This world doesn’t use the Gregorian calendar.
To be precise, the Gregorian calendar ended in the year 2000.
That’s because a cataclysm occurred on March 1, 2000.
Concepts like dungeons, towers, monsters, and mana — things that belong in myths and legends — started to appear.
Also, a select few humans began to exhibit transcendent abilities that were once thought to be imaginary.
I can confidently say no one can argue against the claim that this world is fundamentally different from the old one — it looks similar, yet it has undergone a monumental upheaval.
It’s no longer the Gregorian calendar.
Currently, it’s the 200th year of the New Era, which started from the cataclysm year.
And today is a very special day.
With a mix of anticipation and anxiety, I took off my patient gown.
“Finally…”
Today is my discharge day.
My body, which was in a condition worse than a mop rag, had roughly recovered.
And it’s no wonder, considering how exceptionally well I was treated.
High-level healers, who charge a fortune yet are completely out of reach, took turns examining my condition like it was their job.
For emergency preparations, top-notch healers routinely visited to heal me.
In such an environment, the only thing that would fail to be saved would be a corpse.
The problem was my state, which couldn’t even be buried alongside a corpse.
It wasn’t just that my body was torn and crushed; the blood aura seeping into my wounds was actively inhibiting recovery.
I could have easily ended up buried next to a corpse. Even now, that thought sends chills down my spine.
“It’s been nearly three weeks…”
Excluding the loss of my arm, it took more than three weeks for my body to heal to near full recovery.
Three weeks.
If you breezed through it, you might think it’s a short time.
But considering I used to have the physical abilities of an average person, and it took me this long to catch up with the foot of the Shio-ram cadets… I wasted precious time.
Especially with my lifespan still unresolved, wasting three weeks like this was painful.
“What’s left on my schedule…”
The largest event, the first semester entrance to the tower, has ended.
The dungeon practice scattered in between isn’t a major issue.
The significant event I need to focus on now is…
“Is the comprehensive evaluation all that’s left this semester?”
The comprehensive evaluation.
I’ve been granted entry to the Tower of Growth after receiving the blessing of growth and attending lectures from world-class professors for several months.
There was also ample time to consolidate the achievements I gained from the Tower of Growth.
Now, the comprehensive evaluation is the procedure to accurately measure how much I’ve grown.
I’ll have to take a written test, and there will also be exams by major.
And since this is an educational institution training heroes, the most noteworthy exam will be the comprehensive combat section.
It’ll be a one-on-one duel open to all cadets, regardless of their major.
I guess, as a special admission student, I’ll participate too.
The stakes are high, as is the importance of this test. Scoring first guarantees some decent artifacts.
Cadets looking to perform well in the comprehensive evaluation have likely been preparing for quite some time.
Unlike those who were practically holed up in the healing ward right after the tower entrance.
“Am I having greedy thoughts? I should be grateful to have survived…”
I suddenly realized how full of desires I was. Sighing deeply, I randomly punched the air.
My fist cut through the air. I could distinctly feel the air brushing against my arm. As my body recovered, my senses naturally returned as well.
“With this, I could probably jump right into battle, right?”
In fact, I felt even better. Did the jump rope workouts do that? It seemed like my struggling body achieved some growth.
While I was pondering this,
– Thunk
“?”
My wrist was caught by a swift hand from the side. My arm couldn’t straighten, awkwardly bent instead.
I turned my head in confusion. In my field of vision was the resolute face of Professor Atra, clutching my wrist.
Her hand released my wrist and soon moved towards my face.
– Squeeze…
“Eh?”
Then, my cheek was pinched. One side of my cheeks was stretched like a rice cake by her slender fingers.
Perplexed, I tilted my head, and Professor Atra sighed heavily.
“I’m sure I told you to take it easy for a while. Why are you suddenly punching the air?”
“No, about that…?”
I put a little effort into it, but it wasn’t enough to hurt my body.
Seeing my expression of disbelief, Professor Atra narrowed her eyes.
With a slow pull, my cheek stretched even more. It didn’t hurt. In fact, I had to manage my expression to avoid showing how good it felt.
“Even if the diagnosis is good, it’s customary to observe the condition for at least a day or two.”
– Nod, nod
As I gently nodded, Professor Atra’s stern expression softened.
Then she started to gently rub the cheek she had pinched as if something still weighed on her mind.
The corners of my mouth twitched. I struggled to suppress the rising grin while accepting her touch.
After receiving a moment of gentle affection, I proceeded with the discharge procedures.
Though my body was nearing full recovery, I expected the discharge processes to be complicated.
The main healing ward of the association is truly for those ‘people that must not die.’
I received exceptional treatment even in that ward. Thus, I anticipated that the other processes would take some time.
“Discharge procedures? Ah… that’s already been taken care of. You can just go.”
“?”
Then I heard an almost express lane-like statement.
Dumbfounded, I scanned the area for whoever was talking.
An individual in a clean white coat reminiscent of a doctor and holding a… white stick.
For a moment, I stiffened, thinking it was a cigarette, but my tension eased as the sight revealed a candy between her slowly parting lips.
The woman, characterized by a haggard appearance and loosely tied hair, was Rianel Steinrea.
