Consulting the Solo Doctor
"Let's see..."
I pulled out the suitcase tucked away in the corner of the house and carefully packed it with snacks. I had no desire to repeat my past failures. This time, I was the one in the position of asking for a favor, so I needed to be even more cautious.
"All set over here!"
I hurried over to An Sua and Han Seohee, who were sitting at the dining table with furrowed brows, deep in thought. An Sua spoke first.
"Master… No matter how I think about it, I'm not sure if this is a wise choice."
"But didn't it say a doctor could heal her?"
Han Seohee shook her head.
"That's not the issue. It's more complicated than that."
"Why? Can't we just bring her along?"
The first time I'd carried Han Seohee into battle, it had been pretty dicey, sure. But that was because she was in a state where the slightest movement could kill her, and it was nighttime, when hordes of monsters swarmed out. In broad daylight, carrying a fully healthy Han Seohee? I wouldn't even need to fight any monsters. At my speed, I could just zip right past them and reach the destination.
"That bitch has skills, yeah, but I've never heard of her saving someone whose limbs were completely useless. She needs to come to us…"
"Honestly, paying the price would be tough."
Seohee and Sua sighed in unison.
"What if we just say we'll do anything…?"
"The problem is we can't trust her."
"Even if she agrees to come, that's an issue. That Shin Roa bitch is just… fuck. How do I even explain this? She's infamous…"
Seohee scratched her head.
"A total piece of shit. Solo doctors don't get bad reps easily, but she pulls it off."
"What?"
"She probably kills more people than she saves. For real… she's trash who toys with human lives."
Sua nodded weakly in agreement.
"Hold on. I don't get any of this system stuff. Explain it slowly, from the beginning, step by step."
I sat at the table and listened quietly as they explained. Sua started.
"Okay, first off… Unless you're a survivor group big enough to join a major organization and build a base, most people just wander around to survive. You know why, right?"
"It's not safe, and there's no food?"
"Exactly."
The convenience store had a decent stock, but even that was barely enough to sustain about ten people. And for those without a stable base like mine, they had to live out there in the wild—never knowing when zombies or elite monsters might show up.
"But there are exceptions. People who run small shops."
"Shops?"
"Weapon dealers, doctors, food merchants… various types. They have their own bases and trade goods to survive."
"Is that even possible?"
It was probably common knowledge in this world, but it was all new to me.
"Yes. People who acquire a 'shop'-type base can use the money they earn to order new supplies or upgrade their base's level."
"Since it's a base, zombies can't get in… like here?"
"It's not impossible to enter, but the methods are only usable by major organizations."
I nodded slowly, then jolted in surprise.
"Wait, money?"
"Not pre-apocalypse currency—it's what you get from killing monsters in dungeons…"
"What's a dungeon?"
Han Seohee shook her head firmly.
"No way. I want to heal up quick too, but no matter how I look at it, this is… impossible."
Her eyes sharpened.
"How many people has that Shin Roa bitch killed? You want our Master walking into that and dying too?"
"Master is strong."
"Still no need to take the risk."
Sua and Seohee exchanged glances.
"Keep explaining. What's a dungeon?"
"They're like buildings that stretch deep underground. Tons of monsters spawn there… Kill them, and you get chests with money inside."
"Sounds good, right?"
"Usually, yeah… but it's dangerous. Even strong monsters are hard to escape from. Sometimes, ones way too powerful to handle show up."
I tilted my head. I'd already planned to clear every monster around here anyway. No point worrying about them now.
"And what's this about Shin Roa killing people?"
"She takes food sometimes, but usually it's money. A shit-ton of it."
Seohee grimaced, looking like she wanted to spit but holding back since we were indoors.
"Fuck… Say someone like me shows up, arm fucked. She demands a ridiculous amount. What do you do?"
"Earn the money?"
"Yeah. And get this—there's a dungeon right by her hospital."
"So?"
"That dungeon's insanely dangerous, with crap rewards."
Seohee scowled, as if just thinking about it pissed her off.
"One person saved, but three or four get hurt. Then those hurt ones gotta pay her again…"
"…"
"Most give up around then."
I tilted my head.
"Other people don't do that?"
"Nah, normal solo doctors are decent. No real reason for a skilled one to leave an organization in the first place, right?"
Seohee gazed into the distance.
"They might seem dumb for it, but usually they leave to save more people."
"I see…"
"But not Shin Roa. Fuck, that money-grubbing demon? I want to heal, but not like that."
"No other doctors around?"
"Of course not nearby. We'd have to go to another major organization's turf and beg for a house call… Fuck. House calls are the real problem."
"Why's that?"
"You gotta drag a doctor out of her organization or base. No one does that normally. Too risky."
I realized I'd been taking this too lightly. Finding a doctor wasn't the end. Meeting her wasn't the end. Even if I promised her a huge reward, she'd have to risk kidnapping or death to come all the way to this apartment to treat Seohee.
"Still, I'll at least meet her and talk."
"Don't you dare do whatever that bitch wants. Better to go dark, wait for her to step out, bash her head, and kidnap her. That'd be smarter."
"I'm not doing that…"
I sighed deeply and picked up the map they'd made.
"Hope this works out…"
Clutching a vague hope in my chest.
"Is that it?"
Honestly, I still couldn't fully wrap my head around the idea that society was still functioning in this world. The only people I'd met in my outings these past few days were Sua, Seohee, and her group.
But from what they'd told me, this area was just a godforsaken wasteland. No supply points, monsters everywhere, perfect spot to die pointlessly. That's why it took me quite a while. A distance that pre-hero me would've avoided walking altogether.
And I arrived.
"Hmm…"
It looked like an ordinary commercial building, but slate panels sealed it tight in places. A roughly painted "Hospital" sign in green tape confirmed I'd reached the right spot.
I found what looked like an entrance and stepped into a small room. It seemed like a makeshift space built from slate, not part of the original building. Beyond it: glass walls and a glass door.
"Hm…"
I tried pushing the door, half-expecting it to work, but no dice. In my room stood a single chair, blatantly placed there. I sat, and spotted a camera reflecting me through the glass.
"Uh…"
Looking around, I saw writing: Please press the bell upon arrival.
I pressed it. A ding-dong echoed, and a ceiling mic crackled.
"Hello. First time at our hospital?"
A young, beautiful voice. But no face in sight.
"Yes."
"You look fine. What's wrong with you?"
"It's not me. One of my companions is injured."
"Sigh…"
She let out a deep sigh.
"I don't usually do proxy visits, and I won't take responsibility for the outcome. Describe the symptoms roughly. I'll prescribe meds. But if I'm wrong, that's on you."
Making a diagnosis without seeing the patient firsthand would be tough, for sure.
"Both arms and legs are completely wrecked. Can't use them at all."
"Ah, another idiot like that. Look, what do you expect me to do?"
Her tone dripped with biting sarcasm, zero customer service.
"Sometimes bosses drop prosthetic arms or legs. Go hunt for those. I'm no god—I can't revive dead limbs."
"But aren't you a doctor?"
"So what if I am?"
"My status window said if a doctor enters my base, she can heal her—"
Silence fell for a moment.
"Should've known when a guy sneaks in… Bigger deal than I thought, huh?"
"Maybe…?"
"Take the meds on the side. Come in. Let's talk face-to-face."
Shin Roa was calling me in.