I Became The Only Healer In The Academy [EN]: Chapter 39

The week leading up to receiving the equipment felt incredibly long, each day amplifying the anticipation.

During that week of training, Seonghyun, Inhwan, and Sangyeon’s basic abilities improved, though their limitations were still apparent.

A minor issue was their inability to face stronger monsters until they received their new gear.

However, a more significant problem was the shift in their mindset from hunting the same monsters daily.

The intense, all-out battles were gone. After learning the weaknesses and patterns of their opponents, they began conserving energy and hunting more efficiently.

Of course, they couldn’t simply rest, so Seonghyun and the others continued their daily training without fail.

“It’s finally today.”

“Yeah, I’m a little excited.”

Even Sangyeon, usually stoic, showed visible excitement.

Today was the day they would receive the equipment they had commissioned from the academy.

They would need to check if the equipment was made to order, but the prospect of receiving gear with unique abilities was incredibly thrilling.

“So, what did you guys order? I asked for increased accuracy.”

Inhwan already seemed confident he’d get what he wanted.

“Well, I don’t know if it’s possible, but I asked if they could increase the minimum health requirement for berserking… something like that?”

“Wow, that’s a huge request! What about you, Seonghyun? What ability did you ask for?”

“What would a healer ask for? Just to heal well. Something like that.”

Inhwan and Sangyeon didn’t press Seonghyun further and headed to the equipment workshop.

The three entered, and the craftsman they had met before greeted them.

“Oh, you’re right on time.”

They tried to gauge the result from the craftsman’s expression, but it was unreadable, whether intentionally or not.

“Come this way.”

Following the craftsman inside, they saw a variety of equipment displayed on the walls and in display cases.

“Don’t get any ideas.”

The craftsman, with his usual cigarette, nonchalantly placed their equipment on the table.

“You can tell just by looking, right? I made them in accessory form for easy wearing.”

Two were rings, and one was a bracelet.

“Um, how did mine turn out?”

Inhwan looked at the craftsman expectantly, who replied with a slightly arrogant smile.

“The first thing you asked for was accuracy, right?”

“Yes, that’s right!”

“Is that all you need? You’re a student representing the academy, representing the grade.”

“Oh, oh…!”

He hadn’t heard the full explanation, but the craftsman’s words suggested he had created something much better than Inhwan had initially requested.

“Looking at your records, your power itself is excellent, but the mana consumption is quite high, is that right?”

“Yes, that’s right. That’s why it was hard to improve my skill. I can’t use it often.”

The craftsman took the last puff of his cigarette and pushed the ring on the far left forward, saying,

“I’ve added the accuracy you mentioned, and also reduced the amount of mana required to use the ability.”

“Really?!”

Inhwan’s eyes widened, and he immediately approached the ring.

“Yes, it’s yours now.”

With reverence, Inhwan carefully lifted the ring with both hands.

“Can I, can I try it on?”

“Yes, it’s yours now, remember?”

Inhwan put the ring on his left ring finger and spread his hand, looking at it with fascination.

“Huh? I, it doesn’t feel like I’m wearing a ring at all.”

“What? Didn’t you know that?”

The craftsman looked at Inhwan as if he were a country bumpkin and continued his explanation.

“The most important thing about equipment is that it feels like it’s not there! Unless you decide to show the ring, it won’t appear. And you don’t feel like you’re wearing it, like now.”

“Oh, amazing…”

Inhwan looked down at the ring, mouth agape at the unexpected function.

“How is it, are you satisfied?”

“It’s not just a little! It’s really the best!”

At Inhwan’s words, the craftsman finally smiled pleasantly and looked at Sangyeon.

“Next, I’ll explain your equipment.”

Sangyeon hadn’t expected much, but after witnessing Inhwan’s experience, he couldn’t help but feel a growing anticipation.

“Um, you wanted to increase the minimum requirement for berserking, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The craftsman clicked his tongue with a slightly regretful expression.

“Tsk, unfortunately, I couldn’t include the ability you wanted. I guess the technology is still lacking.”

“Ah… is that so.”

Sangyeon looked slightly disappointed, but he didn’t show it much.

“Instead, your ability is to berserk when your health drops below a certain level, so I made the equipment arbitrarily… I don’t know if you’ll like it.”

“Any ability is fine.”

Inhwan and Seonghyun watched with amusement at Sangyeon’s unusually polite demeanor.

“As far as I know, the berserking is released when you exceed a certain amount of health, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. I don’t know the exact amount yet, though.”

The craftsman completely erased the regretful look he had shown and said with the same look he had given Inhwan.

“Then let me explain it simply. When I received your requests and the ability reports, I thought…”

The craftsman looked at Seonghyun and Sangyeon alternately and said.

