I Became The Only Healer In The Academy [EN]: Chapter 272

272

“Padron is coming.”

“Padron?”

It was late at night, but it seemed Padron was on his way.

“Yes. I told him that Hunter Kim was here.”

“Haha… Did he say anything else?”

“We didn’t talk much. I just told him Hunter Kim was here, and he said he’d come right away.”

“What does he want to talk about this time? So, he’s coming tomorrow?”

“Yes. He wanted to come now, but I told him it was late, so he should come tomorrow.”

He hadn’t planned on spending a day in the US, but it looked like he had no choice.

Sung Hyun couldn’t very well sleep at Richie’s house, so he got up and started getting ready to leave.

“Would it be alright if I used Richie’s name?”

“My name?”

“I don’t have a hotel reservation.”

Richie nodded, as if realizing that he didn’t want it known that he had come to the US.

“But you know, even if you try to hide it, won’t they recognize you? A mysterious man booking a hotel under my name…”

“There might be suspicions, but unresolved suspicions are just forgotten.”

At Sung Hyun’s words, Richie sighed and shook her head.

“Wouldn’t it be best not to create any suspicions at all?”

Actually, it didn’t really matter if suspicions arose.

He wasn’t particularly interested because of the Gates that could burst at any moment, but neither Sung Hyun nor Richie welcomed unnecessary suspicions.

“Hmm… Right? A low probability and nothing at all are completely different.”

“Then stay over.”

“Stay… over?”

Richie moved closer to Sung Hyun, seemingly amused by his momentary embarrassment.

“Yes. Is there any reason to hesitate? It’s just sleeping, right?”

It was fun to return the favor from earlier, and it was also fun to see Sung Hyun flustered.

Besides, there wouldn’t be many more opportunities like this in the future.

“Well, yes, but…”

“Hunter Kim, or rather, Sung Hyun. You’re incredibly stiff right now. Was the suggestion to stay over that shocking?”

Sung Hyun realized that Richie was teasing him.

Just like he had done earlier.

“I understand. I’ll stay over.”

Sung Hyun stepped forward confidently, seeing the predatory glint in Richie’s eyes, as if she would pounce at the slightest hesitation.

“But Richie, I think you knew why I hesitated to answer?”

“Hehe. That’s not like you to ask, Hunter. I’m an adult, you know.”

“Call me like you did before.”

“…Okay, Sung Hyun.”

“I’ll say this first, I’m an adult too. You know that, right?”

“Of course. I know very well.”

Sung Hyun put down the luggage he had gathered and looked at Richie.

“Just a slightly younger adult. Full of vigor and clumsy.”

“…”

Richie flinched for a moment, but she felt like she would never regain the initiative if she backed down here, so she looked at Sung Hyun as if provoking him.

“Clumsy is fine too. I’m clumsy as well.”

Their expressions were as solemn as those facing a battle, but of course, their hearts were not.

“…Okay. I’ll shower first then.”

“Yes. Yes? W-What did you say?”

He had said all the words, but wasn’t this too sudden?

Richie didn’t think she was conservative, but she didn’t think she was open-minded either.

The power she possessed was incomparable to that of ordinary people, but inside, she was an ordinary person and wanted to be treated as such.

‘What, what do I say?’

Sung Hyun’s faint smile was visible to Richie, who was at a loss because she had never experienced anything like this before.

“…You’re teasing me again, aren’t you?”

“What? I said I was going to shower. Shouldn’t I shower before going to bed?”

“Eek…”

She felt like she was being teased a lot, but Sung Hyun wasn’t teasing her with false words, so there was nothing she could really say.

“Do you have any spare clothes?”

“I do have some clothes that I don’t wear…”

Richie momentarily scanned Sung Hyun’s body.

Then her face started to turn red again.

“You seem to be looking a little too blatantly.”

“I, I need to know the size…”

“It’s okay, I can just bring clothes from home.”

“You’re, you’re teasing me again…”

“Then.”

Sung Hyun disappeared from sight in an instant.

“Haa…”

If she let her guard down even for a moment, she would be completely swept away.

“Let’s get a grip.”

At least not here.

To be swept away in her own house.

“And…”

The reactions she had shown so far came back to her mind, and Richie buried her face in the blanket and muttered.

“I’m the older one…”

Not long after, Sung Hyun returned.

Fortunately, the redness on her face had returned to its normal color.

“Then, I’ll use the bathroom.”

“Yes.”

Richie opened the door to the bedroom and lightly pushed Sung Hyun, who was frozen in place, towards the bathroom.

