Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Have You Ever Seen a Saintess Good at Magic Too?
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Whoa, that gate is f*cking massive.
It hasn't been long since the last high-grade dungeon popped up right in the middle of Seoul, right?
Apparently, it's an A-Rank too.
For real, that creepy vibe? It’s got it bad.
Can you feel the mana if you go there? I wanna awaken too.
In your dreams lol.
News says it'll take forever to clear.
It's not an S-Rank, but it's insanely tough.
Everyone's gonna camp out till the S-Ranks on dispatch come back?
Yeah, dozens got sucked in, right?
Pretty much a wipeout.
What the f*ck is the Bureau doing?
Can't the A-Ranks just form a party?
Our guild's in a meeting, but it's a one-way dungeon so everyone's avoiding it lol.
An A-Rank special dungeon had appeared out of nowhere.
The Hunter Management Bureau and the major guilds were in an uproar.
High-grade dungeons popping up wasn't exactly rare.
But the problem was that the Bureau had failed to detect this one in advance,
and that it had spawned right in the heart of the city, sucking in dozens of civilians.
Citizens unable to reach their family members wailed in despair.
"Please save our loved ones!"
"I don't want to lose anyone else close to me!"
But even the nation had no immediate solution.
This wasn't some C to B-Rank special dungeon—it was A-Rank.
And it came with the restriction of being one-way only.
Hunters valued their own lives, so they shied away from it.
Gathering enough A-Rank hunters to enter right away was like trying to pluck stars from the sky.
There were simply so few A-Rank hunters, and they were far too precious.
Civil servants controlling the area near the gate exchanged tense words, their faces grim.
"There aren't many A-Ranks in Seoul right now, are there?"
"Half of them are out on provincial dispatches. Without a major guild coalition, it's impossible."
A man sighed, and the one across from him clapped as if struck by a sudden thought.
"That Hunter Kim Jia who came back to Seoul a few days ago—what about her?"
"She's famous for handling neglected dungeons, but we can't reach her."
"Pardon?"
As one man looked on in shock, another furrowed his brow in reply.
"She might've gotten sucked in too."
"Th-then the civilians might've survived?"
"No way. Even an A-Rank can't handle it alone."
"...We might lose a valuable asset."
"If she just runs, she might save herself."
Maybe that would be for the best.
The civil servant's expression turned bitter.
Meanwhile, inside the dungeon,
Jia—having repelled several monster waves—was sitting down and catching her breath.
Her body was covered in wounds, blood still flowing freely.
Siyun fidgeted beside her, checking Jia's complexion anxiously.
"U-Unnie... Are you okay...?"
"...Yeah. I stocked up on potions beforehand, so I can hold out for now."
It was a lie.
Jia had used up all her potions in the last fight.
The next battle would truly carve into her flesh and bone.
The mental strain was immense too, but she gritted her teeth and endured.
"Siyun, it's dangerous to stay here. Stick with the others."
"B-but..."
"You trust Unnie, right? I'm one of Korea's rare A-Rank hunters."
"Y-yeah..."
Siyun knew it too.
She'd come out of worry, but she was just a hindrance.
Still, she couldn't stay away.
She wanted to help at least mentally.
"Unnie! When we get out, I'll buy some cold beers and we can drink with Sihyun-unnie!"
"Heh... Sounds good?"
"She got bad at spicy food, so her tolerance must've tanked too. Aren't you curious?"
"Huh, now I'm wondering."
"I bet she's adorable!"
Siyun chatted about random things before heading back to the civilians.
Jia watched Siyun's back, along with the two hunters and the civilians.
People were quietly sobbing.
Others were praying.
Some were trembling, their eyes darting wildly.
They were all clinging to hope, relying on Jia alone amid their fear.
She etched that sight into her mind.
It was why she couldn't fall.
Jia faced forward again.
She was ready to fight the moment the monsters appeared.
'Sihyun, huh...'
In the chaos, she hadn't asked if Siyun had activated the bracelet.
Conflicting emotions surged in Jia.
Even if Sihyun came, it would be dangerous for her alone—so it was better if she didn't.
But she secretly wished for someone to stand with her, to support her.
"Can't get weak now..."
Why had she fought alone all this time?
Because she didn't want to see people die.
Why take on so many dispatches and clear neglected dungeons?
To protect as many as possible.
Jia rose.
Another pack of monsters had spotted them and approached.
"Hoo...!"
She took a steadying breath.
Dozens of trolls lumbered closer slowly.
Trolls appeared in C-Rank dungeons, but these were higher-grade variants.
And unlike C to B-Rank, there were over a dozen at once.
Jia couldn't retreat.
She couldn't let the monsters past.
Right here, in this spot,
she had to defeat them all.
"Here I go—!"
Her shout sliced through the dungeon's eerie air.
Kicking off, she charged.
First, her sharp spear pierced the nearest troll's knee.
"Kraaak—!"
The troll screamed in agony, swinging its massive arm.
