Chapter 7
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: I Love You (6)
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Quest: Tell sister Jeong Yu-rim "I love you" (99/100)
Reward: Jeong Yu-rim's Mana Regeneration +10%, Family Points 100
"Okay."
After finishing up the housework, I checked my Status Window and grinned from ear to ear.
The end of this long journey was finally in sight.
I only had one more time left to complete the quest.
By the time my little sister got home from work today, I could wrap it up.
"Gotta celebrate a day like this~"
I didn't know the details of the rewards from spinning the gacha with Family Points,
but as an S-rank ability, they wouldn't be stingy, that much was certain.
I was thrilled at the prospect of finally escaping this pathetic, powerless existence.
"It was definitely around here somewhere."
I stepped into the storage room and rummaged through it.
With three S-rank Hunters in the family, all sorts of groups showered us with gifts.
As far as I remembered, I'd shoved some good wine in here somewhere.
-Creak... creak...
As I dug through the storage room packed with all sorts of stuff, I finally spotted the wine I'd been hunting for.
Dadernyong wine.
Not your everyday grapes—these were made from Dadernyong grapes that only grew in dungeons.
They had a stellar reputation for their flavor and aroma.
I grabbed the bottle and the corkscrew that had been stored with it, then headed out.
Honestly, I knew next to nothing about wine, so I couldn't fully appreciate how amazing it was.
But it was a milestone day, so I could at least treat myself to the vibe.
*Pop.*
The moment I pulled the cork, a subtle grape aroma wafted out.
I filled a glass to the brim with the wine and sat at the table with the snacks I'd prepped earlier.
Ready to reward myself for all my hard work with a sip,
that's when it happened.
Wheeeeeeeeennn.
A blaring alarm pierced my ears.
I jumped in shock, set down the glass, and quickly turned on the TV.
The stations had already cut their regular programming and switched to disaster broadcast mode.
At 1:31 p.m. today, a Dungeon Break occurred in Yongin Dungeon 3. According to the Hunter Association, the dungeon's threat level is estimated at A-rank.
The anchor delivering the news had a grave expression.
An A-rank Dungeon Break. It was a threat that could wipe out an entire city if things went wrong—no wonder it was serious.
An emergency summons has been issued for all combat-type Hunters ranked A or higher. The Sunlight Guild's vanguard failed in their initial suppression, and the injured are being transported to the Seoul Hunter Association.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the broadcast cut to footage of emergency helicopters landing on the Hunter Association's helipad.
Injured Hunters poured out of the choppers.
Every one of them looked in critical condition.
And there, amid the chaos on screen, I spotted my little sister tending to the wounded.
Her clothes were soaked in blood, but she didn't care—she was moving like a maniac, unleashing heals left and right.
Even for an S-rank Healer, spamming heals like that was exhausting, but when lives were on the line, she held nothing back.
"..."
Watching my little sister work so hard suddenly reminded me what I needed to do.
I threw on an overcoat and rushed out of the house.
"Grab some B-type blood!"
"Healer! Over here, please!"
The Hunter Association's 12th-floor severe trauma ward felt like a warzone.
Beds that were always empty were now filled with patients bleeding profusely, and the monitors blared shrill alarms nonstop.
Jeong Yu-rim dashed around like a madwoman at the doctors' calls, casting heals nonstop.
If she had infinite mana, she'd have poured it all out without a second thought.
Unfortunately, even S-rank Hunters had mana limits. So she focused her heals on the most urgent cases, as triaged by the doctors.
It'd be great if heals worked like in games, reviving the dying with a single cast, but real-life heals weren't that OP.
They handled minor wounds cleanly, but the heavier the injury, the less effective they became.
Panting as she reached the bedside after hearing a call, Jeong Yu-rim froze at the sight of the Hunter.
A massive greatsword was impaled straight through his chest. He could barely tremble his fingertips, let alone groan.
He wasn't one of the ones she'd seen on the rooftop earlier—he must've been a fresh transfer.
"We're taking him straight to surgery. A heal first, please."
Truth be told, even with a heal and surgery, this guy's survival odds were slim.
She didn't have a medical license, but the patient monitor's readings screamed "dead man walking."
