Chapter 18: Sara's Story
Chapter 18: Sara's Story
Afterward, Sara clung to her grandfather's body and wept until the villagers found her.
With their help, she buried her grandfather and held a funeral, but even then, all she could do was stare blankly at the grave and cry endlessly.
How much time passed like that?
A week? A month? Or maybe even longer?
Unable to watch Sara waste away, weeping before the grave like a hollow shell of herself, an old woman took her by the hand.
“Sara. I understand how you feel, but the living must go on. What do you think your grandfather would say if he saw you like this from heaven?”
“Grandfather…”
“That’s right. If you carry on like this, he won’t be able to rest in peace.”
Those words snapped Sara back to reality.
She’s right. Grandfather can’t be resting peacefully right now.
I have to get revenge.
But how?
Her opponent was an adventurer so strong that she was no match for him.
Then I just have to get stronger, right?
Sara had the Hero job, a class perfectly optimized for becoming powerful.
If she set her mind to it, she could become stronger than anyone else in the world.
For the first time, Sara was grateful to have the Hero job.
Yes.
I’ll get stronger. I’ll get strong and get my revenge.
I’m sorry, Grandfather. I don’t think I can keep my promise.
From that moment on, Sara moved quickly.
First, she went to the village chief's house to get the full story and find out where the adventurer had gone.
It seemed the man had boasted to the chief about going to the dungeon city to strike it rich.
Sara went home, grabbed a self-defense knife, the bow her grandfather had made for her, and a few quivers of arrows, and set off immediately.
The village Sara lived in was a small, slash-and-burn community.
It was a tiny place where people shared tasks and resources, a place where money was never used.
Because of this, when Sara left the village, she was completely penniless.
She survived the journey to the dungeon city by hunting weak, level 1 monsters like rabbits and eating their meat.
Unsure of what the dungeon would be like, she didn't want to waste her arrows, so she hunted the rabbits with only her knife. In the process, her base level and Hero level had risen slightly.
By the time she finally arrived in the dungeon city after a long journey, both her level and her Hero level had reached 7.
“Yes, the registration fee is 2 Silver. Please place your hand on the Status Paper for identification.”
Having barely made it to the city, Sara was met with an obstacle right from the start.
“I… I’ll come back later.”
What do I do? What in the world do I do?
She had never even seen money in her life. There was no way she would have a large sum like 2 Silver.
She had come for revenge, but with her current strength, she’d be lucky if he didn’t just try to rape her again the moment he saw her.
To get revenge, she needed to grow stronger, and for that, the dungeon, with its endless supply of monsters, was the perfect place.
But to enter the dungeon, she had to register as an adventurer at the Guild.
Sara stood in a corner of the Guild, arms crossed, lost in thought.
Should I go back outside the city and hunt monsters to earn money?
But this was a city constantly supplied with monsters by adventurers in the dungeon.
How long would it take to earn 2 Silver that way?
“Hello.”
Just then, a man spoke to her.
Sara was used to men staring at her, thanks to her natural beauty.
She knew exactly what that look meant.
Are all men such bastards? Is fucking all they can think about?
Worse, he was a male adventurer. Just being near one made her want to vomit.
He’s probably just like that bastard, with nothing but sex on his mind.
“No. It’s not a good day.”
Sara’s reaction was only natural.
But the man was persistent. No matter how sharply she responded, he smoothly deflected her words and continued the conversation.
“I don’t know much about this world, so I really need a companion.”
That line finally caught her interest.
Her grandfather had wanted Sara to live a life completely unrelated to her Hero job.
Now that she was determined to get revenge, she would use the job, but she had no intention of broadcasting it to others.
But this man knew nothing about this world?
If so, couldn't she deceive him, no matter how strong she became with her Hero powers?
She needed a partner to enter the dungeon anyway.
Even if he was a male adventurer she couldn't stand to be near, she could endure it for the sake of her revenge.
If this man was also after her body, it would just mean one more person on her list of targets.
Sara decided to temporarily join forces with the man before her, Guwon.
Surprisingly, Guwon seemed to be sincere about needing a partner; he even lent her the money for her adventurer registration.
Judging by his clothes, it probably wasn't a small amount for him, either.
When the word “Hero” appeared on the Status Paper during registration, she made the receptionist swear to secrecy. Fortunately, the Guild seemed to use the information only for managing adventurers and guaranteed strict confidentiality of personal data.
Still, just in case, she threatened the receptionist, making sure she would never, ever tell anyone.
It was a threat from a Hero with limitless potential for growth. A mere receptionist wouldn't dare ignore it.
After that, they headed straight for the dungeon.
She didn't like Guwon's casual way of speaking to her, but his reasoning—that it was related to the party's survival—was convincing enough.