“Be good.”

Sung Hyun, who was sitting on the bed, was jolted awake by the sound of water.

“Something… feels wrong…”

He didn’t know what was wrong, but something was definitely wrong.

However, it was too late to turn back, so Sung Hyun lay down on the bed.

“It’ll work out somehow.”

If he were asked if he really wanted to turn back, he didn’t think he could say yes.

Unexpectedly, he wasn’t that nervous.

Until the sound of water that had been going on stopped.

“Were you good?”

“Yes.”

Richie naturally lay down next to Sung Hyun.

It was quite obvious that her body was stiff, but Sung Hyun pretended not to notice.

“I’m just saying this in case… this is my first time.”

“It’s the same for me.”

The conversation ended there.

The gazes that had been fixed on the ceiling simultaneously turned to each other.

“…”

“…”

The silence, which felt like an itch, didn’t last long.

—————————

“Hey Kim. Let me have some too.”

“It’s not as easy as you think.”

All Padron wanted was to get stronger.

Richie was able to wield virtually endless mana [magical energy], and the gap that had always existed was only widening.

“What do I have to do? Huh? Do I have to kneel?”

“Ha… It’s not like I can just do it if I want to.”

“At least tell me the method. You know it, don’t you?”

Padron’s head was already filled with the image of himself wielding endless mana.

“Method… The method is simple.”

“Now you’re talking. What is it, this method?”

“Think of me as a god.”

“…God?”

It was such an absurd statement that he wondered if he had misheard.

He had expected him to ask for something, but not this.

“Okay. Fine. I thought about it. Is it over now?”

“It’s not just thinking. You have to really think of me as a god.”

“Is that possible? No, does that mean Richie thinks of you as a god?”

“…That’s just the way it is.”

“Hmph… Fine. I’ll try my best. Prove that you’re worthy of it.”

“What? What nonsense are you talking about? Why should I prove it?”

“At least I have to feel something to think that way. Hurry.”

Padron sincerely wanted Sung Hyun to show him something.

He wanted to think of Sung Hyun as a god, but he couldn’t just do it out of the blue.

“Okay. Feel it and judge for yourself.”

As soon as Sung Hyun finished speaking, a Sanctuary unfolded in this area.

The range was quite wide, so all the Hunters within this range were affected by the Sanctuary.

“Huh, is this it?”

“Why? Is it not enough?”

Padron looked like he wanted to use his power right away, but he barely suppressed it because he couldn’t do that at Richie’s house.

“It’s enough.”

It wasn’t just enough, it was overflowing.

At this level, he felt like he could even defeat the boss of the first-class Gate that he had struggled with before.

“You can get even stronger from here?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Good. You are my god from now on.”

“No… That’s just the way it is, there’s no need to think of me as a god…”

Sung Hyun closed his mouth before he could finish speaking.

‘The number of worshipers has increased.’

The first increase in the number of worshipers since the Spear disappeared.

Although there was nothing visible, he could instinctively tell.

Padron had become a worshiper of Sung Hyun from now on.

It was interesting that he could feel it instinctively, but the real surprise was something else.

“Hey Kim. I really feel like I’m thinking of you as a god now? Is it done?”

“Yeah. It’s done.”

“R-Really?”

He had only used the Sanctuary once, but he had become a worshiper of Sung Hyun.

‘He’s really crazy about power.’

There are often people who are all about getting stronger.

Padron was one of the most representative of those people.

“Kuh! This is crazy! Hey Kim. Shall we spar once?”

“Spar?”

Come to think of it, he didn’t think he had ever sparred with Padron properly.

Padron’s eyes were full of confidence that he wouldn’t lose to anyone, so he felt like he wanted to break him.

‘He doesn’t know how strong I am, does he?’

Since he had become a worshiper anyway, he needed to properly establish the hierarchy.

“Is there a suitable place?”

“My guild building. The walls are designed to withstand attacks from top-tier Hunters, and no one from the outside can see in. How about it?”

“Are you confident you can win?”

If it was before he had received power from Sung Hyun, it would have been difficult to guarantee, but now it was different.

“Of course.”

Sung Hyun smiled as if he liked that confident expression and replied.

“Make a plan. It’ll be too late if you panic and make one.”

“…Good.”

“Richie, would you like to come too?”

Richie, who had only been sitting next to him and providing a place, nodded as if she had been waiting for those words.

“I’d love to!”

Padron saw something different than usual in Richie’s eyes as she looked at Sung Hyun, but he didn’t intend to interfere in their relationship and got up from his seat.

“Let’s go.”