I Became an Apocalyptic "Physical" Therapist (75)
"Jo Mu-sa."
"Yes?"
"Have you ever thought your life was unfair?"
"Not really......"
"When you got scammed out of your jeonse deposit and nearly died—didn't that thought cross your mind then?"
"Ah...... it did. You're right."
"Same thing. Life isn't fair. Look at the Gifts we're all born with—everyone starts different. You think the species out there in the universe are any different?"
"Then that friend......"
"Her name is Rafael. She's one of us now."
"If Rafael starts enhancing herself with coins......"
"She'll get strong fast. Her starting line is just different."
"Wow...... that's really......"
"What? Too unfair for you? You didn't feel that way looking at the beastmen, did you?"
Won-goo's straight shot silenced him for a moment.
"You think that kind of thinking doesn't exist among beastmen either? What about the handful of species with top-tier combat power? You've got Kane here as Shelter Master. You think he got that seat because of some impressive résumé or ability? His track record's probably about the same as the administrators running this shelter. He's sitting in that chair because his species is classified as royalty among the beastmen."
"Is that why you accepted her into the crew, that being the reason?"
"Isn't it obvious? Demi-humans have completely different baseline specs. With even a little guidance, their growth is on another level. But there's a fatal drawback, which is why nobody else bothers bringing them in."
"Meaning they can't be trusted."
"Exactly. But Rafael proved herself, didn't she? And as it happens, we've got some spare time on our hands these days."
The whole crew turned to look at Rafael. She already had monster-level abilities, and the thought that she'd grow stronger at incredible speed made them feel all the more reassured.
Won-goo wrote out detailed instructions for operating the Coin Exchange machine on a sheet of paper. Drawing diagrams as he went, he walked Rafael through every step.
"Got it? It's not like you can read the language anyway, so just follow this sequence. Press them in this order, and at the very end, press this one—the appraisal. It lets you check what your Gift is. Understand? Go in, put the coin down, press 1, then 3. Wait a bit and a paper will print out. Take it and come back out."
The crew headed to the Coin Exchange with Rafael in tow.
With a beanie pulled down completely over her ears and a mask on top, Rafael blended into the group without raising a whisper of suspicion. Having Jeon Hye-ji, of a similar build, standing beside her helped too.
Rafael applied the gold coin to herself exactly as Won-goo had instructed.
The moment the gold coin went in and took effect, light poured out of the coin machine, sweeping over Rafael as if scanning her.
And that was that.
The stat Rafael had enhanced was Vitality.
It didn't mean much, though. She'd been told to enhance herself only so she could get appraised.
There were other ways to receive an appraisal that didn't require boosting a stat with a coin.
But explaining those methods to Rafael, who couldn't read the local language, was extremely difficult.
"Eternal? There's a Gift like that, that being so?"
Mu Beob-sa blurted out as he read the appraisal document. Won-goo immediately pressed his index finger to his lips. Quiet down.
Afterward, they returned to the office.
"The Eternal Gift means you're a being of eternal life."
"That she cannot die, that being the case?"
"Immortality and eternal life are different things. Immortality means you simply can't be killed. And there's no such Gift."
"Then what's eternal life, then? Just living a long time?"
"Living forever—unless you're forcibly killed. Rafael. Did you know about this?"
"I did not. The children of the forest have always lived long."
"This goes beyond that category. At some point, you'll simply stop aging altogether."
"So it is a good Gift?"
It was Hye-ji's turn to ask.
"It's rare, no question. Probably the rarest Gift we've ever laid eyes on."
"Rare and good are not the same, that not being the case?"
Mu Beob-sa's point.
"True enough."
"It doesn't seem to have much practical use, that being the problem."
"That's also a fair point. Aside from not aging and continuing to live on, the Eternal Gift doesn't offer much else."
"Then......"
"That doesn't mean it's without uses. As you all know, this world is full of curse-related items. A lot of them carry risks like shaving years off your lifespan."
"So you're saying she could equip items like that without any toll on her life?"
Hye-ji asked urgently. Won-goo nodded slowly.
"None at all. So make good use of it."
Once again, the crew was reminded just how valuable information was.
"Rafael."
"......?"
"Get up. We've confirmed the essentials, so we're going shopping for clothes. Everyone out with me. Shopping time. Dan-shin!"
"Yes, Director!"
"I'll grab yours separately later, so pick some up when you have time."
