Was Happy Being a Despised F-Rank Healer, You Know? - Chapter 162

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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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18. Who Opened Their Eyes (1)

There were three major episodes in second semester of first year.
In order: Yu Hee’s family episode, the Festival Dungeon, and finally the King’s Dungeon.
‘To survive the dungeon where the young king of the Other World appears as a boss, everyone must demonstrate the qualities of a king.’
The King’s Dungeon episode becomes the turning point where Yuhan Seong formally introduces his S-rank party to the outside world in the original work.
To that extent, Yuhan Seong was planning to invest tremendous care in preparation, and he was likely already doing so now.
That dungeon requires special potions, but at this point it was a problem not worth worrying about.
Because I was preparing them myself.
Which meant that regardless of the dungeon’s danger level, if things had gone as originally planned, I wouldn’t need to concern myself with anything but the potions, and Yuhan Seong would only need to focus on his own team members.
But circumstances had changed.
Because all the surviving students of Class 8 had become Annihilation Challengers.
“So, do you think it was enough help?”
A rare moment alone.
I’d opened the window in my dormitory room for ventilation and was leaning my chin against the sill, gazing at the sky.
The lion perched on my shoulder, swinging its feet, tilted its head at my worried mutter and asked.
[Help, you say? Whom do you speak of, Nari?]
[Who else but your friends?]
[I merely wished to know which of those companions you meant.]
“Don’t argue.”
[Yes…….]
[Hmph.]
I let out a soft laugh to appease the two of them, then spoke in the gentlest voice I could manage.
“What about Han Seong? Did you see him during training?”
[You mean Yuhan Seong? During training……. It seemed he didn’t benefit much from it……. I am shamefaced, Nari.]
[It would have been different if I had done it. Tsk.]
“Stop. Of course if Erich were to train him, it would help in other ways, but this time the lion did his absolute best too. I’m genuinely grateful for how well you did it.”
[W-what do you mean, grateful? Simply give me your command, Nari!]
“That’s something I can’t ask. Oh, and Lion—it’s not that you didn’t help Yuhan Seong!”
I deflected the topic of commands, and the lion’s eyes went round.
[But he was already perfected, Nari. As for his perspective on dungeons, he only needed adjustment at first, but after that he approached the dungeon’s reality at a pace that was almost frightening. He was as though…….]
[He seemed to have tremendous experience with dungeons.]
[Precisely, he did.]
It seems they don’t quarrel when they happen to agree on something…….
Letting the pointless thought drift away, I nodded.
“Han Seong is impressive. But what I meant was his attitude.”
Even being alone, there was the possibility someone might overhear, so I couldn’t pretend to fully understand Han Seong’s intentions.
I spoke to the two of them, who looked puzzled.
“From what I could see, Han Seong was the most passionate during this training.”
[Hm?]
“Of course I can’t say anyone lacked effort, but the other kids—it was their own training, wasn’t it? Their focus was natural in a way. But Han Seong had nothing to fill his training with, and yet whenever he wasn’t off conquering dungeons, he was always coming into our dungeon.”
[Ooh.]
[Nari? I suspect he did so because of you…….]
“Hm? Me?”
[Ah, no, no. Let’s not dwell on that, Nari!]
That’s strange.
The lion trailed off in a way unlike itself.
I simply nodded and moved on.
“And think back—what was he doing throughout training?”
[With me. Ah.]
Only then did the lion grasp what I was getting at, regarding me with an odd expression.
“The most important thing in survival isn’t having someone heal you when you’re wounded unto death—it’s not getting wounded to that degree in the first place. Isn’t it?”
[So that person……was afraid of watching people die…… and trained people to the point of death……? What?]
[Are you being serious?]
At the lion’s confused response and Erich’s look that seemed to doubt my sanity, I stopped sprawling and closed the window.
Then I nodded gravely.
“That’s the kind of person Han Seong is.”
At least for now.
In the original work, he hadn’t gone dark during his Academy years.
