novelraw Chapter 55 : Chungnam National University Hospital (3)
Chapter 55 : Chungnam National University Hospital (3)
Chapter 55: Chungnam National University Hospital (3)
Ding! Ding! Ding!
[You have acquired the Lowest-rank Skill ‘Sleet’.]
[You have acquired the Lowest-rank Skill ‘Ice Prison’.]
[You have acquired the Lowest-rank Skill ‘Frozen Armor’.]
Three lowest-rank skill books were quite the catch.
It wasn’t some kind of cold-type Mage’s private warehouse, yet—
there was an assortment of ice-element skill books neatly arranged by type.
‘Well, grouping similar attributes and selling them together must bring a much higher price anyway.’
Thanks to that, they were able to make a mutually beneficial deal.
‘Sleet causes a drop in body temperature and makes the target slip. Ice Prison applies a slowing effect.’
Frozen Armor created armor that temporarily increased both physical and magical defense by +10.
Given how things were progressing, it didn’t seem bad to follow the Ice-attribute Skill Tree first.
“Heh heh. I am a proud warrior. Ragnar Lodbrok. The last true man of this era. Indeed. Hahaha….”
Of course, the man himself seemed half out of his mind.
Still, since he’d gained new skills, it wasn’t exactly a loss.
Probably…
“Don’t tease my brother too much. He looks like that, but he’s actually the sensitive type.”
“He doesn’t look it at all, but I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I’m serious. My handsome brother shines like a jewel, you know. That’s how we got him to exchange three skill books for one without complaint.”
…Was that intentional?
Because of the Nine Yin Penetrating Force he’d shown earlier?
Well…
The warriors of Scandinavia who had even fought against the Dark Continent wouldn’t be that easy to fool.
There was a reason the Warhammer Guild had such solid footing despite being a mid-sized guild.
Just then—
Bzzz!
[‘Old Tree Branch Doll’ has turned to ashes!]
[‘Road to the Graveyard’ has been unlocked!]
Vivian.
‘She really is strong.’
It hadn’t even been thirty minutes since they parted, and she’d already destroyed the Old Tree Branch Doll.
That meant those semi-named monsters had been ground up like they’d gone through a blender.
‘I need to hurry.’
Since they’d managed to progress through the Apostle faster than expected, he needed to secure everything obtainable inside the hospital quickly.
＊＊＊
Clatter!
Opening the glass cabinet revealed an assortment of medicine inside.
They were modern pharmaceuticals—like Amoxicillin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
“Indeed, in an apocalypse like this, medicine would be essential.”
Park Juhee nodded.
“Our priest can’t do much beyond spitting holy water, so let’s stock up plenty of bandages and such.”
Go Hanil added.
They both made fair points, but that wasn’t what Yohan was after.
Let’s see…
It should be around here somewhere….
Ah, there it is.
He pulled out the 3rd, 8th, and 11th bottles from locker number 13, took out five pills from each, and ground them finely.
‘Hmm. Five drops of juice from the Flesh Butcher’s eyeball should do it. There are five of us, after all.’
He then mixed it into a glucose IV solution and heated it at 99.8°C for exactly 3 minutes and 15 seconds.
Bubble, bubble.
The solution inside the IV pack turned into an unknown black liquid.
“You’re not seriously saying we have to inject or drink that, right?”
Lagertha’s eyes trembled.
No one said anything, but everyone wore the same expression as hers.
“It’s good stuff, so bear with it. And don’t worry—it’s oral, not intravenous. Drink it all, no leftovers.”
Yohan poured the mixture into five small cups.
“Ugh.”
“Uuegh.”
What crybabies.
Did they have any idea how valuable this was?
It was a hospital-grade potion—something others would kill for.
The only downside was that it tasted horrendously bitter.
[Accuracy increases by +7 for 1 hour and 30 minutes!]
[Magic Sensitivity increases by +5% for 1 hour and 30 minutes!]
[Resistance against Dark-attribute monsters increases by +5% for 1 hour and 30 minutes!]
“Oooh!”
“A-Accuracy and Magic Sensitivity both went up!”
“Resistance to Dark-type monsters too!”
“If the Alchemist Guild or any potion-making guilds heard about this, they’d go crazy! Even corporations would lose their minds!”
Moments ago, they’d been gagging in disgust—but now their eyes were gleaming.
