An F-Rank Veterinarian Physically Heals an S-Rank Magical Beast - Chapter 102

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 102
“Is… is this really something a person should do?”
Kim Chul-soo, team leader of the Special Recovery Team under the Korea Hunter Association, trembled as he held up a single sheet of paper with shaking hands. His fingertips had turned white from gripping the document so tightly, yet the person who had issued it remained utterly serene.
Before him sat Kang Jin-hyuk, a blood-stained gown draped casually over his shoulders, savoring freshly brewed Kenya AA coffee with the most peaceful expression in the world. He set down his cup and answered without a care. “Something a person should do? This is a ‘legitimate service charge’ that any veterinarian should rightfully claim. Team Leader Kim, if that heart fragment had detonated just now, Gangnam Boulevard would have become a mana-contaminated zone for two kilometers in every direction. This expensive neighborhood would have been reduced to ruins. Isn’t this amount a bargain?”
“A bargain?! Fifty billion won for disinfection, thirty billion for emergency surgery, and… what is this ‘mana purification room hospitalization fee’? Ten thousand won per second? Ten thousand won per second?! What kind of hospital meter runs faster than a taxi?!”
Team Leader Kim’s voice cracked as it rose. The reporters watching from the side began frantically taking notes. Ten thousand won per second. Sixty thousand won per minute, 36 million per hour. A miraculous logic where a single day of hospitalization exceeded 800 million won.
Jin-hyuk glanced back at Yoo Yi-soo and winked.
“Yi-soo, show this gentleman our intensive care unit mana concentration and purification filter operation cost report. He seems to think we’re just running an air purifier. He has no idea our hospital’s electricity bill matches the entire Gangnam District’s.”
“Sure, I have it right here. Team Leader, please don’t get too worked up. Look at the data first.”
Yoo Yi-soo extended the tablet with a cold expression. The screen displayed complex figures and real-time mana wave graphs that would be impossible to measure with standard hospital equipment.
“Team Leader, our intensive care unit utilizes pocket dimension technology to maintain a completely sterile, mana-free environment isolated from the outside. You know what happens when Hunters contaminated by catastrophe-grade beast fragments go to regular hospitals? They become walking nuclear bombs. The high-purity mana stones alone needed to continuously absorb and purify that mana cost tens of millions of won per hour. Our director is actually operating at a loss while providing this service. Honestly, we should be charging twenty thousand won, but the director graciously reduced it as an opening special.”
Faced with Yoo Yi-soo’s eloquent explanation, Team Leader Kim could only gape. The amount was clearly absurd, yet the data she presented didn’t lie. Luna, sitting beside Jin-hyuk, handed over the tablet she was holding. Upon seeing it, Team Leader Kim was left speechless.
“B-but this still far exceeds the Association’s budget! This requires National Assembly approval! This is not an amount I can authorize!”
“That’s the Association’s problem. If the payment doesn’t go through, I’m shutting down the purification system right now. If contaminated Hunters flood into the lobby, that’s not my concern. Oh, and prepare to sue the Association for violating quarantine protocols. Director Ma, get ready to cut the power.”
At Jin-hyuk’s command, Ma Dong-tak stood before a large circuit breaker lever and grinned wickedly. His smile, tinged with the oppressive aura of the rank 1 Hunter, was indistinguishable from the grim reaper itself.
“Hehehehe! Director! Just one flick of your finger and we start the Gangnam mana explosion show! Reporters, wipe your camera lenses. Breaking news incoming!”
“W-wait! Hold on! The Association President is coming here personally right now! Please calm down! Step away from that!”
Just as Team Leader Kim clung desperately, nearly in tears, the hospital’s main entrance opened and heavy, authoritative footsteps echoed across the marble floor.
A man whose mere presence froze the surrounding air. Park Moo-jin, President of the Korea Hunter Association. He entered the clinic accompanied by numerous bodyguards in black suits. His gaze swept sharply across Jin-hyuk, Ma Dong-tak, and the Murim Alliance Elders cleaning up beast droppings in the corner.
“Director Kang, it’s been a while. Congratulations on opening your practice. Quite the spectacular opening ceremony you’ve had.”
“Not particularly welcoming, President Park. I doubt you came to give an opening gift of money.”
Jin-hyuk merely tilted his chin without rising from his seat. Park Moo-jin didn’t bat an eye at such rudeness and sat across from him. The S-rank Hunter’s distinctive aura emanating from his body pressurized the clinic.
“I’ll pay the full amount you just billed. We’ll cover it with the Association’s emergency fund. Your abilities are already proven.”
