Editors: Spade, Roki
Proofreader: Sapphire
Yisun’s time in the hospital went by peacefully.
When he was first admitted, he was pretty panicked about having to stay there for a whole week, but the VIP ward proved to be quite comfortable, and he was never too bored thanks to the occasional visits of the Chord Hunters.
Especially on the fourth day, Han Arin stayed over for a long time. Even without asking, Yisun could vaguely tell that it had to do with her discussion with Sa Hyeon after Cheon Hyeongwon’s visit, leading to the decision of her staying around to protect him.
Sa Hyeon was busy overseeing Ki Joohyuk’s training in order to make full use of him in the fifth dungeon, as well as attending meetings that became more and more frequent as the dungeon’s appearance neared. Since Han Arin was the main damage dealer for Chord, she’d discussed strategies on the phone with Shin Jian, but she was generally relaxed. She was an S-class Hunter, after all, and unlike what happened in the third dungeon, the weather should be clear on the day they’d enter, so she had nothing to worry about.
Time passed and the day of Yisun’s discharge finally arrived.
He was scheduled to leave after one last check-up for his arm, yet he couldn’t help glancing at his watch the entire morning. It wasn’t that his hospital stay was particularly stifling, but there seemed to be a sense of freedom that came along with the word ‘discharge.’
“You look like you can’t wait to leave, Restorer Yisun. Are you going somewhere?”
“Oh, um… I should probably go to the Chord office.”
“What? No way, you’re finally leaving the hospital and that’s where you’re going?”
“I didn’t know you were so addicted to work, Restorer Yisun. Are you a workaholic?”
At that moment, Yisun was strolling through the hospital garden with Han Arin and Na Gunwoo. It was a relatively deserted back garden path that Na Gunwoo had discovered through an acquaintance at the hospital and suggested after noticing that Yisun was uncomfortable with people’s gazes.
“The dungeon is also occurring in two days…” As the three of them walked through the area, Yisun spoke hesitantly. He felt bad for taking up their time when they were probably busy preparing for the dungeon.
“Tsk, tsk, it’s rest you need, rest! Let’s go to a resort or something.”
“It’s okay, I’ve already rested more than enough. Rather, I’ve done nothing but rest for the whole week…”
“In the upcoming dungeon, it will be fine even if you don’t use your restoration abilities. So how about when you get discharged, yes, there’s this really good dessert shop around here! Shall we check it out?”
Han Arin and Na Gunwoo took turns interrupting Yisun. He looked at them with a slightly puzzled expression and asked, “You’ve already had to waste so much time here in the hospital because of me.”
“Huh? Who spouted such nonsense? Time spent here is an absolute vacation for everyone?”
“…Huh?”
“While Hunter Arin may have stayed by your side to protect you, coming here to visit you was a joyful occasion for the other Hunters, because the only time our leader would allow them to leave was to visit you.” Na Gunwoo chuckled as he watched Yisun’s face go blank. He explained that that was the reason why the Hunters had been visiting him so much for the past week, before quickly adding that of course that wasn’t the only reason they visited him.
But Yisun wasn’t listening properly by then. The thought that the Hunters had been visiting him for the past week because of Sa Hyeon felt very strange. He was the one who had deliberately dropped him off at Chord’s office and rented the hotel breakfast lounge, all so he wouldn’t feel lonely. And realizing that he was doing the same thing once more left him with a weird, numb feeling, much like he’d been punched in the gut.
While he was in a state of confusion, a commotion was suddenly heard from the garden.
“…?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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“Stay here for a while, I’ll be right back.”
Han Arin led Yisun to sit on a bench by the trees and then climbed over the fence. It was quite tall, so he was slightly surprised to see her grab hold of the wall and swing over in an instant, followed by a surprised gasp from the other side of the fence.
While everyone was trying to clean up the mess, Yisun just sat there. He quickly calmed down after being startled by Han Arin suddenly jumping over the fence. When the news that had been plaguing him only moments ago tried to sneak back into his mind, he shook his head in frustration.
