Chapter 56
When Geum Jong-Hwa regained consciousness and opened his eyes, a stark white ceiling filled his vision.
The sensation across his entire body was faint. Something like a tube was down his throat, preventing him from breathing as he wished.
Voices and the Beep! Beep! of machinery echoed around him.
“···?”
Geum Jong-Hwa stared blankly with half-open eyes, unable to grasp the situation. After a moment, the people of the Geumseong Family noticed the Young Family Head had regained consciousness and flocked over.
“Young Family Head! Are you awake?”
“Doctor! Call a Doctor!”
At the word Doctor, Geum Jong-Hwa realized this place was a Hospital.
“I was defeated.”
The memory of being crushed by magic faintly resurfaced. The moment he touched that palm-sized mass, a crushing pressure had washed over him, and his consciousness had blacked out.
“Heh, hehehe···!”
Geum Jong-Hwa let out a hollow chuckle.
Just laughing softly made it feel like his body was shattering. Aside from the vivid pain, there were parts of his body where he felt absolutely no sensation.
“How··· did you find me···?”
Geum Jong-Hwa asked with difficulty.
The place he had fallen after losing consciousness was surely the sea. It was a wonder how he had managed to hold onto his life.
At Geum Jong-Hwa’s question, the Geumseong Family members exchanged glances before carefully informing him.
“···We received a signal that Geum San’s life signs had terminated, which allowed us to pinpoint the location.”
“Your injuries were so severe that the protective talisman you carried was reduced to ashes.”
“Just what happened for you, Young Family Head, and Geum San to···.”
“We are continuing to investigate the scene with the help of the Agency!”
While the murmurs continued, a Doctor entered the Hospital Room.
Bearing the burdensome stares of the Geumseong Family members, he examined Geum Jong-Hwa’s condition.
“···How is my condition?”
To Geum Jong-Hwa’s inquiry, the Doctor spoke honestly.
It was a miracle he was alive.
“The right side of your face caved in, making it impossible to save the eye, but fortunately, your brain function is normal. If we reconstruct your jaw with implants and install Cyberware for a prosthetic eye, your vision will be restored.”
“···And?”
“Both arms will need to be replaced with prosthetics. Lastly, the muscles extending from your lower abdomen to your right thigh are on the verge of necrosis, so we recommend replacing them with Artificial Muscle.”
“I see. Please do it as quickly as possible.”
Even with the Geumseong Family’s treasured protective talisman, his physical state naturally begged the question of how he had survived.
Geum Jong-Hwa accepted it calmly.
Because the one most surprised by his survival wasn’t the Doctor, but Geum Jong-Hwa himself. He had no time to be shocked by the news that most of his body would be replaced with machines.
“To survive taking that hit··· Hah, is this fate.”
Having faced that Unique Magic, he knew.
Just how tremendous a stroke of luck it was that his form remained and he was still breathing, despite taking that profound magic head-on.
Replacing most of his body with machines couldn’t even be called misfortune. Living a life holding a sword, he had always thought it was a process he would have to go through eventually.
‘That Mage bastard··· There won’t be a defeat next time.’
Both the identity and the face of Chris Garland were surely fake.
Even so, he would find him somehow. He had enough information, so they would definitely meet again.
Reaffirming his conviction, Geum Jong-Hwa was wheeled into the operating room.
* * *
Vroooom!!!
While driving the vehicle, Usagi kept glancing over at the passenger seat.
Noticing her gaze, Max let out a soft chuckle.
“Don’t worry. I won’t die from this.”
“Are you really okay…?”
“Of course I’m okay. This is the first time an Association mission has ended with such light injuries.”
“···Your complexion says otherwise.”
Anxiety spread across Usagi’s face.
As a Mercenary, it was incredibly common for a Person she carried out missions with to die, and she had always accepted it calmly.
But this time was different.
Just the assumption that Max might die filled her mind with panic. The hands gripping the steering wheel trembled.
“It’s not the injuries, it’s a magic power issue. I’m being punished for squeezing my circuits dry.”
He had fired off Unique Magic consecutively and had even used Black Hole at the end.
Especially Black Hole, perhaps influenced by its specific imagery, the manifestation of that Unique Magic caused most of his magic power to evaporate as if being sucked away.
Thanks to that, Max was now in a state of overlapping overwork and exhaustion.
“Wouldn’t it be better to visit a nearby Hospital after all? You need to get at least some first aid.”
“No. We’re pros, right? Follow the procedure.”
“But···.”
“If we get chased like this, I’ll really die.”
To cut off any potential pursuit, they had to go to at least Districts 50-60.
They planned to dispose of the vehicle in the Lower District, where there were no CCTVs, and escape only after changing their faces and clothes.
“···Understood. Hold on just a little longer. I’ll go as fast as I can.”
Usagi stepped on the accelerator to increase their speed.
Max reviewed the battle with Geum Jong-Hwa while using Psychokinesis to hold together the flesh that had been deeply split by the blade.
“I ended up showing three highly distinctive Unique Magics.”
It would be the best outcome if Geum Jong-Hwa and his lackey died in the Black Hole.
Its destructive power was certainly not lacking, so it was a highly possible scenario, but honestly, he didn’t know.
The moment the Black Hole touched Geum Jong-Hwa, there was a tactile sensation of it hitting something and being buffered.
He pondered for a moment before giving up.
Realizing this wasn’t a problem he could find the answer to right now, he interpreted it positively.
“Well, I already used it··· It is better than dying while saving my cards.”
They drove for a long time in a car missing a door.
