Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Just as Ji-Ah was buying time, Si-Hyun was preparing on her end.

Although there hadn’t been a signal from the bracelet yet, she was already dressed and ready.

She had tried messaging Si-Yoon, waiting for a reply, but there was no response.

Unable to wait any longer, she called, but the line didn’t connect.

At that very moment, fully dressed in her black nun’s habit, she glared at the news on her screen.

Then, her wrist buzzed.

“Damn it…”

Si-Hyun muttered under her breath, quickly pulling the veil over her face.

She was in her full battle attire now.

Without a second thought, Si-Hyun dashed out of her house.

As she reached the street, a taxi happened to drive by.

She waved her arms frantically, bringing the taxi to a stop, and got in.

“Where to?”

“To where the gate incident happened.”

“Uh, where was that again…”

“…”

After a minor back-and-forth, she arrived at the scene where the incident had occurred.

Without wasting a moment, Si-Hyun sprinted toward the gate.

“Huh? What the—?!”

“Whoa!”

Some citizens turned around in surprise, startled by the gust of wind she created as she rushed past.

But by then, her black figure had already disappeared.

Effortlessly maneuvering around obstacles, Si-Hyun arrived near the gate, leaping over the barricades.

“Hey, stop right there!”

Her sudden appearance shocked the Hunter Bureau officials and soldiers, who tried to stop her.

But Si-Hyun, moving with incredible agility, dodged them all and slipped through the gate.

“Who… who was that?”

“A Hunter, I guess…?”

People stared in disbelief at the spot where Si-Hyun had vanished without a trace.

Although they couldn’t stop her, the incident had already happened.

Scratching his head, one of the officials called his superiors.

---

Inside the dungeon, Si-Hyun began casting every buff she could muster.

Finally, after summoning her sword, she completed her battle preparations and stepped forward without hesitation.

The dungeon’s vast, open spaces made it disorienting, but the bracelet guided her in the right direction.

Without a moment’s delay, she pressed onward.

Soon, she encountered a horde of monsters.

But her stride did not falter.

Snap!

With a snap of her fingers, mana surged around her like a wave.

As soon as it sensed hostile targets, its energy shifted.

The mana crushed and suppressed the enemies, as if a predator were mauling its prey.

This was one of Si-Hyun’s specialties—a wide-area debuff spell.

Monsters caught in its grip began to weaken, one by one.

Her allies grew stronger with each buff she cast,

while her enemies were debilitated by various debuffs.

This was Si-Hyun’s signature battle strategy as a support specialist.

“Graaaah!”

An ogre, sensing something amiss, charged at her.

But its strength was drained, and its movements slowed.

With minimal effort, Si-Hyun sidestepped its punch,

then leapt gracefully, swinging her sword in a fluid arc.

Swish—

With a sharp sound slicing through the air,

“Urgh—!”

her blade pierced the ogre’s neck, severing it with ease.

The ogre’s head hit the ground.

Its eyes rolled in confusion, not understanding what had happened,

before it succumbed to death within seconds.

A single strike was all it took.

Under Si-Hyun’s spell, even the ogre’s natural toughness was no match.

More monsters rushed at her.

But Si-Hyun’s combat method remained the same.

Dodge, strike, advance.

She moved with precision, adjusting to each opponent’s actions in a seamless, repetitive pattern.

Sometimes, she added elemental magic for variety.

Occasionally, she allowed an attack to land, unable to avoid every blow in the crowd.

But she never stopped.

Because she was a “Saint.”

Her body, enhanced by holy power, was resilient to the weakened monsters’ attacks.

Moreover, any wounds healed almost instantly through her blessings.

If there was a way to stop Si-Hyun,

it would be to kill her outright in a single blow.

Otherwise, her strong body could withstand even serious injuries, and she healed almost immediately.

Enemies exposed to her mana grew weaker and weaker, while Si-Hyun herself became stronger.

She was a powerhouse in prolonged combat, offering stability and versatility in both offense and defense.

There was no way mere A-rank monsters could stop Si-Hyun.

Thud!

Soon, a group of monsters lay dead at her feet, their necks severed.

“Si-Yoon, Ji-Ah… I’m coming. Just hold on a little longer…”

Her thoughts were filled entirely with the two of them as she murmured, pressing forward toward her goal.

Since entering the dungeon, she hadn’t stopped moving for even a moment.

---

After cutting through hordes of monsters alone,

and slicing a troll in two right before her,  @@novelbin@@

Si-Hyun finally reached Ji-Ah.

Si-Hyun’s eyes, hidden beneath the veil, widened in shock.

Behind Ji-Ah, all the civilians, including Si-Yoon, seemed unharmed.

Not a single one was injured.

But Ji-Ah?

Her entire body was covered in wounds.

Her left arm was nearly useless, dangling in tatters.

Barely able to stand, she leaned on her spear with her right hand.

It was a wonder she was still upright.

One eye was almost closed, and the other struggled to stay open as she gazed at Si-Hyun.

She looked as if she could die at any moment.

But she had held her ground.

Alone, she had protected all the civilians.

She had bought time until Si-Hyun arrived.

Her feat was nothing short of heroic.

“…You’ve done well. I’m sorry I’m late.”

Si-Hyun cast numerous blessings on Ji-Ah.

