Chapter 334. 78% (2)
‘What is this, in front of someone else’s hospital room?’
I truly had no idea what was going on.
As I peeked out into the corridor, a man in his twenties, who had been crying, jolted in surprise and stopped moving.
Huh!
Even though I had suppressed my magical energy, it wasn’t easy to hide my presence like when I was an F-Class. With my body radiating the energy of a C-Class Hunter, it seemed I was caught rather quickly.
Ahn Yoon-seung realized I was approaching and hurriedly wiped his face.
“Hyung.”
But despite his efforts, tears started to flow from his eyes again.
‘Crying like a faucet turned on, just from seeing a person’s face?’
What an unexpected sight.
The last time I saw him, he was just slightly downcast. In my judgment, this hunter wasn’t the type to show tears so easily.
‘Still, it wouldn’t be because he couldn’t breathe at just a sudden encounter with our Kim Gi-ryeo’s face. Right. There must be some other reason he’s crying.’
I absentmindedly rubbed my rough, dry cheek with my palm.
And I moved closer to him.
Ahn Yoon-seung seemed overly contrite. As soon as he confirmed my presence, he awkwardly started apologizing for being rude.
“Are you okay now?”
His crying stopped a hefty two minutes and thirty seconds later.
“I’m so sorry, Hyung.”
Neither of us was the type to carry handkerchiefs around.
So, Ahn Yoon-seung used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe his eyes as we began talking.
‘What material is that sweater made of?’
As I contemplated this useless thought, I could tell externally and magically that this wasn’t due to Ahn Yoon-seung’s injuries.
‘Well, he hasn’t even gone to work, so how could he have gotten hurt?’
Then why was he acting like this if he wasn’t beaten up?
I quietly led him to the nearby rooftop garden.
There was a long bench that could comfortably seat at least four adults.
I sat him down and went through the process of getting him a coffee from the vending machine (most Earthlings love it).
Ahh.
Finally, I could hear his reasoning.
“First of all, I’m truly sorry for causing such a scene since the morning, Hyung.”
“Sorry?”
“I shouldn’t have acted like this in a place where I might run into others. I just added to your worries for no reason.”
Ahn Yoon-seung fiddled with the can of coffee I handed him instead of drinking it.
“But then, when I got to the front of the hospital room and checked the number, suddenly I couldn’t control myself…”
What he was referring to by “control” was probably emotions like anger or sadness.
But I was more curious about this.
“Why did you even come to this hospital room in the first place?”
After all, this Earthling was still part of the working class.
Unlike some alien who had just transformed into a true mage, Ahn Yoon-seung should have been working according to his guild contract, so his sudden visit was puzzling.
Moreover, he had skipped the part of giving prior notice.
“Well…”
It turned out to be a rather trivial reason.
“I heard you were hospitalized this time, so…”
“What about that?”
“No matter how well they treat you here… the nurses are usually just medical staff, and having caregivers can be separate…”
“Speak up.”
“I’ve heard it’s difficult for S-Class Awakened to find suitable helpers!”
Rustle.
Ahn Yoon-seung, who blurted that out, handed me a paper bag he had been holding.
The outer packaging had the logo of a famous shoe brand on it, but the contents were entirely different.
‘Toothbrush, toothpaste, and slippers, among other things.’
All everyday items.
‘To be precise, they’re all things a hospitalized patient would need.’
In short, this Earthling seemed to have come to deliver these items because he was worried I was uncomfortable lying in my hospital bed.
“I already bought things like toothbrushes and slippers at the convenience store downstairs…”
“Y-you did?!”
“But a charger is something I really needed.”
I held up the fast charger rolling around in the bag while saying.
“Hmmm.”
Additionally, Ahn Yoon-seung had another reason for coming here.
Since Kim Gi-ryeo’s upbringing as an orphan had made headlines, it wouldn’t be surprising for someone to know I had no family to look out for me.
‘So that might be the cause.’
Now, I could somewhat understand why an A-Class Hunter suddenly dropped by the hospital.
The main story was just beginning.
“And the reason I was alone, sulking in front of the hospital room… well…”
Ahn Yoon-seung started his serious talk.
“I could say it was out of frustration…”
From the start, that was a word you wouldn’t easily encounter in everyday conversations.
Thanks to that, I couldn’t grasp his intentions at all.
“Hyung, have you ever seen photos of me from my school days while browsing the internet?”
Caught off guard, I sensed Ahn Yoon-seung’s personal matters were somehow mixed up in this.
“No.”
By the way, suddenly talking about photos?
Despite having surfed the web extensively, I was unaware of the information he mentioned.
