TSOT#1 Chapter 19

The noisy chatter gradually died down. Every Hunter’s gaze was fixed in one direction.

 

Jae-rim’s usually rigid expression turned to one of shock, his eyes widening. Yeon-joo and Chan-hee, standing nearby, wore similarly astonished faces.

 

“…This is impossible,” Yeon-joo murmured, her voice filled with disbelief.

 

Emerging unscathed from the cloud of dense smoke were Joo-ah and Boram, standing as if nothing had happened.

 

Joo-ah, her arm draped around Boram’s shoulders, turned her head slowly. Her gaze moved deliberately, landing on her team members staring blankly back at her from within the crowd.

 

Without a word, Joo-ah glanced at Boram, who was leaning against her for support, before scanning her distant teammates once more.

 

The room seemed to plunge into silence, as though someone had muted all the surrounding noise. Yet, amidst the stillness, a cheerful notification sound echoed in her mind.

 

[An Anonymous Constellation sparkles with curiosity, asking how it felt to borrow their power.]

 

Joo-ah stared silently at the system window floating before her, then curved her lips into a thin smile.

 

“…How was it? Damn good.”

 

Her body immediately collapsed, limp.

 

[ (Hunter) Seo Joo-ah has entered a temporary “Sleep” state due to being unable to sustain the effects of the “Divine Blessing” skill. (Recovery time: 3 hours)]

 

Yeon-joo quickly rushed forward as Joo-ah slumped over Boram. She placed her fingers under Joo-ah’s nose and felt a faint breath.

 

Relieved, Yeon-joo let out a sigh. “She’s just asleep. Thank goodness.”

 

Jae-rim and Chan-hee followed her over. Chan-hee spoke in exasperation.

“I really can’t figure her out. Why the hell would she save someone who was tormenting her?”

 

He was referring to the moment Lim Hyuk-jae had tried to kill Boram.

 

Jae-rim frowned slightly and voiced his own thoughts.

“More importantly, how did she survive? Did the monster’s ultimate attack somehow get canceled?”

 

Chan-hee dismissed the idea nonchalantly.

“I’ve never seen that happen before. Even when monsters disappear, the effects of their ultimate skills usually linger.”

 

Yeon-joo, inspecting Joo-ah’s condition, added in a matter-of-fact tone,

“If it wasn’t Seo Joo-ah Hunter’s power, then it must have been this woman’s.”

 

She nodded toward Boram with her chin.

“Although it’s absurd to think a B-rank Hunter could block an S-rank monster, there are precedents for latent power erupting in moments of crisis.”

 

She turned to call out to Boram’s teammates, who had been hesitating nearby.

“How long are you going to stand there pretending not to know her? Come get her already.”

 

At last, Boram’s team hurried over to support her, leading her away. Meanwhile, staff members from the Association began directing the Hunters out of the hall.

 

As the chaotic crowd thinned out, Jae-rim lifted Joo-ah onto his back while Yeon-joo supported her from the side.

 

“Hey.”

 

Someone called out, stopping them in their tracks.

 

“Such outstanding Hunters—don’t you think we should at least exchange pleasantries?”

 

It was Lim Hyuk-jae, approaching them with a crooked smile.

 

Yeon-joo and Jae-rim, unfamiliar with him, wore puzzled expressions. On the other hand, Chan-hee’s face twisted slightly in displeasure.

 

Lim Hyuk-jae. He was one of the elite members Chan-hee knew from the top ranks, aside from Kwon Eun-young.

 

Noticing Chan-hee, Hyuk-jae greeted him casually.

“Hunter Yoo Chan-hee —looking better every time I see you. Must be those amazing genes.”

 

Hyuk-jae patted Chan-hee’s shoulder before glancing at Joo-ah, who was unconscious on Jae-rim’s back.

 

“So this is the big shot from the upper-tier team, huh?” he remarked mockingly.

 

Yeon-joo asked Chan-hee if he knew Hyuk-jae, but Chan-hee didn’t respond. Instead, Hyuk-jae spoke again, his tone laced with disdain as he looked at Joo-ah.

 

“Let’s not be strangers, Yoo Chan-hee. We need to stick together in this harsh world, don’t we?”

 

Chan-hee, clearly unwilling, gave a curt nod. Satisfied, Hyuk-jae sneered before leaving the hall.

 

After he left, Yeon-joo frowned and asked Chan-hee,

“Who is that guy, and why are you so on edge around him?”

 

It was the first time she’d seen Chan-hee so tense. As an SS-rank Hunter, he rarely shed his playful demeanor, let alone appeared serious.

 

Jae-rim, too, waited silently for an explanation. After a brief sigh, Chan-hee finally answered,

“You don’t need to know. Getting involved with him will only cause trouble.”

 

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and started walking. Though puzzled, Yeon-joo and Jae-rim refrained from pressing further, sensing Chan-hee’s reluctance.

 

When Joo-ah awoke, she found herself in the medical ward of the training center. Sitting up, she noticed Boram in the adjacent bed.

 

As she gazed at Boram in silence, a splitting headache made her clutch her head and close her eyes.

 

[An Anonymous Constellation advises you to lie down longer, saying your body hasn’t fully recovered yet.]

 

Joo-ah opened her eyes slowly, reflecting on the recent events. She had come dangerously close to death from the S-rank monster’s attack, and it was only thanks to the Constellation’s power that she survived.

 

[Divine Blessing]

 

This ultimate skill, granted by the constellation, had made her temporarily invincible. At the moment of crisis, when the monster’s attack was imminent, Joo-ah had chosen [Divine Blessing] from the system window.

 

What followed was extraordinary. Her stats skyrocketed, far exceeding the limits of an SSS-rank Hunter, possibly even higher.

 

Neutralizing the monster’s attack had been effortless during that brief window of invincibility. The skill lasted until her stamina and mana were entirely depleted, after which she lost consciousness.

 

As Joo-ah lowered her hand from her head, she muttered,

“But how were my stats fully restored? My stamina, maybe—but my mana was more than half drained…”

 

The [Divine Blessing] skill had strict activation requirements: both stamina and mana had to be completely replenished. Yet, despite her depleted state, the skill had activated.

 

Her gaze shifted to Boram, whose chest rose and fell rhythmically as she slept. Joo-ah fell into silent contemplation until the door opened, and Jae-rim entered.

 

“Hunter Seo Joo-ah,” he greeted as he approached her bed.

 

Surprised, Joo-ah tilted her head.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she replied.

 

“That’s good to hear,” Jae-rim said in his usual quiet tone.

 

Joo-ah chuckled softly.

“This is unexpected. I didn’t think Hunter Shin Jae-rim  would care about what happens to me.”

 

It wasn’t meant as a jab; she was genuinely surprised by his visit.

 

Jae-rim, with his soft brown hair and calm, chocolate-colored eyes, exuded an air of tranquility. His neatly tailored uniform enhanced his upright image.

 

But appearances were deceiving. Jae-rim seemed like someone who built thick walls around himself, keeping others at a distance.

 

“I would have calmly prepared your funeral had the worst happened,” he replied bluntly.

 

Joo-ah smirked.

“That’s a bit much, don’t you think? Telling someone you’d arrange their funeral while they’re alive?”

 

“It’s the reality Hunters face,” Jae-rim said, his tone even. “We are only temporary teammates. There’s no need for emotional attachments—just basic respect.”

 

Joo-ah tilted her head.

“Then, was your visit here just a matter of courtesy?”

 

“Exactly.”

 

Despite his cold words, Joo-ah smiled.

“Well, I still appreciate the effort. Courtesy isn’t easy to come by, even among temporary teammates.”