Since coming to Earth, her holy power hadn’t regenerated as quickly as it once did,

but her consistent daily prayers had ensured she had enough to use now.

“Heh… seeing you here in a place like this… it’s a relief. You saved me…”

Ji-Ah joked lightly, looking down at herself.

Her wounds began to heal rapidly.

Energy filled her body.

Her shredded left arm started to move as she wished.

It was nothing short of a miracle.

Within seconds, Ji-Ah felt her body completely restored to peak condition.

She clenched and opened her left hand repeatedly, assessing her recovered physical state.

“Wow, this is incredible…”

All her injuries were gone.

Her mana, which had been drained, was rapidly replenishing.

Strength surged within her. Her mind felt sharp.

With this kind of energy…

“Si-Hyun, with this much of a buff, I think I can clear this dungeon on my own.”

“Heh… are you sure?”

“Of course! You’re amazing! Absolutely the best!”

Ji-Ah couldn’t see Si-Hyun’s face beneath the veil,

but she smiled faintly, feeling unexpectedly moved.

Amazing…

It had been so long since she’d received such an enthusiastic reaction to her support.

She had always believed that empowering and healing her allies was just part of the job,

never something worthy of praise.

She had honed her skills to be as efficient as possible, but it rarely stood out.

Her role in the hero’s party had gone largely unappreciated.

Eventually, she stopped expecting acknowledgment.

She simply kept doing her best.

But hearing Ji-Ah’s praise made her confidence soar.

It felt like a reward for all her effort.

This feeling of being recognized by someone…

Si-Hyun felt a warmth filling her chest.

“Fine, give it a try. I don’t really want the fame anyway, so you handle everything here.”

“Pfft, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“I was actually going to say something dramatic, like, ‘Leave it to me now.’”

“Haha! Really? Sorry to ruin the moment.”

Laughing, Ji-Ah straightened herself up.

“I’ll give you all the credit. Fair is fair. After this—”

“That’s enough. It’s enough that you kept Si-Yoon safe. Thank you.”

“Well… maybe we’ll work out the details later.”

In truth, it was Ji-Ah who felt grateful.

She owed her life to Si-Hyun.

But before long, a new wave of monsters approached.

Ji-Ah loosened up her body in preparation.

“You take care of the civilians?”

“Yes.”

With Si-Hyun’s nod, Ji-Ah shot forward, charging at the monsters.

Already fast on her own, with the buffs she now moved at an unbelievable speed, weaving through the monsters with ease.

They couldn’t keep up with her movements.

She slipped between them, landing blow after blow.

It was like a dance, mercilessly dispatching them one by one, as if venting all the frustration of the day.

Watching her for a moment, Si-Hyun nodded in satisfaction and turned away.

She could trust Ji-Ah to handle it.

“Unnie!”

“Si-Yoon

! Thank goodness.”

Si-Yoon, her adorable little sister, came running toward her with tears in her eyes.

Thanks to Ji-Ah, she was safe.

---

Within a day, the A-rank special dungeon was cleared.

Clearing a standard A-rank dungeon usually took weeks.

It wasn’t just about subjugating the monsters; there was a lot of exploration and preparation involved.

It was also not uncommon to complete the dungeon just before it went berserk.

Moreover, this particular dungeon had been a one-way entry dungeon.

And yet, it had been cleared in less than half a day.

This astonishing news sent shockwaves across the public.

[A-rank Hunter Kim Ji-Ah Conquers A-rank Dungeon Solo!]

[Dozens of Civilians Trapped Inside All Found Safe—No Injuries.]

[(Hunter Interview) Her Courageous Stand Against Monsters Was Nothing Short of Heroic.]

[Could Korea See a New S-rank Hunter Soon?]

[Hunter Bureau to Award Kim Ji-Ah an Honorary Medal.]

News outlets were abuzz with reports about Hunter Kim Ji-Ah.

Online communities couldn’t escape the excitement either.

---

[Title: A-rank Special Dungeon Cleared in Half a Day?]

[Anonymous]

This can’t be real, lol.

- No way.

- Lololol

- Cheers

- Kim Ji-Ah! Kim Ji-Ah! Kim Ji-Ah!

[Post Deleted]

[Title: Guilds Desperate to Recruit—Hilarious!]

[Anonymous]

Kim Ji-Ah works as if she's with the Hunter Bureau, but she’s actually independent. Now every guild wants to scout her, lol.

- Lol, she’s pretty, skilled—I’d want to recruit her too.

└ She even goes to avoided dungeons alone. Her experience is on another level.

└ She’d be amazing in a party, no doubt.

- Just the best.

- Goddess!

- Wow.

[Title: This is What a Real Hero Looks Like]

[Anonymous]

(Photo of Hunter Kim Ji-Ah standing with her spear, leaning on it for support)

- Respect.

- Damn, it’s Kim Ji-Ah again.

- Her stance is solid as hell, seriously.

- Kim Ji-Ah! Kim Ji-Ah! Kim Ji-Ah!

- She even took down the boss alone?

└ Someone treated her injuries in the middle, but she handled the rest on her own.

└ Insane, seriously.

[Post Deleted]

[Title: Why Are Posts Getting Deleted?]

[Anonymous]

Dunno.

- Nothing special.

- I saw it, it was just people asking about the nun’s habit.

└ A nun habit, out of nowhere?

└ Who knows?