Chapter 40: Don’t think about lending a hand, just make an effort.

“W-Why should I help you? You’re not even Teacher Mask’s disciples; you’re just strangers, aren’t you?”

At Park Hye-yeon’s response, Kim Si-yeon looked at her with a surprised expression.

“What… What do you mean, why? Because we’re the same people, right?… It’s only natural to help others out of moral obligation.”

“Moral obligation? According to whom?”

“When someone’s about to get hurt, it’s only natural to help them!”

Kim Si-yeon insisted, but Park Hye-yeon didn’t pay her any attention.

“It seems like you’re living in a dream. Most people turn a blind eye when others are in danger. They don’t want to get involved and suffer the consequences. And, usually, that’s a reasonable choice.”

“Hey… Isn’t that a bit harsh?”

“I’m just giving you advice because it seems like you don’t fully understand reality. When you’re in danger, don’t expect others to help; focus on resolving the situation yourself.”

At that moment, a bat-like monster called a Rekina lunged at Park Hye-yeon.

-Thud.

Without even looking, Park Hye-yeon grabbed the Rekina and crushed it with her hand.

-Shudder.

Seeing the twitching and dying monster, the disciples flinched.

“See? In a crisis, you ultimately have to solve things yourself. No one helped me until the monster flew right in front of me. If I had stupidly let the Rekina’s attack hit me, would I have blamed you? No. I would’ve blamed myself for being foolish enough to get hit.”

“Hey… You!”

“Don’t talk to me. I don’t want to converse with people who only passively rely on others for help.”

From afar, Kang Eun-byeol approached Park Hye-yeon.

“Hye-yeon, that was a bit harsh…”

Park Hye-yeon whispered coldly toward Kang Eun-byeol.

“If I helped them and our formation got disrupted, and then monsters we didn’t anticipate attacked us, what do you think would happen? We could end up in danger just because I tried to save someone I didn’t even know.”

“This is a C-class gate… There aren’t any monsters here that could threaten us…”

“You never know. Can you guarantee that none will show up?”

“And before we entered the dungeon, I clearly saw you trembling. Didn’t you even receive an artifact from the instructor? If you can’t even take care of yourself and you’re going to get in our way like this, then just leave. You’re not desperate, and you already have so much, so it’s easy for you to preach about morality. Look at the others.”

When Kang Eun-byeol looked back at the other disciples—Seo Chan-woo, Im Se-ah, and Min Da-yoon—they stared at her strangely, as if agreeing with Park Hye-yeon.

Kang Eun-byeol said nothing more. Their eyes didn’t show indifference but rather a desperate look, as if they were predators who hadn’t eaten for days and had finally found prey.

They looked like beasts willing to do anything for survival.

Park Hye-yeon spoke to her comrades.

“Let’s go. Don’t waste any more time here.”

Park Hye-yeon felt a surge of anger rising within her.

‘People who have no skills of their own, yet constantly seek help and salvation from others… I despise those kinds of people the most.’

Suddenly, memories of the past flashed through her mind.

Park Hye-yeon first discovered she was special when she was very young.

“Hye-yeon, it seems like you have a talent for magic.”

The only reason she passionately self-studied magic was because of the praise she received from her father.

“You used Fireball this time? To be able to use such a spell at such a young age, and without any formal training, you’ve already reached this level. I’m so proud of you.”

Thanks to her innate talent, Park Hye-yeon quickly grasped the fundamentals of magic.

Although her total mana capacity wasn’t particularly high, her natural understanding allowed her to cast spells faster and more powerfully than others.

She could even use higher-level spells than her peers, earning her the title of a prodigy when she was young.

“Father, can I enter the Academy?”

One day, the girl dreamed of entering the Academy. She wanted to learn advanced magic, build connections, develop herself, and eventually become successful both magically and socially.

“The… Academy, you say?… If our daughter wants to go, of course, we should send her.”

Park Hye-yeon could never forget the expression on her father’s face that day. It was awkward and twisted—not of anger but filled with confusion and sadness.

