From the life-support machine, a stressed and weak voice emerged. It was low and lacked energy, but Mister Song and Jiwon heard it clearly.
"Anyone there?" the voice asked, almost pleading for help. "Please... remove these flowers from my side. I've been breathing in their fragrance for too long and I'm losing my sense of smell. Please don't let me die again."
Jiwon and Mister Song's smiles widened in realization, their hearts racing with delight, their eyes sparkling with joy as their relentless prayers were answered.
"Seung!" exclaimed Mister Song, despite his old age, as he dashed to Seung's bedside and hugged him tightly around the neck.
Lee Seung had removed the nasal cannula the moment he recovered, feeling the man's dry, white beard against his soft, bony cheek.
He gently pushed Mister Song away, giggling. "Stop it. You're scratching me."
"Just stay still and accept your punishment," Mister Song responded, continuing the act. He wanted to cheer Seung up, just as he always had when Seung was younger. Whenever Seung was unhappy, he would hold him tightly and rub his cheek against his, and Seung would always perk up.
But even though he felt lively now, Seung still kept to himself, avoiding the other kids in the neighborhood. The man understood that Seung's psychological condition stemmed from losing his parents in the war and his sister falling into a coma while protecting him. Seung probably blamed himself for their deaths.
Bump...
"Ow," Lee Seung grimaced as another hand hit his stomach while also hugging his neck. The person's cheek rubbed against his too, but the feeling was different. A cold warmth ran down his throat, freezing his molars and premolars. He didn't want that person to pull away.
"Thank God you're safe! We were so worried you wouldn't make it!" cried the tiny female voice.
Seung immediately recognized her voice. It belonged to the clingy girl who had asked him to tutor her for the final exam, scolded him for being late to the abandoned factory, and cried out loudly when he was injured by the gangsters. Right now, he wanted to say something, anything, but he was at a loss.
He could have said, 'You didn't need to worry so much...' followed by her name, to sound natural, but the problem was, he didn't even know her name. If she found out, she might develop hard feelings toward him, so he decided it was better to say nothing.
Mr. Song smirked in disbelief, remembering Jiwon's earlier cry. Wasn't she the one who had asked him to pray that Seung would wake up?
(A few minutes later)
Lee Seung sat on the bed with his legs crossed. "So, I ended up with a metallic arm?" he asked in a low, slow tone. His eyes were fixed on the piece of metal reported to him as his arm, his expression exceedingly distressed.
Jiwon replied, sitting on a chair by the bed, her voice barely above a murmur, "You were able to get treatment thanks to the W.H.A Director. He and his team rescued you, your clothes drenched in blood and your arm gone. There was no Healer nearby, so a metallic arm was the best option."
Seung was most interested in one part of her statement. He asked, looking at her closely, "Did you say the W.H.A Director? Are you sure it was him?"
"I saw his face clearly that night. I saw his picture on a weapons store's advertisement banner on the way to school. I'm sure it was him," replied Jiwon.
Seung might not know much else, but he was sure such an important person wouldn't have rescued him for nothing. Besides, there was nothing more natural than a Hunter dying in a dungeon. Since that Director was one of the people who supported the notion, he might have assumed Seung was already dead when he found him.
Lee Seung sighed loudly and placed his arms on the bed, his eyes staring up at the ceiling. "It seems I slept for a very long time. A lot has changed. A classmate of mine just told me she's now a second-year university student, the world has changed with the development of new technology, and worst of all, I was told I slept past my birthday. I'm seventeen years old now, haha. I wonder if these flowers were my presents." He tried to smile, but it faltered on his lips.
Just then, someone knocked on the door. The three of them exchanged curious glances. Jiwon asked the person to come in, and the hinges of the door emitted a low, drawn-out creak as it slowly opened.
"Who is it?" Jiwon whispered to her grandfather, but he just shrugged cluelessly.
Slow, deliberate footsteps approached from the entrance. The three of them watched intently to see who it was, anticipation growing on their faces. Seung wondered who it could be; perhaps his manager?
