I Became The Only Healer In The Academy [EN]: Chapter 131

131

‘Subjugating a Rank 2 Gate at this hour is amazing, but…’

There was a problem.

No, it was too good to be called a problem; no one looked tired.

Of course, their lack of fatigue could be attributed to having a Healer during the Gate subjugation.

But still.

These were all Hunters who typically struggled with mutated Rank 3 Gates.

The expressions on their faces could be summed up in one phrase.

‘This is doable?’ They genuinely seemed to think so.

What on earth happened inside?

And what kind of monsters appeared?

All the reporters, as well as the Association’s Hunters waiting at the entrance, began to wonder. The reporters started firing off every question that came to mind.

“Hunter Kim! What kind of monsters appeared?”

“The guild members are known for their Rank 3 Gate subjugation skills. Was this Gate higher than that level?”

“Now that you’ve subjugated a Rank 2 Gate, Guild A will be considered a medium-to-large guild. What are your future plans?”

Even before he could answer one question, others kept pouring out.

The entrance of the Gate was turning into a marketplace. Seonghyun lightly raised a hand to silence them.

“You all remember what I said before I went in, right?”

Who could forget what Seonghyun himself had said, and not just anyone else?

“I believe that answers it.”

Seonghyun left those words behind and walked away.

The reporters tried to bombard him with more questions as they followed, but they were stopped by the Hunters from the Association.

The next day, news of Seonghyun’s subjugation spread nationwide.

The shortest time Seonghyun had taken to subjugate a Rank 3 Gate was 37 seconds.

And the time it took to subjugate a Rank 2 Gate was 1 hour and 7 minutes.

In fact, Seonghyun was leisurely drinking coffee after dealing with the boss of the Rank 2 Gate, so if he had been serious, he could have cleared it within 30 minutes.

Compared to the previous record of 1 hour and 53 minutes, it was quite a reduction.

Moreover, the previous record of 1 hour and 53 minutes was achieved by two of Korea’s top Hunters working together.

The significance of this news was immense.

Previously, the Vice President of the Association had directly mentioned Seonghyun and highlighted his skills and ranking.

Many people agreed, but dissenting opinions couldn’t be ignored.

Because there was no concrete evidence.

To recognize him as number one in Korea based solely on that short video and the Vice President’s interview was quite a significant leap of faith.

The world’s shortest record for subjugating a Rank 2 Gate was 43 minutes.

Since Seonghyun, as a solo Hunter, came close to that record, public opinion that had previously doubted him was gradually shifting.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Seonghyun, after reading the article, tossed his cell phone aside and lay down on the bed.

He hadn’t subjugated the Rank 2 Gate to gain recognition, so whether he was recognized or not was irrelevant.

“It’s not difficult either…”

Coincidentally, his future actions aligned with what the public desired.

From the moment he established himself as a top Hunter, he had no intention of concealing his strength.

He had already risen to the top with the abilities and power he had revealed, so there was no need to showcase more.

The time remaining until he had to officially join the ranks of top Hunters and fulfill his responsibilities was now two weeks.

He could attempt to subjugate another Rank 2 Gate, but there was no need to rush.

He had already thoroughly assessed the level of monsters that appeared in Rank 2 Gates.

“Should I spend the remaining time with my family?”

Even though it was a Rank 1 Gate subjugation scheduled with many top Hunters, he couldn’t afford to be careless.

First, he only had a general understanding of the difficulty level of a Rank 1 Gate.

Second, there was the matter of the assassin who had targeted him before.

He still hadn’t identified who was behind the assassination attempt.

In fact, the second reason was more pressing.

Their assassination had failed then, but that was only because Seonghyun’s magic power was virtually limitless.

If they had targeted another top Hunter in Korea, that Hunter would likely have been killed.

That’s how meticulous and thorough they were.

“I don’t even know the list of top Hunters participating in the subjugation…”

Even if some of them disguised themselves as the uninvited guests from before, Seonghyun wouldn’t be able to tell.

They had approached him outside the Gate previously, but they might try something inside the Gate this time.

“Should I meet the other three?”

The other three top Hunters who would be participating in this subjugation.

Seonghyun knew them all.

The reason he hadn’t contacted them until now was simple.

They weren’t overtly evil, nor did they have a particularly bad reputation.

They had simply displayed ordinary personalities and behaviors like everyone else.

“There’s no point.”

In the first place, they must have been racking their brains to recruit Seonghyun into their guild. However, the Association’s active defense and the timing of his rise to the top, coupled with the emergence of his own guild, had complicated matters.

This timing was incredibly inconvenient for them.

For them, it was like watching their chance to become Korea’s best guild slip away.

The reason for that was the Association, which had actively defended Seonghyun, and Seonghyun himself, who had founded his own guild.

