Show Me Your Panties – Recovery is the Healer's Privilege
Recovery is the healer's privilege. Healing wounds and restoring HP to bring someone back to optimal fighting condition. In games, it's no big deal, but hunters say that in rifts, having it versus not having it can raise or lower the difficulty by an entire level.
"It's stopped."
"The bleeding's staunched?"
"Is that the kind of wound that just staunches?"
And once hunters witness that miracle, they can't escape the allure of a healer. That's why healers are nobility. Even though most hunters have to enter rifts without one, they desperately search for healers, wasting time in the process.
"Haa."
A faint sigh escaped from the woman named Lee Sumi. She'd lost so much blood from overbleeding that dying wouldn't have been surprising, but the supernatural recovery ability neatly ignored any such logic, restoring her condition by the amount of HP healed.
Dramatic Recovery (Lv1) Trait Activated!
A trait I'd forgotten about. In Real World, I never really needed it. Once my 5-star recovery skills got on track, there was no need to check HP and heal on the razor's edge.
But it was definitely a trait of the recovery skill, and as you can see, its performance was top-notch. Enough to revive a woman who was half a corpse already.
Dramatic Recovery (Lv1)
When target's HP is 5% or below, direct recovery doubles the heal amount.
Normally, Emergency Recovery would have restored 25% HP. But since her HP was at 1—below 5%—using recovery restored a total of 50%.
There was the condition of needing direct contact with the wound, but purely in terms of performance, it was hardly worth calling a risk.
"H-Healer?"
A cautious call came from behind. It was the kind of courtesy a hunter rarely showed a porter—absolute alpha and beta. In a rift, hunters and porters could never escape that dynamic in reality.
It wasn't just the difference in strength; money was involved too. Right now, I could've been getting chewed out by the hunters for messing with their comrade Lee Sumi, for sticking my nose in where it didn't belong—hell, even getting physical wouldn't have been surprising given my reckless actions.
If the bleeding hadn't stopped. If I hadn't healed her. That anger and blame might've turned on me.
But I did heal her. Turning suspicion and blame into doubt and gratitude toward the guy who pulled off something impossible without being a healer? That was the natural progression.
"No."
The problem was, I didn't want the goodwill and thanks that came from them thinking I was a healer.
That's why I'd planned to just watch and use recovery from afar.
If, in that split second, I hadn't remembered that my awakened ability was from the game, complete with status windows and all sorts of game-like systems—and hadn't gone as far as wondering, "What if achievements too...?"—I wouldn't have shown off my healer powers in front of more than ten people like this.
It wasn't an ability worth risking my life to hide, but it wasn't something to brag about as a 5-star healer either.
I needed time. Time to grow like in Real World, honing my 5-star ability, learning skills, creating my own.
"I'm not a healer."
"......"
So I denied it. No one believed me, but whatever.
Playing duo with Seora had given me some confidence in improvisation. First rift entry today, but in Real World, I was a veteran who'd rolled for years. Hunters fumbling like noobs even in D-rank rifts?
"I used a 2-star hemostasis artifact. I carry one just in case, and since you guys were late to react, I overstepped. Sorry."
I said it flatly, like it was the obvious thing to do, and the hunter who'd asked sighed.
"Ah! A hemostasis artifact...!"
Reaction like he hadn't thought of it. But there was a reason he hadn't.
"......A 2-star hemostasis artifact? Isn't that 2 million won?"
It was an answer that defied common sense. Hunters entering D-rank rifts—even E to D-rankers—didn't carry them normally. And for a mere porter like me to have one and use it? Especially not for my own life in danger, but for a hunter I'd just met today? Why?
Suspicious stares poured in. They'd have believed me if I'd said I was a healer.
The air grew awkward enough to make the late-arriving porter with the hemostasis kit slink away sheepishly.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, of course not. Thank you so much."
The hemostasis kit the porter pulled out was a 1-star artifact with magic processing—over 300,000 won. It wouldn't have saved a woman whose neck was half-torn off, a true corpse. But it wasn't about lacking 2 million won; it was efficiency.
How do you put a price on a life? But in rifts this dangerous, using a 2-million-won kit every time doesn't add up financially. You can console yourself once or twice for saving a life, but hunters raid rifts for money, so minimal investment for max profit is the way.
So even as they expressed 2-million-won worth of thanks, the suspicion lingered. Not good.
I just wanted to quietly check my piling-up system and grab my rewards.
"Actually......"
So I gave a more honest reason. One the hunters could swallow. A reason convincing enough for using a 2-million-won artifact on a stranger.
"......She's just way too my type. Couldn't bear to watch her die. When she wakes up, could you tell her I saved her? And maybe give her my number if possible?"
I'm an expert in this field. Even Seora flipped out and spewed curses at my sleazy acting once in a while. I eyed Lee Sumi's blood-soaked body with a lecherous glint—just enough.
Face was decent, figure too; it worked. From what I'd seen, she was popular in the party. Not the only woman, but the youngest and prettiest of the three.
"Got it. I'll make sure she knows. For now, we need to clean up—mind grabbing the gear?"
"Sure."
I sighed in relief at the hunter stepping between us, blocking with a wary glare and speaking firmly.
"Phew."
Grateful for the suspicion toward her lifesaver. Best to say nothing now. The hunters' doubts weren't fully washed away. They just figured there was no reason for a healer to lie about being one, so they'd let it slide.
Seeing them prioritize checking on Lee Sumi, I quietly stepped back to check the system messages.
Awakening Tutorial Cleared
Skill Point +1 Acquired
Reward for the gamble, risking exposure. "It's starting."
In Real World, I was a 5-star super-munchkin overpowered scam healer. Seora, the Real World VTuber idol, obsessed over me enough to want me as her lifelong exclusive healer—a total scam healer.
But even I started as total dogshit. Even right after awakening the 5-star ability.
It took nearly a year of grinding to build up and get on track.
So a 5-star ability couldn't be scam-level from the start. More like it climbed higher the more time and effort you invested. Overwhelming, naturally.
15% HP recovery. In reality, even that made you noble healer material. But it was less than the grime under Real World's nails.
A stepping stone to catch up.
"Um, porter sir."
"Huh?"
Happy dilemma. What did I do back then? Where to invest skill points for growth?
Mulling it over while resting, Lee Sumi approached—already up, still in her blood-soaked clothes. Pale, but otherwise fine.
"I heard you used a 2-star kit. Thank you."
"Oh, about the number thing...?"
"Yeah. I'll pass it on. I'll repay you properly once we're out."
Her pure gratitude, no displeasure, left me awkward. I'd never used a 2-million-won kit, and asking for the number was just to dodge hassle.
I'm introverted. Dealing with people is a pain. Especially with my contrarian streak—I get wary when they approach, even with a solid excuse like saving their life.
"No need to worry. I saved you because I needed to."
I drew the line. Not a lie. Purely for the quest, and stepping in directly for that extra skill point achievement.
Even if it was some dark dude instead of pretty-faced big-titted Lee Sumi, I'd have saved him at 1 HP.
"Give me a chance to repay you."
Still, she persisted. Goodwill from a pretty girl. Despite reasons, Seora popped into my head first. Only pretty girl I knew in life, so natural.
Even Seora started like that. Prim, pretty, innocent. That's probably why.
"Then, could you show me your panties?"
"......Pardon?"
Saying something rude to a woman I'd just met who'd come back from death, like I did to Seora.