Chapter 106: Concerns (4)

“Goodness!”

“Is this a dream or is this real?!”

“Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!”

“I can’t believe it even though I’m seeing it with my own eyes.”

Cries of surprise and relief mixed and erupted from everywhere.

Several grandmothers covered their mouths with wrinkled hands and wiped away tears, overcome with emotion.

Who could have imagined that the agricultural product problem that had distressed them for several days and nights would be solved right before their eyes, and with cash at that?

Park Mancheol stared blankly at the bundles of cash, then quickly snapped out of it and grabbed Gu Yu-jun’s hand.

His face was a mixture of his responsibility as the Village Head, the pride a father feels for a son, and the relief of having a weight lifted off his shoulders.

“Truly… truly, thank you. To think you would… you would solve this so quickly! Everyone in our village is saved, saved!”

Park Mancheol, overcome with emotion, patted Gu Yu-jun’s shoulder several times. The sincerity of his gratitude was conveyed clearly through his touch.

The villagers could no longer just stand and watch. They swarmed toward Gu Yu-jun and Park Mancheol to express their gratitude.

“Village Head, you’re the best! I knew you were the right person to be the Village Head!”

“You’ll be blessed!”

Some people grabbed Gu Yu-jun’s hand and wouldn’t let go, while others hugged Park Mancheol and expressed their overwhelming joy.

The village, which had been cast in shadows only a few hours ago, instantly turned into a bustling market full of energy.

Gu Yu-jun did not lose his composure even amid the people’s heated reactions.

“I have already prepared all the contracts. After confirming the type and quantity of agricultural products from the villagers, I will fill out the contracts and provide payment on-site. If any of you have trouble filling out the paperwork, I will help you personally, so do not worry. I will do my best to purchase as much produce as possible by the end of today.”

He explained in a professional and calm tone as he pulled a stack of contracts from his bag.

His firm attitude went beyond mere kindness; it was enough to provide a sense of trust that he would surely keep his promise.

Park Mancheol was once again amazed by Gu Yu-jun’s skillful and reliable appearance. He immediately shouted to the villagers.

“Alright, everyone! Please hurry and prepare as Yu-jun said! Everyone, make sure to bring your stamps and gather back here!”

Only then did the villagers snap out of it and hurry to their homes.

As the desperate situation was reversed in an instant, their steps were light and cheerful as if they were dancing.

Their eyes, which had been full of worry, sparkled with hope and vitality.

Before long, the Village Hall Garden was crowded with people gathering in small groups. The faces of the villagers, full of expectation and excitement, lined up.

With Park Mancheol’s help, Gu Yu-jun skillfully began filling out contracts and distributing cash. The faces of those who received the money were filled with the peace and joy that comes when long-standing worries melt away like snow.

There were even some elders who were so moved they held Gu Yu-jun’s hand and shed tears.

The sound of laughter and lively conversation, which had disappeared from the village for a while, was constant.

The small seed of hope that Sang-woong had planted was spreading through the medium of Gu Yu-jun into a massive energy of life that changed the entire village.

After that, Gu Yu-jun diligently transported the harvested crops to the barn Sang-woong had designated, all while receiving warm welcomes and well-wishes from the villagers every day.

Every time he met their eyes, which were filled with gratitude and respect, Gu Yu-jun’s heart swelled with an indescribable sense of pride.

Gu Yu-jun enjoyed each day in the warm breeze, something he could never feel in a harsh Dungeon.

***

When the agricultural sale problem was resolved and the deep anxiety was lifted from his father’s face, a corner of Sang-woong’s heart finally felt light.

It was also a source of pride to have helped Gu Yu-jun find a new vitality for life.

However, one thing remained stuck in his heart like a thorn, continuing to bother him: the story Lee Do-hyeon had shared.

The pain of patients who fell into the abyss of despair because they couldn’t even receive treatment due to a lack of money, and the suffering of the guardians who crumbled alongside them while watching.

Since he had often heard similar desperate stories from Kim Seo-ah, Lee Do-hyeon’s wife and a veteran nurse at the Dungeon Disease Specialty Hospital, Sang-woong understood the weight of that pain deeply.

Faces contorted in pain seemed to flicker before his eyes.

‘Is it not right for this power and money I have to be used in places like this?’

Sang-woong made a firm decision. His eyes shone with a steady, firm light. To put his decision into action, he headed straight to the hospital that afternoon to meet Lee Do-hyeon.

As lunch ended and the hospital’s operations began to get busy again, Sang-woong waited for Lee Do-hyeon in front of the Administrative Department.

Unlike the lively energy of the bustling lobby, the air in the hallway was heavy with the smell of disinfectant and feelings of pain and despair.

Faint moans or suppressed sobs seemed to leak through the walls.

Lee Do-hyeon stopped in his tracks while passing through the hallway with a stack of legal documents. His eyes widened in surprise, then his face brightened with joy.

“Sang-woong, what brings you all the way to the hospital?”

