His long, messy hair covered his forehead, and with glasses on, his face was not clearly visible. However, the mark indicating he was a Hunter was clearly visible on his chest.
He's a Hunter.
Now I'm saved.
Just before losing consciousness, James's appearance came into view, filled with relief.
"There's an injured person... There's an injured person here!"
"Let's move him outside. Others will be here soon."
Perhaps because he was a strong Hunter, he easily hoisted the large James onto his back and carried him outside.
Outside was a mess. Ambulances lined up, and there were several news reporters and cameras, as well as several officials cleaning up the area.
According to what the officials cleaning up the monster remains around the area said, the situation was as follows:
When a crack is not dealt with in time, and monsters burst out from inside it, it's called a "Dungeon Break."
Monsters that endlessly pour out and attack humans are a true disaster. The Dungeon Break that occurred 15 years ago is said to have destroyed an entire city.
But what if such a Dungeon Break happened not from a single crack but from a major dungeon, the *Abyss*?
If monsters poured out from the infinite dungeon that hasn't been fully cleared yet...
Naturally, it would be a state of emergency.
Just as the Hunters, who had been on high alert after an anonymous tip a few days ago, were tense.
'This must be the report I made...'
Suddenly, the monsters that were pouring out turned to ashes and disappeared.
Just like when the Cave Bear died.
Could that strange voice I heard earlier have done it?
While it's not certain yet, it's a stroke of luck in the midst of misfortune.
Despite the confusion, the Hunters moved busily to clean up the situation.
"There's an injured person!"
"Quickly, lay him down here!"
The sudden appearance of Hunters checking James's injuries and inspecting the broken shop made the area bustling in an instant.
That's when I was startled by the jackets the Hunters were wearing. They had "Cheongra" written in large blue thread.
Why is the *Cheongra Guild* here?
The *Cheongra Guild* is one of the top three guilds in Korea, commonly known as the Big Three.
However, unlike the corporate guild *C&L Corporation* and the family guild *Royal Guild*, the *Cheongra Guild* was shrouded in mystery.
First, they had few public activities. They rarely appeared on broadcasts, and their activities were limited to quietly clearing dungeons.
A small-scale guild with almost no public activities, they were the opposite of *C&L*, which was expanding through various businesses.
However, no one doubts that the *Cheongra Guild* is one of the Big Three.
This is because they show the highest efficiency in clearing dungeons with the minimum number of members.
Zero deaths in all clearances so far.
An average rank of B+ or higher among guild members. First in crack handling efficiency. First in the progress of clearing the major dungeon *Abyss*.
Among them, the seven Hunters of the main party known as the "Blue Vine" were particularly famous, as each member performed their role diligently.
Any Hunter who has ever thought, "If the tank just did his job properly," "Did the healer fall asleep while healing?" or "Does that damage output make you sleepy?" would understand how precious and rare it is to have party members who do their jobs well.
In short, it's a place where the strongest gather to work hard. Among Hunters, it's almost treated as a mythical munchkin guild.
And the person leading the *Cheongra Guild* is...
The guild leader, the top-ranked Hunter in the country, 'Mooon.'
The current top-ranked Hunter is a complete mystery, with no name, age, or address known. Therefore, he is referred to by his title 'Mooon' registered in the Hunter directory.
In an era where even high school graduation photos and pre-Hunter SNS posts like "I must be the best" or "Hehehe... darkness is consuming me" can be dug up, it's a rare case.
Attempts to uncover his identity have all failed.
The Hunter paparazzi newspaper 'Hunter Scope,' which was particularly obsessed, even posted an apology on its main page, promising never to do paparazzi work on 'Mooon' again.
Rumors circulated that he had a bad temper, that the real 'Mooon' was dead and the current one was a fake, that he was a virtual Hunter, or that he was a secret organization's ultimate weapon, but none of them were very credible.
One might question if he's really that strong, given how he maintains such a mysterious image.
However, when 'Mooon' cleared an A-rank dungeon alone, all such doubts disappeared.
It was a dungeon that the main party of *C&L Corporation* had given up on. Without 'Mooon,' Korea would have suffered significant damage.
The video of 'Mooon' using his skills, despite its poor quality, had several hundred million views...
In summary, he's an incredibly strong top Hunter in Korea.
However, for some reason, he rarely shows his face, remaining a shadowy figure at the top of the rankings.
The only one who occasionally appeared in the media was the deputy guild leader of the *Cheongra Guild*.
His name... what was it? I've heard it before, but it's on the tip of my tongue and won't come to mind, making my chest feel tight.
"Are you Lee Eul?"
"Me?"
Turning my head, a man with a friendly face stood in front of me.
"My name is Han Isung. I'm the deputy guild leader of the *Cheongra Guild*."
