An F-Rank Veterinarian Physically Heals an S-Rank Magical Beast - Chapter 7

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 7
“Is this… a hospital, or a haunted house?”
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The Apollo Medical Center in Apgujeong, which had prided itself as South Korea’s premier hunter hospital. Its once-glorious lobby had fallen silent as a tomb within a single week. The reservation waiting monitor displayed the devastating figure: [Patients Waiting: 0].
Hospital Director Choi Myung-seok stared at the empty lobby and drained an entire bottle of whiskey.
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“Where did they all go… where did all those VIPs disappear to!”
“D-Director, please calm yourself.”
“Calm down? Do I look calm to you? The stock price has been cut in half!”
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Choi Myung-seok hurled the bottle. It shattered with a crash. Ever since Kang Jin-hyuk’s live broadcast, Apollo had plummeted into the abyss.
The narrative had been set: “Incompetent healers obsessed with money.” Hunters turned their backs without hesitation and fled to the Zeus Medical Tower in Gangnam.
All that remained were a handful of mid-tier guilds clinging on out of loyalty to the Association. Yet even they watched for their chance to defect, their eyes darting toward the exits.
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“An opportunity… I just need one opportunity. The moment that bastard slips up, or if we demonstrate overwhelming results, they’ll come crawling back.”
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Choi Myung-seok bit at his fingernails. Then the secretary burst through the door, breathless.
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“D-Director! Jackpot! An opportunity has arrived!”
“What?”
“James King, guild master of the Phoenix Guild—ranked 3rd in America—just arrived in the country! He’s here to treat his partner beast, the Immortal Phoenix!”
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Choi Myung-seok’s eyes snapped wide open. The Phoenix Guild. One of the five largest guilds in the entire world. And their partner, the Phoenix, was among the highest-tier S-rank beasts.
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“Why would someone of that caliber come to Korea?”
“He was originally heading to Kang Jin-hyuk’s place. But… Kang Jin-hyuk turned him away, saying his schedule was ‘fully booked.’ Told him to come back in a month!”
“That madman… is he out of his mind? Turning away the Phoenix Guild master?”
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Choi Myung-seok let out a triumphant laugh. Kang Jin-hyuk’s arrogance had reached the heavens and dug its own grave. The Phoenix’s condition was critical, he’d heard. There was no way they could wait a month.
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“Contact them immediately! Tell them we’ll receive him! Our finest medical team—no, I’ll personally oversee the surgery!”
“Yes, understood!”
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This was heaven’s final lifeline. If I could save the Phoenix, I could overturn public opinion in a single stroke. Choi Myung-seok’s trembling hands reached for his surgical gown.
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“Just wait, Kang Jin-hyuk. I’ll show you what a real doctor is.”
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One hour later. Apollo Hospital’s VIP private suite.
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James King, a towering American, paced anxiously before the operating room. Rejected by Kang Jin-hyuk, he had come here grasping at straws.
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​”Mr. Choi. Can you really fix this? Our Immortal Phoenix is barely clinging to life right now.”​
​”Don’t worry.”​
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Choi Myung-seok flashed a confident smile. He entered the operating room accompanied by ten S-rank Healers.
On the operating table lay an enormous bird. A legendary magical beast—the Immortal Phoenix. But now it looked as pitiful as a plucked chicken. The brilliant flame feathers that should have burned resplendently had turned the color of gray ash, and its body temperature was growing cold.
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​”Vitality depletion. A classic case of old age.”​
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Choi Myung-seok made his diagnosis. The Immortal Phoenix was a phoenix—when it died, it would be reborn. But now that cycle was broken. All he needed to do was inject life force through powerful healing magic to reignite its flames.
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​”Everyone, deploy the healing circle! Begin mana infusion!”​
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Whoooosh—!
The mana of ten S-rank Healers poured into the Immortal Phoenix. Holy light flooded the operating room.
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​”Come back to life! Burn bright!”​
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Choi Myung-seok poured out his mana, sweat dripping down his face. Theoretically, it was perfect. This much life force should have made even a dead person jump to their feet. But.
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[Warning! The target’s vital signs are decreasing.]
[Mana rejection response!]
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​”Screeeee!”​
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The Immortal Phoenix cried out in agony. Rather than flames awakening in its ash-gray body, only black smoke rose from it.
The more healing it received, the more it suffered and the faster it died.
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​”What? What? Why is this happening? Increase the mana output!”​
​”Director! The patient’s vitals are stopping! We’re approaching cardiac arrest!”​
​”No! This can’t be happening!”​
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Choi Myung-seok fell into panic. According to the textbook, it should have worked.
Why? Why isn’t it working?
Then the operating room door burst open.
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​”Get out!!”​
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James King rushed in. His eyes went wild at the sight of his dying partner.
