A declaration of war from the Healer's Union.

"But don't you think they're rushing this?" I asked. "We're only preparing to open our second store. The potion's distribution rate is still low."

"It must be because we ignored their message," Seojin replied. "I investigated Unix's situation just in case, but it doesn't seem like they're behind this."

"Hmm."

The potion business had only just begun, and we'd already hit a major snag. This time, it was the Healer's Union.

"Wh-what do we do?" Bora asked.

-Tower Master, if this atmosphere continues, it will directly impact our sales, Ea stated.

I was conflicted. I couldn't hope for a stroke of luck like with the Calam Guild, where they just suddenly disappeared. And unlike them, these guys operated in the open. They wouldn't do anything reckless, but an attack using the media was far more threatening to us.

'Alright, I've decided.' An eye for an eye.

"Seojin."

"Yes, Tower Master."

"Gather as much dirt as you can on the Healer's Union—anything that could stir up controversy. I asked Ms. Shin, and it sounds like they've got quite a track record themselves."

"So intend to go for an all-out war."

"Yes. To be perfectly honest," I said, sitting on the sofa and lacing my fingers together, "now that potions exist, low-tier healers are nothing more than relics of a bygone era. Whether we crush the obsolete now or they self-destruct later, it's all the same. Let's do this properly."

Seeing my expression, Bora covered her mouth slightly and giggled.

"What?"

"You look like a villain, Yusin."

* * *

For two full days, we mobilized all our resources to investigate the Healer's Union. I rubbed my sleepy eyes and took a bite of a convenience store chocolate bar.

"Look at this, Yusin!" Bora said, turning her laptop screen toward me. "We don't even need to dig that deep! There are so many bad rumors about the Union!"

"That's the problem," I said, holding up a finger. "If we expose something mediocre, the public is highly likely to just brush it off as 'the Healer's Union being the Healer's Union.' We need something damning, a case that strongly gives the impression they've crossed a line."

"...Ah, you're right."

It was absurd. Their reputation was so terrible that a run-of-the-mill abuse-of-power scandal wouldn't even register. This was probably why the hunter media never touched the Healer's Union. They had likely tried a few times in the past, but the story never gained enough traction to justify the risk of making an enemy of them.

News articles about a gangster threatening a market vendor don't get many views. Why? Because it's a given that gangsters are trash. Meanwhile, famous celebrities can stir up controversy just for wasting too many napkins at a restaurant. Our situation was similar. The dirty, arrogant image of the Union's healers had become an accepted part of daily life.

"Who doesn't know the Healer's Union is trash? We only use them because there's no other alternative." That was the general consensus on the player community sites. People thought it was better to just consider it bad luck than to poke the bear and get on the healers' bad side and mess up their hunter careers.

Besides, the Union held clear, visible power simply because the healers were united. If the government or the Association tried to impose sanctions, they would throw a fit, threatening to change their citizenship out of spite. Mess with them, and you could make an enemy of every healer in the country. Few people would dare to criticize them publicly.

"Tower Master." Seojin hung up the phone and called me. "I've secured a direct testimony and records from a victim of the Healer's Union."

"How severe is it?"

"Extremely."

I shot up from my seat and grabbed my jacket. "Good work. Let's go meet them."

* * *

"Yes, this is Alchemia. How may I help you?"

"No, those are unconfirmed rumors..."

"We apologize for the inconvenience. If you could leave your purchase ID and phone number... Hey, why are you swearing at me!"

I was at the Alchemia office. The phone lines were on fire, and five of our ten staff members were struggling with customer service calls.

"I'm sorry about this," I said, looking at the manager with a bitter smile. "To get you all caught up in this as soon as I called you."

"N-No, not at all, sir! We're just grateful you called... Hello, Alchemia service center!"

It felt like I shouldn't interrupt. We left the chaotic office and headed to a quiet reception room where a man in his mid-thirties was sitting.

"I'm Kim Yusin."

"My name is Yoo Changsik."

We exchanged greetings and sat down. Seojin brought coffee, and we made small talk. Throughout our conversation, a dark shadow hung over Changshik's face.

"Could you tell us what happened? We'll do our best to help you."

"...Yes."

The man slowly nodded, took a sip of coffee, and began his story. He was a provisionally licensed player and the leader of the party 'One Pride.' He and his party had cleared many dungeons together, steadily building their careers. Their long history fostered solid teamwork, and they had earned enough recognition to even take on jobs for guilds.

