The Tone-Deaf Healer Kills with a Song - Episode 8

Baldur, the source of the Status Window, is commonly perceived as a sort of company in public speculation. The general understanding is that it maintains numerous subsidiaries across universes to train Hunters in preparation for an immense crisis called Ragnarok.

“The initial model of the Valkyrie Network was designed to create individual skills for Hunters. Baldur directly inputs skills matching each person’s aptitude and specialties.”

Pictograms of countless people appeared before my eyes. A somewhat crude animation showed them gaining powers and performing feats across various worlds.

It seemed they hadn’t put much effort into the educational video’s production quality, being too busy empowering humans.

I remember learning about this in a college general education course. Something about the structure and history of Status Windows? I can’t quite recall the exact name.

“However, the number of Hunters soon grew beyond Baldur’s direct management capacity, so we built the Valkyrie Network using all accumulated data.”

The ability effects from the pictograms converged to form an internet-like icon. They merged and fused into a single mass.

“Now all Hunters can search for and use skills that match their abilities and situations. We call this the Valkyrie Network. While streamlining services with common skills, we added bonus stat capabilities.”

The skills of countless past Hunters are recorded in the data. Even after their death, when new ones awaken, the Status Window naturally searches and outputs skills matching their abilities.

Theoretically, anyone who awakens could use all existing skills—even those of past top-ranking Hunters.

“However, this network searches for skills based on the person’s aptitude, specialties, and various newly added stats. You can’t use higher-level skills if your body and abilities can’t handle them.”

It’s theoretically possible—if my condition somehow matched a past ranker’s aptitude, specialties, and all stats.

That would be quite something to see, but naturally impossible.

While we can’t know what these higher beings called Baldur—the gods’ algorithm—want or think, it’s clear they gave humans formidable power.

True to being a nation of abbreviations, Koreans simply call it ‘Bal-gorithm.’

“Improving individual stats is the only way to use higher-level skills. And rarely, some Hunters can use new skills not existing in the database.”

In that moment, faces of numerous Hunters flashed before my eyes—from historically famous ones to current rankers that come to mind.

Among them was his face too—the one who stays on the top floor of this building.

“When a Hunter exceeds the threshold of related skills the network can provide, Valkyrie grants them new skills. These are unique skills that won’t be added to the database until their death—Baldur encourages their advancement.”

Exclusive skills—every Hunter’s dream. Some even hire assassins to check the additional stats of those who possess them.

Though usually those assassins end up dead by the rankers’ hands.

Generally, people are grateful just for being Awakened. I’m the same way.

“As long as Ragnarok continues, Gates will keep appearing. We grant abilities to those who meet strict criteria and have high survival chances inside Gates. However, due to different transmission speeds between Baldur and Earth, there may be delays in reception.”

“Yes, thank you so much for letting me know before I starved to death.”

My tone came out clearly sarcastic. After all, I could have fallen into irredeemable debt if things had gone wrong.

Naturally, the mascot guide didn’t respond. Instead, it offered advice about the fastest and surest way to receive skills with high stat increases.

“Specifically, focusing on developing special stats given separately rather than common stats will be more helpful.”

“But how do I develop special stats when I don’t even know their names?”

Again, no answer.

That was the end of the online lecture.

“Congratulations on becoming a Hunter with your awakening. We expect you to use your received powers effectively toward ending Ragnarok.”

The knight summoned a blue spear in mid-air and swung it horizontally toward me. In terror of being cut, I tightly closed my eyes—when I opened them, I saw a quiet booth.

I stared blankly ahead before getting up.

‘Just casually slashing at people, making things really uncomfortable.’

After lingering around looking here and there several times, I finally managed to leave only after a passing Hunter told me to just go home if it was my first time.

Going home after just signing some documents and getting basic education, without doing anything else.

Given the guild’s nature, having a mentor would be difficult, but now I understood what job sites meant about being thrown straight into actual combat.

[Tomorrow is the day for regular payments.]

But rent couldn’t be helped. Since I was already several months behind on rent, I couldn’t delay it anymore. The thought of having to deposit all the money I had just received made me feel regretful.

I threw myself onto the bed. It was depressing, but my life would be completely new starting next month—just needed to hold on for a few weeks.

‘I’m tired…’

Getting up early and being active all day made drowsiness hit me.

Once fixed, sleep patterns don’t easily change. Maybe this was why Jung Hwan-jae was being considerate of me.

With the thought that the Guild Master really knew how to read people, my consciousness cut off like a blown fuse.

“…When will it be…”

Living alone makes you talk to yourself more. Even though there was no one to hear. Outside, darkness had long since fallen. I was already prone to sleeping a lot, but it seemed I was mentally strained too.

I reached for my phone to check the time.

[11:00]

I hadn’t woken up that late, considering I went to sleep right after getting home. It was about the same amount as sleeping at night.

I stayed buried in bed until my mind cleared a bit. Time naturally passed as I wrapped myself in blankets watching meaningless videos.

After wasting time like that, things I needed to do gradually came to mind. Usually, this would be preparing for work, but…

‘Guild Master, I’ll, I’ll call you in the early morning!’

Only then did I bolt upright as I recalled my tension-filled voice.

Right, I definitely told the Guild Master I’d call in the morning.

While it couldn’t really be called early morning anymore, if he was actually waiting, I should contact him as soon as possible.

Frantically searching through my bag, his business card fell out, creased from not being stored carefully. I typed in and saved the number digit by digit.

[‘Boss’]

After debating whether to write “Guild Master” or his name, I settled on this middle-ground title.

Though I said I’d call, suddenly calling now might disturb his work. He might suddenly need to enter a Gate.

Since I didn’t know much about the ranker world, I could only make assumptions.

‘Maybe sending a text would be better.’

***

Hello Guild Master, this is Yeom Ye-ah who joined today. I’m able to start training now so I’m contacting you. I can stay up until early morning so please contact me whenever convenient. And if you’re tired today, feel free to tell me it won’t work. Thank you.

***

The moment I sent the text, my heart started racing. What if I was being inconsiderate by taking his casual words seriously?

Maybe I shouldn’t have sent it. 

Should have asked during the day instead. It would have been better to change my schedule instead of being so presumptuous.

Just as various worries were about to take over my mind, my phone rang. 

‘Boss.’

“Hello… I’m sorry for suddenly contacting you so late at night…”

“Where should I pick you up?”