Chapter 80: Lust Ward (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 80: Lust Ward (2)
"So, the cock went inside... Ah? Is it that time already? What a shame. Mr. So-dam, you have another appointment, don't you?"
"Huh? Yes... I, I do..."
Lee So-dam swallowed hard, looking flustered and frantic.
"Please call me for another session soon."
I flashed a bright smile and stood up from my seat.
She looked incredibly disappointed, but since she had another consultation scheduled, she let me go.
She was practically squirming in her seat, her thighs pressed tight. She was clearly enjoying herself.
She tried her best to hide her excitement, but it was painfully obvious.
Maybe next time I'll tell her about what I did with Baek Bo-min.
She’ll probably schedule another session sooner rather than later.
I left the counseling room with a smirk, leaving her behind.
This really is an interesting world.
"Hi, Yeon-woo Oppa."
"Hey there. Don't run."
I walked through the hospital, greeting the patients I’d befriended during my stay.
The injuries I sustained from the Madam had been treated quickly, so there was no lingering damage, and unlike the other men here, I didn't have any psychological trauma.
I was one hundred percent healthy.
I was only staying here because Square Garden insisted on it, and I was starting to get restless.
I tried working out secretly in my private room once, but I stopped after a nurse caught me and gave me a smack on the back.
It didn't hurt, but getting smacked by a man didn't exactly feel great.
On the bright side, I’d gotten to know a lot of people in the hospital.
There were those hospitalized due to mana shock from overusing Orbs, and others whose bodies had accumulated damage because they couldn't get treatment in time.
There were heroes, regular Awakened, and all sorts of people.
Everyone’s working hard, even in places you can't see.
I looked down the stairs leading to the basement.
Usually, hospital basements are filled with amenities.
However, what I was looking at wasn't the stairs themselves.
A wriggling mass of mana was faintly fading away.
It seemed like I was the only one who could see it, thanks to my Mana Detection.
Is it an Error?
How annoying.
'Errors' were a concept added to the game.
Awakened, dungeons, and monsters were all treated as Errors, and supernatural phenomena like poltergeists or anomalies were also types of Errors.
In my previous world, I only had to worry about monsters and foreign Awakened, but in this world, I had to keep the concept of Errors in mind.
They were added to the game to introduce events and various themes, which was fun when playing, but it’s a pain in reality.
For example, there are evil spirits.
Physical means don't work on them, so you need exorcists like nuns or shrine maidens to perform a cleansing.
No matter how I look at it, it feels like a concept added just to sell more characters, which makes it even more irritating.
Of course, I’m the pathetic one who fell for it and did 120 pulls to get them.
It’s already strange to apply the laws of nature to Awakened who wield supernatural powers, but these Errors defy those laws even further.
Sometimes rules are applied that make an Awakened's abilities useless, which is a real headache.
There are also Errors like this:
An animal might be affected by an Error and gain human-like intelligence or become as strong as a monster.
Of course, they don't use mana, so they’re usually handled by the military’s firearms, but if a predator is affected by an Error, a hero has to step in.
It would be fun to talk to a pet that understands you, though.
Thinking of a certain mutt that was one of the game characters, I headed down the stairs to the basement.
Following the mana line, I spotted a tired-looking nurse.
A female nurse? What a rare character.
Do Errors happen to people too? Ah, right, Awakened are considered Errors as well.
The tired nurse had a name tag that read 'Han Ra-im.'
Ra-im, huh? She looked like she’d have a refreshing vibe if her exhausted face brightened up.
Han Ra-im, who was forcing a smile for a patient despite her fatigue, looked like she was on the verge of collapse.
Nursing is a tough job, so the fatigue is one thing, but what’s with that mana line?
The mana line followed her every move.
She pushed a patient's wheelchair into the religious facility in the basement, gave them a bright smile, and hurried off, saying she’d be back soon.
As she moved quickly, I saw something on the nape of her neck where the mana line originated.
It wasn't a person; something was attached to her.
