[Can’t Even Drink Cold Water]
“Even though I tried to handle things calmly, Mister tried to get violent twice. Do you know how scared I was?”
“Well… uh, really?”
It’s true that Park Sucheon came at me twice. But there’s no way she didn’t see me slam his head into the door frame, right?
“Don’t do that again. I was so on edge, I could hardly watch.”
Yerim grumbled. Was there really anything nerve-wracking about what just happened? It was completely one-sided. Is she blind or something?
“…Anyway, since everything’s settled, go pack your things.”
“Okay~.”
Yerim brushed past me and stepped into the apartment. By that time, Park Sucheon had managed to get up with the help of his wife. Yerim’s eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at him.
“Uncle, you really should be more careful. Tripping and hitting your head like that.”
Her nonchalant voice left both of them dumbfounded. Even I was a bit surprised. I had used that as an excuse, but still…
“Y-you! Didn’t you see what happened?!”
Yerim shrugged at his outraged shout.
“Of course, that’s why I’m saying it. Or are you going to accuse Mister of framing you?”
“What? Framing?!”
“Yerim, how can you talk like that to your uncle?!”
“What’s the matter, Auntie? You saw it too, didn’t you? Uncle tripped and hit his head.”
Her voice was cold, almost chilly. The couple seemed at a loss for words. What should I do? Leave it alone or step in?
“How can you say that! Look at your uncle’s head, it’s bleeding! That man just—”
“Auntie.”
Her voice grew even colder.
“Uncle tripped.”
“No, but…”
“You’re still lying. I’ve made myself clear.”
Yerim reached over to the umbrella stand and picked up a fancy, long umbrella. The couple flinched reflexively.
“I remember when I said I needed a sturdy umbrella. Remember? When the typhoon hit last year, you gave me that flimsy plastic umbrella that flipped and broke. You said you couldn’t give me another one, and it was my fault for breaking it, so I had to walk around with a big plastic bag over my head all through the rainy season.”
…That happened? Isn’t that borderline abuse?
“I don’t care about that anymore. A lot of other things happened too, but I decided to let it go. It’s not worth worrying about. It’s too insignificant.”
Her delicate, pale hands held the umbrella horizontally.
“Remember that. It’s insignificant. So stay insignificant. But if you try to stir up trouble, saying Mister did something to you when you tripped…”
Crack.
The umbrella folded in half. Sure, any strong adult could do that. But then it folded again,
Crack.
And it crumpled as if it were being crushed by a hydraulic press. Maybe it was the fact that this was happening in the apartment hallway, or perhaps it was because I knew she was an Awakened, but watching her dainty hands crush the umbrella like clay felt surreal.
If I feel this way, it must be even worse for them.
Thunk, roll.
The now-unrecognizable, crumpled object was casually tossed to the floor.
“So… I won’t let you get away with it.”
Yerim awkwardly finished her sentence. She probably couldn’t think of a fitting way to conclude the threat. But it was more than enough for the couple.
Yerim turned to me and smiled sheepishly.
“This is harder than I thought. But I did okay, right?”
Okay, fine, but did you really just try to copy me? You insisted he just tripped, acted like you’d let it slide, then showed off some strength before finishing with a warning about not bringing up the past. It’s kind of similar.
…This is why they say you can’t even drink cold water in front of kids. The old sayings really are spot on.
“…You’re supposed to be the nice one.”
“Oh, Mister. Being nice in this situation doesn’t make you nice—it makes you a pushover.”
Can’t argue with that. And since she’s going to live as a battle hunter, it’s better to be tough than soft.
I gave a half-hearted nod and glanced at Park Sucheon and his wife. They looked completely dazed. They really should’ve treated her better. Given how much they took, at least they’re still in one piece and even got some money without any real consequences. Must’ve accumulated some good karma in a past life.
“Let’s wrap it up and get out of here. Do you have a lot to pack? Need help?”
“No, there’s not much. I’ll probably buy new clothes anyway.”
My eyes fell on her worn-out sneakers again. Come to think of it, her clothes were just sweats.
“I’ll buy you a new pair of shoes. Ones that fit you perfectly.”
Yerim’s face lit up with a beautiful, unblemished smile.
“You’re not overextending yourself, are you? Considering your salary is zero.”
She really knows how to get you where it hurts, doesn’t she?
“I told you, I have money. You think I’ve just been lounging around all these years, especially without going to college? I’ve got savings.”
“Okay, then I’ll treat you to lunch.”
“You haven’t even opened a bank account yet, so you don’t have any money. Plus, it’s Sunday, so the banks are closed.”
She would get her signing bonus deposited once she opened an account.
“Then tomorrow! I’ll treat you to something expensive as soon as the bank opens!”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
Yerim happily went inside the apartment. If it weren’t for the human wreckage scattered around the entrance, it would’ve been a heartwarming scene.
Thunk!
After loading her things into the trunk, I climbed into the back seat. As we drove, I chatted with Yerim, who was excited about her newfound independence, and pulled out a mana potion from my inventory.
“What’s that?”
Yerim tilted her head as she saw the 100ml drink bottle.
“Mana potion, apple-flavored.”
There’s an orange flavor too.
“A mana potion? It looks just like a recovery drink from the pharmacy.”
“The bottle and everything is made from dungeon byproducts. If you return the empty bottle to the association, they’ll give you points to use in the hunter shop.”
You couldn’t store them in your inventory in regular bottles. The return rate was low enough that there were even recycling campaigns for mid— and high-rank hunters.
Of course, as an F-rank hunter trying to save every penny, I always returned mine.
“Is there a health potion too?”
“There is. Want to see?”
“Yeah.”
