The Tone-Deaf Healer Kills with a Song - Chapter 15

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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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Tone-Deaf Healer Kills with Song – Episode 015
Ranking Matches. The Valkyrie Network’s official hunter rankings.
They’re determined by considering common stats as a baseline, along with other stats and skills. There are factors like the number of Dungeons cleared, but the detailed criteria remain undisclosed.
And when hunters of comparable skill levels emerge, they engage in one-on-one combat without lethal intent to determine their rankings.
“Do many people receive direct instruction from rankers? How was it for you, Senior?”
“I, well… I didn’t really have anyone teaching me, so I just got by with whatever help my handler provided.”
Jung Hwan-jae glanced around before quickly correcting his speech. Though no one seemed particularly focused on us, someone accustomed to living under others’ scrutiny would naturally feel self-conscious.
Today we’d decided to do an opening run at the Potion Workshop. Since the equipment workshop we’d contracted with Hanttae wouldn’t have an available slot until after the Ranking Matches, the idea was to establish connections elsewhere first.
After receiving a disposable teleportation device in place of a queue number, we’d been waiting for approximately three hours.
“Does establishing a connection with the workshop master actually help? Do they give preferential treatment to acquaintances?”
“They can’t bump your slot forward, but when a hunter and workshop master have a good relationship, the crafting sometimes becomes more meticulous. Of course, they won’t charge less for it.”
Thanks to his desperate efforts, he’d grown somewhat accustomed to speaking casually with me outside—about once every ten sentences.
Though he couldn’t hide the apologetic look in his eyes each time he dropped the formality.
It was strange how respectful he remained, considering he was three years my senior as a guild master.
“I could have come alone, you know. I’ve dealt with plenty of difficult people before.”
“It’s your first time.”
“But don’t you have other things to do besides this, Senior?”
Jung Hwan-jae fell silent.
It was only natural. Though he moved about outside like an ordinary hunter, he was a guild master responsible for an entire guild.
He had far more pressing matters than attending to someone like me. The guild members seemed to understand to some degree once they heard the story about training a dedicated healer.
‘Ah, so she’s the one who sang that….’
‘Hello, hang in there.’
Those introduced to me knew about the incident where I’d knocked out the interviewer, and they’d regard me with expressions of conflicting emotions.
It was an effort that drew blood from my throat. Ever since moving to the Dormitory that day and hearing the news of perfect soundproofing, I’d been singing every sleepless dawn.
Perhaps because of that effort, my stats finally changed yesterday.
Vocal Ability F
Creative Technique E-
But my Vocal Ability remained completely unchanged while only Creative Technique shifted slightly.
How was I supposed to improve technique when I couldn’t sing properly? I was so frustrated that I couldn’t help but let out a lion’s roar that day.
Even the world’s worst tone-deaf person supposedly improves with a little practice, but apparently I wasn’t even human.
“Ye-ah.”
If Jung Hwan-jae hadn’t gently grasped my wrist, I would still have been lost in yesterday’s moment—that unclear instant of success or failure.
Startled, I looked up to see him gesturing forward with his chin, indicating I should follow the advancing queue.
I gave a brief acknowledgment and took a step forward, and he quietly released my wrist as if he’d been waiting for that moment. There was no intention to pull or drag.
“Sorry for grabbing you suddenly. You seemed lost in thought, and I couldn’t just drag you along. I called you several times, but you didn’t respond.”
“I apologize, Senior. I was absorbed in other thoughts.”
“Is something wrong? Your expression looked troubled.”
“No, it’s nothing serious.”
I’ve simply learned that when you’re born without talent, no amount of effort might produce results beyond a certain limit….
I offered a bitter smile and evaded the question, and he didn’t press further.
“There are so many people here. I never expected to see an old-fashioned queue system in this age of great hunters.”
“This place did try installing kiosks for a while, but hunters kept using their skills to manipulate them or break the machines entirely. So they decided it was fairer to just have everyone wait in line.”
“I see… Do fights not break out here? With so many hunters gathered, I’d think conflict would be inevitable.”
Because he spoke in such a measured, careful tone, I found myself lowering my voice to match his.
I wondered if this was something I shouldn’t be overheard discussing.
“The workshop master here dislikes fighting. Since healers are so rare, hunters have no choice but to stick with this place.”
“A monopoly, then…?”
He nodded silently in agreement.
With supply so desperately inadequate compared to demand, even the most formidable hunters had no choice but to comply with whatever conditions were offered.
It was the same situation as with healing-type hunters. Supply was so limited that everyone bent over backwards to recruit them, regardless of terms.
Moreover, potions contributed not only to healing but also to various buffs and enhancements, so a healer alone couldn’t substitute for them.
“The workshop master here consistently ranks within the top 100, so it’s best not to antagonize them.”
With the number one ranked hunter right in front of me, I couldn’t fully appreciate it, but just being in the top 100 was enough to send shivers down my spine.
If a nation has more than ten hunters ranked in the top 100, it’s recorded in history as a nation of exceptionally powerful hunters.
Currently, Korea has a total of fourteen hunters ranked in the top 100, and not a single one of them is a healer.
Yeom Ye-ah, Korea’s first healing-type ranker—I imagined the headlines and couldn’t help but grin to myself.
‘Hmm, maybe I should pick a hunter name too. Something that sounds impressive. Since my name is Ye-ah, maybe Ye-ah’s something… or something like that…’
“…Ye-ah.”
My wrist was grasped again.
I had no choice but to resume walking, embarrassed. His expression had been troubled before, and now that I was grinning to myself, the concern etched on his face was hardly surprising.
“Among rankers, are there more who hide their identity or more who reveal it openly?”
“Well, fewer hide it. Once you’re known as a ranker, the status and power you can wield become entirely different.”
“Then what would be the reason for those who do hide it?”
Every ranker I’d seen so far had done the opposite. On television and such, they all seemed desperate to reveal their ranker status.
So it couldn’t be out of concern about being attacked. Reaper was the number one ranked hunter, after all.
There was no one who could dare threaten his life. Not unless he deliberately allowed himself to be harmed.
So my question was really asking: why do you go to such lengths to conceal yourself?
“Threats and such are really just excuses. To be precise, I simply don’t want to get entangled in tedious matters.”
The answer came from directly behind us.
I spun around in surprise, but Jung Hwan-jae’s reaction was several times faster than mine.
He instantly shielded me behind him, his dead eyes fixed forward, emanating a chilling aura so subtle that only the perceptive could detect it.
Even I, hidden behind him, felt a faint chill run through me.
“Easy, easy.”
Standing directly behind us was a woman with bright red hair. She flashed a bold grin, displaying pointed canines, and waved her hand casually.
Her knuckle-dusted knuckles gleamed as she moved. The moment Jung Hwan-jae recognized her face, he immediately withdrew his hostile aura.
“We meet again.”
“Indeed we do.”
“…Do you know each other?”
The woman shrugged and raised her hand high. A massive loudspeaker materialized in the air, and immediately a thunderous voice rang out.
Simultaneously, numbers appeared on the display board.
-Everyone who has lined up so far, please check your teleport number on the display board and teleport to Potion Sales Counter 1. Only those who were in line are permitted entry. Time limit: 15 seconds.
The place descended into chaos in an instant. Some rushed to teleport as if they’d been waiting for this moment, others fumbled to pull out their devices, and still others fell into despair as the 15 seconds elapsed. It was a scene of utter pandemonium.
I hurriedly reached for my device to input my number, but a woman stopped me.
“This way instead.”
“Pardon?”
She continued with a light wink.
“Isn’t it all up to the candy maker’s whim anyway?”

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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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