The Tone-Deaf Healer Kills with a Song - Chapter 81

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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 081
“So Yi-yoon?”
Sung Mi-ju nodded.
It was a name I’d never heard before. The others gathered here wore equally uncertain expressions.
In truth, those present here only needed to memorize the names of hunters at the very top.
And even then, only the hunter names registered with Baldur.
They were wondering who this So Yi-yoon could possibly be—since the surname So was rare, it shouldn’t be too difficult to track down.
“So Yi-yoon is actually the real name of Hunter Kim Kyung-hoon, isn’t it?”
Until I cautiously opened my mouth.
Every eye in the room turned toward me.
Had I been the only one who knew? Was this something I shouldn’t have revealed?
[Liri: It seems they hadn’t considered that possibility.]
Why was that?
Hadn’t his file even contained a note that his name might not be his real one?
We were currently pursuing Kim Kyung-hoon, and now a different name—So Yi-yoon—had surfaced.
[Liri: Usually, when someone’s body is exceptional, their mind rarely has to work hard.]
[Liri: Those people don’t normally need to think about things like a hunter’s real name.]
After hearing Liri’s explanation, it made sense.
The world’s greatest hunters—incomparably talented, yet vulnerable to this kind of deduction.
I couldn’t fault them for it. They’d likely only devised strategies against clearly defined opponents.
Jung Hwan-jae, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke.
“How did you know that?”
“…I heard it.”
Specifically, I’d heard it during a gathering before the ranking tournament, when Hwa-jon and I were sitting together eating.
‘So Yi-yoon—that is, the guild that Hunter Kim Kyung-hoon belongs to.’
Since Hwa-jon knew, I’d assumed everyone else did too.
Realizing I’d said something I shouldn’t have, I quickly changed the subject.
“What kind of people are they, anyway?”
“I did interrogate them, but the information came out sporadically. I didn’t push too hard.”
Sung Mi-ju spoke with a suspicious tone.
Considering she’d returned covered in various bloodstains across her body, her claim didn’t sound particularly credible.
“Usually I use a skill that compels truth-telling, but when that didn’t work, I summoned some dungeon plants. They make people honest.”
Were there dungeon plants like that?
The only dungeon plants I knew of were mandrakes and the pain flower Hwa-jon had taught me about.
“I can explain that.”
Dante interjected smoothly. He’d apparently been waiting for the right moment.
“At first, they said they simply committed staff murders against people they disliked. Once that happens, they can never engage in hunter activities again.”
“…Are you saying they’ve already killed several people?”
“And after that, they secretly contacted people who disliked certain individuals, continuing their work in the form of commissioned jobs.”
They didn’t possess the strength to touch the rankers.
No matter how hard I tried, the best I could manage was taking down C-rank Hunters.
Then a man named So Yi-yoon joined that Anonymous Guild.
‘Who exactly did he dislike?’
‘There’s no one he dislikes. He simply wanted cooperation to defeat Hunters stronger than himself.’
After he arrived, the staff killers succeeded in murdering an A-rank Hunter for the first time.
Their humanity had long since ceased and rotted away. Instead of fear or guilt, they felt accomplishment.
“This So Yi-yoon person apparently joined the staff killings without even being asked to murder anyone.”
“They were happy catching stronger Hunters and making money, so they didn’t ask for details.”
“Interestingly, different people remember So Yi-yoon’s appearance differently. For lower-ranked Hunters, transformation or disguise can easily conceal one’s true face.”
Too much information hit me all at once.
I exhaled a long sigh of frustration.
“Are there no other accomplices besides this So Yi-yoon?”
“There were, but we’re currently tracking all of them. Some have fled overseas and Nike is pursuing them.”
Unlike Hanttae, which consists entirely of Korean nationals, Nike has guild members spread across the globe.
“It seems our country wasn’t the only one targeted.”
“Yes, overseas Hunters have been victims as well. We’ll need to interrogate all the remaining individuals.”
The number of people who died mysteriously inside Dungeons was far from one or two. Proving they were all murdered would be impossible.
To prevent further incidents, I absolutely had to capture Kim Kyung-hoon….
“Apparently, the order to target Hunter Association personnel came from So Yi-yoon Hunter’s request.”
“What?”
At some point, he suddenly disappeared from the staff killer guild.
With the strongest Hunter gone, naturally their murders reverted to targeting those with lower stats, and their earnings dwindled.
Then suddenly, he reappeared—not as a guild member, but as a client.
‘Target those working at the Hunter Association. The high-stat ones are doing desk work, so focus on the newcomers and low-stat ones out in the field.’
He didn’t specify exactly who to target.
He said it would be enough if the Hunter Association faced instability and operations were disrupted.
The core of the Hunter Association is its Hunters. No matter how much they were just staff, with multiple Hunters dying, nothing could take priority over that.
Baldur certainly wouldn’t overlook it either.
“He seemed to know nothing beyond that. If he’d known you were aware of the truth, he would’ve asked sooner. This took quite the roundabout path.”
‘No, I didn’t know you didn’t know either.’
This alone was explanation enough.
Sung Ji-wook opened his mouth to conclude the conversation.
“Then let’s end today’s meeting here.”
“Meeting? This is just lunch together.”
….
I nodded quietly while continuously bringing meat up on my spoon and into my mouth.
We’d rented an entire meat restaurant to have this conversation just in case.
Apparently, Hanttae has a rule that whenever any strategy becomes this exhausting, they must eat meat.
“Don’t prioritize capturing Hunter Kim Kyung-hoon. Instead, first….”
“First?”
Jung Hwan-jae continued lifting his head toward my plate as he spoke.
His gaze remained fixed on the other guild members and Dante, as if he could eat without looking.
“Let’s take a few days to rest. Hanttae isn’t a crime-solving guild. We’ve postponed far too many schedules because of this.”
“True. Once the ranking tournament ends, we need to meet the new recruits and those who just registered, then head out hunting.”
Sung Mi-ju nodded in agreement.
In most cases, the Guild Master doesn’t step forward directly.
The vice-guild master I’ve never met and hunters from other departments are likely already doing their best to recruit people.
But before actually bringing them in, the Guild Master’s confirmation is naturally a procedure that must be followed.
“Sometimes, when negotiations fail or conflicts arise with other guilds, I step in personally.”
“Nike also needs to recruit new hunters right now.”
Dante glanced at me while gauging the timing.
Faced with such a transparent gaze, I straightened my posture.
“I’m not going. Just find another hunter who isn’t affiliated with a guild.”
“I haven’t said anything yet.”
“Yes, please don’t.”
“Well….”
Dante clearly recognized his failure to recruit me and silently continued eating with his spoon.
I easily ignored the gazes of those suppressing their laughter and naturally turned my head toward Jung Hwan-jae.
He seemed pleased with my response, his face relaxed into a gentle expression.
I wondered if I’d been too blunt, but since it pleased him, that was enough.
“So you don’t have anyone you’d like to personally bring in, senior?”
I knew this was an exceptional case, but I remembered when he had directly cast me and brought me in.
I’d pushed the memory to the back of my mind and forgotten about it for a while, but now I clearly remember him saying he had directly cast someone himself.
‘Come to Hanttae. Become the strength of my exclusive healer.’
A voice carved vividly into memory.
And the breathtakingly beautiful and serene face of the man who had faced him directly.
One who knows the truth.
‘Hwa-jon.’

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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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