The B-rank boss monster, the Bloody Crimson Tiger, finally collapsed. Unfortunately, the boss raid reward went to Ju So-jeong.
“I wondered if I’d leave empty-handed again this time, but it actually fell into my hands. The boss raid reward! Ho-ho-ho! I wonder how our Guild Master Choi Gang-hyeok feels about missing out?”
Ju So-jeong, holding the raid reward with a proud expression, provoked Choi Gang-hyeok.
Choi Gang-hyeok looked at her and spoke bluntly.
“Hmph! If I had received the Enchant buff as well, that would have been mine. You only claimed it thanks to Kim Seong-jun’s Enchant buff, yet you speak as if you earned it through your own skill.”
As he said, it was impossible to know what the result would have been if Choi Gang-hyeok or Karl Buckman had been included in Seong-jun’s party and received the Enchant buff.
However, Seong-jun had prioritized those with powerful area-of-effect skills for his party, which led to the boss raid reward going to Ju So-jeong, the only S-rank in the group.
‘Hmm, so an S-rank is still too much for me under the same conditions? I thought I dealt a fair amount of damage, but I still lost it to Ju So-jeong.’
If Ju So-jeong hadn’t had the Holy Weapon Enchant buff, Seong-jun would have most likely obtained the boss raid reward again.
The increase in critical damage from the Holy Weapon Enchant was that significant.
The problem was that, under the same conditions, he still didn’t measure up to an S-rank.
‘Well, it can’t be helped. Even if I’m an A-rank comparable to an S-rank, I’m not a full S-rank yet. Plus, strictly speaking, I’m a healer, not a damage dealer. But I can increase my rank. Once I level up again and reach S-rank, I won’t be pushed back under the same conditions.’
Falling short of an S-rank right now was, in a way, natural.
No matter how much of an irregular Seong-jun was or how much more powerful he was than his official rank, perfectly overcoming the gap in ranks was not easy.
However, Seong-jun possessed something other Hunters did not: the fact that his rank increased as his level rose.
He didn’t know how long it would take to reach the next level, but he would eventually level up and reach S-rank.
When that time came, he was confident he wouldn’t be pushed around by any other S-rank.
“Setting that aside, the boss’s pack seems to be cleared out. Shouldn’t we start mopping up the remaining monsters? There are likely still people hiding throughout Jeju Island hoping to be rescued, and if we’re not careful, they might be killed by monsters before help reaches them.”
Although they had dealt with the boss pack, a large number of monsters were still scattered across Jeju Island.
If they didn’t clear them out as quickly as possible, casualties would increase.
Seong-jun urged them to start clearing the remaining monsters immediately.
“Of course we should. But there’s a limit to what we can do on our own. It would be best to contact Jeju Airport first, tell them to leave a minimum defensive force there, and deploy the rest for the monster sweep,” Ju So-jeong replied.
Seong-jun nodded at her words.
“Yes. And since there are only small groups of common monsters left, it would be best to split into teams of at least two or three parties. Ah, for the record, we’ll just move as our own party.”
What remained were small groups of common monsters scattered across Jeju.
Therefore, if they organized teams of two or three parties, Changcheon and Genesis could each form four or five teams, allowing them to clear the remaining monsters more quickly.
“That sounds good. But we can’t just go around poking our noses everywhere. It would be better to contact the Association, inform them of the situation, and request reconnaissance drones. The Association maintains personnel capable of operating large-scale reconnaissance drones for emergencies,” Choi Gang-hyeok suggested.
Jeju Island was not a tiny uninhabited island; it was quite large.
A couple of reconnaissance drones wouldn’t be enough.
It seemed better to call in a reconnaissance team from the Association that could handle a large-scale operation.
“Reconnaissance drones. That would certainly help us find the scattered monsters quickly. But we can’t just sit around waiting for them to arrive. Let’s start on our own first. We can join up with the Association’s reconnaissance team once they get here.”
Even if the Association’s team in Seoul moved as fast as possible, it would take at least 1 hour to prepare and reach Jeju Island.
It might even take longer.
They couldn’t just sit still during that time.
Thus, Seong-jun suggested they begin the monster sweep and civilian rescue operations immediately, regardless of the drone request.
