An F-Rank Veterinarian Physically Heals an S-Rank Magical Beast - Chapter 98

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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 98
Jin-hyuk knelt over the Reborn Entity’s chest and brought the scalpel down.
The muscle fibers, rigid and violet, had already lost their regenerative capacity. The texture resembled hardened rubber rather than living tissue. As the blade made contact, it parted without resistance.
Scritch. Scritch.
Jin-hyuk traced a vertical incision down the center, using the sternum as his guide. Approximately forty centimeters in length. More precise than when he’d opened Choi Myung-seok’s variant. With Choi Myung-seok, he’d had to contend with regenerative responses since the body was alive, but this time there was no such concern. The tissue was dead.
A metallic hybrid skeletal structure corresponding to the rib cage emerged—a grotesque amalgamation of silver metal and crimson bone.
“Ma Dong-tak. Could you spread the ribs apart?”
“Just pull them open?”
“Yes. Both sides.”
Ma Dong-tak inserted a lever between the incision lines and twisted with both hands.
Crack-crack-crack!
The metallic hybrid ribs splayed outward, exposing the thoracic cavity. In an ordinary human body, this would have unleashed a torrent of blood, but the drug-stiffened tissue didn’t shed a single drop.
Jin-hyuk peered into the exposed cavity.
There it was.
A sphere the size of two clenched fists. Dark crimson in color. Its surface was marred by violet corrosion marks—evidence of the drug having dissolved seventy percent of the outer shell. Yet from the sphere’s core, a faint luminescence still pulsed.
The inner core.
The light flickered at a sluggish five beats per minute. It was on the verge of entering hibernation.
[Core inner nucleus exposed confirmed.]
[Inner nucleus protective barrier remains. Energy reserves approximately 8%.]
[Physical destruction possible zone: lower section of barrier. Point where drug corrosion has rendered thickness minimal.]
“I see it.”
Jin-hyuk gently touched the core’s lower section with the scalpel’s tip.
“Here. This is where the barrier is thinnest. Strike precisely at this point.”
Ma Dong-tak lifted the lever.
The lever bore two visible cracks.
“This might be its last use.”
Ma Dong-tak spoke as he examined the lever once more.
“But what happens when the inner core ruptures? Does it explode like Choi Myung-seok’s core did?”
Jin-hyuk paused to consider.
“With only eight percent energy remaining, the scale shouldn’t be catastrophic. However.”
Jin-hyuk touched his earpiece.
“Chun-sam.”
“Yes?”
“If the inner core is destroyed, what’s the probability of a backflow reaction in the 19th Floor Server Zone?”
Chun-sam calculated for one second.
“There is a probability. The inner core is still connected to the cables drawing energy from the 19th Floor Server. When the inner core is destroyed, the remaining energy will flow backward through those cables, returning to the 19th Floor Server. If that energy reaches a server already in an overheated state.”
“The server will rupture.”
“In the worst case, the entire 19th Floor detonates. The resulting shockwave could cause structural damage down to the 18th Floor and below.”
Jin-hyuk’s brow furrowed.
Destroy the core on Floor 20, and Floor 19 explodes. And they were currently on Floor 20. To descend, they would have to pass through Floor 19 without fail.
“How long until the 19th Floor explodes?”
“Accounting for the energy backflow speed after the core’s destruction, approximately 40 seconds to one minute.”
40 seconds.
The time needed to descend from Floor 20 to Floor 19, cross Floor 19, and reach the emergency stairwell on Floor 18. I calculated the distance mentally.
From Floor 20 to the Floor 19 opening: roughly 5 seconds.
From the Floor 19 opening to the emergency stairwell: a straight-line distance of approximately 80 meters. At full sprint: roughly 20 seconds.
25 seconds.
15 seconds of buffer.
However, Floor 19 was already exceeding 110 degrees Celsius, and melted metal structures blocked the passage. It had been a zone with a 5-minute time limit even on the way up. The elders’ protective inner energy had been significantly depleted during the ascent.
“Elders. How much inner energy do you have remaining?”
The Wudang Sect Master examined his dantian and replied.
“About half of what we had when we climbed up. If we use the protective technique, two minutes is our limit.”
“Two minutes is sufficient.”
I looked at Ma Dong-tak.
“Director Ma. The moment the core breaks, everyone must jump down through the Floor 19 opening. We’ll break through from Floor 19 to the Floor 18 emergency stairwell in 40 seconds.”
“40 seconds?”
“Yes. After 40 seconds, Floor 19 detonates.”
Ma Dong-tak nodded, resting the pry bar across his shoulder.
“A time attack. Understood.”
