Having fled the scene, the sudden release of tension left me utterly drained, causing me to collapse into a deep slumber. It was only when night descended that I finally stirred awake in my bed.
‘Ugh, I must have passed out.’
The Overlay skill, it seemed, had devoured far more mana than I’d anticipated, leaving me with an unsettling hollowness deep within.
An emptiness such as this surely demanded to be filled.
Opening a delivery app, I promptly ordered a pizza. While I awaited its arrival, I decided to browse the Hunter Gallery.
****
‘[The Saintess’s true identity, of course +999]’
‘[Actually, I’m the Saintess +10]’
‘[Isn’t she just a healer secretly raised by some guild? +999]’
‘[Reasons why the Saintess is S-rank +999]’
‘[The Saintess is my wife +99]’
The entire message board was utterly plastered with discussions about the Saintess.
‘…The Saintess? Could it be?’
Suddenly, the word someone had uttered earlier that afternoon flashed into my mind.
‘Could this truly be about me? Is the discussion still raging on?’
I had been incredibly naive. With only two healers in all of Korea, such intense scrutiny was to be expected, yet I had recklessly put myself in the spotlight, utterly ignorant of the consequences.
My immediate priority was to quickly check the posts boldly proclaiming ‘Healer’s Real Appearance.’
Fortunately, feeling self-conscious about my bare face, I had worn a hat that all but obscured it. Coupled with the fact that most of the footage had been captured from a considerable distance, the majority of the images were too blurry for proper identification.
‘Phew—’
Ding-dong!
‘Hick!’
Just as I was scrolling down, a wave of relief washing over me, the sudden ring of the doorbell made me jump. Simultaneously, a text message announcing the delivery’s completion popped up.
‘Ah, I specifically asked them not to ring the bell.’
After confirming no one was outside, I retrieved the pizza and carried it back inside.
‘Wait, was pizza always this enormous?’
With the Hunter Gallery still occupying the entire computer screen, I picked up a slice of pizza, took a bite, and continued my fervent ego-search.
‘But who is this person, referring to me as ‘my wife’ despite my clearly youthful appearance?’ I mused, casually hitting the report button before moving on.
For the most part, the posts circulating within the gallery were purely speculative in nature.
Some claimed I was a hidden hunter belonging to a guild, others that I had been secretly cultivated by the government.
There were even comparisons drawn between me and the only two other healers known in Korea.
****
‘[Title: Why Chae Jeong-ah and Min Ji-yeon Can’t Even Be Compared to the Saintess]’
‘[The former two won’t even glance your way unless you belong to their guild.]’
‘[The Saintess, however, rushes straight to any hunter she encounters on the street and provides immediate treatment.]’
‘[The former two demand exorbitant sums for their ‘favors’ of healing.]’
‘[The Saintess, on the other hand, dismisses all offers and coolly continues on her path.]’
‘[The former two require an incredibly long time for treatment; severely injured hunters might not even be seen for days on end.]’
‘[Our Saintess, however, normalizes even critical injuries in an instant.]’
‘- : You’re right. They say the other two are incredibly arrogant, but our Saintess is so adorable, getting shy and running away.’
‘ㄴ : Since when did she become ‘our’ Saintess?’
‘ㄴ : From the very moment she entered my heart.’
‘ㄴ : So you were the reason she ran away.’
‘- : But she doesn’t look like an adult. How did she awaken her powers?’
‘ㄴ : Tsk, tsk. Do not judge our Saintess by mere human standards.’
‘ㄴ : He’s certainly talking about ‘standards’ right now.’
‘- : Seriously, then, isn’t the Saintess S-rank? Chae Jeong-ah is A-rank, and if she heals faster than that… But does it even make sense that she climbed to the 40th floor without anyone knowing?’
‘ㄴ : She must have been born with such talent, our Saintess…’
‘ㄴ : Is this guy insane?’
‘ㄴ : Blasphemous, blasphemous, blasphemous!’
****
‘Hmm, this… this is proving far more entertaining than I’d expected.’
My simple act of fleeing out of sheer overwhelm had, ironically, imbued the nickname ‘Saintess’ with immense power.
To those weary of the healers’ arrogant abuses of power, my appearance was like a refreshing rain.
Yet, being compared to an A-rank healer felt somewhat embarrassing.
No matter how one looked at it, comparing my peculiar skill—into which I poured every last drop of mana—to the abilities of a genuine healer felt a bit… excessive.
I couldn’t help but wonder if it truly warranted such a comparison.
It wasn’t even a healing skill to begin with.
‘Overlay… it certainly is peculiar.’
From my perspective, the moment I ‘treated’ the female hunter had felt less like healing and more akin to the meticulous restoration of a work of art.
Perceiving the injury as if it were a damaged canvas, the subsequent process of ‘overlaying’ it with healthy skin to mend the rupture merely *appeared* to be healing.
****
‘Why do none of my skills seem to be… normal?’
****
My creations, for one, were certainly not normal.
What, then, were the true limits of my creations?
If I were to draw an absurdly powerful item from another fictional world, would it manifest exactly as depicted? Or would it merely be an empty shell, devoid of its true abilities?
Could I even become a dragon rider if I were to draw a dragon?
Given the potential for limitations, extreme caution was imperative.
Indeed, registering for art classes had been the very first step in exploring these possibilities.
****
‘I should have asked about other non-combat classes in the Tower Gallery.’
As my abilities diverged so drastically from typical awakenings, I felt a profound sense of bewilderment.
‘[Open Tower Gallery. (Reward: Permanent Gallery Access)]’
‘Huh? But the Tower-exclusive gallery isn’t accessible from outside, is it?’
Once again, a quest window materialized, effortlessly bestowing a reward along with a déjà vu objective. To grant access to the gallery even from outside… just how far did the power of this quest window truly extend?