The surroundings stirred. That arrogant Association President was yielding so readily? But Park Moo-jin’s next words followed—the true nature of a cunning fox.
“However, there are conditions. You’ll provide the Association exclusive access to the ‘Heart of the Void’ fragment you treated and all its dismantling data. And any catastrophe-grade beast incidents that occur in the future must be discussed with the Association first. In other words, I’m asking you to serve as the Association’s chief advisory member.”
It was a political deal—an attempt to place Jin-hyuk under the Association’s control and monopolize his unique techniques. But Jin-hyuk took another sip of coffee and let out a scoff.
“President Park, you seem to be mistaken. I’m not an Association-affiliated Hunter but a ‘private practitioner’ veterinarian. My treatment data is my asset, and I have a duty to maintain patient confidentiality. And most importantly…”
Jin-hyuk leaned forward toward Park Moo-jin. His gaze turned cold enough to pierce through the Association President’s heart.
“Do you think I don’t know who inside the Association was trying to steal this heart and sell it to Apollo Hospital? I have no intention of handing my assets to thieves. Should I make that list public instead?”
Park Moo-jin’s eyes narrowed. The politician’s composure wavered slightly. Jin-hyuk didn’t stop there and drove the wedge deeper.
“Director Kang, do you realize you’re about to make the entire South Korean Hunter system your enemy? Without the system’s protection, no matter how skilled you are, survival is difficult.”
“If the system is rotten, it needs to be fixed. I’m a physical therapy specialist, after all. When bones are misaligned, you break them and reset them properly. Oh, and President Park, your fourth and fifth vertebrae are slightly compressed right now… that seems to be irritating your nerves toward power-seeking. How about I give you a very thorough adjustment this time? Once you experience it, you’ll never want to sit in the Association President’s chair again.”
At Jin-hyuk’s blatant provocation, Park Moo-jin clenched his fist. Jin-hyuk pointed to the clock on the wall. Park Moo-jin ultimately acknowledged defeat, nodding to his secretary. He had lost not in a contest of strength, but in a thorough battle of capital and justification.
[System: 12 billion won in ’emergency quarantine and rescue expenses’ has been deposited from the Hunter Association!]
[System: Your assets have skyrocketed! Convertible to Pocket Dimension Hospital expansion points!]
At the sound of money flowing in, Jin-hyuk’s lips curved up smoothly. Indeed, Gangnam was a land of opportunity and a paradise vibrating with the scent of money.
Meanwhile, in the hospital’s basement storage and supply room.
Three Murim Alliance Elders and Kim Chun-sam gathered in secret. Before them lay a heap of gold and glittering jewels stolen at the cost of their lives from the 16th Floor Casino of the Tower. In the Elders’ eyes, several buildings in Gangnam were already visible.
“Hehehehe… Elders, the time has finally come for us to end our ‘slave’ lives. With just one of these gold bars, we could easily afford a building in Gangnam, no? I believe we could even buy several apartments with a view of the Han River.”
“Hehehehe… Elders, the time has finally come for us to end our ‘slave’ lives. With just one gold bar, we could easily buy a building in Gangnam, right? And we should be able to buy three or four apartments with a view of the Han River over there.”
Kim Chun-sam spoke in a greasy voice as he lifted a hefty gold ingot. The Murim Alliance Elders stroked their beards, tears glistening in their eyes as they were overcome with emotion.
“Hehe, I’ve lived my entire life as a wandering knight, traversing the Martial Arts Community, but never have I encountered such windfall fortune. After repaying all my debts to Director Kang, I’ll have enough left over to build the Murim Alliance headquarters right in the heart of Gangnam Boulevard! The greatest Martial Arts Community in all the world will now become the center of Earth!”
With hearts brimming with excitement, they carefully placed their treasures before the ‘Automatic Appraisal Device’ that Jin-hyuk had prepared. This device was a system that converted items from Earth or The Tower into their current market value.
Beep—!
[Appraisal Complete]
[Item: Floor 16 Exclusive Magical Alloy (92% brass content, light mana coating)]
[Condition: Significant value depreciation due to mana evaporation upon entering Earth’s environment]
[Earth Exchange Rate: 8,500 won per kilogram (scrap metal market price applied)]
“…What?”
The gold ingots slipped from the Elders’ hands and rolled across the floor. Instead of the clear ring of gold, they produced the dull clang of copper alloy.
“W-what do you mean, 8,500 won? What kind of nonsense is this? Are you telling me this brilliant gold isn’t even worth a single serving of grilled pork belly?”
