“N-No! That’s not it! I mean... um...”
The receiver changed hands once again. This time, Seo Munhyeok was holding it.
“They’re rare side effects, after all... and saving his life has to come first. H-How long do you think it will take to complete the correction?”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to do it before I can say. Correcting mana circuits isn’t something I can simply finish on my own.”
The person receiving the correction had to make an effort as well.
Haran’s role was only to untangle the twisted sections of the mana circuits and open the blocked passages. After that, once he circulated the mana inside the patient’s body, the patient had to repeatedly practice sensing that mana and moving it through the newly opened circuits on their own.
After Haran explained, Geumyi snatched the receiver from Seo Munhyeok’s hand. Looking at her younger brother through the glass, she spoke.
“Please do it. I don’t care what it takes... Please help him.”
“...Very well. Then let me go already.”
A faint laugh came from the receiver.
“I’m counting on you,” Geumyi said before hanging up.
Click.
Haran also returned the receiver to its cradle and walked back toward the bed.
Jun was still silently crying, blinking at him.
Looking down at him, Haran muttered,
“It all depends on how hard you work. If you want to live, then do your best to keep up.”
His hand covered Jun’s eyes.
Haran closed his own eyes and concentrated. Before long, cold beads of sweat began forming across his forehead.
Beep— Beep— Beep— Beep—
The ECG monitor connected to Jun began beeping faster.
Then, after a moment—
“Ah... ugh... ah...”
His stiff lips finally loosened.
Creak.
Strength slowly returned to his limbs.
As Jun weakly shifted his body, the hospital bed creaked beneath him.
Only then did Haran open his eyes and withdraw his hand.
“Phew...”
Jun’s tear-filled eyes clearly reflected Haran’s figure.
Bright light poured down behind Haran’s head as he stood beside the bed.
“Ah...”
Jun swallowed hard.
Of course, it wasn't a holy halo.
It was merely the fluorescent light overhead.
But to Jun, whatever it was, it looked nothing short of divine.
“That’s enough for today.”
Normally, Haran would inject his own mana into the patient to correct their mana circuits.
But the amount of mana he currently possessed was pitifully small, making that impossible.
So instead, he manipulated only Jun’s own mana, using it to untangle the twisted circuits and clear the blockages.
Controlling another person's mana with such precision for an extended period was an exhausting task.
Looking visibly tired, Haran turned around without the slightest hesitation.
“E-Excuse me...! H-Hey...!”
Someone stopped him.
It was Jun, who had regained consciousness thanks to Haran.
“...?”
“Who... are you? Who are you... to do something like this...?”
His vocal cords, unused for so long, produced a painfully hoarse voice.
Haran looked at him with a slight frown before answering flatly,
“The Great Archmage.”
“Huh?”
“You asked who I am. That’s your answer. The Great Archmage. And now, I suppose you can also call me the one who saved your life.”
“......”
“I’m leaving. Until we meet again, stop lazing around and practice sensing your mana.”
Lest Jun try to stop him again, Haran left the room the moment he finished speaking.
The protective suit hanging loosely around his waist rustled pitifully as he walked away.
Finally left alone, Jun blinked blankly before murmuring to himself,
“The Great Archmage...? But... why does he talk like that?”
Is he seriously committed to some bizarre character act?
* * *
Ma Jun had regained consciousness.
It was only natural that the entire hospital was thrown into an uproar.
“He... he's still conscious? How many hours has it been now?”
“He stayed awake for thirteen hours before falling asleep again. After waking up this time, he’s already remained conscious for another three hours. The previous time he regained consciousness, he only stayed awake for two hours.”
“My goodness... F-First, let’s run a full examination. Notify the guardian as well.”
“Yes, doctor.”
At first, those who examined Jun assumed he'd simply awakened naturally.
Judging by the previous records, everyone confidently predicted he would lose consciousness again within two hours.
But Jun shattered everyone's expectations.
A full day later, he remained completely lucid.
Although every muscle in his body had atrophied to the point that all he could manage was weakly squirming in bed, simply being able to communicate his thoughts was already nothing short of miraculous.
If things had ended there, it would have been perfect.
Jun, who had awakened...
Geumyi, who had worried endlessly over him...
And the hospital staff...
All of them were overjoyed.
“I've already told both Geumyi and Jun to keep their mouths shut.”
There was only one person who couldn't celebrate wholeheartedly.
Seo Munhyeok—the unwilling guardian of Haran.
“I still don't understand why you're making them keep quiet.”
Haran, stretched comfortably across the sofa while watching cartoons with Sua, looked at Seo Munhyeok as though he were hopelessly foolish.
He really didn't understand why Seo Munhyeok was worrying himself sick.
“I don't want rumors about you spreading unnecessarily. You don't want troublesome situations either, do you?”
“Troublesome situations?”
