Chapter 48

Chapter 48

“Mr. Eunseong???”

Jeong Hobin’s eyes widened when he found me.

“When did you go back over there? You were here just a moment ago.”

Swoosh.

While Jeong Hobin was speaking, Helkiyan gave a broad grin and vanished.

[The Card Spirit of the [Mutation] card has returned to the Deck.]

“Heh.”

Jeong Hobin would not know.

He would not know that he had been tricked right under his nose.

Though rather than suffering any harm, he had ended up having his life saved.

“The fog is thick, after all.”

“Th-That is true.”

Jeong Hobin accepted my answer.

The other survivors did not seem to have noticed anything particularly strange either.

“Have you been waiting long, Young Master?”

Lumos approached me and bowed politely.

“......Please do not do that.”

It was so embarrassing that I could feel my earlobes burning hot.

If he at least looked young, that would be one thing.......

Being treated like this by an old man made even me feel awkward, and I was going insane from how conscious I was of the watching eyes around us.

“Why do you say such a thing, O Master of Infinite Power?”

“Please, could you be just a little less polite?”

“How could this old servant fail to serve the Young Master with utmost devotion?”

“Urgh!”

Old servant? Old servanttttt......?

“Fine, then please at least lower your voice. So the others cannot hear.”

“I shall obey the Young Master’s command.”

Lumos whispered in a quiet voice.

That was a little better.

Phew......

“For now, everyone, let us go inside. Nothing good will come of staying outside the building for too long.”

I took Jeong Hobin and the survivors and quickly moved.

“I-I really thought I was going to die. Ughhh.”

The moment Jeong Hobin stepped inside the building, he sank to the floor and groaned.

It was not an exaggeration.

In fact, Jeong Hobin merely had not suffered a fatal wound. He was still a complete wreck.

Not only was there no part of his body in good shape, but even the handsome face his fans liked had a long, deep wound carved into it.

Still, he had not been injured as severely as Instructor Kim Sangeung, so he was more than treatable.

“Sit there.”

I summoned Undina.

“Did you call me, Master?”

“......Not you too.”

This time, even my face flushed.

“M-Master?”

“Is he a Summoning-Type Hunter?”

“Even so, calling him Master is a little...... What era are we living in?”

The survivors’ conversation doubled my embarrassment.

You know, I can hear all of you.......

“......Please treat these people.”

“Yes, Master!”

Undina answered in a cheerful voice.

“I shall gladly obey my Master’s command as the West Wind of Healing.”

“......”

Whoooooosh!

Undina turned into wind and wrapped herself around Jeong Hobin and the survivors.

The survivors’ wounds visibly faded.

Torn flesh healed, swelling subsided, and broken bones knit together.

“Huh?”

“Does it suddenly not hurt?”

“Wh-What is this?”

Voices full of surprise spilled from the survivors’ mouths.

The people who had been sprawled across the floor until just moments ago began getting to their feet one by one.

“Th-This is not a dream, right?”

“Her healing ability is incredible.”

The survivors checked one another’s bodies as if they could not believe it, repeatedly marveling at Undina’s ability.

I was quite surprised as well.

‘She can do area-of-effect healing?’

As was usually the case with Healer-type Hunters, single-target healing was the most basic of basics.

However, healing multiple people at the same time was not nearly as easy as it sounded.

Only a tiny minority among Hunters with healing abilities could do it, and even then, its effect was usually inferior to single-target healing.

However, Undina had healed Jeong Hobin and the survivors at the same time, and perfectly at that.

‘Her efficiency makes no sense.’

No matter how specialized in healing a Hunter was, that was not something a mere 3-Star could do.

‘Was feeding her 5-Star Green Etherium worth it after all?’

I inwardly nodded on my own.

I felt expectant.

If I kept finding Green Etherium and feeding it to Undina, just how strong would her healing ability become......?

***

After sending Jeong Hobin and the injured people up to the second floor, I spoke with Lumos.

There was still some time left before we could escape, so I decided to rely on the Card Spirits a little more.

Since things had turned out this way, I intended to bring back as many survivors as possible.

That was the bare minimum duty I could fulfill as a Hunter, and if all of us escaped together in a larger group, everyone’s survival chances would rise as well.

“Um, could I ask you to work a little longer?”

It could have been an unreasonable request, and given the other party’s age, my tone was extremely polite.

“How could there be any objection? If it is the Young Master’s command, this old man shall devote himself body and soul to completing the mission.”

“Ughhh.”

I could not get used to it at all, and a shudder ran through me on its own.

“Please do so only within reasonable limits.”

“I shall engrave the Young Master’s consideration deep within my heart.”

“......”

Forget it. I should not even speak.

“You go with him too.”

I summoned Helkiyan, the Card Spirit of the [Mutation] card, once more.

“Since Master is telling me to go, I should gladly do so. Haha.”

Helkiyan also readily accepted my request.

“May fortune be with beings like me...... with the Card Spirits.”

The Card Spirit of the [Luck] card blessed Lumos and Helkiyan.

After Lumos and Helkiyan left.

“......Ugh.”

The strength left my legs, and I nearly sank to the floor.

I barely managed to hold on to the wall and remain standing.

‘The Ether consumption is too severe.’

The cause was Ether depletion from summoning the Card Spirits in succession.

There was not even a handful of Ether left inside my body, so a wave of dizziness had suddenly crashed over me.

For Hunters, Ether could not be viewed as merely an energy resource.

It was not an exaggeration to say it also served as both Vitality and Stamina, so it was only natural that heavy Ether consumption placed a physical and mental burden on the body.

‘I need to drink an Ampoule.’

