The Tone-Deaf Healer Kills with a Song - Chapter 194

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————

Tone-Deaf Healer Kills with Song – Episode 194
That year, as the season drew to a close.
A Gate suddenly erupted near Dokdo.
Barely past Christmas, the Rankers found themselves plunging into the Dungeon with cake frosting still smeared across their cheeks.
The Gate doesn’t close just because it’s a holiday, after all.
To emphasize: only two people entered that Dungeon.
Yeom Ye-ah, and Jung Hwan-jae.
“This date extension turned out to be quite the ordeal.”
“I share that sentiment.”
Jung Hwan-jae’s scythe burst through countless gourds before him.
Innumerable fireworks and gourds were detonating everywhere.
Whether it was to commemorate the new year, the entire Dungeon was awash in festive atmosphere.
I was already dreading what would happen once we emerged into the new year.
“The Christmas cake must be completely hardened by now.”
“It may have spoiled.”
I swallowed the green musical note bursting from the fireworks and spewed it toward the monsters rushing at me.
That creature, struck by the Dungeon’s own attack in reverse, crumbled and soon vanished.
While the Dungeon’s difficulty itself wasn’t particularly high, spending the year-end this way felt somewhat irksome.
“We should hurry out so Ye-ah’s mood improves even a little.”
He stowed his scythe and turned to face me.
His hand naturally extended, cradling my cheek. I nestled my face into his warm palm.
“I’m not resentful. If it’s a Dungeon with unknown difficulty, it’s right that we entered.”
“Still, the final leg of our date was supposed to be going home together. You have every right to be tired.”
“Tired? You did all the clearing, Hwan-jae.”
I merely floated a few notes from behind and cast a heal or two out of awkwardness at having idle hands.
Even that was overkill.
He hadn’t taken any damage in the first place.
“Still. I exhausted you the night before Christmas too, and now we’ve entered a Dungeon.”
“You’re not just tiring me out on Christmas, so it’s fine.”
At my blunt response, his face flushed with embarrassment.
When it came to teasing, I had the upper hand. I suppressed my laughter and walked past him.
He belatedly followed, his posture half-bent as if gauging my mood.
“Were you very tired?”
“I’m joking. You know I don’t tire easily. Anyone watching would think only Hwan-jae is Rank 1.”
“Well, strictly speaking, Ye-ah is stronger than me, but that’s a separate matter.”
Jung Hwan-jae, who had suggested we discuss this matter seriously on the way back, wore a serious expression.
Now neither of us cared about the Dungeon.
Even if a boss twice as strong appeared here, we could handle it while chatting.
“I thought once Ragnarok ended, I’d only encounter easier Dungeons.”
“Relatively speaking, it’s not quite that easy.”
Dungeons of that caliber simply weren’t appearing, though sudden dungeons emerged constantly and the criteria remained erratic.
The Valkyrie Network continued sending updated data, so we hadn’t encountered major problems thus far.
During hours when the Assigned Staff Member wasn’t present, we learned from Harp how to access and use the Network alone.
“This time, it does seem to share similarities with other data.”
“Yes, most of the monsters appear to be ones we’ve seen elsewhere too.”
There was nothing new.
It was simply so boisterous, as if the dungeons themselves had grown excited with the year’s end.
I had absolutely no desire to receive New Year’s greetings from a dungeon. A bitter smile escaped me.
“Shall we finish quickly and leave?”
“You mustn’t expend any more mana here.”
“Ah, why not?”
Jung Hwan-jae said this despite knowing I possessed far more mana and superior efficiency.
Perhaps the problem was that I’d casually mentioned wanting to play throughout the holidays without using any mana at all.
After the debuff disappeared, he literally “soared.”
【Jung Hwan-jae, was everything you’ve shown us until now not your full extent?】
【Dungeon Clear World Record Achieved】
Those unaware he’d been suffering from such a condition believed he’d undergone a new Awakening at Ragnarok.
He’d simply reclaimed his original power.
Of course, I’d also set various records, but it felt somewhat embarrassing to display them in my own words.
“What would you like to happen in the new year?”
I ultimately conceded to his stubbornness and took a step back.
Perhaps doing nothing and simply playing for once wouldn’t be so bad.
My beloved was the second strongest person after me, after all.
Nike had apparently put Dante and Rosalind Brown through grueling special training to defeat us.
But I was certain we’d win regardless, so I wasn’t particularly worried.
“I wish to remain by Ye-ah’s side.”
He bisected the monsters without even turning around as he replied.
He no longer hesitated or felt shy when expressing such sentiments.
