Was Happy Being a Despised F-Rank Healer, You Know? - Chapter 3
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
1. Surviving as an F-Rank Healer (3)
The path to the Academy was colorful. I had the booklet in my bag, so there was no chance of getting lost.
Following the route as guided in the booklet.
I thought to myself.
‘The subway is still the same.’
It’s my country, but I wonder why Korea is like this.
I mean that in a good way.
‘Wasn’t this supposedly a world that was destroyed once?’
According to this world’s setting, 200 years ago the world underwent a transformation when dungeons appeared.
Many countries disappeared at that time, but Korea and Japan, along with a few other countries, were lucky.
The only S-rank dungeon appeared in a distant country, and here, numerous dungeons that could be realistically dealt with emerged.
‘The grades weren’t high in the beginning either, so there was time to adapt.’
They discovered awakened individuals, created institutions to house them, and gave them various privileges.
It’s said that forming all these detailed systems took only a week.
So Korea even had a slight advantage in dungeon clearing in the early days.
‘I guess they pulled it off at an insane speed because they were on the verge of destruction.’
The appearance of several S-ranks was probably a major factor too.
Making those S-ranks settle here instead of going to other countries was an encouraging development.
Anyway, after surviving that first period of destruction.
In the Annihilation Dungeons that occurred three more times every 50 years until now, Korean Hunters played no small role.
Since at least four S-ranks appeared in each generation, the domestic situation was stable and there was capacity to help abroad.
’50 years ago, they didn’t just play an active role but completely cleared it.’
The Hunters even keep getting stronger.
‘Is the location good?’
I didn’t believe in feng shui, but such thoughts naturally occurred to me.
Why am I suddenly thinking about this?
‘Well, because the subway is alive.’
It’s not just any subway.
The subway I saw before my possession was still alive.
Even after experiencing destruction!
Of course, perhaps because it experienced destruction, the old subway had quite a few more scratches than I remembered, but the fact that it was still operating was amazing in itself.
‘Does this make sense?’
A little later, I would understand the meaning of keeping this intact.
As a kind of pride? Self-respect? To express that, they kept the route map the same and continued operating the subway, showing they had endured 200 years of the destruction era without infrastructure damage.
But since I didn’t know that yet, it just seemed endlessly strange.
‘Especially since the stations had changed.’
Every time I passed stations I’d never seen before, there was plenty to see.
At Ubbi Station, it rains inside the station. Dino Station unfolds scenery like from some dinosaur movie, and I think I actually heard dinosaur roars too.
At Amsok Station, it suddenly transforms like a temple.
‘I know those are all tourist illusions, but seeing them in person is like a movie.’
Because the original work had descriptions of subway stations, I didn’t flip out like a crazy person.
‘Though these scenes will become ruins within 2 years.’
Let me see them while I can.
When this year’s first Annihilation Dungeon reveals itself, most of Seoul’s attractions will be destroyed within a year.
‘Doesn’t it become half a lawless zone then?’
That’s also why I’m thinking about graduation instead of dropping out or getting expelled.
It’s safe here.
Anyway, with so much to see, the hour it took to reach Narin Academy wasn’t boring at all.
Of course, the conversations of students wearing the same uniform also played a part.
“I heard an F-rank Healer is coming in. Is it real?”
“No way. Even if they came, they couldn’t even enter dungeons. Where did you hear such a rumor?”
“Ah, I don’t know. I heard it somewhere.”
“If it’s real, they’re crazy.”
By the way, that was the first ‘discrimination’ I encountered in this world.
“Who knows. Maybe they’re going to cling to an S-rank. Acting like a healer.”
“Well, healers are weak. Hmm, but wouldn’t that be impossible if they get a bad reputation?”
“Ooh?”
My ears perked up too.
To survive as a sunfish burden, the path I should pursue wasn’t dealer but support, and for that to be meaningful, I had to avoid dangerous dungeons as much as possible.
How do you identify dangerous dungeons?
