Was Happy Being a Despised F-Rank Healer, You Know? - Chapter 164

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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 Has Awakened? (3)

Within Narin Academy, there exists a single D-rank Dungeon: Sinmyeong.
Sinmyeong is not the voice of divinity, but rather that same sinmyeong that means merriment and joy.
‘A name befitting a festival dungeon.’
When this place was discovered, Korea erupted into chaos.
Coming immediately after the Annihilation Dungeon, the emergence of a dungeon spawning subsidiary dungeons infinitely triggered enormous upheaval.
Even now, if you visit the South Ancient Library within the Academy, the articles from that time are on display.

“Infinite Generation of Subsidiary Dungeons Confirmed…… ‘Second Annihilation Crisis Possible,’ Experts Warn”
“Another Calamity? Unclassified Dungeon Discovered Near Seoul Downtown…… Awakeners Association Activates Emergency Response”
“Guild Alliance and Awakeners Association Release Joint Statement — ‘Internal Disagreements Suspended, Citizen Protection Top Priority'”
“Evacuation Infrastructure Completed in Three Days — ‘We Cannot Crumble Like That Again.'”
“‘This Is Not the Time to Fight!’ — Guilds That Bridged Conflict, What Are Citizens Saying?”

……Whether you’d call that very Korean of us or not.
In any case, setting aside the unexpected benefits, what mattered was that the entire nation had been shaken to its core by that dungeon back then.
The subsidiary dungeons within were understood to spawn infinitely, and if any of them proved to be C-rank or higher, exhausted Hunters could die and fail to hold the line, causing a Dungeon Break that wouldn’t just devastate Korea but could topple the entire world.
At that time, Korea had selected its first dispatch team of Hunters.
There had even been talk of assembling a global joint team if they couldn’t contain it…….
‘All that fuss, and it turned out to be a low-grade dungeon.’

“Feared Dungeon, Opened Up to Reveal ‘Other World Botanical Garden’…… D-rank Classification”
“‘No Danger’ Ruling, But…… Experts Urge Caution: ‘Too Early to Relax'”
“Infinitely Generated Subsidiary Dungeons All F-rank or Below — ‘No Experience Points Even!'”

The dispatch team concluded that the randomly generated dungeons spawned within were only D, E, or F-rank, and returned with slack-jawed expressions, according to the records.
When I first arrived at the Academy, the subway conversation about Korea’s luck had partly been about that very dungeon.
After hearing the dispatch team’s report, Korea celebrated.

“Other World Flora and Fauna Within Dungeon Confirmed Harmless — Tourism Development Under Discussion”

In the center of the capital, there now stood a heaven-sent dungeon with a vast plaza usable regardless of the exterior space, and harmless nature and wildlife from the Other World.
Each subsequently spawned dungeon was cleared and verified just in case, but the results differed not from the original assessment.
The random reward system allowing treasure-hunting content produced only items of D-rank or below—it seemed like children’s play.
The second boss chamber, where a unique show played out endlessly on its own stage, could be passed simply by applauding wholeheartedly; it was a peaceful space.
Though there was a labyrinth dungeon of unrankable grade that shouldn’t be touched in the final boss chamber, observation over long years revealed it contained no life signs and would not activate unless the door itself was opened.
Moreover, since that labyrinth was the source generating multiple lower-grade dungeons, those choosing to utilize this dungeon concluded it was actually a place that should not be cleared.
The labyrinth entrance was sealed thoroughly.
After that, there was nothing left to do.
What do I mean?
The mood at that time shifted rapidly between hope and disappointment.
Because none of what people had hoped for from this harmless dungeon with its blessed nature was sufficiently satisfied.
Resources? Rewards? Neither surpassed D-rank!
The few good items that did appear topped out at C-rank.
For Korea, whose dungeon resource utilization level had ranked within the world’s top three for various reasons at that time, such resources and items were…… well.
‘Why bother committing precious manpower just to obtain rubbish like that?’ became the prevailing sentiment.
What’s more, somewhat irritating was that after this dungeon appeared, only C-rank dungeons spawned consistently in the surrounding areas.
One might say it’s fortunate that high-grade dungeons don’t appear in the city, but in a world that had already become an Awakener society, having only C-rank appear this way also meant development momentum was stalling.
Yet it was also awkward to utilize as a tourist attraction.
With nothing to gain, there was no reason anyone would visit just to see blessed nature.
Other regions’ dungeons were just as spectacular in their internal vistas, scattered abundantly across nations.
Thus, three months after its emergence, this dungeon’s evaluation changed once more.
‘Borrowing the phrasing of the articles, they called it stale scorched rice……?’
A hardened snack that requires more effort to soften with saliva and eat.
Savory enough…… but sad to live off day after day…….
Called a stale dungeon or stale dungeon site, these areas became a running joke and butt of public ridicule among Koreans at the time.
Yet just as that conclusion seemed settled, the dungeon’s evaluation would undergo one more shift due to a certain event.

