I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 149

149.

“Hunter Park Seo-ah, please look over here!”

“I heard you suddenly became an S-class Hunter. Was there a special reason for that?”

Despite the prior arrangements, the reporters began throwing questions as soon as Seo-ah stepped onto the platform.

As Seo-ah was about to answer, Cha Tae-un stepped forward.

“I will explain during a future interview. For now, we would appreciate it if you could base your articles on the press release we sent you.”

Seo-ah stared at Cha Tae-un.

He had returned to being the composed Association President Cha Tae-un, not the Hunter Cha Tae-un she knew.

Still, perhaps because they had raided together, Cha Tae-un felt closer than before.

At that moment, someone suddenly pushed through the reporters and climbed onto the platform.

Even though it was unexpected, the staff members could only stammer, “Uh, uh,” and couldn’t bring themselves to stop him.

“Well, well. My goodness, our Hunters have worked so hard. Our government is also pleased with this achievement.”

It turned out to be Choi Dal-soo, the Minister of Special Abilities.

“Who do we have here! The rising star of the Korean Hunter world! Hunter Park Seo-ah.”

He appeared with a jovial expression, stepped onto the platform, and suddenly grabbed Seo-ah’s hand, shaking it vigorously.

“Ah.”

Surprised, Seo-ah looked up at him, and he subtly used ventriloquism [speaking without moving the lips to create the illusion that the voice is coming from elsewhere].

“Now, now. Smile and look at the camera.”

This time, he even tried to put his hand around her shoulder, but Yoo Ji-an immediately grabbed Choi Dal-soo’s wrist and roughly removed it from Seo-ah’s shoulder.

“O-oh… Ah, Hunter Yoo Ji-an, you’ve worked hard too.”

Perhaps because of the reporters, Choi Dal-soo barely managed to correct his distorted expression as he greeted him.

He thought that Yoo Ji-an would also play along appropriately if he did this.

However, the response he received was different from what he expected.

“Wouldn’t you be busier trying to freeload?”

Yoo Ji-an coldly retorted, not hiding his unpleasant expression.

“What…!”

The Minister was about to burst out in anger but lowered his voice, noticing the reporters’ eyes.

Yoo Ji-an didn’t even bother to acknowledge him. He simply pulled Seo-ah towards himself and stepped down from the platform.

Seo-ah stared at Yoo Ji-an as she followed him.

“Is it okay? He’s still a Minister.”

“If he provokes us first, that’s even more welcome.”

“…….”

Seo-ah didn’t know how to respond to his sharp reply and hesitated, soon arriving at the van.

All the S-class Hunters except Choi Eun-gyeol and Cha Tae-un got into the van.

It was strange that they weren’t going in their respective guild vehicles, but Baek Eun-hee spoke first. Ever since she had spoken with Seo Ah-hyun, Baek Eun-hee had a slightly serious expression.

Outside, Han Seok-hyun held the door open urgently without getting in.

“Hunter Park Seo-ah, let’s go to the hospital right away. I’ll come with you.”

“Ah, is it okay? Hunter Song Jin-ah, you just came out of the raid….”

To cure the disease, Elixir was needed, but so was the power of an S-class healer.

“No, we have to go now, Seo-ah.”

Then Baek Eun-hee grabbed Seo-ah’s hand and said a little firmly. And Han Seok-hyun agreed.

“Yes, Hunter Park Seo-ah. Please go with Hunter Song Jin-ah now.”

“Why… Ah.”

Seo-ah stopped talking and noticed the serious atmosphere flowing between them.

“Did you get a call from the hospital in the meantime? How is Geon-hoo, how is Geon-hoo?”

Baek Eun-hee put her arm around Seo-ah, who was getting agitated, and comforted her.

“Seo-ah, calm down. We can save him if we go now.”

“You can save him? What’s his condition like….”

“Let’s get going first.”

Leaving the tearful Seo-ah behind, Han Seok-hyun closed the door and started the van.

“Wait a minute, ah….”

Only when the anxiousness became unbearable did [Silent Night] activate.

Only then did Seo-ah exhale and look around. She realized that everyone was looking at her with worried eyes and composed herself.

“Thank you, everyone… for your concern.”

“Don’t worry, I can save him as long as he’s still breathing.”

Song Jin-ah, who was in the back, said kindly. When Seo-ah turned around, she nodded, making eye contact.

Seo-ah felt a little more relieved at Song Jin-ah’s confident statement.

And Yoo Ji-an, who was sitting across from her, didn’t say anything but was looking at Seo-ah with unwavering eyes.

