TRPM 442

chapter 442

Listening to the nurse’s explanation with Woo Ji-min and Chloe, my mother also entered my hospital room, wearing protective gear.

“Son, are you sure this is okay?”
“I told you, it’s fine.”

Thanks to the nurses’ explanation, my mother roughly understood that I was being administered poison to build up immunity, but she still kept asking, worried about me.

“Do you really have to go through all this?”
“Exactly. Why did you choose to join a program like this?”

It wasn’t just my mother—Chloe was interrogating me too.

Hmm… how should I explain this…

‘So the Grand Sorcerer knows my weakness is poison… and I’ve found out that he knows…’

It’s tricky to explain in words. And even here, it feels awkward to go into details. Revealing it to Woo Ji-min and Chloe is one thing, but telling my mother and the nurses… maybe not.

“I just applied because the program exists, that’s all.”

So I said that my reason for joining the program was purely curiosity.

“You’re more impulsive than I thought.”
“Well… being impulsive is why I thought of resurrecting after reading my sister’s autobiography in the library.”

I answered Woo Ji-min like that. Chloe seemed to get an idea and muttered quietly to herself.

“Well, I guess even back then…”

Come to think of it, raising Merlin’s soul was also an impulsive act caused by something that happened in the pyramid.

…Though I said that just to cover my tracks, thinking about it, I really am impulsive.

“Next time, at least tell me so I don’t worry. I was so shocked when Sophia said you were hospitalized…”

I told my mother I would try to do so. It would probably be a lie, but I said it anyway.

The three visitors left shortly after.

They didn’t need to stay long, having confirmed I was fine. Also, it was uncomfortable having to wear protective gear in my room.

“The nerve poison administration is complete. Still, for the next 12 hours, the poison may remain in your body, so do not leave the room.”

A little while after they left, the nerve poison administration was finished. The remaining poison in my body would decompose quickly, but I followed the hospital’s procedure anyway.

‘It might be boring to just wait, but after the poison decomposes, I’ll focus on training.’

With that thought, I closed my eyes and concentrated on my body breaking down the poison.

Whether my body’s poison resistance had improved, or my Harmony Divine Technique had adapted to the poison and evolved, it decomposed rapidly.

Even after a brief observation, the traces of poison in my body had almost entirely vanished.

‘The nurse hasn’t even left the room after removing my equipment.’

At this rate, it seems faster than when I previously expelled poison using my inner strength after it was administered.

Still, I couldn’t feel entirely safe.

‘The poison the Grand Sorcerer prepared won’t be ordinary. At the very least, it must be as toxic as Hydra venom.’

Hydra venom is known as the strongest in the world, but a Grand Sorcerer could probably create poison even more potent.

Just refining the vengeful spirits he gathered at Gyeongbokgung would produce a deadly poison that directly affects a human soul.

‘Come to think of it, I received some of those spirits back then.’

Of course, not the real spirits, but the energies corresponding to them in a mystical sense.

[Heh… opportunities to get such purely potent energy are rare. Want some, artist?]
[Just a little.]

I recalled the energy, now sealed in a corner of the A-Space, but quickly shook my head.

‘The Grand Sorcerer won’t use that energy. He knows I have it too.’

In magic, the same type of energy is ideal for using homogenous spells. If the Grand Sorcerer tried to use that energy, I could counter it using the same energy.

Of course, the opposite is true as well, so using it to attack the Grand Sorcerer would be difficult. He’s hardly the kind of person who could be affected by the modest spells I can perform.

Thunk.
“?”

Lost in thought, someone wearing protective gear covered my eyes with a hand.

“Who’s this?”
“…Lee Ha-eun.”

I removed the hand from my eyes and saw the owner.

“Correct! Hi, Geon-woo. Came to visit.”
“Oh, yeah. I thought you might come.”

Sophia must have contacted her.

“Surprisingly, I didn’t expect you to join a program like this. Are you planning to participate in the Hydra hunt?”

Hydra… Sophia mentioned that earlier. I shook my head.

“Really? Too bad… I’m going, though.”
“…Huh? You?”

