The More the Healer Gets Hit the Stronger He Become

18 – Impromptu Team (2)

The moment of tension.

It was when the smile that had lingered on Kangwoo’s lips disappeared, and his gaze sank sharply.

“Jungmin oppa!”

Yoo Seung-ah, who had intervened, blocked Kangwoo’s way.

“You know it’s impossible to fight in the safe zone, oppa! What’s so suspicious about it!”

“Didn’t you hear what he said? He survived alone after all his comrades died in the 10th-floor trial. Despite that, he doesn’t seem to have any significant injuries. Isn’t that strange?”

“W-What…”

As Yoo Seung-ah tried to argue, she glanced at Kangwoo’s attire. Just as Jeongmin, the man, had said.

Given the urgency of the situation where about ten comrades had died, Kangwoo didn’t seem to have suffered any major injuries, even if his clothes were dirty and stained with blood.

“Come to think of it, it seems strange for someone to come out unscathed in such a fierce battle…”

Unable to forget her words, Yoo Seung-ah, Jeongmin, resolutely spoke.

“He walks around with intact limbs, carries weapons all over, and obviously backstabs his comrades…”

“Stop with the gossip, will you?”

A woman who had been observing the situation made a statement. She had a fierce demeanor.

“Can’t you see blood on that person’s head? Even if you’re angry, grabbing an innocent person and making a fuss is a bit ridiculous, isn’t it?”

…”

The atmosphere quickly turned tense.

Kangwoo, who had been quietly observing, with a feeling of wanting to see how much they would talk, subtly stepped back in response to the blunt woman’s words.

‘Wow, the atmosphere…’

The enraged Jeongmin with a flushed face and the woman ready to speak with clenched fists. Their eyes clashed in the air, signaling there was something to say.

The chilly silence continued for a while.

The first to vacate their seat was Lee Jeongmin.

“Ha. Fine, do as you please. Just don’t come crying to me later when you get stabbed in the back.”

Lee Jeongmin, striding away, disappeared into the tent.

With the instigator of the disturbance gone, Yoo Seunga was the first to speak.

“Oppa’s personality can be a bit much, right? He’s a bit sensitive due to some personal matters. Despite how he looks, he’s not a bad guy.”

“Ah… I’m okay.”

Thanks to Yoo Seunga, Kangwoo felt a lightening of the atmosphere and asked a curious question.

“Does that person use twin swords?”

When Lee Jeongmin started an argument, what caught Kangwoo’s attention wasn’t his words but the two swords hanging from his waist.

“Oh, right. He’s been using twin swords even before entering the tower, and he received them at the Starting Square too. His name is Lee Jeongmin, and he’s 22 years old.”

“I see.”

“…You’re not upset, right?”

“Ah, of course not. I don’t pay attention to people like him.”

Despite Yoo Seunga’s persistent worry, Kangwoo was truly unfazed.

Considering how hard it was to find any valid points in what that guy had said in the first place.

‘Still, a guy who comfortably rode a cozy bus with a group of 10 and made it up to the 10th floor. I don’t like the way he talks, though…’

Even if Kangwoo knew that he had overcome the trials alone without a party, it remained to be seen what expression he would make…

He might not have shown it, but it wasn’t like he could spout nonsense like that.

“I’ll take care of it from here.”

Because of Lee Jeongmin, the interrupted self-introduction continued.

“My name is Choi Seohee. I’m a dealer, and I’m 25 years old. That guy standing over there is Jang Gyumin. He’s 20, and he’s our team’s tanker… He doesn’t talk much, so just take it as it is. I haven’t really mixed words much either.”

Choi Seohee, pointing to the bastard sword hanging on her back, nodded towards the man standing in the corner.

It was the man Kang Woo had first met in the safe zone on the 10th floor.

“Oh, hello.”

Jang Gyumin barely greeted with a bowed head and a crawling voice.

“Yes, hello.”

Kang Woo, who exchanged greetings, quickly scanned Jang Gyumin.

“Is this person the tanker?”

The physique seemed too frail to be called a tanker.

From the powerless eyes to the hunched body, there was no appearance of a tanker confidently blocking monster attacks on the front lines.

“Is this team… okay?”

There was a concern about whether joining these four, including the insolent troublemaker Lee Jeongmin, the tanker Jang Gyumin with questionable abilities, and the team’s eldest member Choi Seohee, who not only failed to resolve conflicts but rather worsened the emotions among team members, was really the right choice.

“Wouldn’t it be better to just challenge alone…?”

With four people who were likely not to get along well, the worry arose. However, the next trial awaited beyond the tutorial, known as the lowest floor, to the impressive double-digit floor, the 11th floor.

It was too dangerous to challenge alone.

Aware of this, Kang Woo sighed inwardly in frustration when Choi Seohee spoke.

“What about your… position?”

Choi Seohee asked as if she didn’t know at all.

Understandably so, Kang Woo, with a tanker’s kite shield, a healer’s staff, and not to mention a bow and arrow quiver, made predicting his position impossible.

‘Position…’

Kangwoo pondered upon receiving the question.

Originally, a Awakener’s position was conventionally determined based on their unique abilities. If one had healing abilities, they were a healer, and if magical abilities, a mage.

But…

[To use on a life other than oneself, you need magic power of 90 or higher.]

A unique healing ability acquired through Asper’s Fire Fist.

He was doubtful if anyone would believe it even if he said it, and he never intended to say it in the first place. Since having the ability to ‘heal’ and possessing abnormally high strength was enough to make anyone think strangely.

