As expected, the Labyrinth Jung-han and I are going in is right next to Dongdaemun. These past few weeks the portals have been opening right next to any of the eight fortress gates in Seoul. Well it's not uncommon for the portals to appear in similar areas or buildings, but somehow I've got an uneasy feeling about this kind of pattern.

“Joo-yeon, are you hungry?” Jung-han asks politely. He rummages to his huge backpack he left at this fortress gate. “I still got a few bulgogi wraps I made this morning.”

“It's okay, Jung-han,” I refuse politely. “I ate breakfast before I left my house.”

Does this mean he deliberately comes looking for me even though I'm able to walk here by myself? He could've just waited like everyone else here. Well at least Slayer Jang isn't here yet. Otherwise, I would've to accept a pay cut from him if he got here before me.

“This sucks! I sometimes wish I could raise my rank to S-rank,” a young woman, who sounds around my age, exclaims despairingly though I see her enjoying her hamburger in contrast with her proclaimed words. “Then, I would be able to fangirl…no! At least stand right next to the famous female mage, Seo Jae-in! I love how she took down a Cerberus with those elegant moves! I love how she looks fashionable while raiding those high-ranked Labyrinths!”

“Are reporters even allowed in those places?” a slightly older woman, who is nonchalantly doing a manicure, asks a rhetorical question. “I get that any S-rank Slayer has to build a good image for themselves. They're automatically celebrities once they get measured by the Alliance's mana orb, but to make the Nons (non-Slayers) go into the Labyrinths, that makes a literal ragged safety net look more safe to get on.”

“Hey!,” a young man starts speaking with so much enthusiasm in his mid-pitch voice. “Speaking of Seo Jae-in, do you think she's dating Chun Sun-woo, the strongest knight Slayer of this country? I've seen some photos online of them being so close to each other while they were talking out their strategic plans a week ago. You think they'll become a famous couple real soon, huh?”

“Oh~ that would be the greatest scandal to ever happen!” the younger woman replies with a squeal in her voice. “Chun Sun-woo. Ha~~~ I wish I could be his girlfriend someday. I often wonder if God is giving me an impossible task to be with him. I'm a D-rank archer and he's a S-rank knight. Ha~~~ if he wasn’t chosen as a Slayer and just became a Kpop star with that face of his, that would've been easier for me to woo him.”

“Yeah, right!”, the same young man sarcastically replies. “As if he'll date older women like you. Of course Seo Jae-in is exceptional since she's very beautiful even when she's offscreen. You being several years older than him…now that's not gonna be easy…”

“What did you say, punk!?” the D-rank archer demands. She lunges at the young man, giving him unwanted torture in the form of tickling him probably to death since age is a sensitive issue for women generally. The older woman, who just finished her manicure, joins in the tickle torture hearing him use the words “you” and “years older” despite this is directed towards the archer girl.

I can't believe these three Slayers are having a childish fight over S-rank Slayers who will never or, as anticipated, no need to know the existence of lower-ranked ones such as them three. I could've joined in this conversation, but somehow my reserved personality, probably due to the effect of receiving an F-rank powers, has led me to be uninterested in that higher-ranked mage or Chun...whoever he is. It's not that I hate higher-ranked Slayers. It's just that I maintain a feeling of indifference as there's no point in hating others who have better skills than you. I know well enough that I would never be able to stand next to them on equal ground. And the archer is right as she has indirectly reminded me that a Slayer can't raise their rank no matter how much one does in practicing their power or skills.

“I can't believe those three are shamelessly talking about that jerk,” Jung-han says with a disapproving tone from his mouth filled with bulgogi wrap bites. “I wish they knew how he was hurling insults at you on that day.”

“I don't think he was insulting…was he?,” I hesitantly say to Jung-han. “He was being considerate if I'm not mistaken…”

“So you did hear those words that day!” Jung-han exclaims with a “I knew it!” expression. “Joo-yeon, sometimes you don't have to agree with what others say about you, even if they're high-ranked Slayers.”

As Jung-han rambles on by saying dissing words on Chun Sun-woo, my memory of that S-rank Slayer begins to clear up within my mind. It really happened a week ago when Jung-han and I were part of a randomised raid team who managed to close the Labyrinth just on time. That was the day Jung-han's old shield, which was entirely made of oak wood, was beginning to crack itself. That must be when that photo, as mentioned by the young male Slayer earlier on, was taken once we came out of the Labyrinth's gate.

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I also remembered having bruises on my arms and legs due to my falling down a staircase in that Labyrinth as I tried to run away as fast as I could from one of the ogres. It's odd how the Beasts I've encountered so far always come running towards me when they could've gone for a higher-ranked healer. It's common sense that the higher a Slayer's rank is, the more magic power will lead any Beasts to feel sensitive towards it. Then again, fear can lure Beasts that easily. Most of those raids resulted in me crying out for help like a stereotyped damsel in distress. Jung-han was always saving me, especially whenever I felt death nearly took my soul out from my body.

