Su-ho handed over Seo Do-il, Moon Hye-hyun, and Han Myung-ho to Na Do-won before finally stepping out of the building.
At the entrance, Na Do-won’s right-hand man, Lee Hyun-seok, and several other team mbers were waiting. Su-ho approached Lee Hyun-seok and spoke.
“Administrator Lee, it’s , Ahn Su-ho.”
“Officer Ahn?”
“Yes. I used a skill to alter my face. More importantly, you should head upstairs and assist the captain. Moving everything alone will be a hassle for him. Oh, and can I borrow that for a mont?”
Su-ho pointed at Lee Hyun-seok’s governnt ID. Lee Hyun-seok held up his ID card and asked.
“This?”
“Yes, I’ll return it shortly.”
“Ah... Alright.”
Ordinarily, this was sothing that should never happen, but since they were already in the sa boat, Lee Hyun-seok handed over his ID without hesitation.
With everything he needed, Su-ho returned to his car and started the engine.
Vroom!
His destination was Udo.
More precisely, Seongseon Port Comprehensive Passenger Terminal.
To reach Udo, one had to take a ferry from this location.
‘Back in the old days, that is.’
Before Gates existed, people used Seongseon Port to access Udo.
However, Udo was no longer freely accessible.
Due to an out-of-control Gate continuously spewing monsters, the island had beco restricted, with Tamna Guild managing its operations.
After parking near the ferry terminal, Su-ho entered the now deserted terminal.
Inside, he found a container tucked away in a corner. Su-ho approached and activated Mana Detection.
[Mana Detection has been activated.]
As the skill triggered, Su-ho sensed a strong mana signature emanating from the container.
At this level of energy, the individual inside had to be a high-level Awakened.
Su-ho knocked on the container door.
"Ki Jun-seo?"
After a brief silence, a groggy voice answered from within.
“...Who is it?”
“I’m from the Great Hunter Association.”
“...One mont.”
At the ntion of the Great Hunter Association, rustling sounds ca from inside as soone hastily dressed. Soon after, the container door creaked open.
A man with disheveled hair and dressed in a tracksuit appeared.
This was Ki Jun-seo, the man ranked 6th on the Grand Chart, who would one day be known as Gold Emperor.
He gave Su-ho a brief nod.
“Sorry, I just woke up... But what brings the Association here?”
Su-ho looked at Ki Jun-seo’s ragged appearance before speaking.
“Ki Jun-seo, you’re currently affiliated with Tamna Guild, correct? Just now, Tamna Guild Leader Seo Do-il and Deputy Guild Leader Moon Hye-hyun were arrested.”
“...What?”
Ki Jun-seo’s eyes widened in shock.
He pushed back his ssy hair and stared at Su-ho.
“What... What do you an? Why them?”
“Those two, along with Jeju Branch Chief Han Myung-ho, were involved in nurous illegal activities. We secured extensive evidence, and when they resisted, they were arrested.”
“That’s ridiculous...!”
A stunned Ki Jun-seo quickly grabbed ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) his phone and started dialing.
He was calling Seo Do-il.
But Seo Do-il didn’t answer.
Rather, he couldn’t answer.
The sa was true for Moon Hye-hyun.
As both calls went unanswered, Ki Jun-seo bit his lip in growing anxiety.
“No... This can’t be happening... If this is true, then what happens to So-yeon...?”
“Ki Jun-seo?”
“...Where did everything go wrong? This is a disaster...”
“Ki Jun-seo.”
“...Shit, this is really bad...”
“Roar!”
[Lion’s Roar has been activated.]
Despite Su-ho calling him multiple tis, Ki Jun-seo wasn’t listening.
Left with no choice, Su-ho used Lion’s Roar.
The powerful reverberation jolted Ki Jun-seo, making his ears burn as he turned to Su-ho in shock.
“W-why are you yelling?!”
“I know you’re shaken, but calm down and talk to . I’m here to help.”
“...Help? Who even are you?”
“My na is Ahn Su-ho. Haven’t you seen on TV before?”
“Ahn Su-ho?”
Upon hearing the na, Ki Jun-seo finally took a closer look at Su-ho’s face.
His eyes widened once more.
“W-wait, you’re that guy!”
“Yes, I’m exactly who you think I am. And I’m also fully aware of your situation, so calm down and let’s talk.”
“...You know about my situation?”
“Your younger sister is hospitalized at Cham Sarang Hospital, right? She turned eighteen this year.”
“Yes... How do you know that...?”
“I’ll explain everything. But first, let’s sit down and talk.”
“...Alright.”
After a brief hesitation, Ki Jun-seo nodded.
He stepped back into the container and returned with two cans of drinks, offering one to Su-ho.
“Sorry, this is all I can offer.”
Su-ho accepted it and glanced at the can.
Corn tea, 180ml.
The kind of cheap corn tea commonly found in hotel minibars.
It even had visible dust on it, and the expiration date was near.
“...Do you like corn tea?”
“Not really. I just drink whatever’s available.”
“I see. But why are you sleeping here instead of at ho?”
“This is where I live. My work is based on Udo.”
