The Poisonous Healer

He must have known from the start that I'm not a typical healer.

But after seeing just a few drops of my blood kill an 8-star (★★★★★★★★) monster, Yuk Cheolwan's face was completely drained of color.

"Hunter Chun Haesun..."

To be honest, Yuk Cheolwan was quite a valuable presence.

There must have been more than just one or two things he wanted to ask, yet he never once bothered me with his questions.

About my true identity.

But it seemed this time, he simply couldn't hold back any longer.

His rough lips kept twitching uncontrollably, and the sight was rather comical.

“As you can see, I'm far from being an ordinary healer. I possess some special abilities. For now, I can only say this much.”

"Yes... I understand."

I wish I could tell him more, but it was just not possible right now.

After all, even I didn't know much about the Poisoners.

Moreover, the Poisoners were already branded as ‘traitors’ among the hunters for unknown reasons.

My answer was as sincere as I could make it, and perhaps Yuk Cheolwan also sensed this, as he didn’t press any further.

"Anyway, this is front-page news. Even for an 'S'-rank hunter, taking down an 8-star boss monster alone as a healer... Honestly, I doubt anyone would believe it even if we told them the truth.”

No one would believe it even if we told them…..

Suddenly, an idea popped into my head.

"That's actually a great idea."

"What?”

"Let's just report it as around 2-star for the dungeon's difficulty this time."

"That... That can't be done.”

Yuk Cheolwan jumped in shock, then clutched his chest and groaned.

His reaction was quite entertaining, but he really shouldn't be straining his body like that.

"Ugh... Isn't this the dungeon you cleared at the risk of your life? We can't let your achievements be forgotten just like this, Hunter Chun Haesun."

"For what?"

".....?"

"We've already gotten everything we wanted. If there's an issue with the permit, we can just call the Association, and we can even find dungeons before the Association detects them. If you're thinking about boosting the public reputation of the 'Cleanup Clan'.....”

"No... That's not what I mean."

Yuk Cheolwan shook his head firmly.

I knew it.

From the beginning, the reason he opened the 'Cleanup Clan' in the first place was to find Aurum Bloom.

To save a family member's life.

He wasn't the type to spread falsehoods for the sake of the clan or his own reputation.

"It's just that I... I wish the world would properly recognize Hunter Chun Haesun's abilities….."

"That's troublesome. I don't need that.”

I gave Yuk Cheolwan a sly smile and then called out to Bisu below.

"Let's head back then."

***

'Brie, can you hear me?'

-Kkuwang!

'Stay close like that.'

-Kku.

As we made our way toward the dungeon entrance, the three of us walked without much conversation.

Basically, we were all exhausted, and each of us was lost in our own thoughts.

Yuk Cheolwan must be thinking about his wife, and Bisu was probably calculating the remaining debt.

I was trying to deduce the unidentified energy I felt a moment ago.

It was clearly neither mine nor Yuk Cheolwan's.

A special ability sent by a third party.

It was a sensation I had never experienced before.

‘V1. Can you check the data?’

[The sample data is insufficient for an accurate identification. However, similar Aether components have been reported in overseas hunter records.]

'Overseas? So this kind of Aether doesn't exist in the country?'

[According to the records so far, that is correct.]

'Hah...'

Though I didn't show it outwardly, I couldn't help but be impressed.

It's said to be an ultra-rare ability that couldn't be found in Korea.

Even if I didn't know who it was, it was an enviable ability.

[This ability is commonly referred to as a ‘Buff’ in other countries. Only a very small number of Espers possess this ability, and all of them are registered as ‘S’-rank.]

‘That makes sense.’

A Buff.

It certainly felt that way.

The Aether that had been depleted surged as if it had never bottomed out, and even my wavering ‘will’ felt elevated.

If it weren't for that 'Buff' at that critical moment, we wouldn't have made it back alive from the dungeon.

Did someone from another country cast a Buff on us?

Why, and for what reason?

