Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: S-Rank Hunter Choi Su-ah
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The Charge Captain of the White-Clothed Guild, wielding the Sword of Dawn.
One of only seven S-Rank Hunters in the country.
Choi Su-ah.
I never imagined a big shot like this would be my first customer.
-Hunter Mental Clinic.
-From mental contamination to magi contamination and condition adjustment, we handle it all.
Our clinic is indeed the only specialized hunter mental clinic in the country.
But an S-Rank Hunter as the first customer?
No one in Korea doesn't know the White-Clothed Charge Captain.
If they don't, they'd be called a spy. She's that famous.
Korea has three major guilds.
The top domestic guild, Celestial Guild, which boasts three S-Rank Hunters.
Then there's the second-ranked Dawn Guild, renowned for its small elite team of the strongest hunters.
And the third, Divine Guild, which operates the largest number of hunters.
Though the timing differed for each, all had experience repelling S-Rank dungeons.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say the current peace was possible because of these three major guilds.
Choi Su-ah, the White-Clothed Charge Captain, was a key figure in making Dawn Guild the nation's second-ranked guild.
She led the vanguard in breaching S-Rank dungeons more than anyone, overcoming obstacles everyone thought impossible alone.
The moment footage aired on TV of her slaying the dungeon boss enveloped in white light, she became Dawn Guild's icon and a symbol of hope.
After that, Dawn Guild conquered numerous S-Rank dungeons with her at the forefront, second only to Celestial in the number cleared.
She was a superstar.
News broke just from her skipping a fan meet.
And such a person had come to our clinic.
A woman who seemed to have no worries.
Someone whose radiance alone could dispel magi or mental contamination.
"Uh...... Hello?"
"Yes, nice to meet you."
She stepped inside in response to my greeting.
"It's cleaner than I expected. Not a speck of dust in sight."
Unlike her soft appearance, she spoke in a stiff, military-like tone.
That gap was part of her popularity in interviews, I recalled.
People got butterflies from the contrast.
"What brings you here?"
"I heard a clinic specializing in hunter mental care had opened here."
"Did you see the pamphlet, by any chance?"
"......A recommendation from an acquaintance."
Before opening the mental clinic, I'd asked Lee Na-eun and all my previous patients to spread the word.
I was setting up a new hunter mental clinic outside Seoul, so come anytime if they needed help.
I hadn't expected it to have such a big effect.
It was just a way to secure existing customers.
But Choi Su-ah of all people?
"Are you Na-eun, by chance?"
"Yes. I did a counseling session with you before and recommended this place."
As expected.
Only another S-Rank could connect me to an S-Rank.
"Let's talk about your concerns."
What kind of help do you need?
Choi Su-ah, master of the Sword of Dawn.
She holds countless titles.
Supreme talent.
The unbreakable shield.
The blade that pierces enemies.
The strongest hunter who ushered in a new dawn for Korea.
And the White-Clothed Charge Captain.
Her feats befitting Dawn Guild's name made her the envy of every hunter in the guild.
"Su-ah! Good morning!"
"Training again today? You're so tough!"
"I respect you! I'll follow your lead!"
The eyes of Dawn Guild hunters watching one of Korea's strongest, Choi Su-ah, brimmed with envy and admiration.
Those gazes burdened her.
'I'm just a hunter like anyone else.'
She was only a bit stronger than others.
She was sincere about training and protecting a world chaotic with gates and dungeons.
Wake up in the morning, train.
After training, eat a prescribed meal, then gather intel on the next dungeon to conquer.
During breaks, meditate to sense mana flow.
That was her life.
Necessary for tackling stronger dungeons.
That's all it was, yet somehow it led here.
To becoming the guild's untouchable symbol.
The sole S-Rank in Dawn Guild.
-Su-ah, since you're an S-Rank Hunter, I'd like you to keep being a role model for others.
It was her routine even before the Guild Master's words.
A hunter revered by the public.
An idol to other hunters.
To uphold that, she was always strict with herself.
S-Rank dungeons were always her duty.
As the only S-Rank.
Few could conquer them.
Someone had to lead from the front.
She was used to it.
It wasn't hard.
Just what she always did.
However.
"The holy sword......"
The Sword of Dawn she always wielded no longer felt the same.
The light surging from the blade that once scattered radiance and cleaved foes was now dim.
She'd noticed the difference long ago.
Three months back, while sealing the Hell Lava Dungeon after conquest, its output felt weaker.
Su-ah spotted a tiny crack on the blade.
"A chip......?"
Impossible.
The holy sword never breaks.
It was fine even after beheading a dungeon boss called the Demon King.
Yet chipped?
"Why?"
Skilled blacksmiths had no answers.
"This is beyond us. It's not even forgeable. Even a dwarf couldn't smelt it. You know 'Mystic,' the holy sword's material, is a meteorite."
Everyone shook their heads, clueless.
Even the dwarf blacksmith from Dawn Guild.
"It's beyond us. Swords of 'Mystic' can't be repaired. Or rather, they don't break, so the premise is wrong. This isn't something that needs repair."
He shook his head.
"Then why is it broken?"
"Don't ask me. The wielder should know best."
The craftsman advised looking elsewhere.
Elsewhere?
This was unprecedented; she couldn't get a handle on it.
[Choi Su-ah]
[Ability 1: Master of the Holy Sword (S)]
[Ability 2: Immortal Shield (S)]
Her status window showed nothing unusual.
