Chapter 6
Apgu-jeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Apollon Medical Center, the largest hunter-specialized general hospital in the country.
In the spacious office of the hospital director, two men sat facing each other with serious expressions. One was Choi Myeong-seok, the director of Apollon and the vice president of the Korean Healers Association. The other was Kim Hyeon-seok, the president of the Healers Association, who had been kicked out of the Zeus Guild a few days earlier.
“So… are you saying the entire Zeus headquarters building was handed over to that veterinarian?”
Choi Myeong-seok asked in disbelief. Kim Hyeon-seok nodded, his hand gripping the teacup trembling.
“That’s right. Guild Master Lee Shin-woo has lost his mind. Handing over a 500 billion won building just because he removed some dragon poop! This is a destructive act against the medical market order!”
Kim Hyeon-seok’s eyes were filled with venom. The authority he had built over a lifetime as an S-class Healer had crumbled in an instant because of some unknown veterinarian’s ‘plunging’ technique. Since that day, the treatment of healers affiliated with the association had plummeted.
‘Healers, can you not cure constipation?’
‘A veterinarian cured it in one go. Healers aren’t cost-effective, are they?’
The hunters’ mocking words pierced like daggers.
“We cannot let this slide, President.”
Choi Myeong-seok’s eyes flashed.
“Our hospital’s appointment cancellation rate has already exceeded 40%. All the VIP clients are flocking to that place. I’ve even received intel that Ma Dong-tak, the guild master of the Ares Guild, has cut ties with us and gone over there.”
“What? Ma Dong-tak?”
“Yes. He came to us for Cerberus treatment, but when our healers couldn’t do anything, he left in a rage.”
Choi Myeong-seok bit his lip. The hunter market is small. Rumors spread fast, and trends spread even faster. If they left Kang Jin-hyuk alone like this, not only Apollon but the entire Healers Association could lose their rice bowls.
“Let’s do it by the book.”
“By the book?”
“That guy has a medical license, but he doesn’t have a ‘Hunter-specialized Medical Practitioner License,’ does he? It’s strictly illegal medical practice.”
Choi Myeong-seok grinned sinisterly and pulled out a document envelope.
“I’ve greased some wheels at the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Hunter Management Bureau. We’ll launch a special inspection for ‘unlicensed medical practice’ and ‘suspicion of illegally importing magical beasts’.”
“Oh ho, an inspection…”
“We’ll shut down his hospital and have the media blow it up. ‘Money-Blind Veterinarian Unleashes Ecological Disruptor Magical Beasts in the City Center.’ It’s sensational, isn’t it?”
Public opinion warfare and administrative sanctions. These were the most powerful weapons the established powers possessed. A hint of color finally returned to Kim Hyeon-seok’s face.
“Good. Very good. Let’s show him what happens. How dare a lowly beast doctor trespass into the domain of sacred healers.”
The laughter of the two men quietly filled the hospital director’s office. But they didn’t know. That the opponent they were touching was a monster that had already transcended far beyond ‘law’ or ‘common sense.’
The next afternoon. Zeus Medical Tower Lobby.
Uninvited guests stormed into the peaceful hospital. About twenty civil servants in navy suits, followed by broadcast cameras and reporters.
“We’re from the Medical Guidance Division of the Ministry of Health and Welfare! Where is Director Kang Jin-hyuk!”
“We’re the Special Investigation Team from the Hunter Management Bureau! We’re here to investigate a report of illegal magical beast breeding!”
The civil servants shouted, waving warrants around. Waiting hunters and magical beasts were startled and cleared the way. Camera flashes popped.
“What do you think you’re doing, right now!”
Head Manager Park Cheol-woo ran out to block them. His intimidating presence, fitting for a former S-class hunter, radiated, but the civil servants just snorted.
“Hey, Park Cheol-woo. Are you obstructing official duties now? Don’t you see the warrant here?”
“We received a tip. That unverified procedures are being performed here, and dangerous magical beasts are roaming around without control!”
The investigation team leader jabbed Park Cheol-woo’s chest with his finger. He was arrogant, confident in his backing.
