TSOT#1 Chapter 13

Joo-ah focused on her healing magic.

 

She tried to increase her recovery output without recklessly consuming her mana. As her concentration grew, so did the healing effects, but it still wasn’t enough.

 

Healing magic alone wasn’t enough to assist her teammates.

 

When Jae-rim swung his sword, the monster blocked it with ease, letting out a shrill cry before shoving him away with its thick arm. Jae-rim was hurled back, landing hard on the ground.

 

The monster charged forward at an incredible speed. Jae-rim barely managed to hold back the monster’s massive foot with his hands.

 

Yeon-joo struggled to get back on her feet.

 

Watching them both from behind, Joo-ah gritted her teeth.

 

In this situation, healing magic was useless. She needed a more practical power.

 

Joo-ah glanced at her remaining mana.

 

> Mana: 53 / 193 (-90)

 

Her light brown eyes fixed firmly ahead. Jae-rim’s trembling sword struggled to hold off the virtual monster.

 

Joo-ah raised her hand, channeling all her remaining mana.

 

Now wasn’t the time for healing magic. Jae-rim’s defenses had to be strengthened, and his offensive power enhanced for the upcoming fight.

 

She concentrated on the energy she could feel at her fingertips.

 

This was the moment for reinforcement magic.

 

She sensed the flow of mana—golden energy burning brightly within the dark void. Her eyes reflected the vivid flames.

 

Golden light surged from Jae-rim’s body. The trembling sword in his hands steadied, as if enveloped by something solid. Jae-rim, surprised, turned to look back at her.

 

Their gazes met briefly before he effortlessly pushed the monster away. His sword now glowed with a green wind, forming a circular aura. A refreshing breeze enveloped the training ground.

 

The monster, seemingly agitated, thrashed wildly. Its gray body hardened, resembling a suit of armor. It lunged forward, leaping high into the air and crashing down toward Jae-rim.

 

Boom!

 

White smoke erupted, and the ground caved under the impact. However, the area where Jae-rim had stood remained intact. A circular shield had formed around him.

 

It was Jae-rim’s turn now. He climbed up the monster’s leg, slashing through its body with his greatsword in one powerful strike.

 

The training session ended swiftly.

 

The virtual training ground, which had sustained damage like a real battlefield, returned to its original state, as if nothing had happened. This was because the entire space was simulated.

 

However, the injuries sustained by the hunters weren’t fully healed. To enhance the training experience, half of the physical pain was intentionally set to be felt directly.

 

Jae-rim stored his greatsword in his inventory. Yeon-joo, who had been watching, slowly got up with a small gasp of admiration.

 

“Hunter Seo Joo-ah, did you just use reinforcement magic? Jae-rim’s stats seem to have skyrocketed.”

 

Both of their gazes shifted to Joo-ah, who stood behind them.

 

Joo-ah, staring blankly at them, suddenly clutched her head and collapsed to the ground.

 

Startled, Yeon-joo and Jae-rim rushed toward her.

 

“Hunter Seo Joo-ah, are you okay?!”

 

Joo-ah, gripping her head and catching her breath, bit her lower lip before raising her gaze. Her eyes landed on the glass wall outside the training ground.

 

No—more precisely, on Yoo Chan-hee, who stood there with his arms crossed, watching the scene with an amused expression.

 

Following her gaze, Jae-rim’s face hardened.

 

“Don’t tell me… the sudden spike in stats was because of Yoo Chan-hee?”

 

Joo-ah felt like she might vomit. Her head throbbed as if it had been struck with a hammer, and she struggled to breathe.

 

Lowering her head, she clenched her teeth.

 

In the meantime, the tightly sealed training room door opened, and Chan-hee strolled in with his hands in his pockets.

 

Yeon-joo, her voice sharp, questioned him.

 

“Yoo Chan-hee, did you use your ability on Hunter Seo Joo-ah without her consent?”

 

Smirking, Chan-hee glanced at Joo-ah, who was still on the ground.

 

“She was overexerting herself for her low rank, so I helped her out.”

 

He shrugged with a sly grin.

 

Jae-rim spoke in a low, cold voice.

 

“Don’t you know it’s forbidden to use abilities on others without their consent? Especially when the rank difference between you and Hunter Seo Joo-ah is so significant—it’s dangerous!”