"Yes, sir! Thank you!"
Shelters weren't built to a uniform size—each one differed in scale. Sabbath was one of the large ones, and maybe that's why it had plenty of clothing shops. There were high-end stores selling defensive gear that fused magic and technology, but naturally there were also shops selling ordinary clothes reworked from secondhand garments.
Field-going survivors rarely visited shops like these.
Most of them wore armor all the time, after all.
"Rafael. These are sunglasses. Ever seen them before?"
Instead of answering, Rafael shook her head.
"They block sunlight and protect your eyes. You absolutely need a pair."
Curious, Rafael put the sunglasses on.
It felt strange, but not particularly uncomfortable. Even so, Rafael handed the sunglasses back to Won-goo.
"I have no need to protect my eyes. It has not been long since I received the Blessing of Protection."
"I know. Once you receive that, even dwarf elves can wander around in sunlight just fine. But does it last forever?"
"......?"
"These do last forever. So take them now. Someday there will come a moment when the blessing on your eyes is gone."
Only then did she nod, and they bought everything—underwear, along with an ear-covering hat, sunglasses, and shoes.
While they were at it, they bought extra clothes for the rest of the crew too.
The next stop was Baek Seol's pub.
Once again, she was throwing darts.
"What brings you here?"
"Our new crew member. Rafael."
"Your crew's been growing fast lately."
"All the more reason to work hard, right?"
"So what can I do for you today?"
"Seol. Hook me up with a nutrient drip. Our new friend's condition still isn't normal."
"You know I don't do business here, right?"
"I know. But my crew can keep their mouths shut."
"Fine. Will a nutrient drip be enough? She's gotten her coin enhancement by now, right? If you hit her in her pure baseline state, it could actually make her worse."
"You think I'd come here without knowing that? Give her a proper full stack of recovery-related stuff."
Baek Seol gestured to her employee with a tilt of her head.
Shortly after, the employee brought over several cases.
Inside were ampoule-like medicines.
Baek Seol picked up a syringe herself.
"No, wait. Not that one—put it in slow."
"This one acts faster, though?"
"She just got rescued."
Baek Seol looked Rafael up and down again. It was an unusual outfit.
A small-framed woman in a beanie and sunglasses.
"Got it. Into the IV then. Start with the basic recovery set. Hmm...... there's one that boosts appetite too—want me to add it?"
"No side effects?"
"Not really."
"Then throw that in too."
The other crew members went off to a different table and started drinking beer.
"Nothing else to add?"
"Put her to sleep for a while. She's been sleeping badly."
"Understood."
Despite being utterly bewildered, Rafael neither questioned nor resisted.
With the IV in her arm, Rafael drifted off to sleep in no time.
"Director. Is Gu-sik behaving himself?"
"I'd assume so? He's a tough bastard, so he'll be moving around fine by now."
"Is he really going to be okay? Oh Gu-sik is a dangerous man. And on top of that, you, Director......"
"You know Gu-sik?"
"I do. Never seen him in person, though. No personal dealings with him either. But his skill speaks for itself."
"His skill is good, yeah. He's basically an upgraded version of Fresh."
"People keep comparing him to Ah-bal, though?"
"His style's a bit different from Ah-bal's...... but their positions probably overlap. Either way, Gu-sik won't have an easy time moving around either."
"I read his file...... keeping him restrained with just his own men feels a little......"
"You think Gu-sik would be capable of abandoning his own pups?"
"I...... I think he is. Though that's just from reading the file, so who knows."
"I think so too."
"......?"
"No need to look so surprised. I'm telling you I think so too. And there's the contract. He signed one, sure, but no contract is airtight. There's always some way to wriggle out of it. So right now, that bastard Gu-sik's head is probably stuffed full of nothing but escape plans."
"You knew that and still let him live? That's not like you, Director......"
"As long as that bastard's around, the others will come looking for him, won't they."
"......!"
"And when they come, my crew's here. Bound by contracts. They can't just pull him out easily. Which means they'll leave traces. All we have to do is follow those traces and exterminate the rest of the Black Shelter crowd."
"I see."
"Even if the Black Shelter remnants never come looking for Gu-sik, his skill is solid, so working him cheap isn't a bad deal either. It's a win all around."
"......"
"How's Poke doing?"
"Still acting the fool."
"Be careful. That bastard can act. The man could give an Oscar winner a run for his money."
"I'm watching him calmly. Poke isn't getting out. Not ever."
