Have we met? (3)
“Pfuh…”
Cheon Myung-Seok arrived at the hospital completely out of breath. He regretted neglecting his cardio training. Almost tripping over himself on the way, several times, he finally entered his daughter’s room.
His daughter was surrounded by nurses and doctors wearing oxygen masks.
That wasn’t a good sign.
“You better sit down.”
With these words, the doctor stepped to the side, finally letting him take a look at his daughter. His heart sank. Her skin had turned blue. That was a sign of the mana addiction spreading. She had been fine just yesterday…
The doctor was talking to Myung-seok, but he had no idea what the doctor was saying. It was as if he was trapped in a bubble. All sounds that reached his ears were weirdly muffled. What was he saying? Come on, Myung-seok, concentrate…
Was he saying something about replacing her heart?
Suddenly the room was spinning before it went completely black. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness were nurses and doctors rushing towards him.
“Dad, only a little bit, please? It’s started hurting again.”
“Take this instead. It’s an expensive medicine. Please, just take it. I will ask Uncle Joon-hyuk if you took it when I come back.”
“Dad…I can’t breathe. Daddy, please come quick…”
“Daddy…”
“She is in the late stages of mana addiction. There must have been symptoms? If only you’d come earlier…”
“Every time I breathe, I feel a sharp pain in my chest…”
“I think you need to prepare for the worst.”
“Mr. Myung-Seok…can you hear me?”
Beep.
Beep.
“Mr. Myung-Seok?”
He slowly opened his eyes.
“Ah, you’re awake. How do you feel? Did you hurt your head?”
Beep.
“No…I think I’m okay. Maybe a little dizzy.”
Beep.
“That’s normal. Don’t get up yet. Just stay seated for a minute until you feel better, okay?”
The sound of the door opening made Myung-seok turn his head. The sudden movement made him feel dizzy again.
Once the vision had cleared up, he could see the young man he had met earlier in the day, accompanied by another person. What was his name again? Jeong something…?
“Cheon Myung-seok, are you okay? You look so pale!”
Jeong Si-woo. That was it.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
The man next to Jeong Si-woo looked very interesting. He had dark eyebrows, a neat beard, and curly brown hair that went down to his shoulders. He was dressed in very baggy clothes, as if to hide his body shape. He reminded him of this religious figure…
He didn’t say anything. He just walked towards Myung-seok’s daughter.
“Hey, what are you doing? Don’t touch her!”
He tried to get up to stop him as he walked past, but his vision went blurry again, and he had to sit back down. Unphased, the man walked towards the bed and laid his hand on the young woman’s forehead. Why were the doctors not stopping this strange man?
“No, leave her alone…”
Then something weird happened.
Within the blink of an eye, her skin reverted to its normal color.
Slowly she started opening her eyes.
“Hey, dad…”
* * *
Thanks to Zhang Wei’s miraculous powers, Cheon Myung-seok’s daughter would survive. I don’t know if he had intended to look like Jesus, but if he kept turning up in that look, he would gain followers very quickly…
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Kim Seung-Hyun couldn’t stop thanking Zhang Wei. While he didn’t speak Korean very well, it was easy to understand what Seung-Hyun was saying. Slightly uncomfortable, the healer kept nodding with a friendly smile in response.
“It’s a miracle. Her mana poisoning is completely gone. She is finally healthy again!”
At least he had stopped hugging us while crying tears of joy.
“Jeong Si-woo, how can I ever repay you…?”
I told him again and again that he didn’t need to do anything. The traveler, however, had other ideas.
[Ask him about his shield technique.]
Irritated, I mumbled in response.
“Shut up. Not the right time.”
[Ask him, he will tell you. He’ll probably teach you himself.]
He kept pressing.
[This power could help you become the president of the Association.]
“…”
[It’s not a simple shield technique; it’s a form of martial art. It’s a classic form that focuses on harnessing chi.]
“Why don’t you teach me yourself, if you know so much about it…?”
I grumbled. Becoming president…that was a tempting prospect.
Ignoring my comment, he rambled on.
[Also, you have no idea where the only other person who could teach you this technique is.]