Still, the blood-soaked doctor showed no sign of giving up.
If the doc wasn't giving up, then as a healer, all she could do was heal.
Jeong Yu-rim closed her eyes in the middle of the room.
This patient looked critical, so she'd put extra focus into it.
Her snow-white hair fluttered as the ambient mana resonated.
Once she'd gathered enough mana, she snapped her eyes open and thrust her hand toward the Hunter.
"Heal."
Pure white mana erupted from Jeong Yu-rim and enveloped the Hunter.
She'd already healed so many patients that its power was weakened, but she was an S-rank Hunter who'd climbed the ranks on healing alone—a non-combat specialist.
Even diminished, the heal packed a punch.
Color returned slightly to the Hunter's pale face, and the minor bleeding stopped.
The greatsword through his chest and the gushing blood from it didn't stop, but his condition had clearly improved.
Heals lost efficiency exponentially when spammed on the same target in quick succession.
The other Hunters had gotten one heal each at the helipad, but this was his first, so it hit harder.
"Thank you."
Seeing the heal take effect, the doctor and nurses hurriedly wheeled the Hunter toward surgery.
Good luck to him.
"Healer!"
A desperate voice called from afar.
"Hoo..."
Dizzy and stumbling, Jeong Yu-rim rushed toward the summons anyway.
Hunter Association basement level 1.
I regretted impulsively driving here and parking.
I'd rushed over because my little sister was suffering, but now that I was here, I realized there was nothing I could do.
Barging into the Hunter Association in the middle of an A-rank Dungeon Break was just a nuisance, and waiting for her to clock out... who knew when that would even be?
I debated heading home without killing the engine,
but then—
-Vroom.
I turned it off.
My little sister was fighting on the front lines like it was war. The least her big brother could do was wait a bit in the car.
I waited for her to emerge while checking news on my smartphone.
The coverage showed my little big sister Da-jeong and big sister Se-yeon massacring monsters.
Strictly speaking, they were the ones in the thick of it against the monsters, so going to greet them would make more sense.
But the Yongin area was under civilian lockdown, and without a Hunter license yet, I couldn't get in.
Once they got home safe, I'd cook their favorite meals as a treat.
After zoning out in the car for about four hours,
Sky Guild Raid Team Leader Jeong Se-yeon has just announced the defeat of the A-rank Dungeon boss. No additional casualties reported...
The news announced the dungeon had been cleared.
An A-rank Dungeon could level a city, so even for S-rank Hunters, it was no cakewalk.
As expected of my big sister.
Confirming she looked unscathed in her reporter interview, I got out of the car and stood by the Hunter Association elevators.
Other doctors and nurses couldn't leave, but my Healer little sister should be able to clock out soon.
Sure enough, the elevators started moving slowly.
-Ding.
Moments later, with a cheerful chime, my little sister emerged—covered head to toe in blood, exhaustion etched on her face.
"Huh...?"
She looked shocked, like she'd never dreamed I'd come to pick her up.
I gently stroked her snow-white hair and whispered softly.
"You did great, little sis."
"..."
She stared at me blankly for a moment, then slipped into my arms.
I panicked a bit at the sudden hug but held her steady without pulling away.
"You really worked your butt off."
"Yeah..."
As I comforted her, she squirmed in my embrace and timidly looked up.
"Not today?"
"Huh?"
"The 'I love you' thing."
I averted my eyes, but she stared right at me, unwavering.
I couldn't hold that gaze and mumbled,
"Nah, that was just a joke..."
"So you're not gonna?"
"..."
I'd thought I'd gotten used to saying it by now.
Guess that was wishful thinking.
The words stuck in my throat like a lump.
"Hurry..."
She tugged at my collar, urging me on. The faint tremor in her voice betrayed how rough her day had been.
'Come on, it's just once. What's the big deal?'
No big brother ever beats his little sister. I gave up the pointless resistance, cradled the back of her head gently, and said what she wanted to hear.
"I love you, little sis. You did great."
She blanked out for a second after hearing it, then beamed like all her worries had melted away.
"Yeah!"
Quest: Tell sister Jeong Yu-rim "I love you" (100/100)