Chapter 282. Resolution
“Honestly, Mr. Kang, you’re quite strong.”
“What…”
“And you seem pretty eager for world peace, considering you even torture the same person. It’s done. Everything is settled.”
From last summer, a drawn-out fate stretched over a year.
The opportunity to easily resolve this had finally come, and shouldn’t I release the pent-up frustrations now?
“Sigh… Really. Why on earth did you suspect people outside so much?”
“What?”
“Anyway, I’m really not related to any monsters. I never imagined I’d need to prove it with such a gate.”
Cough cough.
I barely held back a bubbling laugh and put on my best performance.
Feigning like a loser caught in a trap, I intended to take his life without mercy with the very pillar meant for sacrifice. Let him himself experience the torture of hope.
“But honestly, no matter how many times I think about it, this seems like the right choice. My life isn’t worth killing someone for, unlike some crazy people.”
So, having pointed out that his personality is trash, should we wrap this up neatly without dragging it further?
“Just apologize to the association employee if you survive. It was definitely a mistake to accuse me, so take this chance to reflect.”
Thud.
At that moment, I intended to turn my head to the right side of the room to select the pillar.
From the direction of Kang Chang-ho, I heard the sound of something tearing.
‘Oh ho.’
Did the winner instinctively realize what would happen if he chose the blue pillar?
Kang Chang-ho’s escape attempt was frantic enough to suggest he might sacrifice skin or bone to regain his freedom.
‘That won’t do.’
But the strong prison would be quicker to let go of a loser than for a person to touch the pillar right in front of them.
Soon, it was decided.
Ha ha! Farewell, Kang Chang-ho!
Bam.
I swung my arm at the last blue pillar in the small area.
The device that registered the shock heightened its pigmentation, signaling that the powers of the victor were being successfully exercised.
Bam!
This was a few seconds later.
Flesh scattered across one side of the dungeon.
Blood and bits of blood vessels spread like they were sprayed from a misting bottle.
This was the execution stand that suddenly appeared between the two pillars of yellow and blue, a calamity caused by the magic bolt that struck the challenger.
The earthling struck directly by powerful magic due to the exercise of the victor’s authority.
The subject took massive damage to their body.
Having been pierced through the chest by a colossal spell, the body could only crumble to the ground.
‘Huh?’
But how insane was this?
Why did the attack target me instead of Kang Chang-ho…
Gah!
Just before my insignificant body fell to the ground, I briefly thought.
‘Wait a minute!’
Though I couldn’t adapt to the sudden change and my head was muddled for a while, it was easy to understand the situation thanks to the dungeon’s gun barrel I found as I fell.
‘Seriously, I’ve been chosen as the execution target. My body!’
How could the very design of the dungeon dare betray me?
Excluding the physical breach of my chest, I was at a loss for words from sheer shock.
If I were to choose the option of being a sacrifice at the end of this food box…
As if touched by the altruistic spirit of creatures, it should ordinarily provide the original conclusion of saving me instead.
‘Why?’
The crazy dungeon is indeed betraying my trust.
Up until now, all the strategies were the same, yet the crucial last result was changing.
And this ironic consistency also applied to the power of the traps used for the sacrifice.
Huh…!
Then came the almost instant-kill strike.
The fatal attack magic aimed at my vital points was relentlessly pursued.
Thud.
The lung was shattered, and I could hardly last before collapsing pitifully to the ground.
But the reason the dungeon’s fatality rate was just under 50%—48%—was revealed here.
Ugh…!
Typically, if a mage’s lung is completely destroyed, even with consciousness, it becomes difficult to conjure spells.
However, if a competent manipulator could delicately reach down to the smallest units of tissues, they could reassemble it before the organs scattered.
Thus, I quickly attempted to rebuild the exploded lung and cast healing magic as fast as I could.
But looking at the result, I was barely clinging onto life yet ultimately had fallen completely incapacitated.
‘No, how.’
Why on earth is there such a thing as this?
‘How unfair.’
This place’s design originally wasn’t like this.
The current situation felt like the woodcutter in the story of the golden and silver axes had woken the mountain spirit from a deep sleep to angrily chop him down because he dared throw an axe.
It was unexpectedly difficult to predict.
Had I been inhabiting the body of an ordinary S-Class hunter, would I have identified all the concealed traps in the dungeon space before anything went wrong?
Not sure.
Looking back at the recent situation, it didn’t seem like it was merely due to a lack of mana or being fatigued from the past strategies.
Even a wooden bridge should be cautious when the weather’s clear.
With muddy water rising from behind seeming ready to engulf everything, how could a person maintain caution?
Kang Chang-ho would surely twist and snap at least a limb, yet he was gearing up to rush out.
‘A single mistake ruined everything.’
Yet, thinking about it, since a certain moment, I started hypothesizing that this was the retribution of the Alphauri.
The Ki-simche had completed some sort of discussion before arriving on our planet.
Weak.
How could fragile, quarreling intelligences survive properly across generations?
They likely concluded this through ‘consideration and sacrifice’ in various dungeons.
