Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: How the No.1 Ranked Hero Protects the World
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After that.
I left the unconscious man alone for now and first looked up the dungeon report center's phone number online before calling them.
Earth was so convenient—even if I didn't know the geography, as long as I had a phone, it would automatically send GPS signals.
The reporting process was simple, too.
The call center staff seemed experienced with situations like this and handled my call quite kindly.
"You must be really shaken up. We'll send an ambulance to your location right away. I know it's a hassle, but could you check on the other person's condition until it arrives?"
"Yes, of course."
"As for the detailed dungeon report and awakener registration, you're probably too rattled today, so I'll text you the info separately. Please check it tomorrow."
"Got it."
Ugh, just look at this efficient handling. I suddenly felt a wave of感動 rising inside me.
In Tartarus, there were so many times I wanted to curse out that damn class-based society. From my modern perspective, there was just so much irrationality.
But seeing this swift and reasonable response nearly brought tears to my eyes.
This was a victory for modern society's systems.
"Urgh... Hngh...!"
While I sat leaning against a tree stump, waiting for the ambulance, Woo Seong-yeon finally woke up. He jolted in surprise, looked around, then spotted my face and got even more startled, scrambling backward while still lying down.
"P-Please spare me!"
"...Did I look like I was gonna kill you or something?"
"M-M-Monster...!"
Weird. The 'Charging Warrior' trait usually made someone charge recklessly at any enemy they saw, not caring if they died.
Ah, maybe because he encountered such a massive foe right from the start.
I shrugged.
"I cleared the dungeon. Take a good look. We're outside now."
"Huh? Oh... yeah, we are! Wait, that guy over there—he's the scammer who tricked us earlier... Why does he look like that?"
Woo Seong-yeon pointed at the man sprawled out on the ground. The guy's state was a sight to behold.
I just shrugged again.
"Looks like he ran into a wild boar or something."
A wild boar that had been scorched by a forest fire, no doubt.
Woo Seong-yeon muttered blankly.
"No idea why, but he looks way more beat up than me, even though I went in and out of the dungeon."
"Good thing he didn't die."
"Hah, yeah... true that."
Only then did Woo Seong-yeon seem to relax, collapsing flat on the ground in a spread-eagle position. Coming out of his first dungeon must have been quite the shock.
"I'm really alive..."
"..."
Anyone hearing him would think he'd pulled off some epic battle. I looked at Woo Seong-yeon pitifully.
"Hope you learned your lesson this time. You almost died because of a scammer."
I wasn't sure if he'd actually pursue a hunter career going forward, but even if he didn't, this was a lesson worth etching into his bones.
I gave him sincere advice.
"If you don't wanna die, don't trust anyone."
"Y-Yeah. I'd be dead if it weren't for you."
Woo Seong-yeon suddenly sat up, then dropped to his knees on the ground. He looked at me and bowed his head deeply.
"Thanks, Ye-na. You saved my life."
"...Jeez."
I'd just told him not to trust people, and here he was giving such a pure thank-you. Seeing that made the 'Charging Warrior' trait make a bit more sense.
"Oh yeah, you were hurt, right? Got any healing potions? You had a ton of items."
"Healing potion?"
"Yeah, I bought some near the intercity bus terminal store earlier. Here, take one."
I widened my eyes as Woo Seong-yeon pulled out an item.
Wait, Earth had healing potions too?
And they sold them in stores?
That was genuinely surprising.
I'd spent the two days since waking up diligently browsing the internet, but the info online was limited anyway, and I hadn't had enough time.
What I'd mainly looked up was how hunters in Korea tackled dungeons, the number of dungeons, and their difficulty levels.
I hadn't gotten around to how hunters traded items yet.
"You seemed so thorough, but you forgot potions? Here, take it quick."
Woo Seong-yeon handed me a potion without hesitation. I took it for now.
A small glass vial that looked like it might contain milk.
- Item details available.
- Name: C-Grade Healing Magic Potion
- Creator: Harmony Workshop
- Effect: Quickly aids recovery of external and internal injuries. Can be ingested or applied topically.
Ah, it contains mana. I flinched for a second, thinking of the potions used in Tartarus.
In Tartarus, what they called 'potions' were made by embedding holy power from priests.
