ch 236
Became a Swordsmanship Instructor at the Academy
Chapter 236
Seong Ji-an is sitting next to Chan-seong holding his hand, and her clothes are a school uniform.
School should have finished for vacation today... It seems like she came here right after the closing ceremony ended.
What sincere devotion.
I was thinking I should come back next time and was about to leave, but Seong Ji-an seemed to sense someone's presence and turned around.
"Who... huh?"
She seemed to recognize me immediately.
"I didn't know there would be a prior visitor. Are you Chan-seong's friend?"
I knew the whole situation but played dumb and spoke to her.
"Yes. You're... you're Hunter Kang Shin-hyeok, right?"
"It's not 'you're... you're' Kang Shin-hyeok, just Kang Shin-hyeok?"
"I was surprised.... I'm sorry if I offended you."
She bowed her head and apologized.
When she comes out like this, I'm the one who feels awkward instead.
It was just a light joke, but she didn't take it at all.
"It's just a joke, why apologize so much...."
While speaking, I approached Chan-seong and checked his condition.
Nothing different from before.
"Um, thank you. For saving our Chan-seong."
I was momentarily flustered by her words about saving him, but I quickly understood the situation.
Chan-seong has been in this state the whole time, but Seong Ji-an and the general public would think I rescued him from the dormitory rubble during the last terrorist attack.
"I just did what was natural. But 'our' Chan-seong? Are you perhaps his girlfriend?"
"Ah... it's not like that."
Her face turns red as she gets embarrassed.
Such an easy personality to read.
"Sorry. From your appearance, it seems like you came right after the closing ceremony ended. Are you close friends?"
"Yes. I'm called Seong Ji-an."
"Ji-an. Right, Ji-an, did you contact home? It's gotten quite late. Taking care of a friend is important, but you shouldn't make your parents worry."
"I contacted them when I came."
Earlier, Seong Jin-cheol seemed unaware. Well, she might have contacted her mother.
"Still, shouldn't you be going soon? The transportation will stop running in a little while."
"I can take a taxi.... Um, more than that... Hunter Kang Shin-hyeok."
She steps closer to me and then kneels down.
"Student Ji-an?"
"Please treat Chan-seong."
I roughly expected this from when she knelt down, but still....
"First, get up."
"I heard that regeneration magic is also magic that you developed, teacher. Please, please treat our Chan-seong."
"...It's true that I developed regeneration magic, but there's never been a case of treating a brain-dead person with regeneration magic...."
"I know. I've inquired with other magicians too, but they all said it was impossible. But people around me, seniors, said that if it's you, teacher, it might be possible. Please, could you at least try?"
Looking at Ji-an pleading, I also feel sorry for her.
But feeling sorry is one thing, and reality is reality....
"If you treat Chan-seong, I'll do anything. Not just me, but Hwasung Guild too. My father is the master of Hwasung Guild. I'll make Hwasung Guild fully support and follow Hunter Kang Shin-hyeok too... please."
Seong Ji-an said she'd do anything, but honestly, from my position, would there be any occasion to receive her help?
Even if her dad is a top 10 guild and she's an excellent student, she's still just a student.
Hwasung Guild is the same.
It's a top 10 guild, so their support would be helpful domestically, but internationally it's not that impressive.
"Student Ji-an, first get up and let's talk."
"I'll get up if you say you'll grant my request. Please...."
When I told her to get up, she even bowed her head deeply and pleaded.
Kids these days really don't listen.
I had no choice but to use internal energy to make her stand up.
"...I can try."
"Really?"
"However, the success rate is extremely low. And Chan-seong might get worse."
"....."
"Even if it miraculously succeeds, Chan-seong might not remember you."
"That's okay. Last time when he woke up, he didn't remember the past either, but he remembered again later... as long as he wakes up...."
"It's not that simple a problem. It's not just that he won't remember you, but his entire memory might disappear completely."
It seems like Seong Ji-an doesn't understand the mechanism of regeneration magic well since she's not a magician.
Even if she were in the magic class, it would be hard to understand since it's such a high-difficulty magic.
I excluded the difficult theory and explained it simply so Seong Ji-an could understand.
"So what you're saying, Hunter, is that beyond simply losing memories, his body might be an adult but his mind could become like a newborn baby?"
"Right. It won't necessarily be 100% like that, but since we're regenerating the brain, even if it succeeds, there's a possibility that it won't be the Chan-seong you knew...."
I thought she might give up after I explained this much, but Seong Ji-an immediately gave her answer.
"Even if he has no memories at all, we can build new memories together. But if he continues lying down like this... he can't do anything...."
Her will is really strong.
"As I said earlier, there's also a possibility that things could go wrong...."
"I believe in Hunter Kang Shin-hyeok."
When did she even see me to say that?
"I heard from the seniors."
"What did they say?"
"That you cherish and care for students more than anyone. That you're a superhero who accomplishes even seemingly impossible things."
Superhero....
My face burns hot.
Eunseo? No, was it Eunsu? Who said such embarrassing things?
"Although I'm not Chan-seong's family and don't have the right to decide his life or death, I'm sure Chan-seong wouldn't want to lie down like this for his whole life either. Please, I beg you."
Her emotions overwhelm her as she sheds tears drip drip while bowing her head.
Haha.... I have no choice.
After hearing such words, I can't just keep my mouth shut.
I also lived as Min Chan-seong for a year... of course, I didn't ask for his permission. But anyway, I could consider it as owing him a debt.
I was about to try right away, but first I used sleep magic to put Seong Ji-an to sleep.
I can use regeneration magic too, but there's someone who's much more skilled and better than me.
