My First Gate Raid

This gate had already been completely mapped. Because of its vast terrain and low danger level, the Association operated it as a training ground for rookie hunters.

The Hunter Association had charted five different routes, rated from A to E in order of difficulty, and distributed them alongside a map.

The idea was for beginners to check the locations and types of monsters beforehand so they could choose a path that matched their skill level.

The path we were taking was Route E, the most difficult of them all.

Though, even at its "highest difficulty," a D-Rank Gate was still just a D-Rank Gate. All it really meant was that we'd be hunting the slightly stronger monsters and staying inside a bit longer than usual.

Yoo Sumi assured me that with me around, Route E would be a breeze. Honestly, she even said we could probably clear a C-Rank Gate without breaking a sweat.

And with that, we stepped through the gate.

A sudden gust of cool, crisp air brushed past my skin, and an entirely new world unfolded before my eyes.

"Whoa..."

It was vast. Mind-bogglingly vast.

The sky was a brilliant, clear blue. To our right stretched a dense forest, while a wide-open plain rolled out to our left. In the far distance, I could even make out the faint silhouette of a mountain range.

Apparently, this particular gate was famous for having an exceptionally large interior.

It was home to a diverse ecosystem of flora and fauna, making it the perfect training ground.

"Alright. Let's head into the forest over there. Jiyun, keep about ten paces behind us."

"Got it."

We began our march along Route E as marked on the map.

Kim Hyeoksu took the lead, with Yoo Sumi flanking him. Kim Jeongyeon and I brought up the rear.

Once combat started, my job was simple: fall back, find cover, and pump out heals and buffs.

I might not have gone to the military due to some... rather tragic circumstances, but even I knew what "cover and concealment" meant.

After marching for about five minutes, a faint sound caught my ear. It was a rustling noise, but it sounded a bit too unnatural.

You know, like the sound of sparrows hopping around in the bushes when you're out for a stroll.

I was just about to point it out to Yoo Sumi when...

"Hold up."

Before I could speak, Sumi raised her hand, signaling us to stop.

"There's something ahead. Mr. Kim Hyeoksu, take the lead. I'll flank them two seconds after you draw their attention."

Wait, there really is something? But did I seriously notice it before Sumi did?

Without a word, Kim Hyeoksu raised his heavy shield and charged forward.

Right on cue, three wolves burst from the thicket.

With a series of heavy thuds, the beasts slammed hard against Hyeoksu's shield.

Thwip!

An arrow fired by Kim Jeongyeon pierced the front leg of one wolf. Immediately after, Yoo Sumi dashed forward with blinding speed, slicing the wolf at the very back clean in half.

The remaining two wolves didn't last long either. Hyeoksu and Sumi double-teamed them, turning them into a pulp in a matter of seconds.

"Nice. If we keep this up, we'll be golden. Jiyun, you're not hurt, right?"

"Nope, I'm perfectly fine. Should I throw a buff on you next time?"

"A rare monster called a Silverfang should show up soon. Save it for then."

"Got it. Stay safe!"

To be honest, I can't say I wasn't nervous.

Normal people spend their lives running away from monsters, not actively seeking them out.

Even if I had awakened as a member of the elite Healer Royalty, and even if this was just a D-Rank Gate... actively hunting monsters?

It was a little terrifying.

But as it turned out, I really had absolutely nothing to worry about.

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Slash!

With a single swing of Yoo Sumi's sword, the wolves were sliced and diced into chopped tomatoes.

Clang!

Kim Hyeoksu ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠slammed his shield down, crushing a goblin's head into the shape of a heart.

Thud-thud-thud!

Kim Jeongyeon's rapid-fire arrows turned a group of giant scorpions into skewered kebabs.

As we pushed deeper into the heart of the forest, we finally came face-to-face with what they called a "boss-class" monster.

"Awoooooo!"

A massive white wolf, easily larger than Sumi's giant pickup truck, emerged from the shadows. Apparently, this was the Silverfang.