“Haa…”
Exhaling out loud, Yisun looked up at the sky in a daze. In a few hours, he would finally leave this hospital, and then he would have to return to the Chord office. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to stop by the dessert shop Na Gunwoo had mentioned earlier and buy a bunch of desserts. No, Han Arin and Na Gunwoo didn’t seem too eager to go back to the office so soon, so maybe he shouldn’t ask them to go back with him so soon after all…
As Yisun was peacefully pondering, he saw a dark cloud in the sky. It looked like it was going to rain from that evening until the next night. He stared at the dark clouds that gradually covered the sunlight in the sky.
“Ugh—!”
Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind him and clamped a towel over his nose and mouth. He could smell a pungent scent and quickly tried to shake off the assailant’s hand, but his powers prevented him from striking hard enough for them to let go. All he could do was struggle and squirm.
His hands shook, and before he could turn his head to look at their face, his vision blurred.
All faded into darkness.
***
Han Arin and Na Gunwoo each returned after dealing with the disturbance.
Na Gunwoo was the first to return. He had rushed out, thinking that someone had suddenly collapsed and needed emergency aid, but the person laying on the floor and flailing about didn’t look like they needed CPR. Though it seemed like a seizure at first glance, that wasn’t the case. The average person wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, but Na Gunwoo, who was an A-class Hunter, could.
“How come there is…?”
He could sense faint traces of Mana from the fallen man, as if someone had accidentally touched him while using it.
‘Mana? Inside a hospital?’ He looked around curiously, but couldn’t find any trace of its source. He’d heard that sometimes Mana would burst into sparks in the air, but was that a real phenomenon? Though Na Gunwoo was skeptical, he still cast a quick healing spell on the man.
He hadn’t brought his rod with him, so he couldn’t cast any advanced magic, but since the Mana was very faint, he was able to heal him easily. The medical staff who had rushed over were also confused and thanked him repeatedly.
Thinking that Han Arin and Yisun had gone elsewhere, Na Gunwoo wandered around for a while. When he still couldn’t find them after searching the area for a while, he assumed they’d returned to the ward first, and tried to go inside the hospital, grumbling.
But then Han Arin appeared, flying over the fence so suddenly that Na Gunwoo let out a loud “Huh!” He then cleared his throat and straightened up, acting as if nothing had happened.
“Oh, Hunter Arin. I sensed a trace of Mana around here. It’s too faint, but should I call the Hunters’ Association first?”
“What, where did you sense it?”
“Over there, there’s a man who collapsed in the garden a while ago. I think he might have gotten accidentally exposed to Mana. Sometimes the Mana fluctuates around the area before a dungeon occurs, so maybe it’s something like that?”
“Oh… I also sensed Mana outside. A tree suddenly fell on someone outside, so I went to save them, but there were traces of Mana near the tree, so I was wondering if something had happened…”
Na Gunwoo looked surprised at Han Arin’s words. He adjusted his round glasses and stammered. Not one, but two traces of Mana were felt; it was reason enough to be wary. His mind went blank as he realized that the dungeon might break inside the hospital.
“At this rate, won’t the dungeon break happen inside the hospital? We have to report this to the Hunters’ Association immediately…”
“No, it’s different from how Mana feels like when a dungeon break is about to happen… It seems more like traces left after someone used it…”
Han Arin calmed the panicking Na Gunwoo down with a firm tone. As an S-class Hunter, Arin was more sensitive to Mana, and if she said it wasn’t a dungeon break, then it was definitely not. Na Gunwoo breathed a sigh of relief, but Han Arin’s expression became even stranger.
“But why this all of a sudden? Who’s using Mana around here when it’s prohibited to use it inside the hospital—” Han Arin’s speculative words suddenly stopped. “Where’s Restorer Yisun?”