Then one day, they happened to discover a new dungeon and earned the 'first discoverer' rights. Its name: Basilisk's Lair, a top-tier rank-4 normal dungeon. The Hunter Association guidelines mandated that a healer be present, as it contained many monsters with poison abilities. But they had no connections. In the end, they had to turn to the Healer's Union, but they hesitated because of its bad reputation.

The party was divided. Should they sell the rights and take the money, or hire a mercenary healer and challenge the dungeon themselves?

"We can't just keep making a meager living off field dungeons forever. This is an opportunity for our party to grow!"

"Eunsu is getting married next month, and Cheonyoung is taking the rank-5 exam this year. It's time for us to start producing some real results."

In the end, One Pride decided to clear the Basilisk's Lair themselves. They contacted the Healer's Union and brought in a healer who demanded a share of the magic stone revenue more than double that of the other party members, along with various other preferential treatments. They also had to pay a separate referral fee to the Union. The terms were overwhelmingly favorable to hire a mercenary, but they had no choice.

And so, all the members of the party, including the healer, entered the dungeon.

To say the Basilisk's Lair was a jackpot would be an understatement. Basilisk hides were expensive, and the stat gains were incomparably higher than in field dungeons. Two party members surpassed 200 in all stats from that one hunt, meaning they could now confidently take the official rank-5 exam. More united than ever, they pushed through a grueling three-day march and defeated the boss monster, 'Lord Basilisk.'

No way...!

A relic!

The biggest prize of all was the otherworldly 'relic' they found in the ancient ruins guarded by Lord Basilisk—a shield that could generate a mana shield. According to their position-based distribution rule, it was Changshik's turn. Congratulated by everyone, he shed tears. The 'Relic Holder' title was the last resort for players who lacked a strong Unique Ability.

However.

"The looting rule was position-based? I never heard anything about that." The healer showed his true colors.

Changshik, who had endured so much, couldn't hold back his anger. "You came into the dungeon for free, got the best conditions, and now you want to take the relic too? Are you even human?"

"Don't!"

"Stop him!"

Changshik protested, but the healer stood in front of the exit portal and smiled. "You two over there. Grab that bastard."

The menace in his voice was clear.

"How long are you going to stay in a tiny party like this? You think you can get into a guild if you get on the Healer's Union's bad side? Watch yourselves. You were planning to leave anyway since you've outgrown this place, right?"

The temptation was sweet. They were One Pride, a team that had been like family.

But the members had real families to support.

In the end, Changshik was subdued by his own teammates and had his relic stolen. In the midst of the chaos, the dungeon cam he was carrying fell to the floor.

"You little shit, trying to pull a fast one."

The healer stomped on the dungeon cam several times, crushing it. He then intended to kill Changshik right there, but at the earnest plea of the party members, his life was spared.

"It would have been better to die there," Changshik said. "All contact with my party members was cut off that day, and One Pride was disbanded. More than betrayal, I just felt empty. I resented them at first, but as time passed, I understood. There was no reason for the others to have their futures taken away because of my greed. But then it hit me." He took another gulp of coffee. "How pathetic it all was."

What words of comfort could we offer? We waited silently until he had composed himself.

"This is that dungeon cam." Changshik placed the shattered device on the table. Just looking at it, you could tell his opponents had been vicious. "Miraculously, the data survived. The healer who stomped on it didn't bother to confirm it was off."

Seojin examined the cam with a surprised look. "I thought dungeon cams were expensive equipment. How did you get something like this...?"

"A junior I know is a certified hunter. When I told him I was working with the Healer's Union, he lent it to me just in case. In the end, it got so broken I couldn't even return it."

We immediately transferred the data to a computer. While Seojin clicked the mouse to download the files, a question came to my mind.

"Before coming to us, did you ever take this to the media?"

"Of course I did." He let out a deep sigh. "But the moment I mentioned the Healer's Union, every single one of them shook their heads. They asked if I knew how many people like me came to them every year. That there was plenty of dirt on the Union, but there was a reason they couldn't publish it."

"...I see."

"Download complete," Seojin announced, displaying the video on a projector screen. The footage was a bit glitchy due to the damage, but it wasn't unwatchable.

We watched the original recording from the dungeon cam.

"...Haah."

I could only stare, my mouth agape.

* * *

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