 

Chan-hee shrugged again, replying nonchalantly.

 

“Well, who told her to be so weak? I was just being generous, helping out a teammate.”

 

His words were playful, but Joo-ah lifted her head to glare at him. Despite her fiery gaze, Chan-hee merely smiled.

 

During the training session, Jae-rim’s attack and defense stats had risen sharply. While Joo-ah had cast reinforcement magic, the overwhelming effect wasn’t solely her doing.

 

With her rank, it was impossible for her to boost Jae-rim’s stats to such a degree.

 

If Chan-hee hadn’t controlled Joo-ah’s magic from outside the training ground, Jae-rim wouldn’t have defeated the S-rank virtual monster so easily.

 

However, as Jae-rim had pointed out, using abilities on a teammate without consent was strictly prohibited within the Association.

 

Even among teammates, this rule was upheld unless they were inside a tower or participating in a collective training session, where mutual understanding was implied.

 

In situations like this, Chan-hee’s actions were undeniably selfish.

 

Especially when the rank gap between hunters was significant, the lower-ranked hunter could suffer severe side effects.

 

The symptoms Joo-ah was currently experiencing—headaches, nausea, and difficulty in breathing—were common. If Chan-hee had used more force, she could have lost consciousness.

 

“Hunter Seo Joo-ah, are you alright? You should rest outside for a bit,” Yeon-joo said gently, helping her up.

 

As Joo-ah passed him, Chan-hee clicked his tongue.

 

“So dramatic.”

 

Joo-ah, on her way out, stopped in her tracks. Shrugging off Yeon-joo’s support, she strode toward Chan-hee.

 

He frowned slightly as he turned to face her.

 

Their eyes locked.

 

“If you ever pull this stunt on me again,” she said in a calm yet chilling tone, staring him down.

 

“I won’t let it slide.”

 

Her firm voice resonated through the training ground. Despite her small frame, her presence burned like a fierce flame.

 

Chan-hee watched her with a crooked smile.

 

Ignoring him, Joo-ah walked out of the training room on her own.

 

Watching her leave, Yeon-joo chuckled lightly and turned to Chan-hee.

 

“Looks like you got the short end of the stick this time.”

 

Her comment left Chan-hee’s face twisted in annoyance.

 

He shifted his gaze to where Joo-ah had gone, only to find the training room door already shut behind her.

 

After the training ended, Joo-ah left the special-class room without looking back.

 

As she descended in the elevator and exited the training facility, she muttered under her breath.

 

“What a jerk.”

 

[The Anonymous Constellation is preparing to rush out and punish Yoo Chan-hee for upsetting his dear contractor.]

 

Seeing the message floating in the air, Joo-ah let out a small scoff.

 

“Be my guest,” she replied, retrieving a mid-tier sword from her inventory.

 

After scanning her surroundings briefly, Joo-ah began walking toward the second tower.

 

[The Anonymous Constellation is curious about your urgency—where are you headed?]

 

“Where else? To hunt monsters.”

 

Earlier, an alarm had sounded, signaling the appearance of a gate. The boss hadn’t been dealt with, and monsters were still roaming around.

 

Spotting a monster lurking near a car, Joo-ah quickly approached and swung her sword.

 

[The Anonymous Constellation wonders why you’re suddenly hunting monsters—what’s your goal?]

 

After defeating the E-rank monster with ease, Joo-ah extracted a magic stone from its head.

 

“Isn’t it obvious? To unlock my second awakening. I need to kill 100 monsters.”

 

Placing the magic stone in her item box, she opened the system window.

 

[Special Skill: Angel’s Blessing]

 

First Awakening: Divine Protection

 

Second Awakening: ??? (Defeat 100 monsters. 1/100)

 

Until now, she had avoided fighting monsters unless absolutely necessary. The reason was simple: her rank was too low.

 

Training with virtual monsters in safe spaces like special- or regular-class rooms had sufficed.

 

[The Anonymous Constellation smugly claims that you’re finally recognizing their brilliance.]

 

Joo-ah smirked faintly.

 

“I see your brilliance now, but who knows how long it’ll take to kill 99 more monsters.”

 

Her special skill was undeniably valuable, especially for someone of her rank.

 

To unlock her second awakening, she needed to hunt monsters. With Divine Protection on her side, there was nothing to fear.