“Narin Academy Secures ‘Stale Rice Cake’ Dungeon Site — Founding Principal Kim Seok-young States, ‘Believed to Be the Optimal Location for Trainee Hunter Education.'”

That event was the Academy’s establishment.
Kim Seok-young, one of the first S-rank Hunters, purchased the expansive land including that dungeon in his later years and founded the Academy.
And he gave the Academy the name Narin—a pure Korean word meaning “descended from heaven.”
He revealed his ambition to nurture proper Hunters dedicated to the nation’s safety through this Academy, and he also named the dungeon.
Sinmyeong.
The spirits of heaven and earth.
An abbreviation for the Spirits of Heaven and Earth, so he named it…….
The Academy did become a prestigious Hunter academy representing the nation, true to its name, but the Sinmyeong Dungeon became a misnomer.
Contrary to the founding Principal’s vision, it came to be used only when festivals were held, not for training.
‘Even the name’s meaning changed to pure Korean.’
From a meaning indicating divinity itself to one indicating spirited charm and joy.
‘Now the overall standard of Hunters is far higher than it was back then.’
I gazed up at the entrance of the Sinmyeong Dungeon, which except for when teachers passed through had always been sealed until the festival day.
Normally it appeared to be surrounded by a tile-roofed wall with a quiet country manor inside, but that was an illusion created by the seal.
The Principal I’d seen at the entrance ceremony released his hand the moment the faintly visible line disappeared.
Immediately after, a decorative pattern formed of lines of light spread along the wall like blossoms blooming.
Where there had been no door, a door finally revealed itself.
And.
“……Huh?”
“What is it, Hali?”
“No, it’s just……”
Among the cheering crowd, I stood blinking in shock.
Of course, I’d seen that door before.
‘Why is the gate to the afterlife standing there?’
And why does this kid have that expression on his face……?

***

“Lee Hae-sol.”
His eyes, which were always calm like the surface of a still sea, were different today.
I drew closer.
“What’s wrong? Why are you……?”
Seeing his trembling hands, I trailed off, and he clenched that hand into a tight fist.
Then he lowered it out of sight and drew a subtle smile as he usually did.
Always neat and gentle, contrary to his cold features, everyone now knew that Lee Hae-sol was an utterly hopeless rule-follower. To me, he had only ever shown kindness, and when he talked, he gave his full attention to whoever he spoke with.
But now none of that was visible.
His eyes met mine, but those calm eyes were trembling roughly.
An instability not seen since his S-rank Awakening.
That wasn’t all.
All his attention seemed directed elsewhere.
I tore my gaze from him and looked again at the Sinmyeong Dungeon entrance.
Unlike most dungeons where a simple vortex-like hole formed in empty space, some dungeons followed unique entrance formats from the start, like the Baridegi Dungeon or this Sinmyeong Dungeon.
But I hadn’t expected this particular shape.
‘In the original work, the Sinmyeong Dungeon entrance was only described as a massive gate resembling the entrance to an ancient palace, opening silently!’
That’s the entrance to the Baridegi Dungeon I passed through when contracting with the Lion!
Looking around belatedly, sure enough, all the Class 8 kids who’d seen the door coming and going wore shocked expressions and were glancing sideways at me, though to varying degrees.
But Lee Hae-sol’s reaction was somehow different from theirs.
I reached out and firmly grasped his hand.
He stiffened slightly, but didn’t pull away.
And gradually, I felt the tension that had been coiled in his hand slowly release within my grip.
“It’s okay.”
“You don’t have to be okay, Lee Hae-sol.”
At my quiet response, he looked at me steadily.
With eyes somewhat stilled, but still rippling beneath the surface.

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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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