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Chapter 23 – A Doctor is Someone Who Lives Up to the Patient’s Trust
In a way, it’s practically suicide.
A guy who’s never fought before is climbing the tower?
Some might call me crazy.
But…
“I will save the patient.”
My resolve was unshakable.
[You have entered the fourth floor of the tower.]After entering the tower, I surveyed my surroundings.
It was a space I had only ever seen through holographic projections.
The space was incredibly cold and……
“Creepy.”
Now I understand why Awakeners dislike climbing the tower. This chilling sensation.
It makes sense why they say you risk your life to earn money. In my case, though, I wasn’t here for the money.
“Stay calm.”
After realizing that I could conquer the tower,
I studied all the monsters that appeared on every floor below the tenth.
The fourth floor had five Lizardmen.
They were monsters with intelligence comparable to sword-wielding humans.
I heard their damp footsteps approaching.
Lizardmen with red scales emerged from beyond.
Seeing those monsters, I felt fear.
If they attacked together, I would be hunted down right then and there.
“The atmosphere is downright deadly.”
The tension made my mouth go dry.
My hands and feet trembled, and I felt an immediate urge to flee.
But I didn’t.
Instead, I recalled a conversation I’d had with my father.
“Why are you so sincere with the patients?”
Back when I was immature.
I asked my father that question.
My sudden question had flustered him.
But soon, he closed his eyes, deep in thought.
Then he answered.
“Well, because they’re grateful.”
I tilted my head at his words.
My father chuckled at my reaction.
“When a patient comes to us, it means they trust us, doesn’t it?”
I nodded.
Then, my father smiled contentedly.
A doctor has no choice but to repay that trust. That’s why it’s always such a struggle.
When I was young, I didn’t understand my father’s words.
Why should you have to repay such arbitrary trust?
Where in the world is there such an unfair relationship?
But as I grew older, I came to understand his words.
“I want to repay them as much as they trust me.”
I always felt that way.
That’s why my father gave me this final piece of advice.
“No matter the situation, Jin, never give up on a patient.”
Those final words of my father flashed through my mind.
Shhhhhhh!
The needle, imbued with qi, shot forward.
It struck the head of the lizardman at the front.
Boom!
The lizardman’s head exploded cleanly!
But it didn’t stop there.
I immediately pulled another needle from my father’s box.
Then, I fired another needle at a different lizardman.
The same thing happened again.
Boom!
Once more, a lizardman’s head exploded from a needle imbued with my qi.
The sight startled the other lizardmen.
“Gaaaah!”
It was definitely startling.
Their prey looks like he’s about to die any second, yet he’s this strong.
How could that be?
Flustered, they charged at me.
But it was already too late.
Shh!
I swiftly threw another needle.
Once again, the needle headed straight for a lizardman’s forehead.
The moment it hit the lizardman’s forehead—
Boom!
Once again, the lizardman’s head exploded.
One shot, one kill!
That phrase fit perfectly.
Faced with this unbelievable sight, the remaining two lizardmen were terrified.
“Gaaah!”
One of them screamed and threw its sword at me.
A sword flew fast and true towards me!
But it’s fine.
I have reflexes that even Nak-yong would acknowledge.
Thwack!
I dodged the sword with just a slight turn of my head.
Shh!
As I regained my proper stance, I fired my needle.
The lizardman who threw the sword at me had its head cleanly blown off.
“Is this the last one?”
I gripped the needle, ready for the final blow.
In that moment, the last lizardman charged at me.
Thud!
Incredibly perfect timing.
It seemed it’d used its comrade as bait.
Seeing that showed how seasoned a warrior the lizardman was.
But what about this?
I had already thrown my last needle.
Piiirrrr!
The lizardman’s head burst open in a final explosion!
In an instant, I had eliminated all five lizardmen.
In the blink of an eye.
Simultaneously, a message appeared before my eyes.
[Tower - You have cleared the fourth floor.]
[Clear Time: 0:17]
[You have achieved a new record.]
[A reward has been granted.]
[As a reward, you have obtained a New Record Random Box.]
[You have obtained Lizardman Body Fluid.]
[You have obtained Lizardman Scales.]The previous record for the fourth floor was 41 seconds.
I cleared it in just 17 seconds—twice as fast!
However, I did not feel joy over the new record. Only…
“With this, I’ve got the recipe.”
The only thing that mattered was saving the patient.
* * *
At the same time.
The Awakener Association managed Hua Tuo and the other Awakeners.
An agent working there screamed.
“Te-Team Leader! Team Leader!”
All eyes turned to the agent.
Team Leader Lee Ki-woo swiftly approached the agent.
“What’s going on? Did a gate open?”
“No, that’s not it!”
“Not that?”
Lee Ki-woo narrowed his eyes.
Usually, people don’t make such a fuss.
It was usually because a high-ranking gate had appeared.
Therefore, Lee Ki-woo glared at the agent, making a fuss over nothing.
But the agent still looked startled.
“L-look here!”
The agent pointed at the monitor.
What was displayed on the monitor?
The Hall of Fame, updating in real time. Recently, the rankings for the fourth floor had changed.
“What? The fourth floor rankings changed?”
“It’s not just changed!”
“What?”
“Look closely!”
Usually, when the rankings changed, it was outside the top 10.
The top 10 rarely shifted.
But, strangely, the agent’s finger pointed toward the top ten.
It was the very top.
Lee Ki-woo’s expression changed when he saw this.
