Chapter 63

SMH 63

Swordmaster Healer – Episode 63

TL: Boko

Editor: Ren

Chapter 21: S.O.S (3)

“The Blue Dragon Group is managing this place?” Sung Joon asked, and Seol Ah nodded her head. He had been right; a major company was indeed involved in the funding of this training center.

“Yes. Isn’t it an alright business item?” Seol Ah smiled faintly, shrugging.

“Is this part of the guild plan?”

“I won’t deny it.”

Hunters of well-known guilds tended to use the guild’s training centers, so the Hunters who used the Iron training center were Hunters unaffiliated with a guild.

They recorded the information of visiting Hunters and Seol Ah planned to use that data as a basis to scout independent Hunters.

“You’re planning on applying the data that you collect on Hunters to scout them, huh… It seems like quite a good idea.”

“Right? I suggested the idea.”

His indirect compliment seemed to brighten her mood, as it had been a while since she smiled so clearly. Sung Joon couldn’t remember a time when she had laughed so radiantly.

Yoon Tae Seok, the Blue Dragon Group’s Chairman, as well as her grandfather, was a terse man who didn’t know how to compliment people, and his subordinates all acted like young sycophants.

It had honestly been a long time since she’d been praised.

“We shouldn’t stay here. Let’s go up and talk some more,” suggested Seol Ah.

Tae Seok hadn’t ordered her to do so, but she wanted to talk to Sung Joon some more. Sung Joon nodded his head, gladly accepting her offer.

They only had to ascend one flight of stairs to get to the eighth floor, so the two opted to use the stairs.

“The eighth floor is a space for the faculty,” Seol Ah explained, as they went up the stairs. The eighth floor was intended for faculty, so the mood was a lot different from the rest of the training center.

“Please follow me,” Seol Ah said, guiding him to her personal office.

Her large office was quite nice. The two sat opposite each other.

“It doesn’t seem like this is the Chairman’s orders… Do you have something you’d like to say to me?”

“Why are you curious about that?”

“Weren’t you the one that suggested we keep our distance? That’s why I’m curious,” Sung Joon said, and Seol Ah, who had been reaching for a cookie, stopped. Seol Ah hadn’t wanted to get involved with Sung Joon, contrary to Tae Seok’s orders. But right now, she was spending time with him, despite not being ordered to.

‘I’m just taking a break. Yeah… that’s it…’

Seol Ah shook her head, banishing her distracting thoughts. Then she evenly distributed the cookies on plates, and passed a plate to Sung Joon.

“Please don’t misunderstand. I’m just using you as an excuse to take a quick break,” she said, breaking the silence with what she thought of as the perfect excuse.

She seemed quite serious, but Sung Joon thought she looked cute, so he just smiled softly.

“Is that so?”

“You don’t believe me?”

“I believe you.”

“You’re lying, right?” Seol Ah asked, but Sung Joon didn’t answer.

She sighed briefly, and said, “Let’s change the topic of discussion, shall we? Have you applied for membership?”

“Yes. For starters, I’ve applied for a three month membership.”

“It’ll be a real hassle to renew your membership. I’ll give you a permanent VIP membership, so please use that instead.”

“A VIP membership? I didn’t hear about that in their explanation…”

The employee had explained the membership application process to him just a little while ago, but she hadn’t told him anything regarding a VIP membership.

“We’ve just opened, so there aren’t any special benefits to a VIP membership, but we’re thinking of adding them as we go. But it’s still a permanent membership, so it’s really expensive. Plus, it’s not for sale yet. Not. For. Sale!”

A one month membership cost $10,000, so even if there was a discount, a VIP membership would be worth so much more.

“Not for sale?”

“We originally hadn’t planned on selling permanent memberships, but please don’t worry. I can take of at least this much with my authority.”

The Iron training center had been her idea and she was also responsible for managing it.

“These are the accommodations I talked about before. They may be minor today, but you can expect much more in the future.”

Sung Joon just stared at her while Seol Ah explained things he hadn’t asked about. He just smiled and nodded his head.

“Is that so?”

They continued to converse. The conversation was mostly lead by Seol Ah, and she complained about her situation with the Blue Dragon Group.

She had been cautious when she had complained in his hospital room, but now, she was quite outspoken. It was also partly his fault; he had excited her with his tiny compliment. Compliments would excite even the most timid of individuals, but they were particularly effective on someone with no immunity, like her.

“I see. Thank you. But I think I’ll take my leave now.”

“A-Already?”

Seol Ah felt disappointed when he stood up. She covered her mouth slightly, as if she were flustered.

‘Am I feeling disappointed right now…?’ she wondered.

She didn’t have anyone she could talk to about her complaints. She had mistakenly shared her complaints with Sung Joon in the hospital, but after getting a taste, she didn’t know if she could stop sharing her complaints with him.

She had broken her constraints, and felt drunk on that liberating feeling.

“We spent a lot more time together than I thought,” Sung Joon said, looking as firm as a sword.

“It can’t be helped if you’re busy,” Seol Ah said, and nodded her head. She was indeed disappointed, but it wasn’t to the point that she’d hold onto him to stop him from leaving.

Sung Joon unhesitatingly left the training center and visited his father, Soo Hyuk. He spent around two hours there, and then returned to his studio apartment.

