# 13
Among the people who couldn’t bring themselves to ask what had happened, the deputy director suddenly spoke up.
“Did you two fight?”
Even without a subject, it was clear what he was asking. Jin-ha smiled and answered.
“Fight? I earnestly did my best to save a ‘civilian,’ while he just enjoyed watching me struggle.”
Although it was a brief explanation, it was enough to imagine the situation. Jin-ha’s expression sharpened as he recalled the incident, revealing his fatigue.
Before the deputy director could tactlessly probe further, the Guild Master of Narak Guild quickly intervened.
“More importantly, I’m concerned that Jin-ha’s way of speaking is different from usual. How did this happen? Normally, Jin-ha isn’t someone who would say things like ‘I couldn’t confirm it accurately.'”
“…As you suspected, there’s a problem with my abilities.”
“No, no, I wasn’t suspecting anything…”
“Due to magical power oversaturation, I can’t use my skills and couldn’t read accurate information.”
Jin-ha readily admitted it. It was something he didn’t want to reveal, but he couldn’t avoid it either. Reliability was the lifeblood of all information, and there was a significant difference in credibility between information observed visually and information confirmed through the Information Eye.
“So everything I’m about to report is what I’ve seen with my eyes and heard with my ears. Please keep in mind that it may be mixed with personal judgment.”
Jin-ha began explaining the information about the portal he had read. The environment beyond the portal, the habits of the roaming monsters, the concentration of magical power different from Earth, and above all, the existence of the man who had deceived and toyed with him.
That man was a magician. And not just any magician—an incredible one with enough power to subdue a giant spider in one breath and control portals.
Jin-ha couldn’t tell how powerful the man was, but he argued they should be cautious and wary in advance. If he could truly open portals at will, the potential for terrible deeds was frankly alarming.
If a Hunter from the United States had such an ability, it was easy to imagine what might happen. The United States would certainly create densely packed rooms fifty floors underground, opening portals in each room and operating them like a factory, with aggressive investment and a massive deployment of resources.
“He’s a moody person whose feelings fluctuate without reason. Send someone skilled in negotiations.”
“Someone like me, you mean.”
The Guild Master of Narak Guild interjected with a smirk. Though everyone found his self-promotion absurd, they agreed.
The deputy director seemed excited at the thought of gaining enormous profits through the otherworld portal, as other countries had done. Jin-ha inwardly clicked his tongue at the deputy director’s sly expression, as if they had already succeeded in establishing relations, only to be caught by the Narak Guild Master who was snickering.
Jin-ha quickly composed his expression.
That middle-aged man often treated Jin-ha like a child and worried about him. Don’t overwork, eat properly… Jin-ha had always thought of him as a nosy uncle, but now he felt strange realizing the man had rushed over with his team after hearing Jin-ha had become lost in the gate.
“Then we’ll immediately make plans for exchange and prepare to send envoys.”
“I wish you success.”
Jin-ha spoke as if it were someone else’s business.
“I know you’re in a dispatched position, but this matter involves enormous profits. I’d like you to work hard for your country.”
“You seem to have forgotten, but I currently can’t use my skills due to magical power oversaturation.”
“Even without using skills…”
“I’m taking leave.”
The deputy director reluctantly accepted Jin-ha’s vacation request with a disgruntled face. In truth, Jin-ha’s attendance was managed by the World Gate Information Association, so the deputy director had no way to reject the vacation request anyway.
After a few additional reports and questions were exchanged, the video conference ended. It was agreed that a separate report would be submitted regarding other detailed information.
“Hey, Jin-ha, I’ve scheduled a health checkup for you…”Â
Section Chief Nam said while pouring cold water into Jin-ha’s empty glass.
“You didn’t get a health checkup last year. Since you’re already at the hospital, get one now. Thanks to you collapsing and being brought in, we could add more items to the checkup. And you can use your checkup days off too. Let’s say you’re hospitalized for gate aftereffects until tomorrow, and then you’ll use your checkup days the day after. How does that sound?”
Originally, office workers were supposed to get health checkups once every two years. Although Jin-ha occasionally went into the field, he was still registered as an office worker, so he hadn’t bothered with a checkup last year. Section Chief Nam seemed concerned about that.
When Jin-ha hesitated, having planned to go straight home, Section Chief Nam added:
“You have to get one this year anyway, legally. So just do it while you’re here. I’m telling you, you get days off for the checkup. Free days off.”
“…Alright.”