Right. Han Isung. I remember. That's right, that's his name.
He's in his mid-30s, I think. He looks a bit younger than the last time I saw him on the news. Dressed in a suit and tie, he gives off more of a business-like vibe than a Hunter.
Since he's so famous, I've seen him on the news, but how does he know me? I've never been on the news.
"Do you know me?"
"You're the cousin of Hunter Kwon Jiwoon from the *Baegun Guild*."
"Oh."
So he knows Kwon Jiwoon. It's not strange that they know each other, being Hunters.
Han Isung, with a good-natured smile, said with a wry grin.
"I've heard a lot about you. You're quite different from Kwon Jiwoon."
I've heard that a lot.
Compared to Kwon Jiwoon's striking appearance, I have a common look.
If we were standing side by side, one would be a VIP and the other a passerby. In an RPG game, I'd be the innkeeper in the beginner's village who sees off the hero's party.
That's generally how the family of a famous Hunter is treated. I've awakened, but I'm just an F-rank cafe owner, so I'm practically a civilian.
Naturally, my response became stiff.
"Really? We don't look alike?"
"No, it's not about appearance, but Kwon Jiwoon is..."
Han Isung, startled, waved his hands, but couldn't find the right words and trailed off.
"...Lee Eul."
At that moment, Kwon Jiwoon pushed through the crowd and appeared.
Seeing my blood-soaked, disheveled state, his dark eyes grew even darker. Why is Kwon Jiwoon here?
Ah, it's an emergency, so he was called as a healer.
"Are you hurt? I told you to close the shop and stay safe..."
"..."
A heavy sigh followed.
"I'll heal you, come here."
"I'm fine."
But all the blood on me was James's, and I only had a minor scratch. I pointed to James, who was lying on a makeshift bed.
"James... that Hunter, look at him first. He's badly hurt."
As Kwon Jiwoon approached, the medical team treating James made room for him.
James was still unconscious. While he had received emergency treatment, his arm, which had been torn by the Cave Bear, was deeply wounded and bleeding profusely.
Kwon Jiwoon immediately used his skill, and the sparkling light from his fingertips was absorbed into James's body.
The bleeding slowly stopped, and the flesh began to heal. It's always amazing to see the effect of his skill.
However, James still didn't show any signs of waking up. In fact, he seemed to be getting worse. His face was ashen, and his lips were dark. Kwon Jiwoon's expression also became more serious.
"Why... why is this? Is he getting worse?"
"This... might be difficult."
Kwon Jiwoon, ranked 12th and the top healer in the country, has a powerful healing skill called 'Light of Healing' that can heal even severe injuries as long as the person is still breathing.
When he said this with doubt, I was terrified. If James dies...
No, don't think that. Why would he die? He survived somehow.
Han Isung, who had been watching, spoke up.
"Lee Eul, what kind of monster attacked you?"
"Ah, it was... an A-rank Cave Bear."
Han Isung's face darkened as soon as he heard me.
"Why was it here?"
"Why do you ask?"
"An A-rank Cave Bear is a rare monster that only appears in dungeons of B-rank or higher. It's been observed only a handful of times in the past 20 years."
But the monster is already dead, so why are they making such faces? Why is James still unconscious?
"The claws of the Cave Bear are cursed. They are incompatible with healing skills."
"The external injuries have healed, but the cursed parts are reducing the effectiveness of the Light of Healing. To fully heal him, we need to remove the curse first..."
"There is no Hunter in Korea who can remove an A-rank curse."
Han Isung sighed deeply, and Kwon Jiwoon looked down with a bitter expression.
What's going on? Why are they making such faces? Surely there must be a way.
"Then James..."
Kwon Jiwoon placed his hand on my shoulder. The deep disappointment he felt was transmitted to me.
"...Lee Eul, where are you going?"
Is there any way?
I rushed into the shop, grasping at straws.
Before the monster appeared, James had drunk two cups of instant coffee. The effect was a 100% increase in recovery speed.
If he drinks a third cup, the recovery effect might be even stronger.
It might be a ridiculous idea, and it might not work, but I had to cling to that hope.
The shop was a mess of clutter and broken table fragments.
I quickly found what I needed.
Fortunately, the electric kettle was still working. The instant coffee packets, paper cups, and teaspoons were a bit crushed but still usable. I immediately boiled water and used my skill.
'Cafe in My Hands'
I was in a hurry. I quickly mixed the instant coffee in a paper cup.
Without even checking if it was properly made, I ran to James with the cup.
"Lee Eul, what's that?"
"Let me try it once."
Kwon Jiwoon didn't stop me.
It seemed more like he was concerned for my feelings rather than expecting it to work.
Feeding hot instant coffee to an unconscious person is difficult. I waited for the coffee to cool a bit, then pinched his nose and poured it in.