Sumi-eonni
“Hup!”
I sprang out of bed with a vigorous windmill kick.
Every morning, waking up without any back or shoulder pain is incredibly refreshing.
Today is finally the day I head to a gate with Yoo Sumi.
This marks the very first gate raid for the pride of South Korea—an EX-rank Healer Royalty, the one and only Elf class, born with a golden spoon of unique skills.
I've already prepared thoroughly.
Yesterday, I bought clothes that actually fit this body, along with a crossbody bag to carry my things.
And inside that crossbody bag...!!
“I definitely won't go hungry like this.”
It was packed to the brim with sausages, energy bars, and chocolates. I'll snack on them one by one whenever I get bored.
I didn't forget a portable phone charger, either. I even strapped on a wristwatch.
This is the meticulous preparation of a first-class Healer Royalty.
Finally, let's perform a little ritual to pray for good luck.
Anyway, time to head out.
At 12:20 PM, I pulled my hoodie low over my face and went to the meeting spot to meet Yoo Sumi.
Even though I'm the great Healer Royalty with absolutely nothing to fear, it's still a bit too early to show off my elf ears.
It's inevitable to feel embarrassed when everyone's eyes are glued to you.
After waiting for about two minutes, a familiar pickup truck approached from a distance.
“Hey, Jiyun.”
And there was Yoo Sumi, wearing a pair of stylish sunglasses. She looked exactly like Sarah Connor.
“Hi. Have you eaten?”
“Just had some cup ramen before coming out. You dressed pretty nicely today.”
“Really?”
“The day before yesterday, I thought you'd stolen your older sister's or brother's clothes.”
“Mwahaha. I bought new ones.”
With that, I hopped into Yoo Sumi's pickup truck, and we set off. She said it would take about forty minutes.
During the drive, Yoo Sumi began a mini-lecture.
“Do you know what kinds of gates there are?”
“Outbreak types, Entry Gates... things like that?”
“Right. Outbreak types spew monsters the moment they form. You can't enter them, and they keep spitting out monsters until their magic is depleted. And where we're going now is an Entry Gate.”
It's the most common type, where a field with a specific theme unfolds inside and monsters reside.
“The one we're going to is managed by the Association. They keep it active for beginner training or for low-rank hunters to make a living.”
“Ooh.”
“No need to be nervous at all. The monsters are weaklings—just slimes, goblins, and wolves.”
“Then is there really anything for me to do?”
“That's not true. Having a healer means you can fight aggressively without worrying about getting hurt. Since you don't have to be cautious, the hunting speed is much faster. You can also boldly explore more dangerous routes.”
“Ah.”
Apparently, just the presence of Healer Royalty multiplies the number of available strategies.
Normally, you'd have to bypass high-difficulty, high-value monsters, but with a healer, you can take them down.
If minor injuries accumulate, you're forced to retreat, but with a healer, you don't have to worry about that.
That's why healers are so expensive. There are countless situations where you're just screwed without one.
As we chatted, we arrived at our destination before long.
I could feel the atmosphere change drastically as we neared the area.
“Whoa...”
A truck loaded with monster carcasses passed right by us, and people with stuff that looked like raw meat smeared on their armor were walking around.
And over there, a green-glowing gate was situated.
“Okay. Let's get out.”
At Yoo Sumi's declaration, I unbuckled my seatbelt and stepped out.
I yanked the strap of my crossbody bag to tighten it and walked forward with confidence.
“You know we have other party members, right? One's a Tanker and the other's an Archer. They're both guys. Don't get intimidated just because they're strangers.”
“Why would I be intimidated? I'm a unique-class Healer Royalty. They should be bowing down and kissing my shoes.”
“Pfft. Cute.”
We had about twenty minutes left before meeting the party members. So, I sat on a bench and snacked on an energy bar.
Yoo Sumi went to the nearby Association information desk to get a gate map and make final preparations.
But then...
“Seriously, these guys.”
I heard Yoo Sumi's annoyed voice from beside me.
Checking the time, it was already two minutes past our meeting time.
And those party members hadn't even shown up yet.
Normally, you're supposed to gather about ten minutes early to introduce yourselves, discuss positions, and understand each other's specialties.
Punctuality is important even when you're just going out to play, so how much more so when you're going to fight?
But to be late like this...
Yoo Sumi's face contorted as she began radiating negative energy.
“What ranks did you say they were?”
“The Tanker is C-rank, and the Archer is C+ rank.”
“That's way lower than you, Sumi-ssi. You should totally scold them.”
Suddenly, Yoo Sumi's eyes went wide, and she burst out laughing.
She clutched her stomach and laughed so hard that people nearby turned to look. Embarrassed, I quickly ducked my head.
What was so funny?
“What's with the 'Sumi-ssi,' Jiyun? Why are you being so formal?”
“No, well... ugh...”
