I Saw an Angel
"I drove Ilwol into danger, so I have to steel my heart even more." This time, she had acted knowing full well that Ilwol faced a high risk of death. Ninety-five lives. Ilwol, who now had ninety-four lives left. She had wanted to accomplish everything with her own strength without relying on him, but her absurdly insufficient combat ability made even that thought impossible. And if sacrificing one of those ninety-five lives could save hundreds of people, wasn't that a worthwhile exchange? She found herself trying to convince herself of it. The choice of failing to save anyone and living with lifelong guilt, versus sacrificing one of Ilwol's lives to rescue countless others—the scales tipped easily to one side. Then a sudden thought struck her. Would she make the same choice even when Ilwol had only a single life remaining?
"......I......"
"Yeonhee-ssi, what are you doing? You told us to help people and now you're slacking off by yourself?"
"Huh? Ah, no! I'll be right there!"
Lee Yeonhee was pulled back from the abyss by the blunt words of a hunter whose name she didn't know. Thanks to Ilwol's sacrifice, countless people inside the gymnasium had been saved. A few children had been rushed to the hospital after acid from the ceiling dispersed into the air, but fortunately none of their lives were in danger. Even so, they would likely carry some minor impairment for the rest of their lives.
After the hunter who had scolded her left, Lee Yeonhee began walking after him when Cha Jin-hyeok approached.
"Um, excuse me..."
"Yes? Ah, Jin-hyeok-ssi."
Though they had already exchanged greetings once, Cha Jin-hyeok came to her again as the cleanup was wrapping up. He bowed repeatedly, bending his already hunched back so low it nearly touched the ground.
"I... I truly... thank you. I don't know how to express this gratitude. I have no way with words, really..."
"It's fine. Everyone is safe because you stepped up first, Hunter-nim."
"Aigoo, what did I even do? So... if it's not too much trouble, could you perhaps give me your account number so I can at least repay you somehow..."
"What?! No, really! Like I said earlier, I can't accept anything like that."
"Please, Hunter-nim, don't be like this. I beg you—"
Cha Jin-hyeok desperately wanted to repay the person who had saved the children under his care, but Lee Yeonhee proved far more stubborn than she appeared. How can someone like this exist? Despite being a much lower rank than himself, she possessed the willingness to risk her life for others, combined with genuine humility and the quick judgment to lure the monsters away and evacuate everyone from the gymnasium. The two tarantaras that had charged at him had been pushed back by her summons acting as shields. And despite his appearance, she showed no sign of discomfort. For someone with normal eyesight, that was no easy feat, yet she treated him as if it were nothing. The clear face occasionally visible beneath her hood made him wonder if this was what an angel descending to earth would look like.
But Cha Jin-hyeok's feelings weren't romantic in nature. It was as though he were witnessing a truly sacred being before his eyes, leaving him unsure of how to carry himself. Was this the reward for years of prayer to the divine?
"More importantly, you should rest, Hunter-nim. Losing too much blood can cause sudden shock."
"Hehehe... I may not look it, but my body's pretty sturdy. I'm fine."
"Still..."
As Lee Yeonhee reached into her pocket for a brown bottle, a voice called out to her from a distance.
— Hunter Lee Yeonhee~! Do you have a moment? They're asking inside if you can pull out a few orcs!
"Ah, yes! I'm coming! I'm sorry, I think I need to go. It's easier to coordinate summons when I'm closer."
"Aigoo, I-I'm sorry. I wasted your time for nothing."
"It's fine. Here, take this! It's a potion. I'll see you again."
"Uh, uh! W-wait—"
Just like that, the angel left with only a warm smile. Though she had only gone a few dozen meters away to help clear the collapsed gymnasium ceiling pieces onto the playground, Cha Jin-hyeok felt certain he would never speak with her again. Yet that brief conversation with the woman who had looked at him so kindly washed away all the anger, humiliation, and self-loathing he had accumulated. Even to him, it was strange. It had only been a few words.
"Thank goodness..."
He glanced around the school grounds and muttered to himself. The thought of what might have happened if the children had come to harm while he alone survived made his blood run cold. His long-buried rage would have erupted, and where that fury would have directed itself was something the current Cha Jin-hyeok couldn't even imagine. In that moment, he completely lost any possibility of using his unique skill [Ring of Bad Karma].
"Whoa~ What's going on here? The cleanup's this fast?"
Cha Jin-hyeok, who had been blankly staring in the direction Lee Yeonhee had run, jumped in surprise at the sudden voice behind him. When did they get here?! He hadn't sensed any presence at all. His head creaked as he turned around. Two men stood there, both radiating the unmistakable aura of at least A-rank powerhouses. One carried a massive greatsword over two meters long on his back, while the other's eyes were pure white.
"I heard everywhere else was in chaos and completely breached. How'd they hold this place?"
"Right? This spot supposedly had the most monsters gathered, too. Hey, is your [White Distance Eye] even working properly?"
"Hey now, you can doubt a person, but you shouldn't doubt a skill."
Cha Jin-hyeok, still tense from the fierce battlefield, felt his legs give out at the sight of them and nearly collapsed in an undignified heap.
"Whoa there, you alright? Something wrong?"
