Please Give Me A Kiss, Healer! Chapter 91

Jiwoo immediately noticed the change as soon as she returned to the underwater dungeon.

It was thanks to the item she had obtained after accepting the Black Dolphins as residents: Black Dolphin Tattoo (Rank B) and its equip effect.

Item

Black Dolphin’s Breath (Rank B)

You can breathe underwater.

You are unaffected by water resistance.

A small tattoo automatically appeared beneath Jiwoo’s ear.

Even underwater, she could breathe without any difficulty, and she could move her body freely.

It had taken her quite a while to get here while trapped inside her shield.

But the trip back was much quicker.

The Black Dolphins escorted her, and the golden shield sliced swiftly through the water.

“Thanks! You should head back now too, Dol3!”

— Call us again whenever you need us, Dol!

The third of the twelve Black Dolphins—

The one named Dol3—

wagged its tail before disappearing in an instant.

Once she was alone at a suitable distance, Jiwoo made sure no one had seen her before slowly returning to the island’s southern shore.

The southern beach looked just as peaceful as before, with gentle waves rolling onto the sand.

But one thing had changed.

Shin Ilguk was nowhere to be seen, and the seaweed they had laid out to dry was scattered everywhere.

“Why are the clams all over the ground too?! They’re covered in dirt now! Good grief!”

Seriously, Mr. Ilguk! Doesn’t he know how precious food is?

Grumbling to herself, Jiwoo bent down to pick up the discarded clams.

Then she suddenly realized…

It was far too quiet.

“…Where did everyone go?”

An uneasy feeling washed over her.

She couldn’t afford to be fooled by the peaceful scenery.

This was still a dangerous dungeon where enemies could appear at any moment.

Jiwoo immediately raised her guard and lifted her staff.

Using her detection skill, she searched for every nearby presence.

She soon found a familiar figure hiding inside one of the tents.

“Nara?”

“…J-Jiwoo!”

Oh Nara was alone.

The moment she spotted Jiwoo, tears welled up in her large eyes as she ran over.

“Nara, what happened? Why are you here by yourself?”

“I-I mean… the main team contacted us. Two more Krakens appeared. Th-the dungeon’s difficulty has changed…”

It was shocking news.

This dungeon was already a high-level dungeon with Rank B difficulty.

If the dungeon had transformed…

‘I-it might even have become an A-Rank… or maybe an S-Rank dungeon.’

Fear instinctively crept into her heart.

Jiwoo bit her lip as she checked her condition.

She had recovered enough mana to cast her skills several more times.

She wasn’t injured either.

‘Please… don’t let this be an S-Rank transformation.’

With their current strength, the raid party couldn’t conquer an S-Rank dungeon.

Forget clearing it.

Simply surviving would be a miracle.

Jiwoo pulled a bandage from her inventory and wrapped it around her hand and staff so she wouldn’t accidentally drop it.

“Nara, hurry and get ready. We’re late, but we still need to join the others—”

She stopped mid-sentence.

Oh Nara took a step backward, avoiding Jiwoo’s gaze.

“Nara?”

“…I’m not going.”

“What?”

“I-I said I’m not going.”

Her terrified eyes briefly met Jiwoo’s before falling to the ground again.

Jiwoo frowned.

“What do you mean you’re not going?”

“I mean exactly what I said.

I’m staying here at camp.”

Unlike her usual timid self, Oh Nara stubbornly stood her ground.

“If we go, we’ll just die without accomplishing anything! Healers like us don’t stand a chance!”

Her voice rang out like a scream.

Jiwoo, who had been stunned into silence, quickly pieced everything together.

At first, she’d assumed Oh Nara had simply been unlucky and failed to catch up with the reinforcement team.

Everyone must have been rushing around in the chaos.

They probably hadn’t realized she’d been left behind.

‘But now that I see it…’

Jiwoo slowly clenched her fist.

Everyone else had left to reinforce the main team.