Only I in this world probably knew just how abundant his expressions of love and affection truly were.
It had been that way before, and it certainly should remain so.
“Is there something you wish to accomplish next year, Ye-ah?”
“Well, next year I want to fight you fairly and square and achieve first place in the rankings.”
A slip.
His hand missed its mark.
Instead of the monster, the innocent mountain standing quietly behind it crumbled.
How unfortunate.
It would disappear once we cleared anyway, but it was pitiful that it suffered after doing nothing.
He froze and turned to face me.
His expression looked as though he might cry at any moment, as if asking, ‘You really intend to fight me…?’
“Were you planning to surrender this time too?”
“But….”
“No buts about it. This isn’t something that can be negotiated.”
Deep shadows fell across his face. He seemed to be wrestling with the sheer irrationality of reality—how could he possibly argue with me?
“I just wish something good would happen out of nowhere.”
He paused his contemplation and looked at me for a moment.
“Something good?”
“Yes, I just wish good fortune would arrive without any particular reason.”
Without having to exert any effort for it.
Isn’t that something everyone thinks about at least once?
The desire to receive a reward simply because you’ve lived diligently through the year.
“That will come to pass. Because Ye-ah is a good person.”
“Really?”
“Yes, and if something good happens to Ye-ah, it will be good for me as well.”
Jung Hwan-jae smiled gently.
If every day could be like today, we might actually call it a perpetually good time.
But we live in an age where one crisis follows another, making it impossible to even think about tomorrow’s safety and peace.
For those of us fighting on the front lines, it’s even more so.
“Once we finish dealing with those monsters over there, I think we’ll be able to leave.”
“Jung Hwan-jae, is being a Hunter rewarding?”
“Pardon?”
He turned to look at me, having been hurrying as if to say we should leave and rest quickly.
My sudden question seemed to perplex him at first, but simply because it came from me, he began to think seriously about it.
“I did it partly because I had no other choice, but when I think about how someone gets to enjoy their holiday in comfort because of my efforts like this…. It feels good.”
“Is that so? Then you want to continue?”
“I suppose I will continue. Does Ye-ah wish to quit?”
“No, I want to continue, but if you’re going to quit, I’ll need to prepare to support one more person from then on.”
“…The money I’ve saved up will be more than enough.”
As he answered seriously, I unleashed my mana forward and swept away all the remaining monsters.
His plan to let me rest was thwarted.
“Then I suppose I should become your good fortune for next year.”
“Yes, I’m counting on you.”
He looked slightly despondent that my use of mana had been forced upon him, but soon he gazed at me and smiled.
It was a happy expression.
The scenery before my eyes trembled as the Dungeon began to clear.
As I was thinking I hoped it wouldn’t be the new year when we exited, something appeared before my eyes.
Connection resuming.
Just like me, Jung Hwan-jae also stood stock still, staring ahead.
[Liri: Could I not be your good fortune?]
“Ah….”
“Lucy.”
The Assigned Staff Members, whom I thought had disappeared, returned.
Without any warning whatsoever.
[Liri: I’m sorry for making you wait.]
[Liri: I came because I missed you.]
The sense of reality didn’t settle in until much later—only after the Dungeon was cleared and we emerged into the outside world.
Jung Hwan-jae took my hand.
“We’re back.”
“Yes.”
As I lifted my head, snow was falling from the sky.
At the same time, white feathers and crimson mana as beautiful as lovely illumination cascaded down.
Before I could even check how much time had passed, a countdown echoed in my ears.
—Three! Two! One!
And with it, voices from all directions wishing Happy New Year.
At last, the new year had dawned.
Jung Hwan-jae reached out, catching the feathers and crimson mana in his palm. They scattered in all directions like a blessing.
“I have a feeling this year will be truly wonderful.”
I whispered in a quiet voice, and he looked down at me.
Naturally, with our foreheads touching, he whispered.
“Yes, I’ll make sure of it. I love you.”
Only then did laughter slowly escape me.
“Yes, I love you too.”
That I could love and be loved by those I had saved and who had saved me.
That I had come to love myself.
He gently pressed his lips to my forehead. The warmth was unmistakably real, and intertwined mana flowed from the ring.
A melody brimming with my happiness poured across the entire city. The notes spoke endlessly.
I love you. I love you. I love you.
It was a life of incomparable happiness.
【Tone-Deaf Healer Kills with Song】 Main Story Complete

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————