Chapter 31: The Divine Physician, Yoo Seon-woo

The educational video was surprisingly well-structured.

For worlds the Association had already regulated, Outsiders from those worlds would often add their own commentary and assist in the video’s production. The goal was to provide information on how new Outsiders could quickly adapt to this unfamiliar world. The Association actively incorporated such feedback; after all, the faster an Outsider adapted, the better it was for everyone.

Therefore, the video Seol Yu-wol was watching had been specially produced for Outsiders from Jungwon, just like her.

[Hello, martial artists of Jungwon! I am Tang Hee-ran, the beloved daughter of the Sichuan Tang Family!]

A beautiful young woman in a vibrant green dress appeared on the screen and introduced herself.

“Hee-ran…?”

Seol Yu-wol’s eyes widened as she watched the monitor. As if mesmerized, she rose from her seat, reached out, and gently caressed the face of the woman on the screen.

[They say the Poison Butterfly has vanished, don’t they? And yet, here I am, right before your very eyes! Hahaha…]

[Things must be very confusing and disorienting for you right now. If you can just bear with us and follow our guidance, you’ll soon understand everything.]

“But… I heard… she had disappeared…”

Seol Yu-wol’s blue eyes trembled violently. It seemed they were acquainted.

A hint of relief softened her expression. Featuring a celebrity from their home world in the video was likely a very effective psychological tactic. A famous person you thought had vanished, or perhaps someone you knew personally, appearing on screen to explain things? A corner of your heart couldn’t help but fill with relief.

Just then.

[—Fwoosh! Thud-thud-thud-thud!]

In the blink of an eye, the Tang Hee-ran on screen flicked her hand. Dozens of silver needles flew from her palm, embedding themselves in a wooden board beside her at high speed.

[—Sssss…]

The wood around the embedded needles turned pitch black and began to corrode, soon crumbling into dust.

[This isn’t some human-skin mask; it’s the real me, Tang Hee-ran. You can trust that.]

The Tang Hee-ran on screen playfully stretched her cheek and smiled. For people from Jungwon, the most reliable way to identify someone was through their unique martial arts or their family’s techniques. This seemed to be her way of proving her identity.

After a few more explanations, Tang Hee-ran stood up straight.

[Now! The person before you is a Divine Physician! He is a physician who will help you adapt, so please listen to him well. I hope you adjust quickly!]

With Tang Hee-ran’s introduction of me, her segment of the video ended.

“So… you were alive… Hee-ran…”

Seol Yu-wol slowly nodded. Her expression hadn’t changed, but her psychological state seemed to have stabilized considerably. It appeared she was acquainted with this person named Tang Hee-ran. I didn’t know when Tang Hee-ran had crossed over to this world, but she was probably considered missing or dead back in her own. Seeing her alive and well would naturally bring a sense of relief.

Then came the next person.

“……”

It was someone I knew as well. I remained seated beside her, my gaze fixed not on the screen but on Seol Yu-wol’s reaction, continuing my observation.

The star of this next video was the Azure Sky Alliance Leader, Lee Seo-ryeong.

[Greetings, martial artists of Jungwon. I am the Martial Alliance Leader, Lee Seo-ryeong.]

On the screen, her mother spoke with a gentle smile.

[Ah, should I use the title from this place? I suppose I should say the Azure Sky Alliance Leader.]

Instantly, Seol Yu-wol’s reaction changed.

“Mo…ther…?”

The muscles in her face, which had relaxed ever so slightly at the sight of Tang Hee-ran, now tensed up. The hand that had been reaching toward the screen slowly retracted.

I didn’t major in psychology, but I had studied it diligently—enough that I wouldn’t be ashamed of my profession as a counselor, and so that I wouldn’t have to rely solely on my ability.

Therefore, I had a good idea of what Seol Yu-wol’s reaction meant.

She froze, her blinking becoming anxious. Her entire body tensed as she began to slowly back away from the TV, though she herself was likely unaware of it.

“……”

It seemed I had made the right call not letting Lee Seo-ryeong into this room.

[When you eventually leave this facility, please come to the Azure Sky Alliance. We will help the martial artists of Jungwon adapt to this world.]

With Lee Seo-ryeong’s words, her video ended. After that, several other people appeared and gave various explanations, but Seol Yu-wol’s non-verbal cues showed no further improvement.

The silver lining, however, was that she seemed to be continuously processing the information—like why she was here and what a hunter was.

And with that, the video ended. The screen turned black, and silence once again fell upon the room.

After giving her ample time to digest everything, I spoke cautiously.

“Have you calmed down a little?”