“We’re commencing a seizure and search right now. Hand over all medical records and open up the basement quarantine zone!”
“Reporters! Film this! Capture every detail of this illegal operation!”
The reporters excitedly clicked their shutters.
[Exclusive] The Talked-About Animal Hospital, Actually an Unlicensed Clinic?
Sensational headlines were already being drafted.
Park Cheol-woo’s fists trembled. If he used force, public opinion would turn against them, but if he let them be, the hospital’s image would be ruined.
“Move aside! Won’t you move?”
As the investigators pushed past Park Cheol-woo and tried to force their way into the treatment rooms…
[Kuuuwoong…]
A low vibration, as if the ground was groaning, was heard. At the same time, the temperature in the lobby rose sharply.
“Wha, what?”
“An earthquake?”
Everyone’s gaze shifted behind a massive pillar in the center of the lobby. There, a giant red mass, wearing a nametag that read ‘Security Team Leader,’ was taking a nap.
Disturbed from its deep sleep by the noise, Security Team Leader, the Fire Dragon Balakas, slowly lifted its head.
“Krrrr…(What mosquito is buzzing around?)”
A head the size of a house emerged from behind the pillar. Golden, slit-pupiled eyes looked down at the civil servants. Red sparks and smoke hissed from its nostrils.
“Huh, huff…!”
“D-dragon?”
The investigation team leader’s legs gave out. An S-class dragon, only seen on TV. The terror of facing one in reality was on a different level. With [Dragon Tongue] activated as a passive, the ordinary civil servants could barely breathe.
Balakas, looking annoyed, raised its front paw. And with a thud, it brought it down in front of the ‘No Entry’ line laid before the civil servants.
CRASH!
The marble floor shattered, sending fragments flying.
[Get lost.]
It didn’t speak, but its action was clear.
‘Take one more step, and I’ll roast you into Welldone.’
“AAAAH!”
“Sa, save us!”
The once-arrogant civil servants screamed and fell on their backsides. The reporters threw down their cameras and scrambled backward. State authority? Warrants? Before a dragon, they were just scraps of paper.
At that moment, the elevator doors opened and a man walked out. It was Kang Jin-hyuk, holding a coffee in one hand and a smartphone in the other.
“Ah, it’s so noisy I could die. Keep it down before I report you for obstructing business.”
Jin-hyuk clicked his tongue at the lobby turned into chaos. He walked up to the investigation team leader, who was sitting on the floor trembling.
“Are you the one in charge?”
“W-well… We received a report… and we have a warrant…”
“A warrant? Let me see.”
Jin-hyuk snatched the crumpled paper from the team leader’s hand. He scanned it briefly, then let out a snort.
“Violation of the Magical Beast Breeding Act? Our hospital is licensed as a ‘Special Purpose Magical Beast Protection Facility.’ Sponsored by the Zeus Guild.”
“S-still, the unlicensed medical practice…”
“License? I have a veterinary license. Did I treat a human? I treated animals.”
Jin-hyuk tore the warrant to shreds. Then he held the paper pieces in front of Balakas’s nostrils. Fwoosh. The paper instantly turned to ash and vanished in Balakas’s breath.
“See? Disposal complete.”
“Th-this is obstruction of official duty…!”
“You’re the ones obstructing. Can’t you see the patients lined up behind me?”
Jin-hyuk pointed behind him. There stood Ma Dong-tak, the Ares Guild master, along with dozens of rankers whose appointments were delayed and who were visibly annoyed, arms crossed. Their eyes were just as deadly as the dragon’s.
“Hey, civil servant folks. I waited 2 weeks for my appointment today. If it gets canceled because of you guys… you know, right?”
Ma Dong-tak cracked his knuckles.
“Hiiik!”
The civil servants and reporters were trapped. A dragon in front, S-class hunters behind.
And even Ma Dong-tak, the Ares Guild master. Though he wore shabby training clothes, his bulging muscles alone radiated an overwhelming presence. For the civil servants and reporters, this place was effectively an extraterritorial zone beyond the reach of South Korean administrative power.
