I Became The Only Healer In The Academy [EN]: Chapter 4

“If we continue like this, South Korea’s standing will steadily decline. You know that well, don’t you?”

“That’s true, but…”

In the early days after the gates appeared, Korea held the highest position in the world.

The abilities of each hunter were the best for subjugating the gates.

However, hunters were constantly growing beings.

South Korea’s top hunters had clear limits to their growth, despite their initially immense power.

As a result, South Korea’s standing was gradually declining.

“Surely, Kim Sung-hyun will also grow in ability someday. Moreover, as an academy student, he can accelerate that growth with full support.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. What is the academy? It is South Korea’s best educational institution and a concentration of prospective combat forces.”

“I trust that the person in charge of academy affairs will handle the matter well. I will take charge of the association.”

They exchanged a handshake filled with many meanings and resolute gazes.

“Still, shouldn’t we hear Kim Sung-hyun’s opinion first?”

“Of course. Since I am with the association, may I ask the person in charge at the academy to do so?”

“Don’t worry. I will try to talk to him as best as I can.”

The two officials smiled, hopeful for South Korea’s rising status.

“I’ve come to apply for academy support.”

Sung-hyun headed to the academy’s support application department.

He handed over the documents he had brought from the re-awakening center. The staff member looked at Sung-hyun with surprised eyes for a moment but didn’t ask anything else and immediately began processing something.

After about 10 minutes, the staff member approached Sung-hyun and said,

“It would be good to be close to the academy, right?”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“I mean your home.”

At the word ‘home,’ Sung-hyun stared blankly at the staff member for a moment.

“Ah, you don’t know about the support items?”

“Ah, yes. I didn’t look into it separately.”

It was too far away, so he hadn’t paid any attention to it.

He deliberately didn’t look into it, fearing that he might become jealous or envious of those receiving support.

“I’ll explain it simply. All tuition fees for the academy are waived, and scholarships are always provided as long as you avoid failing grades. If you have a license, a vehicle is provided, and as you just heard, a home is also provided.”

“Wow…”

He thought it would be quite substantial, but the support far exceeded Sung-hyun’s expectations.

Honestly, he had expected to be grateful even if only the tuition was waived.

“And you can also receive equipment support depending on your ability. You need to discuss this directly with the association.”

“I, I see. Then, please make the house close to the academy.”

“How many family members do you have in total?”

“My younger sister, my mother, and me, so three in total.”

“Hmm… then we will coordinate the security personnel.”

“Th, thank you.”

Sung-hyun thought he had made the right decision to apply for re-awakening when he heard there was even security.

His current home was in a shantytown, so he had been very worried.

“There’s a house near here that’s big enough for three people to live in… Would you like to see it in person?”

“Can I?”

At Sung-hyun’s question, the staff member chuckled and replied,

“Wouldn’t the person who’s going to live there have to decide so there are no other complaints?”

“Haha, that’s true.”

“Feel free to look around when you have time and let me know when you’ve decided. Ah, I’ll tell the association separately, so you can visit them at your convenience.”

The staff member handed Sung-hyun a map showing the locations of the houses he could choose from.

“Yes. Thank you.”

Sung-hyun bowed lightly and went outside.

“Hoo…”

For some reason, he felt like today was the happiest moment of his life so far, and he felt strange.

“They said there’s equipment support, so I probably don’t need to buy it separately…”

Sung-hyun wanted to develop this ability as quickly as possible.

It wasn’t out of a profound determination to save all the hunters in the world, but he didn’t want to see anyone die because treatment was delayed.

Even if they were moving for money, they were still saving people by dealing with the monsters coming out of the gates.

“I need to increase my proficiency first.”

The problem was the method of training.

His original ability was identifying vital points, so he didn’t have any particular training methods other than physical training, and he had no idea how to go about it.

“The method is too extreme…”

To use the newly acquired healing ability, injuries were inevitably necessary.

But to cut his own body with a knife for training felt like doing something he shouldn’t.

“In the end, there’s only one way.”

There was only one option.

Going to subjugate monsters directly.

“I don’t know how the association and the academy will react.”

He didn’t know if they would make it public, but they would definitely consult with him beforehand.

No one would be foolish enough to upset a rare ability user.

“I have no choice but to hunt alone.”

If they decided not to disclose it to the media, he wouldn’t be able to use his ability even if he joined a guild and went on subjugations, so it would be useless.

And since there was only about a week left, the process of joining a guild and going on subjugations would be quite tight.

“I need to check the house I’m moving to today. Should I leave tomorrow?”

He would receive equipment support from the association in the morning or afternoon tomorrow, and then go on a subjugation at night.

In the case of gates with very low danger levels, the association allowed constant entry for the growth of lower-level hunters, so Sung-hyun would be able to train without any problems.