“You live here?”
“Yeah. The company provided this place for . Haha.”
“...A container, though? There are plenty of hotels nearby.”
“Staying long-term in one of those places is expensive. I’m broke.”
“...You do realize you’re ranked 6th in the country, right?”
“Am I?”
Ki Jun-seo chuckled and cracked open his can of tea.
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After downing the entire can in one go, he casually crushed it with his bare hand.
“But it can’t be helped. My sister is really sick. 99% of my salary goes to her dical bills. If the company didn’t cover half of the expenses, I wouldn’t even dream of affording her treatnt.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Think what?”
“That your sister’s dical expenses are covered by Tamna Guild’s Guild Leader and Deputy Guild Leader?”
“That’s because they are. Both of them are among the best healers in the country. If not for them, my sister would’ve been long gone.”
“......”
Su-ho remained silent for a mont.
Then, he stood up and looked around the inside of the container where Ki Jun-seo lived.
A single-sized bed with an electric heating pad.
Next to it, an old electric fan and scattered bottles of water.
For appliances, all he had was a small comrcial refrigerator, a tiny microwave, and an electric kettle.
His food consisted of instant rice, cup noodles, cheap drinks, and snacks.
A pile of laundry was stacked in one corner, all the sa type of clothing.
Su-ho stepped outside the container and spoke.
"Where do you do your laundry?"
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
"There’s a coin laundromat about a 20-minute walk from here. I use that. But at least I don’t have to pay for laundry; the company provides a prepaid laundry card."
"......."
Ha.
Su-ho already knew he was being exploited like a slave.
But seeing the reality firsthand left a bitter taste in his mouth.
‘At one point, I even wondered if he had so kind of ntal illness. But he was completely sane.’
After all, it was hard to understand how soone ranked 6th in the country could live like this.
But even the smartest, most capable people sotis act like fools.
Usually, it was when they were desperate for sothing.
Even scholars fall into cults for similar reasons.
In that sense, Ki Jun-seo was a man desperate for his sister’s well-being.
That was why, despite being a level 200 powerhouse, he let himself be exploited like an idiot.
And because of that, Su-ho made a decision.
Seo Do-il and Moon Hye-hyun—those bastards would be judged in Cheongok Prison.
Su-ho cracked open his can of corn tea and spoke.
"Sorry. That was a long introduction."
"No, it’s fine. You’re offering to help , after all."
"To put it simply—your sister’s illness? I can cure it."
"......What?"
Ki Jun-seo’s eyes widened like a rabbit caught in headlights.
Wider than Su-ho had ever seen before.
Su-ho continued.
"Your sister isn’t suffering from an incurable disease. It’s just a high-level debuff."
"A debuff? Not a disease?"
"Yes. Occasionally, powerful mana surges from Gates cause high-grade debuffs to affect both ordinary people and Awakened alike. Your sister happens to be one of those cases."
"T-then... how can she be cured?"
For the first ti, hope flickered in Ki Jun-seo’s eyes.
After all, no one had ever given a clear diagnosis of his sister’s condition.
The only treatnt she had ever received was a constant flood of Heal and Recovery spells.
Of course, those were the right thods.
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Ultimately, Ki So-yeon’s condition was system-based.
But to be precise, she needed a higher-grade Heal or Recovery spell.
Su-ho spoke.
"The treatnt itself is simple. Since the debuff is high-grade, we just need to use a healing skill of the sa grade. Based on my findings, your sister is afflicted by a 2-star debuff. If a 2-star Healer casts a healing skill, she’ll be completely cured."
"A... 2-star?"
"Yes."
"But a 2-star..."
"Yes, there isn’t a single 2-star Healer in the entire country. In fact, there isn’t even a 2-star Player."
"......."
Ki Jun-seo’s eyes suddenly darkened.
Just monts ago, he had tasted hope.
But now, despair crashed down again.
However, Su-ho spoke as if it was nothing.
"There’s no need to be discouraged. If this was truly impossible, I wouldn’t have offered to help in the first place."
"T-then...?"
"We don’t necessarily need a 2-star Healer. We just need a skill of equivalent power. And I happen to have one."
"Y-you do?"
"Yes. Didn’t you know? I’m a Healer too."
"Oh... now that you ntion it...."
Ahn Su-ho, the Sword Saint.
But in truth, his true class was a Healer.
As that fact resurfaced in Ki Jun-seo’s mind, chills ran down his spine.
Then, he suddenly stood up and bowed deeply.
"P-please! Please save my sister! If you cure her, I’ll do anything you ask for the rest of my life! No matter how much it costs, I’ll pay it! Please...!!"
With the most desperate expression in the world, Ki Jun-seo pleaded.
Su-ho looked down at his bowed head and, for a mont, felt jealous.
If only I had regressed a little further into the past.
Maybe... just maybe... I could have saved my family, too.
Of course, a miracle had already happened.
It had just co in a different form.
And so, Su-ho made a decision.
At the very least, he would be the miracle that this man needed.
Su-ho reached out, lifted Ki Jun-seo to his feet, and spoke.
"Let’s go."
"To where?"
"To your sister."
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