At the sound of my voice, her shoulders flinched almost imperceptibly. She slowly raised her head and looked at the transparent glass wall separating us. For now, she only looked at the glass wall, not directly at me, but that was enough. She could see me just the same.

“If you’re still suspicious, that’s fine. I can bring Hunter Tang Hee-ran here. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask.”

I made the offer I thought would most put her at ease. For now, I held back on suggesting I could bring her mother, the Martial Alliance Leader. That name didn’t seem like it would be a remedy for her right now.

However, Seol Yu-wol slowly shook her head.

“No, that’s alright. I… understand.”

Her voice was hollow and empty.

“That I wasn’t captured by the Demonic Cult. And that this place is not the Jungwon I knew.”

“I don’t know everything yet, but I understand that the martial artists of Jungwon have established the Azure Sky Alliance and the Demonic Cult in this world and are living new lives… I understand all of that.”

She seemed to have grasped the reality of her situation.

“In that case… I…”

My reflection appeared in Seol Yu-wol’s blue eyes.

“…I…”

She asked in a cracked voice, “So, what happens to me now?”

It wasn’t the question I had expected. ‘What happens to me now?’ The question itself didn’t make sense. As she would have seen in the video, this world was free. It possessed marvels of civilization on a completely different level from the technologically undeveloped Jungwon. As long as she abided by the minimum rules, fulfilled her duties as an Outsider, and didn’t forsake her responsibilities… Seol Yu-wol could become anything she wanted.

She could join the Azure Sky Alliance and become a respected hunter. Or she could join the Demonic Cult, which in this world was a Demonic Cult in name only, not much different from any other hunter guild. If she didn’t like either of those, she could just live an ordinary life.

It was all up to her.

Therefore, the most important thing was to grasp the intent behind her question. Several possibilities surfaced in my mind.

However, it was time to use my ability.

[Seol Yu-wol]

[Underlying Psyche]
[I have spent my entire life desperately striving for a goal someone else set for me. But now, that person is gone, and the goal itself has vanished. With nothing left, I… I don’t know what to do by myself.]

[Suitable Answer] [Satisfaction Rate: 90%]
[Ms. Seol Yu-wol, what would you like to do from now on?]

[Suitable Answer] [Satisfaction Rate: 70%]
[How about living a new life as a hunter?]

[Suitable Answer] [Satisfaction Rate: 0%]
[Would you like to ask your mother, Ms. Seol Yu-wol?]

“……”

The phrase ‘set by someone else’ was quite concerning. According to the status window, it was safe to say that Seol Yu-wol was experiencing burnout from having lost her life’s purpose.

I had counseled clients in this state several times before. Typically, the standard approach is to either present a new goal or guide them toward finding one for themselves. In that sense, the first two options were excellent—textbook answers, even.

However, my ability presented the effectiveness of each answer as a satisfaction rate. This allowed me to predict how positive the effect of an answer would be.

And because of that, I could also predict how negative its effect would be.

The last option had a satisfaction rate of 0%. I knew for certain that it was the worst possible question I could ask her.

Therefore.

“Ms. Seol Yu-wol, what would you like to do from now on?” I asked.

‘What do you want to do?’

At my question, Seol Yu-wol’s blue eyes narrowed slightly. She tilted her head, as if deep in thought. She looked like someone trying to think about something for the very first time.

After a long silence, she spoke.

“…I don’t know.”

Her voice was still cracked.

“I’ve never thought about it.”

I nodded silently at her answer. “That’s alright.”

Then I smiled and said, “That’s what I’m here for.”

Just then.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

A message appeared with a soft chime on the small prompter in my counseling room, invisible to Seol Yu-wol on the other side.

『※ Counselor, that appears to be enough for today. The subject’s basic grasp of reality seems to be complete.』

They must have been watching through the camera and judged that Seol Yu-wol had regained her composure. The camera was a measure to protect the counselor; they needed to monitor the situation from the outside, though they couldn’t hear the audio.

『※ For the next session, we recommend arranging a meeting with her guardian—her mother—or other Outsiders to help her form social bonds.』

My smile froze the moment I saw the prompter.

“……”

[NOPE.]

Yeah. That’s what I thought, too.

Click.

As if there was nothing more to see, I switched off the prompter’s power button. Then, I slowly began to speak.

“My apologies for the late introduction.”

I turned my head to glance at the CCTV camera before looking back at her beyond the glass wall.

“Ms. Seol Yu-wol, allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Counselor Yoo Seon-woo, and I will be in charge of your counseling.”

I slowly bowed my head.

“You’ve been through so much to get here.”

Now, it was time for the real counseling to begin.

Translated By: Meher (RaidenTL)

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