* * *
As expected, that was definitely the A-rank final boss.
If my memory serves right, it would soon take the form of a colossal phoenix.
That final boss would reduce the entire Cheongdam area to rubble in an instant.
Normally, hunters would’ve been dispatched immediately, but luck wasn’t on our side this time.
In other words, it was like an empty house waiting to be looted.
The Cha Sung Guild, which was stationed closest, had most of their A-rank hunters following Cha Rui or off raiding dungeons individually.
The only ones left were healers or support types.
By the time Cha Rui returned after clearing his dungeon and defeated the final boss, half of Cheongdam had already been devastated.
It was the result of both poor response from smaller guilds and plain misfortune.
That was when I started hearing unwelcome whispers among the panicked crowd.
“Hey… isn’t that Seo Inho?”
“It is! Did he come to help? I mean, he is an S-rank.”
Of all times, my hearing had to be annoyingly sharp, picking up even the quietest murmurs.
…Great.
I closed my eyes tightly and sighed internally.
Honestly, if I were in proper condition, I could probably handle an A-rank monster somehow.
Just keep stabbing at its eyes, eventually, it’d go down.
But right now, one misstep and I might get devoured by that monster… right in front of my father, no less.
There was no way I could let myself look that pathetic.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly raised one hand.
“Are there any B-rank or higher hunters here? Support and healers excluded — only those with verified identities.”
Still, I couldn’t just stand by and watch hundreds of people die.
My conscience wouldn’t allow it.
Besides, it wasn’t that difficult for me.
Using my skill didn’t consume anything, and on a B-rank, it barely affected my eyesight.
But there was one condition — I could only use the skill on someone trustworthy.
The skill’s recipient could misuse its power, so they had to be reliable.
“No one? Really?”
Oddly enough, even though I wasn’t speaking that loudly, the area around me fell silent as if on cue.
For a moment, I regretted drawing attention to myself.
That’s when I sensed two hesitant presences approaching.
“I-I’m Kim Wonsung, a tank from the Cha Sung Guild. I’m B-rank.”
“I’m Jung Jieun, a dealer from the same guild. Also B-rank… but why are you calling us…?”
As expected, they were from the Cha Sung Guild.
You couldn’t get better credentials than that — there’s a reason it’s one of Korea’s top three guilds.
I pointed vaguely in the direction of the boss and spoke rather shamelessly.
“I’ll buff you. Take care of that boss for me.”
“Sorry… what?”
“Excuse me…?”
The two practically spoke in unison, voices dumbfounded.
They were clearly shocked I was offering to use the same skill I normally charged bribes for… completely free.
It didn’t cost me anything.
As long as there were no side effects, I was more than willing to use it repeatedly.
“As you can see, my eyesight’s not great right now. If it seems too hard, I can find someone else—”
“N-No, we can do it!”
“Me too! I’m confident!”
…Whoa.
I flinched slightly at their overwhelming enthusiasm and gave a small nod.
Well, when else would they ever have a chance to wield such power?
It made sense they were excited.
“Alright then, please handle it quickly.”
Preferably before my house collapses.
Swallowing the rest of my sentence, I placed my hands on their shoulders without further delay.
The moment I activated the skill, they gasped softly.
When I blinked again, both my hands were empty.
The two had already shot off into action.
Two should be enough.
They’d likely be boosted to around high A-rank level.
That should be sufficient to deal with the final boss.
“Father, let’s head inside too.”
Despite the murmurs from the crowd, I turned away with my father, pretending not to hear.
I’m sure he was curious what was happening, but he seemed more bothered by the attention his son was getting.
“Careful on the stairs.”
Pushed along by the crowd, I made my way down to the subway station — only to be stunned.
It was even more chaotic down here.
The cries of the injured, people desperately making phone calls… it felt like a war zone.
The station was so packed it was hard to even move.
“Let’s sit here. There’s a vending machine, people won’t notice us.”
My father somehow managed to find a stubborn little spot for us to sit.
As he sighed from exhaustion, I clenched my jaw tightly.
I could bet anything — he was probably drenched in sweat, just like last time.
I suddenly wondered… was I really doing my duty as his son?
I had followed him, not wanting him to go alone, but instead of being helpful, I felt more like dead weight.
