episode_0464

Mana is a resource that should not be absent from a Hunter, or more precisely, from a human.

Especially the mana contained within the body has a significant impact on the human body just by its existence.

One of these impacts is rapid recovery.

The mana residing in the body is first used in weak, deficient, or injured areas.

It heals torn and cut wounds.

Generates insufficient blood.

Recovers depleted stamina.

And the more frequently these characteristics are displayed, the higher the efficiency.

Warriors excel in stamina or wound recovery, while magicians excel in restoring depleted mana for the same reason.

The art of bone restructuring begins by pushing this recovery ability to its limits.

Crack!

Shattering bones and reconstructing them.

Squelch!

Tearing muscles apart and recovering them repeatedly.

Those as frail as Baek Hyunjin have weak mana as well.

Not to mention Hunters, even ordinary humans struggle to keep up with their recovery abilities.

However, the mana coursing through her body right now is not hers but originates from the elixir.

With its dense concentration and the elixir’s unique vitality, it provides an immense recovery power.

“Ugh…!”

Thanks to it, I was taken aback.

The speed at which my broken and torn bones and muscles recovered was much faster than I had anticipated.

Each time they grew tougher and denser, requiring more force to break and tear again.

“Phew….”

Ironically, this only fueled my ambition further.

Elixir.

The nutrients propelling this body and Seoyeon’s reconstruction far surpass those consumed during the process.

As a result, the difficulty has increased several times over, but the outcome will be equally remarkable.

“…Let’s give it a try, then.”

If the reason behind it is merely interest in the cost of life and personal ambition, isn’t that enough?

Upon acquiring this body, I resolved to live freely without caring about others’ opinions, but some things shouldn’t change from the past.

One of them is repaying debts diligently.

Those who fail to properly repay their enemies are fools, and those who fail to reciprocate kindness are beasts.

In another sense, being called a beast is acceptable, but I do not wish to become one of that kind.

“Concentrate, focus….”

I resume the halted art.

* * *

It was a day like any other, starting naturally.

Around seven o’clock, my eyes would open effortlessly.

It had become a habit.

A real habit ingrained in my body after years of false professorial life.

I would loosen my stiff body with a warm stream of water all night, then sit in front of the vanity for a light touch-up.

Instead of the flashy style from my professor days, I opted for a simple and elegant look.

In that state, I headed straight upstairs.

“Good morning, Unni.”

“You’re here? You look beautiful today too, Ye.”

“Oh, stop it. You’re even more beautiful, Unni.”

Genuine compliments exchanged between us.

It was true.

Despite the ten-year age gap, Seo Junghee’s face looked younger and prettier than mine.

It was said that Kim Dojin once secretly fed her a potion to make her younger.

At first, I envied her endlessly, but soon realized it was a fitting reward.

‘She’s truly remarkable.’

Kind-hearted and good-natured.

She was even selfless.

To the extent that the term “model person” seemed to have been created for her.

And her warmth and dedication extended to me as well.

From the moment I started living in this house until now.

She treated me so warmly.

‘If I had an older sister, would it have felt like this?’

I thought suddenly.

With a warm smile, she shrugged off my arm and stepped forward.

“I’ll help too, Unni.”

“Oh, thank you if you do.”

Helping Seo Junghee, who was always busy, we finished preparing breakfast.

And so, breakfast began.

“Hey, try this.”

“…Feels like you’re giving it to me because you don’t want to eat it.”

“Heh, busted.”

Peaceful.

Just being together in their company brought tranquility to my heart.

And so, occasionally, she would fall into a delusion bordering on futility.

If my parents hadn’t tragically lost their lives in vain.

If my younger brother Hyunjin hadn’t been afflicted with congenital magic deficiency disorder.

“We could have ended up like this too.”

Unknowingly, she smiled.

To think that she was suffering in the very peace she had longed for.

Isn’t it ironic?

Perhaps she is being punished.

For whatever reason, wasn’t she standing on the side of an organization trying to threaten the world?

If that’s her retribution, then perhaps she rightfully deserves it.

“I’ll be back!”

“Me too.”

“Alright, have a safe trip! Come back in time for dinner!”

When the young man and woman leave, only the two of them are left behind.

From then on, her actions were divided into two.

Either chatting over tea with Seo Jung-hee or sitting alone in her room lost in contemplation.

Today, it was the latter.

“I’ll go back to my room too, Unni.”

“Sure. You’ve worked hard since morning, so go rest in your room.”

“You too, Unni.”

The time spent talking with her was usually warm, but today she didn’t feel like it.

So, when she decided to return to her room, she left Seo Jung-hee’s house.

Thud!

As she opened the door and stepped out, a familiar face was leaning against the stair railing.

It was Kim Dojin, who had left a while ago.

“Weren’t you just leaving?”