Potion crafting was a top-level secret among all factions.
Especially potions with such powerful effects—they were worth as much as one dared to ask.
“To give something like this away so easily… why?”
“Because we’re comrades in the same party. Our fates are tied together.”
Yohan smiled faintly at Lagertha’s question.
That sentiment—for one’s comrades—
stabbed deep into her heart.
However, that warm feeling didn’t last long.
“On that note, it’s time we discuss how to divide the loot. The Flesh Butcher was an exception, but from now on, we’ll need precise agreements.”
In Yohan’s hand was a contract.
One that stripped away bone, flesh, and hide—
in exchange for letting them have a few drops of broth.
Of course, no sane person would agree to something that even a corrupt employer might self-report to the Labor Department.
That is—unless they were already trapped.
[Prepaid Potion Fee – 4 Servings]
The moment they saw the red letters, they realized it was all a trap.
Work without pay.
The miracle of exploitation achieved.
“I heard Koreans… were a warm and generous people.”
“It’s cold, brother. So cold.”
“Not all Koreans are like that. Hang in there.”
While everyone else despaired, Sambok padded toward Yohan’s feet.
“Heh heh. Master, Jungbok said there’s something over there.”
“Hehe! My nose good! I did good? Good, right?”
“……!!”
Yohan clenched his fist unconsciously.
Ancient species usually had a unique sixth sense—
able to detect hidden passages or items that normal means couldn’t find.
And Jungbok, in particular, was exceptionally reliable.
Its head might be full of flowers, but its nose was flawless.
‘Please… let it be that.’
An item that could only be found in Episode (2) at a ridiculously low probability.
They had been carefully combing through the area, clinging to that faint possibility.
Yohan followed Sambok into the adjacent room.
As they rounded pillars and reached the deepest corner, an unusual energy could be felt.
Crackle.
Crack!
Melted marble came into view first—
and within it lay a golden root, radiating dazzling light.
“Haha… ha.”
Truly, his dear Sambok.
He could’ve hugged the creature to death.
This ancient species had actually discovered the root that could be cultivated into a Divine Herb.
‘With this amount, I can fulfill not only the promise I made with Priscilla but also make use of it with other lower administrators.’
It was quite a large quantity.
Of course, cultivating this root safely into a Divine Herb would require several other components as well.
But he had already overcome the most difficult obstacle.
Besides…
‘Looks like this might just work.’
Since his Magic Sensitivity had been increased by the potion, if luck was on his side, it might even elevate his Blood Grade by one level.
“From now on, I need to focus. Make sure no one disturbs me.”
Yohan asked Sambok to stand guard.
“Heh heh. A trivial task. Releasing even one percent of my full power should be more than enough.”
“Hehe! I’m really good at guarding!”
“Anyone who approaches will be annihilated… Got it.”
Yohan grasped a handful of the root.
Then he shoved it into his mouth.
The amount wasn’t the important factor—this much would suffice.
Bzzzz!
The lump of magic that entered his body began to expand rapidly.
Thump!
His heart pounded as if it were about to burst.
This was where the real process began.
Just like circulating energy through the meridians, Yohan took a deep breath and sharpened all his senses.
A massive flame rotated rapidly inside him.
One rotation.
Focus.
Two rotations.
It felt like his whole body was burning away.
No wonder—it was something consumed by lower administrators who possessed the Grade of the Fourth Moon.
Still, he could endure it.
Hadn’t he ingested potions and poisons far more dreadful—elixirs so horrific one could barely imagine them?
He mustn’t resist or fight it. He had to let his body flow naturally with the energy.
…Nine rotations. Ten rotations!
The storm-like surge of mana gradually calmed.
And finally—
Crackle…
[‘Blood Grade’ has increased by one level!]
…It worked.
Yohan exhaled the breath he had been holding.
Dense magic flowed through his veins.
Something within him had changed.
‘Let’s test this out.’
[Bloodline Power ‘Blood Bind’ activates!]
Crash!
A red hand formed of blood shot out from the ground.
A crowd-control skill that bound the target’s movements.
Not only that—it could also pull the target toward him, though only from a distance of about 30 centimeters.
It wasn’t guaranteed and was difficult to control, but it granted him an incredibly powerful additional ability.
Thump!
His heart beat with a satisfying rhythm.
He could feel himself growing stronger.