“Why are these two always together? That friend is a healer, and you lose your berserking when you have more than a certain amount of health.”

“…”

In fact, their relationship had been strained because of that, so they didn’t answer and just looked at the craftsman.

“So, Gu Sangyeon, was it? It might be a bit of a loss for you, but I’ve added an ability that prevents berserking from being released even if your health is restored.”

“Is, is that possible?”

“If you don’t believe me, you can test it yourself later.”

The craftsman smirked confidently and looked at the moved Sangyeon.

“I thought you were selfish, but I guess not? I didn’t think you’d be happy.”

“It’s a good enough piece of equipment even without Kim Seonghyun… by my side.”

“I appreciate you saying that. But the conditions for berserking haven’t changed, so be careful.”

Unlike Inhwan, who put on the ring reverently, Sangyeon had an unreadable expression.

A face as if he didn’t even know what emotion he was feeling.

“And finally, Kim Seonghyun.”

“Ah, yes.”

The craftsman’s eyes looking at Seonghyun felt a little sharp.

“Hoo… I almost… because of you…”

“Uh… I’m sorry.”

Seonghyun awkwardly lowered his head, feeling like he should apologize. The craftsman waved his hand as if to say it was okay and pushed the bracelet in the middle slightly forward.

“It’s okay. You made me use my craftsmanship for the first time in a while? Oh, but don’t misunderstand, I didn’t make the other equipment carelessly.”

The craftsman held the bracelet and handed it to Seonghyun, explaining.

“The other two’s equipment was made faster than I thought, but only your equipment took a lot of time.”

The craftsman leaned close to Seonghyun and asked carefully.

“…You, you’re wearing a ring, aren’t you?”

“Huh? A ring?”

Seonghyun looked at his fingers.

But there was nothing that could be called a ring.

‘…Huh? Didn’t I receive a ring when I got support from the association before?’

“…What? Is it not?”

He was clearly exuding the energy of hunters wearing equipment, but the craftsman tilted his head as Seonghyun showed a look of confusion.

“Then can I take a look for a moment?”

“Yes. As you wish…”

The craftsman grabbed Seonghyun’s hands and began to examine them.

“…”

At first, he touched his wrist, then each of his fingers, and even intertwined his fingers, which began to feel strangely unpleasant.

“Hmm, no. Is it a mistake? Well, anyway, unfortunately, the ability you requested failed.”

“Failed?”

It might have failed if it was an absurd request, but Seonghyun was surprised for a different reason.

The request was something that should never fail.

‘Strengthening the ability a little failed…?’

“Yes, I don’t know why, but it’s as if it knows who’s going to wear it, so the ability itself couldn’t be granted, so we granted it arbitrarily. At least it will help you.”

The craftsman grabbed Seonghyun’s hand again and placed the bracelet on top of it.

“After all, you’re a healer.”

“That’s… right?”

“Healers must be able to survive in any situation.”

“That’s right.”

Seonghyun answered while wearing the bracelet, and the craftsman put a cigarette back in his mouth and sat down, continuing the explanation.

“That bracelet will block an attack that you can’t react to, just once.”

“An attack I can’t react to?”

“Yes, I was thinking of implanting an attack-related ability, but the power isn’t very high and you can’t use it many times, so I made it defensive on purpose so you wouldn’t rely on it in vain.”

He didn’t seem trustworthy just by looking at him smoking, but Seonghyun could feel that he had put a lot of thought into making it for the students.

“It won’t activate for attacks that you can recognize or react to. It will protect you from things you can’t feel at all… like assassinations.”

The craftsman knew Seonghyun’s position and value, so he put all his effort into making the equipment.

“Of course, it won’t be able to block attacks from the world’s top hunters, but it can easily block attacks from ordinary people. It’s a shame that it’s only once.”

“So, if I get better and can react to attacks that I can’t react to now, it won’t activate naturally, right?”

“That’s right. You understood right away. In a way, you can think of it as equipment that grows with its owner? Haha.”

Seonghyun carefully put on the bracelet, and like the other two rings, it gradually became transparent, and soon the bracelet disappeared.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. It’s okay. Go.”

Inhwan and Sangyeon left the workshop first, and as Seonghyun was about to leave, the craftsman said in a voice that only Seonghyun could hear.

“You have to survive. No matter what.”

“…Yes.”

Seonghyun, unfamiliar with such concern, awkwardly bowed his head and closed the door.

“We got new equipment… are we going to request a subjugation from the association now?”

Inhwan looked eager to go out and train immediately.

“Yeah. Let’s find two more people and apply for subjugation as soon as possible.”