I Became The Only Healer In The Academy [EN]: Chapter 24

24

Most of the students in the class believed that their victory in the mock battle was thanks to Inhwan.

Almost everyone knew Inhwan possessed the Ignition ability, and they believed it was this ability that had incapacitated the opposing team’s sniper, their key player.

“Alright! Everyone worked hard!”

The homeroom teacher, who had returned unnoticed, praised the three with a bright smile.

“The next mock battle is next week. Our opponents are still in the middle of their mock battle, so let’s watch the recording together and prepare well.”

The homeroom teacher seemed quite satisfied.

They weren’t expecting much from being the grade representative, and were simply happy to have beaten Professor Kim Hwangi’s class.

“Seonghyun, are you heading to the Gate again today?”

Inhwan wasn’t paying attention to the other students’ chatter.

He was only focused on the mock battle next week.

“No, let’s rest today. Coordination and increasing proficiency are important, but we haven’t rested at all lately, have we?”

As Seonghyun said, Inhwan and Seonghyun had spent every day at the Gate from last week until right before today’s mock battle.

Their proficiency had increased significantly, but it was natural that fatigue had accumulated as well.

“Let’s go tomorrow instead.”

“Ugh… tomorrow’s the weekend.”

“We don’t have much time, only a week, so we can’t help it. And we’re going to a different Gate tomorrow.”

“A different Gate? Where to?”

There were a total of three open Gates in the Seoul Metropolitan Area.

The Gate that Seonghyun and Inhwan had been frequenting was a Rank 5 Gate, suitable for novice Hunters to subjugate.

“The one right above it.”

“That place is…”

The Gate Seonghyun mentioned was located in an ambiguous position between Rank 4 and Rank 5.

It was an area where wolf-type monsters appeared near the entrance, and it was frequently subjugated by Hunters with relatively more experience or better abilities.

The difference between Rank 4 and Rank 5 Gates was quite significant.

The monsters that appeared in Rank 5 could still be dealt with if several ordinary adult men rushed them, but the monsters that appeared in Rank 4 could not be handled even with a truckload of people.

“Then what time should we meet tomorrow?”

“Let’s eat lunch and head over at a leisurely pace. Does that work for you?”

“I have to make it work even if I don’t want to. If we become the grade representative, we might even receive exclusive equipment.”

“Ahem, um…”

While they were making plans for tomorrow, Gusangyeon cleared his throat and approached.

“What is it? If you have something to say, then say it.”

Inhwan sighed softly, as if he was annoyed with Sangyeon for not speaking clearly.

“What, you want to come with us?”

“Ah, no, well… If we win the next mock battle, we’ll be the grade representative, and you guys will need a front line when you go to the Gate.”

“Is that so? What do you think?”

Inhwan said, looking at Seonghyun, as if telling him to make the decision.

“…I don’t mind. Like it or not, we’re a team.”

Gusangyeon’s expression wasn’t very bright either.

His eyes showed he was reluctantly working together for his own goal.

“…Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Seonghyun didn’t take it to heart much, as he wasn’t narrow-minded enough to not understand that they were using each other for their own purposes.

“Ha, he’s still like that.”

“Don’t worry about it too much. I don’t care much either.”

“You’re so easygoing.”

“It’s fine. Let’s watch the video.”

Seonghyun and Inhwan reviewed the video of the opponent they would face in the next mock battle.

‘…It’s unfolding the same way as before the regression.’

It was flowing in the same direction as before.

‘They’ll probably win…’

The problem was their abilities.

A class composed of pure brute force.

They were people who neutralized the opponent’s attacks and checks based on overwhelming physical abilities.

‘It might actually be easier.’

Seonghyun’s ability, Stigma [an ability that inflicts intense pain], was almost perfect, except for the limitations of distance and the lack of lethality.

Moreover, Stigma was a completely superior ability that ignored all resistance.

The sparring they had today was actually a little more difficult because there was an ability user with a longer range than Seonghyun.

‘Let’s not use Stigma as much as possible for now.’

If he simply used Stigma, he would definitely be able to easily become the grade representative.

But he didn’t know what would happen in the national competition.

Moreover, Seonghyun’s ability only inflicted pain.

Of course, resistance was impossible, so he had no choice but to feel the pain unconditionally, but if there was someone who was naturally good at enduring that pain, he didn’t know what kind of variable it would introduce.

That’s why Seonghyun valued the team’s teamwork.

That was why he didn’t object to Gusangyeon saying he would go to the Gate with them.

“It’s over.”

With Inhwan’s words, who had been watching the video intently, the second 1st grade class representative mock battle ended.

As Seonghyun remembered and expected, the team that won was the one that induced close combat based on overwhelming physical abilities.

“But if we’re going to face those guys, Gusangyeon will have to show some strength.”

“You don’t have to worry about Gusangyeon.”

Inhwan asked, looking at Seonghyun, who was speaking quite firmly.

Until recently, no, even just a moment ago, he didn’t think they were on good terms at all.

“Why?”

“What was the reason why he opposed me in the first place? Simply because our abilities are incompatible? No. He wouldn’t have cared about other things. But since the grade representative position is at stake, such an extreme…”

“Extreme?”

“Ah, no. Anyway, Gusangyeon will do his best. The only problem is that he doesn’t work well with us.”

Still, he was planning to work together with them during that week, so there wouldn’t be a big problem.

Also, he had roughly grasped how Gusangyeon dealt with enemies while fighting the mock battle today, so even though he was only given a short week, it would be easy to coordinate.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Inhwan replied casually to Seonghyun’s greeting.

“Yeah. I’ll call you.”

