A Saintly Cure, a Divine Beating
Today was the day of the Murim Alliance VIP treatments. Vice Guild Master Jegal Cheon had notified the guild members yesterday, instructing everyone except for a skeleton crew to stay away, so the guild headquarters was quiet and spacious.
"Yaaawn..." I let out a long, lazy yawn in the lounge, which had been temporarily converted into a clinic.
"Aren't you nervous at all, Sis?"
"Why would I be nervous? We already did a practice run and confirmed there wouldn't be any issues."
Hadn't we run a test beforehand just in case? There was absolutely nothing to worry about.
"Sigh, it's my fault for worrying about you."
I chuckled at her exasperated sigh.
Around eleven o'clock, the VIPs began to arrive one by one. Some came in person, while others sent their patients accompanied only by secretaries. Well, to me, this was child's play. The treatments themselves were incredibly easy. However, unlike during the practice run, I put a bit of effort into my bedside manner. When I had to make an incision to trigger regeneration, I explained what I was doing beforehand, and I made sure to advise them on post-treatment care. Normally, I wouldn't bother speaking so kindly... but since today's clients were who they were, I decided to be a little accommodating.
First was an elderly gentleman—a politician in his sixties. His chronic back issues were laughably simple to cure.
"Oh, oh my... My back feels just like it did in my youth!"
"Well, of course, since I just healed it. But that doesn't change the fact that you are still sixty years old. If you don't take care of yourself, it will eventually go right back to the way it was."
"I understand, I understand. Ha... to think you cured something even A-Class healers couldn't touch... Is this the power of an S-Class...?"
Sigh, to think I have to waste my time on things like this... Still, he was an influential political figure, so I had to play along.
The next patient was a woman in her fifties. Her kidneys were in such a critical state that both required complete removal. Originally, she had planned to undergo a double nephrectomy followed by a transplant, but after hearing rumors of my existence, she decided to try her luck with me. Her condition was indeed dire; an ominous, stagnant energy was churning violently around her kidneys, its corrupting influence spreading to the surrounding organs. She had practically forced herself to endure the pain, delaying an urgent surgery just to receive my treatment. I immediately deployed a few magic circles to begin the process. As the divine energy took hold, her expression visibly brightened.
"Ah... the pain is fading... My body feels so light..."
Since her kidneys had already lost almost all functionality, this was closer to creating entirely new organs from scratch rather than merely repairing the old ones.
"I managed to fix it this time, but I can't guarantee a second miracle, so take care of yourself."
"Thank you so much."
She was the wife of a prominent politician. Apparently, her husband doted on her so much that he had pulled out all the stops to send her to me. With this, we would likely secure support from both the ruling and opposition parties... I continued treating patients in this manner. There were conglomerates, second-generation chaebols, and CEOs of thriving corporations. Most of them suffered from chronic illnesses that came with old age. Unlike the test run, none of them had been injured while trying to save others.
And the next patient on the list... I frowned as I scanned his profile. He was a third-generation chaebol heir. Only twenty years old, he had moved to the United States at a young age, where he eventually fell into drug addiction. There was a long, winding story behind it. Because of his immense wealth, his social circle consisted of celebrities and high-profile figures, some of whom engaged in illicit activities. Supposedly, he had been tricked into trying drugs at first without knowing what they were. But as is the nature of narcotics, quitting was easier said than done, and he quickly became dependent. In his case, his family's wealth proved to be his downfall. If he had been poor or lacked the connections to reach the underworld, he wouldn't have been able to procure more. Unfortunately, he had both the money and the means. I didn't know how he had evaded supervision, but he kept buying drugs, sinking deeper into addiction until his body and mind were completely ruined. By the time his family found out, it was already far too late.
"His mind is completely gone."
He was a severe drug addict, completely out of his mind. Personally, I thought they should just discard a useless third-generation heir like him, but to the current chairman of the conglomerate, this boy was the apple of his eye. Besides, if word of this got out, it would deal a devastating blow to the company's image. They were currently keeping it under wraps, but they were desperate enough to try anything to cure him. I wondered if I really had to help someone like this, but apparently, this conglomerate ranked third in South Korea's business world and even operated its own hunter guild. Winning them over as allies would be highly beneficial in many ways. I had wanted to reject him, but Jegal Cheon had practically begged on his knees to include him on the list. For now, I waited for the patient to enter.