“Si-hoo, keep your eyes open. You can’t fall asleep.”
That’s when I heard a desperate female voice nearby.
Listening carefully through the chaos, I noticed children groaning in pain nearby.
And it wasn’t just one or two.
“Why are there so many injured kids?”
Before I realized it, I asked the woman the question gently.
She recognized me and hesitated for a moment, likely nervous because of the rumors she’d heard about me.
“It’s… a monster appeared in the daycare playground.”
Her voice trembled with fear, soon soaking with tears.
“I… I should’ve protected them…”
She couldn’t seem to stop crying, blaming herself for the injured children.
But how was that her fault?
There were at least four or five kids — bringing them here alone was already impressive.
Even if she had run away in fear, no one would’ve blamed her.
“What’s the kids’ condition?”
“Sorry…?”
“Oh, my eyesight’s not great right now.”
I tapped near my eyes as I spoke, and the woman let out an awkward ‘Ah…’ before responding in a subdued voice.
“This child, Sihoo, is in the worst shape. His waist… it’s torn open. Deeply. If I let go, then…”
Her voice trailed off, horrified by the thought, but I got the picture.
His insides were probably spilling out.
Sitting by the vending machine, I pondered briefly before pushing myself to my feet.
“His limbs… they’re still intact, right?”
“W-What? Yes, they are…”
“Then this should be enough.”
I quickly rummaged through my item pouch and pulled out five high-grade potions.
If limbs had been severed, I would’ve had to use Oasis Water, but thankfully, it hadn’t come to that.
Shielding the potions discreetly with my hand, I passed them to her one by one.
“This is…”
The woman’s eyes widened as she recognized the potions, her voice slipping into a loud gasp before she quickly lowered it, aware of the dangerous atmosphere.
“Th-This is so precious! Thank you… I’ll find a way to repay—”
“No need.”
Leaving the whispering woman behind, I let my father support me back to our spot.
Honestly, I’d only acted because I hated seeing kids hurt — no need for repayment.
Beside me, my father gently patted my back, his expression proud.
Yeah, this much… this much was enough for me.
A short while later, as the treatment seemed to be wrapping up, the children began crying one by one.
Could there be a better sign?
It was the same in my previous world—strangely, when it came to kids, I couldn’t help meddling.
Back when I was doing delivery work, I’d occasionally run into children exposed to domestic violence.
Every time, I simply couldn’t walk away.
There were more than a few times when I stepped in and got beaten up for it.
I couldn’t fight back either—it might’ve caused trouble for my boss, so I’d just take the hits quietly.
Weirdly enough, no one ever officially reported me afterward.
Maybe they felt guilty, or maybe they were cowards who’d rather leave petty one-star reviews online.
It’s not like I particularly like kids… so what the hell is this instinct?
Maybe I’m projecting myself onto them…
Lost in thought, I zoned out, listening to the kids cry.
Before I knew it, two hours had passed.
Amid the slightly calming chaos of the subway station, the sound of someone running echoed closer.
“All standard monsters in the area have been cleared—you’re free to come up now!”
It wasn’t hard to guess why things were under control so quickly.
Cha Rui must’ve cleared the dungeon.
A bunch of A-rank hunters probably swarmed in after him to finish things off.
“Good, it didn’t take too long.”
“Yeah, thankfully… Ah…”
I was slowly making my way up the stairs with my father’s support when I abruptly stopped.
Dad immediately noticed and asked, worried:
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
“No… my eyesight just came back.”
Talk about timing.
The aftereffects wore off the moment everything settled down.
It was like the curtains of darkness drew back, and light gradually returned to my vision.
I squinted against the harsh brightness, but when I opened my eyes again, the chaotic scene around Cheongdam Station came into focus.
Compared to the movies where most of the buildings were reduced to rubble, the area actually looked relatively intact—probably thanks to the final boss being taken out early.
Though, to be fair, there was still a ton of repair work needed.
“Is that the final boss? Damn, that thing’s terrifying.”
“Holy hell, that’s disgusting…”
I turned my head toward the murmuring crowd.
In the middle of the road lay the corpse of a massive monster, looking like some grotesque hill.
Up close, it was just as overwhelmingly huge as an S-rank creature.
If I had gone after it myself, it probably would’ve taken me half a day to bring it down.
* * *