The top-tier healer who saved me when I was practically a corpse, affiliated with the association.
“The procedures are complete?”
“The association staff started from your first day here and finished everything before leaving. You’re free to go.”
Rianel explained in a nonchalant tone.
“Oh, and the association staff asked me to convey that due to your significant contribution in rescue efforts amidst the disaster, they plan to offer you a reward when you have the time.”
“Guess they thought they’d give me a little break.”
It seems Rianel had built a bit of rapport with Professor Atra from her time serving on the African front.
Hearing the explanation, Professor Atra narrowed her eyes intriguingly and asked.
“Seems like you’re treating me like an honored guest. But you didn’t seem to treat actual dignitaries like this, did you?”
“How can I know what upper management thinks? They must have their reasons for acting this way.”
As Rianel responded, she turned her gaze back to me.
“It seems from the higher-ups’ perspective that you were someone they absolutely had to save. So, please, don’t come back to visit unnecessarily, Lee Ha-yul.”
Isn’t when the doctor suggests not visiting the hospital similar to telling you not to get sick?
Nodding with a strange expression, Rianel briefly nodded back and continued speaking.
“You’ve completely healed. Once your energy recovers a bit, you can start your arm regeneration. The association has taken care of it, so you can either come back here for the regeneration or handle it separately. Just make sure to take care of your mental health. And…”
She paused for a moment.
“Take good care of yourself.”
Her final words brought a slight smile to my face.
Though relatively blunt and flat in emotion, there was concern laced within.
Rianel’s gaze on me flickered.
The end of her candy stick bobbed slightly. As if deep in thought, she chewed on the stick before speaking again.
“The diagnosis showed you were perfectly fine. I can see it with my own eyes, you’re normal. But…”
“But?”
Her intonation suggested a denial of the normal state, causing Professor Atra to frown.
“Lee Ha-yul’s body seems… off. I don’t mean to alarm you, but it feels like…”
– That someone who should have died is still alive.
With Rianel’s words, the doubts I had also resurfaced alongside fragmented memories of the past.
The overwhelming and continuous violence a child should not endure.
Drawing memories of my belly skin splitting open, only to be completely fine the next day.
The times I endured being set on fire, not eating properly for long periods, and still surviving.
And even after having my leg severed, I somehow regenerated…
“…”
The only distinct qualities I’m aware of are mana affinity and being a Jack of All Trades.
But I kept feeling like there was something more.
I hadn’t realized it. Even in the healing ward, I would reflect on myself whenever I had time, yet I didn’t sense it.
It felt like something more was there.
Regardless, I completed the discharge procedures with the healer’s advice.
“Go in first. Just to emphasize again, you must absolutely not leave the Shio-ram.”
Professor Atra said she couldn’t enter Shio-ram immediately due to personal reasons.
Since I discharged over the weekend, it seems she’ll handle her personal matters during the weekend and then come to Shio-ram.
The association’s main gate terminal.
Professor Atra, looking a bit anxious, grasped my shoulder and demanded a response.
After countless demands, I calmly nodded as if reassuring her not to worry.
But the frown of concern on Professor Atra’s face didn’t fade.
“…Hmm.”
I thought maybe it was a bit overly protective, but considering my condition, which I felt resembled either a person, corpse, or a mop rag through my observational powers, it seemed reasonable…
So, with those worried gazes trailing behind me, I stepped through the gate.
With a dizzying sensation, it felt like I was quickly returning to the cradle.
– Ding!
The moment I arrived at the Shio-ram gate terminal, an alarm pinged in my ears.
It rang from nearby… definitely from me.
This time, I didn’t miss it. The moment I heard the sound, I scrunched my face and observed where my left arm used to be.
My left arm was gone. My smartwatch was not attached there.
Likewise, my smartwatch was also absent from my right arm.
I had a portable holographic projector, but that didn’t ring the alarm either.
I’d had a similar experience before.
But back then, I brushed it off like I’d heard echoes while half-asleep or thought the sound came from my smartwatch.
‘…This.’
I couldn’t possibly ignore it now.
‘Isn’t there a status window or something?’
The doubt I had brushed off when I first arrived in this world crawled back up.
While I was lost in thought and confusion, a voice full of uncertainty reached my ears.
“Um… Lee Ha-yul?”
“Ah.”
I realized I was acting up right at the gate.
Quickly, I stepped aside.
The gazes of the staff watching me felt piercing…
I covered my flushed face with my sleeve and hurriedly exited the gate terminal.
That day, I spent the entire time checking for the presence of a status window, lost in thought.
The follow-up message from Elia, asking if I could spare some time, came unexpectedly.
Meeting with the confession necklace, which I suddenly felt comfortable with, and unable to manage the overwhelming emotions, I hugged Elia the next day.
*
– Ding!
[Lee Ha-yul is entering Shio-ram]
…
[The curse of “Beauty and the Beast” is consuming vitality… consuming…]
– Crackle…
[The master of the Tower of Growth suppresses the “Beauty and the Beast” curse]
[The master of the Tower of Growth suppresses the “Beauty and the Beast” curse]
[The master of the Tower of Growth suppresses the “Beauty and the Beast” curse]
…
[The master of the Tower of Growth lets out a sigh of relief]
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