Choi Gang-hyeok nodded and said, “Let’s do that. Shall we start by dividing the teams and assigning search sectors?”
While it was good to start searching before the reconnaissance team arrived, wandering aimlessly would be inefficient.
He suggested they divide the areas by team and focus their efforts accordingly.
***
As the search areas were divided, some teams were assigned to the nearby Aewol area, while others were given sectors further away.
Seong-jun’s party was assigned to the Yeon-dong downtown area, which was not far from Jeju Airport.
After traveling by vehicle, Seong-jun and his group began slowly searching the surroundings.
“When I came to Jeju Island on vacation before, I stayed at a place near here, but to think it turned into this. It’s like a complete ghost town.”
Destroyed buildings lined the streets due to the monsters, and no sign of life could be found.
People were likely hiding somewhere, but they hadn’t seen even a shadow of a person while walking the streets, making the “ghost town” description quite fitting.
Just then.
*Roaaaar!*
A small pack of monsters was caught in their sights.
“Crimson Tigers ahead! I see about three of them. Brother Gwang-taek! Go, go!”
At her call, Gwang-taek adjusted his shield and stepped forward.
“Phew, fine. Go, go.”
He immediately cast **[Chain of Light]**.
*Cling-cling-cling!*
In an instant, the three Crimson Tigers were pulled toward Gwang-taek.
“Chang-su! Let’s go!”
“Yes, Sister!”
*Swish! Slash! Slash!*
Yuseon and Chang-su poured out their attacks immediately.
Because Seong-jun was there, they didn’t hold back on their skills, resulting in a rapid hunt.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Seong-jun didn’t participate much in the attack, other than casting **[Dark Attribute Infusion]** on each of the three individually.
Even so, the monsters were wiped out in an instant.
“Oh! That was fast! As expected, hunting is much faster when I can use my skills without worry. Seong-jun, recharge my Aura for me. It’s dropped below half.”
“Brother, me too.”
Because they were spamming skills without managing their resources, their consumption was relatively high.
But what did it matter?
They had a walking Aura charging station with them.
“**[Energy Recharge]**!”
As Seong-jun cast **[Energy Recharge]** on Yuseon and Chang-su, a refreshing sensation washed over them.
*Shwaaaaaa!*
Their Aura was rapidly replenished.
“Oh! Full! As expected of you, Seong-jun. At this rate, I think we could definitely handle B-rank Dungeons. Plus, since you can even act as a Tanker now, we don’t have to worry about losing aggro. Still, the more I think about it, the more absurd it is. Now you’re even tanking? Isn’t this a bit much?”
When they were fighting the boss in Ahyeon-dong right before coming here, Seong-jun had displayed excellent tanking abilities.
Of course, this was only possible because he had acquired Paladin skills after obtaining Pellis Truian’s Essence.
“Even if I can, it’s just a temporary measure. I’m nowhere near as good as Brother Gwang-taek. At most, I can just buy a little time as a sub-tank.”
He said this, but in reality, Seong-jun’s tanking ability was sufficient even for a main Tanker.
The Paladin combat techniques of Pellis Truian, which were integrated into his Divine Combat Technique, were perfectly specialized for defense.
“Is it going to get to the point where you’ll be sweeping everything alone without us?”
At Yuseon’s words, Seong-jun let out a small smirk.
‘In the future, it might be like that. But don’t worry. Even if it becomes possible, I have no intention of breaking up the party.’
At their current pace, Seong-jun might be able to solo B-rank Dungeons as soon as he reached S-rank.
But even if soloing became possible, there was no reason to insist on it.
Moving as a team was much more efficient.
While he might lose some profit, he was already making more than enough, and since he had nowhere to spend it, his money was just piling up.
There was no need to solo just to earn a little more.
As they cleared small groups of monsters and chatted, a group of people suddenly rushed out from a hotel with a broken entrance.
“Uh, excuse me!”
“Hmm? Are you survivors?”
At Seong-jun’s question, the people replied with relieved expressions.
“Yes! You’re Hunters, right? Wow! We’re finally saved!”
