Chapter 9
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Translator: MJK
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Surviving as an F-Class Healer (9)
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Half of what I said about heading to the old school building during lunch was true.
Narin Academy's buildings featured a design that naturally blended hanok architecture with the modern structures I knew.
The old school building, however, deviated slightly from that, taking the form of a hanok.
And not just any hanok—it was a creepy, abandoned one.
Kiiiii—.
The sound of the door creaking open echoed through the quiet interior.
The first time I came here, I was so tense I half-expected a ghost to pop out.
But after coming here to eat my lunchbox so many times, I'd gotten used to it.
In fact, I even found the silence soothing.
Though the mana isn't so quiet.
Maybe because it was unstable unlike other places?
I actually liked how the 'mana' felt more tangibly in my body here.
I headed straight to my destination without wandering.
"The workshop really feels like it could have ghosts."
Dust coated the interior.
Triangular flasks and other tools were set up in groups on the long tables merged with sinks.
On one side, boxes of empty potion bottles were stacked up, and next to them stood a display cabinet with nothing on it except the top shelf.
"Hmm."
I could just barely reach the top shelf. Gotta take all those.
Was it when three apocalypse dungeons had opened?
I remembered those status ailment removal potions down there being surprisingly helpful.
They'd been left in a place with unstable mana for so long that otherworldly mana had seeped in, making them effective inside dungeons.
Anyway, since they were useful, I could set some aside for the protagonist back then.
But right now, my training comes first.
Where are you, mini-dungeon?
It was like a chicken rib for the protagonist, but for me, I needed to find that essential magic tool first.
After opening the windows for ventilation and getting used to the unstable mana flow...
Saaah—.
The sound of waves crashing somewhere, followed by sand rushing in, reached my ears.
I moved slowly toward the source, cautious as if approaching a frightened baby animal.
And then, smack!
The moment I reached the workbench right in front of that display cabinet—one of the six in the room—I snatched up the flask.
I moved like someone might steal it because this mini-dungeon took the shape of lab equipment and fled silently as a mobile dungeon.
Once you grab it, it doesn't resist.
But instead, it tests the person who grabbed it.
Or not.
Less a test and more...
"I'm pretty sure the sound came from here."
I spoke in an awkward tone for the 'Magic Sword Erich' likely pretending to sleep inside the dungeon, then pressed the flask to my ear.
"Yep, it's coming from here. Mana too."
And the next moment.
With a small "Ah!" I was sucked into the flask.
Just as planned.
When I opened my eyes, I stood in a forest clearing bathed in sunlight.
And in the center of that clearing were three small jewelry boxes.
The test was simple.
Pick the one with the most unstable mana.
No need to even read the mana.
I pretended to ponder for about 30 seconds while reading the signposts behind the boxes.
"Choose your fate? What is this, a starting village?"
I even threw in a casual "Let's see" for good measure.
There we go.
"Alright, I'll go with this one!"
I picked the wooden box that barely qualified as a jewelry box, and laughter boomed from somewhere.
From the start, this box only appeared to awakeners with C-grade mana or lower.
The Magic Sword Erich chose weaklings as masters—ones who would eventually need its power.
Of course, there were a few other criteria besides that... but since I could see it, I figure the others are met.
Once the choice was made, the magic sword tested how gullible the person was.
[Young one.]
"Eek, w-what? Who's there? Where's that voice coming from?"
[Fear not. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Erich Benode, descendant of the hero Aksilion of the old Benode Castle. I am God's messenger, awakened to contract with you.]
God's messenger, my ass.
I hid my scoff and played the innocent F-grader.
First, let's make the contract.
"God's messenger?"
[Indeed. You are the chosen one. Your soul is as deep and clear as the waters of Regamot!]
This guy's just spouting nonsense.
Regamot was a place in the demon world where the magic sword had been sealed into the blade, right?
Where fire flows like water?
Not a jab at my temper. Yeah, he's definitely just talking out his ass.
The magic sword spoke to me as I pretended to be shy.
[Young one, will you not contract with me?]
"...Um. What do I get out of contracting with you?"
[Pay a small price, and you can wield my power freely. But first, you must pass a few perilous trials...]
"Perilous trials?"
I asked in a frightened voice, and the sword hurriedly continued.
[A dangerous trial converting your HP and lifespan into mana. The mana extracted at the cost of life will be purer and more concentrated than any other.]
That kind of talk might intrigue someone like Yoo Han-seong.
But this F-class healer happened to be short on mana, so Erich got lucky.
"Purer, more concentrated mana... So even a little would let me make lots of potions."
[Potions are for buying and using, young one. We have no need for such trivial elixirs.]
Sure you don't.
Poor Erich—you'll miss those "trivial" potions soon enough.
"Got it. Okay."
From now on, I'll call every potion I make a "trivial potion" and never give him a single one.
He'd find out later that one of his unsealing conditions involved steadily feeding him low-grade potions.
"But do I really have to? It sounds dangerous."
Erich's voice turned even more coaxing.
[Worry not. Even if you're in peril during the trial, I will protect you.]
I widened my eyes and made them water like some innocent manga girl.
Right on cue.
And shouted.
"Thank you! You're such a nice box!"
[...I'm not a box, I'm a sw— No, no, you're serious?]
"Huh? Of course! You just said you'd protect me. Meeting such a kind wooden box—I'm so lucky."
[......]
Feeling scammed, Erich fell silent for a moment.
But he had no other options.
This old school building had been abandoned for over 70 years, and during that time, the mana grew so unstable that his small dungeon shrank to mini size.
He had to take me.
A bit unfortunate that the mana here blinded him to my F-grade status.
Oh, right—if he learns I'm a healer, will he still go through with making me his master?
Guess I'll need a binding contract too.
Before regression, the original protagonist Yoo Han-seong heard rumors of an ancient magic sword in the old school workshop and came looking.
He struggled in that room for a whole month to find it.
Was it while searching for a sword to give the freshman rep?
It wasn't suitable for Lee Hae-sol anyway, so it ended up being for nothing.
Tinkering with everything, disassembling magic tools, analyzing magic patterns. After repeating that for a month, he finally found the entrance.
It was that otherworld-connected mini-dungeon.
When Yoo Han-seong faced the choices in the mini-dungeon, he already sensed something was hidden.
That something was an ego (soul), already awake. And not in the visible options, but in a now-transparent box.
That's right.
Even as a D-grader, Yoo Han-seong had mana Erich couldn't underestimate.
Not that he was really D-grade.
He picked up the transparent box and, before Erich could speak, chanted:
"I revere Fortuna's design. Clad in the devotion of her followers, we shall be eternal."
[...Huh?]
"Yup."
[Young one? What are you— Gahk.]
"Contract complete! You're mine now! Nice to meet you, Erich."
[...What?]