"Kekeke, he looks plenty uncomfortable, that bastard. Hold on. Let's see..."
The white-eyed man alternated his gaze between Cha Jin-hyeok and his phone before continuing.
"B-rank Hunter Cha Jin-hyeok. Gravity manipulator? Hooh— that's a rare ability. Only five people in history have ever had that skill. I'm tempted."
"Is that what they call a legendary skill online? Interesting. I'd like to experience it myself. Hmm— Mister? No, Hunter Cha Jin-hyeok? Once you've recovered some stamina, could we see your ability?"
"Pardon? Ah... well, I should finish cleaning up first..."
Their subtly dismissive tone, combined with the rudeness of demanding a hunter demonstrate their skill, left Cha Jin-hyeok stunned and displeased, though he didn't dare voice it. Those are... His wariness grew when he noticed the bulging leather pouches at their waists. The contents gave off a familiar energy. They killed that many tarantaras? Just the two of them? The monsters that had tormented him so viciously today. Those pouches were surely filled with tarantara eyeballs—their spoils. Judging by the volume, there had to be at least forty. The disaster alert had reported only twenty escaped tarantaras, so including these, the total exceeded sixty. A blatant attempt by the Hunter Management Bureau to downplay the incident. Monsters... Even more shocking was that neither man's clothes bore a single bloodstain.
Gulp— Cha Jin-hyeok swallowed hard. The white-eyed man, having looked away from him, scrolled through his phone before suddenly widening his eyes.
"Oh... Summoner Lee Yeonhee? What's she doing here?"
"What?! Really? Should we go take a look? They say she's incredibly pretty."
"Hmm— she's at the gymnasium right now. She's got a bunch of nasty things following her. Are those her summons? Just a bunch of trash-tier monsters."
"Kihihit, she's still D-rank. What kind of impressive creatures could she possibly have? Let's go see how pretty she is, at least her face."
The moment Cha Jin-hyeok saw the white-eyed man murmuring while gazing at the sky and the greatsword-wielding man licking his lips with a grin, an overwhelming sense of unease washed over him. He quickly stepped in front of them.
"H-Hunters! It's a bit much here, so why don't we go somewhere more open and I'll show you?"
"Huh? Oh— the gravity ability?"
"Yes, yes! I'll show you as much as you want until you're satisfied!"
"Oh, sounds good. Shall we? Hey, you take the skill hits."
"Fine by me. Man, this place is really nice. We could kill some time here before heading over."
"But did the captain really go chasing after that hero-wannabe?"
"Leave that guy alone. It's not like it's the first or second time."
Cha Jin-hyeok let out a sigh of relief after successfully diverting the higher-ranked hunters' attention from Lee Yeonhee. From their conversation, it seemed there was another person they called "captain," but that individual apparently hadn't come to hunt tarantaras. Regardless, that wasn't important right now. I can't let those filthy hands touch the angel.
As Cha Jin-hyeok led the hunters away from the gymnasium, Lee Yeonhee was diligently answering the investigators who had arrived late. The questions were purely formal. The indifferent gaze of the civil servant holding a recorder in front of her left a bitter taste in her mouth. She answered everything honestly, but lied about not knowing who had killed the ten-plus tarantaras.
"You really don't know? From what I heard, they disappeared along with your summons. There's also evidence of a massive explosion."
"I sent them to lure the monsters, but how could a skeleton soldier possibly handle tarantaras... I don't know anything about an explosion."
"Haha, well, that's true. Still, we have to keep records, so if you remember anything else—"
Ugh... I'm shaking... Acting like she knew nothing was one of Lee Yeonhee's weakest areas, but in a way, it was fortunate that the jaded civil servants had come. From what she overheard, someone had also dealt with the monsters in the neighboring area, so the investigators didn't press her further.
"Phew... What should I do with the rest of my time..."
After finishing all her support work, Lee Yeonhee felt lost as she left the school. She considered heading into the mountains to spend time with her summons. As she walked without a clear direction, she spotted a group loudly chatting on the opposite path. The people with the triangle mark. It was the trio who had been with Cha Jin-hyeok. She referred to them in past tense because she had witnessed Cha Jin-hyeok arguing with them while cleaning up earlier. During the investigation, Cha Jin-hyeok had testified that the three of the same rank as him hadn't contributed much, and the trio had confronted him, claiming his testimony resulted in various penalties. Cha Jin-hyeok insisted he had only told the truth, and eventually one of the men had slapped him across the face. Officials from the Management Bureau had intervened and settled things quickly, but the hatred in their glares made it clear they could never work as a team again.
Hmm... Lee Yeonhee wanted to give Ilwol a gift when he was resummoned. Should I follow them? Her hesitation didn't last long. Soon, she began secretly tailing the trio.
(Master, if you make your body as light as a feather, you can further conceal your presence.)
"Thanks."
With Rainy's [Acceleration] skill, Lee Yeonhee felt more confident. After wrapping herself in Lime's sturdy form, she set off after them alongside Rainy, who was difficult for others to spot. The group ate a late lunch, walked for about twenty minutes, and entered a building. Following them inside seemed too risky, so she waited outside, sipping coffee.