The Tone-Deaf Healer Kills with a Song - Chapter 16

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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 016
“A candy vendor?”
“Well, let’s move using a different number this one provides first.”
As I rolled my eyes in confusion, unable to comprehend, Jung Hwan-jae standing beside me stepped in to mediate.
The fact that he was prioritizing action meant this wasn’t the place to discuss such matters.
I obediently held out my device, and the woman, pleased by my quick understanding, rapidly entered a number. In an instant, the surroundings shifted with a teleportation effect.
“Let’s skip the grand introductions. I’m Kim Myung-joo, the Workshop Master.”
“Ah, nice to meet you.”
Kim Myung-joo—the Workshop Master here, whose name appeared among the top 100 rankings.
Even among the fourteen who made it into the top 100, I hadn’t memorized all their names. That made sense, since I’d lived a life largely unconnected to Hunters.
Awakened individuals and who made the rankings—those were things I paid attention to.
“You don’t seem to know my name? Jung Hwan, is this newcomer fresh?”
“Yeah.”
“The Reaper’s bringing in new recruits to Hanttae now? That’s unexpected. First time in how many years, isn’t it?”
Jung Hwan-jae nodded while openly showing he didn’t want to answer.
It wasn’t so much reluctance as genuine discomfort discussing me. As if he disliked anyone learning about me at all.
“If something’s important, it’s better not to show it so obviously.”
But Kim Myung-joo was no pushover. With that same smiling expression, she met my gaze directly and countered, and I could feel the tension between them like a physical force.
I couldn’t let it slip that I was a healer. For the first time, that thought began to take root. Perhaps some survival instinct buried within me was responding.
After exchanging silent glances with Kim Myung-joo for a while, Jung Hwan-jae was the first to relax his expression and sighed.
“They’re a new Guild member who needs to raise their special stats, but it’s been difficult. I wanted to resolve it in a short timeframe.”
“How long ago did you awaken?”
I followed her gaze as she slowly examined me. Only then did her appearance register.
She looked quite young, but judging by her voice and the wrinkles on the back of her hands, she seemed to be in her forties.
All around, some kind of manufacturing work continued, arranged like a potion workshop straight out of a fantasy novel.
“Ah, I awakened last year, but I’ve only been in a Dungeon for less than a month!”
“You’re straightforward. So why don’t your stats seem to be rising?”
“Huh? Well… I’m not really sure about that. Is there a specific reason?”
Kim Myung-joo hummed briefly, then turned toward the compounding table. After examining something, she returned with a small spray bottle you could buy anywhere.
Colorless liquid sloshed inside the transparent bottle.
And before I could even ask what it was, there came a click, and water sprayed across my face. If I’d been wearing glasses, that would’ve been a crime.
“Wh-what is this…?”
Even for someone who handles all sorts of difficult situations professionally, this was rather startling. I suppressed the irritation rising sharply within me.
Glancing around, I noticed Jung Hwan-jae observing me intently without any reaction. So he already knew this method.
“Everyone has different ways of casting skills, right? I can only use mine on wet targets.”
“I understand, but next time, if there’s a situation where water might splash into my nostrils, could you give me a heads-up so I can hold my breath or something…?”
I’d spoken quite seriously, but both Jung Hwan-jae and Kim Myung-joo suddenly turned away as if suppressing laughter.
Had they never experienced how painful it is when water rushes backward into your nose?
It took about fifteen seconds for them to compose themselves. Kim Myung-joo, her expression now serious as if nothing had happened, fixed me with a stare.
She seemed to have reached a conclusion, nodded, and opened her mouth to speak.
“Generally, there are two reasons why special stats are incredibly difficult to raise. Of course, both can be supplemented to some degree with potions. I’m just explaining this as a precaution.”
“I see….”
“One is when you lack talent related to that stat to an extreme degree. For instance, if you need to dance but you’re hopelessly uncoordinated.”
She held up her index finger and blinked as if asking if I understood. Here I was, giving such an example right in front of someone who needed to sing but was hopelessly tone-deaf.
As I nodded along dutifully, Kim Myung-joo extended her middle finger as well.
“The second reason is when your stats are being suppressed due to external factors—debuffs, seals, curses, and the like.”
“I see.”
“But in your case, it’s a mixture of both. Cases like this aren’t unheard of, but it’s rarer than you’d imagine.”
My mind went blank at this unexpected revelation.
So I was a hopelessly tone-deaf singer who couldn’t sing, and now some debuff had made it even worse—turning my already terrible singing into something even more catastrophic.
It suddenly occurred to me that this might be related to why everyone I’ve sung to since my awakening has collapsed.
“Is there no solution to this?”
“For the first case, it’s relatively easier. You just drink an acceleration potion and work yourself to death. But the second case is difficult until we figure out what this debuff or curse actually is.”
“I’ve only entered dungeons twice though…. Where would I have picked up something like that?”
Kim Myung-joo looked at me with sympathy. As she shook her head, her stiff hair swayed like a broom following the motion.
“Usually, these things exist from the moment you awaken. There’s no explanation for why. Only those high-ranking people who created the status window would know.”
“Are there many people like this…?”
“I can’t just go around revealing other people’s curse situations, can I? That’s customer information.”
She added that all her customers would leave if she leaked personal information, then walked back to her workbench and began rummaging through various items.
Jung Hwan-jae, who had been silent as if deep in thought until then, finally spoke.
“It seems like the debuff weakens inside dungeons. Is there a separate reason for that?”
“If it weakens inside the dungeon, then you’d have to ask the people who created the status window about that too. Ask your assigned handler.”
Every answer was unsatisfying.
Then again, if there were people who knew how to solve the problems that hunters face daily, they’d already be world authorities by now.
A hunter active in Australia came closest to uncovering the truth about the status window, but unfortunately, he met his end in a dungeon.
People continue to live by endlessly studying and advancing his research.
“I don’t think my assigned handler will tell me that much yet….”
“Well, handlers have their own hierarchy too. Come on, hold out your hand.”
Even as she continued our conversation, Kim Myung-joo held something out toward me.
I reflexively extended my hand, and a drop of blue liquid fell onto the back of it. It naturally flowed down my hand and pooled in my palm before dripping to the ground.
What had seemed thin at first became viscous by the time it fell from my hand, and after pooling on the floor for a moment, it turned to smoke and vanished.
“…Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s just a simple allergy test of sorts. There shouldn’t be any physical problems.”
“What about mentally….”
My voice sounded quite worried, so Kim Myung-joo suppressed another laugh. After a moment, she handed me several small vials filled with purple liquid.
I took them somewhat awkwardly and turned to Jung Hwan-jae as if seeking help. He nodded, indicating it was fine to accept them.
“But the fact that you’re being this careful suggests you’re entering a ranking tournament? It’s voluntary, but most people do participate.”
“Ah, well, it would be good to go.”
“Then we’re rivals? I should charge a premium for this.”
Kim Myung-joo added this in a tone that made it unclear whether she was serious, then waved her hand at us as if telling us to leave.
Jung Hwan-jae positioned himself to naturally envelop me, casting one final glance back into the room. Since he stood with his back to me, I couldn’t see his expression.
Kim Myung-joo’s voice, tinged with amusement, was the last thing I heard.
“Take it easy, alright?”
Jung Hwan-jae didn’t answer. Instead, he simply kicked at the floor once.

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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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