Sung Joon repeatedly went through the routine of going to the training center and returning home to rest for a few days. Using the training center didn’t increase his synchronization rate, but it really helped him utilize and refine his combat experience.

“Your movements have improved a lot, my lord,” Rishubalt said. Sung Joon polished his swordsmanship and as time passed, his strikes became faster and more precise. Rishubalt watched from beside him and couldn’t help but admire his form.

‘I’ll stop here.’

Sung Joon showered and visited the Dungeon Bureau before returning to his apartment. He’d spent plenty of time freshening up, so it was time to increase his synchronization rate again.

Sung Joon arrived at the Dungeon Bureau and applied for a dungeon run, saying, “Please schedule a B-rank dungeon solo run for me.”

He was confident that he could solo a B-rank dungeon now. Sung Joon would continue his method of gaining money and increasing his synchronization rate.

Sung Joon really suited his nickname, ‘Unlimited Power’, by repeatedly grinding dungeons for ten days until October, and his synchronization rate went up by 1%, from 23% to 24%.

“Your synchronization rate has reached 25%. You can enter the Awakening Dungeon now.”

When he had defeated the Boss and absorbed its mana, he had reached a synchronization rate of 25%. Rishubalt had merely reported that fact.

“Open it.”

He was ready. He had brought ‘Anvel’s Master Key’ as well as the ‘Great Labyrinth’s Map’ just in case.

“I’m opening the Awakening Dungeon.”

Rishubalt spread his mana outwards and the dark dungeon room melted away, revealing a new space. The new location was just as dark as the dungeon, but Sung Joon recognized it, since it was from his memories.

“I didn’t expect that I’d come back to the Great Labyrinth so quickly…”

Sung Joon took out the map and examined it.

“It’s complicated.”

The map showed him the structure of the Great Labyrinth, but it was nonetheless extremely complex. He wouldn’t easily be able to find the right path, even if he used the map.

“It won’t be easy. Monsters will appear, but more importantly, finding a path will be very difficult. But it’s a relief that we have a map,” Rishubalt said.

Sung Joon nodded his head and started walking. The Light Drone hadn’t been transported with him, so he had no choice but to focus his eyes and trek through the darkness.

‘Let’s save the stealth item,’ he decided.

The mana consumption of the stealth item was huge, so he decided against using it for now.

The path in the Great Labyrinth was vast, but it was also dark. Fortunately, as he continued on, there were torches lining the walls that illuminated the darkness.

“The fact that we see torches means that monsters will start to appear soon,” Rishubalt said.

“It seems that way.”

Sung Joon drew his sword. He felt a group of presences in front of him. They were still far, but there was definitely something advancing towards him.

The presences were slowly advancing on his position, but it seemed as if they hadn’t noticed him yet.

“I’ll go scout out for you.”

“Is it possible?”

“There’s no interference in the mana, so it is indeed possible,” Rishubalt replied.

If there was an interference in the mana, Rishubalt would be unable to move autonomously, and would have to stay near his mana supply, Sung Joon. But there wasn’t any such interference as of yet.

Rishubalt returned before five minutes had passed, and reported, “Reporting. An Orc patrol party and an Orc Berserker are approaching your position. It seems that they haven’t noticed you yet, my lord.”

“I don’t think I’ll need to use my stealth item.”

Sung Joon quickened his steps. As he got closer, the presences became clearer. Sung Joon drew his mana, enveloping his sword in aura.

He had gotten closer and activated his aura, so the Orcs must’ve noticed him since they began to move busily.

“Slash!” Sung Joon chanted, and swung his sword in a large arc. An aura slash flew from his blade towards the Orcs. They were too far to see with the naked eye, but the aura slash flew in a straight line, separating five Orcs’ upper and lower bodies.

The upper and lower bodies fell helplessly, rolling onto the stone floor.

Sung Joon invaded deep into the enemy lines and swiftly swung his sword before the ambushed Orcs could even form their battle positions.

Five Orcs sustained severe injuries and weakly fell before his aura-clad sword. The Orc Berserker had barely dodged Sung Joon’s aura-clad blade and kept his life.

The last remaining Orc Berserker desperately resisted, but Sung Joon simply swung his sword and lopped off its head.

“Absorb.”

The corpses dissipated and turned to magic stones after he absorbed their mana.

“I haven’t checked, but I heard that the Great Labyrinth also has an area that’s used as a storagehouse,” Rishubalt said.

“It’s difficult to find the right path without a map, so it must be a secure place,” Sung Joon replied, smiling and nodding his head.

“We broke through the Great Labyrinth in five days, right?”

“That’s correct. Our time was two days faster than the average. Since we have the map now, I believe that we can make it in at least four days,” Rishubalt explained.

“Don’t you want to take a look at the item storagehouse?”

“I believe that the security will be tight.”

They could expect guards inside the labyrinth. Sung Joon smirked.

“You think they’ll able to stop me?”

Rishubalt shook his head and said, “Nobody can stop you, my lord. If they try, they will helplessly fall before your sword, my lord.”

Sung Joon looked satisfied and nodded his head.

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“I have some items I want to try out, so I want to go to the storagehouse.”

“Are you talking about the ‘Anvel’s Master Key’?”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Sung Joon took the ‘Anvel’s Master Key’ from his bag, and said, “Let’s see how much it can open.”