Sun Hee-young's countenance changed into an indecipherable expression and a flash of what appeared to be clarity passed through her eyes. I wasn't expecting her to move so quickly. She seems to have received a fresh surge of motivation.
She had been exposed to a terrifying and perhaps life-threatening event, so I could understand her abrupt change of heart. I had expected her to be terrified and trembling. She appeared to be planning a different response.
'She's shaking... 'You poor thing.'
Of course, while I assessed her, Sun Hee-young was still trembling and quivering from what she had just witnessed. I knew it would have been hard to persuade her to acknowledge defeat in her regular state of mind. Her fearful demeanor had worked to my advantage.
Then something new appeared in Sun Hee-young's expression: a sense of purpose. A sense of determination blossomed within her eyes from beneath the trembling exterior.
She had begun strolling, holding the weapon expertly in one hand. This was a beautiful and disturbing scene, almost like a holy ritual. Even more troubling was that it appeared as natural as a prayer for her.
I knew she didn't entirely blame these people for their actions.
'Nevertheless…'
"Priest… We… We were mistaken..."
"I'm not sure what has happened to me... Please accept our apologies..."
"Please, Priest, spare me... I beseech you..."
"Y-you promised to save us..."
"Would you please forgive us just once?"
At this time, the criminals, who were now at our mercy, began pleading with Sun Hee-young to let them go. I smiled as I looked over at them. This was a very entertaining sight.
Sun Hee-young paused and turned to face us, namely at Jung Hayan, the mastermind behind the magical trap.
"Really… "Am I capable?"
She sounded as if she were awaiting confirmation. Of course, I was not going to let her go.
"You don't have to be concerned. Consider it the same as you have been doing thus far. It is unquestionably beneficial to others. It is only proper to eliminate trash if there is some."
"I guess you're right."
Sun Hee-young was a gifted performer who should be invited to the celebration.
She approached the men with a bright smile and hoisted the dagger high in the air. Screams erupted yet again.
For some reason, the way she wielded the dagger struck me as elegant rather than hideous.
Any bystander encountering this situation would be deeply upset, if not terrified. The foreboding air was filled with the horrible noises of blood splattering on the pavement, coupled with the screams of those affected.
No one reacted to the pleas for assistance. Of course, that could have been due to Jung Hayan's sealing magic hiding us, but I was confident that even if we hadn't gone through the trouble of doing so, no one would have come to their rescue.
As they had stated, asking for assistance here was silly. Everyone in the slums was too preoccupied with their affairs.
As I watched Sun Hee-young, I couldn't help but notice her. From the beginning, I had a sense that this woman was different. Her extreme selflessness was hard to explain in any other way.
Throughout the entire ordeal, Sun Hee-young stayed quiet. Eventually, the screaming died down. Despite her face being swollen and bleeding from the earlier ordeal, she continued to wear a strange, unsettling smile as she caught her breath.
"So, how was it?" she asked, seemingly unfazed by her injuries.
"That was quite satisfying," she replied in an eerie voice. However, there was a certain beauty about her that captivated me completely. While her state of mind may be concerning, I knew she would be alright. After all, I had just helped her by expanding her perspective.
Instead of giving her a direct answer, I reached out and took her hand. Jung Hayan seemed uneasy behind me, but I didn't think it would be a problem.
"You can't achieve this new meaning of service on your own. And unlike before, you need to be more discreet. I'll assist you."
"Together...?"
"Yes, together. There will be many challenges in realizing your values. It's something the average person won't understand."
"I understand."
"I'll try to prove that you were not wrong."
"Yes, Kee Miyoung."
"First of all..."
"It's alright. I can do it myself." Sun Hee-young quietly began to memorize the spell. It was impressive how quickly she was able to heal herself.
I had already experienced the effects of the ring that Jung Hayan wore, but Sun Hee-young's magical abilities made the healing even more effective.
"She's talented."
Now I understood why priests were highly valued. Finding someone with the aptitude for the priesthood was difficult, and it was also challenging for them to remain priests. It felt good to think about having such a powerful ally by my side.
All that was left was to bring Sun Hee-young back to the guild.
