The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 42

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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 – Episode 42

‘Do I… like him?’
Jang Su Ho felt engulfed in confusion, his mind spinning in circles.
After emerging from the Guerrilla Dungeon, the conversation he’d had with the guild master came flooding back all at once, making it worse.

Kang Han asked, staring at Yeo Joo lying helplessly on a private hospital bed at the Awakened Hospital.
“Why was Yeo Joo the target?”
“I… I’m not sure. At that moment, I could only see Yeo Joo…”
Jang Su Ho continued speaking, roughly wiping his face still bearing the vivid marks of the dungeon.
“I wanted to kill her. But it was different.”
“Explain in more detail.”
It was an interrogation full of questions.
Under Kang Han’s steady gaze, Jang Su Ho reluctantly confessed.
“The last time I lost my mind, I only wanted to destroy everything. But with Yeo Joo… I was afraid. That’s why I rushed at her.”
“You were afraid.”
Jang Su Ho nodded.
“When I become a Berserker, I become someone else. But Yeo Joo’s presence felt like it would erase that version of me—I felt such terror that my hair stood on end.”
“That sounds like an instinctive threat response.”
“Yes, but Yeo Joo’s hand cooled my head in an instant. That’s how I came back to my senses…”
Jang Su Ho trailed off.
There were things he couldn’t bring himself to say aloud, especially not to Kang Han.
The moment Yeo Joo’s hand touched him, even though the Berserker mode had shut down, he could only see Yeo Joo.
As if imprinted upon his very soul, the world split into ‘Yeo Joo’ and ‘everything that is not Yeo Joo’.

But that’s one thing, and this is another.
Su Ho let out a long sigh and turned to look at me.
“Don’t you have something more entertaining? You know, with more fighting and destruction?”
“Oh? So that’s your taste, unnie. Got it. How about this one?”
“Ooh, that actually looks kind of fun?”
I yawned widely while chatting with Yu Eul.
By any measure, I looked nothing like Su Ho’s ideal type—the distance between us was as vast as the gap between Earth and the Moon.
Just then, a piece of popcorn I was bringing to my mouth slipped from my fingers and fell to the floor.
“Oops, didn’t even take three seconds.”
Without hesitation, I picked up the popcorn from the floor and crunched it between my teeth.
In that moment, Su Ho felt his mind suddenly clear.
And he thought to himself.
‘Right, I can’t confuse sympathy with affection.’
So then, so then.
Su Ho grinned widely and picked up the bag of potato chips he’d dropped earlier.

* * *

While the action film I wanted played on screen, I took a moment to reassess my situation.
First, it seemed the limit to how many stamina potions I could drink was five bottles.
If I drank more than that, some cursed spinning wheel would activate, and I’d fall into a status abnormality that even external intervention couldn’t prevent.
This time I was fortunate enough to get off with just losing consciousness, but there’s no telling what might afflict me next time.
So for now, rather than relying on potions, I should focus on collecting items that increase my absolute stamina value.
Also, Jang Su Ho’s Berserker mode seemed to resonate with the darkness that emerged from within the Gate.
This was the conclusion I’d reached by comparing it to how easily he could control himself at the Association Training Grounds last time, even when angry.
‘And there’s definitely something more to the darkness purification skill.’
It was just intuition.
But it was a strong premonition I couldn’t simply ignore.
I pretended to watch the movie while pulling up my status window.

Yeo Joo A
1. The More You Know (EX) – Inactive
2. Even Dried Squid Yields Water When Squeezed (A)
3. Body and Spirit Fortified (A)
▷ Body Healing: I consume my stamina to heal the target’s physical wounds.
Current Level – Beginner II
▷ Darkness Addiction Cure (EX): Reduces the target’s darkness addiction level.
The cure’s efficiency is proportional to the target’s affection toward Yeo Joo.
4. [Empty]
Imprinted Skills Recovered – None
Equipped Items – None

I’d always focused solely on the darkness addiction cure skill, “Body and Spirit Fortified.”
But this time, my gaze fell on the empty skill slot below.
“Empty” meant another skill could occupy that space.
Perhaps—just perhaps—I might gain an ability not merely to purify darkness, but to actually control it.
‘Please, anything but some bizarre spinning wheel.’
Then the uninvited system answered.

