Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Fellow Yi Yuhyeon VER.P.NULL
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“Why are they acting like that?”
Dun scowled as he brushed the dust off his fist.
If they were happy, they should’ve just celebrated quietly on their own instead of hugging each other so disgustingly and making a huge fuss.
[MochibolTV’s Inventory]
In the spot where Mochibol had died, a single cloth bundle dangled.
Normally, an NPC wouldn’t see the inventory bundles dropped by players after death, but Dun was the exception.
Dun picked up Mochibol’s belongings and held the cloth bundle out toward Yi Yuhyeon.
“Give this to Mochibol for me.”
“Oh, sure!”
Yi Yuhyeon’s response came crisp and clear. She’d been staring at Mochibol, who’d just been forcibly logged out.
Earlier, while fleeing from the crowd, she’d gotten a flood of friend requests—including one from Mochibol, she thought.
Friend Requests [124]
She’d planned to accept Mochibol’s later to deliver his stuff, but now there was a huge pile of notifications.
Was this what it felt like to be popular? To Yi Yuhyeon, who’d always lived quietly, the sight was utterly alien.
She scrolled through the notifications, found Mochibol’s name, and hit accept.
“Dun, the flow got interrupted midway, so my training feels half-baked. Should we head back to that hunting ground from last time and grind out the rest of my levels?”
It was time to get back to the main goal—leveling up and tackling the job change quest—so Yi Yuhyeon asked Dun about their next steps.
“What level are you at now?”
“Around 71.”
Whoa, she’d leveled up a ton.
It hadn’t been long since he’d tossed her off the cliff, and she’d gotten logged out right after, but her level was pretty solid.
Dun flashed a satisfied smile.
“That’s plenty. Let’s go change your job to Fellow right now.”
“But aren’t I still a bit weak?”
As Yi Yuhyeon recalled, the recommended level for the job change quest was at least 100.
“It’s fine. We’ll smack some monsters on the way and you’ll get stronger naturally.”
“Oh, right.”
Dun, brimming with anticipation for the abilities of the legendary craftsman known as “Fellow,” strode forward eagerly. Then a sudden realization made him furrow his brow.
“Hold on. The thing you should actually be worried about isn’t your low level.”
“Huh? Then what is it?”
“Fellow’s knowledge is in the habitat of the Yenz and Gray…”
Dun let out a long sigh.
“They’re in the land of water, Ulr.”
“Huh?”
Yi Yuhyeon’s face drained of color. She had a severe fear of deep water.
* * *
Attention. A-2 trainees, please report to the infirmary as directed by your supervising instructor.
Having finished the grueling training that started at dawn, Lee Saebyeok lay flat on the floor, catching her breath.
“Line up single file in front of the door!”
Ah, damn it. Today it was Popeye, the supervisor infamous for his foul temper.
The dog-like Popeye, with his massive biceps as his trademark.
Lee Saebyeok stretched languidly as she got up from the floor and shuffled to the door.
If you didn’t get up fast, you’d end up dealing with something annoying.
As she stood in line, a dull thump came from behind. It was the sound of punishing kids who whined or dragged their feet.
Lee Saebyeok had taken a hit like that once before. She’d vomited up her food, gotten dizzy, and failed to follow orders promptly.
He’d whacked her hard on the head with a flashlight. Blood had trickled from the wound, and then they’d dragged her to the infirmary as a test subject for the fast-recovery drug, QHEAL.
The drug hadn’t agreed with her, and she’d come down with a fever afterward.
Sure, if you had energy left, you could resist or dodge, but after it kept going, rebellion started to feel like a hassle.
“Ugh, my guts are gonna spill out.”
A familiar voice and curse came from behind Lee Saebyeok. She turned to see Seol Doyun clutching his stomach and leaning against the wall. Shadows darkened his usually smiling face from the pain.
So it was Seol Doyun who’d gotten hit.
Their eyes met. Lee Saebyeok smirked, lifting the corner of her mouth, and Seol Doyun smiled back.
“Stepped on while I was napping for a bit.”
“Bullshit. Who naps all night?”
“Cold, hungry, sleepy.”
“You look like a bum.”
“I’ve got money. For an elementary kid, anyway.”
“Someone took your emergency cash last time, didn’t they? You went broke recently.”
“That was you, you jerk. Give it back with interest if you know what’s good for you.”
“Give me back my sample pouch first. You know how much sweat I put into collecting those?”
“Fine, say I bought it with my emergency cash.”
The body wash samples Lee Saebyeok sneaked back from her secret outings smelled worlds better than the unscented soap from the Association. The emergency cash she’d “used” was just for show anyway, with barely any money in it.
“For a measly 2,000 won? You trying to steal my blood, sweat, and tears? Hand it over.”
“Sorry, already used them all.”
Seol Doyun’s eyes crinkled prettily as he watched Lee Saebyeok fume. Her lips curved up, but her breathing was ragged from the strain.
The kids marched in orderly line to the infirmary. Seol Doyun staggered badly, worn out from overwork and incomplete wound recovery.
Lee Saebyeok slowed her pace and spoke up.
“But how much does this one hurt?”
