abcnovels
Chapter 174
Chapter 174
Chapter 174
Jane stared blankly at the patient before her.
She had been called to the Antonio Rehabilitation Hospital early this morning and had been examining the patients.
Woong-
The patient was moving her prosthetic right arm. Looking at it, its movements seemed nearly identical to those of her left arm besides the slight differences from the fact that the user was right-handed. The prosthetic clearly reflected the high level of craftsmanship put into its development.
However, what was even more astonishing than the prosthetic's craftsmanship was the mana moving inside it.
Every time Lola, the elderly woman with a gentle demeanor, moved her prosthetic, a small amount of mana followed her movements and flowed naturally inside it. An untrained eye wouldn’t have seen anything that impressive, but a trained one would have realized that the impressive part was that the entire process was happening unconsciously.
“She truly perceives the prosthetic as part of her body...”
Just like how one wouldn’t consciously think about beating their heart to pump blood throughout the body, mana moved naturally without conscious effort. So, when something disrupted that natural flow of mana, like the foreign sensation of a prosthetic, one would lose the ability to control their mana unconsciously.
She was definitely in that state just yesterday...
Somehow, the foreign sensation from the prosthetic disappeared overnight, allowing mana to move through it as if it were her real arm. And on top of that, she could move faster and perfectly control the complex and powerful skills she used during her prime.
It was a change that, even having seen it with her own eyes, was almost too incredible for Jane to believe it happened overnight.
“Thank you for showing me your arm. I’ll report back to you once we finish our analysis.”
“Take your time. Oh, by the way...”
Putting her shit back over her tank top, Lola hesitated before cautiously voicing her question to Jane.
“When can I receive the special treatment I had yesterday again? If possible, I’d like to receive it regularly, making sure it doesn’t cause any issues.... Please, I’m willing to pay whatever it takes.”
Jane gave Lola a wry smile; the patients before her had also requested the same exact thing. Normally, she would gladly help a disabled hero, but there were too many factors that she needed to take into account this time around.
“I’ll let you know once we have a clear explanation for this phenomenon. Just because we had good results this time doesn’t guarantee it will always be the case.”
“Hmm... Okay. Please let me know when you figure it out.”
Accepting Lola’s sincere request, Jane watched her leave before standing up to head to another room. Quickly arriving, she entered a small rest area where patients took a break from their rehabilitation exercises and found Se-Hoon lying limp with a wet towel over his eyes.
“How are you feeling?”
Hearing Jane’s voice, Se-Hoon turned slightly. With the towel still over his eyes, he honestly answered, “Still tired, but I should be fully recovered by evening.”
“That’s a relief. I was really worried this morning...”
Unlike what Se-Hoon and Luize said yesterday—that they would return soon—they only managed to return to their quarters at dawn. And Jane, having been waiting for them all night, couldn’t help but be shocked by their conditions upon seeing them up close.
“Where is Luize?” Se-Hoon asked.
“Oh, she went to remove an IV. She’ll be back soon.”
Last night, Luize had looked exhausted to the point of collapse. Her silver hair was messy like someone had been pulling it out, and her eyes were bloodshot with dark circles beneath them.
Yet Se-Hoon’s condition had been worse. Physically, he was in a similar state to Luize, but Se-Hoon had an additional peculiar symptom. His left eye, which was currently hidden under the towel, had turned into a misty haze.
“How is your eye?”
“Ah, just a moment...”
Removing the towel, Se-Hoon gently pressed his left eye. Diagnosing his condition, he pressed down further than he normally would. Curious, Jane watched him intently.
“It feels much better now. There’s no need to worry anymore.”
“I see.”
Sighing in relief, Jane sat in a chair beside Se-Hoon.
“You must still be tired, but can you tell me what happened last night? I need to understand the situation as well as I possibly can since I could hear from the Church at any time.”
Just the fact that some retired disabled heroes had managed to regain their former strength thanks to some special treatment by the Pilgrimage Church made the situation significant enough that it wouldn’t be surprising if information leaked. And if she wanted to keep Se-Hoon’s involvement a secret, she needed to clearly understand what happened and whether the Church could replicate the treatment method.
“Right. I’ll start with what happened yesterday.”
Beginning solemnly, Se-Hoon explained about the gemstone they found in the prosthetic and its ability to replicate synesthetic mindscapes.
“The ability to copy synesthetic mindscapes... that truly is dangerous.”
“Yes, it’s extremely dangerous. If such technology succeeds, various monsters and demons will likely be enhanced, further putting humanity at risk.”
As even Puppeteer could make use of them in bioweapons that used the abilities of deceased heroes, the potential for misuse of the technology was boundless—so Se-Hoon had prepared countermeasures.
“Still, I think it’s too premature to reveal this to the public. If we happen to only be grabbing the tail, the body could escape and hide.”