A few days ago, he had broken the record for the fastest subjugation of a Rank 2 Gate in Korea, turning their opportunity into a crisis in a short period.

However, no one would be foolish enough to openly display hostility toward Seonghyun.

Unless another Healer was born.

“But why haven’t there been any contacts so far…”

In the past, the Association had blocked contact, and it was originally prohibited, but it was still strange that there had been no attempts to reach out even after he became a top Hunter.

He didn’t know the reason, but whatever it was, it would be interesting to meet them in person.

Seonghyun fumbled for his cell phone, which he had tossed aside, and called Manager Cha.

“Manager Cha.”

“Yes, is there something wrong? Your voice sounds a little stiff…”

Manager Cha didn’t usually comment on these things, but he felt uneasy because Seonghyun’s voice, which usually had a hint of kindness, was flat.

“No. More than that, are you nearby?”

“Of course. Are you coming out?”

“Let’s meet for a while.”

——————————————–

Waiting in front of Seonghyun’s house, a man wearing a hat pulled low appeared.

“…You must be uncomfortable.”

“I can’t help it.”

Seonghyun, who had become as famous as a celebrity, had reached the point where he was recognized by everyone unless he wore a hat and glasses without lenses.

It was difficult to see Seonghyun’s expression clearly because of the hat, but it was definitely not a bright one.

“Shall we go to a quiet cafe nearby?”

“Yes. That would be better.”

The quiet cafe, as Seonghyun had said, was empty because it was a weekday morning.

The two of them, sitting in the most secluded spot, didn’t say a word until the coffee they had ordered arrived.

“Two Americanos you ordered are here.”

The employee’s voice broke the silence. Manager Cha immediately got up, took the coffee, placed it in front of Seonghyun, and asked,

“Is something wrong? You haven’t said anything.”

“Ah, no. I just had something to think about.”

Seonghyun, washing away his remaining worries with a sip of cold coffee, explained why he had called Manager Cha today.

“Top Hunters of Korea. Can you contact them all?”

“All…do you mean?”

It was rare for everyone to be summoned unless it was a special occasion.

Moreover, the person with the authority to summon all the top Hunters was even rarer, almost nonexistent.

“May I ask if there is something wrong?”

Looking at Manager Choi’s [Cha’s] nervous expression, it seemed he was misunderstanding something.

‘It’s like he thinks I’m calling them to sort out the ranks.’

He chuckled inwardly at the expression and answered Manager Choi’s [Cha’s] question.

“Aren’t they the people who will be participating in the Rank 1 Gate subjugation soon? There was an unpleasant incident a while ago, and it wouldn’t hurt to build a friendly relationship.”

Friendship.

As the word, which anyone would interpret positively, was spoken, Manager Cha breathed a sigh of relief.

“Ah…I see. That’s a relief. I was worried you were going to sort out the ranks properly.”

“Is there a need to do that?”

“…Yes?”

Manager Cha flinched at Seonghyun’s words, which were filled with confidence bordering on murderous intent, and looked into his eyes.

“The sorting is already over.”

At that voice and expression, Manager Cha changed his prediction, which had no basis, to a firm conviction.

There is definitely something hidden.

And that hidden thing must be bigger than anyone imagines.

“Then until when…”

“The Rank 1 Gate subjugation schedule is approaching, so I hope it will be soon. It’s always good to quickly understand where people stand.”

‘Why is that?’

It was clear that he was just saying he would figure out what kind of person each of them was, but strangely, Manager Cha didn’t interpret it that way.

It was as if he was trying to determine who would be loyal to him, or at least show favor, and who wouldn’t.

And it was taken to mean that he would decide what measures to take once that distinction was made.

But unless someone was truly foolish, no one would pick a fight with Seonghyun now.

Unless they were completely unaware of his capabilities.

‘What’s the point of worrying like this.’

Anyway, Manager Cha had no choice but to nod and say he understood.

And Manager Cha knew that better than anyone else.

“I will take responsibility and set a date. Fortunately, there are no top Hunters on business trips, so I think I can report back as early as tomorrow or as late as the day after tomorrow.”

“Then please.”

“Can I…join you at the meeting?”

“Of course. You’re from the Association, so the justification is there. And I have one more request.”

“Feel free to speak.”

“Please give me the list of Hunters who will be cooperating in this Rank 1 Gate subjugation. With photos.”

It wasn’t difficult.

In the first place, the list wasn’t much different from the last subjugation.

“Okay. I will set a schedule and give you the list together.”

“Thank you.”

Manager Cha still had a worried expression, but Seonghyun knew the other top Hunters far better than Manager Cha realized.

Their tendencies, purposes, goals, and fears.

Since he knew what would happen in the future, it wasn’t difficult to understand their current weaknesses.