The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 457

455. Currently Hospitalized (2)

“When you say cult, all I can think of is people grabbing you on the street asking if you know the ‘Way,’ or saying you have a clear aura.”

Yerim, who was supposed to be my bodyguard for the day, said as she unwrapped a hamburger. On the table were cola, french fries, and wings. Sadly, I had to fast. The S-Classes were taking turns visiting the hospital; Noah tonight, Yoohyun tomorrow, Moon Hyuna tomorrow night, and Sung Hyunjae on the last day. If the schedule fell through, Kim Sunghan and Evelyn were on standby.

It was truly a luxurious bodyguard roster.

“Before the regression, should I just eat in the next room?”

“No, it’s okay. Eat here.”

I must have been staring intently without realizing it.

“I was just wondering if that would be enough to fill you up. You could order a hospital meal.”

“Hamburgers are surprisingly complete foods. And they’re delicious. They’re also more expensive than they look.”

“Even so. How much is it?”

“12,500 won for a set.”

Wow. Food prices have gone up since the dungeons appeared, but isn’t that too expensive? A *bossam* [boiled pork belly] set meal with neat side dishes and stew is only 10,000 won. 12,500 won used to get you two bowls of *gukbap* [rice soup].

“I haven’t had much reason to buy them. It’s expensive. I thought it would be cheaper. It’s fast food, after all.”

I thought convenience store hamburgers were around 3,000 to 4,000 won. And french fries and cola would be about 4,000 won? So, a single hamburger is 8,000 won? It does look bigger than the ones from the convenience store. Yerim took a big bite of her hamburger.

– Is it good, Auntie?

“Want to try some?”

Gyeol hesitated, then climbed onto the table. And picked up a french fry.

– Can I eat this?

“Yeah, you can.”

Since the fairy dragon was small, the french fry in its hand looked like a large baguette. Gyeol opened its mouth and took a small bite off the end of the french fry.

– Salty!

“Want some ketchup?”

– But I think it’s okay.

Gyeol dipped the french fry in the ketchup that Yerim squeezed out, but didn’t seem to like it, and just ate the rest of it plain. It must have liked it quite a bit, as it settled down and pulled out a second french fry.

It’s still too young by birthdate, but is it okay to feed it fast food already? I heard you have to be careful with babies. Even though it’s not human.

“I don’t know much about religions that worship dungeons either. There used to be many different kinds. From those who thought dungeons should explode, to those who argued for monster rights, and many doomsday theorists. Of course, there were also many who preached salvation.”

“Isn’t it just the existing cults changing their doctrines to be dungeon-related? Doomsday and salvation stuff still exists, right? They believe in aliens instead of monsters, too.”

“They might have been similar before because their power was weak. They did commit terrorism, though.”

The problem was that even S-Class hunters were involved now. And the being they believed in was real and directly interfered. It’s not a real god, but it would feel like one.

“There are so many strange people in the world. It’s not like anything else; people get hurt when dungeons explode, so why do they do that?”

“Their beliefs are more important than people’s lives. It’s not just those fanatics; there have been many wars.”

There are plenty of humans who hurt others for their own gain. Conversely, there are also people who risk their lives for others.

“Anyway, the problem is the blindly devoted ordinary people. The S-Classes must be related to those Hyodo guys, so they’ll be quiet for a while. At most, like that shooting last time?”

“That’s not quiet either.”

“They can’t do anything that would risk their lives. But the followers who aren’t directly related to the Transcenders won’t have any restrictions.”

It was a headache to think about. I’m glad it’s not easy to bring firearms into Korea; if it were overseas, there might have already been machine gun attacks and bombings at the breeding centers. It would be better if only the buildings were damaged; there were non-awakened people in the breeding centers and buildings. Thinking about that made me frown.

“I did give out bulletproof vests and low-grade barrier items.”

Several mid- to high-level hunters were staying at the breeding centers and buildings. We decided to have at least one A-Class hunter stationed at Seok Hayan’s team, which was sure to be targeted. Still, I was worried.

“I thought all I had to do was stop the dungeons; what is this?”

“Stop worrying so much. Your surgery is tomorrow, Uncle.”

– Peep!

