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Chapter 19
Professor Sung, who had wiped away her tears, felt around various parts of Jinseo’s body and asked,
“How are the paralysis symptoms? Any headaches? Can you control the sensitivity?”
“There’s no tingling in either hand. No headaches either.”
“Then did you have any nightmares?”
Jinseo, who had been calmly answering the stream of Professor Sung’s questions, paused.
Had he had a nightmare today?
Recalling the moment he woke up that morning, he soon shook his head.
“I didn’t.”
Professor Sung looked surprised and broke into a wide smile.
“That’s wonderful! There were barely any days you didn’t have nightmares. It seems like it’s having an effect mentally as well!”
She congratulated him as if it were her own achievement.
After all, he had always suffered from sleep deprivation due to constant nightmares.
Jinseo felt dazed.
It felt unfamiliar to have greeted a peaceful morning without a single nightmare.
Out of habit, he clenched and unclenched his right fist.
His joints felt neither uncomfortable nor stiff, and the piercing headache was gone, replaced by calm. It had only been alleviated by 10%, yet even so, it was this much.
Jinseo took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“This is nice.”
It truly was.
Professor Sung smiled softly.
In the several years she had treated him, it was the first time she had heard such a positive remark from him.
“I hope Bitna can treat other people too. It would be great if something like medicine could be distributed, but I suppose that’s too much like a dream, isn’t it?”
Jinseo did not answer.
He imagined Bitna making contracts with other people, and it didn’t feel very pleasant.
Having experienced the instantly improved addiction symptoms and the energy boiling up inside his body, he didn’t want to yield Bitna to anyone.
Of course, that kind girl would probably think differently from him.
“Still, don’t push yourself too hard. There are cases where addiction symptoms suddenly worsen.”
Even as she said that, the smile did not leave Professor Sung’s lips.
When she had been suddenly called, she had come worried sick that something terrible had happened to Jinseo. But seeing him this healthy naturally lifted her spirits.
She was humming as she took out a long acupuncture needle.
[Mang Seokwoo, Association President, is summoning you.]
The mechanical voice of the AI echoed through the bedroom.
At the same time, the brightness on Professor Sung’s face faded.
“…Sigh, I suppose you won’t be able to avoid overexerting yourself. Still, you can spare about ten minutes, right? I’ll insert the needles quickly. It’ll help with muscle pain recovery.”
After finishing his appointment, Jinseo was handed warm milk by Ian.
“They’re in an uproar telling you to choose the next country to support.”
“What do you think?”
“Looking at what they’re offering as compensation, Germany is the best. They put up the Legacy Series.”
“Not just one, but a series?”
“Yeah, they’re making a bold move. But in my opinion, Russia isn’t bad either. They sent a large number of A-rank Hunters to support Korea last time.”
“Hmm.”
Jinseo placed the glass of milk back into Ian’s hand and stepped into the elevator.
Though the situation was no different from usual, his mood and condition were at their peak.
It was a lightness he might have felt three years ago.
To check the paralysis that had spread to his shoulders, Jinseo swung his arms around.
As expected, there was no discomfort at all.
“…Nice.”
When he arrived at the Association President’s office floor, all the secretaries stood and greeted him.
“Good afternoon.”
With their neatly styled hair and tidy uniforms, the secretaries stole glances at Jinseo’s face without making it obvious.
He had always been handsome, but now that he was treated as a hero worldwide, did he look even more handsome—or was that just their imagination?
“Ahh.”
“This welfare is the best.”
Jinseo acknowledged their greeting with a slight nod and passed by briskly. The secretaries clutched their heads, complaining of heartache.
“Oh! Hunter Kang!”
Before Jinseo could even reach the Association President’s office, Chairman Maeng, who had been waiting by the door, ran toward him in his socks.
“You’ve worked hard, truly! You said it wasn’t you who cleared it! Do you know how shocked I was when you suddenly said you were going to clear Japan?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Ah, no need to apologize. What matters is that it turned out well! Just don’t do that next time.”
On the fingers patting Jinseo’s shoulder was a flashy ring Jinseo had never seen before.
Jinseo pretended not to notice.
“Ahem, about the next target country.”
