Chapter 271: How a Korea University Medical Student Spends Their Day
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 271: How a Korea University Medical Student Spends Their Day
He had obtained a total of three items.
Every single one of them was extraordinary.
[Witch's Secret Tome]
[Screaming Apple]
[High-Grade Magic Stone]
The Witch's Secret Tome was an ancient book containing various barriers and curses.
Although it mostly focused on dark-attribute abilities, it was packed with rare barriers and curses, befitting a witch belonging to the Great Witches' Council.
He could see at least 4-star, 6-star, and even 7-star barriers.
However, it wasn't the secret tome that caught Jinhyuk's eye.
The 'Screaming Apple'.
He hadn't expected this to drop.
Apples that grew on the Ghost Tree possessed the unique property of absorbing mana.
This meant that no matter how powerful the mana was, it could eventually devour it completely, even if it took some time.
Jinhyuk's mind spun rapidly.
'If I extract mana from the High-Grade Magic Stone... I can amplify the Screaming Apple's mana absorption ability.'
If so, using these two items properly would make it possible to finally melt the last stage of the 'Frozen Tear'.
The final stage, which would increase his mana by a whopping 40 points.
Because its coldness was so severe, he had left it shoved into a corner of his subspace inventory all this time, but the opportunity to deal with it had finally arrived.
While wasting a High-Grade Magic Stone was a bit of a pity, it didn't even compare to a permanent boost to his mana stat.
Jinhyuk tossed the skull-shaped purple apple onto the ground.
"Kyahahaha!"
The apple's mouth tore open wide, stretching vertically.
Soon, a horrific scream pierced his eardrums.
...Now!
[The 'Screaming Apple' is absorbing the 'Coldness of the Frozen Tear'!]
"Kyaaaaaaaah!"
As the High-Grade Magic Stone, melted by the 'First Flame', touched the apple, the screaming grew even more intense.
The scream was sharp enough to cause internal damage, so he didn't forget to cover his ears with both hands.
This was a task that required precise mana control and skillful pacing.
Yet, Jinhyuk completed the entire process without a single mistake.
[Mana has increased from 233 → 273!]
The Frozen Tear shattered into pieces.
This was because all of its mana had been depleted through the fourth stage of melting.
'Seriously, things are going way too well.'
Honestly, it was enough to make him chuckle in disbelief.
No matter how meticulously he had designed the situation, every process and outcome was unfolding exactly as he wished.
No, it wasn't just that.
This far exceeded his expectations.
Right then.
"Hey! This is a fake!"
Alice's sharp voice rang out.
Her face was flushed red, likely out of shame and embarrassment.
Well, if I were in her shoes, I'd probably want to die of embarrassment too.
After all, it meant she had been fighting a soul-stirring battle against a hologram dragon all this time.
"I mean, if you knew, you should've told me! You know I don't know much about your civilization, so isn't this just too cruel? I'm seriously so upset, annoyed, and miserable..."
Hmm. Hearing her say that made him feel a tiny bit guilty.
"Alright, alright. I'll take you somewhere as an apology, so don't cry. You're supposed to be a True Ancestor, so why are you shedding fat tears like that?"
"...We're going out? Where?"
Alice's voice did a complete 180.
Having been trapped in the ruins on the 1st floor for so long, she was more enthusiastic than anyone when it came to finding new forms of entertainment.
"A university."
Conveniently, he had some business to take care of there.
Besides, the comments on his personal streaming channel had been exploding over the past few days anyway...
...He might as well get that over with while he was at it.
* * *
If anyone were asked to name the best university in South Korea, they would undoubtedly choose Korea University.
A dream prestige school that only the chosen few could enter.
And among its departments, the one boasting the fiercest competition was none other than the Pre-Med program.
"Look over there. It's Yu-seong sunbae."
"He entered Korea University Pre-Med at the top of his class... and he's handsome, too. He's even good at sports. Is there anything he can't do?"
"He's a high-ranking ranker in the Tower of Trials, too. He's only uploaded a few videos, but the views on every single one of them are insane."