Ppeep cried as if in response and flew onto the table. Then it went to the Changeling and stared intently. Gyeol tilted its head.

– Want to eat?

– Ppeep.

– Here.

Gyeol pulled out another french fry and held it out to Ppeep. Ppeep stretched out its small wings to grab the french fry…

– Ppeep.

It flailed trying to grab it, but there was no way it could.

– Ppeep, peep!

Ppeep fluttered as if it was wronged. Ppeep… birds use their beaks and feet instead of hands. You usually do, too.

“It must be inconvenient without fingers.”

Yerim said as she finished her hamburger. When Ppeep kept chirping, Bellare also climbed onto the table.

– Siiit.

– Ppeep!

The two of them get along so well.

Just then, the doorbell rang. I opened the door with the remote, and Teacher Hoyeon, wearing a white coat, came in. Behind him was a middle-aged man who looked like a doctor.

“Hello, Teacher.”

“Oh, hello.”

…Huh? That word just now.

“You can speak Korean?”

“A little. Awkward.”

Hoyeon replied, mixing in Chinese, saying he had learned it before.

“This is Kang Kyung-ho, head of the orthopedic department.”

“Nice to meet you, Director Han.”

I felt a little apologetic when the doctor greeted me politely. I bowed my head and shook his hand.

“Nice to meet you. Are you an Awakened?”

“Yes. More support skills than direct healing skills, though.”

He said he had acquired skills that were helpful during surgery. Apparently, there were quite a few people like that among practicing doctors. There was even someone overseas with a skill similar to a CT scan. He said his hobby was going out on the street when he had time, scanning passersby, and telling them when he found illnesses. What a great hobby.

“Doctor Kang is the best to minimize potions and healing skills.”

“You flatter me.”

“…I think that was Chinese just now; can you speak Chinese too?”

“I can understand it.”

They have good abilities. Besides, they seemed to get along well, even though they hadn’t known each other for long.

“Many people have become interested in Korean medicine since the appearance of the Awakened. They wonder if ‘qi’ is the same as magic.”

I guess you could see it that way. Teacher Hoyeon also looked at my condition and talked about my pulse and *qi* [life force] and blood.

“I’ll be in charge of anesthesia, and Doctor Kang will be in charge of the surgery. I’ll assist too. I’ll use some healing skills on the inside, but the outside will be stitched up normally, so you’ll have to use crutches for a while.”

Hoyeon said that there would be scars left. Well, scars. I don’t really care anymore. Still, he said that the bones would be healed right away, so there would be no aftereffects. Skills are really good. It would have been impossible to completely fix a bone injury like this in the past.

He told me the schedule for tomorrow, and the two of them left the hospital room. Yerim was sorry to hear that scars would be left.

“Can’t you keep using potions, Uncle?”

“It seems like the mana imprinting has stabilized, so it’s better than before. But it’s better not to use them as much as possible. What’s wrong with having some scars? It was common before the dungeons appeared.”

“Still.”

– That’s right, Dad. I’m upset too.

Oh no. I have to try not to get hurt as much as possible, but it’s not up to me.

In the evening, Noah came with Myungwoo. Myungwoo looked haggard under his eyes.

“I’m the one who’s hospitalized, so why does your face look worse?”

“There were, huaaahm, many things that happened in the last dungeon.”

I haven’t seen him lately; he must have been holed up in the smithy all night.

“I’m starting to get a sense of the dungeon creator’s domain. So, I’m trying to make the smithy completely under my control, but it’s not easy.”

“Oh, um. Yeah.”

“Even though I’m the owner, someone else made it. First, I need to completely understand the space, but I’m stuck from here… So, I’m gradually disassembling and restoring it. It’ll take a while.”

That… it’s not just disassembling the building, but the space itself, or something like that.

“But with the help of the newbie, my control over the smithy’s space has increased a bit, so the Ice Tree Spear might be upgraded to a high-grade SS-Class.”

“Really?”

It was supposed to be completed as an SS-Class weapon since it used SSS-Class magic stones as materials. But I thought it would be mid-grade at best, and most likely low-grade, but a high-grade SS-Class.

“Yerim will be so happy!”

