I Became the Only Healer in the Academy - Chapter 16.1
“That’s…!”
The Japanese side rose from their seats to present their opposition but was intercepted by the U.S.
“Let’s stop there. This is something to be decided in the meeting.”
“Ugh…”
It wasn’t the words of others, but those of the United States that kept Japan seated.
“This is just my personal opinion… but do we really need the meeting in practicality?”
Given it was the United States making such a statement, there was nowhere to counter-argue.
And the statement was not entirely wrong.
“Then, it seems that there’s no opposition.”
The meeting ended in a flash.
If it weren’t for Seonghyun, South Korea’s ranking in today’s meeting would have been lowered.
The Chairman and Vice-Chairman, concluding the others in the meeting, took a brief moment in the lounge before leaving the conference room.
“Phew… took a breather, huh.”
“You’ve worked hard, Japan… Once again, you were very proactive this time.”
“Well, what can we do? It’s almost like a tradition, isn’t it?”
“Anyway, it’s fortunate. Thanks to Kim Seonghyun…”
The Vice-Chairman let out a relieved sigh, but the Chairman’s expression wasn’t as bright.
No, it was rather on the darker side.
“In truth, disclosing it to the media wasn’t the best option. It was a huge risk for the country’s status without having the bare minimum in place to protect Kim Seonghyun.”
“Nevertheless, we gained more than what we hoped for.”
The Chairman let out a heavy sigh and sat on a couch, lighting a cigarette.
“Phew… How’s the Academy schedule going?”
“There’s a representative selection scheduled soon.”
They needed to achieve good results for the upcoming national contest at year’s end.
Failing to do so might mean the rank of the country heightened today would drop again.
“Are there any noteworthy talents?”
In response to the Chairman’s question, the Vice-Chairman furrowed his brow for a moment, lost in thought.
As his thoughts seemed to have no immediate conclusion, the Chairman, with a bitter smile, spoke.
“It seems there isn’t anyone that is noteworthy.”
“Yet isn’t Kim Seonghyun a notable candidate?”
“Aren’t abilities not solely measured by their value?”
The National Contest wasn’t an easy tournament.
It wasn’t just a place to compare abilities but a perfect real combat, where serious results could occur. It was no different from a 21st century colosseum.
“Do everything possible to support Kim Seonghyun. With the change in the country’s ranking, we don’t know what might happen in the future.”
“Yes.”
The Chairman, with a final puff of breath, rose from his seat next to the ashtray.
“Let’s go.”
Seonghyun arrived near the single-person gate that would open today.
“Is it time?”
Not exactly remembering the exact time the event would be starting, Seonghyun had arrived near the place it would be held, waiting as soon as the academy ended.
Seated on the bench, waiting, a voice could be heard from somewhere.
“Huh? No, that’s right. Hm, yes.”
‘Wait, that person…’
The face was certainly familiar.
Though they hadn’t met in this new life.
‘That person!’
The individual who entered the single-person gate was now walking down the street while on the phone.
‘That means…’
Unconsciously, Seonghyun gulped, feeling a sudden rush of tension.
As if his intuition was accurate, shortly after, an eerie sensation began crawling up his back.
‘It’s begun…’
The moment Seonghyun realized the gate had opened, as he turned around to look, the gate seemed to have no intention of giving him any time to prepare and immediately engulfed him in.
“Urgh…!”
The sensation was entirely different from the usual experience of passing through a regular gate, stimulating Seonghyun’s senses, even his instincts.
Where a regular gate might produce a sensation of weightlessness and dim one’s vision, this time, it was entirely different.
Even when his eyes were shut, the intensity of the light was overpowering, and his skin began to sting like it was being burned.
“Ugh… I’ve just barely entered…”
The all-encompassing agony coursing through his body was already staggering, despite being at the entrance.
[Forgotten Temple]
[You’ve entered the Forgotten Temple, a place absent in anyone’s memory.]
Unlike what had been seen until then, a voice sounded whispering right next to him.
“Ah…!”
This single-person gate seemed somewhat different.
There were things inside the gate that couldn’t be seen in other gates.
True to its name, the Forgotten Temple displayed structures and buildings reminiscent of the Roman era, things that seemed forgotten in anyone’s memory.
Needless to say, more than half of it was in ruins.
“…Why is it so quiet?”
It was oddly quiet, eerily so.
It felt there were no living beings present whatsoever.
And it was vast, extremely vast.
Typically, gates of this nature had rather confined interiors, yet this gate seemed to defy such limitations.
[Proceed to the center of the Temple.]
As if it was guiding the way, the voice continued to sound.
“The center of the temple…”
Seonghyun confirmed the massive structure visible far ahead.
Even though the roof was gone, and half of the columns had crumbled, it was still a building that could easily be called a temple.
“Should I just continue here?”
It was even more unsettling that nothing felt noticeable, which increased the anxiety.
It would have been a bit relieving if there were signs of danger immediately upon entering, as one could at least prepare for a response.
However, walking in this tension without any such indication was truly tiring.
While maintaining vigilance, Seonghyun turned towards the path leading to the temple, with buildings resembling residential houses lining both sides.
“What’s that?”
Approaching a distorted figure, it turned out to be a pile of corpses, their flesh completely decayed, littering the floor of the building.
“What in the…”