“…….”

Thanks to them, Seo-ah was able to arrive at the hospital with a calm mind.

After getting out of the car, she was about to go to the hospital room where Geon-hoo was staying, as usual, when suddenly a few hospital officials, including the doctor in charge, rushed out.

“Are you the guardian of patient Park Geon-hoo?”

However, it wasn’t the doctor in charge who spoke to Seo-ah. It was a doctor who looked a little older.

“I am the director of Health Hospital. If I had known that a family member of such a precious person was hospitalized in our hospital, I would have visited earlier….”

“…A precious person?”

“Aren’t you an S-class Hunter? I just saw it in the article. I’m sorry for not recognizing you sooner.”

The director, along with the doctors and nurses, bowed to Seo-ah.

Seo-ah was a little surprised.

It had only been a moment since the photos were taken by reporters after the raid.

But there were already people who recognized her.

And what was this completely changed treatment?

But she didn’t have the余裕 [yeoyu – a Korean word meaning ‘leeway’, ‘margin’, or ‘time to spare’] to be surprised by this.

“Where is Geon-hoo now?”

“Please follow me.”

Following the director’s guidance, Seo-ah, Song Jin-ah, and the other S-class Hunters naturally followed.

Seo-ah didn’t bother to stop them. They were grateful people who had willingly followed her into a dangerous gate to get the Elixir. Of course, they had the right to confirm the real effect.

And Seo-ah herself was a little afraid to face the critical Geon-hoo alone.

The place the director guided them to was a separate floor where the hospital’s VIPs were hospitalized. Even the hallway looked different.

Just as she was briefly admiring it, Seo-ah hurried to the hospital room where Geon-hoo was hospitalized.

The interior of the spacious and luxurious hospital room that was visible as soon as she opened the door didn’t catch her eye at all.

Seo-ah went straight to the bed where Geon-hoo was lying. There were machines hanging around Geon-hoo, keeping him alive.

“…Geon-hoo.”

He was naturally unconscious, and his complexion was so bad that it had turned black. He was barely clinging to life, relying on machines, as if he could die at any moment.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry….”

“But he held on well, and his condition has deteriorated rapidly since three days ago. Perhaps if it stays like this….”

The doctor in charge explained Geon-hoo’s condition gloomily.

“Three days… How much time has passed?”

Then Han Seok-hyun answered.

“You can think of it as about three weeks.”

“…That long.”

Seo-ah murmured tearfully, and Song Jin-ah stepped forward.

“Stop crying, I’ll save him from now on.”

Seo-ah nodded, pressed her eyes hard, and stepped back. And immediately took out the Elixir from the inventory.

The small bottle containing the Elixir, the size of a finger, had a dazzling light.

The doctors’ gazes naturally gathered on it.

“Oh, this is….”

“Really.”

The Elixir was a name that even the doctors had heard of somewhere. Of course, the medical community treated it as a more absurd story than the Hunter community.

This was because they thought that the existence of a panacea would have a negative impact on the medical community. But when they actually saw the real thing, curiosity took precedence.

“As you know without me having to tell you, the fact that this procedure took place today must be kept secret externally.”

Han Seok-hyun first asked the hospital officials.

“Of course. It’s an honor just to have you do it at our hospital.”

The director pledged to Han Seok-hyun’s request, but in reality, he didn’t trust them that much. Still, it would have the effect of preventing rumors from spreading, at least for the time being.

“He can’t drink in this state. I’ll need a syringe.”

A nurse to assist her was attached to Song Jin-ah’s side, and the nurse began to slowly inject the Elixir into the IV line connected to Geon-hoo’s arm with a syringe.

Everyone watched the scene without making a sound.

Seo-ah watched with a pale complexion, holding her hands together. Seo-ah was frozen like a stone statue until Baek Eun-hee put her arm around Seo-ah’s shoulder and patted her.

“He’ll be okay now.”

Seo-ah only nodded slightly and looked at Geon-hoo. She had injected the Elixir, but there didn’t seem to be a big reaction yet.

Song Jin-ah, who was calmly looking down at Geon-hoo, slightly loosened her neck and shoulders.

“Hoo, then where should I start….”

Song Jin-ah put her palm on Geon-hoo’s abdomen. I wondered if she would stab him with the tail of the moon like Yoo Ji-an did before, but it doesn’t seem like it.

She had one hand on Geon-hoo’s abdomen, and the other hand was holding the wrist to which the IV was connected.

Seo-ah looked at Song Jin-ah nervously. Song Jin-ah closed her eyes and began to concentrate.