But he’s so used to party play. Is he really a stranger to this world?
That question was soon answered when Guwon started spouting incomprehensible terms like “detailed stats” and “skill points.”
He really did seem to be from another world.
Furthermore, when Sara hid her Hero level and only told him her Archer and Hunter levels, Guwon offered to help her grow, even at his own expense.
Is he looking at the future rather than just a short-term party?
To be this serious about hunting in the dungeon… it seemed that forming a party with this man had been the right decision.
The dungeon was harsher than Sara had imagined.
To think that a mere rabbit was level 10.
If she had entered alone without knowing anything, she might have been in mortal danger, even as a Hero.
That day, with Guwon's help, she was able to raise her job levels with ease.
But Sara didn't let her guard down.
This man could still be after my body, after all.
However, during the last battle of the day, Guwon threw his own body on the line to save her from danger.
Honestly, she never expected him to go that far.
Is he really being this dedicated just because he needs a party member?
Or is he just a good-natured fool?
Watching Guwon, covered in blood, still playfully pretending to be in pain, Sara just didn't know anymore.
After leaving the dungeon, while Guwon exchanged the Magic Stones, Sara scanned the Guild, looking for the man who had tried to rape her.
He was probably somewhere in this city, and she wanted to pinpoint his location if possible.
But even if he was here now, finding him in this vast Guild was a long shot.
I’ll take it slow. It’s not like I’m strong enough for revenge yet, anyway.
All that mattered was finding him by the time she was ready.
Guwon returned after cashing in the Magic Stones and immediately handed Sara half the money.
Sara knew better than anyone that she had only been a burden today, so she tried to refuse the money. But Guwon’s words about managing the party with a long-term perspective left her with no choice but to accept.
I guess I have no choice. Right now, I’m the one who needs help.
But Sara hated being indebted to others.
I’ll repay this debt by growing stronger quickly. Once my level is a bit higher, I’ll be more useful in battle than him. When that time comes, I’ll pay back everything I’m receiving now, with interest.
Sara was surprised to find herself already thinking about continuing the party with the man in front of her.
Well, after seeing him sacrifice himself like that in the dungeon, it’s not strange that I’m starting to trust him a little.
But that trust was immediately shaken when Guwon suggested they stay in the same room at the inn.
So he was after my body after all.
In that brief moment, Sara felt like a fool for even starting to trust Guwon.
But surprisingly, Guwon seemed genuinely worried about her staying outside. He even offered to give her money and sleep outside himself.
Really? You’re really not after my body?
Sara lay tense in bed, but as if to prove his innocence, Guwon fell asleep the moment he lay down. In the end, nothing happened that night.
And the next day, Guwon once again focused solely on helping Sara grow stronger.
By now, Sara could be a little more certain. This man really isn't after my body.
That was why she was so disappointed the next day when Guwon brought up leveling up.
What the hell. So he just had a longer-term plan than other men, but his goal was the same in the end?
But Guwon wasn't suggesting she do it with him. He was saying she should go level up with anyone she wanted for the sake of their dungeon exploration.
Of course, Sara had no intention of doing so.
Ever since that day, the mere thought of a man’s touch made her skin crawl.
Be held by a man? Even if it was a shortcut to her revenge, she would never do it.
Besides, with the power of a Hero, she could level up just by hunting monsters.
It might be slower than sex, but a Hero's advantage wasn't just their growth rate. It wouldn't be a problem if her level was a little lower; in fact, she would probably be much stronger than him anyway.
Sara looked at Guwon again.
She now knew for certain that this man was not after her body.
On top of that, he was such a kind person that he had helped her unconditionally so far.
If she parted ways with Guwon here, would she ever find another companion like him?
Sara was sure she wouldn't.
Could it be that meeting this man was a gift from the gods to help me avenge my grandfather?
After all, Guwon was a stranger brought to this world by a god.
Meeting Guwon was truly beginning to feel like fate.
So, Sara tried to persuade him to continue fighting.
She thought that since Guwon was a stranger, she could convince him without revealing she was a Hero.
Even as a stranger, he seemed to have some common sense, as he wasn't immediately persuaded by her words, but he looked like he was considering it.
Should I reveal that I’m a Hero?
But when she remembered what her grandfather had told her about how people react to Heroes, she hesitated.
No, he’s a gift from the gods. Should I try trusting him?
Just then, they were suddenly attacked by wolfdogs again, and the battle began.
Guwon charged the wolfdogs, and Sara fired a few arrows from behind. Suddenly, wolfdogs ambushed her from the rear.
Startled by the surprise attack, Sara calmly dodged and reset her stance.
With the power of a Hero, her physical abilities were overwhelmingly greater than those of a typical level 8 archer. The male wolfdogs, with their obvious weak points, were no threat to her.
