Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: The Reason I Need to Level Up
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The red flames of the bonfire had died out.
Darkness settled over the underground passageway.
'Hurry.'
I felt at ease in the darkness.
I closed my eyes completely and built the world in my imagination.
I pictured the entire underground passageway perfectly in my mind.
Swoosh.
I rose to my feet.
There had been a sensation like invisible hands binding my body, but it vanished along with the bonfire.
It must have been the work of the goblin shaman.
So, I'd target that one first.
Thud thud.
I ran, making small noises with my footsteps.
On any other day, I wouldn't have made even that much sound.
Keeping my balance with my eyes closed was second nature to me.
Pain was the problem.
The pain spreading from my back made my strength falter for a moment.
"Keecha!"
Had it noticed me moving?
The goblin shaman shouted something unintelligible.
Thanks to its cry, I knew for sure now.
'The head.'
Target Detection and visualization let me track all the goblins' positions, but their postures weren't clear.
"Keessh..."
This was the goblin shaman's head.
No doubt about it.
I swung my fist, adding the momentum of my run.
Splat—!
It felt like smashing a watermelon with my bare fist.
"Hyungnim!"
Jang Ho-seop shouted.
"It's fine."
I opened my eyes, and red light spread through the underground passageway once more.
Jang Ho-seop had climbed down from the drum barrel, unable to hold out any longer.
"You did well."
It had only been a short time, but it was enough.
The goblin shaman lay collapsed with its face caved in.
Crack.
I stomped down, completely shattering its skull.
I also crushed the skewer rolling on the ground.
After taking down the goblin shaman, there were no more real difficulties.
Jang Ho-seop and I easily dispatched the rest of the goblin pack.
"Mom. Are you okay? Let me see."
"My son... Ho-seop. My boy..."
The mother and son embraced, reveling in their reunion.
Jang Ho-seop's mother looked haggard, but she had no injuries.
The other survivors were the same.
All women, exhausted but otherwise unharmed.
The goblins we'd seen so far never left captured humans alone.
"Hyungnim. Thank you. Sobs... Thank you so much."
As I scanned the surroundings and returned, Jang Ho-seop bowed deeply.
Some people had scattered during the fight, so I'd gone to check on them.
They'd run off entirely; no sign of them nearby.
"Hyungnim saved me. You came all this way because of my request."
"Thank you."
Following Jang Ho-seop, his mother bowed deeply to me as well.
She stayed bent over, not rising.
"I've received a lot of help from Ho-seop too."
I helped the lady to her feet, and we exchanged greetings.
Jang Ho-seop stared at me with wide eyes.
"I'm Sai-hyun. You've been through a lot."
"I'm Kim Soo-jung."
Jang Ho-seop's mother was 47.
She had aged gracefully and looked younger than her years.
Mother and son even resembled each other.
Her features were soft and pale.
Petite and slender, she seemed fragile, but her eyes held strength.
'Good.'
The lady's voice didn't grate on me.
That was enough.
"How can I ever repay this kindness..."
She kept bowing repeatedly.
Even then, she glanced at what I held in my hand.
Thud.
It was the unconscious goblin.
I'd captured one alive.
"I know it's hard, but would you try killing this one?"
We were strangers, and she'd been through hell for days, but there was something I needed to confirm right away.
"Me? Really?"
"Yes."
Jang Ho-seop had told me.
His mom had worked as a nurse for nearly half her life.
Even experience in the OR at a major hospital.
So we were hoping she might awaken a healing-related skill.
"Mom. This is hyungnim helping you. You have to be the one to kill it."
"Huh? What do you mean...?"
"You know the world's gone weird, right, Mom?"
Jang Ho-seop stepped up, persuading his mom enthusiastically.
He quickly explained the situation.
"So... you killing this monster will help you too?"
"Yeah. You have to awaken, no question."
"It'll help my son, and this gentleman too..."
Zero and one are different.
Those who awakened fundamental skills and those who hadn't were the same.
"Just stab here. If it's too hard, I'll help. Close your eyes if you need to."
I handed her my knife.
Ready to grip her hand and stab if necessary.
"Ah... Thank you. I'll try alone."
The lady took the knife.
Then she took a deep breath and squatted in front of the goblin.
Stab.
She didn't hesitate long.
"Mom? How is it?"
"Uh... Skilled Harmonizer? What's this?"
Jang Ho-seop's mother awakened in one go.
My acts of kindness ended with Soo-jung ajumma.
We escaped the underground passageway and returned to the hospital building.
"The goblin shaman was swinging that skewer around, so they got docile?"
"Yeah. It's true."
We were having a late dinner in the hospital basement cafeteria.
Fortunately, some ingredients were left.
"Aigo..."
Jang Ho-seop looked at the underground passageway survivors with pity.
The ajumma had explained what happened.
The mutant goblins had devoured all the newborns.
The mothers who resisted...
Resisting women became meals for other goblins or lost their minds to some spell from the goblin shaman.
'Some seem to have completely lost it...'
The survivors who'd witnessed and endured that were all grim-faced.
Even those who hadn't lost their own children.
Only Soo-jung ajumma, reunited with her son, burned with the will to live.
"Hyungnim. Sorry."
"For what?"
"I should've warned you sooner... Taking out the shaman first is basic."
Jang Ho-seop blamed himself.
He'd even named it goblin shaman, but felt bad for not warning me of the danger.
"You didn't know exactly either. It's in the past."
"Still... Sigh. Looking at the monsters so far, a lot match the fantasy worlds I know from games and such."
