Chapter 1

A Full-Time Healer Gradually Grows Stronger

(Prologue)

I am lucky.

I can no longer play the newly released Animal Crossing,

nor can I drink the Dr. Pepper I used to love,

and I can no longer... meet my family.

There is a saying, "Every cloud has a silver lining."

It means that the good and bad in life are unpredictable.

I use it to mean that when bad things happen, good things will come.

This is because I met my master.

All the good luck that came with my sudden arrival in this world, which was proportional to my bad luck, must have been used up in meeting him.

How often does a modern person, suddenly dropped into an unfamiliar world, meet someone as benevolent as him?

My master not only saved my life from a monster with a pig's head and an axe but was also the first person in this world to offer me warm food and a place to stay.

He taught me the language and the ways of this civilization, helping me adapt, and showed me what it means to live in nature.

And now, this master of mine...

is dying before my eyes.

"Don't cry, Messi. Dying of old age is a great blessing in this world."

My master, who is comforting me even as I cry, is truly a kind person. That's why my tears won't stop.

When I fell into this world, I was still a middle school student, and now I should be in college. The death of someone close is unfamiliar to me.

Especially since he is the only person in this world I have grown attached to, the one who saved me. I can't help but cry.

If my master dies, I will truly be alone in this world. I should have started living independently five years ago, but now I have to start now.

"If you are so sad, I can't leave with peace of mind. Will you keep me from moving forward on my long journey?"

I'm sorry, Master. But I can't stop crying.

"Death is another beginning... I'm too busy heading somewhere. Please don't worry about me."

Master paused for a moment and then spoke with great effort.

"First... I apologize. I wanted to take full responsibility for you, whom I brought from the forest, but the lifespan determined by the gods is beyond human control. I knew my future was short, and in my anxiety to help you adapt, I had to teach you harshly. If you were hurt or felt wronged, please forgive me."

No, Master... I came from Korea. The level of harshness you taught me is nothing. So you don't have to feel so sorry.

"And I apologize for your sudden shock at my death. I didn't want to teach you about loss. I wanted to show you only happiness and delay the sadness. It was an old man's selfish desire to see your bright face as much as possible. Although I ended up hurting you, please don't resent me."

If it weren't for you, Master, I wouldn't have been able to smile at all. I would have died long ago. Can't you see that I'm crying? I don't resent you at all.

Ha, ha.

Master looked up at the ceiling and took shallow, labored breaths. Each exhalation seemed to be his life force leaving him.

"From the moment I first saw you, Messi, I constantly pondered how you could live alone. Knowing the time was limited, I focused on teaching you things that would help you survive. So, if possible, living alone in the forest might be a good option."

Master stroked my tear-streaked face with his wrinkled hand.

"You look different from the people here, with your black hair and eyes. You will inevitably draw attention. It's best to avoid people. If this were just a quiet, small forest, I would have told you to do so..."

"But this place is home to countless monsters and many unknowns. The 'Forest of Resentment' is a place where humans cannot enter unless they are professional loggers. It will be difficult for you to survive alone here. I taught you as much as possible to help you live alone, but it will only be useful outside the forest."

I understand what you're trying to say. You want me to leave this place.

"Go to the village we sometimes visited and find the herbalist, Reto. You've seen him a few times. I've asked him to help you until you settle in the village. From now on, you will live as Messi, a member of the Venuda village, not as Messi, a disciple of Barcelona in the Forest of Resentment... The healing and hunting skills I taught you should be enough for you to survive there."

I understand, Master. I will do as you say.

I nodded, but if living alone in the forest is too difficult, it might be possible. I have learned from Master, and I have observed how he lived here carefully. I was confident I could follow his example.

But thinking of Master, who agonized over my small stability until his last breath, I can't bring myself to do it.

"Also, don't neglect your learning until you are familiar with this world's civilization. The world is more exclusive than you think. You look different from us, and you find the things that are obvious to this world strange or unknown. If others find out, they will reject, ignore, and even despise you. The more you don't know, the worse it will be."

I understand. There is no one who will treat me without discrimination like Master. Meeting you in this world was truly the luck of my life.

"If someone asks about your roots, tell them you are of the 'Forest Folk'... The people here look down on half-breeds, but they often favor pure bloodlines. So, if you're going to exaggerate, do it in a way that benefits you..."

Nod, nod.

Master's advice seemed endless. I knew it was his last will and testament and that he was worried about me, so I etched every word into my mind.

When all the advice Master had thought of came to an end, his usually heavy voice returned to its usual cheerful tone.

"Brat, are you not going to speak to me before I die?"

"...I've been crying so much since the other day that my voice is hoarse."

"That's too bad. I'm sorry."

Before closing his eyes, Master asked me to tell him about the world I came from. He had never asked before, pretending not to know.

He said he wanted to hear stories from another world before his long journey.

I talked about everything from my family to trivial snacks, and even mentioned that the name I introduced to Master was actually a famous soccer player, despite my hoarse voice.

A considerable amount of time passed. Master, who had been listening with laughter, suddenly stopped responding. I had been talking non-stop, and my lips were dry and cracked. I could taste blood.

The death of a precious person tastes like blood.

"......"

Surprisingly, I didn't cry when I saw Master dead.

Perhaps it was because I had already shed so many tears, or because I realized that my independent life was truly beginning with his death.

I healed my lips, took the ring from Master's finger, and put it on my own. There were few special symbols to remember him by.

I packed my things and set fire to the wooden house where I had lived with Master.

I couldn't leave his body to rot. I didn't want to smell the decay or have monsters come and tear at his flesh.

Whoosh!

'It's burning well...'

The flames burned hot on my face. Even without the light, my face must have been flushed. Was it the memories of living here with Master that flashed through my mind, or the excitement and fear of the future?

My hesitation was brief. I decided to leave this place quickly. By burning the house, I had drawn the attention of the nearby monsters to this spot.

Thanks to this, it was easier for me to leave.

This was also something Master had taught me.

This is what I had to do from now on. To act on what Master taught me, to grow stronger.

To truly start living independently.

The End

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