Jia calmly kept her distance and dodged.
Then she stabbed the same spot again.
One-on-one, repeating that would suffice.
But she was alone against many.
As she attacked, other trolls closed in, fists flying.
Jia barely twisted away from the first punch.
But another's fist rushed at her immediately.
In top form, she'd dodge easily.
But now, exhausted in body and mind,
she grazed past the fist barely.
Her stance crumbled.
She blocked the next troll's kick with her spear just in time.
"Hng...!"
Her body slid back far.
Her arms were numb from blocking the monster's strike.
Yet Jia didn't retreat.
Clenching her teeth, she advanced again.
Clashing once more.
She doggedly targeted the troll she'd wounded.
Since she couldn't sweep multiples at once,
dropping them one by one was best.
Thanks to her efficient judgment and tenacity,
one troll finally expired, slumping lifelessly.
But Jia wasn't unscathed.
"Aak—!"
A troll's fist smashed into her shoulder.
The size difference was absurd.
Even awakened bodies had their limits.
Her body flew back, tumbling across the ground.
Consciousness flickered, but her iron will held it together.
"Cough, cough..."
Her left arm was unresponsive.
Cold sweat beaded on her brow.
Leaning on her spear in her right hand, she struggled up.
"Oh god..."
"Wh-what do we do..."
"Hunter-nim is hitting her limit, isn't she?"
There were tense voices from the civilians behind.
But Jia didn't look back.
With her left arm dangling limp
and her right hand gripping the spear tight,
she advanced again.
"You won't pass. Not one step further."
Even now,
if she fled now,
she might survive.
One arm was out, but her legs were fine.
Running full tilt might buy time until backup arrived.
But she couldn't do it.
That was Kim Jia.
Her identity as Hunter Kim Jia wouldn't allow retreat.
She firmly believed it.
The reason she'd awakened as a hunter,
why she'd reached A-Rank faster than most,
stemmed from her drive to grow stronger, to protect others.
So, there was no backing down.
"Kraaak!"
A troll's throat was sliced by her spear, and it shrieked.
"Ahk...!"
Jia, blocking but lacking power, was sent flying back.
"...Going again."
The fight dragged on.
Time passed, and the trolls were halved.
But Jia's body was wrecked everywhere.
She felt her limit approaching.
Still, she endured.
She couldn't fall until these trolls dropped.
Staggering forward.
Whoosh!
Bam!
Kill, get hit, repeat and repeat.
Jia forced one eye open, glaring ahead.
One troll left.
She had nearly cleared over a dozen.
Victory was in sight.
But her body wouldn't obey any longer.
"Please... move...!"
Teeth grinding, she commanded her limbs,
but her exhausted body refused to listen.
That one troll could wipe out all the civilians.
The other two hunters were useless.
Just a bit more—really, just a little!
Even if more waves were coming,
she had to at least secure their survival until then!
Jia glared at the last troll.
It smirked viciously and approached.
It was rearing back its fist for a full swing.
One swing, and it would be fatal.
'Damn...'
Her eyes widened in desperation.
Body frozen, she clung to her wits.
The troll, poised, swung with all its might.
That instant!
Crack—!
The troll's huge body
was neatly bisected diagonally, falling in three clean pieces.
Jia's eyes flew wide.
The troll corpse collapsed.
And behind it,
a figure in a pitch-black nun's habit appeared.
A veil obscured the face—she couldn't tell who it was from looks alone.
But Jia instinctively knew.
The Saintess, Jung Sihyun, had come to save them.
The corner of Jia's mouth curved into a smile.
[A-Rank Hunter Kim Jia Conquers A-Rank Dungeon Solo!]
[Dozens of Trapped Civilians All Safe. Not a Single Injury.]
[(Hunter Interview) "She faced the monsters alone—a true hero."]
[Could Korea Have a New S-Rank Hunter?]
[Bureau to Award Hunter Kim Jia with a Medal.]
News outlets and media blanketed the coverage of Hunter Kim Jia nonstop.
Online communities burned with the hype as well.
[Anon]
What the actual f*ck lololol
Fr
Lolololol
Kyaa
Kim Jia! Kim Jia! Kim Jia!
[Anon]
Kim Jia works under the Bureau but she's unaffiliated for real.
Guilds are scrambling to scout her right now lololol.
Lmao pretty, talented, I'd want her too.
She solos aversion dungeons a lot. Her experience level is just different.
Party with her? OP as f*ck, fr.
God tier.
Eyes on heeeeeer!
Pfft.
[Anon]
(Photo of Hunter Kim Jia leaning on her spear from behind)
Upvote.
Damn, Kim Jia again.
That back view looks so reliable, fr.
Kim Jia! Kim Jia! Kim Jia!
Did she really take down the boss just like that?
Someone unknown healed her mid-fight. Then she soloed the rest.
Insane, godlike.
[Anon]
Check it.
Nothing much.
Saw it, was asking about the nun outfit.
Sudden nun??
No clue.