If the Body Is Strong, the Mind Does Not Suffer.

The assumption that things would be easier after passing the Hunter exam was a huge mistake. After becoming a formal Hunter, the things Cha Eui-jae needed to know doubled, and the things he needed to be careful about tripled.

The first thing Cha Eui-jae opened was [One-Touch! How to Use the Hunter Market], which Jung Bin had given him before. He had an ambition, albeit not quite a dream, to someday sell the magic stone he possessed and hit the jackpot. To avoid repeating the nightmare of EZ, he had to read each section carefully.

As he was seriously skimming through the contents of the book, his phone vibrated briefly. Seeing the name on the screen, Cha Eui-jae reached out to check the message. It had been a while since he last heard from Lee Sa-young, who had congratulated him right after he passed the Hunter exam.

Sa-young: When are you available?

Sa-young: Nam Woo-jin

Nam Woo-jin. Just the name alone. As soon as Cha Eui-jae saw the message, he called Lee Sa-young. After just two rings, Lee Sa-young answered. With a slightly excited voice, Cha Eui-jae asked directly.

"Is it possible to treat my grandmother's leg?"

"Yes. Thanks to you, I managed to get something…"

The sound of paper shuffling quietly came from the other side of the phone. After a brief silence, Lee Sa-young asked.

"Would two days later work?"

"Well, I'll have to ask my grandmother first…"

Since her knee pain had made it difficult for her to move, she had mostly stayed at home, so she probably didn't have any other plans. Thanks to his newly acquired skill, Cha Eui-jae had become quite efficient in preparing materials, so there shouldn't be any problem. Cha Eui-jae nodded.

"It should be fine."

"Then, let's meet at Seowon Guild at that time."

Although the conversation seemed to be over, Lee Sa-young didn't hang up the phone. Intermittently, the sound of quiet breathing could be heard from the other end. As Cha Eui-jae read through the [Hunter Market Usage Rules] with the phone between his shoulder and ear, he pulled the phone away and checked if the call was still ongoing. With a puzzled voice, Cha Eui-jae asked.

"…Do you have something else to say?"

"…No. See you then."

Lee Sa-young was the first to hang up. Cha Eui-jae stared blankly at the ended call screen for a moment, then immediately called grandmother and Park Ha-eun's house. The phone didn't ring long before a lively voice answered.

"Hello. Who is this?"

Cha Eui-jae's face unknowingly lit up with a warm expression. Responding to Park Ha-eun's cheerful voice, his voice naturally went up half a tone.

"Hey, Ha-eun. It's Uncle. Is Grandma home?"

"Yes!"

"Can you put Grandma on the phone?"

Park Ha-eun's voice calling for her grandmother faded away. By the time Cha Eui-jae finished reading the usage rules and started reading the precautions and fraud cases of the Hunter Market, there was a faint sound of coughing and the presence of someone approaching on the other end of the line.

"Yes. What's going on?"

"Ah, Grandma. Are you free around 2 PM the day after tomorrow?"

"There's nothing going on."

Although it was as he had expected, Cha Eui-jae felt a bit happier. He quickly got to the point.

"Then, how about going to the hospital then?"

"Hospital? Why the hospital?"

"Your knee is not doing well. I heard from the regulars that there's a good hospital for leg pain. The consultation fee is cheap, too."

Instead of explaining that the seventh-ranked in South Korea and the only A-grade healer would personally treat her, Cha Eui-jae simplified it as "a hospital that's good with legs." Well, he was once an orthopedic specialist, so it wasn't a lie. There was a doctor, and he was good at treating legs. That was enough, wasn't it? Cha Eui-jae justified himself and waited for his grandmother's answer.

"No need."

"Why, Grandma?"

"What's the point of seeing a doctor? I can walk well enough as it is."

When grandmother sighed and answered, Cha Eui-jae adjusted his posture slightly and spoke gently.

"But Grandma, you need to get healthy quickly so you can come to the hangover soup restaurant. The regulars miss you a lot."

Grandmother had been making hangover soup at the restaurant for 30 years. She had done so even before the Day of the Rift and continued without change afterward. The warm bowl of hangover soup she had offered a stranger led Cha Eui-jae to stay here.

Without her, he would have wandered the unfamiliar city and died an unknown death. Cha Eui-jae was certain of that. He wanted to repay the favor that saved his life. He tapped his fingers on the table and spoke in a slightly gloomy tone.

"Can you trust me and go just once?"

"…"

"If you take the medicine, you'll feel better…"

"…Alright."

"Really?"

