Chapter 83
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Translator: MJK
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Hero in a Honeybee Suit
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In the center of the study, littered with traces of pulling out hundreds of books overnight, devouring them, and slotting them back into place, I held out a single volume from the dusty pile.
"This is the one."
"...?"
Xiao Lin stared at the worn-out book I offered, her face etched with confusion. The cover was so frayed that even the title was indecipherable—a plain, ancient tome.
"The Heart Method contained within might just make it possible."
"A Heart Method..."
"Simply put, it's a manual on manipulating qi. Most of the books here are records left by the ancestors of the Lin family."
At my words, Xiao Lin glanced around the room with fresh eyes.
"Of course, the vast majority chronicle basic Heart Methods, but every now and then, one with tremendous potential hides among them."
And with that, I held out a single volume.
"This is the one I found after searching through everything all night."
The cover was utterly threadbare. Faintly visible were four characters—the only thing legible.
[Soul Roaming Heart Method]
"Soul Roaming Heart Method?"
"More precisely, it's a record of a Heart Method that opens pathways."
I pointed to a passage in the book.
"The consciousness of all things is connected by invisible threads."
"Master this Heart Method, and you can reach the dormant consciousness of the closed-off Liu Hunter, guiding him to awaken on his own."
"You can wake Liu up?"
"Yes."
Considering Liu's current state, there were two paths forward. Forcefully remove the seed or let it sprout.
'I can handle the seed just fine.'
With Absolute's Herb Garden, suppressing and purifying its energy was well within my grasp. But simply excising it felt like a waste.
'It radiates a power rivaling Okinawa's Disaster Flower—maybe even greater.'
Planting it in my plot could yield something beyond imagination. Yet yanking it out by force might burden Liu's body even more. The seed was already deeply entwined with his mana core. A hasty extraction risked damaging the core itself.
'Above all, the seed's chosen host is Liu.'
His will would be needed to decide its fate moving forward. And he was a Chinese S-rank hunter, not just anyone. Botch this, and it could spark diplomatic tensions with China.
"So, can you do it right now?"
"No, it'll take time."
I shook my head.
"I need to first grasp the true essence of this Heart Method and make it fully my own before attempting it."
"Of course. Take whatever you need."
"No, this one book is enough."
This was the sole treasure unearthed after combing through every tome all night.
"How long... will it take?"
Xiao Lin asked cautiously. Mastering a Heart Method itself wouldn't take long. Not with the Ink of the War God she'd given me. That relic made absorption a non-issue.
'The key is unlocking its true nature.'
Connecting and dominating consciousnesses. Beyond infiltrating another's mind, it could even commune with the wills embedded in artifacts, drawing out their utmost potential. Perfecting it would elevate my internal energy manipulation to new heights. Saving Liu was merely scratching the surface of its capabilities.
"A week at most—ten days, and I'll return with an answer."
Back home, I headed straight to the neighbor grandma's to pick up So-ye.
"Oppa!"
"Sorry, I got back late."
The long hours at the library had stretched into the next day.
"Thank you so much for watching So-ye, Grandma."
"Oh, pish-posh. She's such a good talker and so pretty, I was never bored—I had the time of my life."
The grandma, standing tall and straight, thrust a huge bundle of homegrown lettuce into my arms. Her complexion was worlds better than before.
"But Grandma, nothing unusual going on in the village lately?"
"Unusual? Why wouldn't there be? Something huge happened."
"Huh?"
I tensed up instantly.
"Everyone's got so much energy it's a problem—a real problem!"
She clucked her tongue.
"Yesterday, the old folks at the seniors' hall signed up as a group for the township marathon, talking about showing their prime-of-life strength."
"What? A marathon?"
The elders pulling something like that sounded disastrous. Had my plot's crops caused some unintended side effect? Unease washed over me.
"So-ye-ya, wanna go check out the seniors' hall with Oppa?"
I grabbed So-ye's hand and hurried to the hall. The scene there... was nothing short of spectacular.
"Hey, you old coot! What do you take my words for?!"
"Hey now! Don't talk back to your elders!"
The space that usually echoed only with faint clacks of listless go stones was now bursting with shouts and laughter. Grandpas who normally just lay around were raising their voices in booming arguments. But their faces weren't scowling—they bloomed with playful grins. And their complexions? Radiant, practically glowing.
"Well, if it isn't the young lad!"
One grandpa spotted me and waved enthusiastically.
"That corn you gave me? Digestion's been perfect since—I'm wolfing down two bowls of rice now!"
"Same here! I sleep like a rock at night!"
I let out a relieved sigh at their vibrant energy. No bad side effects, thank goodness. Though... if their overflowing vitality was the "problem," well...
"Elders, a marathon's still too much."
"It's one of my lifelong dreams."
The arguing grandpa softened, a sheepish look crossing his face.
"After getting sick, I figured it'd never happen again—didn't even dare dream it."
Kim Grandpa had battled cancer twice in his youth, he said. Miraculously cured both times, but the aftereffects left him frail for life.
"But these days, I'm a whole new man."
Appetite's back, sleep's deep, energy surging—he flexed his arms nonstop.
"Feels like I'm truly alive now. Wanna give it one last shot."
"And it's just the township loop—not even that long. One lap around."
Another grandpa chimed in.
"Oh, is that so?"
"Don't worry. We'll take care of ourselves—no reckless stunts. Us old-timers wanna stick around a while longer."
