The Tone-Deaf Healer Kills with a Song - Chapter 195

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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 – Side Story 1-1
“Are you alright?”
“I’m… I’m fine… *gag*.”
Dan Myeong-ah lay crumpled on the ground, groaning in agony as though her body might expel something at any moment.
Her pallid complexion was marred entirely by the contortions of pain.
The veins on her bloodless wrists were so pronounced that no one could honestly claim she was unharmed.
Blood trickled intermittently from her lips—a sight so harrowing it turned one’s stomach just to witness it.
“Ye-ah, you look like you’re suffering terribly.”
Jung Hwan-jae steadied Dan Myeong-ah with a worried expression.
The sensation of helplessness was truly devastating.
Here stood two of the world’s top-ranked hunters beside me, yet I could only watch as she poured her mana toward her limbs, unable to intervene.
I stepped forward to block her path and opened my mouth.
“You made a promise with us. You said that when things become truly dangerous, you must absolutely turn back.”
Dan Myeong-ah’s lips pressed firmly shut.
Though her body continued to writhe in torment, her eyes remained fixed steadily ahead.
The moment I met her gaze, I understood that no words I could speak would break Dan Myeong-ah’s resolve.
I looked toward Jung Hwan-jae and shook my head.
“But…”
“No, Myeong-ah can do this.”
“She can. And she will.”
Lucy, standing right beside us, spoke without hesitation.
Dan Myeong-ah looked at Lucy and smiled.
“Thank you.”
Dan Myeong-ah began to take one step forward, then another.
Gazing upon the endless waves before us, we looked up at the spear suspended above our heads.
[Quest in Progress: Beyond the Horizon]

