re just rocks at that point.”
Long, pale fingers rolled a small stone across the table.
I wondered what it was, but it appeared to be waste from a depleted mana stone that had been extracted and abandoned.
“It bothered me a bit, and more importantly, since it was once a substance that held mana, I thought it might be possible to store mana in it again. And it worked. In a way, it’s obvious, so it’s funny that no one thought of it until now.”
“No!”
I slammed both hands on the table and vehemently disagreed.
“It’s not funny at all! I think you’re a complete genius!”
“Ha, thanks. Only Yeo Joo would say that.”
“No, seriously! And I don’t think it would be solved just by blindly forcing mana into that waste material, right?”
“As expected, Yeo Joo has sharp intuition.”
Han Ji Sung’s blue eyes widened.
“You have to modify the depleted mana stone by installing circuits in it. Otherwise, the mana you put in will evaporate like water and disappear.”
“Ah, I see.”
I recalled how Je Hwa had provided Han Ji Sung with mana circuits or something under Maestro’s name.
“But the efficiency is too low. With the amount in this necklace, I can only create a flame the size of a candle once. And this was originally a C-grade mana stone.”
Even though it was C-grade, it was an energy source that could power a car for more than a season.
Han Ji Sung furrowed his brow, lost in thought again. I wondered if there was any way I could help him.
It would be pointless to rack my ignorant brain about mana.
A face suddenly flashed through my mind.
“By the way, have you considered talking to the Workshop owner?”
I suggested carefully.
“The Workshop owner?”
“Yes, Sugar Workshop. You know, the handsome one with the big build.”
“Ah, that person.”
But in an instant, Han Ji Sung’s brightened expression darkened as if a light had been extinguished.
“It would be wonderful if I could receive help… but do you think it’ll be okay?”
“Oh, right. You’ve always been shy around strangers, haven’t you? But we’ve met before.”
“That’s true. It’s not like I don’t know them at all.”
Even as Han Ji Sung agreed with me, worry still filled his face.
It wasn’t often that an S-rank Hunter was this introverted.
It was the biggest difference from the Han Ji Sung I’d met in the Dream Dungeon.
He was nothing like the person who had approached me without hesitation, struck up conversations, and even made jokes.
“When did you start being so shy around people?”
“I’m not sure. I wasn’t always like this.”
Han Ji Sung rested his chin in his hand, pondering my question.
“I think my personality changed through all sorts of hardships. I was expelled from Fantasia Guild and bounced around several guilds. There were a lot of incidents back then.”
“I see.”
It was indeed a change brought about by repeated rampages.
If he had awakened as an S-rank but rampaged every time he entered a Dungeon, and had shown that side of himself to many people repeatedly, it was more than understandable.
“But that doesn’t mean I dislike who I am now.”
He looked beautiful and at ease, smiling while basking in the bright sunlight.
“I like it too. I like you the way you are now, oppa.”
It wasn’t hollow comfort.
The Han Ji Sung who knew no failure and was confident was impressive, but I preferred this version of him more.
Even a gemstone can shine brighter depending on how it’s cut and polished.
It was an obvious truth, but it seemed Han Ji Sung didn’t see it that way.
Ding—

《 ♥ 45 : Treasure 》

For the first time in a while, my favorability had increased, and the keyword changed.
From “benefactor” to “treasure.”
Did that mean he valued me that much?
I felt my face flush with embarrassment.
Ji Sung gazed at my eyes intently and offered a gentle smile.
“I like you too, Yeo Joo.”
Ah, this was quite moving.
The warm atmosphere shattered instantly at the deafening boom that suddenly rang out.
Crash—!
The impact was so violent that even the sturdy building constructed from Dungeon materials trembled violently.
“It’s coming from the Outdoor Training Ground.”
Ji Sung spoke coldly as he swept away the ice barrier he’d reflexively created with a flick of his hand.
“The Outdoor Training Ground?”
That’s where Kang Han is right now.
My blood ran cold.

* * *

I wasn’t the only one who sensed the danger.
As we rushed toward the Outdoor Training Ground, the Guild members we passed all carried weapons in their hands.
A sound that loud could only come from inside a Gate.
A Guerrilla Gate?
A Dungeon Break from an undetected Gate that had been left unattended and suddenly ruptured?
Or was it those Apocalypse Cult bastards?
All manner of worst-case scenarios flashed rapidly through my mind.
“Gasp, huff—what on earth is happening!”
By the time my side began to ache, I’d arrived at the Outdoor Training Ground.
Or rather, what used to be the Outdoor Training Ground.
“It’s completely destroyed!”
The Outdoor Training Ground, which had been painstakingly leveled and constructed with premium materials at great expense, lay in complete ruins.
Not only was there a massive crater in the center, but even the steps I’d occasionally sat on were completely shattered.
Even the adjacent hillside had collapsed, and earth was cascading down into the Outdoor Training Ground like a landslide.
Cold sweat streamed down my back.
With damage of this magnitude.
“Kang Han!”
Whatever monster had attacked the Guild, there was no way Kang Han could have survived being here.
Yet in response to my panicked cry, a perfectly intact voice answered.
“Yeo Joo.”
Kang Han stood before the crater, holding a dark spear in one hand.
His face bore an expression of deep confusion and apology.
I rushed over to Kang Han and asked, “Are you alright? What kind of bastard attacked you….”
“Are you okay? What kind of guy attacked you…?”
“It was me.”
“What?”
“I… did it. I’m sorry.”
“The Guild Master destroyed the Outdoor Training Ground?”
“Yes. It was absolutely unintentional, and I’m truly sorry.”
“Sigh.”
For a moment, my blood pressure spiked and a dull ache throbbed at the back of my head, but I took a deep breath first.
“Why?”
At least let me understand the reason.
Why had the Guild Master reduced a perfectly intact Guild training facility to this state?
“I was testing out a new skill… I didn’t expect it to cause this much damage.”
“A new skill?”
Suddenly, an image of Kang Han fighting the calamity in the Crater flashed through my mind.
…Could it be?

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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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