Saving someone is always far more difficult than killing them. Not only is the operation itself more complex, but the energy required skyrockets.
Fortunately, such expenditure was nothing to Castorice. Healing all eight people present at once took her barely two or three seconds.
"Is this... real? Did someone actually come to back us up?"
The A-Rank Tank, whose consciousness had been fading, stared in disbelief at his own hands, then at the purple-haired girl standing not far from the group.
Red Gates were exceedingly rare, but this wasn't his first encounter with one.
After all, as an A-Rank hunter, he was already among the top forces within the guild, just below the S-Ranks.
In Korea, there were only eight S-Rank hunters in total. Aside from the Hunters Guild, every other guild possessed just one S-Rank.
In other words, wherever he went, he was a powerhouse second only to one.
So, while he'd seen Red Gates before, those previous instances always involved A-Rank teammates of his caliber, and on occasion, even an S-Rank guild master would enter alongside them.
With such a high-level setup, a Red Gate hadn't posed much danger to him.
This time... he'd nearly capsized in a ditch, almost losing his life here.
"Thank you for your assistance, miss."
The man with a spiky crew cut and shattered armor, though his sword and shield remained intact, rose to his feet. "I'm Son Kijun. We are deeply grateful you saved us."
"I thought I was hallucinating..."
The B-Rank Assassin-type hunter still wore a dazed expression, as if not fully recovered.
"Thank you for your aid. But I recall the Gate was Crimson..."
The Healer, who had only taken a few club blows that immobilized her, had sustained the lightest injuries of the group and thus remained conscious throughout.
"Are you a Healing-type hunter, ma'am? With your help, our chances have improved significantly."
Son Kijun didn't engage with the Healer's line of questioning.
He was naturally curious about how this woman had entered as well, but now wasn't the time for that.
Besides, the sudden retreat of those orcs was also puzzling.
"I... am more skilled in combat than in healing."
Castorice wasn't sure how to explain the principle of her entry to these people.
On one hand, she wasn't particularly adept at reasoning with others; on the other, she genuinely didn't know how to explain something as fundamental as one plus one equals two.
She could only skip over the topic.
"Castorice-unni is an S-Rank hunter, you know!"
Han Song-Yi, who had been following behind Castorice, immediately jumped forward, afraid the others wouldn't grasp just how formidable Castorice was, her face beaming with pride as if she herself were the S-Rank in question.
"S... S-Rank? The tenth S-Rank?"
Son Kijun and the others instantly showed expressions of shock.
"She just received the rating today! I was actually on my way to meet up with Castorice-unni when the Gate appeared, so we couldn't connect right away."
Han Song-Yi boasted.
To Castorice, it felt a bit like a child bragging about knowing some local big shot—it was somewhat endearing.
"You know Song-Yi?"
The Healer's surprised gaze swept between the two.
She also realized that pressing about Castorice's method of entry wasn't the priority now and let the matter drop.
"We are friends."
A gentle smile never left Castorice's face as she answered for Han Song-Yi.
Hearing her affirm it personally, the stars in Han Song-Yi's eyes nearly overflowed.
"Everyone, I believe it's best we clear this dungeon promptly. I will take the lead from here. Please focus on protecting yourselves as best you can."
Castorice offered Han Song-Yi a brief smile before addressing the group.
"That's fine... but, Castorice-ssi, is this your first time entering a dungeon?"
As a member of the Hunters Guild, Son Kijun was quite familiar with S-Rank capabilities.
While their guild master, Choi Jung-in, would struggle to clear an A-Rank dungeon alone, hunters like Cha Hae-In and Baek Yoon-ho possessed the ability to barely solo an A-Rank dungeon.
This wasn't to say Choi Jung-in was weaker than those two.
While Cha Hae-In, having been a hunter for only two years, was already widely acknowledged as the most well-rounded S-Rank, in a true life-or-death fight, Baek Yoonho might not necessarily lose to her.
However, Yoonho's beastification caused him to lose rationality, preventing him from going all out in most situations.
The reason Choi Jung-in couldn't solo wasn't a lack of power, but poor adaptability.
He wasn't a warrior or tank focused on frontal combat, but a mage who needed teammates to protect him upfront.
With that protection, the firepower he could unleash was immense.
In short, while soloing an A-Rank dungeon was dangerous for an S-Rank, given Castorice's scythe and warrior-like appearance, it wasn't impossible. And this wasn't a solo run—they still had teammates who could contribute.
Son Kijun's concern was... whether Castorice could adapt to the dungeon.
Hunters fighting in a dungeon for the first time were easily unnerved by the unfamiliar bloodshed, potentially developing psychological barriers.
Great strength didn't necessarily equate to a strong heart.
He knew his words, though well-intentioned, carried a hint of underestimation, but someone had to say it.
"Please don't worry. I will see everyone safely out of here."
The smile on Castorice's face didn't waver, her tone remained calm and measured. It held a certain distance at first listen, yet one could faintly detect a thread of warmth within it.
"My apologies, I spoke out of turn."
Seeing she didn't take offense to his remark, Son Kijun offered a sincere apology.
With the appearance of an S-Rank, the group's mood visibly lightened.
They were all veteran hunters, well aware of their own limits.
Hunters typically entered Gates one Rank below their own, or, when led by a hunter of higher Rank, entered Gates matching or even exceeding their own level.
Once they confirmed this was an A-Rank Gate, Son Kijun, being A-Rank himself, couldn't provide them with much sense of security.
Now, with a veritable carry in their midst, their tightly wound nerves finally began to relax.
"Let us proceed. However... I must ask everyone to maintain a distance of five paces behind me."
Castorice instructed.
"Huh?"
Her words gave them pause, but they quickly surmised it likely related to her ability.
Han Song-Yi realized it too.
She had initially thought Castorice-unni simply disliked close contact with others, but now it seemed that wasn't the case—contact might lead to undesirable consequences.
She instinctively wanted to ask, but held her tongue. If Castorice-unni wanted her to know, she'd find out eventually. It was best not to ask in this setting.
Pleased with her own perceived emotional intelligence, she gave herself a silent pat on the back.
Meanwhile, the Healer, with her characteristically blunt curiosity, voiced her thoughts, "Castorice-ssi healed us just now, seems adept at frontal combat, and now requires distance... I truly can't guess what your ability might be."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.