‘From an Earthling’s perspective, I’ve only been exposed to smartphones for a year, so even if I’m addicted to the internet, there’s still a lot I don’t know.’
So when I honestly answered that I had no idea, the A-Class Hunter in front of me started fiddling with his phone.
It looked like he was trying to share specific search results by entering his name on an internet site.
[Seonhan Ilbo]
[Title: This Spring, Awakening Test Center Campaign. High School Students ‘High’ Scores Rise Again.]
[<<Attachment 1. Graduation Photo of the High-Ranking Awakened Ahn Yoon-seung Hunter’s Alma Mater>] Soon, the image appeared, included in an article—a group photo. ‘There are a lot of people.’ At first, I glanced over the picture without registering any thoughts. However, when the person next to him pointed to a spot on the screen, I couldn’t help but gasp in surprise. “This is my middle school graduation photo. I’m sitting in the front row here.” “Hmm?” In school uniforms. With unremarkable black hair that didn’t stand out compared to those around him. The Earthling indicated a person who looked like that, and at this moment, I still hadn’t realized it was Ahn Yoon-seung. ‘Huh? What is this? I have no idea.’ The young man next to him turned out to have ordinary hair as a middle schooler. He definitely didn’t look like he does now. I struggled to distinguish Ahn Yoon-seung among the many graduates in the picture for a long while. Not noticing my struggle, the now A-Class Hunter casually continued speaking. “As you can see, I didn’t dye my hair or change anything during my school days. I only changed my hairstyle in my third year of high school.” He lowered his gaze heavily. “Specifically, I shaved my head following a friend.” I couldn’t understand why that would be a reason to feel sad. The source of my confusion was soon explained. “And that friend was someone I grew up with in the same neighborhood, playing together since childhood, but he suddenly got sick when we entered second year of high school.” “Ah.” “Just like you, Gi-ryeo Hyung.” “…” “But, you know… during treatment, there came a point where it felt as dramatic as what you see on TV, as he started losing his hair.” “…” “He wasn’t originally the type to care about how others saw him. But suddenly, one day, he’d look in the mirror and feel embarrassed about having lost his hair.” “So, you shaved your hair to support him?” “Yeah.” I quietly mulled over Ahn Yoon-seung’s words. Summarizing what he explained further, it seemed he had encountered a friend suffering from tumors during his school days. But when that friend started being conscious of their changed appearance, Ahn Yoon-seung shaved his head to share the experience with him. “Hey, what’s that?” “I just suddenly felt like doing this! It saves time in the morning!” Of course, that friend was sick at that time and wasn’t attending school. If that friend had ever had to attend school briefly, it would be less noticeable with two bald heads rather than one. What an unexpected development. That was just how it began. Now he maintained that style because he’d grown fond of it, as he later elaborated. “But ultimately, he didn’t make it, and I couldn’t graduate with that friend.” His subsequent statement was equally unexpected from an Alphauri's perspective. “But what truly frustrates me is this.” “What?” “Not just because we had a bond, but that friend was genuinely sweet, you know?” “…” “He was so nice that everyone worried he’d get scammed in society later on—he was that innocent.” “…” “That kind of guy, couldn’t graduate with friends and died young.” Ahn Yoon-seung started tearing up again. “And just when I was barely starting to forget that incident, I hear news of you suffering from the same disease… Man, it really turns my head upside down.” “Ahh.” “Originally, you said you were okay. So I should’ve trusted and waited, right? That would be the right thing, right? But the more I think about it, the more anxious I became due to those past experiences.” Now it all made sense. He had experienced something similar in the past and, for that reason, was bound to worry more than anyone else. “And today, I brought some hospital supplies just in case you needed them. Just like in the corridor earlier.” “Uh-huh.” “Why does it always seem like nice people around me die early? And what if something happens to you too? That thought just automatically made my tears fall… sniff.”
But wasting emotions over trivial matters wasn’t right either.
‘He’s been following my words so closely, yet it’s this moment he starts doubting me.’
Only Earthlings would not know.
The tumor that Kim Gi-ryeo had during his life wouldn’t affect me at all.
‘How am I supposed to explain this?’
Moments later.
At the bench’s end, Ahn Yoon-seung passionately expressed his desire to fetch an elixir right then.
From my web surfing, I had come to understand what that item meant too.
Elixir.
‘A mythical item whose existence hasn’t been established yet.’
Instead of letting someone waste their life over such an absurd treasure, it would be better to clarify this now.
“Ahn Yoon-seung.”
I took a moment to gather my thoughts and then kicked off the conversation.
“First, I need to apologize.”
“Eh?”
“Honestly, I didn’t expect you to care about this issue so much. So last time when I said I’d prepare an easy explanation for you, I didn’t take it seriously and almost forgot.”