I pulled out a health potion, which looked just like the mana potion except for the color, and handed it to her. Yerim took it and examined it curiously.
“If I drink this, will it really heal my wounds right away?”
“This is the lowest grade, so it’s not that effective. It’s more for stopping bleeding and disinfecting wounds than actual healing.”
“Aww, it only stops bleeding?”
“You have no idea how useful it is to stop bleeding instantly. Plus, even a potion like this is ten times more expensive than a mana potion of the same grade.”
Yerim’s eyes widened.
“Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?”
“Mana potions are factory-made with finely ground mana stones, but health potions are handcrafted by healers. On top of that, it’s hard to stabilize the skill effects in liquid form, so they can only make up to mid-grade potions. Higher-grade health potions or elixirs can only be found as dungeon rewards.”
Elixirs, in particular, are so rare that only a few come out as rewards even in S-rank dungeons. I explained this to Yerim as I opened and drank the mana potion.
I’d been spamming the Promising Talent skill, just in case, and I was running low on mana. The best result I got was a courier with C-rank stats and a D-rank skill.
Finding Yu Myungwoo was an incredibly lucky case. Usually, you don’t even get B-ranks.
‘Stopping with just Yerim would be enough, but… it would be nice to have a healer.’
As the saying goes, human greed knows no bounds. Now that I’ve secured combat power, I’m longing for a healer. An S-rank, or even an A-rank healer, would be perfect. Then I really wouldn’t need anything else.
‘The famous healers in the future were all foreigners, so I can’t exactly go after them.’
For some reason, the highest-ranking healers in the country only reached B-rank. Even the Haeyeon Guild held on with a B-rank healer until they eventually brought in a foreign hunter.
There’s got to be at least one out there. Should I set up a chair in a busy area and scout for a few days?
We bought the necessary items, including shoes and clothes, had lunch, and then returned to the guild. Park Yerim couldn’t stop apologizing every time I opened my wallet.
It wasn’t like we bought anything expensive, and this was no big deal.
“I’ll definitely pay you back for everything!”
“I told you, it’s fine.”
I checked my bank account balance at an ATM on the way back, and it was more than I expected. Even after setting aside money for stocks, I had enough to live on for a year. Plus, the most expensive part—room and board—was covered. On top of that, no commuting meant no transportation costs, and aside from my phone bill, utilities like gas and electricity were all free.
My annoyance at having a zero-won salary was starting to fade.
That fading frustration completely evaporated when I was shown to the A-rank hunter dormitory on the upper floors.
“Basic living expenses and groceries are provided up to 1 million won per month upon request via phone or written request to the dormitory management office on the 15th floor.”
The staff member who was showing me around smiled prettily as she explained.
“Huh? They even cover that?”
“It would be inconvenient for you to shop yourself, and we need to conduct a quarantine just in case. You can increase the limit at your own expense.”
They really take good care of A-ranks. Well, considering the revenue they generate, it’s worth it to keep a close eye on what they eat to avoid any problems.
“Cleaning and laundry services are provided twice a week, and you can dispose of your trash by separating dry and wet waste and placing it in the chute in the hallway. Of course, you can also hire a personal housekeeper at your own expense.”
They even do cleaning and laundry. Here I was, expecting nothing more than a spacious one-bedroom with free utilities, and now I feel like a thief for even thinking about asking for a salary. I didn’t expect this level of service.
“This is Unit A-15, assigned to you, Mr. Han Yujin. Miss Park Yerim will be moving into Unit A-16 next door.”
Yerim wasn’t with me because she was getting coordinated for her visit to the Hunter Association tomorrow. Apparently, they match your outfit not only to your appearance but also to your personality, skills, and hunter traits. With S-ranks being as popular as celebrities, I guess it makes sense.
…Does Yuhyun go through this too? He does dress well.
The staff member pulled out a keycard and unlocked the door, then handed me the card.
“Only one keycard is issued. If you want cleaning services while you’re out, you can leave it with the management office. The security system is currently in its default state, so you can register your fingerprint and password to enter without the keycard.”
I took the keycard and stepped inside. The first thing that caught my eye was the living room, furnished like a luxury hotel or model house. Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, making everything glow.
“Please refer to this booklet for other instructions and precautions. The enclosure and safety facilities for your Flame Horned Lion cub will be installed on Monday. Until then, please refrain from bringing it to the dormitory.”
“Yes, understood.”
“And for your safety, we’ve installed a connecting door to Unit A-16.”
“…Excuse me?”
I mean, I did agree to have her under my protection, but wasn’t this a bit much? What about my privacy?
“…I can lock it, right?”
“From Unit A-16.”
The staff member said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. So I can’t? I guess I’ll have to go buy a latch or something and install it myself.
“Ugh, I’m exhausted.”
As soon as the staff left, I flopped onto the sofa. I was supposed to take it easy after regressing, but somehow I ended up running around like crazy.
At least things are starting to fall into place.
‘They provided an A-rank dorm with no time limit, so I don’t have to worry about the future.’
As long as dungeons don’t suddenly disappear and we lose our Awakening abilities. …I’d better start planning for retirement. You never know, especially since everything happened so suddenly.
After lying there for a moment, I slowly pulled out my phone. The rookie hunter training dates were set, so I should give him a call. I hope he hasn’t done anything stupid since the last time we talked.
The phone rang a few times before Yu Myungwoo picked up.
“Hello—”
[Phone owner can’t come to the phone right now.]
Huh? That wasn’t Yu Myungwoo’s voice. And then the call abruptly ended. What the hell? Why is my precious SS-rank crafter unable to answer his phone?
–TL Notes–
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/MattReading
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt