Chapter 2

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 2

Chapter Title: This is a Heal, Right? A Beating Heal

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Yes! This is it!

When my hunch proved spot on, it felt like a massive weight had been lifted from my chest.

Finally, things were starting to go right.

Maybe I'd hit a jackpot bigger than the lottery.

It was a skill utterly useless on other people, but perhaps this was even better.

Soloing in a tower where party hunts were mandatory—a class like this? I'd never heard of anything like it.

What could I say? It felt like some kind of glitchy playstyle.

Anyway, my wrist was stinging a bit.

Looked like I'd tweaked it swinging the hammer wrong.

Those MeTube videos hammered on wrist snap for a reason.

"It's annoying."

Minor injuries like this would heal on their own if left alone.

But to land the finishing blows, I'd have to keep hammering away, so I needed to treat it.

I eyed my wrist with complicated feelings.

"This'll hurt too, huh?"

Of course Heal would work.

Just how much pain it'd bring was the unknown.

Looking around, the wide-open plains were devoid of any life.

Even if a monster popped up ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠way over there, it'd take at least five minutes to reach this spot.

"Yeah, this is safe distance."

I cast Heal.

"Urk."

Thankfully, no excruciating agony.

But it still hurt.

Just a sprained wrist causing this much pain—yep, my Heal was abnormal.

Still, the effect was incredible; my wrist snapped right back to normal.

'Anyway, got one down. Now what?'

As if answering my thoughts, the goblin corpse pixelated and vanished.

And in its place, something shiny remained.

"Oh? Is this a magic stone?"

Lucky me. Drop rates were supposed to suck, but it dropped on the first kill.

Felt like a sign things were going my way.

After trudging across the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠plains for a while, I spotted a goblin pack in the distance. Three of them.

They screeched the moment they saw me.

Soon, they charged with swift, rustling movements.

No cover or concealment in this open space, so I braced for combat.

Roar—

Facing three at once, I'd lit a firebomb ahead of time and set it on the ground.

"Kiek."

The goblins advancing in a line cried out and scattered in three directions.

Encirclement tactics—smart for goblins. But still just goblins.

Those flimsy iron pokers couldn't one-shot me.

But what about you lot? Fire knew the answer.

I hurled firebombs one after another.

Clang—

Flames spread, scorching the plains.

A ring of fire formed around me.

The goblins glanced at each other, then bunched up toward the flame-free side.

Afraid of the fire, just as I'd hoped.

I detonated a firebomb where they clustered, then immediately cast Heal.

"Heal! Heal! Heal!"

"Kerruk!"

So easy. Too easy, almost.

I spun the hammer like a madman toward the convulsing goblins, as if they had the twitches.

Thud, thud, crack—

For a while, gruesome bursting sounds echoed across the plains.

Strangely, it didn't feel cruel.

They said awakening as a hunter came with a mental buff, and experiencing it firsthand? Psychopaths couldn't hold a candle.

"Well, plenty of people can't even squash a bug."

As the flames died down, charred goblin corpses came into view.

Whistling a tune, I rummaged where they'd pixelated away, but no magic stone.

Disappointed, I muttered without thinking.

"Not even junk loot."

I checked my condition right away.

Thankfully, just a bit singed—no real damage.

Six monsters left.

I slotted fresh firebombs from my inventory into my vest, prepping for the next hunt.

This time, I scouted the plains extra carefully.

Felt like the rest were clustered together.

Sure enough. Creeping up a hill and peeking over, I saw them below: four with long iron pokers, two with blowpipe-looking things.

Hunter Net guides warned about those—the paralyzing blowpipes.

"Good thing I came prepared."

Ranged weapons made my previous tactics tricky.

So I pulled out thumbtacks. Rivets for crafting leather gear.

Stepping on one would just sting, but pair it with my vicious Heal skill?

Grinning wickedly, I scattered them down the hill.

The essence of high-ground trap tactics.

Prep done, I lit a firebomb and rolled it down.

It wobbled precariously before bursting with a thud, igniting flames.

"Kieek!"

One unlucky goblin got engulfed, and the rest swarmed up the hill.

I kept hurling firebombs to block their flanks.

"Kiruk! Kiek!"

Realizing that wouldn't work, they signaled each other, and the blowpipe goblins fired paralyzing needles straight at me.

Thwip—thwip—

The whistling past my ears made me duck in panic.

Getting hit by that? I'd be torn apart alive.

Heart pounding, but I couldn't just huddle.

"Kieek!"

Sudden scream. Stepped on a tack, no doubt.

I hurriedly cast the skill.

"Heal!"

"Kieek!"

Sure enough, one thrashed and tumbled down the hill.

'Ah, need to finish it off.'

In my haste, I reared up to throw a firebomb.

Plunk—

A sharp sting, and my whole body went limp.

"No... not now..."

The goblins checked my state and crept closer, chittering.

This was headed for disaster.

No choice. As my body stiffened, I cast on myself.

"Heal! Graaah!"

Immense pain jolted me awake.

Clinging to consciousness through unbearable pain, I targeted the iron-poker goblin and cast.

"Heal!"

"Kerruk!"

The goblin ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rolled with me, then slid down the hill.

Slapstick, but pure tragedy in reality.

The others hurried up, not missing their chance.

"Kiruk?"

Another stepped on my tacks.

Head swimming, I cast again.

"Heal!"

"Kerruk!"

To buy time, I flung firebombs wildly.

Couldn't even see straight.

In extreme agony, I rolled my body desperately to survive.

Roll, roll—down the opposite hill.

But a goblin caught up and stabbed an iron poker into me.

Stab—

"Gaaah!"

In the horrific pain, I Healed myself again.

"Heal! Kyauk!"

The needle sting was nothing compared to this.

This was soul-piercing, indescribable torment.

On the verge of blacking out, I cast at the goblin anyway.

"Heal!"

"Kyarruk!"

Unable to bear the pain, tears and snot streaming, rage boiled as I saw the goblin rolling beside me.

"You fucking... bastards!"

I vented my fury with frenzied hammer swings.

Crack—crack—splat!

After smashing its skull, a chill hit me.

Glancing up the hill, sure enough—a blowpiper aiming at me.

Thwip—

I reflexively raised my hammer.

Ting—

Whoa! Holy shit. Lucky. It worked?

Seizing the moment, I cast at it.

"Heal!"

"Kieek!"

Like a dog, I crawled up the hill and smashed another skull in rage.

Panting heavily, I looked down— a goblin writhing on the ground.

I grabbed a firebomb and charged.

Roar—

Flames erupted everywhere.

Against the plains backdrop, horrific screams and dull bursts rang out.

Thud—thud—crack—!

"Hah, hah... you dogshit... bastards..."

As the pain slowly ebbed, I finally realized how insanely dangerous that had been.

Thanks to Heal... no, because of Heal, no physical wounds, but the mental damage was immense.

I checked the system alerts, but couldn't muster the will to move.

Just sprawled out, staring at the sky.

Floating clouds, so peaceful.

"I did it..."

Tears slipped out unbidden. What a sight.

Anyway, cleared Floor 1 solo. On my own.

Curious what rewards awaited.

Moments later, clear rewards popped up.

"Jackpot..."

I'd half-doubted, but solo results were shocking.

EXP for three people, spoils, mystery achievements. Rewards flooded in—I had to scroll the window.

Plus new skills unlocked. A set, no less.

"Insane!"

I whooped without thinking. Totally unexpected.

This from just Floor 1. Hands shaking, I calmed down and checked the skills.

"......"

Wait, something's off.

Pain inflicted on myself? Did I have to self-harm to use the skill?