Every now and then, a rare monster with vastly superior stats compared to its peers would spawn. Hunters referred to these as "boss-class."

Tension was written all over Kim Hyeoksu and Kim Jeongyeon's faces.

Judging by their performance so far, the two of them alone would have had a grueling, uphill battle against a beast of this caliber.

And then...

"Jiyun! Buff me!"

Sumi finally gave me the signal.

"On it! Overflowing Vitality!"

A massive surge of mana drained from my outstretched fingertips, wrapping Yoo Sumi in a brilliant, warm glow.

"Oh, hell yeah!"

"W-Wait! Hey!"

Ignoring Kim Hyeoksu's startled shout, Sumi bolted forward like a bullet.

She was fast—easily twice as fast as before she received the buff.

Kicking up a miniature gale, Sumi leaped into the air. But instead of drawing her sword, she threw a straight punch.

BOOM!

A deafening shockwave erupted, sending the Silverfang flying backward.

Hyeoksu and Jeongyeon stood frozen, their jaws practically hitting the forest floor as they watched a wolf the size of a dump truck get blasted away by a single punch.

Before the beast could even land, Sumi drew her sword and unleashed a massive wave of freezing energy.

The blast encased the Silverfang instantly, turning it into a magnificent ice sculpture. It looked so perfect it could have been featured at the Sapporo Snow Festival.

Hyeoksu and Jeongyeon slowly turned their heads to look at me.

Even these grumpy middle-aged men had to realize it. Yoo Sumi was strong, but she had never possessed this level of raw, destructive power before.

This absurd display of strength had only manifested the exact second my buff landed on her.

I flashed them a smug, arrogant grin.

Can you feel it? You can feel it, right?

The sheer, unadulterated majesty of the Healer Royalty!

"Y-You... What on earth..."

Kim Hyeoksu managed to stammer out a few words, but that was as far as he got.

He was so utterly dumbfounded by my greatness that his brain had completely short-circuited.

"Alright. Looks like the buff lasts for about two minutes," Sumi said, walking back over to us.

"Is two minutes considered long?" I asked.

"It's just right. Not too long, not too short. How much mana does it drain per cast?"

"It feels like it takes a pretty big chunk, to be honest."

If I spammed it back-to-back, I'd probably run dry in no time.

In terms of fuel efficiency, it was a bit of a gas guzzler.

But compared to its sheer, game-breaking performance, that was a minor drawback.

Today's gate exploration was also a perfect opportunity to test the limits of my abilities.

While the status window provided a basic overview of my skills, the finer details—like exact mana consumption, range, and secondary effects—were things I had to figure out through trial and error.

This was especially true for my unique skills, which had absolutely zero documentation online.

We continued our trek, venturing deeper into the dense forest.

The monsters we encountered gradually grew stronger, and they began employing smarter tactics, like setting up ambushes or trying to surround us.

Naturally, it didn't take long for our first casualty to occur.

We were navigating a dark, shadowed stretch of the woods where the canopy blocked out the sunlight.

Rustle.

Once again, I heard the faint sound of rustling bushes from a short distance away.

But this time, it seemed like no one else had noticed.

"Sumi, I hear something on our right."

The moment the words left my mouth, Yoo Sumi raised her left hand, instantly bringing the party to a halt.

She looked incredibly tactical and professional. It impressed me every single time.

"A sound? What kind of sound?"

"It's still going. It sounds like something scratching the dirt and pushing through the bushes."

At my description, everyone strained their ears to listen.

"...I don't hear anything. What about you guys?" Sumi asked.

"Nothing here," Hyeoksu muttered.

"I don't hear it either," Jeongyeon added.

What? Am I seriously the only one hearing this?

It's literally getting closer by the second!

"Let's check out the right side first just in case. There might actually be—"

Screeech!

Right on cue, something burst from the bushes.

It was a lizard-like creature roughly the size of a human torso. It launched itself through the air and clamped its jaws firmly onto Kim Hyeoksu's forearm.

"Aaargh!"