Countless thoughts kept swirling, but even with the data V1 had, I couldn't reach a clear answer.

‘Does Exa not have any self-restoration capabilities?’

[While some lost functions can be restored, Exa's core operating mechanisms are currently completely destroyed, making self-restoration impossible.]

Tch.

That's too bad.

I couldn't possibly inject blood into every monster I encounter. I needed an immediate solution.

‘And...'

To be honest, there was one thing bothering me more than the 'Buff.'

The old woman’s words from the black market, who strangely stared at me despite being blind.

She clearly said this.

“Many have discovered the Aurum Bloom, but none have returned unscathed. You will inevitably pay the price.”

The old lady didn't particularly like me.

But even so, she wouldn't go so far as to make up a story and curse me like this.

Anyone capable of finding an Aurum Bloom must be a top-tier hunter or guild.

After all, it's not a rare herb that grows in just any ordinary dungeon.

They managed to discover it, but no one returned unscathed?

Of course, failing to defeat the boss monster would lead to disaster, but the old woman’s nuance suggested something different.

There is an unforeseen variable with the Aurum Bloom.

That was the conclusion I reached, which is why I took special measures with Brie.

"Everyone, you've worked hard. Let's leave the dungeon and go for a team dinner!"

"Haha. That sounds great, Bisu. But today, I'm in a bit of a hurry.”

I couldn't tell from when, but ever since securing the Aurum Bloom, Yuk Cheolwan had started to look like he was in a hurry.

And why wouldn't he be?

He could heal his wife, who had been suffering from mental contamination for years, so it would have been strange if his heart wasn't burning with urgency.

"Hey. You're no fun."

Bisu spoke with a face as if she had just eaten shit.

And I was staring intently at that expression.

'She's always been rude, but still…’

She wasn't jokingly grumbling, but genuinely annoyed.

She was well aware of Yuk Cheolwan's circumstances, so why would she make such a sour face just because a team dinner was postponed?

'It's still strange.'

Suspicion breeds more suspicion.

The usually chatty talker walking quietly for a while also felt incredibly odd.

As Yuk Cheolwan let out an awkward laugh, we exited the dungeon, and soon the dungeon began to collapse.

"As you instructed, I will report to the Association that it was around a 2-star level. Since the dungeon has already closed, there likely won't be much interest anyway.”

"Yes. Let's do that."

"Now that we're outside, it really hits me. We actually cleared that hellish dungeon... You're truly incredible.”

Yuk Cheolwan, who had been staring at me with eyes brimming with devotion, suddenly blinked his heavy eyelids.

"But why are you holding that?"

"Ah, this?"

As Yuk Cheolwan pointed, I was holding 'something' in my hand.

"It seems my deduction was correct after all."

"Your deduction... What do you mean?"

"Clan Leader, please don't feel too disappointed about what's going to happen from now on.”

It must have sounded exactly like the kind of line a villain uses when revealing their evil scheme, right?

Yuk Cheolwan tensed up and began glancing back and forth between me and Bisu.

No, to be precise, he tried to look.

Bisu had vanished from the spot where she should have been.

"Hunter Chun Haesun! Bisu, she's...!!”

She had disappeared.

To be precise, she had fled.

Taking the Aurum Bloom that was in her arms.

Yuk Cheolwan's face turned even paler than when he had been poisoned by my poison.

After all the effort to obtain the Aurum Bloom, she ran off with it.

"I'll explain later. Let's focus on dealing with the situation first."

"Yes... Yes?"

"Brie.”

I gave Brie the signal, and soon a woman's faint scream was heard from nearby.

"Kyaak!!"

-Kkuang!!

As expected, she hadn't managed to run far.

It was largely because there were simply too many minerals in her bag.

Considering the value of the Aurum Bloom, it was just ‘a bunch of minerals’, but she was in no state to make rational judgments right now.

That 'something' had completely paralyzed her ability to think.

"You son of a bitch...!!”

Bisu glared at me with a venomous expression.

Whoa, a viper in human form.

