Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: I Can Solve It
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The community, which had been buzzing with excitement over "Thanks to Lumina flowers, mana replenishment is a breeze now—,"
started seeing posts complaining of strange symptoms just a week later. The upbeat mood plummeted just as quickly.
— ManaBurnedAF I'm screwed. No matter how many mana potions I chug, my mana won't recover... I've been stocking up on Lumina flowers and getting free mana refills this whole time, but at some point, even the flowers stopped working... The real problem is the potions aren't working either... Is this that "resistance" or whatever the troll was talking about...? Am I seriously fucked? I can't focus on anything right now... If anyone's dealing with the same thing, please reply. — Reply1 I've been lying here since yesterday with zero mana, can't even move... Feels like I'm done for... — Reply2 It's not the potions. Normally, mana should regen a bit even if you're idle, but it's not recovering at all. — ?? User You too?? I'm probably screwed too... I'm the breadwinner at home, but with the gate raids and all, I can't do shit and I'm just lying here... Amid all this, a few who had heeded Healer Yi Chrog's video and steered clear of Lumina flowers were quietly breathing sighs of relief.
— LuckyOne Saw Healer's video and it felt off, so I tossed all the flowers... Dodged a bullet. — QuickThrow Dumped the flowers the second the video dropped. Best move ever. Nearly got wrecked. — TruthSeer Her eyes weren't lying. — Skeptic Those idiots saying she was stirring shit to tank flower prices? Eat it. — SavedSoul Thank you for saving us, Healer... ㅠㅠㅠ ⭐ Top Comment — PlantFanaticFan Why's no one mentioning Plant Fanatic? We owe our lives to her too. Kim Sae-byeol, the first disciple of "Plant Fanatic," was one of them.
"Master was right all along..."
She had been planning to film a YouTube video on the hot topic of Lumina flowers.
But when she stumbled upon her master's post, Sae-byeol sensed something off in the unusually serious tone from the normally playful Plant Fanatic.
The post had its usual clickbait title, packed with provocation.
But the content held no bait, no taunts.
It carried just one pure intent: to save lives.
The desperation in every word hit Sae-byeol hard.
So she immediately disposed of the flowers her fans had gifted her.
She messaged everyone she knew and crossposted her master's warning to other communities.
The responses were cold and sharp.
But she had this unshakable gut feeling that she had to do it.
As Sae-byeol stared blankly at her phone screen,
Ring ring—
messages started flooding in from her contacts.
— Friend1 Sae-byeol... The Awakened community is blowing up over Lumina flowers right now... — Friend2 Told me to toss the flowers and I lived... Thanks for real. — Friend3 Situation's fucked... Listened to you just in case, held out with potions, and saved a life. Thanks, Sae-byeol. "It's not me—it's thanks to Master..."
The thought crossed her mind, but her head remained blank.
How had her master known this ahead of time and posted the warning?
"And how'd she spot that new healer's video so quick...?"
Her eyes narrowed with questions.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The crisis worsened by the day.
Not only had Awakened who consumed artificial Lumina Bell become unable to recover mana,
but now reports of hallucinations and addiction symptoms started popping up.
An Awakened on a gate raid mistook a teammate for a monster and stabbed them in the back,
or collapsed unconscious from damaged mana circuits, teetering on the brink of death.
Those using artificial Lumina Bell were spiraling into disaster.
Finally, the Management Bureau issued an emergency alert.
📰 Emergency Notice [Emergency Announcement] Refrain from Consuming Artificial Lumina Bell Among long-term users of recently circulated Lumina Bell (hereinafter "artificial flowers"), ▷ Inability to recover mana ▷ Hallucinations and cognitive impairment ▷ Coma and seizures from mana poisoning, etc. Serious side effects have been successively reported. Please stop consuming the flowers immediately. If you experience any of the above symptoms, visit the nearest medical center. Artificial flowers are currently being tracked and recalled in full, with investigations into distribution channels underway... This was the first major crisis to hit South Korea since the world changed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The news anchor's voice crackled clearly from my phone screen.
"Reported cases of abnormal symptoms have now exceeded 1,200 nationwide.
Some long-term users have suffered severe mana circuit damage, resulting in permanent inability to use magic."
The screen showed a procession of Awakened being wheeled into hospitals.
Unable to stomach the grim scenes, I covered my face with both hands.