* * *
It all began on an ordinary day, no different from any other.
Sung Mi-ju said she had something to ask me and told me to visit whenever I had free time, so I made my way to see her on a weekend when there were no Dungeon clears scheduled.
These days, both Sung Mi-ju and Sung Ji-wook were helping with Harp’s work, so naturally my feet carried me toward the Development Center.
“It’s really nothing important, so I was planning to come find you.”
“I took the day off today, so I came out.”
“Well, since you’re here, let’s grab some ice cream. It’s delicious.”
“Sure.”
Harp’s Research Laboratory was more crowded than I expected.
Not only were Sung Mi-ju and Sung Ji-wook there, but Hwa-jon was present as well.
“What brings you here, oppa?”
“Oh, I had something to discuss about the prosthetic equipment I made for you.”
“I see…”
“Never mind the prosthetic equipment—we got caught secretly distributing Okwanhdan supplies for free.”
A dejected expression crossed Hwa-jon’s face.
[Liri: You finally got caught.]
‘I know.’
Jung Hwan-jae and I had been turning a blind eye to it, but it seems Sung Ji-wook happened to find out.
“I’m curious about something. But why is your name Ye-ah?”
I paused mid-spoonful of ice cream and stared blankly at Sung Mi-ju.
“Pardon?”
“Well, it’s just… when you say the name, it has such a cool vibe. Like ‘yeah!'”
The day I could no longer avoid had finally arrived.
The truth about Yeom Ye-ah’s name that so many had been curious about. Why was my name Ye-ah?
Harp and Hwa-jon, who had been working on other things, fell silent.
It was clear they had been curious too, but apparently hadn’t asked until now.
“My mother wanted to name me Ye-jin, and my father wanted to name me Yun-ah.”
“You took one character from each?”
“Yes. They wrote down four syllables—Ye, Jin, Yun, Ah—put them in a lottery, and drew two. But they thought ‘Aye’ wasn’t quite suitable as a child’s name.”
These two had no concept of redrawing lots.
Still, I thought ‘Ye-ah’ felt more vibrant and better than just ‘Ah’ or ‘Ye’.
“I see.”
“Was that what you wanted to ask me?”
“No, I was just always curious about it, and the opportunity came up so I asked.”
Of course, there was the humiliation of every character who answered “Ye-ah” becoming my nickname.
Back then, I even considered changing my name, but now I think this name is beautiful and special too.
Because the people I love call my name with joy.
“That must have been difficult.”
Hwa-jon gave up pretending not to listen and gently struck up a conversation.
Being someone quite sentimental, he seemed to have found something to empathize with and share in my pain.
When I tell this story, everyone laughs—I wonder why.
“Huh?”
“You’re tone-deaf, but your name is hip-hop related. People must have teased you about it a lot, right?”
“….”
The well-intentioned concern struck me like a direct hit, and I froze in place.
In that moment, the laughter of Sung Mi-ju and Sung Ji-wook filled the space, shaking with mirth.
“Thank you for worrying about me….”
Though it felt like tears of blood were streaming from my chest.
[Singing (A+) is frustrated but cannot refute.]
[Liri: Naturally airheaded people really do hurt others without any malice.]
Regardless, Hwa-jon still tried to comfort me by saying my singing ability wasn’t low now.
Truly a dazzlingly beautiful and cruel human being.
“Stop making puns about people’s names and look at this instead.”
And at that moment, Harp cut in bluntly, as if rescuing me.
I almost ended up going into detail about what names I was teased with during my school days.
He placed a tablet PC in front of us where we could all see it clearly.
“What is this?”
“It’s research results that the Assigned Staff Member from that side cooperated with us on recently.”
“Ah, that.”
Sung Mi-ju complained that she had her question stolen before she could ask it.
Looking at the atmosphere, it seemed like everyone except me already knew about it.
Research that my Assigned Staff Member had cooperated on.
[Liri: Given how much they inquire about, I believe this Awakener must become a Staff Member.]
[Liri: They’re talented—someone who wants to know much and leave a legacy.]
‘Is that why you’re more interested in Harp than me?’
[Liri: No!]
[Liri: How could you say something so hurtful? Is there anything more important to me than you?]
I laughed briefly while reading Liri’s message, genuinely wanting to cast Harp.
What he was researching wasn’t whether something had disappeared, but whether a ‘sealed’ Staff Member could be awakened arbitrarily.
Since Liri and Lucy had awakened from their seals, the thought was that Dan Myeong-ah’s Leng-leng might also be possible.
‘Ye-ah, cases like ours are extremely rare.’
‘I know. Liri and Lucy are on a completely different level from ordinary Staff Members.’
At the mention of being on a different level, Liri seemed to laugh in a way that didn’t fit the situation.
They hesitated, saying it would be nearly impossible, but agreed to cooperate willingly nonetheless.
Because it would enrich the Valkyrie Network as well.
In truth, Lucy’s contribution was greater than Liri’s.
Lucy had encountered more Awakeners who couldn’t handle their own power, and thus had longer experience being sealed.
‘I’m not even a senior in sealing that Leng-leng fellow—I could be considered his ancestor.’
He said it with considerable pride.
Though I wasn’t sure if it was truly something to be proud of.
“So what’s the conclusion?”
“We’ve all been waiting to hear the results together with Ye-ah.”
“Then this wasn’t the time to be eating ice cream!”
Ji-wook, his expression wounded at the dismissal of ice cream, pretended not to hear.
Harp opened his mouth with an impassive expression.
“For now, there’s no way to break the seal from within Earth.”
“Ah….”
A wave of disappointment swept through the room like a sigh.
I was grateful I hadn’t told Dan Myeong-ah about this beforehand.
Harp furrowed his brow, silencing everyone as if his statement wasn’t finished.
“However, after interrogating—no, consulting with the two Assigned Staff Members.”
I’m pretty sure he said interrogating.
‘Liri, if you were tortured, wave the carrot for me.’
[Liri: Not a carrot.]
[Liri: I’m fine, don’t worry.]
The suspicious message definitely made me scrutinize Harp more carefully.
But Harp pressed on undeterred.
“If an Awakened One attempts contact in a location most similar to Baldur, they might be able to connect directly with the Network.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Hwa-jon, who had been listening calmly, spoke up in surprise.
Harp shrugged.
“In other words, at the Baldur Headquarters where the Assigned Staff Members reside—the place where divine power flows—if an Awakened One expends mana to attempt a connection with the system, they might be able to reach it.”
[Liri: Being environmentally similar to Baldur means similar energy flows there.]
[Liri: It’s a place where the Assigned Staff Members’ divine power is strongly concentrated.]
If mana is transmitted in an environment with power most similar to Baldur, it could establish a direct connection to that place.
And if mana is forcibly injected there, there’s a possibility of awakening from the seal.
In other words, we’d be forcefully ringing an alarm to wake them up.
The problem was that we’d need to overcome multiple extremely low probabilities simultaneously.
Harp concluded matter-of-factly.
“Well, we’ll need to ask them first and decide.”

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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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