The door opened, and a young man stumbled in, supported by an escort. His brain, liver, and lungs were riddled with severe damage. His expression was completely blank, his mouth hanging open as a thin trail of drool spilled down his chin. He was the textbook definition of a ruined addict.
"Are you planning to stay inside?"
"Yes. I must protect the young master."
Hmm... what an odd fellow. Ignoring them, I pondered how to approach the treatment. There were so many damaged areas that curing them all at once would require some preparation, but dividing the treatment into multiple sessions sounded like too much of a hassle. Ah, whatever. Let's just do it all at once! While I was assessing his condition and planning the cure, the bodyguard's eyes roved over me. He was scanning my body in a highly offensive, suggestive manner that made my skin crawl. This bodyguard clearly didn't know his place.
Since drugs fell under the category of toxins, detoxification and purification magic should work. His failing liver would need restoration, and his ruined lungs would require regeneration. I drew the magic circles on the spot. I prepared three in total—one for purification, one for detoxification, and one for regeneration—and positioned them over the corresponding areas of his body.
"What is this?"
"Would you even understand if I told you? Shut your mouth and stop being a nuisance," I told the bodyguard. He looked incredibly displeased and opened his mouth to argue.
"The moment you utter another word, I will stop the treatment. So think very carefully before you speak."
I didn't understand why these people couldn't just get treated quietly and get lost instead of grating on my nerves. Trembling with rage, the bodyguard clamped his mouth shut.
"Why is this bastard acting so high and mighty?"
I muttered it aloud, making sure he could hear me. Who did he think he was? Judging by the mana circulating in his body, he seemed to be an Awakened, but at best, he was a C-Class—maybe a low-tier B-Class if I was being generous. Watching him struggle to swallow his anger actually put me in a slightly better mood.
"Hmph." I placed the completed magic circles over the designated areas and was about to begin the treatment... when I paused.
"Step back. You're in my way."
"How insolent..."
"Oh? Excuse me?"
This guy was really testing my patience. Did he not realize that I was under absolutely no obligation to heal his precious young master?
"Ah, so you don't want the treatment after all, is that it?" I made a move to shove the unconscious heir off the table.
"I... I apologize..." the bodyguard spat out through gritted teeth, offering a half-hearted apology.
"If you get it, then get out of my sight."
Grinding his teeth so hard I could hear it, the bodyguard finally backed away. After that, the treatment proceeded without any further friction. As I repaired his body piece by piece, his complexion returned to a healthy color, his slack jaw closed, and the drool stopped leaking. His ruined body was being restored to its peak state, but in truth, one small problem remained. Even if his physical body was completely healed, the memories of his drug use would not vanish. The toxic substances polluting his bloodstream would be purged, but the intense euphoria and artificial emotions his brain had experienced while high would remain etched in his mind. The urge to feel that sensation again would still be there... If he couldn't control his own impulses, he would simply fall back into addiction. But that was his problem, not mine. My job was strictly to heal him. While I hoped he would recover fully since I had gone to the trouble of curing him, I had no way of stopping him if he chose to ruin his own body again. In any case, the treatment progressed, and his vitals steadily stabilized.
"Ugh..." As his body healed, his consciousness began to return. The young heir blinked slowly, his eyes focusing on me. I ignored his gaze and put the finishing touches on the spell. Once it was complete, I pinched the bridge of my nose.
"Phew..." I felt a wave of mild fatigue wash over me.
"Young Master...?" The bodyguard stared blankly at the completely restored heir.
"I... I am..." The former addict stared at me in a daze.
"So... beautiful..."
Well, I couldn't deny that I was exceptionally beautiful.
"Alright, the treatment is over, so get lost." I crossed my arms, threw one leg over the other, and gestured toward the door with my chin. The bodyguard, looking resentful, tried to explain the situation to the heir and lead him out. However, the young man reacted strangely.
