"How many times do I have to say it? How long do I have to keep accommodating you?"

    "Ugh... I really don''t want to party with someone like you."

    "Just give me a turn. Honestly, you’ve been helping out everywhere, haven’t you? It''s not like it wears out, so give me a turn too."

    "Hey! Stop following me around. You have no manners, woman!"

    "Let''s just end it here. It seems like our guild and you just don’t match."

    Lee Hyun-ah was suffering every day. She had moved to Seoul filled with hope, thinking that becoming an Awakener meant she could take revenge on the detestable monsters, but what awaited her was a harsh reality.

    Talent that didn''t meet her expectations, dirty desires wanting more than just skill, and the jealousy and envy that came with them... Day by day, she grew tired, and her self-esteem hit rock bottom. The drive she once had, feeling like she could do anything, had long since disappeared, and she was merely surviving by inertia. And even that inertia was severed when she was fired from the guild.

    "Should I just give up and go back down, like Min-woo said...?"

    But she couldn''t bring herself to quit. She was afraid that giving up would make all the taunts and ridicule she had faced become reality. Yet, continuing as a hunter seemed too much for her exhausted spirit.

    ...And then she met Gam Deok-bae.

    "Aha! So this is how it''s done?"

    "Wow! You really know your stuff. Thank you."

    A total novice who started hunting without knowing the basics. A person more foolish, naive, and gullible than herself. Yet, he was kind and never said a bad word.

    For the first time since being fired, she smiled.

    "Pfft! Is he an idiot? How can he not know this? I guess I have to teach him."

    "No! You do it like this? Do I really have to explain even this?"

    "Right. That’s a bit better. But what''s with that face? Pfft! Why is he looking so proud after doing that?"

    For the first time in a long while, she felt genuine joy. It was refreshing and fun to be the one giving instructions, having always been the one scolded in the guild. Even though he was a poorly behaved student, she felt proud seeing him gradually make fewer mistakes.

    Knowing there was someone worse off than herself, And that this person depended on her, And that he followed her instructions, Her battered self-esteem began to rise.

    "It’s that... Gam Deok-bae, you have skills and an artifact, so it''s hard to see you as just F-rank... Also... I guess I wouldn’t feel secure. You might forget by tomorrow..."

    "What do you mean?"

    "So... I’ll help you until you reach D-rank! It''s hard to find party members you get along with. You could meet some bad ones who might steal your artifact!"

    She didn''t really understand what she was saying herself. She just blurted out whatever came to mind to keep him.

    "It’s not a loss for me, either! It’s not easy to find healers, and you still have a lot to learn. If you party with another hunter, you might cause trouble... No! I mean, not that you’d trouble me..."

    "Oh, I’d love to keep partying with you. It''s reassuring to be with a veteran."

    "Veteran... Yes, that''s a good choice!"

    ''I did it...!''

    Luckily, he readily accepted her party invitation. Her expression relaxed. The words ''reassuring veteran'' made her heart race, thinking how much he relied on her.

    "Give me your contact information! I''ll prepare the dungeons and schedules and contact you in advance!"

    "Oh, that would be really great."

    "Ah... he''s thanking me again!"

    She was thrilled to have re-formed their party but did not realize that for the first time in her life, she had asked a man for his contact details.

    ====

    Wow... this is the first time a woman has asked for my number. Is this the effect of investing points in appearance? Well, it''s probably more about how hard it is to find healers, but still, it feels good to have my number asked for.

    But still, I shouldn''t be mistaken. Lee Hyun-ah has a boyfriend. She started dropping hints about her boyfriend before we met, and today when we met, she was blatantly wearing a couple''s ring. It probably means don''t get the wrong idea and don''t hit on me unnecessarily. So today I made sure to put up a strong front, and it seems to have worked. After the raid, her guard was significantly lowered.

    And honestly, I didn’t even have time to worry about it. Wasn''t it just about entering dungeons, killing monsters, collecting magic stones, and that''s it? Why was there so much to worry about... I had to learn the right timing to enter or retreat, and it seemed like I had to memorize the weaknesses of each monster because they were all so different. Plus, there were more things hunters need to know than I thought, like magic stone collectors, fees, equipment rental. I think I was too complacent, just trusting what’s on the internet.

    Still, I learned at least the basics I need to know while being tutored by Lee Hyun-ah. I was worried she might misunderstand my intentions as hitting on her, but fortunately, Lee Hyun-ah agreed readily and taught me everything I needed to know in detail. She seemed rude before we met, but once we met, she turned out to be a kind person. Some people change their tone online. Maybe Lee Hyun-ah is one of those people.

    Anyway, thanks to Lee Hyun-ah, I was able to safely complete my first dungeon raid, receive some hunter-specific tutoring, and even make plans for future parties. It was a positive day in many ways.