[The system does its utmost to protect user Yeo Joo.]

‘That’s hilarious.’
How is knocking me unconscious so my healing skills won’t work supposed to be protecting me?
What if something like that happens in the middle of combat?
At least I have Kang Han to carry me and flee whenever needed—thank goodness for that.
I asked before the system could close its mouth again.
‘So what options does that spinning wheel have?’

[It varies each time.]

‘Ugh.’
I was foolish to expect a proper answer from the system.
I chewed down my frustration with the system along with a handful of popcorn.

* * *

By the time I noticed, the action movie playing for the second time had ended.
Before everyone returned to their rooms, I brought up the words I’d prepared in advance.
“Let’s get this properly appraised.”
It was truly frustrating.
I knew what kind of chalice this was, but the others didn’t.
I had no choice but to present an official appraisal certificate.
“An appraisal? Isn’t that expensive?”
Lee Yu Chan asked while organizing the snack bags.
“The guild has that kind of money now.”
“Oh right, I forgot because you were always acting so broke compared to us.”
“When did I ever act broke?”
“I saw you pick up popcorn from the ground and eat it earlier.”
Young eyes truly see everything.
I couldn’t believe they’d witnessed that.
“Anyway, since this seems like an unusual item, it would be better to get it appraised first and then decide how to store it.”
“Let’s do that.”
Kang Han agreed immediately.
He probably felt it too.
That this chalice wasn’t just a simple item.
“But who should we get to appraise it? Don’t most appraisers usually have bookings months in advance?”
The world was overflowing with items, and ordinary hunters couldn’t even properly read their own status windows.
So appraisers with appraisal skills were busy and expensive.
But I had Jung Je Hwa.
“I know someone well.”
“Can’t I come along?”
Jang Su Ho suddenly spoke up.
“No.”
“Why?”
“He’s very particular about who he meets. If you come with me, he might not even open the door.”
Jung Je Hwa wasn’t the type to show that level of assertiveness.
But in any case, the conversation wouldn’t flow as usual.
After all, we’d already opened up to each other.
“Tch.”
Jang Su Ho pouted his lips.
When had he started following me around like this?
I wasn’t sure what effect the keyword “master” had, but it felt like I’d unknowingly adopted a large, clingy dog.
And as we continued this non-conversation, Lee Yu Eul approached me.
“Unnie, when you go get it appraised, could you also get this looked at?”
What Lee Yu Eul held out was the Jungle Machete I’d casually picked up and started using in the Jungle Dungeon.
“You’ve still been carrying this?”
“Yes. Well, it seems like this one has become an item.”
“It became an item?”
I was so startled that I immediately pulled up the machete’s information window.

[ Jungle Machete ( A )
: A machete specialized in cutting through obstacles in its path.
Engraved Owner – Lee Yu Eul ]

“Wow.”
Now this was a lucky find.
A weapon with properties perfectly suited to Lee Yu Eul’s skills and tendencies had emerged from the Dungeon as an A-rank item, and it was even engraved. This meant no one else could ever use it.
Now only Lee Yu Eul could wield this weapon.
I couldn’t suppress the smile creeping across my face, so I covered my mouth with my hand before responding.
“Alright, I’ll get it appraised tomorrow.”
Maybe the Justice Guild really is blessed with luck after all?

* * *

I arrived at the Maestro Tower in Jamsil.
Out of habit, I bought a bag of candy and headed down to Basement Level 4, making my way to Workshop Sugar.
I pushed open the door and called out.
“Knock knock! I’m here!”
Jung Je Hwa, who had been hunched over something at the workbench, lifted his head.
“Why do you look so surprised?”
Behind his black-framed glasses, Jung Je Hwa’s eyes were wide with excitement.
“I was just about to contact you.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“It’s just been completed—the earrings you commissioned.”
I tossed the bag of candy carelessly onto the counter and rushed over to the workbench.
Jung Je Hwa then set the earrings down on a cloth with a lustrous black sheen.
“God, this is insane.”
The moment I saw them, an involuntary gasp of admiration escaped my lips.

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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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