TSOT#1 Chapter 10

Jae-rim, who had been sleeping on the sofa, opened his eyes. It was already past 10 a.m.

 

It had been a long time since he’d slept this deeply without any nightmares.

 

As Jae-rim lifted himself up, he noticed Joo-ah sitting directly across from him. She was staring at a flowerpot on the table.

 

“You’re up?”

 

Joo-ah glanced at him and greeted him. Jae-rim, who had been silently watching her, pressed his hand against his eyes for a moment and then got up, seemingly about to leave the training room.

 

“No matter how temporary our team is, ignoring a greeting seems a bit much, doesn’t it?”

 

Joo-ah, still looking at the flowerpot, straightened her posture and looked at Jae-rim. He showed no particular response.

 

Yet Joo-ah didn’t seem to mind, and she continued with a bright smile.

 

“Look at this. I succeeded with the healing magic.”

 

She raised the flowerpot in her hands closer to his line of sight.

 

Jae-rim’s gaze shifted to the flowerpot.

 

Just as she said, the nearly dead plant was now blooming with beautiful light pink flowers, looking as vibrant as if it had just blossomed.

 

After quietly observing the flowerpot, Jae-rim spoke in a composed tone.

 

“Well done.”

 

The response was excessively formal, causing Joo-ah to pout slightly.

 

“That didn’t sound very happy. I was hoping for a more enthusiastic compliment.”

 

At her words, Jae-rim furrowed his brows slightly and asked.

 

“Then, what kind of response were you expecting?”

 

Amused by his unexpectedly innocent question, Joo-ah’s lips curved into a gentle smile.

 

“Acknowledging the process rather than just the outcome would be nice. I put a lot of effort into training, you know.”

 

“…Is that so?”

 

Jae-rim slightly tightened his expression as he looked at the flowerpot in her hands, then spoke again.

 

“You worked hard, Hunter Seo Joo-ah.”

 

It was unexpected. Though he usually acted as if she didn’t exist, this time, he actually took the effort to give a considerate response.

 

Joo-ah gladly accepted his praise.

 

“Thank you.”

 

She answered with a clear smile, and Jae-rim silently observed her before turning to leave. But Joo-ah stopped him again.

 

“Can I ask you something?”

 

Jae-rim turned his head and looked at her.

 

Joo-ah lowered her gaze to the flowerpot on the table.

 

“You told Hunter Yoo Chan-hee last time that you didn’t want any more team members, right?”

 

While gently touching the petals with her hand, she looked up and met his eyes.

 

“Why don’t you want that? If the new team member had been an A-rank or S-rank Hunter… would you still feel the same?”

 

She was simply curious about his thoughts.

 

Was his reluctance due to her rank, or was there another reason?

 

And his response came more readily than she expected.

 

“Even if another Hunter joined, my stance would remain the same.”

 

“So, it’s not because I’m an E-rank, right?”

 

Joo-ah smiled brightly, as if pleased with his answer.

 

“That’s a relief.”

 

At her words, Jae-rim spoke with a puzzled expression.

 

“What’s a relief?”

 

Joo-ah shrugged casually as if it was no big deal.

 

“Even if I leave this team eventually, it doesn’t mean we won’t see each other again. I’ll still be in the training center, after all.”

 

“…”

 

“It’s best to leave without misunderstandings, so I wanted to clear things up.”

 

She rested her chin in her hand with a bored expression and added.

 

“Although, who knows when my team will be reassigned properly.”

 

Jae-rim silently watched her.

 

She had been assigned to a high-level group, yet she showed no regret about leaving. She just seemed annoyed by the incorrect team assignment.

 

“Are you planning to sleep more here? Or are you going to train?”

 

Joo-ah looked at him as if wondering why he hadn’t left yet. Her attitude made it seem as if she hadn’t just stopped him moments earlier, leaving Jae-rim at a loss for words as he stared at her. She returned his gaze with a puzzled expression.

 

He shook his head slightly and turned to leave the training room.

 

“Goodbye.”

 

Joo-ah’s farewell came from behind him.

 

As he turned the door handle, he paused for a moment and slightly turned his head.

 

“Since it’s too difficult for Hunter Seo Joo-ah to face high-level monsters, it would be better for you to focus on healing magic.”

 

“Wow, are you actually giving me advice?”

 

Since he’d finally commented on her training, Joo-ah responded with a pleased, radiant expression.