“I’ll give you 3 seconds. If you don’t leave, our security team leader might think you’re snacks and bite you.”
Jin-hyuk raised his fingers.
“One.”
“Retreat! Everyone retreat!”
With the investigation team leader’s scream, the civil servants fled like the outgoing tide. It was a pathetic sight, running away without even realizing their shoes had come off.
End of situation. The hunters in the lobby cheered.
“Wow! Director, nice one!”
“As expected of God Jin-hyuk! Even chasing away civil servants!”
But Jin-hyuk’s expression was cold. He spotted an ambulance with the ‘Apollon Hospital’ mark mixed in with the fleeing crowd. It was obvious who was pulling the strings from behind.
“You shouldn’t have touched what you shouldn’t have.”
Jin-hyuk gestured to Park Cheol-woo.
“Head Manager Park. Set it up.”
“Huh? Set what up?”
“A live broadcast. They’ve laid out the mat for me, so I should play properly.”
An hour later. A notification appeared on ‘MeTube,’ the world’s largest video platform.
[Emergency] This is Kang Jin-hyuk, Director of the Gangnam Hunter Hospital. I have something to say. (LIVE)
As soon as the broadcast started, concurrent viewers exploded. 10,000, 50,000, 100,000… It surpassed 500,000 in an instant. The chat was scrolling at the speed of light.
[ㄴ Oh, Plunger Lord has arrived lol]
[ㄴ Heard you chased out civil servants today? Spill the tea]
[ㄴ Is that dragon in the background for real? Not a green screen?]
The background in the video was his office. Jin-hyuk sat with his arms crossed, wearing a gown. Behind him sat a miniaturized Balakas on the sofa, eating a tangerine. Of course, chewing it peel and all.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kang Jin-hyuk, Director of Arcana Medical Center.”
Jin-hyuk looked into the camera and began.
“There was an unfortunate incident at the hospital today. Officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Hunter Management Bureau came. Under someone’s ‘instigation,’ of course.”
[ㄴ Instigation? Who set him up?]
[ㄴ Obviously the ones who lost their rice bowls.]
“Honestly, I found it amusing. They call me unlicensed, say I’m disturbing the ecosystem. But who’s the one that saved the creatures they were going to euthanize because their own healers couldn’t do a thing?”
Jin-hyuk threw a stack of charts onto the desk.
“Look at these medical records. Penguin heatstroke, dragon constipation, griffon fracture… All of these were deemed ‘incurable’ by existing hospitals. I cured them. And now they’re coming at me with complaints? Doesn’t that mean they care more about their rice bowls than their patients’ lives?”
The chat room opinion started to boil over.
[ㄴ True. Healers always give up and say it’s impossible.]
[ㄴ Is that a snipe at Apollon Hospital? lol]
[ㄴ God Jin-hyuk! We acknowledge you as a true doctor.]
Jin-hyuk took a sip of water and lowered his voice.
“Fine. You want to do it by the book? I’ll do it by the book. I’ll also run my hospital operations however I want.”
He held up his fingers towards the camera.
“From this moment on, I will operate a ‘Blacklist.’”
“First: All healers registered with the Korean Healers Association.”
“Second: Guilds in partnership with Apollon Medical Center.”
“Third: Government agencies belonging to the civil servants who invaded my hospital today.”
“If you fall under these categories, do not come near my hospital from now on.”
A declaration of war. The chat froze. Everyone was too shocked to type.
“I won’t accept you even if you bring a truckload of money. I won’t accept you even if you kneel and beg. Whether your precious partner is dying or not, I will not dirty my ‘unlicensed’ hands. Go to your licensed healers and get treated.”
[ㄴ Crazy lol what audacity]
[ㄴ Hey, what happens to the guilds contracted with Apollon then?]
[ㄴ Time to switch sides lol, gotta line up for Jin-hyuk.]
“Ah, one more thing.”
Jin-hyuk added.
“Even if you already have an appointment, if you’re on the blacklist, it will be automatically canceled. If you’re upset, go complain to the Association and the hospital director. Ask them why you can’t get treatment because of them.”