I focused, cranking my Mana Detection to the max, and saw something like a tiny fairy.
A fairy?
This world really is full of surprises.
I was stunned to see a fairy, something I’d only ever seen in drawings or movies.
She had transparent butterfly wings on her back and was about the size of a human hand. The little girl was struggling to keep up with Han Ra-im.
She was wearing translucent, lingerie-like clothes that showed her silhouette, but she was so tiny that it didn't stir any sexual desire.
Following Han Ra-im, I saw her getting scolded by other nurses for being late.
She seemed to be a new recruit who hadn't been at the hospital long.
The nurses tore into her, unaware that I was hiding behind a wall.
... ...
Listening to them was a bit much.
Is this that 'hazing' thing nurses do?
They weren't even criticizing her work performance.
"You're a woman, and you can't even do this?" "Don't talk back." "What's with that attitude?" "You think you're the only one having a hard time?" It was just meaningless bullying.
I don't know if she made a mistake before, but this definitely wasn't the right way to handle it.
Since they only ever showed me gentle smiles, seeing the nurses' hideous faces as they bullied Han Ra-im was even more repulsive.
This is why, in any organization, you have to kick out the people who try to enforce 'discipline' through bullying first.
It reminded me of my time in the military, so I frowned and stepped out from behind the wall.
"Hello."
"Oh! Mr. Jeong Yeon-woo, is something the matter?"
Wow—look at that agility, dropping the hideous face instantly and naturally moving to shield Han Ra-im from view.
Ever thought about becoming a hero?
"It's nothing major, but I left my window open and I think a bug got in."
"A bug?"
the male nurse's face turned pale.
I know both men and women can hate bugs, but turning pale as if he’d just met a serial killer is a bit much, don't you think?
"Yes, could you help me with it?"
"Yes, Nurse Han will help you."
Another nurse quickly dumped the task on Han Ra-im.
I figured that would happen.
I’ve never seen a single person with a shred of decency among those who bully others to show off their authority.
They either mess things up by pretending they can do something they can't, or they make a habit of dumping difficult tasks on others.
"Yes, don't worry, sir. I'll go with you."
Han Ra-im immediately approached me.
The tearful expression she had while being bullied vanished, replaced by a gentle smile the moment she saw me.
Once we entered my private room, she took a roll of paper and stood in a combat stance.
Isn't she a bit too tough?
I let out a small laugh at the sight of her in her nurse uniform, wielding a paper club and scanning the room. It was such a mismatch.
"Um... sir...?"
Not knowing me well, Han Ra-im tilted her head as she looked at me.
No matter how much people look down on men, I’m still a hero. Would I really be afraid of a bug?
None of the New Human Alliance victims currently hospitalized would call a nurse because they were scared of a bug.
"I'm sorry, I lied."
"... ... Ah... Ahaha, you totally fooled me."
Han Ra-im played along with the joke and laughed with me.
She’s kind. She must be exhausted and stressed to the limit.
If I were in her shoes and someone did this while I was busy, I would’ve smacked them upside the head.
Though, she might not have a choice given her position as a nurse.
"Actually, I overheard you talking with those other nurses."
I said, looking at the fairy sitting on her shoulder.
"Ah... I'm so sorry! I showed you something unpleasant."
Even though she hadn't done anything wrong, Han Ra-im hurriedly bowed and apologized.
The fairy on her shoulder tumbled off, then fluttered back up and hopped back on.
What on earth is that creature?
"No, the atmosphere was just so bad that I decided to meddle. I'm sorry."
"No, no. You did it for me, thank you so much!"
Han Ra-im bowed again in gratitude.
The fairy tumbled off again just like before, puffed out her cheeks in anger, and then sat back on her shoulder.
After a brief conversation, Han Ra-im left to get back to her mountain of work.
And I was left alone, locking eyes with the fairy who was staring at me.
Noticing my gaze, the fairy didn't follow Han Ra-im but stayed behind, pointing at herself.
"Can you see me?"