Grandmother responded gently, seemingly giving in to Cha Eui-jae. The worry in his heart lightened considerably.

"Yes. The day after tomorrow at 2 PM, right?"

"Yes, around 2 or 2:30. I'll come to pick you up."

"Okay. If you get tired working at the restaurant, just close up and rest. Health is the most important thing."

"Yes, Grandma."

Cha Eui-jae hung up the phone and stretched. He felt good for some reason.

***

Two days later, the preparation time arrived. As Cha Eui-jae was about to hang up the sign, the figure of someone already standing by the door nodded. It had been a while since he'd seen the black-masked face, and he felt somewhat glad.

"Hello, Hyung."

"You're here?"

"Where's Granny?"

"At home. Her legs are bothering her."

"It's fine. We're going to use the escape button anyway."

Cha Eui-jae almost commented on how many escape buttons he had used so far, considering each set had ten, but he held back. While it was a transaction condition, today he was the one in need. He decided to get through the day as smoothly as possible.

"Can I bring Ha-eun too?"

"Ha-eun? …Oh."

Lee Sa-young tilted his head and then recognized the name with a small exclamation.

"Your niece?"

"Yeah. I can't leave her alone."

"Alright, I'll let them know."

Lee Sa-young nodded. Cha Eui-jae spread his hands as if to show he was ready and placed his hand on Sa-Young's shoulder. Lee Sa-young smiled as the sound of air escaping came from his mouth. As Lee Sa-young took out one of Hong Ye-Seong's masterpieces from his inventory and tore the button, they were instantly transported to grandmother and Park Ha-eun's house.

Facing Lee Sa-young, Cha Eui-jae quickly turned and headed to the front door. Park Ha-eun, who had been eagerly waiting for them, jumped up and grabbed his hand, slightly hiding behind him as children often do when meeting strangers.

A rough hand gently ruffled her hair as he explained the way to the hospital that specialized in treating legs— Seowon Guild, actually. Lee Sa-young stood still a few steps away the whole time.

'…Hm?'

Inside the gas mask, his gaze lowered to waist height. Park Ha-eun was half-hiding behind Cha Eui-jae, her eyes sparkling as she stared at him. Lee Sa-young met her gaze with indifferent eyes, then turned his attention to Cha Eui-jae's call.

"Lee Sa-young, let's go."

Lee Sa-young slowly approached, taking out another escape button. He had already used two today, but he didn't hesitate.

***

The Seowon Guild building was a tall skyscraper in the heart of the city. At the entrance, Lee Sa-young gestured to the security guard, who briefly listened to instructions through an earpiece before bowing.

"Welcome, Guild Leader Lee Sa-young of the Pado Guild. Guild Leader Nam Woo-jin is expecting you."

"Where is he?"

"He's in the central library."

After receiving their identification badges, they were allowed to enter. Park Ha-eun, who had been excited since their departure, clung to the badge around her neck and fiddled with it. Once inside, the modern and sleek lobby gave way to an entirely different scene.

[Verifying entry permission…]

[Identity verification complete for Lee Sa-young and party of three.]

[Welcome to the Seowon Guild.]

Cha Eui-jae had expected a hospital-like setting since Nam Woo-jin, a former doctor, would be treating his grandmother. But what unfolded before him was a grand library.

Park Ha-eun gaped, looking around in awe. The towering shelves were packed with countless books, and Seowon Guild hunters, wearing yellow librarian armbands, busily pushed book carts through the aisles.

Cha Eui-jae also glanced around as they moved. The floor tiles, the shape of the bookshelves— they were familiar. If he remembered correctly, this was the same place he had seen in fragments of Yoon Ga-eul's memories. It appeared that the Seowon Guild library had served as a base camp for survivors even after the apocalypse. Though it was almost destroyed in the other world…

Lee Sa-young, walking briskly, spoke up.

"Nam Woo-jin should be at the central bookshelf."

"The central bookshelf?"

Navigating through the maze of shelves, they entered a cozy hall-like space surrounded by large bookshelves. In the center was a staircase leading from the first to the second floor, and on that staircase stood a man in a white coat, his back turned.

With long white hair tied back and wearing a white coat, the man sensed their presence and turned his head. Lee Sa-young nodded, and the man slowly descended.

"You arrived sooner than I expected."

The man tucked the book he was holding under his arm and spoke in a greeting. The low voice from beside Cha Eui-jae called out to the white-haired man.

"Nam Woo-jin."

The man before them was Nam Woo-jin, ranked 7th in South Korea and an A-grade healer.