With today and tomorrow’s schedule set, Sung-hyun took out the map he had received earlier to check the house.

They were all located only about 5 minutes away from the academy.

Sung-hyun immediately caught a taxi and headed to the nearest house first.

“Just right?”

A house of a suitable size for three people to live in greeted Sung-hyun.

It wasn’t too big or too small, and it was quite close to the house Sung-hyun had been dreaming of.

“This should be enough. Even if I tell my mother not to go to work, she’ll just say okay.”

Sung-hyun, who had entered the house, looked around with an unknown expression.

“…”

He had worked for nearly 5 years after graduation, hoping to live in a place like this, but now that he had obtained it so easily, he even felt a sense of emptiness.

“Hye-in will take care of the interior…”

He could already picture his excited younger sister and mother, so Sung-hyun smiled lightly and left the house.

Sung-hyun took out his wallet and checked his money.

Only 30,000 won [approximately $25 USD].

“…Let’s buy some meat.”

He wouldn’t have to go without food like last time, so Sung-hyun headed to the butcher shop he had last visited before his regression.

“Welcome! What can I get for you?”

“Please give me 30,000 won worth of beef sirloin.”

Sung-hyun received the black bag and headed home with lighter steps than his hands.

“I’m home. I’m back.”

“Have you eaten?”

“No. But instead…”

Sung-hyun handed the bag to his mother.

“What’s this?”

“It’s meat. It’s been a while since we’ve had it.”

“You…”

“What? Meat?”

His younger sister, who was in her room, also ran out at the word ‘meat.’

“Wow! Beef? What money did you use to buy meat?”

“Let’s eat together after I wash up. I have something to say.”

At the words ‘something to say,’ the expressions of his younger sister and mother hardened slightly.

“So, what do you have to say, Oppa [term for older brother used by females in Korean]?”

At his younger sister’s question, Sung-hyun put down the meat he had picked up and said,

“Let’s move.”

“…Move?”

“Move? What do you mean?”

For a moment, his younger sister and mother were worried that they would lose this house, but since there couldn’t be a worse house than this, they looked at Sung-hyun with only puzzled expressions.

“Mom already knows, but I’ve had a re-awakening of my ability.”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah, and that ability is… healing.”

“He, healing? Are you serious?!”

His younger sister wasn’t a hunter, but she knew very well that there were no hunters with healing-related abilities in the world.

“So, I’m on my way back from reporting my ability re-awakening to the academy today. And I immediately applied for support, and they said they would provide a house near the academy.”

“A ho, house?!”

As Sung-hyun had expected, his younger sister couldn’t contain her joy, but his mother was a little different.

She looked at Sung-hyun with a slightly hardened expression, as if she was worried about something.

“The academy wouldn’t ask for something in return, would they…?”

“It’s okay. They won’t make unreasonable demands, even to use my ability.”

His mother’s worries were the same as Sung-hyun’s worries.

Sung-hyun was also aware of the problem, but since they couldn’t force him to use his ability, they wouldn’t make unreasonable demands.

‘They might use a slightly extreme method, but…’

But whatever choice he made, it was a risk that came with deciding to reveal it, so Sung-hyun decided to prepare for the problems rather than worry about them.

“We can move before the start of the semester, right?”

“…Mom is a little worried.”

“Mom. Wherever we go… it will be safer than here.”

He wasn’t just talking about the environment.

He couldn’t stay in this house any longer because he had already faced his end at the hands of a monster in his previous life.

‘Because I’ve changed…’

Moreover, Sung-hyun would be taking a different path from before, and if that happened, other threats might come.

And Sung-hyun knew better than anyone that the security personnel the academy would provide weren’t just for protection.

Nevertheless, the reason he couldn’t refuse the offer was also because of the last moments that still lingered in his mind.

“Yeah… we can’t live here forever.”

His mother didn’t want to hold Sung-hyun back.

She knew very well that Sung-hyun had said this without consulting her, not simply because he wanted to live in a bigger place, but because he was worried about his younger sister and herself, so she couldn’t refuse Sung-hyun’s words even more.

“Let’s eat quickly. It’s all getting cold.”

“Yes, Mom. Let’s eat quickly. You haven’t eaten anything.”

Perhaps because they gave a lot of meat for 30,000 won, all three family members ate their fill and still had some meat left.

“I’ll be back.”

“Be careful.”

“Call me if anything happens.”

“Don’t worry so much.”

Originally, he was going to check that the moving company had arrived before leaving, but today was a busy day.

He was planning to go monster hunting, so he had to move from the morning, and Sung-hyun was worried about his mother, who was left alone.

“I wonder if I can get support for things that I can contact in case of an emergency.”

He had received a high level of support from the academy, but what would the association be like?

Sung-hyun headed straight to the association with some expectations.