Simple.
Avoid dungeons where the protagonist’s party gathers or dungeons that appeared in the original work.
Since I couldn’t let them discover that F-rank Healer blood has a lure effect, I needed to be close enough to the protagonists to give them information to overcome destruction, but not so close that I’d accompany them to dungeons.
‘Yuhan Seong probably wouldn’t take me to an Annihilation Dungeon no matter how close we are if I’m not capable enough, but you never know!’
The point was that controlling the distance was troubling.
“Serious stuff would be problematic, but if they just get an image of being moderately unreliable, the S-ranks probably won’t take pity and bring them along. Right?”
“Ah, true. S-ranks have to care about their image too.”
“Right? If it’s real that they’re coming, let’s spread rumors diligently.”
“Sounds good.”
So.
They’re preventing in advance the one-in-a-million situation where S-ranks go crazy and take me along?
“…”
Shouldn’t I give them a gift or something?
The seniors giggle and laugh.
I listened intently to their conversation with a grateful heart.
This is all information.
Since adult awakened individuals have information restrictions based on their rank, I was worried about how much theory I’d be able to learn, but would it be fine? I had such thoughts.
“When that kid dies, we’ll get a day off.”
“When will we rest? Seeing how I’ve been at Sword Academy for a month, they’ll probably volunteer even if told not to enter. Like stealing byproducts.”
So F-rank Healers can enter C-rank dungeons if they volunteer?
“That’s true. But crazy people have hidden strength, you know? So I’m betting three months.”
“Hmm. If we get a day off, will vacation be shortened?”
“Nah, probably not.”
Can I bet too?
On surviving until graduation thanks to you guys.
The original Jin Hali was pushed by family pressure to earn money and begged S-ranks to take her to dungeons.
‘And she died in a dungeon.’
The problem was that she happened to be in the same class as the protagonist, so the scale of accidents was extraordinary.
In the end, the original Jin Hali remains in about 1500 characters of short text.
A kind of… role emphasizing that it was a tragic accident where students died brutally?
Including the ‘lure’ ability that only the protagonist knew about.
I resisted the urge to bet my entire fortune on Jin Hali’s graduation and looked out the window.
As if waiting, an announcement echoed through the subway.
[This station is Awakening, Awakening Station.]
“…”
…Is it called Awakening Station because there’s an awakened academy here? They didn’t put any illusions here and left it normal.
Feeling inexplicable absurdity, I headed toward the opening doors.
And as soon as I got off, I understood.
Why they didn’t put any illusions on it.
Office workers on the street, elderly ladies out for a stroll, even a passing dog—all were using their minor awakened abilities as they went about their business, creating a paradise unfolding before my eyes.
It seemed like not just the station, but this entire city was like that.
I took in the unfamiliar yet fascinating scenery with quick glances as I confidently headed toward the Academy.
The main gate topped with blue tiles welcomed me.
***
Beyond the main gate, grand and splendid buildings stretched endlessly across vast grounds, like some famous overseas university.
This place was Narin Academy.
The setting for the early part of the story, where the protagonist Yuhan Seong would extensively gather promising talents.
‘And it’s also a place where incidents and accidents never cease while he’s doing that work.’
Could I really survive here safely?
I couldn’t just remain an outsider because of the final exams, but getting close to Yuhan Seong was also an ambiguous choice.
So the direction I settled on was to maintain an appropriate distance from everyone while providing the best help I could offer.
‘Three heals and a few low-grade potions with poor success rates, that is.’
In some ways, it might be something I should naturally do given my position, but it could be a likability factor for the good-natured teenagers of this world.
However, the fact that this was all I could do in the epicenter of this storm-like original story was still somewhat unsettling.
‘No need to be impatient. It’s better than acting rashly and getting caught being capable of serving as bait.’
Still, I should seriously consider potion-making, shouldn’t I?
With that thought, I forced my tense heart to calm down and mechanically applauded toward the freshman representative giving the entrance pledge.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————