Chairman Maeng handed him a sheet of paper listing the rewards.
“I’ve deliberated long and hard and set the priority order. It would be good for both sides to proceed in this order.”
Though it sounded as if he were asking for his opinion, it was clearly a demand.
Without even looking at the document, Jinseo replied,
“I’ll review it and let you know.”
“Review? What review is there? Just as it is—”
“It’s not something I can decide on my own.”
Chairman Maeng made a face as if he had just heard something absurd.
“You’re not exactly in a position where you need anyone’s permission, are you? You don’t even listen to me. Whose permission are you asking for?”
“Take care.”
As Jinseo strode off, Chairman Maeng was left alone in the hallway, only coming to his senses a moment later.
He hurried after Jinseo on his short legs.
“Where are you going now? We don’t have a second to waste!”
“To a reunion.”
Chairman Maeng, who had been trotting along to match Jinseo’s wide strides, came to an abrupt stop.
“Th-that crazy colt…!”
Clutching the back of his neck, Chairman Maeng complained of a headache.
The powerful nation that possesses Kang Jinseo—Re. pub. lic. of. Ko. rea.
This is national pride.
Praise God Jinseo.
The community was, quite literally, in chaos.
The senior who cleared the Tokyo Gate in just one hour after entering it was deified all over the internet.
Even the one drawback—that his clear times were long—had been overcome, and the praise toward him was endless.
Every community was plastered with photos of the senior.
Kang Jinseo departing the country, Kang Jinseo jumping from a helicopter, Kang Jinseo giving tactical commands, Kang Jinseo drinking water.
At a time when thousands of posts were uploaded daily, among the ‘Kang Jinseo’ posts dominating the HOT topic board, there was only one post unrelated to him.
HOT! This oppa is totally my type; does anyone know who he is?
The oppa God Jinseo-nim was holding when he jumped from the helicopterㅠ
Who is this pretty one who looks so pale and softㅠ
I’ll be his No. 1 fan…
Comments
└I was looking for him too;;
└Is he really a guy? How can someone be that pretty (slurp)
└He’s not even registered with the Hunter Association, what’s up with that?
└Why is he making me think weird things again, seriously
└They say he’s an A-rank healer. Heard the Association hides Hunters they don’t show—yeah yeah, like Hidden Hunters or something
└How amazing must his skill be for God Jinseo to carry him down like that???
└He already has a fan café lol
“This is bad.”
After staring at my phone for a long while, I flopped onto the sofa.
I had even created a fake identity and used a disguise item to avoid attention, yet because I was carried while jumping from the helicopter, I’d ended up drawing unnecessary interest. It felt like trying to block a leak with a hoe only to need a shovel later.
‘It’s my fault, I guess.’
I should have grabbed a rope and jumped down myself.
“I awakened without a single stat in strength, agility, or stamina—what was I supposed to do?”
And the senior was the one who told me to hold on first.
“Ugh, whatever. It’s not like they’ll find out. I even used a disguise item.”
Checking the time, it had just passed 6 p.m.
The reunion was at 7 p.m. It would take about 30 minutes to get there, so I had to start getting dressed and ready now.
“I don’t want to go….”
Wasn’t there any way not to go? As I pondered, a brilliant idea suddenly struck me.
Wasn’t I going to the reunion anyway just to subtly tell Jinseo sunbae about the good points of the Nara Unni Guild?
And I had Jinseo sunbae’s personal contact information.
‘Can’t I just text him?’
Like, ‘Sunbae, I heard the Shilla Guild is really good these days.’
Just as I picked up my phone to open the message window,
I remembered the text he had sent me.
[Come to the reunion.]
“…That sounds like something bad will happen if I don’t go.”
As I fiddled with my phone in deep thought, I suddenly felt a strange flow of mana.
I sprang up from the sofa and stared at a single point where mana was condensing.
The mana swirled like the eye of a small typhoon.
“…!”
Tense at the unfamiliar flow of mana, I suddenly gasped and ran toward the portal.
From within the portal shaped like the eye of a storm, Mimi emerged.
And she was badly injured.
“Mimi!”
I threw myself forward and caught Mimi as she collapsed.
