Healing powers hadn’t manifested in anyone during the twenty-one years since the Cataclysm. Which meant the Hunter standing before them, Kim Sibaek, wasn’t just the first—he was likely the only healer now and for the foreseeable future. And on top of that, his personal combat ability easily rivaled that of any battle-type Hunter.
Most people, including Lee Sarang, stared at him with a mixture of shock and excitement. Meanwhile, the head of the Hunter Registration Department was already calculating at lightning speed.
Not just rare—a truly unique Trait. And this Hunter belonged to the 7777 Guild. Tae Woon alone was already treated as a special case, far beyond the typical S-rank. Now the world’s only healer was joining him? Just how high could the 7777 Guild’s status soar from here?
Elsewhere, Hwang Suho—who had abandoned his own guild and poured his entire fortune into buying 7777 Guild stock—was trembling, already envisioning the massive stock surge.
In an instant, wild fantasies raced through everyone’s minds. Then, as hearts pounded with anticipation, Kim Sibaek finally opened his mouth.
“No. It’s the power of faith.”
“…Huh? F-Faith?”
“It’s a small gift granted by God, through devout belief.”
“…Ah. F-Faith… I see…”
Lee Sarang nodded blankly, dazed. The mixture of awe and amazement that had filled the room at the prospect of the world’s first healing Awakener shifted into something… different.
S-rank Hunter… and a cultist?
Of course the Mad Dog’s man wouldn’t be normal.
Didn’t an Awakener who ran a cult once get beaten to a pulp by Guildmaster Tae Woon before being arrested?
Kim Sibaek pretended not to notice the uneasy atmosphere and turned toward the staff.
“Is there anyone else who needs healing?”
Cultist or not, they had witnessed his healing with their own eyes. After exchanging cautious glances, the injured quietly raised their hands.
[Find the survivors of the Manastone Exchange (28/29)]
After that, they regrouped with the survivors who had been hiding under the protective magic circle in the second-floor conference room. Only one of them—a Hunter—had maintained outside communication. The remaining five were civilians.
“Thank you! We managed to reach the protective circle while keeping everyone safe, but… we couldn’t break through.”
That Hunter was also the only one injured. She had used a first-aid kit—now standard in every home and office after the Cataclysm—but the injury was serious, and her face was completely drained of color.
One of the 7777 Guild Hunters who had arrived earlier stepped forward to check the wound, but Tae Woon stopped him.
“Wait for Sibaek.”
“Huh?”
“He can heal.”
“…What?!”
Even Seo Gaeun and Yang Eunho struggled to fully process the words Hunter with healing powers. While they were still reeling, the Gabyeolcho Guild and Jeongmyeong Guild arrived. Once again, the same scene unfolded as Kim Sibaek healed the wounded. The only difference was the faint smile Tae Woon gave when Kim Sibaek used the phrase power of faith.
Seo Gaeun gently shoved aside the frozen Yang Eunho and cautiously asked.
“So… Mentor, you… follow, um, a rather… unusual religion?”
Before Kim Sibaek could respond, Tae Woon cut in.
“I’ve converted too. You should all convert.”
“Huh? Convert to what?”
“Not just you—all guild members. From now on, it’ll be mandatory—”
“No. He’s joking.”
Kim Sibaek shut Tae Woon up by pressing the butt of Biendeoé’s Incarnate Body against his mouth.
“I’ll explain later. Now isn’t really the time for casual talk, is it?”
“Ah… right, you’re correct.”
Rolling her eyes at Tae Woon, Seo Gaeun gathered the Hunters for a quick report and status check. Meanwhile, Kim Sibaek leaned in and whispered to Tae Woon.
“Just adding names to a cult roster won’t do any good.”
“At this point, I’ve been deep-kissed by your god’s Incarnate Body’s ass enough times. Doesn’t that at least qualify me as a believer?”
“Hmm… If that counted, I’d have rubbed Lord Biendeoé’s ass on the lips of everyone I’ve ever met.”
[Death and Beauty trembles, flapping her tail feathers in shock.]
“But seriously, are you sure it’s okay for me to say things like this? Even to me, it sounds like a cult. Won’t it just make people more suspicious?”
“There’s an easy fix.”
After hearing Tae Woon’s suggestion, Kim Sibaek gave him a dubious look. Would that really work?
