Level 39 Guardian, Kim Hancheol (1)
—If it is the Collapsing Mana, an Elixir can cure it.
"Huh?"
—An Elixir cannot dispel every curse in existence. However, it can purge afflictions that place a physical toll upon the flesh. Collapsing Mana is precisely such a curse.
Guardian, Kim Hancheol.
He was an immaculate vanguard tanker armed with both an A+ rank and an A-rank skill. His specialty lay in drawing enemy aggro and commanding the frontline by intimidating monsters with his A-rank skill, Presence. Furthermore, his A+ rank skill, First Guard, boasted a stellar reputation for allowing him to intercept and absorb lethal strikes directed at his teammates.
Having mastered various secret arts while serving on the vanguard, his combat prowess isn't half-bad either.
Until forced into retirement by the Collapsing Mana curse, Kim Hancheol had competed at the very pinnacle of global vanguards. In other words, if an Elixir could cure him, recruiting him into the Dinosaur Guild offered nothing but immense upside.
—Considering the nature of Master Han Hye's current companions, the addition of an A+ rank Guardian would forge extraordinary synergy within your composition.
Chunbae was right. While Uncle and I tore through the frontline, Kim Hancheol would be able to shield our rearguard with absolute perfection.
Even the timing aligned impeccably.
The broadcast had listed Kim Hancheol at Level 39. Although we were currently Level 35, that was a gap we could bridge in no time.
—Given the duration he has suffered under the curse, he will require roughly a month or two of recuperation even after being treated with the Elixir.
According to Chunbae, his debilitated body would need time to rebuild its strength.
A month or two?
It wouldn't even take two months. At our party's current rate of development, a single month would be more than enough.
"Tsk. Wonder if a curse-clearing class will ever pop up down the line?" Uncle mused, clicking his tongue.
"Seeing as we have Dragon Knights and Spatial Mages, wouldn't something like that appear eventually?" Minjae replied.
While I held that brisk telepathic exchange with Chunbae, Uncle and Minjae had been chatting about Kim Hancheol. Only Lee Shinhee caught the gravity in my expression and looked my way.
"Did you think of a way? Or do you perhaps have a cure stored inside your subspace?"
"No, it's not quite that. Or... maybe it is?"
At my cryptic reply, both Minjae and Uncle turned their attention to me.
"I just heard from Chunbae. He says an Elixir can clear that curse right up."
"Eh?"
"Seriously?" Uncle's eyes widened in sheer astonishment. "Come to think of it, the item description earlier did mention curing physical curses... Wait, why didn't I think of that immediately?"
"It's the first time any of us have ever laid eyes on an Elixir. Plus, we only just heard the news about Kim Hancheol."
"Ha..."
Still, it was fortunate the news broke while we were in the middle of a guild meeting. It allowed us to make a decision right here on the spot.
"What do you all think about investing the Elixir to heal Kim Hancheol?" I asked.
"On the condition that he joins our guild, right?"
"Naturally. No matter how pitiful his situation is, we can't just hand it over for free—unless he offers compensation on par with an Elixir."
The ideal outcome was bringing Kim Hancheol into our guild. However, a slight concern lingered in my mind. Ever since his awakening, Kim Hancheol had operated in the United States, carving out a name among their vanguard—standing shoulder-to-shoulder with America's current top pioneers. That meant he likely shared deep bonds forged through fire with his former team. If so, forcing a man like that into our guild against his will wouldn't sit right.
Well, in that case, we'd simply have to see what equivalent value he could provide in exchange.
"True enough. Dragging someone onto the team by force is pointless."
"Yeah. His former teammates are America's active vanguard, aren't they? Literally contending for the rank of world number one and two. He should be able to get his hands on something comparable to an Elixir."
Perhaps a Skill Level Up Scroll or a Class Skill Acquisition Scroll. Frankly speaking, considering the profound potential of Subspace and the Gongju class, trading an Elixir for one of those scrolls would be well worth it.
Of course, strictly speaking, having Kim Hancheol willingly enlist as our guildmate remained the best-case scenario. Consumables like Skill Level Up Scrolls could be acquired down the road, but exceptional talent was a rare commodity.