Once everything was over back then, as soon as we walked out of the portal, I excused myself to a public bathroom nearby. As usual, I didn't have enough magical power to heal my bruises. As for healing potions, they were too expensive to buy from the Alliance's auction. Even a small bottle costs around the same price as one of Ga-young's perfumes. Sure second-hand shops selling such potions exist, but there was always the risk of imitations and unknown ingredients, which could be health hazardous, being mixed in.

At that time, I decided to endure until I got home to put relieving patches onto my bruises. As I went back to meet up with Jung-han, I heard another man's voice talking to him. I hid behind the street corner, eavesdropping the conversation.

“That girl had a lot of bruises. What were you thinking bringing her inside that Labyrinth? She'll be tying all of you down if she keeps going to these raids."

“Look, Slayer Chun. It's best to mind your own business. I'm aware you've got lots of fangirls and there's no way of knowing what they'll do to Joo-yeon. You talk as if she'll be a burden for everyone on the team.”

“Because she is.”

I flinched listening to Chun's brutal honesty.

“What!? How dare you talk like that just because you saw her minor injuries…”

“And who told you those bruises were minor injuries, Slayer Park? That healer herself?”

“Well…I did offer her one of my healing potions I've carried with me before she said…”

“Tell your healer friend that she should retire if she can't handle the humiliation of having to take such potions from a non-healer Slayer.”

“Look who's talking! I've seen you S-rank Slayers carry healing potions in your pockets all the time! How's that different from me carrying it and giving it to those who need it?!”

“Because healers are supposed to do their job of healing anyone, including themselves. If a healer is unable to do that at all, what's the point of them continuing to be a Slayer anyway?”

“I don't want to say this, but Slayer Chun…Joo-yeon is F-rank.”

“Even so, she should know her limits. Do know that many who are F-rank decided to do service work mainly assisting a raid team's preparations.”

“You should leave, Slayer Chun. I can see your team is signaling you that it's time to head back to the Alliance's headquarters.”

Then I took a peek from afar to watch Chun, whose back is facing at my sight, walking away from Jung-han. I swore I could see Jung-han looking so upset that he turned to face Chun, almost shouting these words at him.

“You don't know what it's like to be weak, do you, Slayer Chun?”

Chun stopped walking, listening to the rest of Jung-han's words filled with feelings of disappointment in his voice.

“Our powers are stuck with a rank given by whoever is giving to us from above the clouds. You S-rank people will never feel weakness at all. Because just a slap from your hand is able to kill a F-rank Beast that easily. I often wish the powers we received are of equal footing. The word “weaker” would never even be uttered at all. Then Joo-yeon wouldn't have to feel the ranking discrimination every single time she went on a raid.”

I almost had tears flowing from my eyes while listening to Jung-han's wish of every Slayer's powers being equal. He really is kind like a teddy bear.

“I acknowledge you have these kinds of ideals, Slayer Park. But do you really think if that were to happen, would that be the same for every single Beast we will encounter in the Labyrinths? Do you think it will make sense for a Cerberus to have the same power as a kobold?”

“That…that's not the same…”

“If we were to have equal powers, then whoever gave them should let us get stronger if we were to put in so much practice in developing them. But that never happened, didn't it? It's also a fact it never will. So my last advice for you, as a higher-ranked Slayer, is that your overprotectiveness won't help her figure out what she really needs to do. It's best if she gives up going on raids. Permanently."

Back to current reality, as much as I hate to admit it, Chun's advice rings true. Jung-han is always protecting me. I’m aware that'll hinder a raid team's plans to survive inside the Labyrinth even if the majority of the members have the same rank as Jung-han. I've decided that after this raid, I'll let Jung-han know my decision to stop being a Slayer and that I'll go back to doing part-time jobs like any ordinary person would do.

“Hey, y'all!,” the voice of a middle-aged man is heard behind me. I know whose voice is that. As I turn around to face him, it's the man I always feel dreaded to meet with. “What the heck are you all lazing around for? I'm correct when you all have proven that I don't have any expectations from anyone who doesn't have outstanding skills. Then again, not capable of using basic skills is worse than having no skills at all.”

It's Slayer Jang whose slightly rugged beard made him look as if he's the one lazing around. It kind of frustrates me a little that he's a C-rank like Jung-han. It's a good thing he's not as tall as Jung-han; otherwise, I would fear for Jung-han's safety if a Slayer like him beat him to a pulp, not that Jung-han is a weakling to begin with.

“Healer Kang!” Jang calls out to me. If someone refers to you with your class title instead of the title that indicates a specific group of people, it indirectly means you're unable to slay Beasts or that you're incapable of having a special set of skills which every Slayer has even if it's just one skill. My case applies to both statements, and the main reason why I'll never be referred to as Slayer Kang at all.