Before his fall, Yuhan Seong ran toward his goal of creating an S-rank party while never forgetting the fundamental principle of hunters: saving people.
For someone like that, perhaps the current situation where no one in Class 8 has died isn’t another ordeal but simply hope.
Sharing the Baridegi Dungeon with all of Class 8’s Annihilation Challengers because of the Annihilation Dungeon was also partly a desire to help him in some way.
And it seemed he’d utilized the situation far better than I’d anticipated.
Looking at the class ranking list I’d just written down from what the kids told me, I let out a trembling breath.
‘Goi-deun A-rank, Gong Seo-yun A-rank, Kim Myeong-hyeon A-rank, Baek Ha-yan A-rank, Seo Jeong-u A-rank, Yuhan Seong S-rank, Yu Hee A-rank, Lee Si-hyeon A-rank, Lee Hae-sol S-rank, Tak Jeong-eun A-rank, Hyun I-seo S-rank.’
Apart from them, Jin Hali F-rank, Isang Hee A-rank.
Advancement from A-rank to S-rank requires awakening, so Seo-yun and Yu Hee saw no change in rank, but each of them did gain skills appropriate to reveal.
Among the S-ranks, Lee Hae-sol and Hyun I-seo grew more refined.
What’s encouraging is the others.
Whether their ranks had been stalled due to purity or quantity of magical power—or its density—they all climbed a full rank just from sensory training in the dungeon and enduring the brutal training regimen.
Even if it’s theoretically possible to advance through effort, there’s always a limit. That was common sense.
Yet for Awakeners who’d barely escaped the lowest rank, to show this growth in merely half a year—it was impossible progress.
From A-rank onward, hunters are treated as genuinely high-rank.
Even if they lack experience, that would be the case, but our class—if they simply survive the Annihilation Dungeon, experience won’t be a concern.
‘Yes, if they simply survive.’
They likely won’t reach S-rank.
Those like Seo-yun and Yu Hee who are currently A-rank were kids with exceptional natural talent from the start. They were the sort who would eventually reach S-rank if simply left alone and allowed to live.
The others weren’t at that level, and their innate skills and affinities made awakening to S-rank difficult.
‘Will someone like Goi-deun have a chance?’
Still, being research-oriented, even if she reached S-rank, the question would be how much she could apply her skills in actual dungeons.
All the same, this is their ceiling, and even moving forward from here to refine efficiency—it’s enough.
Yes.
Enough to say they have hope of survival.
Yuhan Seong managed to bring them this far.
The lion was rather harsh in evaluating humans outside myself, yet I’d heard his praise of Yuhan Seong multiple times.
It seemed Yuhan Seong had revealed at least some of his ability this time rather than hiding it.
“It seems like it’ll go well.”
I muttered hopefully while writing down the list by hand.
The lion cried out with a grin.
[Of course, Nari! The play will be a tremendous success!]
“I’m not sure about that.”
[What do you mean?]
Separate from safely passing through the Festival Dungeon, the play showcasing each Class 8 member’s skills would likely not go well.
‘Though they do seem to be preparing earnestly.’
The protagonist is Isang Hee, after all.
I placed my hand in the lion’s small one and laughed awkwardly.
***
“You here?”
“Yeah. Nobody around.”
Isang Hee, confirming no one was in the hallway, approached Byeon Ji-yeong, a student from Class 2, and spoke.
“So, is it really true?”
“Y-yes, I s-saw it clearly……. In Jin Hali’s potion, there’s……Jin Hali’s hair……!”
“……That can’t be right. If that’s true…….”
“I have p-proof here, here.”
Isang Hee was timid, stammering when not angry.
At first, I’d confused her timidity and reserved nature for kindness. Her puppy-like appearance contributed to the misunderstanding.
Once we talked, she seemed as docile and good-hearted as expected, and she often suited the image—until one day Isang Hee said something absurd.
“Putting body parts in a potion is illegal.”
“R-right……. T-that’s why I’m worried.”
Isang Hee replied downheartedly.
“Everyone e-else doesn’t know and is d-drinking it. Hali probably doesn’t k-know either, d-didn’t do it consciously.”
“How could that be? Just look at how carefully she’s hiding and manufacturing it—it’s obvious she knows.”
Byeon Ji-yeong clicked her tongue.

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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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