Competent people are already locked into teams, and raising fresh recruits from scratch is tough—especially when our guild grows at such a ridiculous pace.
At any rate, the guild members were in complete agreement about using the Elixir to recruit Kim Hancheol.
"Even if he chooses a different path, forging this bond means we can request his cooperation whenever needed in the future."
"Right. Either way, we're putting him deeply in our debt. Though having him join is still the ideal outcome."
"I'm all for it!" Minjae piped up eagerly. "That way, you hyungs can go even wilder on the frontlines."
"I agree as well," Lee Shinhee added softly. "It would be difficult to find a better recruit than Kim Hancheol."
With the guild's unanimous approval secured, I immediately pulled out my phone. Since the reports stated the Association had overseen Kim Hancheol's repatriation, I had to relay the message through Seo Woong.
"Yes, Han Hye-nim."
"Would it be possible to arrange a meeting with Hunter Kim Hancheol?"
"Hunter Kim Hancheol?" Park Seo-woong's puzzled voice resonated over the receiver. "Don't tell me...! Can you solve the Collapsing Mana?"
"We happened to acquire an Elixir in this recent gate. I was told it can resolve curses that eat away at the physical body."
"A-An Elixir?"
"Yes. It turned out to be an S-rank item."
"..."
Even without seeing him face-to-face, I could vividly picture Seo Woong's stunned expression. It was the exact look people made when witnessing a living dragon with their own two eyes.
"Of course, we can't simply hand it over gratis. And while the likelihood appears high, we cannot guarantee complete recovery either," I said, couching my words prudently since I couldn't state with absolute certainty that it would work. "So we'll need to discuss the conditions. Ideally, we'd prefer him to join our guild, or at least receive an equivalent item in return..."
"O-Of course. That is only natural. Please wait a moment. I will confer with the Association President and call you back immediately!"
"What? An Elixir?"
"Yes, sir. Apparently, it is an S-rank item capable of purging body-wasting curses."
"Ha... unbelievable." The Association President clicked his tongue, his face a portrait of incredulity. "He acquired it in this very gate?"
"Yes, sir."
"Just coincidentally like this?"
"So it seems."
"I figured the Spatial Mage would bring out something ridiculous eventually... but to procure it right when Kim Hancheol arrives."
"They mentioned it isn't a hundred percent certain yet."
The President shook his head at Park Seo-woong's caveat. "It will be a hundred percent."
"Pardon?"
"I don't know why, but I have that conviction."
"...To be honest, I felt the exact same way."
"He's no joke."
"He really isn't, sir. I'm not just flattering you or chiming in to kiss up—I genuinely feel it in my gut."
When the President squinted suspiciously to test his sincerity, Park Seo-woong held his ground with an earnest gaze.
"For now, we must sound out Kim Hancheol's thoughts," the President said. "Though he will undoubtedly agree to meet."
"Indeed. Isn't he a hunter whose lifelong creed has been plunging into gates and slaying monsters?"
"Quite so."
At that moment, Park Seo-woong pondered deeply before speaking up. "Mr. President."
"What is it?"
"About that Spatial Mage. Could it be that he isn't actually obtaining items inside the gates, but retrieving them from within his subspace instead?"
"What?"
"Think about it. Which sounds more plausible: 'I stole a dragon egg from an altered Level 90 survival-type gate,' or 'I awakened a subspace and a dragon egg was sitting inside'?"
The President lapsed into silence, mulling it over. "..."
"Doesn't the latter seem far more credible?"
Granted, had that been the case, the hunters who entered with him should have made it out alive. And yet... hearing the two explanations laid out side by side, the latter did strike the President as somewhat more believable.
"It could be that the incident went down with the Great Worm exactly as Hunter Han Hye initially reported, and his subsequent amendment was merely a cover story to safeguard his secret," Park Seo-woong pressed on.
"...!"
"And their Mage unleashes brand-new magic after every single discharge gate. His reports claim he spots hidden pieces using spatial perception, and while finding them is plausible enough, the sheer volume of his hauls defies reason."
Indeed. From the President's vantage point, that was undeniably suspect.