“By the way, Hyung, how many survivors have we found so far? According to the quest, we’re still one short, right?”
Kim Sibaek glanced up and checked the quest window, then nodded slightly.
Originally, they had planned to join up with the second-floor survivors, escort them outside, and let the 7777 Guild search for the Giantvine’s core. But the Giantvine that had sprouted in this purified area was behaving strangely. The fact that it had even transported the management center’s staff here was deeply troubling for the strike team.
Seo Gaeun ran a hand roughly through her hair.
“There’s a good chance there are still people trapped on the upper floors. But searching with only our guild members won’t cut it. There are way more survivors than we expected. This isn’t an Eid Portal, but we can’t move around safely while protecting so many people.”
“Unni, how’s the management center doing?”
“It’s only three floors above ground. They’re rescuing survivors first, then planning to re-enter.”
“Then maybe it’d be better if the management center team found the core…”
Suggestions flew around. Should we pull back like the management center and go in again later? Request reinforcements? Or just keep pressing forward like we had so far? Everyone tossed out ideas, but none seemed like a real solution.
The one who cut through the indecision was Tae Woon.
“There’s only one survivor left upstairs.”
“How do you know that?”
“My gut.”
His voice was quiet but firm, like there was nothing more to explain. Even those familiar with Tae Woon’s legendary instincts couldn’t tell if he was joking or dead serious. Hwang Suho hesitantly spoke up.
“Guildmaster Tae… you’re joking, right?”
But a few others responded completely differently.
“If Hyung says so, then that’s how it is.”
“If there’s only one left, let’s stick to the original plan. With more survivors than expected, Gabyeolcho and Jeongmyeong won’t be enough to protect them all. Our guild will split off some members to help too.”
Their immediate trust in Tae Woon’s gut feeling left everyone else completely thrown.
“You’re seriously believing that? Hunter Lee Sarang, shouldn’t you stop them?”
At Hwang Suho’s exasperated whisper, Lee Sarang’s eyes sparkled with conviction.
“My dad—uh, I mean, our Guildmaster—told me something once. If Uncle Tae Woon says it’s his gut feeling, even if you’re standing at the edge of a cliff, you just jump. He’s never wrong.”
“But still… I mean…!”
Speechless at this absurd, absolute trust, Hwang Suho stammered. But then he shut his mouth as a realization struck: both Gabyeolcho Guildmaster Jo Byungseok and Lee Sarang were “Seoul Refugees.”
Even with the nickname Mad Dog and all the dark rumors surrounding him, the faith that Koreans placed in 7777 Guildmaster Tae Woon was built over decades. People had watched him rise from a blood-soaked boy to a living legend for over twenty years. Not once, even in the worst possible conditions where people were isolated and injured, had anyone under his protection ever been turned into an Eid Portal host.
Especially the Seoul Refugees—those whom Tae Woon personally rescued, protected, and carried out alive—their loyalty was on a whole different level.
If Tae Woon started a religion tomorrow, eight out of ten would join on the spot. Of the remaining two, one would probably hesitate for a bit, then join anyway.
…Shit. Is that why Hunter Kim Sibaek brought up the “faith” angle? To lay the groundwork for a cult?!
While Hwang Suho was lost in these pointless worries—debating whether to sell his 7777 Guild stocks before a cult scandal exploded, or hold and ride it out hoping the cult would actually thrive under Tae Woon’s name—Seo Gaeun wrapped up the meeting.
***
“It’s gotten awfully quiet.”
The group had grown smaller.Â
Aside from Kim Sibaek, Tae Woon, Seo Gaeun, and Yang Eunho, all the other Hunters had gone downstairs to escort the survivors to safety.
Now that only trustworthy people remained, Yang Eunho cautiously broke the silence.
“We’re still mid-raid, so it’s a chaotic situation, but… Mentor, can you confirm if your Trait is really healing? There were witnesses, and word will spread fast. I need to know how to respond on the guild’s behalf. Oh, and… you are officially part of our guild, right?”
It was a perfectly reasonable question. But Kim Sibaek couldn’t exactly say that his healing powers came from a god of another world.
He recalled the solution Tae Woon had whispered earlier. Then calmly opened his mouth.
“It’s the power of faith.”