"Pardon me if my presence surprises you, Mister Lee," said a masculine voice dripping with warmth, followed by the sound of footsteps halting. Seung's earlier doubts about who Jiwon said rescued him dissolved immediately - the same man was standing right in front of him!
"Welcome, sir!" Seung exclaimed, balancing on his knees on the bed, head facing down. He winced as pain surged across his stomach, but he knew it was important to show respect.
In the country, both the President and the Director of W.H.A were public figures and were even more respected than governmental officials with equivalent titles. People also referred to these two men as VVVIPs.
To receive this kind of treatment from this man could make someone a celebrity if exposed to the public.
Mister Song whispered to Seung, rubbing his back, "What are you doing, Lee Seung? You'll open your stomach wound this way."
"Can you give us two minutes of privacy, Lieutenant Colonel?" Kim Seijin asked respectfully.
Seung glanced at Mister Song immediately. He was surprised as to why he would be addressed that way. And...did the Director just say Lieutenant Colonel? Seung then assumed that the man was mistaken; it wasn't as if Mr. Song served in the military.
"I'll be outside," said Mr. Song casually, heading outside with his granddaughter. His attitude confused Seung again.
Step...
Lee Seung glanced up and sat down.
"I heard that you saved me, sir," he said, feeling tense. "Thank you, I'm very grateful. But...how did you know that I woke up?"
Kim Seijin responded, "I had my boys stay at the ward's entrance. They informed me about your recovery a few minutes ago."
A brief silence settled in, during which Seung noticed something strange about himself. He felt a sharp sensation in his throat, a replay of what the Soul Devourer had done. He rubbed his neck, but it was as smooth as ever.
'But my throat was stabbed by the dagger,' he wondered.
"When we found you, your body was lifelessly lying at the front of the dungeon," said Kim Seijin, maintaining a calm demeanor. "Initially, my team located the S-rank monster in Gangnam; however, it was nowhere to be found when we rechecked. You were unconsciously drenched in blood while the beast had vanished. Don't you agree the answer is very obvious?"
Seung stammered, looking dumbfounded. "I really don't understand, sir."
A light smile played on the man's lips, and he briefly looked at him before walking around the ward.
"The Maintenance team discovered your other teammates' corpses inside, and some of them were identified as C-rankers. If these people could meet their end, how is it possible that you, an E-ranker, made it outside? And the monster disappeared?"
Lee Seung tried to think back. He recalled being transported to a place he had mistaken for heaven, where the artificial intelligence in him had asked for a mutation. But the truth still eluded him. As an assumption, the AI system must have teleported him to the front. But how did the Soul Devourer vanish?
"Well, I think you caused its disappearance..."
Seung immediately said, "That's not possible."
"After the doctors treated you, I had a specialist check on you. It's clear that you underwent NCS," Seijin said, pausing and facing him directly.
"N-C-S?"
The man adjusted his glasses. "Neuro-Cybernetic Symbiosis is an advanced integration of biotechnology with the human nervous system. Imagine specialized nanobots or implants that interface directly with your neurons."
"Like neural implants?" Seung asked.
"Exactly," Seijin nodded. "These implants enhance synaptic activity, making your neural signaling faster and more efficient. This means heightened reflexes, better muscle coordination, and even enhanced cognitive abilities."
"The implants stimulate muscle cells to produce more myofibrils, increasing muscle density and strength," the man explained further. "Think of it as having muscles that are far more powerful than normal, supported by reinforced bones made of advanced biomaterials. You'd be capable of feats of strength beyond what any Awakened could achieve. Except Reawakeneds."
Seung shook his head in disbelief. He thought the man was trying to confuse him into believing his lie. Besides, how could nanobots find their way into his brain when no scientist had done such a crazy experiment on him?
The Director's work was significant to the military; perhaps NCS was his future development.
"I understand the situation is unclear to both of us, but please, don't confuse me any further. There is no-"
"It's real because you have the tech inside you," Seijin cut in. "I'm talking about the Power System."