Was Happy Being a Despised F-Rank Healer, You Know? - Chapter 40
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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6. Dragon’s Shadow (9)
That night, in my dormitory room.
I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling. The fluorescent light was blinding, but I had no intention of turning it off.
I couldn’t sleep.
So I just got up and went to my desk. I turned on my laptop and accessed the Hunter Academy’s internal database.
The dungeon information system that any student could access.
I typed ‘Ongdalsam Dungeon’ into the search bar.
Information appeared on the screen.
Dungeon Name: Ongdalsam Dungeon
Grade: C-rank
Difficulty: Low
Recommended Level: D-rank or higher
Features: Based on the golden axe, silver axe legend motif. Quest-type dungeon where you retrieve an iron axe from the mountain spirit.
Clear Condition: Safely retrieve the iron axe kept by the mountain spirit
Average Clear Time: 15 minutes
Rewards: Random (Common items 80%, Rare items 15%, Unique items 5%)
Caution: A certain level of mana is required when approaching the mountain spirit. If mana is insufficient, the relationship may turn hostile.
The last caution painfully caught my eye.
Relationship turns hostile if mana is insufficient.
Even if events unfold differently from the original like with Crescent Dungeon, the blue dragon would definitely appear at that ‘hostile relationship’ part.
The mana to become an S-rank dungeon was already building up inside that mountain spirit, so whoever went, that mountain spirit would become a blue dragon.
Since I’m F-rank with severely insufficient mana, it would be even worse. I probably wouldn’t even be able to approach the mountain spirit alone.
I scrolled down. There was a ‘Past Training Records’ section at the bottom.
I clicked it.
Dozens of records appeared. Training records conducted in Ongdalsam Dungeon over the past few years.
Most were marked as ‘Success.’
But…
There were also several ‘Failure’ records.
I clicked on one of them.
Training Date: March 15, 2024
Participants: Kim Min-jun (E-rank), Park Seo-yeon (D-rank), Choi Ji-hun (D-rank), Lee Na-young (E-rank)
Result: Failure
Reason: Mountain spirit became hostile due to insufficient mana from students Kim Min-jun and Lee Na-young. Fell into combat-incapable state after seeing blue eyes. Entire party retreated. Minor injuries occurred.
Notes: Participation of E-rank and below students should be carefully considered.
I opened another record.
Training Date: September 8, 2023
Participants: Jeong Su-a (F-rank), Kang Tae-min (C-rank), Yun Ha-eun (D-rank)
Result: Failure
Reason: Abandoned midway due to student Jeong Su-a’s death. The mountain spirit reportedly targeted student Jeong Su-a specifically. Reason unknown. Other party members assisted but time ran out.
‘Did Isang Hee know about this?’
She was a D-rank light attribute barrier user. She would have naturally checked the dungeon information beforehand.
Then she would have known how dangerous it was for me, an F-rank.
That I could even die.
‘How scary.’
My hands trembled.
Staring at the laptop screen, I realized.
The original Isang Hee was an obsessive yandere. She might not be at that level yet, but the seeds were definitely growing.
And it seemed I was her first target.
‘What should I do?’
I read through the Ongdalsam Dungeon strategy tips thoroughly.
So it would be useful even if it turned into a blue dragon midway.
The mountain spirit has mana detection ability. Only recognizes hunters with a certain level of mana or higher.
If mana is insufficient, one party member must share mana. (Party buff skills recommended)
When speaking to the mountain spirit, you must be ‘honest.’ Lying will immediately turn it hostile.
You must refuse the golden and silver axes and request the iron axe. You must not be greedy.
Dungeon internal time limit: 30 minutes. Forced ejection if time expires.
‘Mana sharing…’
That was the key.
Isang Hee’s barrier maintained my awakened state, but it didn’t actually increase my mana itself.
And this time Isang Hee won’t even be there.
In the end, I had to receive help from other party members.
And Isang Hee wanted to create that situation.
The situation where ‘Jin Hali held us back.’
I clenched my fists tightly.
‘It can’t be like that.’
I had to find a way somehow.
A way to not be a burden.
No, rather a way to be helpful.
‘My heal skill… It’s unpleasant, but I’ll have to use it this time.’
