Chapter 8: The first irregular

The Armed Forces Capital Hospital was busy.

Doctor Min-ho Baek was even more so.

“Dr. Baek, are you available for consultation today?”

“No.”

The new military doctor holding the records scratched his head.

She checked the nameplate again, thinking she had come to the wrong place.

[Resident Min-ho Baek]

-Awakening Specialist

“Y-you are Dr. Baek, right?”

“That’s right.”

“There’s a consultation right now.”

The military doctor’s voice trembled.

“No.”

Min-ho Baek glared at the military doctor.

His body, leaning back on the chair, tilted backward.

Min-ho Baek nodded as if telling her to speak.

“The patient has a problem with their sexual function and needs a check-up…”

“Tell them to go to a university hospital. Why the hell are they coming here?”

“They insist on seeing you. They’re making a fuss. You need to check on them right now.”

The military doctor swallowed hard.

“Am I the only one not on leave today?”

“No.”

Min-ho Baek let out a low groan.

He checked the desk clock.

The clicking sound was audible to the military doctor.

“Damn it, it’s on the hour.”

On the hour.

The military doctor recalled the schedule.

Today was only for checking the condition of a VIP and having an interview.

It must have been urgent for Min-ho Baek, as he got ready to leave, grabbing his white coat and documents.

“About that patient. What’s their gender?”

“F-female. In her 40s.”

“Stop.”

Min-ho Baek scribbled down a medical opinion.

He quietly gritted his teeth.

He gave a harsh order with a distorted face.

“Hand over their identity to the military police. Give them this medical opinion as evidence.”

“Like last time?”

“Yes. Stall until they arrive… And clear all the VIP appointments for today. I’ll be taking care of the special room patient.”

While the military doctor was bewildered.

Min-ho Baek was already neatly dressed.

His stubble and hair were also tidy.

“Don’t let anyone near without my permission.”

“Y-yes, sir! Attention!”

The military doctor saluted after hearing the answer.

“Attention.”

Min-ho Baek grumbled as he walked out.

The military doctor quickly followed to assist him.

“Wh-who is it?”

Min-ho Baek was on the sky bridge.

He wasn’t alone.

He was having a secret conversation with someone.

It wasn’t really a secret conversation.

The sunlight was shining brightly, so they could be easily seen.

‘M-Mi-young Kang?’

As if she were a spy, the military doctor eavesdropped on their conversation from a distance.

Several female residents and nurses did the same.

“Thank you for coming all this way, Major.”

Min-ho Baek approached Mi-young Kang with large strides.

He bowed slightly and handed over the documents he was carrying.

Mi-young Kang, who was holding the railing.

She nodded with a cynical look.

“What’s the matter today? Consultation?”

Min-ho Baek asked her intention.

“His condition is still good. He’s improved considerably.”

“That’s good to hear. People almost died because of your paranoia, Major.”

Min-ho Baek glared at both ends of the sky bridge.

“There are many eyes. This time’s VIP. His name was Seong-han Lee, right?”

Mi-young Kang was startled for a moment.

“It is Seong-han Lee. Why are you interested in that kid…”

Min-ho Baek, with dark circles under his eyes.

He took a sip of his iced Americano.

“I’m also a bit of an expert when it comes to relationships. Is it because of his looks? Or his personality? Even I think he’d make many women cry.”

“……Huh.”

Mi-young Kang snorted as if it were absurd.

“You’ve been bewitched by a fox.”

Min-ho Baek pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

“Alright… this isn’t a psychiatric consultation, is it?”

“It is not.”

“Let’s get to the point.”

A madwoman with red eyes blocking the hallway.

Iron-blooded Empress, Mi-young Kang.

For ten days, she had been following Min-ho Baek, requesting to see the patient.

Now it’s the limit.

He couldn’t hide it any longer.

The VIP’s condition.

Min-ho Baek looked at Mi-young Kang and took out his phone.

Ring ring.

Ring ring.

“Ah, yes, Security Team Leader. This is Dr. Baek. Can you please deploy some personnel here?”

Min-ho Baek, having chased away the flies.

He returned to the main topic when the unmanned security team arrived.

“First, let me add my opinion as a specialist. It will be difficult for the patient to improve. Without good quality treatment and rest.”

He looked at the ground and shook his head as if there was no hope.

The Armed Forces Capital Hospital.

The best doctor for the awakened.

Even he couldn’t say it was perfect.

“Huh. So early treatment is impossible?”

Mi-young Kang clicked her tongue after hearing the answer.

She felt that the first step was wrong.

Seong-han Lee’s improvement.

Didn’t he help obtain research data in this first exploration?

Even offering his own limbs.

She hated to let such a talent just lie in a hospital room.

‘He has to take responsibility.’

Mi-young Kang radiated a murderous aura.

“What’s the recovery period?”

“At least a month. Forget serious, it’s a miracle he’s even alive.”

“Can’t it be faster?”

“You said he fought a hatchling. Not everyone is as strong as you, Major. Take this first.”

Min-ho Baek handed over a chart.

Along with an X-ray image.

“You probably don’t know medical terms. Just think of it as everything from here to here is completely destroyed.”