"Good. What's the bill here? Drinks included."
"It's on me."
"Isn't that a bit steep?"
"We made a killing off the Black Shelter business too. This much is nothing."
The corners of Won-goo's mouth curled up.
"This is why I like you, Baek Seol. Nobody else understands this ecosystem. When one thing falls, the others profit—that's just the natural order of things...... but you're the only one who gets it."
"That's enough flattery. Let's just drink. How about whiskey?"
"You've still got something that precious left?"
"Picked some up recently."
"Get it out here, then. Quick."
"She's putting on weight so quickly."
Everyone was thinking the same thing as they looked at Rafael. She'd been little more than a skeleton draped in skin—but she didn't look nearly so pitiable anymore.
She still looked thin, but the gauntness was gone.
It was remarkable. A recovery this fast was not a common thing.
"Rafael. Feeling okay?"
"Humans possess wondrous abilities."
"That's science-related. You'll understand it eventually too. So—how about it? We're going to buy the weapon you'll be using. Think you can make the trip?"
"You would buy me a weapon?"
"Why? Got a problem with that?"
"......"
"That ability of yours—you can't use it every single time, right? Am I wrong? We get into fights all the time. I can't have the whole crew just waiting around on your ability. Give me a straight answer. Your ability needs time to recharge, doesn't it?"
"It does."
"How long?"
"It depends. Usually about a week, up to half a month. If I enter the forest, it recovers faster."
"The forest meaning the one you used to live in, I take it?"
"Correct. More precisely, the trees that grow there. I need Shrompel. When I receive the essence of Shrompel, my ability can be used again at once."
"Would that tree happen to be the one covered in thorns?"
"Correct. That is Shrompel."
"Hmm...... half a month, huh. That's a long cooldown."
"But it is fine. I am also an excellent warrior."
"I'd figured as much."
Half a month is long...... should I go grab a few of those trees next time we head out?
Talking as they walked, they arrived at a weapons shop. Most shops inside the shelter sold armor and weapons together, but the place they came to this time dealt in weapons only.
"Where are we going, that being so?"
"To Neoguri's place. They've got the biggest selection of weapons anywhere."
The place Won-goo called "Neoguri's" was known only to hardened veteran survivors. It sat tucked away in a back corner and had a distinctly worn, run-down feel. But whenever Won-goo needed to buy a basic weapon, this was where he came.
They carried even the most exotic armaments here. At a place like this, finding the perfect weapon for oneself was never difficult.
"Ugh. It stinks of cigarettes from out here already."
Even Won-goo, a smoker himself, wrinkled his nose at the smell.
He tried the door—it was locked.
"Locked?"
"Bastard's probably napping. Let's wait a sec."
Won-goo fished the key out of a nearby flowerpot and opened the shop door.
The others were just about to ask if that was really okay, but Won-goo was already inside.
"Oppa. Quit smoking already, would you? The stench starts right at the entrance, I swear......"
A woman's cry struck their ears the moment they stepped inside.
A man and a woman were in the middle of attempting to merge into one.
"Shit! Oppa! What the hell!"
The woman shouted, hurriedly covering herself with clothes.
Her face looked somehow familiar.
"I clearly locked that door? What—Director Gong? Ugh...... you could've called first. Showing up out of nowhere like this."
"Do weapon shops run on reservations these days? And you—Dolphin. Why aren't you out performing and fooling around in here instead?"
"I'm not Dolphin, I'm Spin! And I don't get days off? I can't even date?"
"Dating's great. Good luck with it. Neoguri, we'll look at the weapons ourselves. Carry on."
And with that, Won-goo pushed deeper into the shop.
A short while later, Neoguri approached, having tidied his clothes.
He looked about Won-goo's age, with the vaguely scatterbrained, good-natured air of a man who'd never had to struggle for anything.
The handsome, idle rogue you'd find one or two of in any neighborhood.
That was Neoguri to a T.
"Nothing beats a golden spoon, truly. Broad daylight, of all hours. That passion is absolutely fashionable. Impressive. You retire from the field and you're really living it up, huh?"
"Spare me. You killed the mood as it is."
"Awfully sorry about that. Shall I do the seokgo penance, hands on the floor?"
"Oh, come off it. Lonely these days? You sound jealous."
"I am. Genuinely jealous. I'm being reminded, yet again, that a golden-spoon life is no different before or after the apocalypse."