"And on top of that, he's never once lost his spot as the top student in our department. Sigh. Here I am, cooped up in the library studying all day, and I just feel so pathetic. Seriously."
Voices filled with envy and admiration echoed.
Cheon Yu-seong.
Although his ice-cold personality made people hesitate to approach him, Cheon Yu-seong possessed an overwhelming presence that surpassed anyone else at Korea University.
It was to the point where people joked that he was living his life on a second playthrough.
Whether he was aware of the eyes on him or not, Yu-seong walked through the campus with an expressionless face.
After walking along the path for quite some time, he arrived at a quiet, secluded clearing.
Rustle. Rustle.
The bushes swayed left and right, and then a few kittens peeked their heads out.
Though kittens were notoriously wary, they approached Yu-seong as if they were completely used to him.
"Eat."
Yu-seong silently placed wet kitten food and shredded, fat-trimmed chicken breast into a bowl.
He emptied the old water and poured fresh, clean water in its place.
"Meow. Meow."
"Mew...!"
The kittens eagerly devoured the food.
Pleasing purrs echoed softly.
However.
"...!"
Yu-seong's senses picked up something ominous.
Though it was cleverly hidden, his finely honed senses pinpointed the intruder's exact location.
"You...!"
Yu-seong leaped into the bushes in an instant.
At that,
"Whoa, wait! Hold on! I didn't mean any harm."
Jinhyuk hurriedly waved his hands.
"No harm? Then what on earth is this?"
Yu-seong pointed at the numerous status windows floating in the air.
The streaming system was already filled with a flood of chats from countless viewers.
-Kim Jin-woo: Oh lolllll caught.
-NovelAddict: I thought he got caught by a serial killer. Whew, scared me.
-Curem: Look at that terrifying glare. 50,000% bloodlust!
-JeLuce: Sword Saint hyung, hi. Hi.
-Meumma: I'm a fan! Haha!
-Lch: Wow, seriously. So sharp. He noticed that?
-Shin Myung-geun: He's not called strong for nothing.
-ISee: But him taking care of the kittens is giving me a heart attack from the cuteness.
"Were you acting all innocent while secretly filming someone else?"
Yu-seong clicked his tongue, his face filled with disdain.
"Secretly filming? This is just a live broadcast where I happened to record you without your knowledge from start to finish. How can you frame me as some kind of degenerate?"
-SoyunMom: Isn't that literally the same thing?
-Ggo: "I drank alcohol, but I didn't drunk drive"?
-Jackdaw: Your Honor, drop the beat.
-Sleepyhead: Verdict: Death penalty.
"..."
Yu-seong opened his subspace inventory.
The space distorted, and the hilt of a sword slid halfway out.
"Whoa, don't pull out your sword! Hey, this is a college campus. Weapons aren't allowed here!"
-qet: He's literally trying to slash him. Lmao.
-Pikachu: Honestly, getting slashed for this would be self-defense.
-DemonKingOfSalvation: Agreed. With everything he's suffered so far, you could easily make a 5-part documentary series about it.
-BaekSeolWol: I read the summary post on the forum, and it really was bad.
-qpw: We need some vigilante justice here.
Public opinion had shifted rapidly.
I need to fill my chat with yes-men next time. This is getting dangerous.
"Wait, wait a second! I'm here for something really important."
"I'll at least hear your excuse. What brings you here?"
"Actually, a lot of viewers were curious about your life as a medical student. And one of the big spenders put up a massive coin bounty for a mission."
At first, they offered tens of thousands of coins, but as the stakes escalated, the bounty eventually skyrocketed to 300,000 coins.
"So... you turned on your stream?"
"Yep."
"Without even thinking of asking for my permission?"
"Yep!"
Jinhyuk nodded brightly.
-Boss: The coins were too big to compromise.
-Kkyak: 300k coins is totally understandable.
-Jyeon: That's enough to sell your soul for.
-Skskdksdkj: Just saw the [300,000 coins deposited] message. Congrats on completing the mission!
That was a total piece of cake.
It was a success. Just as Jinhyuk was thinking that,
"Meow!"