But perhaps my hometown, Alphauri, trampled this beautiful and pure heart of the Ki-simche.
Especially since it was around the time my hometown was making its entrance into the modern era.
‘Reproduction was wholly analyzed by magic studies and could produce life at will….’
Now that I think about it, since hardly anyone selected the blue pillar, the hidden condition of this food box was revealed quickly.
’If it’s a tie, the side that picked first wins…’
Blood flowed continuously from my broken upper body.
I quietly watched as a pool of blood formed like when I attempted body-swapping.
Then, as a few seconds passed again, I raised my eyes to see someone had come incredibly close.
“….”
“….”
Kang Chang-ho was looking down at me.
Had the gate’s clear judgment been rendered and the exit generated, simultaneously releasing the defeated challenger?
Ugh!
In this position, it was difficult to fully ascertain the figure of the larger individual.
However, just spotting the hem of his pants drained the color from my face.
‘Hey, don’t come any closer!’
In the past, I’d have threatened him that if he came closer, I would end him.
But now, the situation wasn’t exactly favorable.
As a kidnapping victim, I’d lost all my belongings. I couldn’t even call on the help of the Pyromancer Necklace.
Thinking back, it’s been a long time since my neck felt so bare.
Really, never have I felt so regretful over the 37.5g weight that necklace carried.
But well, mourning over a shattered necklace won’t change anything.
“….”
Thud, thud, thud.
The steady pumping of my heart was accompanied by my body’s slow regeneration, continuously dripping a dark red liquid.
‘So this day has finally come.’
With that, as I felt my body temperature drop, I surrendered and closed my eyes.
For now, I had cast healing magic to recover to a level my damaged lung could manage, but by the time the holes healed, someone would likely have passed on.
‘Damn it….’
Yeah. Lemming. I’ve had quite a long journey on Earth.
Due to insufficient blood flow to my brain.
Eventually, my blood pressure plummeted to cliff levels. My fading consciousness sank into deep darkness.
.
.
.
A while later.
“….”
In a landscape made of some pale color hardly different from the dungeon’s white.
“….”
Lifting the thick outer layer, I stared at the ceiling for a good while.
And noticing some indecipherable patterns drawn there, I realized I was looking at a gypsum ceiling.
I was no longer inside the dungeon.
“….”
Moreover, when I got up late, I found myself in a luxurious place, complete with freshly washed blankets and air-purifying plants with a delicate scent.
“Eh?”
Oh dear.
As soon as I regained consciousness, I instinctively touched my body.
Contrary to my worries, my physical state was generally fine. Most notably, my once-wide-open chest was now almost perfectly restored.
I was just bewildered, staring blankly at the situation.
That was when I suddenly sensed a presence nearby.
“Oh.”
“Oh?”
What a sight unlike anything you’d see on the street.
An earthling wearing a matching outfit of bright blue from head to toe.
As she stepped out from behind a transparent door and our gazes met, she froze wide-eyed and bolted down the corridor without saying a word.
What on earth is going on? I’m confused too.
But anyway, the fact that an alien in such clothing is roaming around likely means this is most probably that place.
“Heh.”
I needed to differentiate between this scenery and that from Kim Gi-ryeo’s hospitalization experience.
As I slowly looked around, I found some guidelines in a drawer next to the bed where I was sitting.
[Neo Seoul Hospital]
[Building Amenities Guide]
[Basement 1st floor ｜ Bakery. Coffee shop. Restaurant. Porridge shop.]
[1st floor ｜ Book café. ATM…….]
Just as I was about to read about the 2nd floor that was written on the board.
“The patient has regained consciousness!”
A doctor appeared.
Silent for a moment, a new earthling entered the corridor with a bright expression and began to say something to me.
‘So many different types.’
Blood transfusions, spinal fractures.
Stringing along medical terms the alien seemed not quite able to comprehend, they explained how my condition had been poor when I was brought in but was now much better.
“Especially the effects of the healing potion containing magic were remarkable. You must have a body that responds well to medicine.”
“What do you mean by containing magic…?”
“Oh, potions. Hunters usually call them that.”
A brief silence followed.
“Later, just a simple check-up, please. From what I see, it’d be best for you to focus on recovery for a few days as there should be no significant rehabilitation needed.”
The doctor in the white coat conveyed a few more sentences, but they didn’t fully register in my ears.
But at that moment.
Even though their medical briefing had long concluded, for some reason, the doctor next to me hesitated and didn’t leave the room.
“Why are you hesitating?”
Just as I directed a voice of curiosity towards the sluggish medical professional.
“Um….”
The bespectacled doctor stammered, finally saying.
“But, I’m really sorry to bring this up right after you’ve woken up…”
“Mm?”
“In fact, personally, there’s something I owe you an apology for…”
I could have expected a thank you, not an apology, from someone in a life-saving profession.
“Apology?”
I stood still, not understanding the doctor’s words.
Then, after that, when the other party took out some crumpled paper from their pocket and quickly handed it to me…
‘It’s a diagnosis paper.’
The sheet handed by the bespectacled doctor had some terms written on the top.