“That’s true...”
But while Jane agreed, she felt bitter. She couldn’t imagine how unbearable it would be to lose one's lifelong skills and synesthetic mindscape only to see them reappear in the hands of the enemy.
“But that doesn't mean we should just sit back and watch.”
Having anticipated her reaction, Se-Hoon started explaining the countermeasure he and Luize had placed on the three patients during the night.
“The main challenge is interfering with their plans while also not arousing their suspicion. So, I came up with a way to enhance the treatment we used last afternoon.”
“Enhance...?”
“Yes. It’s complicated, but simply put, I modified the prosthetic to rapidly increase the assimilation rate.”
To do such a thing, Se-Hoon had reconnected hundreds of artificial nerves and mana circuits between the prosthetic and the body before having Luize use her Incantation Magic to harmonize them. Then, to finish up, he stimulated the patients’ synesthetic mindscape with the Ethereal Monocle to boost their natural healing power and raise the assimilation rate quickly.
Each was one heck of a job, though...
Since divine mana was used, harmonizing it caused Luize to suffer from a severe headache, and Se-Hoon’s frequent use of the monocle and Ethereal Vision nearly cost him his left eye.
If it weren’t for the divine mana rapidly accelerating the patients’ natural healing, they wouldn’t have finished treating all three before sunrise.
“We didn’t use any special new treatment method; we just sped up the process. If they regularly receive the treatment we administered yesterday, they will probably see similar results.”
“If that’s the case... the Church can also administer this treatment method?”
“Yes, exactly. In fact, spreading this fact among heroes is key.”
Sitting up with his eyes still closed, Se-Hoon explained the final part of his plan.
“Once the news spreads, retired disabled heroes who were previously targeted by the Pleasure District will seek treatment from the Church, as divine mana has become a safer bet than risky alternatives.”
If there was only one option, they’d have to take it, but with a safer and more reliable option available, there was no question which the heroes would choose. In one go, it would weaken the Pleasure District’s leverage and restrict their movements unless they wanted frequent contact with the Pilgrimage Church.
“Once everyone is checked, we can follow the traces to the main person in charge and eliminate all related threats. That’s my full plan.”
Digesting the entire plan, Jane let out a small sigh of admiration after a few minutes.
“You’re truly amazing...”
Although the plan itself was simple, it was only possible with Se-Hoon's newly developed treatment method. His potential and talent left Jane genuinely in awe.
Continuing the conversation, Jane asked, “So should we keep this matter a secret like before?”
“Well...”
Keeping it a secret would be neat and tidy, but he knew that troublesome people would eventually sniff him out and bother him. Therefore, he suggested the most appropriate compromise.
“You can tell the Pilgrim.”
“The Pope?”
“Yes. I think he’ll handle it appropriately.”
As the pope of the Pilgrimage Church, it was a guarantee that he knew how to appropriately distribute the enemy’s vigilance and interference. And Jane knew that too.
“Alright. I’ll report to him right away.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Moving immediately, Jane bowed her head and left. Now alone, Se-Hoon lay back down and touched his closed eyes.
By now, the Pleasure District and those blacksmiths must be in chaos.
Considering that the three people he suspected had all requested additional treatment as if on cue, it was likely that the Pleasure District had a hand in it. And while he still wasn’t sure what their exact reason was, his intervention had ended up throwing a wrench in their entire scheme.
Well, this should be a huge gain from the perspective of the Marionette Factory.
For the plan, Se-Hoon revealed to the patients that the positive results of the treatment were due to the superior quality of the prosthetic. And if that spread, everyone seeking treatment from the Pilgrimage Church would want to switch their prosthetics to the ones made by the Marionette Factory.
The problem is that the additional profits might end up in the hands of Dawn... I need to dig into that too.
It was a good opportunity to poke around for information since Luize was also eager to destroy Dawn.
Knock, knock.
“Hey, are you awake?”
Putting away his thoughts on what else he needed to be mindful of, Se-Hoon smiled upon hearing Luize sounding much more energetic than in the morning.
“I’m awake.”
“How are your eyes?”
“They seem almost back to normal...”
Planning to check his condition more closely, Se-Hoon was about to open his eyes when Luize stopped him by covering his eyes with her hand.
“What are you doing?”
“Don’t push yourself. Your version of ‘okay’ usually means you’re not going to die soon.”
“Why do you see me like that...”
“So you aren’t?”
Lost for words, Se-Hoon quickly changed the subject.
“How are you feeling?”
“Trying to dodge the question, huh...?”
Laughing lightly at his evasive response, Luize answered while keeping her hand over his eyes, “I’m fine now. The headache was temporary, and the rest was just exhaustion...”
Truthfully, it was almost embarrassing remembering how much she had struggled with just that.
Unaware of how Luize was feeling, Se-Hoon continued the conversation.