Sara took them out in an instant by firing arrows into their testicles. But Guwon, perhaps trying to help her, abandoned the females he was fighting and rushed toward her.
You don’t have to worry that much.
She saw one of the females Guwon had left behind raise its head.
That posture is definitely—?!
She remembered Guwon telling her it was the stance they took to call for their pack with a howl.
She quickly drew her bow, but a thought crossed her mind.
If the pack swarms us, and I play a major role in the fight, maybe I can convince Guwon that it’s possible to grow through combat?
In the brief moment Sara hesitated, Guwon blocked her path, and in the end, they couldn't stop the wolf from calling its pack.
Alright. Since it’s come to this, I’ll just think of it as a chance to show my skills.
But things didn't go as Sara had planned.
The number of incoming wolfdogs was beyond imagination. They swarmed over Guwon, and even then, there were still enough left over to target Sara.
Fortunately, Guwon was fighting spectacularly, drawing the attention of all the stronger ones, and the wolfdogs targeting Sara were males.
Deciding that reducing their numbers was the most urgent task, Sara aimed for the males and let her arrows fly.
Perhaps they didn't like that.
Suddenly, two females broke away and leaped toward Sara with an acrobatic jump she had seen once before.
She had just fired her last arrow, leaving her quiver empty.
Sara scrambled to dodge the wolfdogs, falling from the tree in an unstable posture and spraining her ankle.
I can’t die like this! I haven’t even gotten my revenge!
The thought flashed through her mind, and Sara pulled a knife from her sleeve to face the female.
It’s okay. I’m a Hero. I can handle these things.
She managed to kill one, but as the next attack came, Sara felt an excruciating pain and lost consciousness.
How long had she been out?
Sara’s consciousness returned to a strange sensation all over her body.
Through her blurry vision, she could see a man on top of her, moving his hips.
N-No way…?!
The memory of her past trauma flashed through her mind, and Sara tried desperately to resist.
But her limbs were limp, completely devoid of strength.
No, not again. Is it happening again?
“Ugh… Wh-What… are you… doing…. S-Stop…”
“Hey, listen to me carefully. You can live! Got it? I know you don’t want to do this, but this is the only way you’ll live. Just bear with it for a little while.”
His absurd claim made her instinctively look at him, and then Sara understood.
The man thrusting into her was covered in blood, crying like a child.
Moreover, the words he kept muttering like he was talking in his sleep were all filled with worry for her.
Rape? From a man who was crying like this, worried about her, completely ignoring his own blood-soaked body?
Sara couldn't make sense of the situation.
What in the world is happening?
Just then, a strange sensation washed over her entire body.
Wh-What is this feeling?
Her body tensed involuntarily, and after a convulsive shudder, she suddenly felt more strength returning to her limbs.
I’m recovering?
Is this what he meant by ‘this is the only way you’ll live’?
Sara felt like she was finally starting to grasp the situation.
But soon, the unfamiliar sensation the man was giving her dominated her mind again, and she lost herself, unable to think clearly.
A long time later, after her body had fully recovered, she was finally able to get away from Guwon.
As they left the dungeon, with Guwon still seemingly in shock from her near-death experience, Sara was lost in thought.
She had been raped, but strangely, unlike last time, she felt no resentment toward Guwon.
In the first place, if she hadn't hesitated and had just stopped the wolfdog's howl, none of this would have happened.
Besides, when she recalled his face, crying as he worried only for her life while he himself was covered in blood, she couldn't bring herself to resent him, no matter how hard she tried.
Guwon had truly, desperately been trying only to heal her.
The bigger issue was the sex with Guwon itself.
On the night her grandfather died, the adventurer had stripped her, and even the touch of his hands on her body had been skin-crawling and horrifying.
But with Guwon just now?
That unfamiliar sensation was, without a doubt, pleasure.
And this was despite the fact that she had been forced, whether for the purpose of healing or not.
Moreover, Sara had been a virgin.
She had heard that the first time was painful, but she hadn't felt any such pain with Guwon.
Why was there such a difference? What was the cause?
The Saint job seemed to be related to sex, so there was probably some kind of buff involved.
But was that really all? Were the sensations she felt nothing more than the power of his job?
She couldn't believe it was only that.
Then she remembered a friend telling her that sex with someone you like feels truly wonderful.
Wonderful? It had certainly felt so good she couldn't think of anything else.
Then… does that mean I like him? Me? This man I’ve only known for a short time?
She had briefly thought that meeting him was fate, but wasn't that just because she thought he would be helpful for her revenge?
The more Sara thought about it, the less she understood her own feelings.
And she found herself wanting to discover the true nature of those feelings.