One Elder frantically kicked at the appraisal device. But the result remained unchanged. In fact, an additional explanation window appeared.
[Additional Explanation: The monetary value of items within The Tower is proportional to their mana concentration. The moment they cross into mana-sparse Earth, these objects degrade into ordinary low-grade alloy. In other words, on Earth they are merely ‘pretty garbage’ or ‘highly conductive copper’.]
“Aaaaagh! This can’t be happening! I risked my life gathering these treasures from that hellish casino! My life’s turnaround was just copper scraps!”
The Elders wailed, pounding the ground. Kim Chun-sam sat down in a daze, drooling. Just then, the supply room door opened and Jin-hyuk appeared. He wore a benevolent(?) smile as he waved a contract, clearly aware of the entire situation.
“Gentlemen, why are you wailing here? Ah, that? That’s only gold inside The Tower. Here it’s just highly conductive copper alloy. Perfect for making electrical wires. You could get a bowl of noodles if you sold it to a scrap dealer.”
“Director Kang! This can’t be! We thought this was real gold… After all we’ve suffered!”
“Who told you to steal it? You brought it here out of greed. Well, don’t be too disappointed. Our hospital is so large that we’re short-staffed. As it happens, we have openings for Beast cleaning duties and nursing positions….”
Jin-hyuk pulled out a thick stack of contracts. To the Elders’ eyes, they looked like the ledgers of death itself.
“I’ll include a very generous debt forgiveness option. If you work without complaint for about ten years, you’ll have paid off the value of that garbage. So, want to sign? Or would you prefer to be reported to the police right now for trespassing and theft?”
Behind Jin-hyuk, Ma Dong-tak stood menacingly, licking an iron crowbar. The Elders ultimately had to sign the new slave contract—no, the nursing employment contract—with tears of blood streaming down their faces.
“Excellent! Starting tomorrow, you Elders will be exclusively responsible for bathing the Beasts and collecting their waste. Chun-sam, get them work uniforms and shovels. Make sure the shovels are especially sturdy.”
“Yes, Master! Welcome to the hellish nursing world, gentlemen! Here, take your waste baskets!”
The crisis settled into the deep night.
The Rooftop Garden of Arcana Medical Center. The glittering nightscape of Gangnam spread out beneath my feet. I sipped the warm coffee Yoo Yi-soo had brewed while gazing at the satellites crossing the night sky.
“Jin-hyuk, are you really sure about this? The Association Chairman isn’t the type to back down so easily. He’ll definitely scheme behind the scenes. He might even collude with those Apollo Hospital bastards to make trouble for you.”
Yoo Yi-soo sat beside me, her expression clouded with worry.
“It’s fine. What Park Moo-jin ultimately wants is power. But I’m the only one in South Korea—no, in the entire world—who can heal the Beasts that maintain that power. I’ve made it crystal clear who holds the upper hand, so he’ll stay quiet for a while. Besides, Yi-soo, your triage work today was really impressive. You looked like a real head nurse. The hospital could run without me.”
At my praise, Yoo Yi-soo’s cheeks flushed slightly. A deeper red than the nightscape itself.
“I’ve only learned from watching you. But that ‘ten thousand won per second’ thing earlier was a bit much. People’s eyes are terrifying—your reputation is already spreading. ‘The blood-sucking veterinarian of Gangnam.'”
“That’s just how Gangnam is. The more expensive, the more trustworthy. Besides, I need that money to buy you and Luna delicious food, and to expand the Pocket Dimension Hospital. I can’t let our kids go hungry.”
I ruffled Yoo Yi-soo’s hair without thinking. She grumbled but didn’t seem to mind, accepting my touch. Luna meowed drowsily and extended her claws.
Then, breaking the peaceful silence, my system window began flashing red.
[Alert: An unidentified ‘Mana Plague’ has been detected across Gangnam District.]
[Alert: Infected Beasts are losing control and pouring into the city.]
[Emergency Quest: Locate and isolate the source of the plague, and save 100 infected patients!]
In the distance, the roars of monsters mixed with the sound of collapsing buildings. I set down my empty coffee cup and stood. A cold gleam flickered in my eyes.
“Yi-soo, coffee break’s over. Activate the emergency contact network. Overtime on opening day. I’m going to bill overtime heavily this time.”
“Got it, I’ll get ready right away!”
The peaceful opening ceremony had ended. Now it was time to truly dominate Gangnam through medicine and cut off the breath of those who spread the plague.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————