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“You quack bastards! Are you trying to kill my Flame Phoenix?!”
“N-no, it’s a Myung-hyun reaction! Just bear with it a little longer···!”
“Shut your mouth!”
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James King grabbed Choi Myung-seok by the collar and hurled him aside. Then he scooped up the limp Immortal Phoenix into his arms.
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“They say there’s only one real doctor in Korea, and now I believe it.”
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James bolted from the hospital, cradling the Immortal Phoenix. Choi Myung-seok lay sprawled on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling. It was over. This time, it was truly finished.
At that same moment. Zeus Medical Tower.
Jin-hyuk was eating cup ramen in his consultation room. Today had been unusually quiet.
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“Director, are you really not going to see him? James King is apparently on his way here crying.”
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Park Chul-woo, the facility director, asked.
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“He went to Apollo first?”
“Yes. Apparently they nearly turned the Immortal Phoenix into a corpse there.”
“Tsk, tsk. See? I told him not to go.”
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Jin-hyuk sipped his broth and clicked his tongue. Truth be told, my refusal of James King was just a game of hard-to-get. I already knew the Immortal Phoenix’s condition. The creature wasn’t actually ‘sick’.
Crash!
The lobby doors on the first floor burst open. James King came rushing in, drenched in sweat.
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“Doctor Kang! Please! Help me!”
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James King dropped to his knees before Jin-hyuk. The pride of a world-ranked hunter? It didn’t exist. The Immortal Phoenix cradled in his arms had stopped breathing entirely.
Jin-hyuk slowly set down his chopsticks.
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“I told you to get in line from the start. Why did you go somewhere else and make things worse?”
“Sorry··· I am so sorry··· Please, just save it. I’ll give you my entire fortune!”
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Jin-hyuk rose and approached the Immortal Phoenix. A creature transformed into ash.
Ordinary healers would diagnose it as ‘life force depletion’, but my [Divine Eye] saw differently.
Deep within its heart, a small ember still remained.
The problem was that the ember burned so intensely it couldn’t break through the outer shell, suffocating from within instead.
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“This isn’t an illness—it’s ‘failed molting’.”
“Failed molting···?”
“Yes. Rebirth through shedding. It needs to shed its shell and be reborn, but it lacks the energy to break free. And then you applied healing magic, which only hardened the shell further. So the creature suffocated to death.”
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Kang Jin-hyuk shook his head. Ignorance breeds courage, they say—Apollo’s people had nearly buried the Immortal Phoenix alive.
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​”So what do we do?”
​”Simple. We shed its shell. With very powerful fire.”​
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Kang Jin-hyuk pressed the intercom.
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​”Hey, Balakas. Come up here. Time to earn your keep.”​
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Moments later, Balakas emerged from the basement and thrust his massive head through the clinic window. At the appearance of the S-rank fire dragon, James King went pale with shock.
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​”D, Dragon?”​
​”Don’t be alarmed. He’s part of our hospital’s medical equipment.”​
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Kang Jin-hyuk carried the Immortal Phoenix to the window and issued his command to Balakas.
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​”Gently. Very gently—just one breath attack.”​
[Kuooo… (What a hassle.)]
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Balakas opened his maw. A furnace-like inferno erupted toward the Immortal Phoenix.
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​”No! Don’t!”​
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James King screamed. But Kang Jin-hyuk hurled the Immortal Phoenix into the flames.
Whoosh!
The Immortal Phoenix’s body was engulfed in fire in an instant. Ash-gray feathers burned away, black smoke billowing upward. Everyone thought it was over.
Kyeeeeeek—!
A crystalline cry burst from the inferno. The charred shell crumbled to dust, and from within, resplendent golden wings unfurled.
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[Rebirth successful!]
[S-rank Magical Beast ‘Immortal Phoenix’ has reclaimed its true form.]
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The phoenix, larger and more magnificent than before, soared through the clinic ceiling. The sparks it scattered gleamed like blessed pollen.
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​”Oh… My… God.”​
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James King collapsed to the floor, weeping profusely. Kang Jin-hyuk tossed a strip of jerky to Balakas and shrugged.
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​”See? Healing isn’t a cure-all. Sometimes playing with fire is the medicine.”​
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I handed James King the bill.
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​”The treatment fee is 100 billion won at market rate. And… three Immortal Phoenix feathers.​”
​”I’ll give you everything! I’ll even give you guild shares!​”
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This incident graced the front page of hunter news outlets across the globe.
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[Korean Veterinarian Resurrects Dead Immortal Phoenix.]
[Apollo Medical Center Faces Closure Following Misdiagnosis.]
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The game was over. Now there wasn’t a single hunter on Earth who didn’t know the name Kang Jin-hyuk.

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