I was slightly surprised. She didn’t seem like the type to volunteer for a hunt.

“Chairman Shin Han-ji said it would be a good experience and invited me along. He said, in terms of supportive magic, I’ve already surpassed myself.”
“Oh, really? That’s great.”

There’s more than one way to counter poison than just building immunity. You can also prevent the poison from reaching the body at all, just like wearing protective talismans.

For Ha-eun, she could use barriers or magic to cleanse all poison within a certain range, healing people in the process. Hydra venom is known to melt most barriers and is hard to neutralize, but…

‘If Chairman Shin Han-ji invited her, he probably judged she wouldn’t interfere with the Hydra hunt.’

Maybe he even thought her barriers could withstand Hydra venom.

“I wanted to go too.”
“…Hmm.”

Since she’s saying this, maybe I should try applying. I’ve never hunted Hydra before, even before regression.

“Hydra… the conversation of awakened ones beyond the wall is really different.”
“They live on a completely different plane than us.”

I thought that, hearing a conversation behind Ha-eun. It wasn’t anything serious—just other kids she came with talking. Though “other kids” meant only Kang Ga-ram and Ryu Ah-young.

“How did you know to come?”

Sophia probably didn’t inform them about my hospitalization. She informed people she regularly contacts. I don’t keep in touch with these two.

“Ha-eun came along.”
“We went shopping this morning, and Sophia contacted Ha-eun.”

Shopping?

“Even if Kang Ga-ram and Ha-eun are fine, Ryu Ah-young, do you have money for that?”
“Do you think my family is poor…? Of course, Ga-ram, Cheon-ha, Elena, and Elliot, and even you and Ha-eun aren’t as well off, but we live comfortably enough.”
“Oh, right.”

Come to think of it, Ryu Ah-young’s family even moved to our neighborhood so she could attend the same middle school as Ha-eun and me. Not overflowing with money, but comfortably well-off.

“Not enough for the latest awakened gear or artifacts, but enough for mass-produced or second-hand equipment.”
“…So shopping meant buying equipment?”

I thought they went to buy clothes, but if it was equipment, it was likely the Association’s market.

“Yes. Weapons are prohibited here, so they are in the locker room.”
“Ha-eun wanted a staff, and she bought the most expensive one without hesitation.”
“Paying for that in full… even if I had the money, I’d shake too much to do it.”

I looked at Ha-eun.

“You bought a staff?”
“Yes.”
“Was there one suited for your hand?”

For a wizard like Ha-eun, a regular staff would be a burden. Wizards channel magic through the staff, and it must withstand their power. Ordinary staves couldn’t handle Ha-eun’s magic, nor amplify it properly. I asked if she thought it through before buying.

“An older grand wizard retired and sold their personal staff. I got it cheaply.”

I was relieved. Even if the staff wasn’t perfect for her, it could withstand her power and amplify magic.

“…And that was cheap?”
“Yeah…”

Kang Ga-ram and Ryu Ah-young rolled their eyes, but it probably was cheap, being second-hand. Considering no grand wizards in Korea retired recently, the staff likely sat in the Association warehouse for over ten years, maybe even before we were born. So it was sold cheaply.

“So what did you two buy?”

I asked Kang Ga-ram and Ryu Ah-young. Like Ha-eun, they seemed to have bought equipment. Most importantly…

‘They’re giving me those sparkling eyes as if to say, “Ask us.” I can’t not ask.’

Even if the eyes were blurred behind protective gear.

“I got a sword. Could be used instead of a staff. It was a bit expensive…”
“So the market sells things like that…?”

Are many aspiring spellblades buying such items? Or is it because of dual-ability awakened ones?

“I bought boots.”
“…Boots?”

Ryu Ah-young said she bought boots. As equipment, these are more armor-like than mere shoes.

“I fight mainly with kicks, so I got sturdy boots.”
“Why would a reality-manipulating esper fight mainly with kicks?”

Her kicks are impressively clean, though.

“Ah, people fight differently. Everyone has their own style.”
“…I see.”

I decided to respect her choice. It’s strange for a reality-manipulating esper to follow a martial artist’s path, but if it suits her, I can’t stop her.