Choi Joo-Hyuk's eyelids fluttered.
Did I just hear something?
They say that when people are about to die, they hear voices or see hallucinations.
'What is this…?'
A translucent status window flickered before Choi Joo-hyuk's fading eyes.
Ah... the note system... there was something like that, right?
He had heard that Hunters with the Support trait could send notes. He remembered blocking the feature ages ago—too many scouting offers, too much weird spam.
'I guess the block gets lifted when you're about to die…'
A faint light returned to Joo-hyuk's eyes—eyes that had already given up.
Can I live...?
A rope had descended into the pitch-black well of his despair.
He didn't know if it was a golden thread... or just a rotten rope. But when you're drowning, you don't get to choose.
'Check the note.'
Choi Joo-hyuk blinked.
It was such an awkward message. The phrasing was odd, and it was filled with typos.
Are they a foreign Hunter?
That would make sense. Since Class A Gate disasters could destroy everything in a 15km radius if failed, more and more foreign Hunters were migrating from collapsed nations.
'Accept the party? That's all I have to do to survive?'
He chuckled bitterly.
I only have 15 stamina left.
By the time you sip a cup of tea, I'd be dead.
'Fine… Let's give it a shot.'
Under normal circumstances, he would have closed the message without a second thought. Risking his life over a random message was stupid—and insulting.
But what if…?
What if he could really clear the A-rank gate… What if he could come back alive?
What if he could one day stand before an S-rank boss?
What if he could avenge his brother?
'Party accepted.'
Anonymous (Party Leader)Choi Joo-hyuk (Party Member)
I should've entered anonymously...
No wait, they already know who I am.
With trembling fingers, Choi Joo-hyuk raised his hand and struck a key in midair.
He barely reached the [Enter] key before his hand fell limp to the ground.
Thud.
It was all over.
Whether this action was the dumbest thing he'd ever done… or a stroke of genius, only time would tell.
Choi Joo-hyuk's eyes gently closed.
*****
—I got the note!
I clenched my fist.
"Yes! You did it, Joo-hyuk! You really did it!"
I'd written that message in a rush, filled with typos and broken grammar.
But he understood everything perfectly.
That was the mark of an S-class Hunter.
Even on death's doorstep, he sent a message without a single typo and used polite language.
If it were me, I would've just typed: "pls save me omg."
But not him.
As expected of Korea's top Hunter.
Name: Choi Joo-hyuk
Level: 74
Trait: Attack
Class: Gladiator (Close-Range Dealer)
Rank: S
Status: Near Death
Stamina: 1 / 4423
Mana: 1 / 2354
Location: A-Class Gate #2354
Coordinates: 37°34′17.93″N, 126°58′34.94″E
Only 1 stamina left.
I was terrified.
What if I used the remote healing skill and got an error like "Service Failed. Please Try Again"?
It would be game over.
'The status window even shows GPS coordinates. That's creepy...'
But Joo-hyuk was about to die!
Why does the system use such calm and clinical words for such a terrifying state?
Still, I steadied my shaking hands.
And then—I clicked.
"Remote Healing! On Choi Joo-hyuk!"
Click. Click.
"YES, DO IT! Hurry, please!!"
Click! Click!
Choi Joo-hyuk's status updated.
Status: Dying
Stamina: 21 / 4423
"Okay! Okay!!"
I slammed my desk in joy.
He went from 'Near Death' to 'Dying.'
It didn't sound good, but trust me, it was progress.
"Use it again! Heal! Heal!"
Click! Click!
"Come on, keep going!!"
Status: Critical
Stamina: 240 / 4423
I did it!
He's out of the death zone!
Although "Critical" still meant he was badly injured, it was far better than dead.
Then a message popped up:
As expected, it was a level issue.
I only had Remote Healing at Level 1. But that was okay.
He was safe now.
His stamina wasn't dropping anymore. No more bleeding. No monsters attacking him.
I took a deep breath.
My palm was soaked with sweat, and my mouse was slick from clicking so much.
"Phew… I didn't know saving someone could be so exhausting…"
A mix of joy, relief, and pride flooded me.
I had saved S-class Hunter Choi Joo-hyuk.
The value of this guy… He was worth more than two S-class Hunters put together—Park Tae-woo and Guraon combined.
Even among S-ranks, there's hierarchy. And this guy was top-tier.
And I saved him.
"I saved Choi Joo-hyuk!! Hahahahahahahaha!"
That's when the door burst open.
A woman in her mid-20s walked in. My younger sister, Han I-seul.
Since our parents moved to the countryside, she and I were the de facto heads of the house.
"Hey! Han Ji-woo! Can you not scream like a maniac? I just finished a hunter job and want to sleep in peace!"
I take that back.
I slowly closed the door. Quietly sat back down.
"...I will become independent soon."
Then the door opened again.
Han I-seul spun my chair around with a grumble.
"Hey! Don't slam the door in people's faces! That hurt, you know!"
I rubbed my ear, dazed.
I had just saved the top Hunter in the country.
I couldn't be bothered to deal with a mere A-rank in front of me.
Wait… does that mean I'm S-class now too?
"…Little brother?"
Han I-seul stared at me strangely.
"What's with that weirdly gentle tone…?"
She pressed a hand to my forehead.
"You don't have a fever… Did job hunting finally break your brain?"
"Do you use the Hunter community?"
"Yeah, why?"
"No reason."
With a smug grin, I gave her a knowing nod.
She'll find out soon enough.
You don't need to scream your greatness when you've done something this historic.
After all, the Korean Hunter Association will handle the broadcasting for me.
I haven't done a grade check yet though.
If it becomes known that Choi Joo-hyuk survived thanks to me,
We will be investigating mainly healers.
In that case, my name had to be mentioned naturally.
Hey, I don't want to be too famous.
Crackle crackle.
Han-Isul shook her head and closed the door.
thud.
At the same time, status windows started popping up.