Of course, when I asked Luciel, she also gave a negative answer, but it would still be better than doing it alone.
I laid Seong Ji-an on the guardian bed and used the necklace to summon Luciel, but there was no response.
It seems like she went to the portal where Master is, so I used teleportation magic to move near the portal.
When I entered the portal, neither Master nor Luciel came out to greet me, so I thought maybe they weren't here, but just in case, I went to the lakeside and found them talking.
Their expressions are quite serious. What are they talking about?
"Master, I'm here."
"Oh... when did you come?"
"Wh, when did you come?"
It feels like they're somewhat flustered.
Not just Master, but Luciel also has the expression of a student caught doing something bad.
Moreover, normally Master couldn't fail to notice someone entering and leaving the portal, so what serious conversation were they having....
"I just entered a moment ago. What were you talking about?"
"It's nothing. I was asking her to do an errand and this one said she wouldn't do it because it's bothersome."
"Right. The old man keeps bothering me asking to buy ramen and snacks."
Ramen and snacks?
When I met Se-jin earlier, I heard that Se-jin bought and brought some yesterday.
Well, for now this isn't what's important.
"You should buy some for him, what's so difficult about that.... I'll buy some later."
"Re... really? As expected, only our Shin-hyeok is reliable."
"I have something to discuss with Luciel."
"Alright. Go handle your business. I should watch the movies I've been putting off."
Master went to the camping car, and I explained the situation to Luciel.
But somehow she doesn't seem to find it appealing.
"I know the possibility is slim. Still, I want to help."
"Why?"
"What do you mean why...."
"Do you perhaps have feelings for that girl named Ji-an or something?"
"That can't be. I just feel sorry for her...."
"What will you do if it fails? You might just end up in trouble for nothing."
"Still, it would be better than lying down like that for life."
"Last time when you asked, I also looked into it a bit, and I heard that even in a vegetative state, there are cases where people wake up?"
"Such cases aren't completely nonexistent, but they're extremely rare. That would be a miracle."
"Still, if you try something unnecessarily and that Chan-seong kid gets worse, you'd be depriving him of even the chance for such a miracle to happen. Do you have the right to decide that arbitrarily? Neither you nor that girl are that Chan-seong kid's family."
"I haven't not thought about that, but I think trying is better than just staying put believing only in miracle-like possibilities. Why are you being so negative?"
"I'm not being negative, I'm talking realistically. Are you going to help everyone in the world just because you feel sorry for them?"
"Of course not. But it's not like I'm completely unrelated to this, right? I also lived as that kid for a year. Most importantly, Chan-seong is also a Hunter School student."
"Huh?"
"A teacher should never turn away when a student is in trouble."
"You're not a teacher right now."
"That's true, but that student said she believes in me. And I also believe in you, Luciel."
Luciel's cheeks turned slightly red.
"Anyway, you, Shin-hyeok, are really good with words."
"Isn't that my charm point?"
Luciel laughed as if it was ridiculous, but she gave me the answer that she'd help.
I came out of the portal with Luciel and moved to the hospital room.
It was decided that Luciel would cast the regeneration magic, but I first held Min Chan-seong's right hand and flowed internal energy into him to take control of his body.
Since regeneration magic targeting the brain would be cast by Luciel, and during the process there's a possibility that breathing might stop or the heart might not beat.
I decided to control such risks.
"Ready?"
When I nodded, Luciel grasped Min Chan-seong's left hand.
Since the brain itself isn't a part exposed on the outside like arms or legs, I heard that they use internal energy to identify and limit the location and target before using magic.
If we did surgery, we could open him up, but then it would be difficult to receive Luciel's help.
Soon I felt Luciel's energy heading toward the brain blood vessels.
And not long after, a tremendous energy burst and green light began gathering around Min Chan-seong's head.
His breathing was fine, but his heart seemed to have stopped moving, so I immediately moved my internal energy.
I've sent internal energy to other people's bodies quite a few times before, so I thought control wouldn't be too difficult.
But perhaps because of his long vegetative state, both his heart and blood vessels are too weak compared to ordinary people.
If I controlled the strength wrong, it seemed like they'd burst immediately, so controlling them delicately consumed a lot of mental energy.
Just when I thought I was reaching my limit, the vivid green light that had filled the hospital room gradually began to diminish and then completely disappeared.
"It's finished."
When Luciel spoke as she withdrew her hand, I withdrew my internal energy and fortunately, even without my control, his heart beat on its own.
At least we seem to have avoided the worst-case scenario of death.
"Did it succeed?"
"Didn't you say you believed in me? Well, if he wakes up when we wake him, then it succeeded."
Along with her words, Luciel immediately slapped Min Chan-seong's cheek.
"Hey, treating a patient like that...! Huh?"
Min Chan-seong, who had been lying motionless, began to toss and turn.
"It seems like it succeeded?"
Along with her words, Luciel hid her form.
Since I can still feel her presence, it seems like she used invisibility magic.
"Slap him a few more times."
I couldn't bring myself to do that to a patient, so I held his body and gently shook him, and he tossed and turned more greatly before soon opening his eyes.
"Ahhh, why is my body... Wh, who are you?"
Seeing him even speak, it seems like we avoided the worst-case scenario too.
Still, I should check.
"I'll introduce myself slowly, but first, do you know who that girl sleeping on the guardian bed over there is?"
"What? Oh... Ji-an? No, she's similar to Ji-an but looks much older... Is she Ji-an's older sister? No, I think Ji-an said she was an only child...."
It seems like his memory is perfect too, which is fortunate.
"That's Ji-an."
"Really? But why has she aged so much...."
"Um... hey, Chan-seong? I'm about to wake her up, but it would be better not to say things like that."