"You... you were the one who cured me?" I didn't bother answering, choosing to ignore him entirely.
"...You won't even answer me?"
"Young Master, we must leave."
"Let go of me." The young man stood up abruptly and marched right up to me.
"I wish to repay this debt. May I know your name?"
What was this crazy bastard talking about? Maybe his brain was still fried from all the drugs, because his mental state seemed highly unstable. Tsk... I really want to slap him across the face, but with the bodyguard watching, it might look bad. Fortunately, my sister stepped in to resolve the situation.
"Alright, now that we're finished, please leave immediately."
"Wait, no... your name..."
My sister ruthlessly shoved them toward the exit, and both the bodyguard and the young master were swept out of the room before they could protest.
"Phew..." I let out a heavy sigh the moment the door clicked shut. Honestly, it had taken a massive amount of self-control not to snap. Dealing with all sorts of demanding people all day had left my temper on a hair-trigger... To be fair, the bodyguard hadn't committed any unforgivable sin, but I had taken my irritation out on him anyway.
"You've worked so hard, Sis. There are only a few left."
"I need to wrap this up quickly so I can go home and rest." I checked the remaining files and got back to work. Once the final treatment of the day was complete, Jegal Cheon approached me and bowed a full ninety degrees, showering me with an overwhelmingly polite expression of gratitude.
"Ahem. Well, it wasn't particularly difficult. I don't mind treating a small number of people again in the future."
"R-Really?"
"But remember, I am a Hunter first and foremost." Hearing that, Jegal Cheon nodded understandingly.
"I am well aware." Good, that was all I needed to hear. My work for the day was officially done!
I wanted to head home a bit early today. My sister agreed and walked out with me. But when we reached the underground parking lot...
"I knew you would come." The drug addict was waiting for me.
"What do you want?"
"You are truly magnificent."
"And?"
"Come with me. There is no need for someone like you to live the dangerous life of a hunter. I can provide you with a life of absolute luxury." It was an incredibly arrogant proposition. What were his bodyguards even doing letting him spout such nonsense? I glanced at the bodyguard standing behind him—he was wearing a smug smirk. Ah, so they had let him do this on purpose.
"Pfft... Hahaha!" I burst into laughter. What a wonderful stroke of luck. I had been looking for a way to relieve the stress built up from today's work, and they had practically delivered themselves on a silver platter.
"You brought this on yourselves." Smiling brightly, I... beat them. I beat them to a pulp. I thrashed the addict and his bodyguards alike, pouring my Holy Power into my fists so that every strike delivered pure, unadulterated agony without leaving a single permanent mark. After knocking them all unconscious, I dragged their limp bodies and tossed them into a dark corner of the parking lot.
"Fufu, that was therapeutic." A mere drug addict had dared to hit on me, completely failing to realize who he was dealing with. Neither the bodyguard nor the heir even had the chance to beg for mercy before they were thoroughly pummeled. The addict had tried to scream something about whether I knew who his family was, but what could he possibly do? No matter how powerful a conglomerate might be, they couldn't easily mess with an S-Class hunter. The government would never allow it. What if I decided to defect to another country because of their harassment? Losing an S-Class healer—the rarest of the rare—would be a national disaster. Even the most corrupt politicians wouldn't dare let that happen.
"Sorry I'm late, Sis."
"It's quite alright."
"Did something happen?"
"Nothing at all. Let's just go home."
I had been wondering how to relieve my stress—even briefly considering going home and taking care of myself—but thanks to those idiots, I was completely refreshed. Honestly, they should be thanking me. After all, being beaten by fists infused with my Holy Power meant their bodies were now thoroughly purified and healed, right?
"Come on, let's go." I urged my sister to hurry.
"Alright, alright." As we drove home with my sister at the wheel, I began to wonder if I should get a driver's license. Now that I had plenty of money, buying a sleek, luxury car and driving it around sounded like a lot of fun. It would also make things much easier when I went out with Ah-young and Gyuri. Heh, a car... That actually sounds like a great idea.