Jung Hayan stuck close to me, and I could tell she was worried about the kindness I had shown Sun Hee-young. But seeing Jung Hayan respond to Sun Hee-young's words eased my anxiety. The two didn't seem to harbor any hostility towards each other.
That's when I noticed a familiar figure approaching us.
"Hyunsung?"
"Oh, Kee Miyoung. What a coincidence to meet you here. I thought you were in the lab... Did you come out with Jung Hayan?"
"Ah, well..."
When Kim Hyunsung saw Sun Hee-young, he smiled brightly and greeted her.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Sun Hee-young, here for some volunteer work..."
"Ah, nice to meet you too. I'm Kim Hyunsung."
I felt a bit confused by their interaction. Wasn't Kim Hyunsung here for Sun Hee-young?
Then I saw a child peeking out from behind Kim Hyunsung. It was difficult to tell if the child, who was still wearing an oversized t-shirt, was a boy or a girl.
There was a hint of sadness in the child's eyes, and their dirty face suggested they came from a poor area.
"Perhaps..."
I quickly used my ability to learn more about the child.
[Check player Kim Ye-ri's Show Details.]
[Name - Kim Ye-ri]
[Title - None. Keep trying.]
[Age - 14]
[Propensity - Injured thief]
[Job - Archer]
[Job Effect - Basic archery knowledge]
[Stats]
[Strength - 10 / Growth Limit: Hero or higher]
[Agility - 31 / Growth Limit: Legend or higher]
[Health - 12 / Growth Limit: Hero or less]
[Intellect - 15 / Growth Limit: Hero or less]
[Durability - 14 / Growth Limit: Hero or less]
[Luck - 15 / Growth Limit: Hero or higher]
[Holy - 10 / Growth Limit: Legend or higher]
[Summary - Has stats that exceed the legend level. Agility and magic power have legendary potential. Other stats are also exceptional compared to player Kee Miyoung. Be cautious not to negatively impact the child. They have been hurt, but they are still innocent. The child is observant, but please don't hold it against them.]
This was the first time I had seen someone with stats that referred to heroes and legends, aside from Kim Hyunsung. I immediately realized that Sun Hee-young was not the one he was after.
He had come to the slums to recruit this child.
Looking at the child, I also noticed Sun Hee-young's distaste towards them. However, she didn't act out of line.
"Ah, this child..."
"I met this talented child by chance in the slums and brought them with me to teach them. They're still too young to go hunting on their own... Ah! They're a bit shy, so it might take some time for them to get comfortable with you."
"Ah... I see."
"What about you, Kee?"
"The same goes for me. I was walking around the slums and happened to come across Sun Hee-young, the priest. We started talking."
"Ah." Kim Hyunsung blinked and seemed to be assessing Sun Hee-young for the first time since he approached us. There was silence as he considered her.
"What is this feeling..."
If I were Kim Hyunsung, I would also try to recruit her while focusing on the child. Her divine talent exceeded legendary status. It didn't make sense. The slums were a prominent place, and it would be impossible not to come across her at least once.
This could only mean one thing. Sun Hee-young didn't give off the same impression to Kim Hyunsung as the child did.
"Why not?"
She was a priest with a promising future. She had the potential to become even stronger with the proper training.
Then a strange thought crossed my mind. Could Sun Hee-young have been in a dire situation in her previous life? Is that why Kim Hyunsung didn't bother trying to recruit her?
However, they might not have met until now, so he hadn't tried to recruit her. Lindel was a big place, after all, with events happening everywhere.
If Kim Hyunsung had been busy hunting for survival or stuck in training somewhere, he may not have heard the stories. I shouldn't have panicked so quickly.
But the thought that Sun Hee-young could have died in vain lingered in my mind. Of course, I had no way of knowing how she would have died.
After joining a clan or guild, she may have died during exploration, or war could have broken out and swept her away. She may have fallen ill or been harmed by her guild's selfish interests.
But perhaps...
"Perhaps she also died because of poverty..."
As I said, I had no way of knowing.
There was nothing I could do except anticipate, but for some reason, I was almost sure that Sun Hee-young had a difficult life in her previous life.
"No problem. Ms. Hee-young, thank you in advance."
"Likewise... Thank you very much, Mr. Hyunsung. I think I'll be indebted to you for a long time."