If he could also master various magic types—and even Void Magic beyond that…
Just imagining how powerful he could become sent an electrifying thrill down his spine.
“You all worked hard. As a special treat, I’ll give you ‘that.’”
“W-What? D-Don’t tell me, that’s—!”
“Hehehe! That! That! That!”
“The one we only heard about…?”
Sambok’s eyes grew wide.
From the subspace came a dog milk tea—a secret snack he had brought from a pet shop near Daejeon Station.
Gulp gulp gulp.
The brown milk tea filled a patient’s bowl to the brim.
“Heh heh. Then I shall be the first to taste—Agh! Jungbok, did you just bite me, you insolent fool?!”
“Grrr…”
“Don’t bare your teeth. We’re one body anyway. Whoever drinks it, it’s all the same. Yeah.”
“For someone saying that, Malbok, shouldn’t you wipe that brown liquid off your lips first?”
“If… you want war… I won’t back down. Yeah.”
Sambok’s eyes changed completely.
‘They’re reacting even better than when I gave them the dog chews.’
He should definitely reward them with treats like this whenever they did something good.
Maybe even stockpile some before all the pet shops disappeared.
But before he could fully enjoy the moment—
“Ggghhh… Aaaaaaah!”
“P-Please! Please save me!”
Horrifying screams and cries echoed nearby.
It wasn’t from any of his teammates in the next room.
He could sense completely different voices and mana signatures.
But it wasn’t exactly good news either.
Besides them…
There was only one other raid team that had entered this hospital.
The Saintess.
Something had gone wrong on her side—
terribly wrong.
＊＊＊
Saintess Joanna Siondarc.
Her Sacred Rank was the 2nd Star of the 2nd Moon. Even if the monsters here were strong, they shouldn’t have been any threat to her.
Moreover, she wasn’t alone—she had Paladins and Priests sent directly from the Vatican accompanying her.
And yet something had gone wrong.
Boom!
Yohan immediately ran toward the direction of the sound.
There were three of them.
One Paladin and two Priests.
Chasing right behind them was—
“Keek! Kekkek!”
A monster wielding a 1.5-meter-long rusted pair of scissors.
It had long, disheveled hair and wore a nurse’s uniform.
The very same ones they had seen earlier in the parking lot.
“Lodbrok!”
“Oooooh!”
The massive Viking warrior answered by swinging his twin axes.
Kwakwa-kwaang!
As the axes and spells collided, the monsters were shredded like paper.
They hadn’t bothered hunting them before only because of the first-hunt benefit; even dozens of these things wouldn’t make a difference.
“Huff… Huff….”
“Huugh… Haa… Cough!”
The Paladin and the two Priests were gasping for breath, utterly exhausted.
“What happened?”
Yohan asked immediately.
“I-I don’t know. We don’t know what it was. It just… it came for us… and everyone…”
“T-The Saintess… the Saintess… the Saintess…”
Their faces were half blank, overtaken by fear and despair.
What in the world could have happened to turn the confident clergy of light into this?
Could there truly be something here capable of subduing even the Saintess?
He needed answers, but it didn’t look easy.
“For now, let me heal you. Your condition’s bad, so we’ll need something strong. Let’s see… Khaaa! Khrrk-khaaaak!”
Lagertha stepped forward.
“Don’t you dare spit that thick phlegm anywhere.”
Even if they were mentally shattered now, once they recovered their memories later, how would they react?
He could already picture the ending—being brought before the Inquisition for blasphemy.
“Tch.”
Lagertha backed off reluctantly.
This time, Lodbrok stepped up, cracking his knuckles.
“There’s also a physical way to heal. In our tribe, we call it ‘the revolving lantern technique.’”
“Are you being serious right now?”
With that kind of muscle, one slap might send them straight to the god they worshiped.
Letting out a small sigh, Yohan knelt down in front of the trembling survivors.
[Characteristic ‘Sacred Flame’ activates!]
Fwoosh.
A brilliant light flared from his hands.
It was pure divinity itself—brighter and purer even than that of the Saintess.
“Don’t be afraid. Speak to me. I’ll help you.”
A single gentle sentence.
“Ah….”
“The light rising from the East shall drive away the darkness of the West.”
Hot tears streamed down the three’s faces.
Yes. This was, after all, the best way to calm zealots.
With Sacred Flame and Stigmata together, there was no need for stimulants or tranquilizers.