“Huh? Oh, come to think of it, I wonder where he went? I looked everywhere around the garden, but didn’t find him, so I assumed he’d gone inside with Hunter Arin. But…”
A sudden glint flickered in Han Arin’s eyes. She swiftly checked her surroundings for any sign of Yisun, but there was no one nearby. Could he have gone into the hospital room first? However, given his personality, he wouldn’t have left without telling her. As she thought so, her gaze suddenly landed on a bush.
The bench that she had helped him onto only a few minutes ago was placed around a tree, and the nearby bushes had been matted down. It looked as if they were trampled on by someone’s hand. After staring for a while, Han Arin suddenly ran off with a scream, “The car!”
Suddenly, the sound of a car speeding out of the hospital could be heard. It didn’t seem like it was urgently rushing into the hospital, and there was no reason for an exiting car to be going that fast. Unfortunately, the place they were in and the hospital exit were quite far apart, so Han Arin and Na Gunwoo had no choice but to run like they had lost their minds.
The two Chord Hunters sprinted across the hospital garden, causing a commotion wherever they went. People let out startled cries and immediately moved out of the way, and the two ran through the crowd.
“Cheon Hyeongwon, you bastard, did you finally lose it?!” Han Arin cursed as she ran. She still hadn’t gotten a clear picture of the circumstances of Yisun’s disappearance, but she was certain that Cheon Hyeongwon had something to do with it. There were a lot of long-ranged Mages in his guild.
When the hospital’s exit finally came into view, Han Arin directly climbed over the wall instead of leaving through the door. She told Na Gunwoo to check out the hospital room first just in case, then rushed ahead.
Stopping in front of the fence, Na Gunwoo dialed the hospital while gasping.
“Hello, is Restorer Yisun in the VIP ward right now?” He got to the point first, then rambled out his identity. The person on the other end of the line was kind enough to ask him to hold for a minute, but that minute seemed like an eternity to Na Gunwoo, and after a minute or so, the person on the other end of the line finally replied that he was not there.
Na Gunwoo, who had initially thought that a dungeon was about to occur in the hospital, found himself plagued with a different kind of emergency now.
Meanwhile, Han Arin continued to sprint through the streets. It was busy around the hospital, the crowds of people panicked and moved out of the way when they saw the S-class Hunter running frantically. Han Arin’s sprinted while muttering curses, her hair flying wildly.
Her eyes landed on the car that had just left the hospital— a gray, mid-sized sedan— that hadn’t even bothered to stop at a traffic light and was speeding away. Han Arin absentmindedly reached around her waistband for her staff, only to let out a frustrated “Ah!” when she realized that she hadn’t brought it with her.
Quickly scanning the street, she spotted a tent support in front of a shop. Before the shopkeeper could put an awning over it, Han Arin ran over and snatched the support pole. She then turned back to the surprised shop owner, shouting, “Charge it to Chord!”
She picked up the pace again as she checked the thickness and weight of the support pole. It was thinner compared to her wand, but it was just right for throwing. It wouldn’t dent the car if she just hit it with it, but if she threw it with enough force, that wouldn’t be impossible. Holding onto the support, she ran frantically down the street and hurled it at the car.
Whoosh.
Crash. With tremendous speed, the pole went flying like a spear toward the lone car at the crossroads before finally crashing. It landed squarely on the wheel, causing the car to skid sideways, spin around, then accelerate again, though it was significantly slower than before.
Lips twisted into a grin, Han Arin took off running, just in time to see the car pass under the bridge, and leaped towards it. Flying through the air, she grabbed onto the railing of the overpass and quickly climbed up. People watching the chase from above screamed, but she quickly ran through them and jumped down. With a loud thud, she landed on top of the car.
Rolling once, she clung to the ceiling of the car, clawing onto it. Keeping her body as low as possible, Han Arin swiftly smashed the car roof. The thick roof above the driver’s seat crumpled like a sheet of paper, then creaked and ripped off.
“Ack…!”
“Playing tag is so fun, isn’t it?”
The driver looked up at Han Arin, who was sneering sweetly, with a surprised look on his face. He could’ve never imagined the car roof would fly off like that. But Han Arin’s expression was even stranger. She recognized the familiar face as a Hunter from the Paradise Guild, but Cheon Hyeongwon was nowhere to be seen.
