I Became The Only Healer In The Academy [EN]: Chapter 234

234

Park Han-wook’s sword wasn’t particularly fast.

That was an unavoidable consequence of the difference in their skill levels.

However, the weight and impact of his strikes were extraordinary.

The power, befitting something that could cleave dimensions, was quite threatening to block with pure physical strength alone, without resorting to magic.

‘If it weren’t for this sword…’

The sword belonged to the owner of the Rank 5 Gate.

That meant it was a sword from another dimension, and as a result, it seemed somewhat resistant to dimensional rifts.

Any other sword would have broken or shattered, unable to withstand even a few blows.

And there was one more thing Sung-hyun had underestimated.

That was the difference in stamina.

Park Han-wook’s stamina, already honed to its limit, surpassed Sung-hyun’s when he wasn’t using magic.

‘It’ll be tough to keep blocking without using magic much longer.’

A sparring match with a hunter much weaker than himself.

The fact that Sung-hyun was struggling against such a hunter might have been frustrating, but Sung-hyun didn’t feel that way at all.

Rather, he couldn’t help but admire Park Han-wook’s swordsmanship with each block.

Just as Park Han-wook had told Sung-hyun.

And just as he had been doing until now, Park Han-wook’s sword strikes were consistent, without the slightest variation.

No matter what angle the attack originated from, the balance in his body and the consistent distribution of power, despite having only one arm, felt like it had reached the pinnacle of what was possible.

‘However…’

The fundamental lack of magic and the limited experience in fighting against stronger opponents.

This was Park Han-wook’s most critical weakness, and the reason Sung-hyun suggested sparring was to address this.

Attacks flew in from various angles, and although the trajectory was clean to the point of perfection, it wasn’t too difficult to block because the pattern was predictable.

‘Since this is to instill a sense of real combat…’

Sung-hyun thoroughly exploited Park Han-wook’s most fundamental weakness.

The fact that he was missing an arm.

The inherent problem that arose from this limitation was something that Park Han-wook couldn’t overcome, and in the end, it created openings.

“Cough!”

Even though it was Sung-hyun’s fist without any magic, Park Han-wook’s breath hitched momentarily due to the unfamiliar pain.

“Don’t resent me. Every opponent will target that weakness of yours, Park Han-wook.”

“Of course. I’m grateful, actually.”

“To put it bluntly, the disadvantage of having one arm cannot be completely overcome.”

“…I know.”

“That’s why you need to focus more on attacking. The training you’ve done so far has the advantage of balancing all attacks, but that also means the opponent can predict the extent of your next attack.”

There weren’t many within the guild who could withstand Park Han-wook’s attacks.

However, there was no one who could fundamentally point out the problem and suggest a solution.

‘I have to make it impossible to counterattack.’

The more the two sparred, the greater Park Han-wook’s realization grew.

It wasn’t the kind of enlightenment that explosively increased his skill like the owner of the Rank 2 Gate, but the kind that broke through his self-imposed limitations.

And so, Sung-hyun and Park Han-wook focused on sparring for nearly half a day.

Although Park Han-wook’s stamina was immense, he couldn’t outlast Sung-hyun, who had started using magic.

Naturally, Park Han-wook tired first, and Sung-hyun sat down next to Park Han-wook, who had collapsed.

“Thank you. I think I’ve realized something thanks to you, Guild Leader.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“More than that, your learning speed is quite impressive. I didn’t realize you were constantly analyzing even while sparring.”

“It’s a learning experience for me too.”

Sung-hyun looked at Park Han-wook’s missing arm.

He likely had a prosthetic arm attached.

The difference in power between the sword of the hunter Park Han-byul he had seen before the regression and Park Han-wook’s sword now was significant, but the fundamental aspects were the same.

Sung-hyun wanted to help Park Han-wook.

However, he couldn’t recreate the arm that had been gone for so long with healing magic.

‘Then…’

A thought flashed through Sung-hyun’s mind.

‘What if I use Materialization [the ability to create objects from one’s own abilities]?’

Sung-hyun’s Materialization was the ability to create objects embodying his abilities.

DeMarge’s equipment was made by applying Sung-hyun’s abilities in a more efficient way, and Materialization was the ability to transform the ability itself into an object that Sung-hyun desired, like an elixir.

Like the ring he had given to the hunter supremacist group before, he could materialize abilities into a piece of equipment.

And in using this Materialization, there were no restrictions on shape or form.

Materialization could always be created in the form that Sung-hyun envisioned.

Then, couldn’t he create something in the shape of a prosthetic arm?

Even if not, there was another way.

The limitations of Materialization were not that restrictive, and based on his experience so far, all of Sung-hyun’s abilities depended on how Sung-hyun conceptualized them.

The types of physical abilities enhanced by the spirit of sacrifice were also similar.

‘If I think of materializing not as my ability, but as a result of my ability…’

‘If I think of Materialization not as the definition of the word “healing,” but as the result that can be created with healing.’

That could also be considered Sung-hyun’s ability.

“So, are you going to train again tomorrow?”

“Of course. I can’t miss a day.”

“Haha, it’ll be tiring but rewarding days.”

With training and sparring, the time was already somewhere between night and dawn.

“Let’s go back now. Han-byul will be waiting for her father.”

“Thank you.”

Park Han-wook bowed sincerely to Sung-hyun and left.

“A prosthetic arm with Materialization…”

However, there was a problem.

