Chapter 464: Elixir (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 464: Elixir (2)
Mana is an indispensable resource for Hunters—no, to be precise, for all humans.
The mana contained within the body, in particular, has a profound effect on the human physique just by being there.
One such effect is regenerative ability.
The mana residing in the body is first used on parts that are weak, lacking, or injured.
Repairing torn and cut wounds.
Generating more blood when it's lacking.
Restoring lost stamina.
And the more often this trait is used, the more efficient it becomes.
This is also why warriors excel at recovering stamina or healing wounds, while mages are exceptional at restoring spent mana.
The Secret Art of Metamorphosis begins by pushing this regenerative ability to its absolute limit.
Crack!
Bones are shattered and reconstructed.
Rip!
Muscles are torn to shreds and healed, a process repeated countless times.
Those as frail as Baek Hyeon-jin also have weak mana.
Her regenerative ability was so poor it couldn't even keep up with that of an ordinary human, let alone a Hunter.
But the mana now filling her body was not her own; it originated from the Elixir.
Its high concentration and the unique life force of the Elixir were providing tremendous regenerative power.
“Hmph…!”
Thanks to that, I was quite surprised.
The shattered bones and torn muscles were healing far faster than I'd anticipated.
Moreover, each time they mended, they became harder and tougher to a degree that far exceeded my expectations.
As a result, I had to pour even more strength into breaking and tearing them again.
“Hoo…”
Ironically, that made me even more ambitious.
The Elixir. A nutrient several times better than what I used to reconstruct Seo-yeon's body and this one was fueling this process.
The difficulty had also increased severalfold because of it, but the result would be that much more extraordinary.
“…Might as well give it a shot.”
As for my reasons, the interest on a life debt and my own personal ambition should be more than enough.
After gaining this body, I resolved to live as I pleased without caring what others think, but there are some things that shouldn't change from the past.
One of them is to be thorough about repaying favors and grudges.
A man who can't properly avenge a wrong is an idiot, and a man who can't properly repay a favor is a beast.
I don't mind being called a beast in other senses, but I have no desire to be that kind of beast.
“Focus, focus…”
I resumed the suspended secret art.
*
The day began like any other.
Around seven o'clock, her eyes would open naturally.
It was a habit.
A true habit ingrained in her body from her long, false life as a professor.
She would loosen her stiff body with a stream of warm water, then sit at her vanity to lightly groom herself.
Instead of the flashy style she wore as a professor, she opted for a simple and elegant look.
Then, she would head straight upstairs.
“Good morning, Unnie.”
“You’re here? You look pretty today, dear.”
“Not at all. You’re the prettier one, Unnie.”
An exchange of greetings with heartfelt compliments.
And it was true.
Seo Jeong-hee, who was a full ten years older, looked younger and prettier than her.
She'd heard that Kim Do-jin had secretly given her an elixir that made her younger.
At first, she was simply envious, but she soon realized it was a fitting reward.
‘She’s a truly amazing person.’
Kind-hearted and good-natured.
She was even devoted.
So much so that it felt as if the term ‘perfect wife and mother’ had been created just for her.
And that warm heart and devotion extended to her as well.
From the moment she first came to live in this house until now.
She had treated her with such warmth.
‘If I had an older sister, would it have felt like this?’
She would sometimes wonder.
With a warm smile, Seo Jeong-hee rolled up her sleeves and got to work.
“I’ll help too, Unnie.”
“Oh, if you would, I’d be grateful.”
She helped the bustling Seo Jeong-hee finish preparing breakfast.
And then, breakfast began.
“Hey, try this.”
“…I think you’re just giving it to me because you don’t want to eat it.”
“Heehee, you caught me.”
It was harmonious.
Just being among them brought a sense of peace to her heart.
Which is why she sometimes fell into thoughts that were close to futile delusions.
If only her parents hadn't lost their lives so senselessly.
If only her younger sister, Hyeon-jin, hadn't been born with congenital mana deficiency.
‘Couldn’t we have been like this, too?’
She smiled without realizing it.
To think she was suffering in the very peace she had so desperately longed for.
Wasn't it ridiculous?
Perhaps she was being punished.
Whatever the reason, hadn't she stood on the side of an organization that sought to threaten the world?
If this was the price for her sins, then maybe she had to accept it.
“We’re leaving!”
“Me too.”
“Alright, have a good day, you two! Be back by dinnertime!”
When the young man and woman left, the two of them were alone again.
From this point, her actions split into two paths.
Either she would chat with Seo Jeong-hee over tea, or she would sit alone in her room, lost in thought.
Today, it was the latter.
“I’m going back to my room, Unnie.”
“Okay. You worked hard this morning, so go get some rest.”
“You too, Unnie.”
The time spent talking with her was always very warm, but she didn't feel like it today.
So, she was about to leave Seo Jeong-hee's house to return to her room.
Click!
As she opened the door to leave, a familiar face was standing there, leaning against the staircase railing.
It was Kim Do-jin, who had left just a moment ago, saying he had something to do.
“…Didn’t you just leave?”