“Well… I saw Professor’s expression didn’t look good earlier.”

“Oh.”

Sometimes she was surprised by his appearance.

He didn’t seem to glance at me once throughout the meal, but how did he see that?

“Is there anything uncomfortable?”

Baekhyun nodded in response to the follow-up question.

“No, there isn’t.”

There couldn’t be.

“Everything’s fine. Seo Jung-hee, Yoojeong, people living nearby.”

Ironically, she is living with a more peaceful mind than ever before.

“So sometimes… I feel sorry for Hyunjin.”

“Why?”

“That child is lying in the hospital bed as if dead, and I wonder if it’s okay for me to be happy alone.”

“… .”

A poignant atmosphere settled in.

It’s truly difficult for someone watching over a sick family member.

Because of the family’s illness, they struggle, and in the midst of everyday joys, sudden thoughts arise, weighing heavily on their hearts.

Daughter, brother, wife are all sick, yet one wonders if they should be feeling this way amidst their own well-being.

That’s how things fall apart.

The sick person suffers in their own way, and the observer watches in their own way.

Kim Dojin, who knows this feeling better than anyone, left not comforting words but rather awkward words for her.

“I know that.”

“…?”

“There are no miracles in this world.”

“… .”

His words seemed to push her further into despair, as if living for a 0.0001% hope.

But that wasn’t the end.

“Even if something miraculous happens to the professor, it’s not a miracle.”

She asked with her eyes.

Then what is it?

In response, Kim Dojin tapped her shoulder with his index finger and answered.

“It’s cause and effect. Just that.”

After hearing those words, exactly two days later.

-“The condition of patient Baek Hyunjin….”

She faced a miracle.

* * *

Having handled the elixir firsthand, I understand.

How did those few individuals who took this medicine manage to live so long?

This elixir is not only extremely concentrated magic but also a treasure trove of life.

Through the art of transmutation, the powder turned into dust several times, only to imbue strength into bones and muscles upon restoration.

The bones became harder than steel, and the muscles tougher than the hide of an S-rank monster.

Perhaps if one were to pursue a career as an athlete, they would excel in any sport.

A Hunter?

Of course, they could aim for the top in that field as well.

“…That’s assuming it’s possible.”

As everyone knows, being a Hunter isn’t just about physical abilities.

Baek Hyunjin, who suffered from congenital magic deficiency, was an ordinary person.

“After this, who knows what will happen… Typically, awakening phenomena are most active in one’s teens or early twenties, so the probability of becoming a hunter should be considered low.

“Now, let’s finish this.”

Truly, a body that could be called the best in the world had been completed.

Adjusting its position to fit the most suitable place for the physique born with it.

Very meticulously, and finely.

Although it may seem trivial, this is a very important task.

Even if bones and muscles are excellent, they cannot exert their full strength if the positioning is off.

Thud!

Tick!

With the sound of joints settling, even the balance of the final bone was perfectly in place.

It’s done now.

This child has obtained the best physique.

This will become wings for them.

“Since I started much later than others, instead of walking or running, I should just fly.”

Wings that will closely follow those who have already gone far ahead.

After finishing the adjustments, focus on the senses and listen to the breath flowing out from the nose.

Ssshaak

Ssshaaek

Smooth and seamless without any hitch.

Just a few hours ago, the body that couldn’t breathe properly without an oxygen respirator had finally started functioning correctly.

Not only that.

Intense magic was flowing inside and outside the slender body.

This is evidence that the body’s magic is brimming.

In other words, the illness that tormented the siblings Baek Hyun-ah and Baek Hyun-jin had disappeared.

“Good.”

As everything seemed to be wrapping up nicely, a sense of relief washed over.

Swish!

The door of the hospital room opened, and urgent footsteps could be heard.

“Hyun-jin…!”

A familiar voice.

It seems like the nurse who had been informed beforehand had contacted her at the right moment.

I rise from my seat, guiding my tired body.

“You’re here?”

Baek Hyun-ah, looking surprised as she sees me.

“Why is Dojin here…?”

I smile and shake my head.

“That’s not important right now.”

I step aside, revealing Baek Hyun-jin hidden behind me.

“For now, it seems more crucial to check on your sister’s condition.”

“Oh…!”

She rushes forward and quickly checks her sister’s state.

Then, she is astonished.

“This… this can’t be real…”

As a mage, she would have felt the overflowing magic within Baek Hyun-jin’s body, like a downpour in a drought-stricken area.

“What… how did this happen to Hyun-jin?!”

Baek Hyun-ah looks up at me with a face that seems ready to cry at any moment.

Smiling wryly at her, I respond.

“Didn’t I tell you?”

The words I gave her a few days ago.

“Results based on the cause.”

The life debt you forced upon me.

It has been replaced by the treatment of your sister.”