“Don’t tell her yet, just in case. If we do well, we might be able to make SS-Class weapons and other items from the SS-Class magic stones we brought from Japan.”

Wow, that’s why the education of a senior is important. Although Myungwoo has suffered a lot…

“I heard you’re having surgery tomorrow? I hope you recover safely.”

Noah said, sending me a worried look.

“It’s a part that won’t affect my life at all. Don’t worry.”

“You seem very hungry…”

Oh, did you hear my stomach growl? Myungwoo also gave me a pitiful look at Noah’s words.

“You’re not even getting anesthesia. Can’t you eat?”

“I don’t know well, but it’s supposed to have a similar effect to anesthesia. Besides, what was it? They said it’s good to fast for a day because the mana flow is different.”

“Ah, the flow is slightly different when you’ve eaten and when you haven’t.”

Is acupuncture a kind of skill? Still, I’m hungry.

“Oh, this is Changeling, the fairy dragon Hangyeol.”

Myungwoo hasn’t seen him, probably? Gyeol, who was pretending not to be able to speak, raised his body and bowed at my words.

– Hello, Myungwoo Uncle. I’m Hangyeol. Nice to meet you, Noah Uncle.

“Yeah, hello.”

“Nice to meet you too, Hangyeol.”

“Like Eunhye, you could say it’s a monster I created.”

“Then two more will be born.”

You know it well. Somehow, I’m about to have three kids without even having a relationship.

Noah stayed to protect me, and Myungwoo went back first. I was a little worried that he just smiled when I told him to get some sleep. He always nags me to take care of myself and rest.

The next morning, Yoohyun visited.

“Hyung…”

His eyes were full of pity as he looked at me, who had been starving since yesterday.

“After the surgery, eat whatever you want for a day.”

“Thanks.”

“And let’s work out. Definitely.”

My younger brother grabbed my wrist, saying I looked thinner in just one day. There’s no difference.

“Basic physical strength is important. You have to take care of yourself from your twenties.”

“I was fine until I was thirty.”

“You have to live with me for a long time.”

– That’s right, Hyung! Live with Yoohyun for a long time! Rin doesn’t want much, just a thousand years!

Rin, who had crawled onto the back of my hand, spun around and stopped, looking at the Changeling sitting quietly next to me. Gyeol blinked and raised his hand to wave.

– Hello.

– I’m not your uncle!

…What’s that suddenly? Rin calls me Hyung too, but. Gyeol tilted his ears back and frowned.

– I don’t think you’re my uncle either. I only have one uncle.

– But if Yoohyun is your uncle, then Rin is the same!

– Not the same. Idiot.

– Same!

– Not! And you’re young.

– If you count the egg, I’m very old!

– If you count the magic stones, I’m much older.

Between the spirit’s egg and Diarma, Diarma must have lived longer. That dragon species wouldn’t be young either, and Sung Hyunjae would be considerable if you counted the past. Rin sulked and huffed, then scurried back to Yoohyun. Gyeol, who had been glancing at Yoohyun, raised his head again when he didn’t react.

– Dad, that lizard is a bit noisy. Right.

Well, a little.

Not long after I persuaded my brother, who said he would starve with me, to eat lunch, Hoyeon and Kang Kyung-ho came to the hospital room.

“Thank you for your help.”

Yoohyun bowed his head very politely. Gyeol couldn’t speak, but he bowed along. Anyone would think I was having life-or-death surgery. It’s just a leg.

“I thought all S-Class hunters were stiff.”

Teacher Hoyeon said, looking at Yoohyun.

“Even just high-level ones. They act like they have steel rods in their necks, even when asking me to treat their families. Your brother is very kind.”

“Right. My brother is really kind. Every action he’s taken since he was young has been so admirable.”

“It’ll be over if you close your eyes for a moment, so don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried.”

That’s what I said, but I was a little nervous. It might have been a little scary if I didn’t have fear resistance. Even if it’s similar to anesthesia, it’s still surgery without anesthesia… um, it’s a bit nauseating.

Soon, I was moved to the operating room and closed my eyes as Teacher Hoyeon said. And after a brief loss of consciousness, I opened my eyes and was back in the hospital room. Wow. It’s real.