Hyein, one of Korea's top S-rankers, had just returned from a mission assigned by Jiyeon.
Although she'd failed miserably to capture a member of the Ravenclaws, a notorious group of psychopaths hell-bent on destroying top guilds, there were still chances left to bring them down.
Jiyeon had recently received a tip: the Ravenclaws were planning to appear at Korea's largest annual trade market. It was the perfect stage, every major guild would be there.
If someone wanted to wipe them all out in one go, this was the perfect time.
A bomb? Some kind of hidden AOE skill designed to take down high-rankers in bulk?
C-ranks, A-ranks, and even a handful of S-rankers would be in attendance. Whatever the plan was, it wasn't small.
It was a special day. One that only came once a year.
For some attendees, just being in the same space as S-rankers was already a dream come true.
"Noona... you don't look so well. Is everything okay?"
Hyein looked worried as she stared at Jiyeon.
The dark circles under Jiyeon's eyes were even worse than before. She looked like skin and bones, and faint black veins were starting to show through her pale skin.
"I—I'm fine."
"She's not fine," Chiyeon cut in with a frustrated sigh.
She looked just as haggard. The bags under her eyes were deep and hollow.
"Her condition's getting worse. We've already called in the best Healers in the world, and—"
"Enough! I said I'm fine," Jiyeon snapped, before coughing violently into her hand.
"You're not!" Chiyeon raised her voice. "Look at you! You're getting worse by the day. Not even the S-rank healer from the U.S. could help. At this rate, you're going to—"
"She's not!" Hyein shouted, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood.
She knew what Chiyeon was going to say.
And she couldn't bear to hear it.
If Jiyeon dies...What will happen to Baekhwa Guild?
"I'll find a way to cure you," Hyein choked out. Tears welled up in her eyes.
She clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms, then ran out without another word.
A heavy silence followed.
"Did you have to say all that?" Jiyeon sighed weakly. "You know she's still a kid. She's emotional."
"...Noona." Chiyeon's voice lowered. She rarely used that word.
"I don't want you to die. But I've hit a wall. We brought in the world's best healers, but none of them could dispel the curse. Not even an S-rank from overseas. I'm desperate here. If you disappear, what happens to the guild? What happens to me—?"
"You'll become the next guild leader." Jiyeon gave a faint smile. "You're more practical than me, Chiyeon-ah. I've always known that."
"Please don't talk like that. You're not dying. We'll find a way."
"This curse was planted after that gate. You know as well as I do—nothing can undo it."
Her voice trembled.
"That day... it was a disaster."
The first disaster Korea ever experienced.
The Mirang District had been obliterated overnight.
Monsters poured out like floodwater.
Thankfully, they were only lower-tier monsters. If even a single high-tier had emerged, the entire city would've been wiped off the map.
"You saved Korea," Chiyeon whispered, barely holding back her tears.
"So why can't anyone save you...?"
·•—–٠✤٠—–•·
I stormed out of the building and jumped straight out the window from the 20th floor.
I didn't care. I needed to breathe.
I didn't know where I was going, but when I spotted the park from a distance, my feet started moving on their own.
Maybe that place would give me some peace of mind. I needed to calm down before I exploded.
I sat down on a bench, my hands still trembling.
My Noonims... they were the only family I had left.
We weren't related by blood, but that didn't matter. They raised me. Protected me. Saved me when no one else did.
And now, I was watching one of them slowly die in front of me, while I couldn't do a damn thing to stop it.
If even the world's best healer couldn't lift that curse...
Then who could?
My thoughts circled back to the L-rank healer.
If I could just find him—maybe there'd still be a chance. But his identity was hidden. Protected by law. No records, no photos, nothing.
Finding him would be like chasing air.
Still, if it's the only way to save Noona... I'll do it.
Even if I have to offer up my life, I'll find him.
No matter what.
"Ah—!"
A high-pitched voice yelped next to me.
Startled, I turned toward it and froze.
I recognized that face.
What was her name again?
She was... that girl. The one who survived...or cleared the S-rank dungeon with me.
The only other survivor of that cursed gate that nearly killed me.
Thanks to Chiyeon Noona, we managed to conceal her identity. Covered up the reports, and erased any footage the reporters got. All anyone knew was that an F-ranker somehow made it out alive.
I had my suspicions, of course. It didn't make sense for someone like her to come out of there unharmed. But even after digging into her record... I found nothing.
She was just a normal F-rank.
A very lucky one.
Naturally, everyone has already forgotten that incident. They think I'm the one who cleared that dungeon. But that wasn't true at all...
"Seo-ssi?" I looked at her, but she gave me a weird look. I couldn't understand what she was thinking.
"Are you okay?" she asked me.
"What do you mean?"
"You looked like you were crying."
...Crying?
I instinctively wiped at my face, only to realize my cheeks were slightly damp. I was...crying?
"I'm fine," I said, maybe a bit too fast. "Just... someone I know is...cursed."
Her eyes seemed to widen, "curse?"
"Yeah." But I didn't want to elaborate on it.
"Can you tell me more about this curse?"
"Sorry." My reply came sharper than I intended. "It's complicated."
She nodded slowly, lips pressing into a thin line. Her expression was unreadable, like she was thinking hard about something, but didn't know if she should say it aloud.
There was a long silence between us, filled only by the wind rustling the trees.
I didn't know why I was still sitting here. Maybe because... weirdly, it felt less suffocating.
After a moment, she spoke again, this time softer. "I've... read about curses before."
I glanced at her.
She looked nervous. Like someone testing the waters.
"They say some people have the ability to remove curses."
My brow raised in surprise. "What?"
She flinched.
"I—I mean, theoretically! I saw it on a Hunter's forum." She waved her hands quickly. "Probably not even real..."
"Hmm..." she wondered. "Are you a healer?"
"Oh? Y-yeah. But I'm just an F-rank healer," I added quickly. "I can only treat minor cuts and scrapes..."
"Oh..."
I could see the brief surge of hope, only for it to crash just as fast. I felt bad... Still, the idea of someone out there having curse-removal abilities... it wasn't completely impossible. Right?
"Who made the post?" she asked, suddenly serious.
Her eyes darted away. "U-uhm... I don't remember. It was a long time ago!"
My pitch went up.
She sighed, leaning back on the bench and staring at the sky.
Another dead end.
Still... talking to Seo Elena calmed Hunter Hyein down a bit. And that post she mentioned confirmed one thing: There's a chance someone out there has a curse removal ability. Should we make an announcement? Hyein thought.
I can't give up. I don't care how much it costs us. I would do anything to cure Noona. If there really is someone out there with curse-cleansing powers, someone will respond.
They have to.
Because if not... Jiyeon Noona is going to—
No. I'm not going to think like that.
I have to believe someone exists.
Even if they're hiding.