“Did you see the patients?”
“Yeah. They were running around like children taking their first steps.”
Despite being told to rest due to uncertainty, the three couldn’t help but want to move, having regained their old powers. They were all secretly training and sparring in open spaces or by the beach, causing trouble for everyone else.
“It must be a complete mess out there.”
“It is. And it’s a bit annoying since I’m the one who asked for all this.”
Hearing Luize’s frustrated remark, Se-Hoon smirked.
“Do you regret helping them?”
“No, it’s not that,” answered Luize without hesitation.
She looked down at Se-Hoon.
“They may be annoying and arrogant at times, but they’re not bad people. They reminded me of my old self.”
Normally, she wouldn’t express such heartfelt thoughts, but today they came out easily. Part of it was because she was alone with Se-Hoon in the room, but... she also just really wanted to share her thoughts with him.
“So, I think we did a good thing. Like I said before, helping people isn’t so bad.”
“...”
“So... um...”
She made a strange face. Why did she feel the need to tell him that? Belatedly questioning it, embarrassment and a slight regret rushed in.
Unable to say more, Luize hurriedly tried to brush it off. “Never mind; forget it. Just pretend you didn’t hear that—”
“Helping people you don’t like isn’t something everyone can do easily.”
Interjecting, Se-Hoon took her hand, which was covering his eyes, in his and gently pulled it down.
“Thanks to you, everything turned out well.”
Tilting his head up, he slowly opened his eyes and looked at Luize, who was staring down blankly at him.
“You did great. This is all thanks to you.”
“...”
With a soft smile, he gave her a sincere compliment filled with gratitude and nothing else but goodwill. And being sensitive to emotions, Luize could clearly feel the joy, pride, and satisfaction within those words.
“...You’re so annoying.”
She turned her head, trying to hide her happiness.
[The bond with ‘Luize Valente’ has grown to Lv. 3.]
[Since the bond has grown to Lv.3, the existing Relationship has deepened.]
[Relationship: Guidance]
[Guiding others is a heavy responsibility as it deeply influences their future.
This responsibility can weigh down and mislead the guide, but if those being led share the burden, it lightens. Finding and leading others down the right path is not easy, but if done successfully together, reaching the end will bring about a new Relationship.
*A Fatestone is created every time you guide the subject correctly.
*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases during situations where you guide the subject.
*The probability of the subject’s synesthetic mindscape manifesting inside the Fatestone increases when the subject makes the right decision based on the guidance given.
*Currently created Fatestones: 0]
“Woah...”
Se-Hoon hadn’t expected the notification message at all. He had simply just praised her for a rare action on her part, not expecting it to result in an increase in their bond.
As he stared at the notification message, Luize naturally met his gaze.
“...”
At first, she felt embarrassed, but she managed to rapidly regain her composure. However, that was when she realized something else: she couldn’t stop her face from gradually turning red.
“Let...”
Luize struggled to get the words out.
Having been distracted by the notification message, Se-Hoon focused on her again and asked for clarification with a puzzled expression.
“What?”
“Let go...”
“Speak up; I can't hear you.”
Why is she speaking so quietly? Se-Hoon thought. His full curious attention was on her now.
And that was when Luize reached her limit. Avoiding his gaze, Luize suddenly pulled back, her eyes blazing blue.
“Let go of my hand, you jerk!”
Smack!
“Ouch!”
Smacking Se-Hoon on the eyelid with her other hand, Luize escaped from the room.
***
“Let go of my hand, you jerk!”
“Hmm...?”
Hearing the shout of embarrassment and shame from outside the makeshift prayer room, which was created in an empty room in the hospital, Jane turned her head curiously.
“Is something wrong?” a gentle voice asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing, Pope.”
Refocusing her gaze forward, Jane faced a golden ring made of divine mana hanging in the air.
Within it, a different prayer room, with a blond man standing with his back turned, could be seen. The man was Karl Andersen, the leader of the Pilgrimage Church.
His soft voice resonated through the makeshift prayer room again, “Please continue with your explanation.”
“Yes. Regarding the treatment method created by Lee Se-Hoon...”
Jane proceeded to detail all the events that had transpired, and Karl listened attentively.
“Hmm. Archbishop Jane.”
Upon hearing everything, Karl’s voice became solemn; he sounded as if he were about to make a crucial decision.
“Yes, Pope.”
“How about we create a new position, like Honorary Archbishop, to mark this occasion?”
“...Excuse me?”
“And let’s build a chapel in Babel as large as our current main sanctuary. Sounds good, right?”
From the tone of Karl’s voice toward the end, it was clear he found the idea amusing. And having noticed that, Jane instantly understood one thing.
“That’s a wonderful idea.”
The support Se-Hoon would receive from the Pilgrimage Church had just increased manifold.