“You came to rescue us, right? Thank you! Thank you so much!”
There were at least several dozen people.
Among them was Lee Seon-hwa.
Seeing Seong-jun’s group clearing the monsters as they moved, it seemed that not only the people who had evacuated to the third floor but also the hotel guests who had been hiding in their rooms had come pouring out.
Looking at them, Seong-jun spoke.
“The path from here to Jeju Airport has been mostly cleared. It shouldn’t be particularly dangerous for you to move on your own. If you’re still uneasy, please wait a little longer where you were. There’s a chance monsters still exist elsewhere in the city, so I’ll only be able to take you to the airport after we’ve cleared them all out.”
There was a high probability that there were other survivors scattered throughout the city.
If he took this group to Jeju Airport now, other survivors might fall prey to monsters in the meantime.
Therefore, Seong-jun decided that dealing with any monsters that might still be in the city was the priority.
“Just us? It’s not a short distance from here to the airport; we’d have to go at least 2 kilometers! What if a monster shows up? Please, don’t be like that. Just take us there first and then finish your search, okay?”
“I agree! How are we supposed to know when the monster sweep will end? Don’t make us wait here. Just take us first.”
Several people insisted on being taken to safety first.
However, Seong-jun’s decision did not change.
“While I am taking you to Jeju Airport, other survivors might be killed by monsters. People who could have lived might die. So, if you aren’t going to move to the airport on your own, please wait safely where you were, just as you have been.”
Seong-jun was telling them to stay hidden a little longer since they had successfully stayed safe until now.
This sparked a wave of protest.
“No! If you came to rescue us, you should fulfill your duty! What do you mean hide more!”
“If you’re a rescue team, then act like one and take us first!”
“I want to get out of this monster-infested place as soon as possible, so hurry up and take us!”
Hearing their words, the smile disappeared from Seong-jun’s face, and he spoke with an expressionless look.
“I am not a rescue team; I am a Hunter who came to clear out monsters. In other words, my duty is to eliminate the monsters. Once the sweep is over, a separate rescue team will come, so you can move with them.”
He didn’t misunderstand their feelings.
No matter how well they had hidden, Jeju Island had become a monster paradise.
After enduring hours of fear, not knowing when they might die, it was human nature to want to leave this wretched place as soon as possible.
But as the saying goes, “one must speak kindly to be spoken to kindly.”
Since they were barking orders as if it were their natural right, there was no way Seong-jun would respond with pleasantries.
He was already being as polite as possible.
“No, what kind of nonsense is that!”
“Ugh! I don’t care! I don’t know about any of that, and if you don’t take us right now, I’m going to report you to the media! I’ll tell them a Hunter abandoned civilians in a danger zone and just left! If you don’t want to get trashed, you’d better take us safely to Jeju Airport right now!”
While one person went so far as to use threats, others scolded them and took the side of Seong-jun’s group.
“People should have some shame! It’s not like they’re asking for your bundle after saving you from drowning! Who do you think made this area safe enough for you to come down and shout like that? If it weren’t for those Hunters, do you think you could even raise your voice out here?”
“They said there might be other survivors. How can people be so selfish? They said the monsters around here are cleared out, so just think of it as taking a short break and go back inside to wait.”
“Seriously. People who were hiding and didn’t make a peep in front of the monsters are now yelling at the Hunters who caught them? Anyone would think the Hunters were their personal bodyguards.”
Perhaps because the number of people protesting was not small, the momentum of the entitled woman seemed to subside a bit.
Of course, even then, there were those who protested even more fiercely.
“What? If you want to wait, you wait! Who are you to tell me to wait or not!”
“Ha! Who says anyone is taking you? If you want to go, go by yourself! Why are you clinging to the Hunters who are busy catching monsters?”
The argument shifted from a conflict between the survivors and Seong-jun’s party to a fight among the survivors themselves.
“What did you say? Look here! Do you know who I am?”
“And do you know who I am?”
“I don’t give a damn who you are!”
“Well said! Me neither! I’m not the least bit curious about what you do, and I don’t want to know! So if you’re not going to go alone, just shut up and stay back!”
Watching them fight among themselves, Seong-jun’s group let out a sigh simultaneously, as if they had planned it.