The next day, as promised, the two met in front of the new Gate at lunchtime.

“This is the Gate where wolf-type monsters come out right away, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Where’s Gusangyeon?”

“I think he’s almost here.”

As soon as Inhwan finished speaking, Sangyeon approached them with slightly hesitant steps.

“Let’s go in as soon as he gets here.”

“Hey, Gusangyeon.”

“What.”

“Just stand in front and take the hits. I’ll take care of all the damage.”

“…What nonsense.”

Inhwan and Sangyeon bickered and followed Seonghyun into the Gate.

The now familiar sensation briefly lingered throughout his body, followed by a scenery different from the outside of the Gate.

“It’s my first time here… it definitely feels a little different.”

“A different feeling? Really?”

Seonghyun felt an inexplicable sense of déjà vu, but Inhwan and Sangyeon didn’t seem to feel it.

“Shh… there’s one in front.”

Seonghyun, who was walking in the lead, spread his arms to signal them, and Inhwan and Sangyeon crouched down and followed behind him.

“There are quite a few of them?”

There were only 5 visible, and since the forest was denser than the Gates they had been to so far, it was still unknown how many more were around.

‘Let’s not use Stigma this time.’

If they had come alone, he would have had no choice but to use Stigma, but now that he had a reliable front line, even if he didn’t like it, there was no reason to use it.

‘Let’s see how well we work together.’

They had fought a mock battle as class representatives once, but in fact, there was not a single instance where they had truly worked together.

The combat aspect that would be shown from now on was purely Inhwan and Sangyeon’s combat sense.

“…I’ll draw their attention.”

“Of course, you have to.”

“…”

Gusangyeon looked at Inhwan with an even more distorted frown than he had been looking at Seonghyun, and then headed towards the monsters.

“As expected, you have to deal with kids like that like this.”

“…”

Seonghyun sighed softly, thinking that Inhwan wasn’t normal either, and looked at where Sangyeon was heading.

“You insignificant monsters…! I’ll slaughter you all.”

Seonghyun’s expression was not nervous at all.

Rather, he was a little excited.

‘How long has it been since I’ve prepared so comfortably?’

Fighting one was not difficult, but 5 was a different story.

Until now, he had never felt a sense of exhilaration about the battle and at the same time felt relaxed, but now those two emotions that could not coexist were coexisting.

‘Is this… the value of a Healer’s existence?’

Seonghyun hadn’t shown anything yet.

Rather, their relationship was not good, no, it was the worst, to the point where he was worried about whether he would show it or not.

But even in this situation, he was already able to gain emotional stability just by being present on the battlefield.

“Krrr…”

The monsters naturally stared at Sangyeon, who had appeared confidently, and since it was no different from food rolling in on its own, they gathered in front of Sangyeon, making a growling sound.

“Hey! Are you ready?”

“Start quickly. It’s already over.”

Inhwan didn’t joke around in this situation either.

Looking at where Sangyeon was located with a serious face, Inhwan was thinking about where he should use his ability most efficiently and whether it would harm Sangyeon.

“I’m going.”

The 5 monsters, spread out in a fan shape in front, began to rush towards Sangyeon, and Seonghyun carefully examined Sangyeon’s movements.

‘The habit of dodging attacks coming from the front to the left…’

And after dodging to the left, Inhwan’s attack would fly in without fail.

‘He prefers to block attacks coming from the side rather than dodging them…’

It was a little later than before, but Inhwan’s attack flew in again at the right timing.

‘It’s quite a good fit at this point?’

It was quite good considering it was the first time they were working together.

Thanks to Inhwan’s much-improved proficiency, he was able to attack only the monsters accurately without harming Sangyeon at all.

Moreover, the power itself was a great ability, so all of them suffered fatal damage in just one blow.

Seonghyun had been to the Gate with Inhwan several times, so he roughly knew Inhwan’s combat sense.

‘The problem is Gusangyeon…’

Simply dodging and blocking were things that anyone in the academy could do, Gusangyeon had to show something of his own.

“You insignificant monster bastards…!”

Sangyeon swung his sword at the monster that had been hit by Inhwan’s attack, specifically at the area where the attack had hit.

Along with the sound of tearing flesh that could be heard to where Seonghyun was located, the monster’s short scream could also be heard.

Sangyeon didn’t stop there.

He immediately swung his sword at the monster on the side that Inhwan’s attack had hit, and stabbed the wound.

“Keuk!”

But was it because there were so many of them, Sangyeon, who had been slightly stabbed in the side by a claw flying from the side, stepped back for a moment.

As if waiting for something.

“Now!”

As if meeting Sangyeon’s expectations, Inhwan’s attack flew in immediately, and Sangyeon cut off the neck of the monster, who was faltering in pain, with a single slash.

‘It’s not bad at this point?’

Seonghyun cast Stigma on the remaining 2 monsters.

“Kkaeng!”

“…? What, what is it?”

Sangyeon was briefly embarrassed to see the monsters suddenly lying on the floor, but he wasn’t stupid enough to hesitate to deal with them, so he immediately dealt with the remaining 2 monsters as well.

“Hoo, are 5 a little too much without abilities?”

“Why are you talking like you caught them all by yourself?”

“…I could have caught 3 of them by myself even without you.”

“Yeah~ a side wound would be light.”

“…”

In the midst of their bickering, Sangyeon suddenly felt no pain in his side.

Momentarily checking the wound through the torn clothes, Sangyeon looked at Seonghyun at the sight of no scars or bloodstains left.

“Let’s go if you’re done.”

“…Okay.”

The three headed deeper and deeper.