Fortunately, Oh Taegwon and Kim Seunghye had collected several Ampoules, so I would not collapse from Ether depletion.

I gritted my teeth and forced my trembling legs forward as I headed to the second floor.

“Is his name Cha Eunseong?”

“Is he a Healer-type Hunter? A Supporter?”

“He seems too strong for that. Before, in the cafeteria, and judging by the skill he showed earlier, he seems like a Damage Dealer.”

The survivors were in the middle of debating my identity.

“Heh.”

I laughed.

Even I still did not know what my identity was, so what could third parties possibly know?

“Please be quiet.”

Ra Sihyeon approached the survivors and snapped at them.

“After going through all the trouble to save you, do you really feel like coming here and chatting? Why not just advertise to the monsters swarming outside that we are here?”

“S-Sorry.”

At Ra Sihyeon’s prickly words and venomous glare, the survivors flinched and shut their mouths.

“Big Brother, you’re here.”

“Go easy. Monsters will not swarm in just because people talk a little.”

“S-Still, should we not be careful?”

“That is not wrong. This is not a situation where we should exchange useless chatter.”

Perhaps feeling guilty, the survivors subtly turned their gazes away, as if afraid their eyes might meet mine.

“Seunghye, please bring me the Ampoules you gathered earlier.”

“J-Just a moment!”

Perhaps because the earlier incident was still weighing on her mind, Kim Seunghye brought the Ampoules to me with lightning-fast movements.

[Ether has been restored!]

[Ether has been restored!]

……

[Ether has been restored!]

Ether rapidly filled up again, and the early symptoms of exhaustion began easing.

‘That is better.’

The dizziness faded, and I felt my trembling legs firmly supporting me again.

“Wow, our Team Leader somehow survived.”

“How am I the Team Leader? The real Team Leader is over there.”

At Oh Taegwon’s joking words, Jeong Hobin waved his hands and pointed at me.

“I am sorry to say this to you, Hobin, but that is true.”

“Do not let your pride be too wounded. Haha.”

“Of course Eunseong Big Brother is the Team Leader.”

The rest of the team members nodded as if they actively agreed with Jeong Hobin.

“Ugh.”

Ah, please......

I truly hated embarrassing and mortifying situations like this.

I might have been able to enjoy it secretly, but I could not.

If this was part of my nature, then it was simply my nature.

Before I had returned to the past.

Even when I had been active as a Top Ranker, receiving the attention of not only the press and broadcasts but also people all over the world, I had never been able to get used to it.

“Does anyone here happen to have Type O blood?”

I asked the survivors, partly to hide my embarrassment and partly to change the subject.

It seemed we would need a little more blood to transfuse into Instructor Kim Sangeung.

“Ah, I am Type O.”

“I am Type O too.”

A few of the survivors raised their hands high.

***

The Card Spirits.

Lumos, Helkiyan, and the Goddess of Luck performed brilliantly.

By the time there was one hour left before the tide window opened.

The number of survivors they had brought back had reached around thirty.

“Thank you so much.”

“Mr. Eunseong, you truly are a hero.”

“You are the person who saved my life.”

Every one of the survivors thanked me and bowed their heads repeatedly.

The situation had not settled down yet, and we had not escaped successfully either, so I felt it was too early for that.

Still, there was no need to throw cold water on people who were saying thank you.......

‘The time.......’

There were forty-five minutes left until the tide window.

‘We need to start moving.’

I woke Instructor Kim Sangeung first.

Perhaps thanks to Undina’s healing and the blood transfusion, Instructor Kim Sangeung regained consciousness as soon as I firmly pressed his collarbone.

“B-Be gentle. You will break my collarbone.”

“Are you coming to your senses?”

“I am, I am. What kind of grip strength do you have? Ugh!”

Instructor Kim Sangeung sprang up and spoke.

Judging by his condition, he seemed to have recovered completely.

“I will thank you after we get out of here. Surviving comes first.”

“You are absolutely right.”

“Tell me the situation first.”

“Everyone, gather around.”

Because there were also a few instructors from the Special Force Training Center among the survivors, we put our heads together and devised an escape plan.

The plan was simple.

We would go to the transport section about three hundred meters away, secure vehicles, then leave Jebudo when the tide window opened.

It was a hastily made plan, but no major complaints came up.

With no clever solution available, it was probably the most rational and effective escape method.

“It will be burdensome, but Eunseong, you take the lead. You are the only one who can find the way. I will take the rear.”

“Leave it to me.”

Of course.

I had to be in the lead.

It was an operation I would not even have dared consider without the [Search] card.

“Everyone, follow control properly, and no matter what happens, do not panic. Respond calmly. We instructors will prioritize protecting the trainees and civilians.”

“Yes, sir.”

If there was anything fortunate, it was that a few instructors were mixed in among the survivors.

Right before we left the building.

“Eunseong.”

“Yes, Uncle.”

“No matter what it takes, I will make sure you escape. I promise.”

My eyes met Instructor Kim Sangeung’s.

I could feel it.

His sincerity.

He would probably throw away his life for me if necessary.

But that was not what I wanted.

“Please do not say that. We are all going to make it back alive together.”

“You little brat. The tiny runt grew up after all.”

Instructor Kim Sangeung gave a faint smile.

“I will open it on three.”

Standing in front of the door, I placed my hand on the open button.

“Three, two, one.”

Whirrrrr, click!

The door opened.

Outside was unchanged.

Thick fog.

Visibility was only a few meters.

A pure white realm of death spread before our eyes.

Still, we could not simply wait for rescue and dry up where we sat.

“We are going.”

I stepped into the fog.

And so, the escape began.

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