Just then, Lee Seon-hwa, who had been watching silently, spoke in a low voice.
“Ah, how noisy. I really hate noisy things.”
With that one sentence, a sudden silence fell.
“…”
Among those arguing, many had been hiding on the third floor.
Consequently, those people backed down the moment Lee Seon-hwa spoke.
The image of her turning into a monster and instantly crushing another monster was vividly burned into their minds.
Of course, the guests who had been hiding in their rooms didn’t know about Lee Seon-hwa, so they had no fear of her.
“What is that now? How dare a young thing butt in so rudely? If you don’t like it being noisy, then go back inside!”
Looking at the woman, Lee Seon-hwa gave a faint, chilling smile.
“I’ve remembered your face, lady. Let’s talk after those Hunters leave. I’ve remembered everyone else, too, so look forward to it.”
At those words, the survivors who had been on the third floor were terrified.
“Gasp! I—it wasn’t me! I only said one thing! Truly!”
“I was just trying to stop the noise!”
Seeing them turn pale and make excuses, the guests who had come out of their rooms looked confused.
Just who was this woman that they were so afraid of her?
Sensing that the atmosphere was unusual, the troublesome woman spoke to Seong-jun’s group.
“L-look at that! I’m scared of that person, so I can’t stay here! So please, hurry up and take us to Jeju Airport!”
Gwang-taek let out a sigh.
“Haaa, Seong-jun. Let’s just go. We don’t have time for this.”
Even while they were standing here, someone could be suffering a terrible fate at the hands of monsters.
Gwang-taek suggested they ignore them and move on rather than wasting time.
“That’s probably for the best. Let’s go.”
As Seong-jun’s group prepared to move, leaving the survivors behind, the troublesome woman threatened them again.
“Where do you think you’re going! If you leave like this, I’m really going to report this to the media!”
At her words, Seong-jun slowly turned his head.
“Go ahead and report it. My name is Kim Seong-jun, by the way. So make sure to mention my name when you report it. I wouldn’t want any innocent Hunters getting misunderstood.”
At that name, several survivors recognized him.
“Kim Seong-jun? Gasp! B-by any chance, the Saint, Kim Seong-jun?”
“Heugh! You mean the hero of the Taean Incident, Kim Seong-jun?”
“Wow! To think I’m seeing Kim Seong-jun in person! I heard he saved an incredible number of people during the Seoul Dungeon Break that just ended! Did he come all the way to Jeju Island after finishing up there?”
To these people, Seong-jun was a hero in his own right.
It wasn’t just because he was strong, but because of his actions thus far.
A healer who treated people without asking for anything in return.
Countless people on the brink of death had found new life because of him.
Furthermore, he was even treating people who had been disabled by accidents or congenital deformities.
He didn’t do it just once; he did it regularly, and without taking a single cent.
It was truly selfless kindness, which is why people called him a Saint.
“Ha! So you just threatened to report Healer Kim Seong-jun to the media? Don’t you worry, Healer! I’ve been recording everything on my phone, so if that person reports you, I’ll release the full video!”
“Me too! I recorded it too!”
“Good heavens! Of all the people to threaten, she threatens Healer Kim Seong-jun, who is called a Saint? Do you have any idea how many people have been saved thanks to him? You really have no conscience. Someone like that needs to be taught a serious lesson to come to their senses.”
When it was revealed that the person she threatened was the Saint, Kim Seong-jun, and the atmosphere shifted toward labeling her as trash, the woman’s face turned pale.
“O-oh, no… how was I supposed to know? If I had known sooner, I wouldn’t have gone this far…”
Even she seemed to feel that targeting Seong-jun, who was known as a Saint, was a burden, even if it might have been different with any other Hunter.
Seeing them, Seong-jun spoke with a smile.
“Hearing you all say that makes me feel like the work I’ve done hasn’t been in vain. Anyway, we really must be going.”
As the situation seemed to resolve quickly once his identity was revealed, Seong-jun prepared to leave.
“Yes! Don’t worry about us and please, go on ahead!”
And no one stopped Seong-jun’s group.
Or more accurately, they couldn’t stop them.