 

“Got it. I’ll focus on healing practice.”

 

Jae-rim, who had been watching her in silence, left the room.

 

Joo-ah got up and brought another flowerpot. Though it was in better condition than the previous plant, it had already bloomed once and withered.

 

She attempted healing magic on each one, succeeding with relative ease.

 

Before long, four flowerpots, all beautifully in full bloom, were arranged on the table.

 

[The Anonymous Constellation has sent a ‘Celebration Cake’ coupon to congratulate his contractor on finally mastering healing magic.]

 

Joo-ah jumped to her feet.

 

“Time to head to the shop.”

 

Muttering softly, she immediately left the room, took the elevator down, and exited the training center, heading to a shop near the first tower.

 

Though it appeared like any regular retail facility from the outside, only Hunters could enter—a shop exclusively for Hunters.

 

Joo-ah walked up to the counter and tapped the item box in the system window.

 

[Item List]

 

[D-rank Monster Core, B-rank Monster Core, ‘Celebration Cake’ Coupon]

 

She selected each item and pressed [Sell].

 

As each item disappeared, a jingling coin sound echoed, and the points in the upper-right corner increased.

 

[Points: 71,100 (+69,000)]

 

Her face brightened as she checked her points.

 

“With this, I can afford a mid-grade sword.”

 

The sword currently in her inventory was a low-grade one.

 

At the academy, Hunters had to purchase their basic equipment from the shop before entering the training center so that they were ready for real combat.

 

Beginner Hunters started with no points and often earned them by defeating F-rank monsters that had escaped the tower.

 

Of course, talented individuals could defeat high-rank monsters and buy better items, but that wasn’t the case for Joo-ah.

 

All of the items in her inventory were low-grade.

 

If her rank were to increase, her inventory would be upgraded, along with the level of the items within it, but buying items from the shop with points was faster.

 

[Selected: Mid-Grade Sword]

 

[Purchase for 70,000 points?]

 

[Yes/No]

 

She quickly tapped [Yes].

 

[You have purchased a Mid-Grade Sword.]

 

[Stored in Inventory.]

 

[Remaining Points: 1,100 (-70,000)]

 

Joo-ah looked over her newly acquired sword with satisfaction as she left the shop with light steps.

 

As she passed the first tower on her way back to the training center, she felt the faint rumble of the ground. She stopped and turned her head in confusion.

 

Her gaze fell upon the entrance of the first tower.

 

Out of the darkness, a monster burst forth in an instant.

 

“It’s a monster!!!”

 

The people nearby started fleeing in a panic.

 

Her phone chimed with a disaster alert message about a gate opening, and summoned Hunters rushed into the tower.

 

Joo-ah helped guide the nearby people to a safe place.

 

“Hunter! Please help!”

 

Then, a middle-aged man shouted at her desperately.

 

“A monster took my child! Please, help me!”

 

He pointed somewhere with a trembling hand. Joo-ah hesitated for a moment, aware that if the monster was too powerful, she might be unable to help.

 

But with other Hunters busy fighting other monsters, there was no one else to assist the man.

 

In the end, Joo-ah decided to go find the child herself. If it was a monster from the first tower, she might stand a chance.

 

“Where is the child?”

 

She entered a narrow alley and looked around but saw no sign of a child, not even a strand of hair.

 

“…The child.”

 

She turned her head.

 

The middle-aged man mumbled in a low voice as he rushed toward her.

 

“I already devoured it!!!”

 

The man’s appearance grotesquely melted, transforming into a monster in an instant.

 

Joo-ah recoiled in horror, drawing her sword from her inventory to fend him off. The monster’s face twisted into an eerie grin, mimicking the expressions of people it had likely killed.

 

Joo-ah pushed back against the monster with her sword, glancing at her new weapon.

 

“Just as I bought a new weapon, it’s like they’re giving me a chance to test it out.”

 

The monster was D-rank—a cunning type that lured people to isolated spots to attack.

 

The monster opened its mouth and let out a deafening scream. Joo-ah covered her ears as her eardrums felt as if they’d tear.

 

In that moment, the monster launched a swift attack.

 

Joo-ah narrowly dodged and swung her sword, unleashing a powerful gust that struck the monster.

 

She tried to take advantage of the monster’s hesitation to attack its weak point, but her aim missed.

 

As she caught her breath, an eerie silence settled around her, and a chill ran down her spine.