“Manager Yoo.”
I touched the earpiece.
“I’m listening.”
Yoo Yi-soo’s voice came through quickly. She was monitoring everything from Floor 1.
“I’ll keep the Floor 18 emergency stairwell door open. I’ll secure the route down to Floor 1, so just run down.”
“Thanks. And contact Luna outside—evacuate all personnel within a 50-meter radius of the building. When Floor 19 detonates, debris could pierce through the outer walls.”
“Understood.”
I heard Yoo Yi-soo disconnect the earpiece and immediately begin moving.
I looked at the Reborn Entity’s chest cavity again.
The core was blinking. Five times per minute. Slowing progressively. It was on the verge of entering hibernation.
“Director Ma. Now.”
Ma Dong-tak lifted the pry bar.
“The lower section of the core. Where the protective barrier is thinnest.”
“I see it.”
Ma Dong-tak looked down at the core. The point I’d marked with the scalpel. Where the purple corrosion marks were most intense.
“Here goes.”
The pry bar descended.
Short, fast, precise.
CRACK—!!!
The tip of the pry bar pierced through the protective barrier of the core.
Click—!
The lever cracked for the third time.
And then.
Crack—!
The core’s inner nucleus shattered.
A brilliant yet murky golden radiance erupted from the chest cavity. Simultaneously, the last vital signs flickering across the Reborn Entity’s entire body extinguished. The fluid in the circulatory vessels ceased flowing. The muscle fibers locked completely rigid. The crimson light faded from both eyes.
[System: Confirmation of death—Reborn Entity, residual Creator of The Tower.]
[Core inner nucleus destruction complete.]
[Warning! Residual energy from the inner nucleus is backflowing through the 19th Floor data cables!]
[19th Floor Server Zone overload imminent!]
[Estimated time until explosion: 43 seconds.]
“Run!”
I shouted.
Ma Dong-tak gripped the lever and sprinted toward the opening. Namgoong Cheon led the charge, leaping through the hole. The Wudang Sect Master followed, pushing Gae Bang Bang-ju ahead of him.
I grabbed one last thing.
The shattered remnants of the core’s inner nucleus. A crystalline fragment the size of half a fist remained within the chest cavity. I seized it with my latex-gloved hand and deposited it into my pocket dimension inventory.
“I’ll use this for analysis later.”
Then I leaped through the opening.
The 19th Floor.
The moment I landed, scorching heat engulfed me.
It was hotter than when we’d ascended. The ambient temperature felt like it exceeded 120 degrees. The data cables glowed crimson, radiating heat from the floor. Any moment now, this energy would backflow and obliterate the servers.
“Protective Qi Barrier!”
The Wudang Sect Master roared. He drew upon his remaining inner energy, manifesting a translucent barrier of qi around our group. The heat crackled against it. The barrier was thinner than before. His inner energy was depleting.
“Toward the 18th Floor! Eighty meters straight ahead!”
I sprinted forward, leading the way.
The 19th Floor Server Zone had transformed again since our ascent. Melted metal structures now blocked the corridor more extensively. Server racks toppled, creating additional obstacles.
“It’s blocked!”
Namgoong Cheon pointed ahead. Three server racks lay collapsed, barricading the passage.
“Move it!”
Ma Dong-tak stepped forward. He raised the lever, wedged it into the gap between the fallen racks, and exerted all his strength through both arms.
Screeeech—!
With a sound of tearing metal, one server rack shifted sideways. A gap wide enough for a person to pass through opened up.
“Go!”
The martial arts elders slipped through first. I followed. Ma Dong-tak squeezed through last, pushing his body past the obstacle.
[19th Floor Server overload in: 22 seconds.]
“Chun-sam! Shortest route to the emergency stairwell!”
“Yes! From your current position, go straight thirty meters to the right, then turn left and you’ll see it immediately!”
I pivoted right.
The floor was scorching. The smell of melting shoe soles filled the air. The Sect Master’s protective barrier was thinning. Heat began piercing through the shield.
“Sect Master! Hold it together!”
“Ugh! My dantian is completely depleted!”
He turned left.
The emergency stairwell door came into view—the one leading down to Floor 18. The very door Yoo Yi-soo had promised to leave open for him.
It was open.
Cool air leaked through the gap, striking his face—a refreshing contrast to the infernal heat of Floor 19.
[Time until 19th Floor Server Overload: 8 seconds.]
“Get inside!”
Namgoong Cheon held the door, shoving the elders through. Gae Bang Bang-ju tumbled in. The Wudang Sect Master released his protective energy and stumbled through like a falling log. Jin-hyuk bolted inside.