Instigation. A thoroughly wicked and effective strategy. Now, the hunters’ anger would be directed not at Jin-hyuk, but at the Association and Apollon Hospital that caused the problem.
“That’s all. Ah, Guild Master Ma Dong-tak? Sorry for the wait outside. Come in.”
Jin-hyuk opened the door without turning off the broadcast. A burly, large-framed man, Ma Dong-tak, appeared on screen. Behind him, a three-headed Cerberus followed with its tail tucked.
“Wow, Director! I watched the broadcast! It was so satisfying!”
“Thanks for coming. So this is the famous hellhound.”
Jin-hyuk naturally approached the Cerberus. The viewers held their breath. Was he going to treat that ferocious Cerberus live?
“I heard this guy bit a healer’s arm while getting treated at Apollon Hospital?”
“Yes… I’m ashamed. He has a terrible temper.”
“It’s not that he has a bad temper.”
As Jin-hyuk patted the Cerberus’s middle head, the other two heads growled and tried to bite his hand. But Jin-hyuk didn’t flinch; he flicked the noses of the other two heads with his fingers, as if giving them a snap.
Tap! Tap!
“Yip!”
“Yap!”
“See? They’re jealous.”
“Huh? Jealous?”
“Cerberus has three egos. But you always only pet the middle head, and feed the middle mouth first, right? The ones on the sides feel neglected. It’s attention deficit.”
Jin-hyuk took three treats from his pocket. And simultaneously put one in each of the three mouths.
“Here, eat equally. Don’t fight.”
Then a miracle happened. The three heads, always growling and snapping at each other, received the treats simultaneously and became docile. Three tails (actually only one tail) wagged furiously.
“My goodness…”
Ma Dong-tak was speechless. Jin-hyuk winked at the camera.
“See? It’s not about needing magic or curse removal. It’s about needing ‘attention’ and ‘understanding’.”
“Our hospital treats the heart of the patient as well. Except for those Association bastards.”
Broadcast ended. The screen went dark, but the repercussions were nuclear.
That night, the Healers Association website was paralyzed due to traffic overload. Apollon Hospital’s customer service center phones were ringing off the hook.
“Hey! Cancel the contract right now! Penalty fee? Don’t make me laugh! Because of you, my kid is sick and can’t go to Director Kang Jin-hyuk!”
“I’m quitting the Association. I can’t stand the filth.”
“Get the hospital director out here!”
The hunters rose up. To them, their partner magical beasts were their lifeline and family. With the only doctor who could heal them refusing treatment, there was no way they would side with the Association that caused it.
Zeus Medical Tower, Director’s Office. Jin-hyuk looked down at the cityscape, pouring wine into a glass. His smartphone was constantly ringing with deposit notifications.
[Donation: 10,000,000 won]
[Donation: 50,000,000 won (Ares Guild Master Ma Dong-tak)]
“Public opinion campaign, success.”
Jin-hyuk smiled. The obstacles were cleared. Now, hunters would believe whatever Jin-hyuk said, even if he claimed soybeans would make red bean paste.
Then, an old photograph placed on the desk caught his eye. A photo of his wife, Yoo Yi-su.
“Are you watching? Your husband is starting to wield some power now.”
Jin-hyuk downed the wine in one gulp. Now he had money, fame, and even ‘power’ in his hands. Only one thing remained. Opening the door to where she was, the ‘Abyss.’
“Head Manager Park.”
“Yes, Director.”
“Post an announcement tomorrow. ‘Purchasing rare minerals and dungeon byproducts at high prices.’ Especially anyone who brings Dimensional Stones gets free treatment for life from me.”
“Dimensional Stones… you mean? Those are only found in the boss rooms of S-class dungeons.”
“That’s why I’m telling you to do it. It’s about time the rankers stretched their legs.”
Jin-hyuk’s eyes gleamed sharply. From now on, it was no longer a simple hospital game. It was time to form the ‘Jin-hyuk Avengers’ to save his wife