[Clear Time 00:17]
[▶Hua Tuo]
The number one spot on the fourth floor had changed.
To a Korean Awakener!
And that Awakener was none other than…
“Hu-Hua Tuo?”
It was Hua Tuo, who had recently been the talk of the town.
“No way.”
Lee Ki-woo was amazed.
What rank had he given Hua Tuo?
At best, A-class.
Yet, Hua Tuo had achieved first place on the fourth floor!
“Was he hiding his strength?”
“It certainly seems that way!”
“Damn it! He’s a much bigger deal than I thought!”
He’d just assumed that Hua Tuo was an Awakener who farmed.
An Awakener with A-rank potential, albeit a capable one.
But the reality was different.
“Cleared the 4th floor in 17 seconds!”
That’s clearly S-rank level!
Therefore, Lee Ki-woo changed his evaluation of Hua Tuo. From a merely good Awakener, he became someone he should recruit…
“I must recruit Hua Tuo by any means necessary!”
Hua Tuo was now a highly capable Awakener who absolutely must be recruited. That’s why Lee Ki-woo told his agents.
“From this moment on, Hua Tuo’s value assessment is elevated to S-rank!”
Value assessment: S-rank.
Only ten individuals in all of Korea held that rank.
* * *
As I cleared the tower. My vision shifted.
I went from a space with a chilly aura to my home.
Before my eyes stood Grandma Yeongja, looking startled.
“Jin, you…”
“Yes, I’m an Awakener. I ask that you keep this a secret.”
“You made it back safely.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Mr. Nak-yong.”
I bowed my head to Nak-yong.
Then, Nureongi looked at me, his eyes brimming with tears.
He whispered quietly.
“Young Master, I am angry.”
“…Sorry, but we have to put out the urgent fire first.”
“The situation is urgent now. We’ll talk later.”
“Thank you.”
I nodded in thanks to Nureongi, who understood me.
Then, I moved immediately.
“Yakseon’s Notebook.”
At that moment—
Whoosh!
Yakseon’s Notebook unfolded in the air before me!
[Yakseon's Notebook verifies your level.]
[Your level: Tower, 4th floor.]
[Yakseon's Notebook permits you to view the fifth page.]That fulfilled the condition.
I immediately opened the fifth page.
Then, the recipe appeared before my eyes:
[Recipe for Medicine Good for Heart Inflammation]
[Ingredients: 100 mL troll blood, 30 g lizardman scales, 50 g hawthorn fruit...]
[Method: Finely grind the lizardman scales and hawthorn fruit into a powder. Then, mix with troll blood......]This recipe was no ordinary recipe.
And no wonder.
“Troll blood and lizardman scales are required.”
The ingredients were far more unusual than expected.
The only somewhat common ingredient was the hawthorn fruit.
But I understood.
After all, this was a potent medicine for treating heart inflammation. Usually, this illness can’t be cured with oral medication.
“Still, I have everything.”
Fortunately, I had all the necessary ingredients.
Therefore, I got to work right away.
“I’ll make the medicine right away.”
“Ji-Jin! Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Grandma, please stay by Seojun’s side. He’ll be anxious.”
When I said that, Grandma looked at Seojun.
I saw that he was drenched in sweat.
Grandma Yeongja held Seojun’s hand tightly.
“I’m truly sorry.”
Grandma Yeongja apologized.
To whom exactly were those words meant?
Was she apologizing to me for causing this mess by not listening?
Or was it an apology to Seojun for his illness?
It didn’t matter.
“Mr. Nak-yong, I’m leaving this to you.”
Grandma Yeongja trusted me, and I would live up to that trust.
Click!
First, troll blood.
Fortunately, I had five trolls.
I headed toward the herb garden, pushing through the wind and rain.
Then, I saw an astonishing sight.
“It’s so quiet here.”
The herb garden was quiet, as if it were another world.
Of course, it was raining.
But the storm wasn’t raging.
“Young master, hurry up!”
“Right!”
We immediately headed for the second zone.
There, I saw trolls working in the rain.
They spotted me and waved cheerfully.
“The employer has arrived! Trolls.”
“What is it? Troll.”
I got straight to the point with those trolls.
“I need your blood.”
Time was of the essence.
That’s why I told the trolls that.
But upon hearing my words, the trolls grimaced.
“Employer, did you just say you need our blood now? Troll.”
“We really hate giving our blood to others. Troll.”
“Uh, why?”
“Our blood is exceptional. Troll.”
“That’s why we’ve been targeted so much. Troll.”
“We don’t want to be targeted anymore. Troll.”
Indeed.
It seemed that other races had often coveted the trolls’ blood.
Well, with healing abilities like that, it was only natural.
I understood the trolls’ feelings.
“Is there no other way?”
I decided to buy the trolls’ blood, even if it cost a fortune.
At that moment,
“But it’s fine if it’s the employer. Troll.”
That was the reply I heard.
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
“The employer is a good person. Troll.”
“We repay our employer. Troll.”
Hearing that, I nearly cried from gratitude.
But there was no time for that here.
I immediately pulled out the prepared container and showed it to the trolls.
“Thank you so much. Just 100 mL, please.”
I safely obtained the troll’s blood.
Coincidentally, I already had the lizardman’s scales.
After harvesting the hawthorn from the field, I returned home.
“Divine Doctor, how did it go?”
“I got everything!”
All the materials were prepared.
Only one thing remained.
[Beginning the preparation of the medicine.]I just had to make the medicine to save Seojun.
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And so, the legend of One Headshot Man was born.
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