“Risk level C. Won’t kill you, but it stings.”
“They seem to be avoiding the A-rank risk drugs lately?”
“The Association’s about to get certified by the government, so they won’t administer A-rank stuff for a while.”
“Good thing we won’t have broken limbs.”
On days they got A-rank risk drugs, Lee Saebyeok and Seol Doyun would break each other’s arms or legs. That way, they’d get carted off to the Association’s hospital a bit away from HQ and skip the dose.
They thought each other unlucky, but they’d known one another since the orphanage and didn’t want the other to die.
Before A-rank risk drug doses, they’d kept breaking each other’s bones, and it became tradition.
Lately, though, with Yi Yuhyeon succeeding in awakening via Hunter capsule, the Association was prepping for approval, making trips to their hospital trickier.
Seol Doyun’s steps grew slower. Sleepy, exhausted from training, and hurting from the earlier hit.
Dizziness blurred his vision, and his staggering worsened.
He started tilting forward, losing balance.
The moment Lee Saebyeok thought he’d fall, his forehead hit a back. Lee Saebyeok, who’d been walking fine, had stopped dead.
Seol Doyun rested his forehead on her back for a moment, staying still until his spinning vision settled.
He’d expected her to shrug him off or shove him away, but Lee Saebyeok just stood there, which was weird.
Regaining his senses thanks to her stop, Seol Doyun spoke up.
“Why’d you stop all of a sudden?”
“Legs went numb from muscle pain.”
As Seol Doyun’s forehead lifted from her back, Lee Saebyeok rubbed her numb leg once and resumed walking.
They’d arrived at the infirmary. Kids who’d gotten there first lined up outside, waiting their turn.
Occasional sobs echoed from inside. Whenever a kid tried to flee crying, a supervising instructor grabbed them roughly and strapped them to the chair.
The line shortened, and soon it was Lee Saebyeok’s turn.
The other kids feared and hated the infirmary, but Lee Saebyeok didn’t mind it so much.
“Our cute little Saebyeok is here! Want to sit on Teacher’s lap, you good, quiet girl?”
“……”
Lee Saebyeok made a reluctant face, sighed, then obediently climbed onto the doctor’s lap.
Among those who treated guardian-less kids harshly, this one was at least somewhat kind.
Lee Saebyeok eyed the name on the Hunter researcher’s coat.
Seon Arim.
That was the name of the medical staffer who only seemed kind on the surface.
“Ta-da! Teacher brought yummy cookies for Saebyeok! Want this one?”
“……”
Lee Saebyeok nodded instead of answering and took the chocolate chip cookie.
“Now, while Saebyeok munches on her treat, the needle’s gonna sting as it goes in.”
Lee Saebyeok bit into the cookie and placed Seon Arim’s hand on her head.
“Haha, got it. I’ll pet your head after the shot.”
The drug went in quick. The needle prick was fine, but afterward it hurt like hell.
Lee Saebyeok bit her lip hard. Her body shuddered with a massive reaction.
“You’re doing great, Saebyeok. You know you have to obey Teacher if you don’t want to get kicked out of the Association, right?”
Sure, no kid wanted to stay here, but those sent back to the orphanage from the Hunter Association mostly wasted away and died.
Knowing how tight the Association’s security was, rumors spread among the kids that leaving meant instant death. Some wished for death, but most didn’t want to die yet despite the suffering.
But Lee Saebyeok’s reason for staying wasn’t fear of dying outside.
The horrors at the orphanage were worse, so she desperately wanted to remain in the Hunter Association, where they at least managed things properly.
Seon Arim knew that and pressured her like this often.
Unable to endure, Lee Saebyeok convulsed and vomited up the cookie.
Popeye, watching from the side, gave a weary look at the puking girl.
“Good job, you made it through. Survive this well, and you’ll get stronger than Doyun.”
“Surviving’s tough enough without you pitting us against each other.”
Ptoo. Lee Saebyeok spat the rest of the vomit into the trash and stood.
“See ya.”
It was supposed to toughen the skin to prevent wounds, but it hit her with intense chills. Her muscles contracted and swelled rapidly. Her heart ached dully.
Even she, in decent condition, was this wrecked—what about Seol Doyun, who wasn’t?
Outside the infirmary, she spotted him waiting, crouched with his head down. He looked really bad.
“Wanna lean on someone unbelievable?”
She was about to walk past to the dorm when Seol Doyun spoke up.
“Anyone’s fine. Leaning makes my mind calm. That person smells nice and warm.”
“You’ll get attached to some weirdo.”
“I get what you’re saying, but shut it off. I’ll handle all the crying myself. You’re the one who’d crash hard if you got attached and ditched, so watch it.”
Lee Saebyeok paused as she started to leave, something on her mind. She raised her fist.
“That drug’s strong. Want me to knock you out?”
“I’m good. Won’t die.”
Seol Doyun looked up, staring blankly into space as he calculated, then concluded he’d live.
Lee Saebyeok didn’t like his confidence but trusted it plenty.
“Alright then. Better die and respawn anyway. Room’s cramped enough without your stuff on my bed.”
Hearing that, Seol Doyun, looking half-dead, flipped her the bird.