Why does she sound like she has eighth-grader syndrome?
"I see you perfectly fine. What are you?"
"My name is Elisia. Call me Ely."
"I didn't ask for your name, I asked what species you are."
"You're incredibly rude. Why don't you go ask a Black person what species they are? 'Hey, Negro! What species are you? I've never seen a black creature like you before!'"
"No, you're clearly not human."
The one who introduced herself as Ely flew around in front of my face, acting cheeky.
Sparkling dust fell from beneath her fluttering butterfly wings as she puffed out her cheeks and glared at me.
"Listen well. I am the noble Elisia, a Fairy of Joy born from the dew of a narcissus. I am not a being you can treat so lightly—hey, what are you doing?! Let go!"
I touched her wings and could actually feel them.
I guess someone without mana wouldn't be able to feel her.
When I let go, Ely fumed at me, calling me a rude brat.
"In all my life, I've never seen a guy like you."
"How old are you anyway?"
Ely held up three fingers.
Her hands were so tiny that her fingers looked like thin threads.
"Thirty years? You've been around that long?"
And you weren't noticed by anyone all that time? With all the heroes here?
Ely shook her head.
"Three hundred... probably not. Three years?"
When I answered, Ely turned her head away and shook it.
She looked embarrassed.
"Hey, three months... no, is it three days?"
"... ... Well, age isn't important. It's the life you've lived that matters."
Just a second ago, she said she'd never seen a guy like me in all her life, and now she's talking about 'the life she's lived' after only three days?
Even as I looked at her with pity, Ely proudly crossed her arms and puffed out her chest.
Her chest was large for her small frame, but since she was only the size of my palm, it didn't trigger any feelings.
"So, why were you attached to that nurse?"
"I told you, I'm a Fairy of Joy. I was absorbing her dark emotions. I was born to bring joy to people. In a normal state, it doesn't matter, but if they're too negative, I eat those emotions to heal them."
"I get it."
"Finally, you understand my greatness."
"So you're basically a parasite."
"I am not!"
Furious, Ely flew at my head and delivered a flying kick.
She didn't seem to have any physical strength; it felt like being poked by a finger.
Her face flushed red, Ely yelled at me.
"I might eat dark emotions as nourishment, but I was born to give joy!"
"Okay, okay. I went too far. I admit it."
I don't know by what principle she was born with such a sense of purpose, but if she takes pride in it, I shouldn't mock it, whatever it is.
When I apologized, Ely became triumphant again and stepped on the crown of my head.
"Keep bowing your head to me, slave."
"This little brat..."
"Ah! Joke! It's a joke! Fairies love pranks! Joke~ Smile, smile~"
I don't know what kind of comedy routine this is.
Exhausted by the energetic fairy, I sat in a chair and listened to her story.
Perhaps because no one had recognized her for three days and she was bored, Ely chattered on incessantly.
There certainly were beneficial Errors.
There were healing springs that helped with recovery, and animals that helped people.
Ely, who had been chirping away about some nurse's secret hobby, suddenly looked startled as if she’d just remembered something.
"This isn't the time for this. If I don't keep absorbing that girl's negative emotions, she might die."
According to Ely's scattered explanation, Han Ra-im was under extreme stress and fatigue, and her mental state was devastated.
Hospitals are naturally places full of stress and dark emotions, but she said Han Ra-im was the worst among them, reaching a dangerous level, which is why Ely had been stuck to her 24/7.
"If those parrots pecking at her would just go away, her stress would decrease, but right now it's just a temporary fix. She's receiving more stress than the energy I can absorb. It's dangerous."
"... ..."
"Hello? Are you listening? I'm talking to you, you pipsqueak."
I grabbed the arrogant little fairy's wings and pulled her close to my face.
"Eek! Joke, joke."
"I just need to get rid of the stress, right?"
"Huh? You have a way?"
"Probably."
I probably do.
The thing that works best in this world.
Ely looked at me with a pale, disgusted expression, as if my beaming smile was somehow terrifying.