NOVEL NEXT Chapter 33
Chapter 33. Recruitment Proposal (2)
Yoo Ji-han didn’t bother to ask Min Yu-ri what she wanted to show him first.
“Understood.”
“Shall we eat first?”
The two ordered their meals.
She had said she would treat him, but since the purpose of today’s meeting wasn’t to eat, Yoo Ji-han ordered just a simple rice bowl.
“…….”
“…….”
However, he couldn’t bring himself to talk to Min Yu-ri until their food arrived.
She was wearing a dark expression compared to just a few seconds ago.
“Huuh…”
Min Yu-ri sighed deeply.
There was an aura around her that suggested he shouldn’t disturb her at the table.
‘Should I have talked after eating?’
From experience, Yoo Ji-han knew he had never had a good encounter by striking up a conversation with someone in such a mood.
He slightly regretted bringing up the recruitment conversation before they had eaten.
“I will prepare your meal.”
Their ordered food soon arrived in the private room.
And while eating, the silence continued.
The only sound in the room was the clinking of spoons and chopsticks.
The food tasted quite good, but the atmosphere was rather uncomfortable.
“This way.”
The quiet meal, devoid of conversation, ended quickly in about 30 minutes.
After settling the bill, Min Yu-ri walked ahead as they exited the dining hall.
“…….”
“…….”
Even on their way, there was almost no communication between the two.
And the place she headed to was a large hospital nearby.
“This is a hospital?”
“Yes. My younger sister is hospitalized here.”
It was the hospital where Min Yu-ri’s sister was admitted.
As she approached the reception desk, she greeted the attendant warmly.
They were two people who knew each other well.
“External visitors can also enter.”
“Thank you.”
Min Yu-ri led Yoo Ji-han to the 16th floor of the hospital.
And there, they entered a single patient room located at the innermost part.
“This is my sister.”
A small, frail woman lay peacefully asleep on the bed.
Min Yu-ri’s sister, Min So-yeon.
Worried that he might disturb her, Yoo Ji-han, keeping a bit of distance from the bed, cautiously asked,
“Is she very unwell?”
“So-yeon has been hospitalized here for four years.”
“……Four? Four years?”
“Yes.”
According to witnesses, Min So-yeon fainted after being attacked by a monster while walking peacefully down the street.
She received emergency treatment at the hospital after someone reported it, but since she didn’t suffer any major trauma, her treatment itself wasn’t difficult.
However, oddly enough, after her physical wounds healed, she still did not regain consciousness.
And that incident happened over four years ago.
More than 1,500 days had passed.
Min So-yeon had spent all that long time lying on this bed.
With a bitter tone, Min Yu-ri looked down at her younger sister.
“The girl who was a high school student back then is now already an adult.”
“…….”
“In her early twenties, this golden time she can’t get back in life. While others are studying or forging their own paths in college, So-yeon just lies here. She was a brilliant student, too.”
“The reason she hasn’t woken up is…?”
“We still don’t know.”
The doctors at the hospital haven’t been able to figure out why Min So-yeon has been in a coma for so long.
“All the doctors in this hospital and heroes who use healing magic have come and gone, but they still haven’t identified the exact cause. All we found out in the meantime is that there are about 300 other people worldwide exhibiting similar symptoms.”
“What kind of symptoms?”
“When someone’s skin comes into contact with someone else’s magic, that spot turns black. A few seconds later, it returns to normal.”
A skin discoloration caused by external magic, known as Magic Discoloration Syndrome.
Around 300 people exhibiting similar symptoms have been reported not only in Korea but in other countries as well.
The guardians of the patients share helpful information with each other through a group on social media.
Including Min Yu-ri, her entire family was part of that guardian group.
Sadly, however, there had never been a case reported from that group where a patient regained consciousness.
“What kind of monster did she run into to end up like this?”
“The Giant Cat Monster.”
“Ah.”
The monster that attacked Min So-yeon was the Giant Cat Monster.
‘So that’s why.’
Yoo Ji-han began to understand why she hadn’t ranked up to 4th level.
With near certainty, he asked Min Yu-ri,
“Is the reason you remain at Rank 4 because of the Giant Cat?”
“Exactly. I’m hoping that if I keep hunting them, something might come up.”
She was hunting the Giant Cat Monsters to find out the cause of her sister’s condition.
To be more precise, Min Yu-ri was a hero who only hunted the Giant Cats.
She had no interest in other monsters, focusing solely on the Giant Cats.
Just like with the guild “Sweet Fun,” the Hero Department had once requested her to rank up as well.
However, she refused the request to rank up.
If her party were to go above rank 3, then, as had happened recently, entry to the rank 4 Monster Area would be restricted unless during special occasions.
That’s why she had declined, as it would prevent her from hunting Giant Cats.
‘No wonder other parties were interested in her.’
The gazes of the heroes looking at Min Yu-ri in the rank 4 Monster Area were overwhelmingly heavy—more so than one would expect from fellow rank 4 heroes.
While part of the reason was that Min Yu-ri was one of the few tamers, there was also the questioning of why this hero focused solely on hunting the Giant Cats.
If a new Monster Area appeared filled with Giant Cats, it was only natural that she would show up.
“But patients with similar symptoms have encountered different monsters. Not all of them are the doing of the Giant Cat.”
Yoo Ji-han slowly nodded.
He understood her situation and her thoughts.
Why Min Yu-ri hadn’t joined another guild until now.
Why she hadn’t outright rejected the recruitment proposal he offered earlier and why she brought him to the hospital.
It was all because she had a sick sister.
‘I see potential.’
Now that he understood the circumstances, it was time to persuade her.
“How long has it been since you began hunting the Giant Cats?”