Therefore, Kangwoo, who was pondering what position to claim, suddenly raised the familiar shield in his hand.

“…I’m the tank. I’m 20 years old. My name is Choi Kangwoo.”

“20 years old? Wow, we’re the same age!”

Yooseungah reflected on Kangwoo’s words.

“We were worried because we only had one tank. This is great! Right, unnie!”

“Well, having a tank isn’t bad.”

Contrary to Yooseungah’s excitement at meeting a friend, Choisuhui’s reaction was somewhat reserved.

It was because she held hopes that Kangwoo, with a staff in hand, might be a healer.

“We’ve rested enough to take on challenges that suit your schedule since we’ve already taken a break…”

Choisuhui, examining Kangwoo’s condition, asked.

“When should we depart?”

“Oh, unnie!”

She felt it from the first meeting, but she was a girl who didn’t know how to turn her words.

‘Just as she finished introducing herself, asking how long she was going to rest.’

It wasn’t incomprehensible. From Choi Min-hee’s perspective, who had idly spent time in the Safe Zone, consuming points for provisions, she wanted to quickly face the next trial, even if it was just for a moment of respite.

“Now that you’ve just finished the trial, why are you being so difficult, Unnie!”

“……”

“Don’t worry about what Unnie says. Don’t mind us and take your time……”

“No.”

And surprisingly. Kang Woo was also eager to challenge the next trial as quickly as possible.

“Tomorrow. Let’s go tomorrow.”

“…… What??”

“Okay.”

“Unnie!”

That’s how it was. The entry date for the hastily assembled team was set.

***

[Safe Zone Exclusive Low-Level Tent]

Having asked Yoo Seung-a about the tent set up in the Safe Zone, Kang Woo decided to purchase it without hesitation.

[Deduct 700 points.]

It was a considerable price for just a tent, but it was worth it.

[With a single purchase, a personal tent usable in all Safe Zones. Unauthorized outsiders are prohibited from entering, and it is impossible to peek from the outside.]

At this point, having caught up with those who went first, an item guaranteeing privacy was an essential item.

“Oh, that’s good.”

Entering the unfolded tent, Kang Woo felt satisfaction. Although it was small enough for two men to lie down snugly, being of inferior quality, it was more than sufficient for single use.

‘Can’t see inside from the outside.’

Even up to the 9th-floor safe zone, it wasn’t lonely, let alone uncomfortable.

As he had the entire space to himself, he didn’t have to worry about others seeing him sleep, change clothes, or purchase expensive items.

But now, having met people, he couldn’t continue like that. Fortunately, a solution came before encountering new problems.

A privacy-assured tent guaranteed by the shop!

[Safe Zone Exclusive Intermediate Tent]

Kang Woo gazed at the shop window with a regretful look.

Intermediate tent. The price, jumping from 700 points to 3,000 points without a middle ground, was astonishing, but it was a tent much larger than the inferior one, with the addition of ‘soundproofing.’

‘Even if I have the money, I can’t buy this…’

Wanting to go straight for the intermediate instead of wasting 700 points, reason restrained him. Among the lower-class people trembling with 700 points, using a 3,000-point tent was no different from saying, ‘Look at me! I have a lot of money!’ and advertising oneself.

‘Why didn’t the Association inform us about this excellent item?’

Yoo Seung-ah, who seemed socially adept to anyone, had many awakened sisters around her, and she had learned about the existence of such items from them.

Information that guild-contracted individuals also knew everything worth knowing.

This was the so-called networking, talent absorption.

Rather than mutually helping each other conquer higher floors, they were monopolizing and hiding information.

“Item Storage.”

As Kang Woo revealed another hidden piece of information to those present, the shop’s categories shifted to one side, creating an empty space.

From Noble mtl dot com

This was also information I heard from Yu Seung-a, describing it as an additional function of the store.

It’s called a personal item storage, available to anyone with money.

“Wow… no conscience?”

I had a suspicion when entering, but it’s really over the top. Empty spaces locked because you didn’t pay points. The prices of these empty spaces exceeded Kang-woo’s expectations.

“200, 400, 800…?”

The first space costs 200 points. After that, the points increase in multiples of 2.

“Are they telling us not to use it?”

Trying to store something once made it look like a fortune. The only reassuring point is that once a space is unlocked, it can be permanently used.

Having checked the storage, Kang-woo moved on to the weapons category.

[Sharp Short Sword]

In the battle with the sickly orc on the 10th floor, Kang-woo gained one realization.

It was time to abandon the habit of relying on strength and using a staff as a weapon.

[Staff gifted by ‘Asper’s Fiery Fist.’ Healing +2, Magic Power +1]

A staff distributed at the starting square.

Unlike receiving a basic weapon with one stat increase effect, thanks to the favor of ‘Asper’s Fiery Fist,’ Kang-woo received a staff with two stat increase effects.

Because of that, he reluctantly carried it around and used it as a weapon using the decoration of the sharp staff…

“… It’s not about healing and magic power. Let’s change it.”

Insisting on the staff for healing and magic power, Kang-woo couldn’t fully exert his strength in battle and die. There was nothing more regrettable than that.

Thus, Kang-woo made up his mind. He would store the staff in the item storage and acquire a new, sharp sword that could cut an orc’s neck.

Just as Kang-woo, with a determined heart, was about to proceed with the purchase.

Twinkling, twinkling, twinkling, twinkling.

A calculated sparkle filled the field of view.

“What…?”

Kangwoo stared at the shop window with astonished eyes.

[Special Sale Items!!]

The familiar phrase floated before his eyes.