Chapter 145
“Huff… Huff… How much farther?”
“Almost there. Just a bit more.”
“You said we were almost there twenty minutes ago.”
At Ban Yo-han’s grumpy remark, Kwak Sang-hyun was sweating profusely.
“Haha… Did I say that?”
We were currently climbing a mountain on the outskirts of Seoul to see the New Year’s sunrise.
Not only the members, but also Representative Ban Ga-eul, Director Joo Yeol-eum, their staff, senior artist Kwon Gyeo-ul, senior artist Bae Se-il, and all the company staff were with us, making a group of over twenty people.
‘Who on earth is this event for…’
I thought I had finally escaped weekend hikes after debuting, only to find such an ambush waiting for me.
“Raon, are you tired?”
Senior Bae Se-il, who was walking ahead, asked.
As expected of Kang Ji-woo’s role model, he seemed to have managed his stamina well, not looking tired even after climbing for quite some time.
“It’s tiring, but I think I can manage.”
“Really? Ji-woo was worried about your stamina earlier, but you’re holding up better than I thought.”
Kang Ji-woo, that guy, really knows how to spread unnecessary rumors.
“No, I’m fine. That guy exaggerated.”
“Okay. Hang in there a bit more.”
“Yes.”
The winter mountain before sunrise was extremely cold and dark. Even with my hood pulled down tightly, my ears stung more as we climbed higher.
Because it was stifling, I didn’t wear a mask or scarf to cover my mouth or neck, but my face exposed to the cold wind felt freezing while sweat dripped down my back, creating an imbalance.
I couldn’t help but think about quickly returning to the dorm and taking a shower in warm water, hot enough to feel slightly uncomfortable.
Even though it wasn’t voluntary, the shower after sweating would feel better than usual.
The hiking path, usually crowded, was well maintained but not entirely safe. A moment of distraction, and you could easily slip.
“Ugh…”
They say thoughts become words; I tripped over a tree root that had popped out. My body, dulled by the thick clothes worn to prepare for the mountain’s cold, swayed helplessly.
“Raon!”
“Are you okay?!”
I was not okay. A sharp pain shot up from my twisted ankle. My palms were a bit scratched too. I should have worn gloves.
The ankle was more serious than the hands.
‘White padding with dirt on it…’
I brushed off my clothes and let out a shallow sigh.
If I looked excessively nonchalant for someone who had twisted an ankle while hiking, it would be correct.
“What’s going on back there?”
“The kid fell!”
“Who?”
“Raon!”
“What?!”
“No, it’s okay. I’m fine, so keep going.”
I was fine.
‘Healing. Recovery. Cure.’
I fervently chanted these wishes and prayers inwardly, but the people gathered around me fussed over my condition.
The phone flashlights directed at me were blinding, making me squint. The angles of the lights were slightly adjusted.
“Look at your hand! Is it scratched?”
“What about your leg? Is your ankle okay?”
“I’m fine.”
With a small groan, my twisted ankle was intact, and my scratched palm was smooth.
As a bonus, my stamina, which had been depleted, was restored to the level before climbing the mountain, making me more energetic than the company’s known stamina king, Kang Ji-woo.
To prove this to others, I stomped my feet hard, but Kwak Sang-hyun, who was next to me, freaked out, telling me not to move my body so recklessly, unsure where and how I got hurt.
“Raon, why do you always make people anxious?”
“Every time you fall, I feel like my lifespan is being cut short.”
“The kid seems to fall often. Shouldn’t we get his ankle checked? They say once you twist it wrong, it keeps happening.”
I faintly smiled at the genuinely concerned voices.
“You don’t have to worry.”
At least, there would be no need to worry about my health in the future, not at all.
* * *
A few days ago.
“Since you’ve come this far, let’s sort out some other things too.”
Kim Lae-ri, who claimed to be here due to a minor disciplinary issue, intended to address the accumulated problems.
“What’s with Kim Lae-ri?”
“Why do you keep reading my thoughts?”
“It’s hard to have a conversation when words don’t get through.”
“Look who’s talking.”
Anyway, I thought the same. Especially those ridiculous rules and penalties needed to be clarified.
I would rather die than make a single mistake and become an ordinary person again.
In my opinion, 97% of my value as a human lay in this miraculous face.
