🔊 TTS Settings
chapter 441
Because of the neurotoxin being administered to my body, I had to be hospitalized for about two days.
The nurse said that after the neurotoxin is administered, I must remain in the room for at least 12 hours, but that was just the minimum. Afterward, they would need to check whether any neurotoxin remained in my body and how much my tolerance had improved, so hospitalization for at least two days was required.
… If it had been the initial dose, I could have gotten away with just a light checkup and left.
‘Then why would they give me a long-acting neurotoxin if I have a busy schedule?’
When I asked about it, I got this reply:
“When you applied for the program, you checked that you had up to five days available, didn’t you?”
“… Oh, did I?”
“Are you sure you checked it yourself?”
“I didn’t, but someone who knows my schedule better than I do must have done it…”
If Sophia checked it, then my schedule must be fine.
Because of that, I ended up being admitted to the hospital, and now…
‘… I’m bored…’
I was suffering from boredom. Naturally, lying in the hospital room alone, staring blankly at the ceiling, while controlling my body so that the neurotoxin wouldn’t be expelled along with my inner energy, would get anyone bored.
I could train during this time, but if I practiced small circulating energy techniques (Xiao Zhou Tian) for training, my inner energy would carry the neurotoxin out of my body. So training was out…
‘There’s no TV in this room… and my smartphone and spatial artifact are probably in my clothes in the changing room by now.’
I had originally planned to pass the time with my smartphone while building tolerance to the toxin, but the nurse told me that the toxin could get on it, so all my electronics and accessories had to be left in the changing room.
‘I guess I can’t do this twice.’
I might as well just watch the neurotoxin break down inside my body. Thinking that…
Knock, knock.
“Visiting hours~.”
The nurse said this as she opened the door and entered, wearing a protective suit, of course.
“Visiting hours?”
“I’m here. You’re receiving neurotoxin treatment, right?”
“Ah, Sophia.”
Behind the nurse, Sophia, also in a protective suit, entered.
“Since I’m listed as the guardian on the application, I got the notification. I’ve also informed the others, so you don’t need to worry about being contacted during your hospitalization.”
“Thanks.”
Sophia must have been surprised that the neurotoxin would be administered on the first day, but she handled it quickly. However, when she saw the neurotoxin being administered, she asked the nurse:
“… Excuse me, nurse?”
“Yes?”
“Isn’t the infusion rate too fast? Three drops per second?”
“Three drops per second? No… It was definitely set to about one drop every two seconds…”
Ah…
“The rate at which your body breaks down the toxin has increased in that short time. That’s probably why the computer increased the infusion amount automatically.”
Looking at the machine, the nurse said this. Hm… it does seem like more neurotoxin is entering my body than before…
“… Does tolerance usually develop this fast?” “… No.”
The nurse shook her head at Sophia’s question.
“If other people developed tolerance this quickly, we wouldn’t even run this program.”
So my case is exceptional.
‘It must be because of Harmonized Skill.’
Harmonized Skill is the martial art that condenses all my experiences. It evolves as I absorb new experiences. Now, it’s evolving based on my experience of being poisoned.
‘… I wonder if I could even use poison techniques?’
Poison techniques often appear in martial arts novels, but I never created one. When hunting monsters, poison isn’t very practical, it could affect allies, and it often ruins monster byproducts. If I ever used poison, it would only be applied to weapons. That’s why poison was excluded from my martial arts from the start.
‘… No. Poison techniques are off the table for now.’
If I used poison techniques while being administered neurotoxin, the poison could be extremely potent… and if I accidentally released it into the air, a disaster would be inevitable.
“Still, Mr. Han Gun-woo, your neurotoxin tolerance isn’t the absolute best in the world. Most poisons won’t affect you, but even your tolerance wouldn’t be enough to resist the famous Hydra’s venom.”
The Hydra’s venom.
“Why are we talking about Hydra all of a sudden?”
Sophia asked the nurse.
“They reported a Hydra appearing in the Middle East. They invited awakened individuals with strong toxin resistance to hunt it… wasn’t that why you applied for this program?”
I looked at Sophia when I heard that, and she shook her head, sensing my gaze.
“I didn’t know.”