I should have just called her “SaveMeleeDPS.”
I felt awkward calling her “eonni,” so I had unconsciously addressed her formally.
“Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever heard you call me by name. Why don't you try calling me Sumi-eonni?”
“Ah, that...? Eon...?”
No way. If I let that word slip past my lips, I feel like something inside me will shatter.
If I lose the last shred of my ego and completely degenerate into a middle school girl...!!
Just then.
Two men—a heavily armored warrior and a rather slender archer—approached us.
They must be the party members we were waiting for. The armored warrior had a marine-style shaved head, giving him a very intimidating look.
“Are you Yoo Sumi-ssi?”
As the large man spoke, Yoo Sumi glanced down at her wristwatch.
They were five minutes late.
“Hmm. Yes. That's me.”
Yoo Sumi's tone was icy.
“I'm Kim Hyeoksu, the Tanker. This is Kim Jeongyeon, the Archer. But who's the kid?”
Kim Hyeoksu's gaze shifted to me.
He really acted exactly how he looked. He had a rough face, spoke informally right off the bat, and didn't even apologize for being late.
I guess physiognomy really is an instinct engraved in our genes.
I sat there and stared straight back at Kim Hyeoksu.
The one who should be bowing their head wasn't me, an EX-rank Healer Royalty.
“She's a personal acquaintance I brought along. She'll be quite helpful.”
“An acquaintance?”
Kim Hyeoksu let out a smirk.
“What are you planning to do with a kid? Can she even fight? Or are you asking me to babysit right now?”
The atmosphere turned sour in an instant.
Kim Jeongyeon, the archer, seemed to be in league with Kim Hyeoksu. He stood right next to him, taking a posture that pressured us.
“Are you kidding me right now? You brought some useless kid just to inflate the party numbers and take a bigger cut, didn't you?!”
“She's a healer.”
At Yoo Sumi's single sentence, Kim Hyeoksu, who had been throwing a tantrum, flinched.
“And her buffs are insane. Just healing and buffing from the back, she'll easily do more than her share.”
“...So what? This is a D-Rank Gate. It's not like a healer is absolutely necessary. Isn't this just going to reduce our share?”
“Ha... Mister, you've never partied with a healer before, have you?”
Kim Hyeoksu's face instantly flushed bright red.
Get him, Yoo Sumi! Show him the power of “SaveMeleeDPS,” the reigning champion of keyboard battles on the Hunter Gallery...!
“Well, since you're only C-rank, you've probably never been in a large party with a healer. That's why you don't know the difference between having one and not. What, a Tanker? Does being a Tanker make you invincible? You know wolf monsters appear in D-Rank Gates, right? If they bite you, even hunters of a higher rank than you will get their flesh ripped off. If you're unlucky, your arm or ankle could get crushed. Are you going to chug potions and pray while a monster is lunging at your face?”
“......”
“And you're worried about your share? With a healer, we can take the high-difficulty routes. We can just charge in, slaughter everything, get healed, and fight again. We'll sweep through the monsters in no time. I explained it simply enough for a chimpanzee to understand, so surely you get it?”
“Ugh.”
Faced with Yoo Sumi's flawless, pinpoint lecture, the two men shriveled up.
Their stubborn excuses would no longer work.
“To be honest? We could easily ditch you guys for being five minutes late and just go the two of us. But I wanted to add more numbers to the party in case she gets hurt. So, what's it going to be? Are you going to shut up and go to the gate, or what?”
“...Fine. Let's just go. I spoke out of turn.”
Kim Hyeoksu tucked his tail and muttered what sounded vaguely like an apology.
Yoo Sumi snorted and turned back to me.
“Let's go, Jiyun.”
...Whoa. It felt like a halo was shining behind her.
To fight so fiercely on my behalf... I was deeply moved.
“Okay, Sumi-eonni!”
“When we fight, just hide behind a tree or something in the back. You don't have to push yourself to keep up, just heal us from behind.”
“Got it. Hehe.”
For someone like her, I could call her “eonni” a hundred, no, a thousand times.
With that, we all stood in front of the gate.
“Since I'm the party leader, I'll decide the route. No objections, right?”
“......”
The two men remained utterly silent.
My mood lifted even more, and I had to hold back a laugh.
“Normally, we would have taken the safe Route C, but since she joined us, the plan has changed. From now on, we are taking Route E.”
Yoo Sumi unfolded the map and pointed to one of the routes.
The map showed five routes in total, from Route A to Route E.
At a glance, Route E seemed to cut straight through the forest, making it much longer than the other routes.
There were also markers labeled “Boss-class” in some of the clearings.
“Isn't Route E the highest difficulty? Is it really okay to change from Route C to Route E just because of this one kid?”
Kim Jeongyeon, the archer who had been silent until now, finally spoke up.
And Yoo Sumi's response to his question was simple:
“More than okay.”