He marked various parts of the X-ray image with a red marker.

Seong-han Lee’s body.

Only then did Mi-young Kang recognize the wounds.

‘It’s really messed up.’

Even Mi-young Kang could tell it wasn’t normal.

It looked like a corpse photo.

It was as if someone had blown it up several times, and there wasn’t a single intact part.

“But these kinds of injuries usually heal with some spit, right?”

“You’re the strange one, Major. Not everyone has [Steelification] and [Adrenaline Stabilization]. And what about [Regeneration]? It’s a tier 1 trait.”

Originally, Mi-young Kang had no medical knowledge.

Moreover, she had recovered from most injuries with [Regeneration].

She knew a lot about dismantling monsters.

Min-ho Baek scratched his head and clicked his tongue.

“Ahahaha. This is why it’s so hard to deal with hunters. Now, to summarize it simply…”

Min-ho Baek looked at her sullen attitude and calmly listed the facts.

“Here, here. And here. Do you see?”

“The internal organs and ribs.”

“That’s right.”

He roughly tore the X-ray image. Mi-young Kang was startled by the sudden movement.

“I don’t usually use this word, but it’s completely destroyed.”

“Go on.”

Mi-young Kang’s eyes reddened.

“Hey, hey, listen without getting angry. It’s very surprising. I’ve never heard of a study where a human survives in such an extreme situation. I even wrote a paper on it, you know.”

“What about Elixir administration?”

“You think I didn’t consider it?”

Elixir.

The world’s best panacea.

It was the quest reward obtained from dealing with the hatchling.

Originally, the Hunter Management Bureau was supposed to own it.

But now Mi-young Kang had it.

She intended to treat Seong-han Lee with the Elixir. If she treated Seong-han Lee?

‘I can’t let such a patriot just lie in bed.’

She intended to take Seong-han Lee to the front lines.

The front lines.

In other words, the DMZ area was still a place of fierce battles.

“Well, I can restore the limbs and bones.”

Min-ho Baek asserted.

Even with the Elixir, it only shortens the time.

It still meant being hospitalized.

“To be alive in that condition is a miracle. A miracle. I’m busy. I have a lot of appointments today.”

Min-ho Baek asserted this and returned to his main duties.

-Dr. Min-ho Baek, awakened. Dr. Min-ho Baek, awakened. Please proceed to room 117 immediately. The patient is calling.

A broadcast was heard.

Room 117.

The VIP room of the Capital Hospital.

It was prepared for high-ranking generals, but now a mere private was resting there.

Min-ho Baek leisurely walked down the hallway.

When he first received the patient.

He couldn’t hide his astonishment.

Exploded internal organs.

Completely broken bones.

Coma due to excessive bleeding.

At least half a year.

Even a conservative estimate was half a year.

But he suddenly woke up?

It didn’t make sense.

“Doctor, did you come?!”

“I was called. I had to come. The patient needs me. What’s the problem?”

Room 117.

The military doctor shook his head in front of the door.

“The patient’s condition is improving.”

“If he wakes up in his current state, it’ll be a big problem. I bet my leg that he’ll panic. Okay, increase the sleeping pills and painkillers by 2%.”

The military doctor swallowed hard.

“That’s not it.”

“Huh? Didn’t you call me?”

“Th-the patient himself.”

“You should have said that first!!”

Min-ho Baek hurriedly entered the room.

A first-class hospital room that only nationally recognized hunters could use.

When he entered the code, the automatic door opened smoothly.

“Seong-han Lee! Seong-han Lee?! I’m going to check your condition. Can you hear me?”

Seong-han Lee, lying in bed, blinked his eyes.

He still couldn’t control his body, so he just rolled his eyes.

“What? Is he a regenerator?”

The military doctor was startled and checked the patient’s identity.

Awakened individuals could have their traits checked through certain equipment.

It wasn’t accurate.

But the traits recorded when he was admitted didn’t include any abilities related to [Regeneration].

Min-ho Baek intuitively knew.

This hunter was different from others.

“Nurse! Is he a regenerator?!”

“N-no, he’s not a regenerator.”

“Then that means he’s awakened. A dual awakening. A theoretically-only rank in academia!”

Min-ho Baek’s face turned pale, and he continued.

“Basically, traits are determined from birth. Like holding a spoon. Gold spoon, silver spoon, you know.”

“I don’t quite understand…”

Min-ho Baek looked down at Seong-han Lee.

Then he pulled the microfiber blanket up to his collarbone.

“Can you hear me?”

Blink.

Seong-han Lee’s eyes moved up and down.

“Do you have a rank?”

Blink. Blink.

This time, his eyes moved from side to side.

“Please get some more rest. You’ll be very busy for a while.”

They shouldn’t know more.

Especially those with loose lips.

Min-ho Baek administered sleeping pills.

“How many people know about this?”

A voice was heard after the situation was over.

“Two residents on our side. Including the attending nurse and other medical staff.”

“Just call everyone from your superior to your subordinates. If we can’t keep this under wraps, we’re all dead.”

Seong-han Lee quietly closed his eyes, listening to the doctor’s words.

[Eyes (EX) are looking down on you.]

Something was intertwined with his body.