“Really? All the doctors and nurses here assumed you joined the program because of that.”
It’s understandable to have that misconception at this timing.
“If that’s not the case, good. But if you were planning to participate in Hydra hunting, I’d advise against it. Your tolerance won’t protect you if you come in direct contact with the venom or inhale its toxic mist.”
Is there anyone who could survive direct exposure to Hydra venom? Ah, maybe. You’d need that level of resistance to safely remove its venom glands.
Knock, knock.
“It’s meal time.”
While thinking that, someone knocked and entered. Judging from their words, it was probably a hospital staff member delivering lunch.
“Please dispose of all the waste in the container beside you.”
As expected, the staff in protective gear placed the lunchbox on my bed and left.
“I should get going. I just came out from work at the guild during lunch…”
“Okay, take care.”
“Your mother should come in the afternoon, so you won’t be bored.”
… What?
“I heard she’ll come immediately after hearing you were hospitalized.”
“Did you explain that it’s because of the neurotoxin tolerance program?”
“Yes, but I don’t think she understood.”
Ah.
Bang!
“Son! Are you okay?!”
“Uh, Mother?! You need to wear protective gear first! You see, he’s not hospitalized because he’s sick…!”
After lunch, while I was lying quietly, my mother burst into the room like she was going to break the door down. I should have expected this…
“Mom, I’m fine. Follow the nurses’ instructions and put on your protective suit first.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Hurry! Even if they sprayed neutralizer, there might still be neurotoxin!”
The neurotoxin wasn’t in the air because I was controlling it inside my body, but…
“Someone quickly get disinfectant!”
“Here!”
“Antidote too! He might have inhaled some neurotoxin!”
… It’s chaos. Feeling sorry for the nurses, I decided to just lie down and wait for my mother. How shocked must she have been to rush to this hospital room?
‘Especially since, unlike others, I rarely go to hospitals, she must have been really surprised.’
Still, breaking through the nurses to reach my room was a bit much.
Knock, knock.
“I’m coming in.”
As I thought this, people wearing protective suits entered. The first was a nurse, but following her were…
“Gun-woo, hi!”
“Deliberately getting poisoned… I can’t understand it.”
“…Jimin noona, Chloe noona.”
It was Woo Ji-min and Chloe Greenwood, instructors at the Seoul Awakened Academy. The academy is on break now, so aside from a few dormitory supervisors, the other instructors are probably off.
“I brought fruit as a get-well gift. Want some?”
“… Can I eat it?”
I turned to the nurse.
“You can, but since neurotoxin may have contacted it, you have to eat it all here and discard it afterward. Same with the basket.”
“… Neurotoxin?”
“… I thought it was just a simple paralyzing toxin…”
Sophia must have contacted them. But she didn’t mention exactly what kind of toxin I was receiving.
“Also, is it safe for a regular hospital to handle neurotoxin?”
Chloe asked the nurse.
… Yeah, that is a bit strange.
“Ahaha… A regular patient here has extremely strong toxin resistance. The hospital director obtained permission to handle neurotoxin for them.”
“… So this regular patient receives neurotoxin every time they come?”
“Yes. They don’t get drunk from alcohol, which bothers them, but receiving neurotoxin makes them pleasantly drowsy.”
Instead of drinking, they get neurotoxin? Huh… maybe the warmth from resisting the neurotoxin substitutes for intoxication.
“By the way, the neurotoxin is synthesized in the hospital basement when needed, so it won’t leak during transport. Synthesis requires the presence of at least three doctors, including the director, and permission from a higher hospital. Neutralizers and antidotes are also prepared in case of an accident.”
They strongly emphasize that there’s no need to worry about leakage.
“Overemphasis usually causes problems though.”
Woo Ji-min said what I wanted to say.
“That’s right. At first, even our nurses were scared and considered transferring. But one rookie nurse accidentally dropped a neurotoxin vial, and thanks to the neutralizer and antidote, no one died. So now it’s not that scary.”
Ah, there had already been an incident.
“Back then, all the neutralizers and antidotes were in the basement, so it took time. Now, every ward is equipped, so any issue can be resolved faster.”
It’s best if neurotoxin accidents never occur, but if they do, they can be handled immediately.