"Are you implying this Elixir was obtained the same way?"
"As you said yourself, sir, isn't the timing too miraculous? How could it align so perfectly!" Park Seo-woong swallowed dryly. "What if it isn't an ordinary subspace, but a treasure vault from an alternate dimension? And he's just pulling artifacts straight out of it?"
Of course, this speculation was half-true and half-false. In reality, the Dinosaur Guild had gathered the vast majority of their loot directly within the gates, and the dragons truly existed.
"Your theory might hold some water," the President admitted.
"Doesn't it, sir?"
"...Though it does strike me as a bit of an overreach."
When the President answered soberly, Park Seo-woong deflated slightly.
"Besides, what does it matter what the truth is?"
"Sir?"
"You've watched the Spatial Mage yourself. He is an upright young man. Not the sort to engage in wicked schemes."
"I agree on that front."
"He raids gates diligently. Having lost his family, his hunger for growth is naturally fueled by vengeance."
Park Seo-woong nodded in assent.
"Which means whatever the truth is, it doesn't matter in the slightest. Even if it truly were an interdimensional treasure vault as you say, isn't that purely beneficial for us?"
"That is true."
The President fixed Park Seo-woong with a piercing glare. "So if I ever catch you spouting nonsense like that out in public, you're a dead man."
Rumors like this spreading outside could only invite disaster. After all, hadn't Übermensch already made ominous moves? While Han Hye and the Dragon Knight were relatively safe now that they were on the cusp of becoming B-rank hunters, loose talk was never acceptable.
"I will keep that etched in my mind."
"Seo-woong."
"Yes, sir."
"I mean it." He emphasized it twice because while Park Seo-woong was a capable man, he possessed an occasional clumsy streak.
"Understood. I shall only voice such thoughts before you, Mr. President."
"I wasn't inviting you to blabber recklessly in front of me either."
"Shall I refrain entirely, then?"
"..."
"My apologies."
"...Forget it."
It didn't take long for word to arrive from the Association. Kim Hancheol had urgently requested to meet at the earliest possible moment.
"We have already pre-negotiated the terms to some extent on your behalf," Seo Woong informed me.
To spare me unnecessary awkwardness, the Association had hashed out preliminary terms with Kim Hancheol beforehand:
◈ A cure is not guaranteed at 100%. Should he still wish to proceed, he must offer an item equivalent in value to an S-rank Elixir.
◈ Upon a successful cure, if he enlists with the Dinosaur Guild, the cost of the Elixir will be waived entirely.
Truthfully, I had felt a bit uneasy about bargaining terms directly to a suffering patient's face, so having that dilemma resolved in one clean stroke was an immense relief. What proved even more fortunate was that Kim Hancheol had accepted the Association's terms without a shred of hesitation.
Thus, we made our way to the hunter-specialized hospital near the Association, where Kim Hancheol was currently admitted. Word was that he had originally insisted on dragging himself over to our guild house in person.
His willpower to recover must be off the charts.
Still, making an invalid travel felt wrong, so we opted to visit his hospital room instead.
And when we stepped inside and saw Kim Hancheol lying upon the bed, the sight came as quite a shock. The image I held of Kim Hancheol was that of a steadfast, stalwart bulwark who commanded the frontline for America's vanguard. Yet the man before us now looked so emaciated that one could hardly believe he was a Level 39 Guardian.
Setting aside his gaunt, wasted frame, his complexion was deathly pale, looking as if he might draw his final breath at any given second. And yet, the light burning in his eyes as he looked upon us remained unbroken—resolute and fierce.
"...Thank you for coming. I am Kim Hancheol."
His voice was terribly raspy and cracked, making even speech an ordeal, but the unyielding spirit beneath it was unmistakable. Lying in bed, he strained with great effort to extend a hand.
"A pleasure to meet you. I am Han Hye, Guild Master of the Dinosaur Guild."
I stepped forward and grasped his hand firmly.
"I believe you've already been briefed on the situation."
"Yes. It sounds wonderful."
"Pardon?"
"I agree to all of the conditions."
To my surprise, the Kim Hancheol before me was far cooler and more decisive than I had ever anticipated.