“For example, the families of other patients suffering from conditions similar to Jun's might come begging you to help them too.”
“Ohhh, that sort of thing?”
Crunch.
Haran casually chewed on the snacks Geumyi had gifted him in abundance while rolling his eyes.
From his expression alone, it was painfully obvious how little he cared.
“...Please think about this seriously. The world still doesn't know about you. In a few days we'll have to report your reawakening to the Hunter Association. It won't be good if you start attracting attention beforehand.”
“Why? Are you afraid that if I display too much greatness, a bunch of jealous fools will crawl out?”
“......”
“Ha. You're truly a coward.”
“Let's call it being cautious rather than cowardly.”
One corner of Haran’s mouth curled upward crookedly.
He lazily waved a hand.
“Just make it public.”
“Excuse me? Weren't you listening to anything I just said...?”
“Then what exactly do you propose? Jun's mana circuit correction has only just begun. Because you're so worried about keeping a low profile, an entire day has passed without me seeing him again. At this rate, he'll lose consciousness once more.”
Seo Munhyeok found himself speechless.
The Haran he had known until now had always been impulsive, irresponsible, arrogant, and seemingly incapable of caring about anyone.
“...Are you worried about Jun?”
“Of course. Am I supposed to stand by after learning someone is obviously going to die?”
“Die?”
“Oh. You didn't know? If his mana circuits twist and clog up again this time, he may actually die. My previous adjustments created a rebound effect.”
“...?!”
Why would you mention something that important only now?
Seo Munhyeok's face turned deathly pale.
Looking at the time, he hurriedly asked,
“H-How much longer does Jun have?”
“Hm. Judging from what I saw yesterday... perhaps three or four days.”
“Ha...”
Thank goodness.
There was still some time.
At least for now.
Seo Munhyeok repeatedly picked up and put down his phone, unable to decide whether he should tell Geumyi.
Watching him pace around like a dog desperate to relieve itself, Haran spoke indifferently.
“The restroom's over there.”
“I don't need the restroom...”
“I was joking.”
“......”
Seo Munhyeok narrowed his eyes.
“With a straight face, please don't make jokes like that,” he muttered weakly.
“Anyway, I still think making it public is the better choice. Saving that young man should come first.”
“You know...”
“What?”
“I've been thinking this for a while now.”
“So?”
“You seem unusually concerned about whether Jun lives or dies.”
“Who? Me?”
“Yes. You. You strike me as the kind of person who wouldn't even blink if someone died right in front of you... so why are you so fixated on Jun?”
Oh?
Sharp.
Haran's eyes curved into crescents.
It was the same smile he occasionally wore whenever one of his hopeless disciples unexpectedly did something praiseworthy.
“Wouldn't it be a waste to lose someone with that much talent?”
“...Talent?”
“Yes. His mana circuits are incredibly troublesome, but he possesses an unusually large number of them. I've never encountered this type before, so I can't say for certain, but he appears to have remarkable talent for magic.”
Talent... for magic?
Seo Munhyeok repeated the words to himself several times before finally understanding.
“So... you're saying Jun will awaken as a magic-type Hunter?”
“Yes. He'll become a mage. If his mana circuits are properly opened, he'll grow into a fairly capable one.”
However, the word mage meant something rather different to Haran than it did to Seo Munhyeok.
Sensing the misunderstanding, Haran added an explanation.
“...So you mean he could become a magic-type Hunter... or perhaps a buffer or healer?”
“Yeah, sure. Whatever he becomes, his talent is far too valuable to let him die like this. Think it over carefully.”
Seo Munhyeok remained silent for quite some time.
Standing there with his head lowered, he stared at the floor in deep thought.
He was calculating how Eclipse's future might change if such a powerful new asset joined the guild.
Still lying comfortably on the sofa, Haran stretched out one leg and shoved Seo Munhyeok in the waist.
“Move. You're blocking the television.”
“......”
“Seriously, move already. What the hell have you stuffed into your waist? Why are you so damn solid?”
Seo Munhyeok finally snapped out of his thoughts when Haran's foot, covered in a white sock, lifted the hem of his shirt.
The cool air brushing against his stomach and waist made him jump backward.
“W-What are you doing?!”
“Ooh. Abs.”
“Uncle, I know what that was.”
“What?”
“What you just did. I saw it on TV. They called people who do that... street thugs?”
Pleased that Sua knew such an advanced expression despite not fully understanding it herself, Haran praised her.
Leaving Sua's cheerful giggling behind him, Seo Munhyeok spoke with a faint blush coloring his face.
“I understand your point now. Thinking about it, your argument isn't entirely wrong.”
“My arguments are always correct. Engrave that into your head.”
“Yes, yes. However, I think we need to prepare one countermeasure before we proceed.”
“What is it?”
“Requests to treat other patients. You're the one who suggested making this public, so I assume you've already thought of a solution. Let's hear that first.”