As a side note, a simple way to soften blame after making a mistake is to apologize without excuses.
This world often tends to make allowances for those who sincerely apologize.
“But I ‘almost’ forgot. I didn’t completely forget.”
With that, I openly acknowledged my mistake before continuing the conversation.
Just like I had explained to Seonwoo-yeon, I needed to inform and make him understand that I was an alien.
In fact, now that I’ve regained my powers, it would be less likely to be abducted by a space agency, so that wouldn’t be too bad.
‘Do I really need to inject this info into that guy?’
Things were different now.
If I revealed I was an alien, I’d have to unnecessarily take a convoluted route to explain my physical condition.
Moreover, I had doubts about whether Ahn Yoon-seung would even believe such near-SF words at this moment.
‘Seonwoo-yeon was in a position where she had no choice but to believe me because of the “Justitia.” But how about an ordinary Earthling in everyday life?’
Korea’s A-Class Hunter, Ahn Yoon-seung.
Though I had judged him to be a reliable person who returned favors, just because he was nice didn’t mean it was realistic.
So…
“Hmmm.”
I soon finished my deliberation and spoke.
I had a prepared argument in case this situation arose during my time in the hospital.
“I’ll explain in detail why I’m fine now.”
“Eh?”
But whether someone who hadn’t shown much interest in magic theory would listen intently to this, I didn’t know.
‘Let’s try to present it as simply as possible.’
The explanation I was about to give could be summarized as antagonism (拮抗).
First, let’s start from this point.
It’s an obvious fact, but Awakened individuals become physically stronger the moment they awaken their magical energies.
Earthlings seem to have not fully grasped the cause, but this phenomenon is essentially a survival instinct that most creatures inherently possess.
The desire to avoid injuries and pain is universal. Thus, the vast majority of Awakened individuals gain absurd enhancements to their physical abilities.
But isn’t it strange that a defense that’s perfectly fine after being hit by a truck would falter in front of a virus?
‘Eventually, those germs would also become transformed by magical energy, though.’
A mage is, by nature, a being that can create a range of variable factors.
So even during an illness, their situation differs from that of regular patients.
This might seem unfair to powerless individuals.
Just like the stark contrasts in destructive force between different ranks, the more mana an Awakened person has, the more that gap in variables tends to widen.
Thus, my hypothesis is that even if you have the same tumor, an S-Class has a higher chance of surviving longer than lower-ranked Awakened individuals.
Is it because their desire to survive is stronger?
Not quite; rather, it’s because the abundance of mana around them aids in sustaining their organs.
And just as the power of a Grand Mage has not diminished, I recently found research papers on Earth supporting this hypothesis.
“Here, it’s written as such.”
“Y-you’re right. Really.”
A document discussing the correlation between an Awakener’s magical power and autoimmune diseases.
If that’s the case, it could serve as evidence that the Awakened’s powers can stave off the aggressiveness of a disease.
“By the way, as you know from our last fight, I’m not just an S-Class but also an above-average Awakened with extraordinary capabilities.”
“……!”
“Oh, right. You’re probably unaware since you fell through another layer of the dungeon during that battle. But I also possess a separate healing skill…”
Yet, thinking back now, I realized a certain someone might not have sold [Justitia], and I wouldn’t have to endure this trouble.
“Do you understand? So I’m not worried about this issue. Throughout my life, I’ve seen my strength working against that disease, and it has halted its progression.”
But bringing back something that was already sold would be quite a hassle.
For all intents and purposes, my magical power qualifies as SS-Class.
And, most importantly, I possessed the ability to instantly restore shattered bones.
I explained the survival of this body using Earth-like reasoning as much as I could.
‘Will this be accepted?’
I remained tense while gauging Ahn Yoon-seung’s reaction, but soon enough, he uttered a single line with a dark expression.
“I was foolish.”
Self-deprecation?
I was surprised by his words and tried to reassure him.
However, shockingly, the next statement he made completely silenced me.
“The Hyung I’ve met all this time wouldn’t use meaningless lies to escape from the immediate situation….”
“…”
“He’s always clear-headed, straightforward, and keeps his word no matter what, that’s the kind of person Gi-ryeo Hyung is. So why did I, of all people, twist and turn your words in my head?!”
“…”
“I’m sorry, Hyung.”
I quietly turned my gaze to the ground beneath the bench.
“I’ve suddenly come to my senses! I won’t create such situations again!”
Ahn Yoon-seung seemed to want to wrap up the conversation slowly.
There was an innocent expression on his face, oblivious to all the myriad secrets one encounters in the process of survival.