My heal skill had been changing little by little recently.
Actually, I’d felt something different since the Crescent Dungeon incident.
Maybe it was the effect of increased usable mana thanks to Erich.
‘It feels like the experience is about 80 percent full?’
I don’t know why experience would accumulate without even using it though.
I wasn’t certain, but there had definitely been changes.
‘Can I utilize this?’
There was almost no combat in Ongdalsam Dungeon. Unless you made the mountain spirit hostile.
But just in case, my role as a healer was important.
‘I need to train more. Heal training too.’
One week remaining.
Only one week left until the dungeon training.
I had to prepare as much as possible during that time.
I turned off the laptop and returned to bed.
But I still couldn’t sleep.
My head was filled with nothing but thoughts of Ongdalsam Dungeon.
And… Isang Hee’s cold gaze. That look that seemed to test me kept coming to mind.
***
“You’re going to Ongdalsam Dungeon?”
“…How did you know?”
“Word got out. That Isang Hee gave up her seat to an F-rank student.”
“Ah…”
As expected, rumors spread fast.
Yuhan Seong, who I was having a direct conversation with after a long time, fell silent for a moment.
Then he spoke.
“Be careful.”
“Huh?”
“I mean Isang Hee.”
Yuhan Seong is telling me to be careful of Isang Hee? He shouldn’t know yet that she’ll become a yandere.
Why?
“What do you mean?”
“…It’s nothing special. I just have a bad feeling about her.”
Could that be the reason why, unlike in the original story, he rarely gets close to Isang Hee?
Yuhan Seong didn’t say anything more.
He picked up his sword and returned to his spot.
I stood there in a daze.
‘Yuhan Seong is… being wary of Isang Hee.’
That light barrier favorite character.
In the original story, Yuhan Seong didn’t notice Isang Hee’s personality flaws until much later.
Long after she joined the party.
But if he’s already being wary now, it means something must have happened to warrant it.
I slowly took a deep breath.
There are too many variables, so let me focus on what’s in front of me for now.
‘Still, it’s okay.’
I clenched my fist tightly.
Having many variables means there are many opportunities too.
I focused on my heal skill training again.
“Jeongwoo. Are you hurt?”
“Huh? Yeah. But if I apply your potion.”
“Come here.”
Three times a day.
Not knowing what kind of rumors were spreading about me for not only giving away potions for free every day but also using heal skills on my classmates, I made good use of those three times daily.
A week passed like that.
From Ongdalsam Dungeon, no, the roar of the Blue Dragon echoed through the Academy.
***
Erich spoke very quietly.
[What fools.]
‘Why.’
[Not you. Those humans.]
‘Why those people?’
It was when I was clearing my tray and coming out with Hae-sol after hearing it was the day to go to Ongdalsam Dungeon.
Perhaps because I hadn’t officially said anything different about the potion’s effects, the excessive interest in my potion’s effectiveness was gradually dying down.
And inversely proportional to that, the trend of looking down on F-rank healers, where people would whisper just by passing by, was coming back to life.
Ah, how cozy.
But Erich seemed angry for some reason.
[It’s so absurd that they still see you as F-rank that it makes me laugh bitterly!]
I laughed at those words.
And whispered very quietly.
“Don’t worry. I’m still F-rank. I’ll continue to appear that way.”
Those words were also meant for myself.
The temperature change showing now was very subtle.
What appeared on the surface was small and hadn’t changed much.
I knew that just one layer of air had changed.
In a day or two, some would forget, and others would remember without much meaning.
I muttered quietly while climbing the stairs.
“Right. This much is enough. I just… need to be able to prepare quietly, that’s enough.”
I opened the manufacturing room door.
A fragrance spread lightly.
It was the subtle smell that came when herb powder and medicinal liquid mixed.
To me, it was like a stabilizing scent.
I put my bag on my seat and lined up small bottles in a row.
They were practice recovery potions.
Today I was planning to start with viscosity experiments.
Then I heard the sound of the manufacturing room door opening.
When I turned my head, two supervising teachers had entered.
“There you are.”
“Jin Hali, do you have a moment?”
I answered while closing the bottle cap.
“Yes.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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