“…”
[This form is an esoteric martial art style, similar to one that has been passed down in my family from generation to generation. I am forbidden to teach you, but he isn’t]
[This martial art style will give you the means to confront the Association’s president, and you will learn more about Kim Seung-Hyun. You would be stupid to pass up this opportunity.]
[Learning something first hand is completely different from learning it by linking up with a person studying at Moorim. It would help if you realized that by now. It is also an opportunity to mix the first-hand experience with knowledge from the Akashic Records to create something new.]
‘He has a point…’
I thought about it for a while, before…
“Well, maybe there is something you could do for me…”
* * *
“Here you go.”
Some time had passed. I had cleared eight Rifts in the meantime.
I was now considered a mercenary because I was attacking Rifts independent of the Guild.
After confirming that everything was in order, I left the Association building, slightly annoyed.
“There you are.”
“Oh! You really didn’t have to wait for me.”
“I grabbed a bite to eat while you were in there. What took you so long?”
“I don’t even know. They take so long for the license renewal, it’s ridiculous.”
I got into a car with Han Yeon-soo. The car looked like it had been on the road for a while. The familiar smell of leather greeted me when I entered. I had missed this.
“Are you finished?”
“Call me when you’re done, I’ll buy you lunch.”
My Squad had left me a few kind messages.
* * *
“Si-woo, wake up! We’re here.”
Sleepily I opened my eyes and saw Han Yeon-soo’s face uncomfortably close to mine. I pushed her out of the way and got out of the car.
Already tired, I entered my gym. After leaving the Academy, I had asked Han Yeon-soo to build a private space for training.
“Are you sure you’re learning something from that person? He’s only a third-class hunter, after all.”
“There’s a difference between being strong and being a good teacher.”
[You’re correct. Teaching and strength can be different talents.]
For some reason, the traveler had felt like he had some valuable insight to give. Inside the gym, Cheon Myung-seok was already waiting for me.
“You’re early.”
“Haha, yeah, I thought I’d try to be on time for a change.”
“Haha. Are you still convinced there is something I can teach you? After all, you’re already a second-class hunter.”
“A skill is a skill, it doesn’t matter what class you are.”
Besides, if the technique was unusual, even more so.
Cheon Myung-seok laughed.
Luckily, he had accepted my offer. Four times a week, he was now teaching me how to use a shield. During the third class, the traveler had commented:
[This is not an ordinary martial art. Amazingly, this man has created it himself. He’s not even using it to its fullest potential because he’s not that strong. If properly used, it could even be taught in Moorim. It will take one or two years to learn without a link, however.]
‘One or two years.’
It’s been a long time since I’ve last had to learn a skill without using a link. Usually, it takes me a month to master a technique. However, I wasn’t worried. The technique was so powerful; it would be well worth investing such a large amount of time into it.
“Now, then. Shall we start?”
As if by design, I would finish around the time when Yoo Ji-Yeon was set to graduate.
After that, the real fun would start.
“Yes.”
I needed that time to prepare myself.
I took off my coat, and we started the lesson.
* * *
“Is that guy still playing around with the Akashic Record’s body?”
“Perhaps.”
“He’s so pathetic. He’s god-like, but he’s still playing around with those humans.”
“I can’t blame him; after all, I used to be like that. I loved collecting interesting stories.”
“Well, you were the first to reach divinity by doing that.”
Thousands of people opened their mouths.
“I can understand it’s a little uncomfortable to be in this place. What did he say the modifier he uses in the physical world was?”
“Traveler.”
“Fwhahahaha! That’s the least dignified modifier he could have picked. Also, didn’t he run away because a former Akashic Record user had scared him?”
“Isn’t it funny? Not attending the gathering of the entire priesthood is like ignoring us. Shouldn’t we do something about it?”
“What course of action is there for us to take?”
Only
“If it’s what he wants, what can we do?”
“…”
One of the beings listening to them burst out laughing.
“The one who did that shall step forth! I thought so. All of you are too scared to reveal your faces.”
“And what…He’s there because he liked to play with humans. At least he’s capable of using his four feet. The same can’t be said for all of you. You’re sitting here, making fun of him. At least he knows what he wants.”
Tuk tuk.
The sound of someone knocking on the table echoed through the room.
“If you knew who he was, you wouldn’t be laughing about him taking on the appearance of a human. I’m laughing about it because I know what a terrifying monster he truly is.”
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