“You, who are you?”
“Th, that, that’s…!”
“Stop the car, you bastard.”
The trembling driver immediately slammed on the brakes. For a moment, she almost rolled forward, so she clutched onto what remained of the roof for support. At the sound of it crumpling once again, the driver screamed frantically, shaking and almost fainting.
Paying him no heed, Han Arin quickly scanned the car. There was no one in the passenger seat or in the backseat. Her face crumpled in disbelief.
A car had suddenly stopped on the road, causing chaos, yet none of the cars dared honk their horns. The cars far behind them were unable to see the situation and briefly honked, but they soon realized the cause and quieted down.
In the silence, Han Arin stood still on top of the car, then slowly climbed down to check the trunk. She slammed it open, almost tearing it off, but there was nothing inside either.
Faced with the empty trunk, Han Arin cursed under her breath. She had fallen for their diversion tactic… Running a nervous hand through her hair, Han Arin checked her phone. There was a text from Na Gunwoo telling her that Yisun wasn’t in his room, and that after checking all of the hospital’s CCTVs, there was no sign of him in the whole building either.
After scanning the screen, she finally sighed and dialed a number. It took some serious deliberation before she pressed the call button, but it was better to get the news out sooner rather than later. Han Arin bit her lip nervously, trying to keep a straight face.
Soon, the other party picked up the phone.
– ‘What’s going on?’
A calm, easygoing voice. It was Sa Hyeon.
He was clearly training Ki Joohyuk, judging by the audible popping sounds over the receiver. While his breathing was stable, she could vaguely hear Ki Joohyuk begging for mercy in a dying voice.
Han Arin held her breath for a moment, let it out in a sigh, then relayed the entire situation.
As she told him the whole story, Sa Hyeon listened in silence. He didn’t ask a single question, simply listening to what she had to say. Before she knew it, the commotion on the other side had died down.
“…I don’t know for sure, but it was most likely Cheon Hyeongwon’s doing. The bastard who was driving the car passed out, so I couldn’t ask more questions, but I’m pretty sure he’s someone from Paradise Guild.”
A long silence followed. Barely a few minutes had passed, but the tension made it seem like ages had passed. The road was quiet despite the dozens of cars stopped, the people watching, and the overcast sky.
Suddenly, a chilly breeze blew the road under the cloudy sky.
After a few moments of gentle breezy silence, Sa Hyeon finally reacted.
– ‘Haa… Haha.’
Following the sigh was an unmistakable laugh, but Han Arin thought it sounded more like someone’s death sentence.
Min: Sorry for the loooong disappearance… I’m still trying to get my life together, hopefully that happens soon hahaha… 
Anyway RIP Cheon Hyeongwon, you won’t be missed
Cheon Hyeongwon is literally seeking death
Thanks for the chapter
He’s a dumbass…
R.I.P. kidnapper… Thanks for the update. Totally understand about RL, thanks for restarting this ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much for ur understanding(╥﹏╥)
😍 thank you! I wish they’d stuck closer to the books with the manwha, it’s the little things that I miss.
Thank you! 🙏🏻
Frrr, but ig they had to rushh… though it did end up messing with the characterization a lil bit…
Man, he’s finished.
He’s done™
UwU im swooning over Han Arin here 😍😍😍😍😍
The right thiing to dooooo 😩💞
Thank you!!!!
As long as u enjoyed 💕
What do you do to our babyboy??? You dead ,🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️
Thank you for your translation 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
Finally got a chance to read this update! Darn life living delaying my reading time 😤
RIP Cheon Hyeongwon….
Thanks for the update, Min! How are you doing? I hope you’re chuggin along!
Hiii Kaijuu, darn Life for delaying my translating time too… sigh but it’s getting better these days so i can squeeze out a few chapters!!! Hope you’re doing well and life isn’t too hectic on ur side
Thank you for the update!
Thank you for reading! 🌸