As a workaholic, Jin-ha had accumulated nearly thirty unused vacation days from the previous year. He had no reason to covet checkup days off. Still, seeing Section Chief Nam whispering as if it were something precious made it difficult to flatly refuse.
When Jin-ha reluctantly nodded, Section Chief Nam brightened and went out to call a nurse.
* * *
Fortunately.
Jin-ha thought to himself while trying to maintain a smile.
“It’s really good that you agreed to get a checkup. No matter what happens, your body is the most important thing. You understand, Jin-ha?”
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
“I’m not asking for an apology, I’m asking you to be careful from now on.”
“Yes. I’ll be careful.”
Though he had already endured three hours of nagging about how body care was part of self-management and that competence included a large share of physical care, Jin-ha simply nodded silently.
The woman sitting beside his bed, continuing her worried words, was Cha Seo-hee, his late mother’s friend and Cha Ki-young’s mother. On the day his parents passed away, Mrs. Cha had put aside her busy schedule to rush over and stay by Jin-ha’s side throughout the funeral. Thanks to her, Jin-ha was able to successfully hold his parents’ funeral and received great help with inheritance matters. Moreover, it was all thanks to Mrs. Cha that Jin-ha, who was still a minor, didn’t have to go to an orphanage.
Holding Jin-ha’s hand tightly while repeatedly offering words of concern, Mrs. Cha checked the time and said reluctantly:
“Well, I should get going now. Since you’re getting a health checkup tomorrow, I’ll stop here. If there’s any problem, remember that your body comes first.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Jin-ha glanced at Cha Ki-young, who was standing behind Mrs. Cha and snickering, then firmly held Mrs. Cha’s hand again. Her expression softened at that firm touch.
“If anything happens to you, how could I face your mother when I die?”
“She would be grateful enough for how well you’ve cared for me until now.”
“Lee Jin-ha.”
“…I’ll take care of my health so that won’t happen…”
At his slip of the tongue, Mrs. Cha’s expression froze, and Cha Ki-young pretended to burst into laughter while holding his stomach.
Jin-ha meekly bowed his head again. If Section Chief Nam hadn’t forcefully pushed for the health checkup, he might have faced something much worse. It was truly fortunate.
“Take care of yourself. Understand?”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Keep in touch often. Feel free to boss my son around as much as you want.”
“Don’t worry. I already am.”
Cha Ki-young, with a crumpled face, abruptly cut in between them.
“That’s right, Mom. Do you know how much Jin-ha bosses me around? You’d be surprised if you knew.”
“I don’t particularly want to know about that, but do well. Understand?”
“I’m telling you I’m already being obediently and diligently bossed around.”
Mrs. Cha looked at her son as if he were pathetic, then took out a card from her handbag and handed it to him.
“Upgrade Jin-ha’s health checkup. Get the best one.”
“Okay.”
Cha Ki-young excitedly ran out of the hospital room. Watching him, Mrs. Cha clicked her tongue and said to Jin-ha:
“Jin-ha, get a good health checkup. Auntie has a meeting, so I’ll go first. When your checkup is done, come to our house.”
“I was thinking of going home…”
“There’s nothing at your house.”
“I have everything I need.”
“Do you have Ki-young to make porridge for you?”
“That… no…”
“Then come over.”
Perhaps because she was his mother’s friend who had watched him grow up, or because she had taken care of him from age 17 until he became an adult, Jin-ha always weakened in front of Mrs. Cha.
At Mrs. Cha’s firm order, Jin-ha flinched and meekly nodded. It seemed that the karma of not visiting her often due to being immersed in work was catching up with him now. From experience, he knew he should behave obediently in such situations.
After Mrs. Cha also left, Jin-ha was left alone in the hospital room. Having waited for this moment all along, Jin-ha tensely murmured in a low voice:
“…Status window.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a window summarizing Jin-ha’s status appeared before his eyes. His expression darkened as he confirmed the contents.
“My magical power has increased.”
The last time he checked in the portal, Jin-ha’s magical power was 127(154). A magical power of 127 wasn’t a small amount for using the Information Eye, but it was inadequate compared to combat Hunters.
But now it was 288(325), enough to qualify as an intermediate combat Hunter.
“Ah.”
Jin-ha couldn’t believe his eyes. While he was lost in thought for a moment, his magical power had changed to 289(324).
Oversaturated magical power not returning to nature but accumulating in the body? This was absurd…
‘I’ll help you adapt.’
At that moment, the man’s words brushed past his ear.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
