I Became the Only Healer in the Academy - Chapter 5
The association seemed to have been waiting for Seonghyun’s arrival, and as soon as was nearby, a guide appeared at the entrance.
“Are you Mr. Kim Seonghyun?”
A rather cold-looking female guide greeted Seonghyun, who nodded in response.
“Yes, I’m Kim Seonghyun.”
“They have been waiting for you. Please follow me.”
The guide led Seonghyun to a rather discreet space, as if their current conversation should not be overheard.
“Mr. Kim Seonghyun has arrived.”
Then a somewhat kind voice could be heard from the inside.
“Ah, please come in.”
The guide quickly opened the door, Seonghyun gave a slight nod of thanks to the guide before entering a dimly lit room.
“Mr. Kim Seonghyun?”
“Yes.”
“Please have a seat for now. There’s quite a bit to discuss.”
Seonghyun sat in front of the man, and the man handed Seonghyun a cup of tea.
“It’s a soothing tea.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“First, let me introduce myself. I’m the Vice Chairman of the Association. Just call me Vice Chairman.”
At the mention of his position, Seonghyun momentarily set down the teacup he had picked up.
‘T-The Vice Chairman?’
One of the individuals who had fought off the monsters on the front lines during the outbreak of the gates.
It was when numerous civilians and hunters had died, and even the top-tier hunters of that time had also perished. He was one of the very few top-tier hunters who had survived that hellish period.
Considering him as someone who had survived that ordeal, Seonghyun regarded the Vice Chairman with a bit more caution before speaking.
“I’ve heard about it. You have healing abilities…”
Seonghyun gazed at the Vice Chairman’s eyes closely. Although it wasn’t entirely clear due to the dim lighting of the room, his gaze appeared to lack any signs of greed.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Ah…”
The Vice Chairman, still finding it hard to believe, took a sip of his tea without speaking.
“I won’t ask you to demonstrate your abilities. The reason you’ve come to the Association today is likely related to equipment, isn’t it?”
“Yes, as you may know… my abilities come with side effects.”
“…”
The Vice Chairman recalled the report he had received.
When he first read about the healing abilities, he had been so surprised that he almost jumped out of his seat. Though when he read about the accompanying side effects, he quietly returned to his seat.
“So, you must be most interested in one of two types of equipment, either something that completely eliminates the side effects or something that eases pain.”
“Yes, that’s correct. Does the support happen to have that kind of equipment?”
“Unfortunately…”
The Vice Chairman already knew what kind of equipment Seonghyun would request.
That’s why he had brought both pieces of equipment to this meeting, and even a cursory glance would reveal that they were not in perfect condition.
“The equipment that removes side effects suffered partial loss during the previous outbreak, and what remains is this incomplete piece. While there is equipment that eases pain, I’m not sure how it will work for you, Mr. Kim Seonghyun, given that your pain is a result of the side effects of your abilities rather than external factors.”
The Vice Chairman pushed both pieces of equipment in front of Seonghyun, as if implying that he could take both.
“…Can I take both of them?”
“The equipment that eases pain is not particularly rare, while the equipment that eliminates side effects has been in the inventory of very few users nowadays.”
Seonghyun looked at the Vice Chairman’s hand as he handed over the equipment. The flesh beneath the sleeve of his suit appeared to be severely distorted, as if it was burned.
‘…It looks like the Vice Chairman also has an ability with side effects.’
“Thank you. But, may I ask why the Vice Chairman personally came here?”
Needless to say, the Vice Chairman wouldn’t reveal himself for such a simple matter. There would be a designated staff member responsible for equipment distribution, and Seonghyun would typically have met with that person.
“The truth is, the equipment isn’t the most important thing. The Academy’s manager suggested discussing it with you, but… wouldn’t it be better for us to talk directly? After all, you’re the one with the decision-making power.”
With an air of getting to the point, the Vice Chairman retrieved a document from his pocket and handed it to Seonghyun.
“May I ask what is this?”
“As you can see, it’s an indicator representing the global standings of various countries. Can you see where South Korea is located there?”
“…Yes.”
South Korea’s ranking was 20th.
Considering that it had been ranked 2nd when the gates first emerged, it was a significant decline.
“To raise South Korea’s ranking now, we need to publicly showcase your abilities on a grand scale.”
Upon hearing the Vice Chairman’s statement about making a grand public reveal, Seonghyun raised an eyebrow and asked.
“Will you ensure the safety of me and my family?”
His tone could be quite aggressive, but the Vice Chairman understood the underlying reasons and proceeded to explain the situation patiently.
“Logically, when such a valuable and rare ability manifests, it is best to be kept hidden.”
“But what is the reason you would want to make it public?”
In response to Seonghyun’s question, the Vice Chairman extended a document he had prepared in advance.
“This is…”
Currently not well-known hunters, but future hunters destined for fame.
The names of famous hunters Seonghyun had seen before. The famous names he had seen before his return were listed there.
From famous hunters, regardless of nationality or age. It also included information about their abilities.
“It’s a list of hunters whose abilities have been manifested in each country.”
“…”
Many countries in the top tier of global rankings, including the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and Japan, had a significant number of entries on the list.
“Had the time been a little earlier, not revealing it would be the right choice. However, the circumstances are different now.”
The Vice Chairman’s gaze upon Seonghyun was filled with concern and sincerity.
“All the hunters listed here are those that each country has not yet been disclosed.”
“Do you mean there are spies or something?”
“Something similar, you could say. In short, not disclosing doesn’t change the fact that everyone will find out.”
“Are you saying that it’s better to reveal it?”
Perhaps it would be right to delay even for a moment if it could.
“We need to make significant use of the advantages your ability holds.”
“Wha…?”