Ma Dong-tak came last.
He hurled himself through the doorway and glanced back. At the end of the Floor 19 corridor, data cables began snapping one by one, erupting in sparks.
Ma Dong-tak kicked the door shut.
KUUUUAAAAAANG—!!!
Floor 19 exploded.
The stairwell walls shuddered. The floor groaned. Dust cascaded through cracks in the concrete. Scorching wind erupted through the gaps around the door that had just slammed shut.
But the door held.
The emergency stairwell structure held.
Jin-hyuk collapsed onto the steps, gasping for breath.
Ma Dong-tak leaned against the wall, staring down at the crowbar in his hands. Three cracks ran across it. The rubber grip had peeled away, and the tip was slightly bent.
“You did well.”
Ma Dong-tak muttered to the crowbar.
“Director.”
Namgoong Cheon sat on the steps, breathing heavily as he spoke.
“Floor 19 just exploded. Will the building be all right?”
“Chun-sam.”
Jin-hyuk touched his earpiece.
“Report on the building’s structural status.”
“Roger that.”
Chun-sam’s voice came through, trembling slightly.
“The entire 19th Floor Server Zone has been destroyed. Floor 20 is also structurally compromised and essentially unusable. However, Floor 18 and below remain intact. The Tower’s original construction is robust enough that the shockwave from the Floor 19 explosion didn’t propagate downward.”
“That’s fortunate.”
“However.”
Chun-sam paused briefly.
“The systems linked to my Floor 19 Administrator privileges were destroyed along with the server. All upper-floor management functions for the Tower are gone. Now I can only manage facilities on Floor 18 and below.”
Jin-hyuk removed his glasses and closed his eyes.
Floors 19 and 20—the two most critical zones in the Tower. The data server and the Constellation Ward. The heart and mind of Arcana Medical Center, completely obliterated.
It was a loss.
But Jin-hyuk kept his eyes closed for only a second before opening them again.
“As long as Floor 18 and below are safe, that’s what matters. All the consultation rooms, operating rooms, and patient wards the hospital needs are on the lower levels. We’ll rebuild those two floors later.”
“Rebuild them?”
“Of course. We’ll handle the construction costs through insurance.”
Ma Dong-tak let out a hollow laugh.
“Where exactly is the insurance that covers cosmic parasite terrorism?”
“If it doesn’t exist, we’ll create it. Chun-sam, draft a special interdimensional disaster insurance product plan.”
“Y-yes, Master. Right now?”
“No, downstairs.”
Jin-hyuk rose to his feet and began descending the staircase.
The Martial Arts Community elders supported one another as they followed. Ma Dong-tak brought up the rear, using a crowbar like a cane as he descended slowly.
17th Floor. 16th Floor. 15th Floor.
As they descended, the air returned to normal. The temperature dropped, the lighting stabilized, and the scent of disinfectant began to emerge. The smell of a hospital.
1st Floor Lobby.
As the emergency stairwell door opened, Yoo Yi-soo stood waiting.
Behind her were Luna and Beris. Luna had prepared a stretcher and IV fluids, while Beris had an emergency kit slung over his shoulder.
Yoo Yi-soo’s eyes swept over Jin-hyuk’s condition. His gown was singed. The Reborn Entity’s bodily fluids spattered his face. His latex gloves had melted. Yet he remained unharmed.
“Done?”
“Done.”
Yoo Yi-soo nodded.
“Outside?”
“Luna evacuated everyone within a 50-meter radius of the building. Some of the outer wall glass shattered from the 19th Floor explosion and fragments fell, but there were no casualties.”
“Choi Myung-seok?”
“The police took him. He’s conscious and has recovered from shock, according to Beris’s report.”
Jin-hyuk stood in the center of the lobby.
The lobby’s LED lighting shone normally. There was no heartbeat-like flickering. The elevator panel had stopped.
[System: Biometric response extinction confirmed on 20th Floor apex.]
[19th Floor Server Zone destroyed. 20th Floor structure separated.]
[Arcana Medical Center remaining facilities (Floors 1-18) operating normally.]
[Tower conquest complete.]
Tower conquest complete.
Staring at that System Message, Jin-hyuk stood motionless.
A year ago, there was an F-rank veterinarian extracting a Blood Manticore’s toothache.
Now that same veterinarian had extracted a cosmic parasite’s core, obliterated the top two floors of the building while protecting the hospital, and stood in the 1st Floor Lobby.
“Director.”
Luna approached carefully.
“We need to check on Jang Moon-in and Gae Bang Bang-ju. Their dehydration is severe.”