By the time the second day of the mission was almost over, after repeatedly filling up on gas with cash and speeding away, they arrived at District 61.
“I came here for a mission a long time ago. The security isn’t great, but there’s no better place to dispose of things.”
Spitting out those words, Usagi took a side road instead of heading further inside.
They entered a dark underpass where a river flowed and got out.
There was a group of vagrants staring at them, but Usagi chased them off by by kicking a tin can from the ground and embedding it into the wall.
Confirming that the prying eyes were completely gone, the two hurried their actions.
“It’s best to dispose of the car here.”
“Mhm.”
After taking out their respective smartphones from the carrier, they quickly disposed of the vehicle by mixing Psychokinesis and Fire Release.
Since the vagrants had seen the classic car and they had drawn attention while constantly moving, they couldn’t change their faces just yet.
“The clothes are a problem too.”
Torn clothes caked in blood were a common fashion in the Lower District, but the outfits themselves were too high-end and stood out too much.
“Should we buy clothes first?”
“No, there’s a Doctor here with quick hands and decent skills. Let’s get first aid before buying clothes.”
Max didn’t refuse this time. Holding himself together with Psychokinesis was already pushing his limits.
His magic power was nearly bottomed out, and his concentration kept snapping due to fatigue.
“Where are they?”
“It’s just a short walk away. Given the nature of the district, they’ll probably only take cash, though···.”
“It’s fine. I have plenty of cash left.”
Max showed the wallet he had tucked in his inner pocket.
The Association had stuffed it quite generously, telling him to use it when needed.
Step. Step. Step.
Usagi took the lead, walking down a path without a single streetlamp.
Max turned on his Smartphone to contact the Association while simultaneously replying to his piled-up messages.
As soon as he sent the replies, a call came in.
Bzzzt! Bzzt!
When Usagi whipped her head around, Max smiled awkwardly and asked for her understanding.
“Sorry. Let me take this call.”
“···Suit yourself.”
Usagi looked forward while straining her ears.
When Max answered the phone, a woman’s voice flowed out, tickling Usagi’s sensitive ears.
“No. I’m not hurt that badly. Just a scratch?”
She didn’t know who the other Person was, but Max’s voice was endlessly gentle.
Without knowing why, Usagi felt a stifling sensation in her chest.
“I’ll let you know when I head back to the office. You don’t need to worry, so go to sleep. I’ve reached a safe place too, so I’m fine now.”
After continuing with a few more words in a sweet tone, Max ended the call.
As if she had been waiting, Usagi asked immediately.
“Is it an Association Employee?”
“No. It’s my Younger Sibling.”
“You mean Family? Or just a Younger Sibling you know?”
From Max’s perspective, it was unexpected for Usagi to throw questions at him one after another like this.
From their first meeting, she had given off a taciturn impression, only speaking about things related to the mission.
Thinking it wasn’t a bad sign, he gave her an answer.
“Family.”
“Hmm··· Is that so.”
Usagi’s steps became lighter. It was thanks to the suffocating feeling, which had seemed to have no way out, having been resolved all at once.
Max had a Younger Sibling just like her! She even felt a sense of kinship.
“It’s here.”
The place Usagi guided him to boasted a signboard made by haphazardly scribbling ink on plywood.
Only the word “Hospital” was written on the sign twice.
Rattle.
When they pushed the door open and entered, an old woman sitting in the cramped interior looked at Max and Usagi and asked.
“Do you have money?”
“How much?”
When Usagi asked back, the old woman slowly stood up.
She approached Max, rotating her prosthetic eye as she observed his wounds.
“Whoever cut you, cut you very cleanly. And the way you withstood it···, may I ask if you happen to walk the Path of Magic??”
At the voice filled with certainty, Max nodded without hiding it, and the old woman hurriedly showed her respects.
She then finished calculating the price.
“It will be five hundred thousand credits.”
At the cheaper-than-expected price, Max immediately pulled out his wallet.
Even if she had asked for a million, he wouldn’t have haggled since he was using the Association’s money.
“Please sit down just like that without taking off your clothes.”
When Max sat on the chair, the old woman brought a spray bottle from the corner and sprayed it on his wounds. Pssht! Pssht!
It reeked, as if alcohol had been mixed with a specific chemical.
“···.”
Usagi leaned her back against the wall and quietly watched the treatment.
The old woman neatly cleared away the fabric stuck to the wounds by dried blood before continuing the treatment with delicate hand movements.
The time it took was a mere twenty minutes.
Max walked out of the Hospital looking ridiculous, his clothes cut up in patches.
Regardless of how he looked, his mind was at ease since he no longer had to hold his wounds together with Psychokinesis.
“Shall we go buy clothes now?”
“Mhm, most places here operate from night onwards, so the clothing stores should be open too.”
“Let’s change here, grab lodging in the next district, and change again. We’ll also ask the Association to provide a Driver and a Safe House.”
“I think we need to go through at least three changes using other methods as well. Only then will we see the timing to change this.”
Usagi tapped her face.
No one could deny that they had to be cautious about the timing for returning to their original faces.
“Let’s head to a clothing store first.”
At Max’s request, Usagi took the lead.
As they passed through an underpass, Usagi asked with her gaze fixed forward.
“···When will you receive the mission fee?”
“The Association will give it in due time. Won’t it take about a week?”
“No. I’m not talking about that.”
“Then?”
What Usagi was talking about wasn’t this mission.
It was the reward for the Psychokinetic Community.
“I mean the mission fee you’re supposed to get from me. You told me to buy you a meal, didn’t you.”