“Soon it will be close to four years. It’s been a long time.”
“And during that long time, you haven’t found a clue to awaken your sister.”
“……Yes.”
Min Yu-ri weakly replied to his question.
It was a fact she didn’t want to acknowledge.
“It’s a bit cautious for me, an outsider, to say this, but if you haven’t found clues until now, wouldn’t it be good to try a different method than what you’re doing now?”
“What kind of method?”
At his response, Min Yu-ri turned to look at Yoo Ji-han’s face.
She was waiting for his next words.
“Let me share a brief story.”
“……?”
“When we have a small wound on our hands or arms, we usually disinfect it and apply ointment, right? But do you know what the main ingredient in most ointments is?”
“I’m not sure.”
“One of the commonly used main ingredients is Centella Asiatica, known as ‘병풀’ in Korean. As you know, it’s a green plant that grows commonly in the mountains and fields. It has a lot of beneficial effects like antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Although it hasn’t turned into a monster yet, many researchers are secretly hoping it could.”
Centella Asiatica is one of the plants widely used around the world.
It’s also referred to as ‘Tiger Grass,’ and there’s a long-standing tale of an injured tiger rolling around in a bed of it to heal its wounds.
That’s how effective it is that someone would call it a panacea.
“In fact, whether we were pierced by a sharp object, cut, or hit somewhere, the Centella extract isn’t directly related to any of that. But the component extracted from that plant helps heal wounds. Isn’t that fascinating? The ’cause’ of our injury and that little plant are completely unrelated.”
“…….”
“What I want to say is that even though your sister ended up like this because of the Giant Cat, there might be a way to awaken her consciousness that’s entirely different from the Giant Cat.”
In previous cases, there have been instances where difficult-to-treat diseases were easily resolved due to the emergence of monsters.
And by becoming a higher-ranked hero, such as a rank 2 hero, one could gain access to more information, which could potentially help with Min So-yeon’s treatment.
‘I know this myself…’
He was aware of this information in his mind.
However, Min Yu-ri’s heart wasn’t agreeing with her head.
The reason she continued to hunt the Giant Cats was almost an obsession with the ones that had caused her sister’s condition.
After a moment of silently looking at Min So-yeon on the bed, Yoo Ji-han said,
“Then let’s do this. I will add a special condition to the recruitment proposal I made earlier.”
“What kind of condition?”
“If you join Sweet Fun, the entire guild will actively cooperate in finding ways to help Min So-yeon recover.”
“……!”
“I’m not just saying it; I’m serious. You can even request to have it explicitly stated in a contract. We can manage that much.”
Min Yu-ri’s eyes widened in surprise.
She hadn’t expected him to go that far.
<—Probability of Min So-yeon waking up>
<—Probability of Min Yu-ri waking Min So-yeon up>
<—Probability that if Min Yu-ri joins Sweet Fun, Min So-yeon will wake up>
……
……
Despite Yoo Ji-han adjusting the conditions and using sampling multiple times,
the recovery probability for Min So-yeon remained unknown.
Even so, he wanted to take Min Yu-ri to Sweet Fun.
‘I don’t want to miss this.’
A talent so prominent that she could shine alone at rank 4.
Above all, a hero who had already clicked well with Sweet Fun without any separate training.
For reasons he didn’t know, her pet, Chilla, was also favorably inclined toward Yoo Ji-han.
In Yoo Ji-han’s thoughts, merging the two parties wouldn’t be an issue at all.
“Um…”
Min Yu-ri had received a similar proposal in the past.
But this time, she was feeling more shaken than ever.
Having pressed her lips tightly, she once again looked down at her sister and said,
“Can I give you my answer a little later?”
“Of course. Take your time to think.”
Yoo Ji-han smiled gently.
For now, stepping back was the best option.
*
“It must be uncomfortable, so I’ll take my leave now.”
“No, I’m sorry for dragging you here.”
Yoo Ji-han exited the hospital room.
Afterward, as Min Yu-ri remained in her sister’s hospital room, she saw him off as he left.
Just as he was about to turn and leave after saying goodbye, something suddenly came to his mind.
“Right, Min Yu-ri. Are you attending the exchange meeting?”
“Exchange meeting? Which one?”
“A while ago, the Hero Department mentioned holding an exchange meeting where rank 4 parties could mingle.”
“Ah, that would only be for newly ranked parties.”
“Ah….”
Yoo Ji-han scratched his head awkwardly.
A few days ago, Sweet Fun had received an invitation from the Hero Department for an exchange meeting only for rank 4 parties.
And it was an event held exclusively for parties that had recently ranked up to level 4.
Since it had been several years since they had reached rank 4, the ‘Snowflakes’ party didn’t qualify.
Having never received a formal invitation until now, Yoo Ji-han didn’t know the specific attendance requirements.
“I’m sorry, I misunderstood.”
“That’s okay. Take care.”
Yoo Ji-han thus left the hospital.
Left behind, Min Yu-ri looked in the direction he had gone before turning back.
She was about to re-enter the room where her sister was sleeping.
‘……Exchange meeting?’
But the moment she grabbed the doorknob of the hospital room,
the exchange meeting that Yoo Ji-han mentioned sprang to mind.
‘Back then, I declined to attend.’
A few years ago, she had been offered to participate in a rank 4 exchange meeting.
But she hadn’t attended at that time.
The only reason she had ranked up to level 4 was to hunt the Giant Cats, so bonding with other guilds was outside her interests.
“……”
Normally, she wouldn’t have felt that intrigued, but…
This exchange meeting included Sweet Fun.
Suddenly, Min Yu-ri felt a strong urge to attend that exchange meeting.