The camp was completely empty.

Except for Oh Nara.

“…You ran away.”

Oh Nara had abandoned her team.

She’d slipped out of the reinforcement group and hidden herself at camp so she could save only herself.

Oh Nara lowered her head.

Jiwoo realized her guess had been correct.

“I-I was so scared.

My body wouldn’t move…

All I could think about was running away.”

“…Sigh. Even so… this…”

She couldn’t finish the sentence.

A Hunter assigned to a raid team hiding because they were afraid to fight?

That was far worse than simply neglecting one’s duties.

Biting her nails, Oh Nara avoided Jiwoo’s eyes.

Jiwoo let out a long sigh.

“It’s only human to be overwhelmed by fear and run away.”

Hearing those comforting words, hope briefly flickered across Oh Nara’s face.

Then Jiwoo continued in an icy voice.

“But no Hunter would ever want someone like that as their teammate.

Neither would I.”

“…I-I was hurt. I still haven’t fully recovered…”

“But you were the one who decided to enter this dungeon.

If you were still recovering, you shouldn’t have come in the first place.

The team leader asked you several times whether you were fit to participate.”

“Th-then what are we supposed to do?!

This is an A-Rank dungeon… maybe even an S-Rank now!

What can healers like us possibly accomplish?

The best thing we can do is stay hidden and stay out of everyone’s way!”

“Don’t lump me in with you.

I don’t think that way.”

I don’t want to be grouped together with you.

Jiwoo shot back without hesitation.

Each blunt truth struck like a hammer.

Oh Nara’s shoulders trembled.

“Y-you’re only an E-Rank healer!

What do you even know?

You have less dungeon experience than I do, and your rank is lower too…”

“What does rank have to do with anything?

Whether you’re E-Rank or A-Rank, your job is still to support your teammates.

If you run away and hide like this, your rank doesn’t mean a thing.”

Oh Nara couldn’t refute a single word.

She bit her lip, holding back tears, before speaking quietly.

“…Even if we leave now, it’s already too late.

The northern shore is too far away.

The others left long ago…

By the time you get there…”

She trailed off.

They had already analyzed the previous raid records and the Kraken’s combat strength during the briefing.

Their force had only been strong enough to barely defeat a single Kraken.

With a little strength left over.

But now there were three boss-class monsters.

Forget conquering them.

Survival itself might already be impossible.

“D-don’t go.

Just stay here.

You won’t be able to do anything even if you go.

You’re only a low-rank healer.”

After saying that, Oh Nara cautiously watched Jiwoo’s reaction.

Jiwoo looked unreadable.

Then she slowly nodded.

“You’re right.

If I were really just an E-Rank healer…

I wouldn’t be able to do anything.”

The moment she spoke—

Golden particles of light gathered in the air.

They shimmered beautifully before taking on the form of a gigantic creature.

Snow-white feathers.

Gem-like brilliant eyes.

A Whitebird.

— Landlord, did you call for us-bird?

“AAAAAHHHH!!

M-Monster!”

The first to react was Oh Nara.

She screamed and collapsed onto the ground.

Jiwoo, however, didn’t even glance in her direction.

The Whitebird had been summoned by her skill:

<Landlord’s Guardians>.

“White Hawk 31, I have a favor to ask.

Can you take me to the northern shore?”

— No problem-bird.

The Whitebird lowered its body before her.

Jiwoo grabbed its feathers and climbed onto its broad back.

“I’ll be back, Nara.”

The instant Jiwoo settled into place, the Whitebird launched into the sky.

Left alone, Oh Nara sat frozen on the ground, staring blankly upward.

Jiwoo soared magnificently into the air.

Unfortunately…

The ride itself was another story.

“AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!”

Riding a Whitebird with no saddle whatsoever was absolutely terrifying.

Jiwoo desperately clung to its feathers.

White Hawk 31 spoke in a dissatisfied tone.

— Landlord…