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Hyeoksu screamed in pain, frantically slamming his shield down on the lizard.

Slash!

Sumi immediately sliced the creature's body in half, but even in death, its jaws held on tight before finally letting go.

"Ugh... dammit..."

Hyeoksu groaned, clutching his arm, which was now drenched in crimson blood.

His companion, Kim Jeongyeon, hovered over him, pacing anxiously.

The skin was completely shredded, and I was pretty sure I had heard a sickening crunch of bone earlier...

A cold shiver ran down my spine.

"See? This is exactly why we bring healers along. Jiyun, can you patch him up?" Sumi asked.

I nodded and reached my hand out toward the gruesome wound.

Come to think of it, this was only the second time I was using my healing skill. The first time had been on a dying houseplant.

It definitely consumed far less mana than casting a buff.

A soft green light enveloped Kim Hyeoksu's arm, and the horrific wound began to knit itself back together at an unbelievable speed.

Within a single second, the injury vanished without leaving so much as a scratch. Hyeoksu stared in sheer disbelief, cautiously rotating his arm.

"How does it feel?" I asked.

"...I-It's completely fine. A wound like that wouldn't have healed easily even with high-grade potions."

According to him, the bone had definitely been fractured.

While potions were great for closing up surface-level cuts, they were notoriously ineffective when it came to deep fractures.

If a party couldn't afford a healer, the injured hunter would have to chug potions and rest for days.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Hyeoksu looked around before finally clearing his throat and speaking up.

"Th-Thanks. For healing me."

"Right? You can feel the overwhelming gratitude bubbling up inside you, can't you?"

Hyeoksu let out a helpless chuckle at my teasing.

"...I'm sorry for picking a fight earlier. And for being late, too."

"Well, I'm glad. I thought you were going to pretend nothing happened."

"Haha..."

Ah, the sheer majesty of a Unique-grade class.

I had successfully melted the icy heart of a grumpy middle-aged tanker.

"By the way, Jiyun, did you really notice that lizard approaching just by the sound?" Sumi asked, looking thoroughly intrigued.

"Yeah. I heard the wolves earlier too, right before they jumped us."

"Your senses must be incredibly sharp. That's a huge asset. Unlike Mr. Hyeoksu here, you could have easily dodged it because you heard it coming."

Hyeoksu scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish.

After that incident, the atmosphere of our party took a complete 180-degree turn.

Everyone was pumped to the max, ruthlessly tearing through monsters and advancing at a breakneck pace.

Of course, they sustained various minor injuries along the way, but we had absolutely nothing to worry about.

Because I was constantly backing them up with heals.

I'd take cover behind a tree, keep a close eye on the battlefield, and instantly patch up anyone who got hurt.

Honestly, now that I was actively healing and had plenty to do, it was incredibly fun.

I was completely safe, just sitting back and acting as a human battery while my team did all the heavy lifting.

My body was completely relaxed, yet my role was the absolute backbone of the team. So this is what it feels like to be Healer Royalty.

Sumi, who had received my heals quite a few times by now, chimed in.

"Ah, seriously... having a healer makes things so damn easy."

She flicked the monster blood off her blade as she spoke.

"I've been feeling it for a while, but your heals are different, Jiyun. Every time you cast it, it feels like all my fatigue just melts away. I've been in peak condition this entire time."

"Mwahaha. My heals are just built different."

The description mentioned restoring both mind and body, which apparently meant it cured physical and mental fatigue while replenishing their stamina.

This was a massive upgrade compared to the standard Heal skill used by common healers, which only patched up physical wounds and did nothing for exhaustion.

"Y-Yeah, me too. I was wondering why I wasn't getting tired at all. It was all thanks to our little healer's magic."

"Same here. This drastically improves our combat efficiency," Jeongyeon agreed.

Thanks to this, our party was able to utilize the ultimate strategy of a healer-backed team:

Charging in recklessly with the mindset of "who cares about minor injuries, our healer will just fix it."

On top of that, whenever a boss-class monster appeared, a buffed Yoo Sumi would just one-shot it, meaning we wasted zero time.