The moment my charm flew away, I would be left with only 3%. There wouldn’t even be an “O” left of On Raon.
Knowing that, I had to cherish this appearance, but I recklessly lashed out in a moment of anger…
I deeply reflected on my actions.
“I have a plan for that. Unlike a certain someone who acts without thinking. This is what we call a difference in intelligence.”
His memory didn’t seem to be that great for someone saying that.
I pointed to the desk, which was shattered and scattered.
“Do you want to end up like that?”
“I’m sorry.”
Since we were both busy people, we decided to end the pointless argument there.
“I will disable most of the system.”
“For just one rule?”
It seemed like the remedy was worse than the disease.
“Not just because of the rule.”
“Then?”
“Zero will continue to stay in this world. However, he still has the administrator’s authority and can interfere with the system whenever he wants.”
Just hearing that sounded dangerous.
“Yes, it is dangerous. I checked, and there are already many parts that have been tampered with and broken.”
Larry gritted his teeth, seemingly upset that he only realized this now.
“So, I plan to keep the system in a low-performance state. Although we can’t strip that bastard of his authority, reducing the system’s overall capabilities shouldn’t cause you any major problems.”
He also mentioned that he would loosen the rule assessments.
“While we’re at it, I should tell you that Zero will aim for the optimal time, but that doesn’t mean he’ll leave you in peace until then. With the administrator’s power, it would be nothing to manipulate a few humans, so always stay vigilant. I will set up a barrier to protect those around you, but I can’t do the same for every human. Please be careful.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
In a way, it was similar to Kang Ji-woo’s warning to ‘be wary of people.’
“Since you’re here, how about a ‘job change’ as well?”
“Wasn’t that just something he brought up to bait me?”
“I mentioned that most of Zero’s words are based on facts.”
“What is it, though? I don’t even have a proper core. What I have is a 49% core at best.”
“And who gave you that? It’s enough for now.”
That guy was using fire earlier; does that mean I’ll be able to do that too if I receive his core? Am I completely straying from the genre?
“Let’s start by checking your aptitude class. To explain it in terms you might understand, classes are divided into tank, dealer, healer, and supporter categories…”
“Excuse me, Mr. Lae. In the 21st century, what use is a tank?”
“It can attract attention splendidly. Top rank in real-time search keywords on portal sites! Number one in participant buzz index! However, I can’t guarantee that your pure and upright image will remain intact. You’d be nothing but a foreign idol known for your face!”
“What’s the point of attracting attention like that? I won’t do it! I’m not doing it!”
My heart, which had been racing with excitement at the unknown game element, cooled down instantly.
“It’s extremely rare, but if you get a healer class skill, it would be a great benefit. Let’s at least check your aptitude. Though, the probability is as low as winning the lottery in Korea, so don’t get your hopes up too much…”
Larry, who had been waving his hand in the air, suddenly froze.
“…”
“Did it work?”
“Now I think I understand why that bastard was acting up with you, and it’s making me angry.”
Right then, a notification appeared, indicating that I had successfully changed jobs and acquired a skill.
[Class Skill 《Grace》 acquired.]
[Class Skill 《Grace》 – If you sincerely wish for the well-being of a target, a special and benevolent miracle will occur to them.
Your core is incomplete. The effectiveness of the skill is reduced. You cannot influence factors that critically affect life and death.]
* * *
…That’s how it happened.
At first, I thought I should go around the world volunteering with this newfound ability, but Larry’s sarcastic remark about proving the saying ‘beauty has a short life’ made me resolve to take better care of myself.
Larry explained that while it wasn’t difficult to heal himself, it took much more power to heal others.
‘They should write these things in the skill description in advance.’
In any case, it solved my stamina problem.
The total amount of stamina didn’t increase, but it was like realizing a ‘self-heal survival meta.’
When I got tired, I recovered with the skill, and when I got tired again, I recovered once more and kept going!
I tried it during practice after the holiday, and though it was brute force, the results were satisfactory.
Of course, the skill couldn’t be used indefinitely, and there were restrictions, but I’ll have the opportunity to reveal those later.
“We’re here!”
In the meantime, we had arrived at our goal, the peak. Many people had arrived before us to watch the sunrise. Some hikers recognized the senior singers who had come with us and murmured among themselves.
“Seil, I’m a fan of yours. I bought all your albums.”
“Oh, thank you, ma’am.”