Mages could make potions by adapting healing magic like this, but they generally had inferior regenerative power compared to priests'.
Priests' holy power had a fixed limit, though, so theoretically, mages—who could infinitely regenerate mana—made much cheaper potions that saw more use.
Even if they were cheap, they weren't prices ordinary people could casually afford...
"Thanks, I'll take it."
My wounds from the dungeon were hurting badly anyway. Especially my arm where the hedgehog spines had stabbed and my back, which was practically scorched by the bull's flames.
I loosened the shoulder strap of the Angelus's Blessing I was still wearing, uncapped the potion, and roughly poured some down my back inside my clothes.
I felt the liquid trickle down my back and get absorbed into the wounds. I hadn't applied it carefully, so some spots were still left, but the pain eased considerably even so.
"Uh, hey, that's not how you use it..."
Woo Seong-yeon panicked, but I ignored him and smeared the rest roughly on my arm wounds.
It was just a C-grade potion, so no miracle regeneration, but the scrapes healed right up, and the severe pain faded a lot.
"Thanks. By the way, you said the store where you bought this is near the intercity bus terminal? How much was it?"
"Huh? 300,000 won. But you don't have to pay me back."
"That's not why I asked."
A potion infused with a mage's mana—even if low-grade—cost only 300,000 won?
An absurdly cheap price. What the hell was going on with potion prices in Korea's hunter world?
Anyway, I should check it out ASAP. I pulled out my phone and searched for the store at the Gangwon intercity bus terminal.
There it was.
'Business hours 10:00~21:00'... If I hurried now, I'd get there with time to spare.
"Alright, I'm heading out. Ambulance is coming soon, so wait here, get treated, and all that."
Woo Seong-yeon awkwardly stood up as I got to my feet. He looked thoroughly flustered.
"Huh? You're just leaving like this?"
"Yep."
I glanced at the man collapsed near Woo Seong-yeon.
The Strength Enhancer I'd used to beat him boosted strength momentarily but had a very short activation time. So if that guy woke up at the hospital and caused a scene, it'd be annoying.
Sure, I had plenty more Strength Enhancers, so beating him a couple more times wouldn't be hard, but right now, I needed to avoid anything that could get noisy.
"That scammer? Report him to the police for me, will ya? You can handle it?"
"Of course! I've got the transfer records and screenshots of the cafe post, so it'll be easy. But Ye-na, how're you getting back? Wouldn't it be faster to ride the ambulance to the city...? Oh, an item?"
No point hiding it. He'd already seen me use Nymph's Wind inside the dungeon.
I nodded.
Now, there was just one thing I needed to ask of Woo Seong-yeon.
"And everything you saw today—what happened in the dungeon—keep it secret."
"Whoa, no way."
For some reason, Woo Seong-yeon covered his mouth with both hands. His eyes sparkled excessively.
"I knew you seemed too strong. You're a hidden S-rank hunter, right?! Government affiliate? Like undercover inspection or something?"
This guy had watched way too many movies...
Woo Seong-yeon clenched his fist.
"Don't worry! I'll take this secret to my grave!"
"...Whatever."
If it was a misconception that worked in my favor, no need to correct it. I turned my back to Woo Seong-yeon and prepared to move.
Woo Seong-yeon asked.
"Uh, mind if I get your contact info?"
"Nope."
"...Okay."
If it's meant to be, we'll meet again.
I kicked off the ground using Nymph's Wind. My surroundings blurred for an instant, leaving only my destination in sharp focus.
A pleasant wind rose along my body.
- Warning! Your stamina is insufficient to use Nymph's Wind.
The message from inside the dungeon popped up again, but something had changed.
- Nymph's Wind now has a usage restriction timer.
- Restriction time 00:30:00
I'd cleared the dungeon and gotten my achievement points settled, so all my stats had escaped those desperate lows.
Maybe because I'd cleared what amounted to a B-rank dungeon on Earth specs close to a normal person's—my body felt way lighter than expected.
Good. I'll run as far as I can in 30 minutes, grab a bus or whatever, and head to the store.
"See you again—!"
Woo Seong-yeon's voice echoed faintly from behind, making me chuckle despite myself.