I Became the Only Healer in the Academy - Chapter 16.2
Out of curiosity, Seonghyun checked other nearby structures, only to find, similar to the other building, corpses with ashen, decaying skin piled within.
“…”
Despite the inexplicable unease, hearing the instruction to proceed to the temple, Seonghyun headed for it.
Upon reaching the temple’s entrance, stone statues resembling monsters stood on both sides.
“Well, here goes.”
Seonghyun drew his sword from its sheath, preparing for any movement from the statues.
“…”
There was a standoff for a few minutes, yet the statues showed no signs of movement.
[…Proceed to the center of the temple.]
“…Yeah.”
Seonghyun, not wanting to let his guard down, cautiously moved behind the statues, but there was still no motion.
Inside the temple, there was an altar-like structure in the middle, with an enormous, divine-looking statue behind it.
“Now… what am I supposed to do?”
[Protect the temple from the night.]
[1 minute remains until nightfall.]
“What? 1 minute left?”
The path to the temple was clear as broad daylight.
But it was night.
Seonghyun immediately turned around to check outside.
“This is…”
Torches were placed beside the two statues at the entrance, and it was so dark that without those torches, the path ahead would’ve been completely obscured.
[The night has arrived.]
[Time remaining until the end of the night: 18 hours.]
“Eighteen… hours?”
How much of the day would be consumed by the night?
Even in the midst of winter, would it last for 18 hours?
“But… protect the temple from what?”
As Seonghyun’s whispered question trailed off, eerie sounds began to emanate from the dark shadows.
“What… is that?”
Though the approaching sounds didn’t seem to be moving fast, the sheer number of whatever it was became apparent.
“They’re approaching…”
They had come close enough to be visible in the torchlight.
These beings had pitch-black skin, human-like in form, but with holes where eyes should be, devoid of ears and noses—creatures that appeared decidedly non-living, ascending the steps of the temple.
“Can I survive, let alone protect?”
At a glance, there were easily dozens, if not hundreds of them.
The path Seonghyun had walked was now covered entirely by them.
Seonghyun immediately drew his sword and adjusted his stance.
His physical abilities were enhanced with the Sacrificial Spirit, and he had some healing capabilities.
There were no restrictions on using abilities in this situation, and there shouldn’t be a significant issue even in a protracted battle.
Seonghyun took a deep breath.
In the meantime, the peculiar entities arrived in front of Seonghyun.
“They don’t look fast.”
Their physical abilities didn’t even reach the level of the lowest-grade Hunter.
They were not even comparable to an average adult male.
There were just a lot of numbers.
Their bodies seemed to be what they looked like, rotten or burned. With a slight swing of the sword, they were effortlessly cut as if they were made of nothing, and the disintegrated remains quickly oxidized, leaving no trace.
“This should be manageable…”
[Remaining time until the end of the night: 16 hours]
“…I’ve dealt with about 1/10 now…”
They weren’t fast or strong adversaries, so fending them off wasn’t much of a challenge.
[Remaining time until the end of the night: 12 hours]
Perhaps due to his mood, the sky seemed to have brightened a bit.
He could probably see the sky literally lighting up.
[Remaining time until the end of the night: 9 hours]
But it was all an illusion
Perhaps a case of a yellow sky.
“Sigh…”
Seonghyun healed his slightly scratched arm.
‘There’s a limit to this.’
Initially, when he used treatment, it not only healed his injuries but also restored his stamina.
However, the more he used it, the more apparent it became that there was a limit to the stamina recovery.
Fortunately, if he wasn’t overly fatigued, there wouldn’t be much danger from these numerous foes.
‘How many times have I used it? Three? Four?’
Seonghyun deliberately made small wounds when his stamina was low, only for him to heal himself. It was a way to recover both stamina and wounds simultaneously.
“Now about half…”
The monsters were still densely packed all the way to the bottom of the temple.
[Remaining time until the end of the night: 5 hours]
Now the sky was truly getting brighter.
Not a case of a yellow sky, but it was indeed getting brighter.
“Heuk… Heuk…”
Seonghyun was breathing heavily.
His stamina had reached its limits, and he wasn’t intentionally making wounds to recover anymore. He was now receiving injuries due to being unable to properly evade attacks.
For a grueling 13 hours, without food or rest, continually wielding his sword. Initially, he had swung the sword with both arms, but now, he was swinging it with one hand at a time, and his legs were trembling from exhaustion.
[Remaining time until the end of the night: 1 hour]
“Finally…”
The number of foes had diminished to the point where they could be counted by hand. If not for his healing ability, it seemed he would have perished much earlier.
[40 minutes until the end of the night]
“Ugh…”
Seonghyun placed the sword he was clutching beside him and sat down.
[All enemies have been defeated before the end of the night.]
He stayed in that seated position, only tilting his head back to observe the interior of the temple.
“Huh?”
There was an odd sensation that the statue, previously positioned near the center, had shifted, but abruptly stopped as it sensed Seonghyun’s gaze.
[I commend your bravery in defeating the evil beings before the night’s end.]
“…Thanks.”
[Before the onset of the second night, place the malevolent entity on the altar.]
“What? The second night…?”
With a surge of alertness, Seonghyun adjusted his posture and sat up straight.
Yes, the second night.