Lee Do-hyeon walked toward Sang-woong with a bright smile. Fortunately, the shadow of fatigue on his face was lighter than the last time.

However, traces of worry were still evident. Even so, his joy at seeing Sang-woong was sincere. He lightly patted Sang-woong’s shoulder and led him into the Section Chief’s Office.

Although it was a cramped office, everything was neat and tidy, reflecting Lee Do-hyeon’s meticulous and organized personality. The dust-free desk seemed to speak of his diligence.

“I was passing by and thought of you, so I stopped in for a bit.”

Sang-woong smiled naturally and sat in the chair in front of Lee Do-hyeon’s desk. Even inside the office, the heavy air — a mixture of the sharp smell of hospital disinfectant and the anxiety of the patients — pierced deep into his lungs.

Without hesitating, Sang-woong brought up the story Lee Do-hyeon had shared about the patients suffering because of money. His voice was low but steady and serious.

“Brother, the things you told me last time… about the Dungeon Disease patients… it has been weighing on my mind ever since.”

Lee Do-hyeon seemed deeply surprised that Sang-woong had not forgotten his story and had kept it in his heart. He marveled inwardly at how Sang-woong took other people’s hardships so seriously.

“Oh… I was just talking about my worries. You don’t have to be that concerned. Anyway, thank you for caring so much.”

A look of regret crossed Lee Do-hyeon’s face as the memory of that conversation resurfaced. Sang-woong looked at Lee Do-hyeon silently for a moment before catching his breath.

What he was about to say might be an absurd and hard-to-believe proposal for Lee Do-hyeon. It might be difficult to understand with common sense.

However, he was certain that Lee Do-hyeon was the only person who could understand his intentions and someone he could trust with such an important task.

He firmly believed in his upright character and sense of responsibility.

“Actually, lately… somehow, I’ve been making a lot of money, enough that it feels like more than I deserve compared to my abilities.”

Sang-woong explained his current situation in a calm tone.

Since he couldn’t explain the exact source in detail, saying it was money accidentally invested in an unexpected place would be the easiest for the other person to understand.

“How should I put it… while living as a Hunter, the money I happened to invest grew exponentially… and rather than just using this money myself… after hearing your story, Brother, I felt a strong urge to use it for something more meaningful… for something good.”

Sang-woong honestly revealed one of his new goals. In his past life, he had witnessed countless tragedies where those without power or money were trampled and crushed by the world, losing even their minimum human dignity.

In particular, as time passed, society fell into uncontrollable chaos due to more intense Dungeon invasions, and the greatest damage from all those disasters always struck those without money or power first.

Therefore, after hearing Lee Do-hyeon’s story, his desire to help them had hardened beyond a mere thought into a firm will. His eyes were filled with a steadfast determination.

Lee Do-hyeon could not hide his surprise and widened his eyes.

He was surprised that he had earned a lot of money at a young age, but he was speechless at Sang-woong’s sincere heart in saying he would so readily use that immense amount of money for “something good.”

Unlike the many people who only clung to secular greed, Sang-woong’s appearance, prioritizing helping others, was markedly different from any person Lee Do-hyeon had seen at the hospital.

“So… it occurred to me after hearing your story yesterday.”

Sang-woong said as he looked Lee Do-hyeon straight in the eye. His gaze contained an unwavering, deep trust in Lee Do-hyeon.

“Brother, are you not the one seeing the patients and guardians who are despairing because they can’t get treatment due to money from the closest vantage point? No one knows better than you who truly needs help and where it is most urgent.”

Sang-woong calmly brought up his proposal regarding the crucial division of roles.

“Could you… play that middle role? For those who you see are truly desperate for help… I will fully support their treatment costs with my money.”

Lee Do-hyeon was lost for words at Sang-woong’s proposal. It felt as if his entire body’s muscles were freezing up from shock and emotion.

The very problem that had made him tilt his glass in frustration two nights ago, the pain of the patients he struggled with every day as the head of the Administrative Department while suffering from a deep sense of helplessness.

Sang-woong was stepping up to help those Dungeon Disease patients, which would cost a massive amount of money.

“Sang-woong, is that true…? That… that massive amount of money… for the patients’ treatment costs… and… anonymously…?”

Lee Do-hyeon’s voice trembled thinly in the face of an unbelievable reality. His eyes wavered.

“Yes. It could get complicated if I step forward personally to provide the money. It might attract unnecessary attention or misunderstandings from people… and things might not proceed in the direction I want.”

Sang-woong calmly explained the reason he wanted to hide his identity.

He did not want to reveal himself to the world. If it became known that he had a lot of money, all sorts of people would surely flock to him, and poking into the source of the money would inevitably lead to a headache.

Since the Dungeon Gate was invisible to others, he would be treated like a crazy person if he talked about the land or anything related. He just wanted to provide the necessary help quietly, moving like a shadow and doing what he wanted to do.

“So, I think it would be good to proceed as if you received the funding from ‘a certain benefactor’ or ‘a certain philanthropist.'”

Sang-woong requested to help anonymously so that he would not be revealed.