Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Found it, New Dopamine!
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'It's way more serious than I thought.'
The side effect of artificial flowers, 'mana poisoning.'
Seeing it right in front of my eyes made me truly grasp just how dangerous it was.
I couldn't tear my gaze away from the patient trembling with a pale face. One of the medical staff nearby cautiously spoke up.
"They say when the poisoning hits, it feels like their insides are being ripped apart..."
The patient's faint, ragged breaths sounded so pitiful.
A foreboding premonition flashed through me that if left like this, they'd die soon.
But even when I gathered all my mana and used Purify, the patient's condition didn't improve.
The medical staff and center workers who had guided me here sank into deep despair.
"Even the healer's skill can't do it..."
"Then... this person, just like this..."
But in truth, there was a way to treat the patient.
🌸 Glacie Bloom 🌸 The miraculous flower that blooms in eternal winter Contains powerful chill and purifying power Effects • Purifies foreign substances and toxic mana in the body
• Refines impure mana into high-purity elements for a certain time: Stabilizes magic circuits and maximizes efficiency of advanced spellcasting
The flower Pristine gave me as a gift when we first met.
Using 'Glacie Bloom,' which possesses powerful purification while also cleansing toxic mana... I thought it could definitely treat a patient with mana poisoning.
"Give me a little time on this issue... I think I can solve it."
I hurried home and pulled out the pretty glass vial I'd stored deep in the drawer.
Frost crystals scattered as the flower inside emitted a soft glow.
'The first gift from Pristine...'
Christine, who used to bloom flowers wildly based on emotions, hadn't bloomed even once since hatching from the seed.
Was it only able to bloom inside the gate where I first encountered Pristine?
Or maybe the temperature in my room was too high.
I didn't know the exact reason, but the thought that I might never see this pretty flower again made me a bit melancholic.
'I wanted to keep this flower forever...'
Still.
There's nothing more precious than human life...
With my resolve finally firm, I glanced toward the workbench where I'd made mana potions.
'There will be more patients with mana poisoning from now on.'
So I need to dilute this flower as much as possible and treat patients with the minimal amount.
I added warmed purified water to the seven leftover glass vials from making mana potions and dissolved one Glacie Bloom petal in each.
The frost crystals coating the petals melted away with a soft hiss, and a cool mist rose above the vials.
Inhaling the dawn winter breeze scent filling the room.
I headed back to the medical center.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A middle-aged man pacing anxiously, as if waiting for someone, broke into a bright smile the moment he spotted me.
"Healer, thank you for coming. I'm the center director, Ha Yun-seop."
"Ah, hello."
He adjusted his silver-framed glasses perched on his nose bridge and gauged my reaction.
"Well... we heard you can treat severe patients, so..."
"I think we'll know once I try, but yes. I believe I can treat them."
At my response, the director's face lit up with a huge grin. Without another word, he led me straight to the isolation room.
The patients in the isolation room were still clutching their abdomens, breathing faintly.
I approached the one who looked in the worst shape, took out a vial, and trickled a tiny amount of the liquid between their lips.
Color slowly returned to their ashen face, but...
The patient still writhed in pain at regular intervals.
'If I'd used a whole petal, it probably would've cured them right away.'
Maybe because I diluted it in purified water, there was no dramatic effect.
'But I can't use a whole petal per patient.'
I don't know how many more will come, so I have to conserve the petals as much as possible.
'Then...'
What if I use the skill once more in this state?
With a hopeful heart, I cast Purify... and finally, a miracle occurred.
"Hoo, huu..."
The murky aura over the patient's body lifted, and their ragged breaths gradually softened.
The convulsions that came at regular intervals no longer appeared.
A moment later.
The patient's tightly shut eyelids slowly opened.
"I'm okay now... I think I'll live..."
At that small voice, the medical staff and center workers all sighed in relief simultaneously.
"Healer! You really did it!"
'Whew, I thought we were closing down...' The director, who had been muttering lowly, grabbed my hand with an overwhelmingly grateful expression.
"We'd tried everything, but nothing worked, so we were devastated."
"Not only did you save the patient, you saved me... no, our center... Thank you so much, truly."
The healers who had been touring the isolation room after finishing treatment bit their lips and bowed their heads, offended by the director's words.
"It's not like we didn't try..."
"What can you do when even pouring all your mana doesn't work..."
Watching them quietly, I pulled out a few vials from my pocket.
"But this is something any other healer could do too."
I handed one to each dejected healer with their heads down and briefly explained how to use it.
The healers, looking skeptical as they stared at the liquid in the vials, trickled small amounts into other patients' mouths in the isolation room and used Purify.
And then.
"Huh...? It really works...?"
"Whoa... amazing...!"
Exclamations burst from the healers.
Soon, smiles bloomed on their faces.
'Hehe...'
Seeing that, I smiled quietly too.
If word got out that only I could treat severe patients, I'd be the only one getting dragged around from now on...
'Might as well all work hard together...!'
The healers, oblivious to my inner thoughts, looked at me with newfound respect.
"But Healer, what is this in the vials?"
"Oh, something I got as a clear reward while clearing a gate back then. So I don't really... haha..."
To the director's question, I gave an awkward answer, then pretended to focus on treatment and turned away.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After frequenting the center for a few days, the crisis dubbed a disaster began to stabilize bit by bit.
The roughly made Nutube account warning about the dangers of artificial Lumina Bells had already surpassed 500,000 subscribers.