Sung-hyun didn’t know the principles of a prosthetic arm well.

He could make the shape similar, but it would be meaningless if it didn’t function properly.

“Looks like I have more to learn.”

However, deciding to learn something purely for the sake of others wasn’t a bad thing, but rather a valuable experience, so Sung-hyun left the association with a pleasant smile.

Arriving home, Sung-hyun immediately began to study the principles of prosthetic arms.

“Hmm…so it works like this.”

He didn’t just want to create a prosthetic arm that looked like a hand.

The tremendous advantage of Materialization.

It was an ability that could materialize Sung-hyun’s thoughts within the limits of his ability, so at the very least, using this ability should give him the feeling of having his own arm.

“The signals sent from the brain are received like this…just be a little careful with this part…”

He spent all his time until the sun rose again understanding prosthetic arms.

——————–

“Thank you for today as well.”

“Yes. Thank you too.”

Today was the first week of training together.

During that time, Sung-hyun’s swordsmanship was becoming able to maintain the same power, breath control, and balance, and Park Han-wook’s combat sense was also developing day by day.

“Ah, I have something to give you today.”

“To me?”

“Yes.”

Leaving behind Park Han-wook’s puzzled expression, Sung-hyun handed Park Han-wook a wrapped box.

“Haha, such a gift. I didn’t know you had such an unexpected side, Guild Leader.”

“I’m a person too.”

“Can I open it now?”

“Of course.”

Receiving such a gift from Sung-hyun, whom he respected and who was his benefactor, Park Han-wook’s expression was filled with joy.

He didn’t know what was in this box, but with his current mood, he felt like he would be happy even if it was empty.

How long had it been since he had received such a gift box?

His parents, who were now deceased, used to give him birthday presents like this when he was young.

With those memories resurfacing, filled with both joy and nostalgia, Park Han-wook opened the box.

“T, this is…”

Inside was something he couldn’t have imagined.

A prosthetic arm.

Park Han-wook had looked into prosthetic arms, but getting a prosthetic arm that moved like a natural part of his body, covering his entire arm, was beyond his financial reach.

Moreover, as a hunter, he didn’t know when, where, or how he might be attacked, so he couldn’t risk wearing such an expensive prosthetic arm while working.

So, a prosthetic arm remained just a thought.

Of course, it wasn’t that he didn’t have a prosthetic arm.

However, it was just a basic prosthetic arm that served as an external limb.

He had gotten it so that he wouldn’t feel self-conscious when he was with his daughter.

“Try putting it on.”

“Yes, yes…”

With trembling hands, Park Han-wook picked up the prosthetic arm and slowly brought it to his remaining shoulder.

How did he know the size?

The fit, neither too tight nor too loose, was surprisingly comfortable.

And the material was quite unique.

It felt like human skin, so much so that you wouldn’t notice unless the temperature was different.

“Is it uncomfortable?”

“How could it be? It fits perfectly, as if I had it custom-made at a specialty store.”

“That’s a relief. Try moving it.”

As Sung-hyun said, Park Han-wook slowly rotated his arm and soon began to flick his fingers one by one.

It was still awkward and unfamiliar, but the very fact that he could feel a sensation that he thought he would never feel again in his life was overwhelming.

“And…”

Sung-hyun placed his hand on Park Han-wook’s prosthetic arm.

Then, he began to use healing magic.

Sung-hyun was not a god, so it was impossible to completely transform the equipment created with Materialization into a part of Park Han-wook’s body.

However, the healing ability that had grown to the point where he could recreate a severed arm could revive things that had already died but were not truly dead.

What Sung-hyun was reviving was the nerve function.

The prosthetic arm created with Materialization itself had artificial nerves inside.

‘Well, it’s a shortcut, but…’

It wasn’t too difficult to grasp the structure of the prosthetic arm, but even for Sung-hyun, it wasn’t easy to fully understand a prosthetic arm with advanced technology.

In the end, Sung-hyun, who had created a prosthetic arm of the same size as Park Han-wook’s arm with Materialization, custom-ordered a separate electronic prosthetic arm.

And on top of that, he used Materialization to cover the dead bones, muscles, and nerves.

Of course, the created prosthetic arm was just a grotesque lump of meat.

A cold lump of meat without life.

However, that prosthetic arm was connected to Park Han-wook’s arm and electronic technology, and Sung-hyun had a different thought, just like when he first treated Park Han-wook.

One title he had obtained early on.

That is, Pioneer.

Sung-hyun regarded the dead nerves created with Materialization as Park Han-wook’s paralyzed arm.

This arm was not a prosthetic arm, but Park Han-wook’s own arm, and it was not severed, but only the nerves were dead.

‘I can feel the pain.’

The pain, which had now become a source of joy, began to be transmitted through his arm.

That was proof that it was going according to Sung-hyun’s plan.

“It’s quite amazing for a prosthetic arm… I feel like I can feel something…”

Of course, it wasn’t easy.

Rather than using a lot of healing at once, it seemed that consistency was needed.

So, when using Materialization, he created it with the ability to heal.

So that he could heal himself without Sung-hyun using healing directly.

“I hope you like it.”

“…Of course. I really…really like it.”

Leaving behind Park Han-wook’s emotional expression, as if trying to hold back tears, Sung-hyun returned without training for today.

As Sung-hyun left the association building, a window appeared in front of him.