Only then did true relief settle in. Their hearty chuckles tugged at my heartstrings.
'Thank goodness.'
My plot's crops didn't just heal bodies—they breathed life into spirits. Revitalized flesh reignited forgotten dreams. The will to chase those dreams fueled even more vigor.
'A virtuous cycle of body and mind...'
Wasn't this the greatest good a garden could do? These small miracles from my plot were transforming the whole village.
"Grandpas, fighting!"
So-ye pumped her tiny fist.
"Aigoo, my little pup! Grandpa'll snag first place for ya!"
The elders melted at her cute cheer, beaming ear to ear. A peaceful, if rowdy, rural afternoon.
Seoul Central University Hospital.
Kim Se-jin steeled himself and dragged his sister Kim Yu-na to the hospital.
"About three hours, and the results will be ready."
Those three hours felt eternal to Se-jin. Perched on a corridor chair, he gnawed his nails and jiggled his leg in anxiety.
'It'll be fine.'
He tried to reassure himself.
'I've saved up plenty now. Even if it's something big needing long-term care... I can handle it. I'll just work harder.'
But the fear wouldn't budge. What if the doctor said it was untreatable? Horrific black-market rumors about mana-related illnesses swirled in his mind.
"Guardian of Kim Yu-na, come in."
His name was finally called. Se-jin shuffled into the exam room on trembling legs.
"Guardian, have a seat here."
The doctor pulled up the test results on the monitor.
"Coughing, severe pneumonia symptoms, right?"
"Y-yes. Nights were so bad she could barely breathe."
"Hm. But these results show pristine lung function. How's she been lately?"
"Oh, right. The cough's mostly gone now... but she's always been frail, constant little ailments."
Se-jin hesitated.
"Probably... mana-related. The symptoms fit."
"We tested for that today too."
The doctor reached for the mana scan. Se-jin's heart pounded.
"Doctor, please. Save my sister. Money's no object."
At Se-jin's desperate plea, the doctor adjusted his glasses and double-checked the monitor. Then, with utter bewilderment:
"Mana disease? No. From mana circulation to immune system, she's the cleanest, healthiest kid I've seen."
"...Pardon?"
Se-jin blankly repeated the words.
'Clean and healthy?'
Unbelievable. This nagging cough had plagued her for years. Started as a cold, they thought. Wore on into pneumonia. Every touted med tried, all useless. That's when they suspected incurable mana illness. The cough only stopped in the last month. How could years of torment vanish without a trace in mere weeks?
"Any special meds lately?"
Then, one face flashed in Se-jin's mind.
'Kang-hyun hyung?'
It began with warm soup. Then ruby cherry tomatoes, sweet pumpkin. And the myriad delicious meals at Kang-hyun's invites. Come to think of it, her color had improved noticeably since last weekend. Not his imagination after all?
Thud... thud...
Even out of the room, Se-jin wandered the hall in a daze.
"Oppa!"
Yu-na finished her checks and ran to him. Tears burst from Se-jin's eyes.
"Yu-na!"
In the bustling hospital lobby, heedless of stares, he crushed her in a hug and sobbed like a child.
"W-what's wrong, Oppa?"
"Waaaah!"
It's okay. Everything's okay now. Miracles really exist—tears wouldn't stop.
The raccoon dog in its honeybee suit no longer hid in shadows. Mornings, it strutted the mountains on bold patrol.
Oso-t oso-t!
Kang-hyun's plot crops had restored its youthful vigor. Other beasts eyed it curiously.
"Ahem!"
What had that old fogey done? To beast eyes, it was bizarre: bee stripes on raccoon fur. An unseen freak hybrid!
Hanging with Gorani and chickens lately—maybe evolved via that power? Mere speculation. Then, a familiar scent and frantic scream from afar.
"Kkieeek!"
"Oso?"
It dashed toward the noise. There, a civet cornered on a cliff by a massive moon bear.
That guy? The raccoon dog recognized it.
Cotton swab—that's what it was called. Rival from youth, sparring over hunting grounds.
'Kyaaak!'
Cute looks belying razor claws and blinding speed—a top predator. Time had aged the raccoon dog, but the younger civet should still be nimble. Yet here it was, ragged and chased.
"Grraang!"
The bear wasn't hunting for real—just toying with the small fry. But its bulk was pure terror to the civet.
Whoosh—
As the paw swung, the raccoon dog didn't hesitate.
"O-dok!"
It leaped, blocking the bear's path.
Thud!
A sudden yellow-black striped oddity.
"Kueng?"
The bear startled at the novel creature, stepping back. Then met its eyes: tiny body, massive pride blazing.
"Gr... grrng?"
Overawed, the bear tilted its head, lost interest, and ambled into the woods. The raccoon dog sighed in relief and approached the civet.
"...Kkiing?"
The civet's eyes quivered. Why save a has-been rival in this eat-or-be-eaten world? The raccoon dog grunted curtly.
"Khm!"
It tossed a hoarded sweet potato chunk at the civet's feet.
Plop—
The civet pondered, then munched silently, calming its shock.
Munch, munch...
Inhaling the faint, unfamiliar soil scent from the potato, it breathed relief at survival.
"Kyung..."
The raccoon dog turned back to its rounds. Awe, gratitude, and faint curiosity gleamed in the civet's gaze at that heroic silhouette. What had changed that raccoon dog?