The single video on the account had tens of thousands of comments.
💬 Comments — Sorry for doubting you... Sorry for doubting you... Sorry for doubting you... — Without this video, my whole family... ;; Just thinking about it is horrifying — Wish I'd seen it sooner... — Thank you for the treatment. It was an honor to meet you in person. — Healer! Please make gate raid vlogs like other healers! lol And.
The community I'd checked after a long time was plastered with posts praising the foresight of 'Healer Yi Chrog' and 'Plant Fanatic.'
'Hehe...'
Which means...!
It's finally time for the hidden powerhouse 'Plant Fanatic' to make an appearance!
— Plant Fanatic: Brainless drivel, watched it lol — Plant Fanatic: Yawn~ No fun, no emotion... But something was off.
The community's vibe had strangely shifted.
Normally, my comments would be ignored, spicy insults would pile up in replies, or 'reportban' comments would flood in...
— lmao this guy's even spamming hate on his own praise post, real psycho lol Just a troll who loves shitting up threads... Just a troll who loves hate comments... — OP, what are you doing? Our hero says it's no fun!! Plant Fanatic's posts had emotion though... Plant Fanatic! Plant Fanatic! Plant Fanatic! Plant Fanatic! Plant Fanatic! Plant Fanatic! ...The users were busy hyping me up.
Some even competed to get the most replies from 'Plant Fanatic.'
⭐ Top Comment — Why doesn't this guy reply to my post? [Plant Fanatic] Only replying to the fake with #2, ignoring the OG Plant Fanatic. Sadness. — Plant Fanatic: Your post has zero fun. ↳ Reply O!!!! Finally replied to my post!!! Thank you... I'll make even funnier posts to satisfy you, Plant Fanatic...! — I've been getting Plant Fanatic replies on my posts from way back, for real? Used to annoy me, now I wait for Plant Fanatic replies lol
> Inevitably fallen into plant corruption...
— Plant corruption lol, plant + corruption fits? — sstch — I'm on the verge of plant corruption... Please reply to my post too@@@ — I got one once... Goal is exactly three more from now on Seeing such hot reactions.
Finally, I.
Seemed to have achieved my dream of becoming a community named poster.
But...
Why did I feel this nagging unease?
"......"
I'd achieved my dream of becoming a community named poster, so I should feel great, right?
But far from happy, it felt like I was missing something important...
'How should I describe this feeling...'
Thinking about it, I actually enjoyed users freaking out over my single comment way more.
Every comment I left would spawn chains of spicy insults, and every post I'd get auto-banned like clockwork, grumbling 'Ah! Banned again!'
Yet unable to hide a satisfied smile...
'...Ahh. I get it!'
I, who had been furrowing my brow seriously, realized what my other self, 'Plant Fanatic,' truly desired.
'Plant Fanatic' didn't want to be just any common named poster.
They wanted to be a dark named poster!
"......"
But. It seemed too late now to give them what they really wanted.
— Damn! No matter how much crap I post, I still love you, Plant Fanatic! — lol why aren't they hateable anymore — Saw Plant Fanatic's post again.. Gotta worship again.. Plant Fanatic! Plant Fanatic! Plant Fanatic! Plant Fanatic! Plant Fanatic! Plant Fanatic!... No matter what I posted, only positive reactions came back.
Naturally, no more 'This user is banned for a week' warnings appeared.
"Th-this isn't right..."
Cold sweat trickled down my forehead.
My legs started trembling at the thought that something was terribly wrong.
— Plant Fanatic6: Hello, this is Plant Fanatic. — Plant Fanatic5: I'm the real Plant Fanatic. — Plant Fanatic9: Looks fun so I changed my nick too, include me plz @@ — Plant Fanatic2: Fakes, change your nicks while I'm asking nicely ↳ Reply — Plant Fanatic5: Said the original fake. ↳ Reply — Plant Fanatic7: Don't fight among fakes. Even fake accounts impersonating me were popping up one by one, laughing among themselves in delight.
"Stop it..."
Please, just stop...
You guys weren't like this before...
The truth is, I loved your spicy reactions every time.
That was the biggest dopamine hit in my life.
But if you keep hyping me up like this...
I won't be able to get that high-quality dopamine anymore...
Thud-
I flopped onto the floor and stared blankly at the ceiling.
Now I have to set off on a long journey to find new dopamine...
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ How can I get that high-quality dopamine?
Would checking how much contribution points I've earned make dopamine gush out?
Or, to restore the Sprout Guild's reputation that tanked for me...
Sell the newly grown Lumina Bells dirt cheap and see dopamine explode?
As I pondered ways to fill the void with empty eyes.
Knock knock knock-
"Healer, are you home?"
The voice of Full Moon Guild's Chief Secretary came from outside the door.
"Ah, Chief Secretary, hello! What brings you here?"
"Hello, Healer. It's been a while."
She bowed politely and continued calmly.
"I'm here about the reward for the rampage-predicted gate you cleared before. It took quite some time to prepare something you'd be satisfied with."
She unfolded the paper she was holding and showed it to me.
A small building on the outskirts of Seoul, relic-grade armor and weapon set, 10 copies of ancient grimoires, Full Moon-owned gates, etc...
The paper was filled with items easily worth over 10 billion.
"Is there anything you like among these? If not, I'll prepare others right away."
As I stared at the paper for a while, a sly smile crept onto my lips.
"...This one."
"Pardon? Have you decided, Healer?"
Finally, I think I've found new dopamine.