“When you were unconscious, I opted to carry out a CT scan in addition to the examination concerning your trauma.”
“A scan?”
“One of the hunter’s who brought you insisted on checking your lungs very thoroughly…”
Pause.
As soon as the mention of my escort came up, I stiffened for a moment.
“I don’t know the specifics, but they mentioned your lungs seemed a bit unusual.”
But the doctor didn’t stop there.
He continued, like a child receiving a scolding, squeezing his eyes shut as he confessed.
“My fellow hunter strongly insisted, so I could only proceed with some additional tests…”
“Wait, so is this a diagnosis for my body?”
The graying doctor suddenly bowed his head and said.
“I’m sorry.”
Again, an additional apology fell, but now that many explanations followed, I was able to grasp some context.
“Yes. It’s all a diagnosis for you. I conducted all tests without your permission and even handed a copy to Mr. Kang Chang-ho.”
“…!”
“It was due to pressure from that S-Class hunter.”
I had learned coincidentally from reading a legal book that it seems a law exists on Earth prohibiting medical personnel from sharing patient information with others.
“Since my personal information was leaked, I thought it necessary for the other party to know about this.”
“…….”
“Of course, regardless of the reason, sharing any information about your chart without consent was wrong. I sincerely apologize once more. So, if you decide to sue, I won’t contest it…”
The doctor babbled beside me.
But I couldn’t take my eyes off the white paper in my hand.
No matter how many times I reread it, there were phrases I still couldn’t comprehend.
“Wait.”
“Yes?”
“What does this mean?”
Aggressively pointing at the sentence specifying an unspecified malignant neoplasm in the bronchi or lung.
“Oh, that’s….”
However, contrary to my assumption that it might refer to microorganisms coexisting with mammals, the doctor finally explained.
“It’s cancer.”
That was a term Kim Gi-ryeo recognized.
“What kind of illness is this?”
“Huh? Uhm… then let me briefly explain….”
But the story that flowed out a few seconds later was filled with information I had no knowledge of regarding this body.
The other party mentioned that many medical teams and scholars had been striving to conquer cancer long before the era of Dungeon Shock.
In truth, the illness had almost defeated humanity.
Not to mention an abundance of newly developed technologies; recently, with the occurrence of Dungeon Shock, many parallel treatments for patients had emerged.
Yet at this juncture, just when statistics regarding causes of deaths among Koreans seemed poised to nearly eradicate malignant tumors…
“What? Awakening suddenly makes this incurable?”
The research results revealed thus plunged all the doctors into despair.
Awakened individuals with overly advanced cell mutations could no longer be treated by any method.
“Since the patient is S-Class, general doctors like me found it very difficult to operate the tools I normally used to remove tissue…”
“Uh-huh.”
“But more importantly, chemotherapy or radiation therapy won’t work, so for now, the only option left is a method to prolong life through enhancing organ function with something like [Dragon’s Lung]. Yes.”
So it goes.
I listened with some intrigue to what the doctor explained.
As you can tell from this attitude, in truth, the proliferation of abnormal cells wasn’t a huge problem for the Great Mages.
After all, this body had been in a near-corpse state.
‘There’s a significant difference from ordinary earthlings in many minute aspects.’
Because of this, I wanted to avoid precise examinations through earth clinics if possible.
But why hadn’t I resolved this seemingly trivial issue yet in the position of a Great Mage?
“Hmm.”
The answer was paradoxically that it was an extremely minor issue.
This is a secret.
The fact is, the recovery magic of the Alphauri heavily relies on genetic information.
‘Who would remember the original form of an Alphauri after all its tentacles were severed? Naturally, the physical repository is in that form alone.’
Now I openly admit, Kim Gi-ryeo was a young lung cancer patient in his life.
Though upon a casual glance, it seemed related to signs of genetic damage.
‘How much would one need to study to pinpoint issues arising from analyzing the DNA of an alien race…’
It isn’t like there isn’t a solution should I put my mind to researching it, but it was tedious, so I’d been ignoring this part.
“…I truly don’t know how to address this.”
However, the trivial traits of the body’s owner now manifested as horror.
As just heard, this phenomenon was almost a ticking time bomb for awakened individuals.
Huh. If only you were an ordinary person, you’d have had no problems at all. Unfortunately, you’re young…
The recovery potions of the Earth didn’t differ much from cheap magic in terms of mechanism.
It can’t filter out slightly spoiled cells, so drinking them would restore even the tumors.
Thus, diseases related to one’s immune system similarly pose deadly threats to awakened individuals.
With that said, here’s a question.
What had that doctor said while showing me the diagnosis earlier?
‘That guy even handed the paperwork to Kang Chang-ho!’
Whether true or false.
Information regarding the short lifespan of this flesh belonging to an Enhancement Heart owner passed to Kang Chang-ho.
Instantaneously, a thrill of tension chilled my blood.
I broke out in a brutal sweat, darting my eyes around.
“What?”
“Pa, Patient! What’s wrong?”
Then—
As I sat quietly and thought, the increasingly bizarre situation began to unfold.
‘Wait a moment.’
Thinking back, I’m still alive, right?