“Healing, isn’t it? It’s an ability that didn’t exist in this world before, until now, there is nothing quite like it. Just having hunters talk about it isn’t enough.”
In simple terms, it was about waging a public debate on a global scale.
“There are side effects to your current ability, and it can only treat minor injuries at the moment. However, just having the healing ability is already big. That’s why I want to utilize this.”
“Please explain it in more detail.”
“South Korea is currently ranked 20th, and the process of declining is still taking place. While it may damage our pride a bit, it’s obvious how other countries perceive South Korea. Essentially, those countries will adopt a ‘let’s wait and see’ approach towards South Korea.”
Seonghyun understood what approach they were proposing. Of course, whether it would actually work remained to be seen.
“In extreme terms, it could involve them reaching out to your family or posing a threat to your safety in order to use your ability. That’s why we intend to publicly disclose not only your ability but also its side effects on a grand scale.”
“So, you’re saying that the value of my ability itself will be elevated, but its usage will be devalued. Is that what you mean?”
“You’ve understood it correctly. To them, you will no longer be seen as a threat to their security but rather as a coexisting entity.”
If things went according to the Vice Chairman’s plan, there might not be a better way. Seonghyun would face fewer constraints in using his ability, and with reduced constraints, he might be able to achieve rapid growth.
“To be honest, I find it difficult to trust you, Vice Chairman.”
“I completely understand.”
“But I trust the sincerity of South Korea’s position and its front-line efforts.”
“…”
Honestly, Seonghyun didn’t see any other options.
Once the manifestation application was completed, other countries would likely have already gotten his name on the lists.
In the end, the information was already exposed, so the Vice Chairman’s plan seemed like the most reasonable option.
However, there was a significant difference between accepting it this way and accepting it based on Seonghyun’s statement.
The Vice Chairman’s words seemed to imply that the Association owed something to Seonghyun.
“Thank you. Really.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Thank you for your valuable time. I’ll be waiting outside to guide you.”
After a brief farewell, when Seonghyun left the room, the guide who had escorted him earlier was waiting for him.
“Are you going to the storage room?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Please follow me.”
With her usual cold demeanor, Seonghyun made his way to the Association’s warehouse.
“You can take as much as you want. Then.”
As the massive door swung open, countless pieces of equipment stretched out before him.
In his heart, he wished he could take everything here, but he knew better than anyone what was reasonable, so he shook his head.
“I need to set out to hunt monsters today, so I should just take a decent sword.”
As he searched for a suitable sword, a faint light emanated from deep within.
“What’s this?”
It emitted a white light so subtle that it was hard to perceive, and Seonghyun approached it as if he was captivated by it.
“A ring…?”
Light was flowing from the unidentified ring.
It was urging him to take it.
“Okay, I’ll take it for now.”
Seonghyun placed the ring in his pocket and, while carrying a suitable sword, he exited the room.
“…Is that all you’re taking?”
“Ah, yes. Is there a problem…?”
“No.”
The guide looked at Seonghyun with an unexpected expression.
Based on her own judgment, Seonghyun didn’t seem to be a person who was accustomed to luxury.
Most people in his situation would often show unreasonable greed when given such an opportunity, but Seonghyun had only taken one sword.
“Oh, and I took this ring too.”
“A ring?”
Curious about the ring, the guide tilted her head slightly and soon examined the ring that Seonghyun took from his pocket.
“These two are all I have.”
“Oh, I see. Understood. I’ll take care of the rest, you can leave now.”
Seonghyun nodded slightly to the guide and left the Association.
“There was… a ring?”
The guide tried to recall the faintly shimmering ring before her.
It had an appearance no different from an ordinary ring, but it was possible that she couldn’t remember it.
“Hmm, I can’t remember everything about it.”
Since her task was to report the details, the guide headed straight to the office of the storage manager.
The office was filled with equipment to the point where it was hard to see anything clearly.
The storage manager, who had been assessing the equipment’s capabilities, noticed the guide’s arrival but didn’t even look up, and said.
“Oh, you can leave it there.”
Following the storage manager’s instructions, the guide placed the equipment report on the table and left the room.
“Let’s see… What went out today…”
The storage manager picked up the report, checked the contents, and scratched their head.
“A ring? There shouldn’t be a ring.”
No matter how hard they tried to recall, there was no ring in their memory.
The same held true on the computer.
Since there was no other possibility besides the guide making a mistake, the person in charge didn’t think much of it.
“So, that person can make mistakes too, huh? So the only item exported today should be just a sword?”
The person in charge registered only one sword in today’s export list and finished the entry.
Seonghyun gazed satisfactorily at the sturdy but easily graspable sword in his hand.
“Today’s monster hunt shouldn’t be too bad.”
Since he had no intention of going too deep, and the gate he will be going to is of a low-risk level accessible to lower-level hunters, there was really no danger as long as he didn’t let his guard down.
“The conversation ended way faster than I thought.”
He had expected it to take a few more hours, but it was already a little past lunchtime, he had finished all his tasks at the Association.
“But what in the world is this ring…?”
He was curious about the ability of the ring. Perhaps if he put it on himself, something different might happen.
Having some faint hope. However, as expected, nothing happened just by putting it on.
“Considering the light it emitted, it seems related to my abilities…”
The light he had seen in the Association’s equipment warehouse a while ago was the kind of light that anyone would perceive as sacred.
It was only a faint glimmer, but it somehow made it look even more special.
“Well… I’ll figure it out eventually.”
He had originally intended to consult the Association’s staff about it, but due to the guide’s unusual reaction when he showed the ring, Seonghyun decided to leave immediately.
“It’s been a while since a hunt… Let’s warm up with some weak monsters for now.”
Thought it might not end in just one day.
If that was the case, time was running out, as the Academy’s new term will be starting in a few days.