The reason behind that expression became clear to her that same evening during a conversation between her mother and father.

“Honey, Hye-yeon said she wants to attend the Academy.”

“You didn’t seriously tell her she could, did you?”

“Are you crazy? Do you even know how much it costs to attend the Academy? How could a family like ours afford it?”

“… As her father, I haven’t been able to give Hye-yeon much. At the very least, I want her to be able to study as much as she desires…”

“Sigh… I feel the same way, but it’s just not realistic. Do you know how much we owe on rent, water bills, and other utilities? We’re already behind on so many payments, and we’re about to have the electricity cut off. An Academy? I’ll talk to Hye-yeon myself.”

“Please… don’t do that. What did that child do wrong?”

“Then what do you plan to do? We’ve already taken out loans to the maximum, and there’s no way to get more money.”

“I’ll work as a hunter…”

“Are you out of your mind? You want to enter a dungeon at your age?”

“I used to work as a hunter in my youth, so getting permission to enter the dungeon shouldn’t be too difficult. The earnings would be much higher than the manual labor I’m doing now.”

“That’s too dangerous…!”

The wife stopped speaking as she saw her husband’s determined expression.

“Fine… do as you wish.”

• Thud, thud, thud

After finishing the conversation, the father walked into Park Hye-yeon’s room.

• Tap, tap, tap

Park Hye-yeon hurriedly got under her blanket and pretended to be asleep.

• Thump

Her father sat next to her bed and spoke.

“Hye-yeon, just wait a little longer. I will make it possible for you to attend the academy. I will make sure our daughter can live doing what she wants, without living like me. I promise you.”

Park Hye-yeon desperately covered her mouth with the blanket and cried. She wanted to tell her father that she didn’t need to go to the academy, but the words wouldn’t come out.

She was afraid that if her father knew she overheard the conversation with her mother, he would feel unnecessarily sorry and upset.

So, Park Hye-yeon waited until the next morning. Then she carefully said to her father,

“Father, I’ve thought about it, and I don’t think I need to go to the academy. I can learn magic well on my own…”

Her father patted the girl’s head and replied,

“Our daughter must not try to deceive her father. I don’t know why you’re doing this, but you always show it when you lie. Don’t worry. I will definitely send you to the academy.”

The next morning, her father packed a sword and various gear and left the house. Even at a glance, the rusty weapons looked precarious.

“Hye-yeon, dear, keep the house safe. I’ll be back soon.”

Despite that, her father headed to the dungeon with a bright smile.

That was the last time Park Hye-yeon saw her father. The news of his death came quickly. They said it was due to an accident in the gate.

“Oh no… dear…”

Her mother wailed. She drowned her sorrow in alcohol, day by day, after losing her husband.

Park Hye-yeon fell into despair as well. The sadness of losing her father in an instant, combined with the guilt of having told him she wanted to go to the academy, overwhelmed her, plunging her into despair day after day.

The relationship between Park Hye-yeon and her mother changed completely after that.

They stopped talking to each other, and eventually, they didn’t even look at each other.

“Get out. If it weren’t for you, your father wouldn’t have died so uselessly. I can’t stand the sight of you, so just leave.”

Eventually, her mother kicked Park Hye-yeon out.

After that, she wandered the streets. She faced not only the ugly people who tried to use her but also the wicked individuals who approached her because she was a woman, living in the filth.

She had to provide for herself, with no bread to eat and barely a drop of water to drink. She couldn’t nurture her magical talents and withered away.

Then one day, she overheard a conversation among homeless people.

“That accident in the dungeon the other day wasn’t just a simple accident.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you remember that middle-aged hunter, Park Chan-seok, who died in the accident? I’ve heard rumors that he was murdered.”

• Flinch

Park Hye-yeon, who had been nibbling on bread in the corner, couldn’t believe her ears. She walked over to the homeless people and said,

“Tell me what you just said in detail.”

Park Chan-seok. That was her father’s name.

To be continued…