The Tone-Deaf Healer Kills with a Song - Chapter 8

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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 008
The source of the status window, Balder, appears in people’s speculation as a kind of company. To confront Ragnarok, an extraordinarily massive calamity, it maintains numerous subsidiaries across universes, cultivating Hunters. Something along those lines.
“The initial model of the Valkyrie Network was designed to create individual skills exclusively for Hunters. Balder directly input skills tailored to each person’s aptitude and specialty.”
Countless pictograms of people materialized before my eyes. Scenes of them gaining power and flourishing across all manner of worlds flickered past, admittedly rather crudely rendered.
It seemed they had devoted little effort to the educational video while busy granting people their abilities.
I had heard about this once in a university liberal arts lecture. Something about the structure and history of the status window? I couldn’t recall the exact name.
“However, Hunters soon multiplied beyond what Balder could manage, and we constructed the Valkyrie Network using all the data we had accumulated.”
Soon the ability effects of the pictograms converged into a single location, forming an internet icon. They intertwined and fused together into a mass.
“Now all Hunters can search for and use skills that match their abilities and circumstances. We call this the Valkyrie Network. While we simplified services through shared skills, we added additional stat abilities in compensation.”
The skills of countless Hunters who came before are recorded in the data, and even after they die, when new ones awaken, if their abilities align, the status window naturally searches and displays matching skills.
In theory, every awakened individual can use all existing skills. The skills of those who once stood at the very top of the Hunter rankings, for instance.
“However, this network searches for skills by reflecting that person’s aptitude, specialty, and all the various stats currently added. You cannot use higher-tier skills if your body and abilities cannot withstand them.”
Theoretically it’s possible. If my current state were placed in circumstances similar to a past top-ranked Hunter’s specialty and aptitude, matching all their stats.
That would have been worth seeing, but naturally it’s impossible.
An algorithm created by gods—what exactly Balder and those higher beings want and think remains unknowable, but one thing is certain: they have granted humanity tremendous power.
True to the nation’s love of abbreviations, Koreans call it the “Baldorithm.”
“Individual stat improvement is the only means to use upgraded skills. And among Hunters, there are rare few who use skills not in the database—entirely new skills.”
In that instant, countless Hunter faces flashed before my eyes. From those historically renowned to the faces one thinks of when hearing “current top ranker.”
And among them was included the face of the one in the highest floor of this building.
“When a Hunter exceeds the threshold of related skills the network can provide, Valkyrie grants them a new skill. A unique skill not added to the database until their death—Balder cheers on their dedication.”
Exclusive skills, the aspiration of every Hunter. Some even hire assassins just to confirm the additional stats of those who possess them.
Usually those assassins end up killed by the very rankers they target.
Generally, people live content enough simply by being awakened. I’m no exception.
“As long as Ragnarok continues, Gates will keep appearing. We grant abilities to those who meet strict criteria and have a high probability of surviving within Gates. However, since transmission speed from Balder to Earth varies, reception can take time.”
“Yes, I’m truly grateful you informed me before I starved to death.”
My tone came out distinctly sarcastic. I might have ended up drowning in all manner of debt, becoming irredeemable.
Naturally, the guide mascot didn’t respond. Instead, it offered advice that rapid stat increases were the fastest and most certain path to receiving higher-tier skills.
“More precisely, focusing primarily on developing special stats given separately rather than the commonly provided stats would be most helpful.”
“But I don’t even know the name of the special stat. How am I supposed to develop it?”
Again, there was no answer.
The online lecture ended there.
“Congratulations on awakening and becoming a Hunter. I hope you will use the power you’ve received meaningfully for the cessation of Ragnarok.”
The knight summoned a blue spear from empty air and drew it horizontally toward where I stood. With terror at the thought of my body being cut, I squeezed my eyes shut, and the moment I opened them, a quiet Booth came into view.
I stared blankly ahead before pushing myself to my feet.
‘Casually cutting people and leaving such an unsettling feeling.’
After glancing around several times, I finally managed to leave only after a passing Hunter told me that if it was my first time, I should just go home.
To think I’d go home having done nothing but receive some education and sign contracts.
Given the Guild’s nature, having a mentor would be difficult, but now I understand what all those job recruitment sites meant by saying it felt like being thrown directly into real combat.
[Tomorrow is the day regular expenses are due.]
But there’s no avoiding rent. Since my rent was already overdue several times, I couldn’t postpone it any longer. The thought that I had to deposit the money I’d just received made me feel slightly disappointed.
I threw myself onto the bed. Melancholy, perhaps, but starting next month my life would transform completely. I just needed to endure a few more weeks.
‘I’m exhausted….’
Rising early and maintaining activity throughout the day had finally caught up with me, drowsiness crashing down like a wave.
Once a routine solidifies, it doesn’t easily shift back. Jung Hwan-jae’s consideration toward me likely stemmed from this very understanding.
With the thought that the Guild Master truly saw people for who they were, consciousness simply cut out—like a fuse blowing.
“…Ah, what time is it.”
Living alone breeds soliloquy. There’s no one to hear it anyway. Outside had long since fallen into darkness. I’d always slept heavily, but my mind seemed wound tight with tension.
I reached to the side and checked my phone.
[11:00]
I hadn’t woken up as late as I’d thought. Since I’d collapsed into sleep the moment I arrived home, I’d slept roughly the same duration as a full night’s rest.
I remained buried in bed until my senses gradually returned. Wrapped in blankets, scrolling through meaningless videos, time naturally slipped away.
After squandering the hours that way, tasks I needed to accomplish slowly surfaced in my mind. Normally I’d be preparing for work.
‘Guild Master, I, I’ll call you at dawn!’
Only then did my own tense voice echo back to me, and I bolted upright.
Right—I’d definitely told the Guild Master I’d call him after waking up in the morning.
Though it couldn’t really be called dawn anymore, if he was genuinely waiting, wasn’t it only right to contact him as quickly as possible?
I rummaged frantically through my bag, and his business card—carelessly folded—tumbled out. I carefully entered the number digit by digit.
[Boss]
Uncertain whether to write “Guild Master” or his name, I ultimately settled on the title somewhere in between.
I’d said I’d call, but calling suddenly now might interfere with his work. He might even need to enter a Gate on short notice.
Since I knew little about the world of Rankers, I could only speculate.
‘A text message would be better.’
Hello Guild Master, this is Yeom Ye-ah who started today. I’m contacting you because I’m now able to begin training. I can stay awake until dawn, so please feel free to reach out whenever is convenient. And if you’re tired today, you’re welcome to simply decline. Thank you.
The moment I sent the message, my heart began racing. What if those were just empty words and I’d thoughtlessly taken them seriously?
Did I send it unnecessarily? Should I have asked during the day instead? Would it have been better to adjust my own sleep schedule rather than being so shameless about it?
Just as countless worries threatened to overwhelm my mind, my phone rang. The boss.
“Hello…. I’m sorry for contacting you so suddenly at this hour….”
-Where should I pick you up from?

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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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