"You'll thank me once you come to your senses.”

Bisu's face was so crumpled that it was hard to believe she was the same girl we knew.

Her face was so tense with nerves that she looked almost monstrous, and her pupils were completely dyed in a pitch-black color.

And that expression was filled with greed.

I've seen that same expression a few times before.

The addicts who wandered around the black market like zombies, intoxicated by drugs.

Bisu was clearly intoxicated by something right now.

‘They say opposites attract...'

It was a phrase Kiril repeated countless times in a short span we had together.

Combining that saying with the old woman's warning, the following inference became possible.

The Aurum Bloom contains something that corrodes the human mind, just as it possesses remarkable healing abilities.

What if it stirs greed, similar to the 'Poison Fluke'?

This would explain why those who managed to gather the Aurum Bloom never returned unscathed.

Just like ‘my precious’ from the movie, they couldn't even bear the thought of handing the ring over to someone else.

The object Yuk Cheolwan asked why I was holding.

It was the blade of 'White Dream' that had been embedded in the dead Giant Treasure.

It seemed it was a really good idea to bring it along, just in case.

Thanks to its blade, I was able to easily subdue Bisu, who was thrashing around like a wild beast.

"Kyaaaah!!”

It sounded almost like the cry of a wildcat.

Bisu raised both hands and charged at me.

From the start, she had no combat skills to speak of.

Normally, no matter how cornered, one wouldn't charge in like this.

It seemed greed had indeed clouded her ability to think straight.

Smack.

Without hesitation, I plunged White Dream's blade between her eyes.

It was a merciless strike, enough to make Yuk Cheolwan flinch.

“Hu, Hunter Chun Haesun!!”

“It’s okay. I’ll heal her.”

I retrieved the Aurum Bloom from her arms and placed it in my inner pocket.

"Someone gave me advice about the Aurum Bloom."

"Advice...?”

"Yes. They said that just because you've obtained the Aurum Bloom doesn't mean it's all over. Since it's a top-tier rare herb growing in the Poison Dungeons, we need to be cautious in many ways. It seems Bisu was already poisoned from the moment she held the Aurum Bloom in her arms.”

"So that's why she's making such a terrifying expression."

It seemed Yuk Cheolwan finally understood the whole situation.

The Aurum Bloom, considered the highest grade among the highest grades.

It could truly be called a treasure that is difficult to obtain in many ways.

Shrrr...

"Hmm..."

While healing Bisu, Yuk Cheolwan clicked his tongue.

"It would have been better if I or Hunter Chun Haesun had kept the Aurum Bloom. Then, Bisu wouldn't have been unfairly attacked like this and wouldn't have had to receive healing either."

"No."

"Huh?"

"If the Clan Leader had seriously come at me, I wouldn't have been able to hold back either. One of us might have ended up dead.”

"That... I suppose you're right."

"Besides, what if this Aurum Bloom had affected me as well?”

".....!!"

Most likely, he would have died by my hands today.

Poisoners possess immunity to all kinds of harmful substances.

I've never suffered internal injuries from encountering any poison so far.

However, when obtaining the Aurum Bloom, it's crucial not to let your guard down.

Using the easiest target (?) Bisu for the experiment was convenient in many ways.

"Then... did you anticipate this happening from the beginning?"

Yuk Cheolwan swallowed a laugh, as if he were dumbfounded.

It wasn't just meticulousness; there was also a chilling feeling about how I chose Bisu as the test subject (?) without hesitation.

Why do you look like that, Clan Leader?

It's all for the greater good.

"If Bisu apologizes later, please accept it gracefully."

"O-of course. It's not even a matter of whether I should accept an apology or not. She was poisoned, after all…”

Yuk Cheolwan truly has a pure soul.

Though I couldn't help but think that such a pure soul should try cleaning the office for once.

Anyway, he naturally makes anyone who sees him want to cheer him on.

Both for him and his family.

"Let's head out right away. Where did you say the hospital was?”