'Maybe magi?'
If hunters overdo dungeons, magi contaminates them, hindering ability expression.
Guilds ran detox systems via medical staff for this.
Just in case.
In case it was her, not the weapon.
"Nah."
She visited her doctor.
"Something wrong with the holy sword?"
"Is there a problem?"
"We ran full checkups. Blood magi levels, mental contamination, contamination rates—all hunter anomalies checked......"
The doctor stroked his chin looking at the charts.
"Slight anomaly, but nothing major."
"What then?"
"Blood magi slightly elevated. Any A-Rank or higher can purge it just by focusing mana."
"So it can be fixed?"
"Yes. S-Ranks have fundamentally more mana, so no care needed. Periodic mana venting at the training hall will improve it."
Dawn's medical team was top-tier in Korea.
Doctors proven by treating countless hunters.
Should be fine.
They said it was treatable.
"......Still broken."
Like being lost in hazy fog, no way out.
They say expelling magi feels refreshing.
No matter how much mana she vented, no relief.
Periodic mana release via training as advised, but the chipped sword stayed chipped.
"Why?"
Despite following medical advice, frustration lingered.
You're supposed to be the best in the country.
Other hunters recovered already.
Why am I still struggling?
She couldn't comprehend.
Revealing ability issues would cause uproar, so she avoided public appearances.
Postponed all scheduled dungeon raids.
Current state risked disaster.
Her faltering could tarnish not just her, but Dawn Guild's reputation.
While skipping all official events, one person approached.
"Su-ah, you've got worries, right?"
"Yes."
"Want me to guess?"
Lee Na-eun.
Fellow S-Rank Hunter.
Awakened later than Su-ah, but her growth was so dazzling, many now rated her stronger.
Curious how she grew so fast, Su-ah approached first; now they understood each other's pains.
Sharing S-Rank status bonded them.
"Your ability suddenly creaking like it's busted?"
"How'd you know?"
"Obvious. Dumping mana like mad at the association training hall—that's early magi addiction treatment."
"......I see. First time hearing."
"Can't use full power? So you got guild treatment."
"You know everything."
"Been there."
She gave a wry smile.
"They're quacks. Don't trust 'em. Their methods work for A-Rank and below. S-Ranks need different approaches."
"......How then?"
If not guild medics, what? Can't go to civilian hospitals.
"Got a good place to recommend."
Lee Na-eun handed a business card.
-Hunter Mental Clinic.
-Kim Jinwoo.
-From mental contamination to magi contamination and condition adjustment, we handle it all.
"Check it out. It'll fix your issue."
"I'll go."
With hopes of learning her strength secret, she visited the shabby rural clinic.
-Hunter Mental Clinic.
Standing before the rundown building, she cautiously entered.
'Friend recommended it.'
Shouldn't be shady.
"Your abilities aren't the same as before?"
"Yes. Output's different. Monsters I'd one-shot don't die in a single strike now. Troublesome."
Ability degradation.
I looked at Choi Su-ah as she spoke.
Hunters losing power often showed visible signs.
Drastic mana drop, poor complexion, etc.
Mana, the source of hunter strength, affects the body most when disrupted.
No visible mana issues.
But her expression was poor.
No deliberate face, but furrowed brow.
Lips pressed thin, fists fidgeting.
Restless anxiety.
"Overdone dungeons lately?"
"......Not that many. Usually 1-2 per week."
"S-Rank, I assume?"
"Yes. All S-Rank standard. Sometimes 3-4. Duty of an S-Rank Hunter."
S-Rank dungeon subjugation as S-Rank duty?
No way.
Maybe back then.
Three years ago, unstable gates, dungeon breaks—yes.
Only S-Ranks or S-Rank-led raids could handle them.
S-Ranks were overworked.
Now, most dungeons cleared, risks gone—no need.
Strategies exist; A-Rank teams suffice without S-Ranks.
Celestial didn't treat theirs that way.
Even S-Ranks are human.
Excess magi exposure harms.
S-Ranks: max 1 S-Rank/week or 1/2 weeks—my manual.
Based on Celestial S-Ranks' contamination analysis.
Threshold where my care wasn't needed.
Other guilds similar, I thought.
'Not Dawn.'
Small elite guild, maybe overworking members.
"Too many raids. Dungeon magi blocking ability expression."
"......So no more raids?"
Her voice darkened.
"Need to check state first."
"How?"
"Let me scan."
"......Okay."
Choi Su-ah's condition was far from good.
Worse than Yang Deok-chun's recent check.
Not just cracks in the sword—the sword could turn demonic any moment.
Especially Note 2 was ominous.
Mana-Way corruption blocks mana intake.
Magi fills corrupted paths, twisting personality and thoughts.
Hallucinations possible: allies as monsters, monsters as allies.
'Miracle she hasn't turned villain.'
Only her S-Rank endurance held it off.
She needed immediate treatment.
"Wh-what's wrong?"
She caught my expression.
Her eyes trembled.
"We need to treat right away."
"Th-that serious?"
"Yes. Very."
Urgent intervention required.
I eyed the Sword of Dawn at her waist.
"Sword chipped recently? Cracks on the blade?"
Her eyes widened at my question.
"H-how'd you know?"
As expected.
Her issue went beyond output.
"Too much magi built up. Must expel now."
Regular sleep therapy won't cut it.
'Need another method.'