Suddenly, one of the kittens leaped up and bit Jinhyuk's finger.
It seemed highly displeased with how he was treating its owner.
How cute. Even a guy like him has a loyal pet.
However.
"...Huh?"
Jinhyuk's body swayed violently.
A wave of dizziness washed over him, as if he had been struck on the back of the head.
-Da: Honestly, isn't he overreacting? How could those tiny fangs even hurt?
-Blank: Did it even deal 1 damage?
-ILoveHanSooyoung: We should be worried about the kitten's teeth instead.
-dkdjdn: That expression. That face. Those movements. He's totally setting up to end the stream.
-HwangGyu-jung: I've been in this community for 10 years, and that's 100% acting.
-Plpung: Is there really a streamer who ends their broadcast like this?
No way...
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
One of the cats... was not a normal cat.
A spirit beast.
And a venomous one at that.
* * *
When he opened his eyes, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling.
He didn't know what had happened, but his groggy consciousness suggested he had been passed out for quite some time.
The moment he wondered where he was,
Clank! Clank!
He felt his entire body tightly bound.
Bright lights and the smell of disinfectant stung his nose.
And...
He also saw Cheon Yu-seong wearing a white lab coat.
Don't tell me... is this an operating room?
"One of the cats is a spirit beast. I saved it when it was collapsed and injured in the Tower, and it's been following me ever since. I didn't have a proper place to keep it, so I've been raising it here."
So that was it.
"I guess spirit beasts follow our Yu-seong because of his great personality. But... why am I tied up?"
Clank! Clank!
He was bound tightly.
He couldn't budge at all.
"Can't you untie me before we talk? My mind and body feel perfectly fine, so I think I can be discharged right away."
"Absolutely not. If you take this lightly, you might end up having your arm amputated due to tetanus. Left untreated, you could die of sepsis."
Why does every scenario you imagine have to be the absolute worst-case?
"Then can't you send me to a hospital? I want to be treated by a doctor who has at least finished their residency. Or even guild healers would be fine. I'll pay for it myself... please."
"Don't say such hurtful things. Isn't there a doctor right in front of you? I've at least learned how to tell an artery from a vein. The left... hmm. Or maybe it's the one underneath. Ah, don't worry too much. It's a fifty-fifty chance anyway. Or was it one in four? Assistant. Scalpel."
Yu-seong spoke coldly.
"Y-Yu-seong?"
Jinhyuk's pupils dilated in sheer panic.
Crazy bastard.
If he wasn't careful, he might actually die at the hands of a crazy medical student.
His instincts screamed a red alert.
Telling him he had to get out of here immediately.
"Alice! Andrea! Don't just stand there, do something about this!"
Jinhyuk pleaded for help from Alice and Andrea, who were standing nearby.
He didn't know when Andrea had arrived, but judging by the situation, Alice had definitely contacted her.
"Unni, we're supposed to do a blood transfusion, right? We shouldn't be sucking his blood, should we?"
Andrea chimed in, watching Alice diligently prepare a straw.
"Huh? Oh... this? I'm just going to have a taste. Just a taste."
Alice bared her sharp fangs and licked her lips.
Hey! You guys can't do this!
Does it make any sense that you're wearing nurse uniforms and trying to take a patient's life right now?
Andrea, get a grip! You're not even a vampire, so why are you agreeing with her?
Stop her, quickly! Stop her!
It was at that exact moment, as Jinhyuk thrashed around frantically,
"Mos-qui-to...!"
Goguma rushed over in a single bound to save his master.
[Goguma activates Lv.12 'Fear'!]
Rumbleeee!
The entire operating room shook violently.
As he spread his wings majestically, he exuded the unmistakable dignity of an Ancient Species.
On top of that, the spirit beasts of the Five Elements and even T-Bone appeared.
"Yes, good job! I knew I could count on you guys."
"Mosquito! Mosquito!"
"Take them all down! Wipe out those ungrateful bastards with your Breath!"
Jinhyuk cheered.
However,
at Yu-seong's next words,
"I've heard... that Ancient Species are quite fond of magic stones."
the situation began to take a strange turn.