"...Should I have done more?"
Gone to the press room and gotten on my knees?
Or spread rumors that I poisoned the flowers myself...?
Guilt. Helplessness. Regret.
A whirlwind of emotions spun in my head when—
Ding—
A message notification chimed.
⚙ Official Message ⚙ [National Central Mana Medical Center] - Request for personnel support due to surge in patients - Critical shortage of emergency treatment staff for mana poisoning and circuit damage patients. - Urgent support requested from all Healers. - Contributors will receive 1,000 Contribution Points. Support Location: National Central Mana Medical Center "Contribution Points?"
What were those?
A quick search revealed they were points awarded to those who contributed significantly to the nation.
Higher points meant reduced exchange fees, priority entry to top gates,
and eligibility for Awakened-only housing, among other perks.
"I had no idea..."
Apparently, they were normally only earned by clearing gates.
For someone like me who avoided gates, the points were way more appealing than cash rewards.
"Awakened housing should have solid security, right?"
Anyway, even without rewards, I'd volunteer if they needed help.
With Contribution Points on offer, no reason to say no.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Beyond the massive glass building next to the Management Bureau,
shadows of people hustled nonstop.
Exhausted Awakened slumped in a long line outside the medical center's main entrance.
The moment I passed them and entered,
"Healer?!"
A medical staffer on the waiting area phones spotted me and rushed over with a look of pure relief, grabbing my hands.
"You've come... Healer, I don't even know how to thank you..."
Her face screamed unspoken words, but no time for chat—she hustled me straight inside.
Including me, only five Healers had volunteered.
"Even in a disaster like this, nationwide total is single digits."
Healers truly were rarer than rare in this world.
Then I saw a Healer in the ward slump into a chair, gasping for breath.
"Purification complete... Hoo, ha... Next patient..."p> A trailing staffer shoved a large mana potion into her hands.
"Healer, your mana’s drained! Drink up quick!"
Everyone was giving their all.
Taking it in, I quietly took my assigned seat.
"......"
My eyes met another Healer's who'd been staring.
She had a neat appearance and refined air.
Pretty enough to make "beautiful" pop into my head unbidden.
But for some reason, my sudden arrival rubbed her wrong.
Her gaze held a subtle edge...
"Haha..."
I gave an awkward smile and greeted my first patient.
A staggering man, mana fully depleted, bowed shakily.
"Saw your video... Should've listened... Sorry, Healer..."
"It's okay. I'll fix you right up."
I smiled reassuringly, focusing mana at my fingertips.
Luminous mana bloomed, enveloping him like soft mist.
His ragged breaths steadied; life returned to his unfocused eyes.
"Hm? Mana cost is surprisingly low."
Compared to purifying that huge tree, lake, and plants in the gate...
This barely registered.
"...Thanks to the mana expansion potion?"
Probably the spirit-blessed potion boosting my capacity.
Finishing, I looked up at the long line of waiting patients.
"At this rate, about 10 minutes per?"
Calculating mentally, I spoke calmly.
"Purification done. Next patient, please."
"Yes!? A-already... done?"
The staffer holding mana potions gawked at me, stunned.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ That was the turning point.
The hospital's atmosphere shifted noticeably.
Treatment had been slow, one painstaking patient at a time due to mana drain.
But the little girl facing them without a hint of fatigue suddenly accelerated everything.
She gathered mana at her fingertips and purified Awakened in mere seconds.
"Purification done. Next patient, please!"
Each crisp declaration shortened the snaking line visibly.
"Already?"
"How's it so fast...?"
Stunned staffers soon sprang into action.
Reallocating rooms, adjusting queues, scrambling to bring more patients.
After the storm, they finally caught a breather.
In the quiet, someone ventured,
"That one... maybe she could handle the isolation ward patients too...?"
A hush fell over the staff.
The four prior Healers had thrown everything at the severe cases—no improvement.
But this girl...
Maybe she could...
With cautious hope,
they tried immediately. But results were unchanged.
"Mm..."
"Urgh, ugh..."
Even her skill couldn't reach deep enough.
Failures piled up, leaving heavy silence in the isolation ward.
As all heads hung low,
the quietly pondering girl suddenly lit up and lifted her head.
"This issue... Give me a little time, and I think I can solve it."
Despairing eyes turned back to her, hopeful once more.