The Tone-Deaf Healer Kills with a Song - Chapter 26
—————
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 026
I lifted my head in bewilderment.
This person’s previous ranking was 102nd. It was a grade that absolutely could not be dismissed, yet I couldn’t understand why only this had been written down.
I’d heard that many people just below the top 100 tend to be sensitive. The difference between being in the top 100 and being around that threshold meant vastly different wealth and fame.
I noticed there was an additional note next to the word “lack of manners.”
If I just watched out for surprise attacks, there wouldn’t be much to worry about, but the collaboration of pettiness and lack of manners would make it difficult to stay focused.
What on earth is this?
I blinked slowly and read it again. Regardless of anyone else, I had no desire whatsoever to fight against a healer named Kim Kyung-hoon.
Next to Kim Kyung-hoon’s name was a check mark indicating “may not be his real name.” Like celebrities, some hunters used names that sounded like real people’s names while hiding their true identities.
In the end, were Rosalind and I the only ones using our real names here? Should I create an alias too?
‘Well, I don’t have any reason to fight at such high levels anyway, so I can worry about that kind of thing once I become famous…’
I skimmed through the lists of other people as well. From the previous ranking’s 2nd place to 17th place, those I’d heard Jung Hwan-jae had fought.
There wasn’t a single healer among the top 17. Now I understood why people had been so kind to me.
Reaper: Guild Master of Hanttae. Operates a scythe that can be immediately repaired even if destroyed. Appears to use his own blood. Total mana measurement impossible. Can freely move in and out of subspace, making it impossible to prepare for surprise attacks. Suspected to be capable of escaping through subspace from within dungeons. Rescued through subspace during a dungeon break at first awakening.
The notes on the Reaper spanned three pages.
I was grateful I wouldn’t have to face him. I exhaled a long sigh.
I’ve been traveling with a terrifying person all this time. And I’ll continue to travel with him, do my best as his only healer, and be the only audience who listens to his song…
Can you come up?
As the saying goes, even a tiger comes when you speak of it—suddenly, a text from Jung Hwan-jae arrived. I was so startled for a moment that I nearly fainted.
I grabbed my tablet and phone and hurried to the Guild Master’s office. At this rate… wasn’t I commuting to Jung Hwan-jae rather than to Hanttae?
After knocking and entering, Jung Hwan-jae was looking at me with a serious expression.
“Hello, Guild Master.”
“You’ve come.”
Holding pots in both hands.
“…What is that?”
“I heard that radish, ginger, and jujube are good for the throat, so I put them all in and made samgyetang. I wanted you to eat it while it’s still hot.”
He said he’d made it, not bought it.
So he’d made samgyetang from this morning and brought it here? It would take quite a long time to cook the chicken that thoroughly.
At a time when a bowl of samgyetang cost around fifteen thousand won, it was food you had to muster courage to order. Aside from the taste, a window suddenly appeared before my eyes, blocking my view as I stared at him in shock at this unbelievable situation.
‘Yeom Ye-ah’ is a ranking match one-on-one battle opponent.
I wondered when this would appear.
Whether Jung Hwan-jae saw the same screen, he set down the pot he’d been holding. His hands were flushed red from holding it bare-handed.
He should have worn gloves. I sighed and turned the page.
Announcements regarding ranking matches will continue to be posted. Considering not only current stats but also skills and expected growth potential, we at Baldur will do our best to select appropriate opponents and ensure that each awakened individual’s battles contribute meaningfully to their development.
Please carefully read the basic etiquette to be observed during ranking matches and precautions considering dungeon occurrence risks. Violation of regulations may result in restrictions on Valkyrie Network and Baldur usage.
I turned the page again. I’d been thinking simply that there was a lot of information being provided.
Until I saw the next sentence.
Current ranking of expected opponents: Ranks 1 to 150
“…”
He was probably looking at a similar scene. Jung Hwan-jae was staring ahead with an expressionless face.
What could he be thinking? He wouldn’t target such a broad range like me—from 1st to around 150th place.