“Then treat them immediately, Luna. There should be empty beds in the general ward on the 3rd Floor.”
“Understood.”
Luna supported the Martial Arts Community elders and guided them toward the elevator. This time, the elevator operated normally.
Ma Dong-tak collapsed onto the lobby sofa.
“Director. I need some rest too. My arm burns and muscle soreness are no joke.”
“Receive treatment on the 3rd Floor.”
“Who do I bill for the treatment?”
“I’d like to bill Demiurge, but he’s already dead.”
Jin-hyuk paused to consider.
“We’ll cover it from Apollo Hospital’s seized assets. Since Choi Myung-seok was the one who caused this.”
“That’s a fair point.”
Ma Dong-tak rose to his feet and headed toward the elevator.
Only Jin-hyuk, Yoo Yi-soo, and Beris remained in the lobby.
Beris folded his arms and spoke.
“Phew. Is it all over?”
“Everything except the 19th and 20th Floors getting obliterated.”
“The top two floors of the hospital just vanishing is fine?”
“Of course it’s not fine. But with Floors 1 through 18 still intact, the hospital’s operations won’t be affected.”
Jin-hyuk gazed up at the lobby ceiling.
Where the night sky should have been visible, there was nothing. The 19th and 20th Floors had vanished in the explosion and structural separation, leaving the building’s top effectively severed.
From the outside, it would be a bizarre sight. Two floors cleanly sheared off the top of a hundred-story building.
Yoo Yi-soo stepped beside Jin-hyuk and spoke.
“The reporters outside are going insane. An explosion at the building’s top, glass shards raining down, police dragging Choi Myung-seok away in the chaos. They’re demanding an explanation.”
“An explanation? What kind of explanation?”
Jin-hyuk cleaned his glasses thoughtfully.
“A simple one should work. During routine internal facility inspections, an explosion occurred due to aging equipment failure. No casualties. That’s it.”
“Who would believe that?”
“Believe it or not, that’s what the official statement will say. After all, the truth only exists within the system window.”
Yoo Yi-soo let out a soft laugh.
“You scare me sometimes.”
“It’s not scary—it’s efficient.”
Jin-hyuk withdrew an electronic pad from his gown pocket.
The pad’s screen displayed a settlement summary of tonight’s incidents. Choi Myung-seok’s medical bills, Apollo Hospital’s seized asset inventory, estimated building repair costs, and.
[System: Tower Conquest rewards have been settled.]
[Reward 1: Official authorization of Arcana Medical Center operational rights.]
[Reward 2: Pocket Dimension System expansion — ‘Pocket Dimension Hospital Lv.2 Expansion Voucher’ acquired.]
[Reward 3: Special skill enhancement — ‘Eye of Divine Will’ detection range doubled.]
[Reward 4: Complete ownership of Tower’s residual assets (Floors 1-18 infrastructure) confirmed.]
Jin-hyuk scanned through the reward list.
Pocket Dimension Hospital Lv.2 Expansion Voucher.
That caught his eye.
The corners of Jin-hyuk’s mouth lifted.
“Manager Yoo.”
“Yeah?”
“Get me quotes for hospital expansion work.”
Yoo Yi-soo looked at Jin-hyuk.
“Now? Less than five minutes since the top two floors were blown away?”
“What’s blown away is blown away, and what remains is what remains. This is actually an opportunity. We were planning a remodel anyway.”
Yoo Yi-soo exhaled deeply and accepted the pad.
“That’s exactly why everyone finds you terrifying.”
Jin-hyuk walked toward the main entrance of the lobby.
Outside, camera flashes erupted in succession. The voices of reporters echoed through the air.
Jin-hyuk fastened his gown before the entrance doors, swapped his latex gloves for a fresh pair, and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He took a single breath.
Then he opened the doors.
The night air of Gangnam District struck his face.
“Director Kang! There was an explosion in the building—could you explain the situation?”
“Director Kang! The top of the building appears to be gone! Are there any casualties?”
Jin-hyuk opened his mouth before the cameras.
“An accident occurred during the replacement of aging equipment. There are no casualties.”
“Are we supposed to believe that?!”
“Whether you believe it or not, our hospital will resume normal operations starting tomorrow.”
Jin-hyuk gazed directly into the cameras.
“Arcana Medical Center. A comprehensive hospital specializing in demonic creatures. Opening tomorrow at 9 AM. Reservations are first-come, first-served, and payment is required upfront.”
Camera flashes erupted.
Beneath the night sky of Gangnam District, before a colossal structure with its top two floors cleanly severed away, an F-rank veterinarian was announcing the opening of a hospital.

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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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