“I did, but… your expression didn’t look too good earlier, Professor.”
“Ah.”
She was sometimes surprised by him.
He hadn't seemed to glance her way even once during the entire meal, yet somehow he had noticed.
“Is something bothering you?”
Baek Hyeon-a shook her head at his question.
“No, it’s nothing like that.”
How could there be?
“Everything is wonderful. Jeong-hee Unnie, student Yu-jeong, even the people who live nearby.”
On the contrary, she was living with a peace of mind she had never known before.
“Maybe that’s why sometimes… I feel sorry toward Hyeon-jin.”
“Why?”
“That child is lying in a hospital bed as if she were dead, and I wonder if it’s okay for me to be this happy.”
“……”
The atmosphere grew solemn.
When a family member falls ill, it is truly difficult for those who watch over them.
They suffer because of that family member, and the thought of them suddenly surfaces during pleasant moments, tightening its grip on their heart.
Wondering if it's okay for them to be happy while their daughter, sister, or wife is sick, they force their own smiles down.
That's how people break.
The sick person suffers in their own way, and the one watching suffers in theirs.
Kim Do-jin, who knew that feeling better than anyone, offered not useless words of comfort but a cryptic remark.
“Do you know something?”
“……?”
“There are no such things as miracles in this world.”
“……”
At first glance, his words seemed designed to push her, a woman living on a 0.0001% sliver of hope, deeper into the pit of despair.
But that wasn't all.
“Even if something that seems like a miracle happens to you, Professor, it’s not a miracle.”
Her eyes asked him: Then what is it?
In response, Kim Do-jin tapped her shoulder with his index finger and answered.
“A result based on a cause. That’s all it is.”
Exactly two days after she heard those words.
-“Patient Baek Hyeon-jin’s condition is…”
She came face to face with a miracle.
*
Having handled the Elixir myself, I now understood.
I saw how the few who consumed this elixir managed to live for so long.
It is an elixir of extremely condensed mana, and at the same time, a treasure trove of life.
That power has now imbued the bones and muscles that were ground to dust and reformed time and again by the Secret Art of Metamorphosis.
The bones have become harder than steel, and the muscles tougher than the hide of an S-rank monster.
If she were to set her sights on becoming a professional athlete, she could probably become the best in any sport.
A Hunter?
Of course, she could aim for the top in that field as well.
“…Assuming that’s even possible.”
As we know, it takes more than just physical ability to become a Hunter.
Baek Hyeon-jin, who suffered from congenital mana deficiency, was an ordinary person.
I don't know what will happen from now on, but… since the Awakening Phenomenon is most active in one's teens or early twenties, the probability of her becoming a Hunter is likely low.
“Time to finish up.”
A physique has been completed that could be called the best in the world without exaggeration.
I adjust the positioning of everything so it settles into the most suitable places, matching the body's natural form.
Very meticulously and minutely.
It may not seem like much, but this is an incredibly important task.
No matter how good the bones and muscles are, if they are misaligned, their power cannot be properly unleashed.
Click!
Snap!
With a few faint sounds, the balance of the final bone settles perfectly into place.
There. It's done.
This child has now obtained the ultimate physique.
It will become her wings.
“She’s starting far behind everyone else, so she can’t just walk or run. She has to fly.”
Wings to closely pursue those who are already far ahead.
After finishing the adjustments, I focus my senses and listen to the sound of her breathing.
Ssshh…
Ssshh…
It is smooth and unhindered, without the slightest catch.
This meant the body that couldn't even breathe properly without an oxygen respirator just a few hours ago had finally begun to function correctly.
That wasn't all.
From her stick-thin frame, a powerful stream of mana was constantly flowing in and out.
This was proof that her body was full of mana.
In other words, the disease that had tormented the Baek sisters for so long was gone.
“Good.”
Just as I was feeling relieved that everything had concluded well.
Drrrk!
The hospital room door slid open, and the sound of urgent footsteps rushed in.
“Hyeon-jin…!”
A familiar voice.
It seemed the nurse I'd spoken to earlier had contacted her at the right time.
I dragged my exhausted body to my feet.
“You’re here?”
Seeing me, Baek Hyeon-a’s eyes widened in shock.
“S-Student Do-jin, why are you here…?”
I smiled and shook my head.
“That’s not what’s important right now.”
I stepped aside, revealing Baek Hyeon-jin, who had been hidden behind my body, and continued.
“I think checking on your sister’s condition should be the priority.”
“Ah……!”
Letting out a long sigh, she rushed over to check on her sister.
And she was horrified.
“N-No way…”
As a mage, she would have felt it.
The mana surging within Baek Hyeon-jin’s body, like a downpour of rain on a land that had suffered a long drought.
“W-What in the world happened? How is Hyeon-jin…!”
Baek Hyeon-a asked, looking up at me with a face on the verge of tears.
I gave her a grin and replied.
“I told you, didn’t I?”
The words I had said to her a few days ago.
“A result based on a cause.”
The life debt you forced upon me.
Has been repaid with your sister’s treatment.