Regardless, a quest window that unequivocally catered to my needs.
‘Isn’t that just incredible?’
****
‘[Uwaaaah, I finally cleared it, I’m out! +5]’
‘[Ugh, the guild leader is so annoying +3]’
‘[Guys, did you see it? A new healer has appeared +7]’
****
The Tower Gallery now appeared before me.
There was a tank, roaring in triumph, apparently having just cleared the 9th floor.
A nickname I’d never encountered before.
And various other miscellaneous chats.
However, another post caught my attention, stirring a sense of unease.
****
‘[Title: Guys, did you see it? A new healer has appeared]’
‘[Author: Spring Breeze Scattering]’
****
‘[The external Hunter Gallery is currently in an absolute frenzy over this healer nicknamed ‘Saintess.’]’
‘[From what I can tell, she doesn’t seem affiliated with any guild, so our guild, along with everyone else, appears to be frantically searching for her with bloodshot eyes, lol.]’
‘[Has she not shown up here, by any chance?]’
‘[Snowman: This is insane, daeyo! We need a healer too, daeyo! I’m going to kill all these damned fire salamanders and get out right now, daeyo!]’
‘[Vegetarianism Spreader: How long has it been since a healer appeared? It must be an absolute chaos.]’
‘ㄴ[Spring Breeze Scattering: It’s beyond chaos. Everyone’s declaring ‘finders keepers’ right now, and guilds, in particular, are immediately starting conflicts if other guilds even step into their territory.]’
‘[Valhalla To Me: A mere healer is nothing. A true warrior needs only a single axe.]’
‘ㄴ[Snowman: This isn’t even Tetoh, daeyo! This is just some old geezer reeking of boomer energy, daeyo!]’
‘ㄴ[Valhalla To Me: Reveal your name. Speak to my face, outside.]’
‘ㄴ[Snowman: Oopsie! I’m so scared I’m trembling, daeyo! I shall leave a single rose to appease your wrath and retreat, daeyo! @>———]’
****
Snowman, it seemed, was still busy provoking other hunters instead of clearing floors.
‘But why would I be ‘yours’ if you simply find me?’
The more I dwelled on it, the more utterly preposterous it seemed.
Being spoken of as if I were a mere object left an undeniably foul taste in my mouth.
****
‘[Spring Breeze Scattering: But seriously, it’s even on the news now, with super intense attention!!]’
****
‘What? It’s on the *news* now?’
Hearing this, I shot upright from my bed and quickly switched on the television.
****
‘This healer has garnered immense attention within just twelve hours of her appearance, yet the government has been unable to ascertain her identity.’
In response to the anchor’s words, a man wearing a National Assembly badge and appearing as a panelist replied.
‘I am Jin Taesan, Minister of the Hunter Department. Yes, currently, no registration or whereabouts of this particular hunter have been identified. The government suspects that one of the hunter guilds has been secretly cultivating this healer, dubbed the Saintess.’
‘Rumors abound that she is a core asset secretly raised by the government. What are your thoughts on this?’
‘Haha. If such a talent had emerged from the government, we would have revealed it without hesitation. More importantly, as citizens of the Republic of Korea, this is a time when the sincere strength of everyone is needed to protect our land.’
‘What are your thoughts on the Saintess’s power? We tried to consult with A-rank Hunter Chae Jeong-ah, but she has refused all interviews… Is it truly S-rank, as the rumors suggest?’
‘While it is difficult to give a definitive answer yet, I can say that I lean more towards that side.’
‘No, it’s really not *that* much…’ I thought, realizing the situation was spiraling out of control.
The anchor, seemingly pleased with Jin Taesan’s words, nodded and displayed several screens showing hunters in a standoff.
‘Currently, all hunters are fervently searching for this Saintess, and friction between guilds in each district is intensifying. The government has yet to make any official statement. Shouldn’t this be stopped before it escalates further?’
‘Of course. We have dispatched official documents to each regional guild and deployed personnel for mediation. And I assure you, such incidents will not occur again in the future.’
At Jin Taesan’s firm declaration, the anchor, looking slightly surprised, questioned him again.
‘Forgive my impertinence, but isn’t the power of the guilds currently a bit too strong?’
‘That is correct. Since the outbreak of the Gates, guilds have steadily increased their power, and the government, attempting to resolve the situation solely with military force, was too slow. However, with the establishment of a new Hunter Association now in preparation, the government intends to actively intervene, re-establishing order and reducing unnecessary conflicts beyond the Tower and the Gates.’
At Jin Taesan’s words, a murmur of commotion resounded loudly for a moment.
This was the government’s declaration of war, having been pushed back by the guilds’ aggressive recruitment of hunters and losing the initiative over the Gates.
‘Did the government truly have something prepared after all?’
I continued to watch as they discussed several other topics, then, breaking into a cold sweat, I turned off the television.
‘…I think I’m in serious trouble.’
I had been mistaken for a healer, and an S-rank one at that.
Every hunter in Korea was now scouring the streets, claiming to be searching for me.
‘It seems I won’t be able to leave the house for a while.’
‘Well, what else can I do? I might as well climb the Tower.’ My immediate goal was to ascend floors quickly and grow stronger.
After all, I had slept soundly during the day, so sleep wouldn’t come easily now.
‘Teleport.’
As I spoke, gazing at the Tower that shimmered like a mirage outside my window, my body was instantly transferred.
A familiar, unadorned room, which I had only seen once before, now greeted me.
****
‘…Wait, a healer outside and a mage in the Tower?’
The apex predator of the hunter world: a healer.
The apex predator of the Tower climbing world: a mage.
‘…I could become the perfect double-identity troublemaker, couldn’t I?’