“Guild Master, if you don’t mind… could I ask which ranks you’re targeting?”
“Ah, I’m targeting 1st through 20th place. It’s expanded a bit from before. Last time it was just 1st through 10th.”
I’d heard he’d fought up to 17th place. I mentally noted that he could potentially fight more people than what was explicitly stated, then nodded.
Jung Hwan-jae studied my face for a long moment, his expression suggesting he had many things he wanted to ask, before gesturing toward the sofa as if to tell me to sit.
If I told him right now that I had to fight alongside ranks 1st through 150th, his personality would lead him to considerable worry.
“By the way, how many chickens exactly went into this?”
“The chicken I bought was smaller than expected, so I put in two generously. I heard they usually use just one, but I was worried that wouldn’t be enough to fill the stomach.”
“….”
Staring at the two bowls of samgyetang that had suddenly descended upon me—someone who couldn’t even finish one chicken per person—I was left dumbfounded.
He was feigning composure, but I could sense he was somewhat hoping I’d actually eat the food properly. I couldn’t bring myself to tell him I couldn’t finish all of this.
He prepared wooden chopsticks and a spoon for me, then headed toward the door.
“If I keep watching you eat, you won’t be able to relax. Just call me when you’re done.”
“So you’re saying you’re turning the Guild Master’s Office into my personal cafeteria? Let’s eat together.”
“Together?”
Even if the roles are reversed, there are limits. I couldn’t chase him out and blankly eat in his room.
It’s far too spacious, and besides, what would I even shed in here that would justify doing such a thing?
I waved my hand at him, urging him to sit quickly.
“Let’s eat together. After all, you made it yourself—you should at least taste it.”
“Ah, I tasted it while making it.”
“You haven’t eaten yet?”
“No, not yet.”
Born as a Korean and not having eaten—I couldn’t just let that slide.
In the end, we sat across from each other and quietly ate the food he’d prepared together.
The onigiri I’d bought this morning to eat would just get soggy in my bag.
“How does it taste? If it’s not good, you can just leave it.”
“It’s delicious. I’m being treated well. Samgyetang is really something you only eat when you’re prepared to collapse on the floor after drinking.”
“If you want to eat it anytime in the future, just say the word. I’ll make it for you.”
It wasn’t an empty promise. The food he’d made was something you could only eat if you were lucky enough to order from a decent place for nearly 20,000 won.
Since he was someone unnecessarily meticulous toward me, there was a high probability he’d selected only quality ingredients.
It seemed he was delivering results proportional to the money he was pouring in.
I expressed so much admiration while eating that his face took on a slightly proud hue.
“That was delicious. Thanks to you, my throat is going to feel amazing.”
“Throat condition and singing ability are somewhat different things, so I hope it helps during your training.”
In other words, he was telling me to practice singing diligently.
I nodded obediently and picked up the tablet. Jung Hwan-jae’s gaze shifted to the tablet, and he blinked.
“That’s a Hanttae tablet.”
“Yes, when I went downstairs, I saw others discussing the ranking tournament, so I asked if they had a file they could give me. They were kind enough to share it right away.”
“Ah, that file. We distribute it to anyone from Hanttae Guild who wants it—anyone participating in the ranking tournament one-on-one matches. Looking at your expression, it seems you’ve already seen it.”
I nodded with a heavy expression.
It’s true that considerable time has passed since my awakening. But I’m hardly in a position to call myself a Hunter.
I’ve been a Hunter for less than a month, and I’m afflicted with the Mire debuff, so I can’t even demonstrate half my true strength.
“I have a question. In ranking matches, are there people who fight while afflicted with debuffs like that?”
“More than you’d think. To be honest, in a one-on-one match, it’s safe to assume that no one enters without at least one debuff attached.”
The issue was determining the severity of those debuffs.
Those afflicted with debuffs like water poison can still demonstrate their full strength as long as the battle arena isn’t water-based.
But someone afflicted with a blindness debuff in specific circumstances must fight in that very state. It becomes not a matter of climbing rankings, but a matter of survival itself.
…That’s what was written in that file from earlier.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————