We swept through Route E at an absurd speed, and...

Wait, we still have time left?

So, we decided to run Route D as well.

As a result, our total earnings ended up being three times what we would have made from a single run of Route C.

Even Hyeoksu and Jeongyeon, who had been complaining about money earlier, were grinning from ear to ear.

Having secured a whopping 40% cut of the total loot, I was practically drooling, caught in a massive dopamine spiral.

Yoo Sumi, who had only tagged along to make some quick pocket change, smiled warmly at her unexpected windfall.

After exiting the gate, we headed straight to the Association's purchasing office to sell our harvested Mana Stones.

"Since we agreed on a 40% cut for Jiyun... you'll be getting around 4.2 million won."

"Gack!"

4.2 million won... Holy crap, how many cheesecakes could I buy with that?

Maybe I should finally try those Thick Chewy Cookies that were trending a while ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠back? Or maybe I'd buy a ton of premium ice cream and pack my freezer to the brim?

No wonder people risk their lives to become hunters. Clearing a single gate in one day yielded over four million won.

If I did this just once a week, my annual income would easily clear 200 million won!

And what if I grew even stronger? What if I started raiding C-rank, B-rank, or even A-rank gates?

"Ehehehe..."

Just how much money would I make? Watch out, Chairman of Yuksung Group, I'm coming for your throne.

"Today was truly a wonderful experience. Thank you for your hard work," Kim Jeongyeon said, bowing politely.

"We were in the wrong at first," Kim Hyeoksu added, offering a sincere apology. "Showing up late and talking nonsense... I hope we can start on a much better note next time."

After bidding farewell to the two middle-aged hunters, we stepped out into the warm glow of the setting sun.

"A happy ending, right? Even those grumpy old men apologized in the end."

"Get used to it. That's the life of the Healer Royalty."

"Mwahaha!"

We hopped into Sumi's massive, imposing pickup truck and headed home.

Realizing it was already dinner time, we decided to grab a bite to eat before heading back.

Sumi, who clearly had a taste for the finer things in life, led me into a high-end Pasta Restaurant.

The soft, warm lighting, elegant tables, and luxurious decor made me instinctively shrink back.

I felt like a peasant stepping into a royal palace...

Wait, no. I'm not some jobless, pathetic hunter-wannabe anymore. I am a proud, tax-paying member of the Healer Royalty!

I puffed my chest out and walked in with confidence.

We sat down in the plush, comfortable seats and opened the menus.

"......"

"Not sure what to order?" Sumi asked.

The menu was filled with dishes I had never heard of in my entire life.

What the heck was a "Carbonara"? "Vongole Pasta"?

My head was starting to spin.

"I-I'll just have the tomato spaghetti."

In the end, I settled on the only familiar option.

As expected of a luxury restaurant, it was leagues ahead of the cheap convenience store spaghetti I used to eat.

Every single bite felt like a storm of pure happiness exploding in my mouth.

I finally understood why girls obsessed over finding famous restaurants. If you have money to burn, chasing this kind of culinary bliss is totally worth it.

"Jiyun, look over here for a second."

Sumi suddenly pointed her phone camera at me.

Ah, the golden rule of dining out with girls: photo time.

"Wow, Jiyun, you're incredibly photogenic. No matter the angle, you look absolutely gorgeous."

"Hehe."

I silently admired my own face, marveling at how pretty I looked in every single shot.

As we happily chatted over our delicious meal, Sumi brought up another topic.

"Oh, Jiyun. Are you down to hit another gate in a few days?"

"Another gate? Sure, I'd love to."

"I'm planning to invite one of my friends this time. Let's try a C-Rank Gate. It's better than recruiting a complete stranger, right?"

"Of course!"

While today's raid had been incredibly fun, there was one thing I felt slightly disappointed about.

I actually had an offensive skill of my own.

Great Tree's Bow. I really wanted to test it out.

If I went with people I knew, I could test it freely without worrying about being a burden.