Jang Ho-seop had done his best in the crisis.
He'd burned himself creating a decisive opening for me.
"Focus on recovering. You got bit by a goblin too."
We'd done first aid.
The hospital had plenty of medical staff and supplies, so I got treated too.
"Compared to you, hyungnim, it's nothing. I'm fine."
Unfortunately, no thorough check-up.
No power meant the hospital couldn't do much.
The goblin heads and fingers I'd brought were useless now.
"I should've awakened a good skill... Like that cure one?"
Now Soo-jung ajumma blamed herself.
Apologizing for not getting the healing skill Jang Ho-seop mentioned.
"No. Don't worry about it."
"How can I not... We're only receiving help."
Soo-jung ajumma kept apologizing, though it wasn't her fault.
She rolled up her sleeve, showing the goblin bite.
"See? It's almost healed already."
"Ah... You're healing fast."
"Fast is an understatement. It was pretty deep."
I guessed leveling up had boosted my natural healing.
The doctors here said it was impossible after hearing my explanation.
We worried about incubation, but nothing to do about it now.
"Just think about what we can do now."
"Got it. I hope it's not infected at all."
"Could be."
We finished our quiet meal and decided to rest immediately.
We had to move at dawn tomorrow.
"I know it's tough and uncomfortable, but bear with it a few more days."
We were pushing a grueling schedule even for the young.
I knew Soo-jung ajumma had suffered, but no time for breaks.
So I asked for understanding.
"Yi Hyun-ssi."
"Feel free to be casual."
Soo-jung ajumma looked up at me with firm eyes.
"Yi Hyun-ssi is our benefactor, mine and my son's. Ho-seop explained the situation fully."
"Yes."
"He said we're safest by your side. So do what you think is best. We'll follow diligently. That's thanks enough."
Jang Ho-seop gave his mom a thumbs-up.
'He spent ages talking to her earlier.'
Practically brainwashed her.
"No need to say that. I ask for your help too."
"Kyaa~ We're a three-man party now. Two supports is a bit worrying, but I'm kinda the DPS..."
Jang Ho-seop, who often looked gloomy, grinned brightly.
And so the long day ended.
After Yi Hyun's group left the cafeteria to rest.
The people rescued from the hospital rooftop gathered and talked among themselves.
"They evacuated the director and Teacher Yoon first, they said?"
"Then what about us?"
"Only two came here! We're short on manpower."
They still believed Yi Hyun and Ho-seop were police.
They trusted the government was running rescues, with safe shelters waiting.
"Even after the director did that?"
"What can we do? That's their job."
"But why just those two? The shelter doesn't seem that far."
Yi Hyun had refused to talk, so they could only speculate.
"They brought these women... Probably using this as a base for a while."
"More team members? Or the monsters moved elsewhere..."
They piled up misunderstandings on baseless guesses.
"No, that doesn't make sense. Why just the director and Teacher Yoon..."
"They have to report back. So they took a few key people."
And finally reached a conclusion among themselves.
"Maybe reinforcements will come here?"
"Or those two will ferry people bit by bit like now. Probably danger left."
They voiced opinions based on that.
"I should go tomorrow."
"Why?"
"I'm a doctor. Shelters need doctors."
"Then... Teacher Lee and I go? Others are younger..."
Conflicts soon arose.
"Patients first, right? I'm exhausted."
"No director, so Teacher Lee is in charge?"
"Draw lots fairly..."
Even as sleep tugged at their eyes, they debated late into the night.
Early dawn.
"Not sure if we should just leave like this."
Soo-jung ajumma said quietly.
Maybe because it was her workplace.
She'd heard most colleagues had died.
"Mom."
"We packed most meds... Should we leave a note?"
"Hyungnim saved them all. That's enough."
Jang Ho-seop spoke for my feelings.
I hadn't said it outright, but he'd gauged me well.
"Um... Yi Hyun-ssi."
"Yes."
Soo-jung ajumma still used formal speech with me.
Said she couldn't treat her son's friend casually.
"One moment."
"They have food left, and plenty of meds."
She wanted to help them.
So I cut it short.
"No, not that... I think I get how to use my skill now."
That wasn't it.
She'd been pondering her own skill.
Soo-jung ajumma had already shaken off thoughts of the hospital people after Jang Ho-seop's words.
"Can I try it before we go? Might help a little."
I nodded.
She stood before me and spoke.
"Don't lose heart. You're doing well."
That was it.
Ajumma turned to Ho-seop next.
"You're doing great too, son. Stay calm, don't panic."
"Huh? Uh... That's it?"
"Uh... Did the skill activate?"
Soo-jung ajumma's skill was Skilled Harmonizer.
Her words carried power, making the listener open up and heed her.
"Still weak?"
"Yeah... I'll level up hard, Mom. Gotta so I can save you later if you're in danger."
"That's my mom. Wise words."
Jang Ho-seop analyzed her as a buffer.
Wondered why a dedicated nurse got this skill.
Still hung up on healing skills.
"Then let's head out."
Anyway, buffed by ajumma, we set off.
Everyone else was asleep, so we slipped out quietly.
Crunch crunch.
The fog was thick. Sky overcast.
The buff effect was subtle.
Next destination: Hangang Iron Bridge.
To get there, cross Yeouido.
'Big department store midway...'
Depending on time, rest there or overnight.
Resupply too.
"Hyungnim."
As we entered Yeouido and the National Assembly came into view.
"My cooldown's up."
Jang Ho-seop activated his fundamental skill.