89 - Murim Login

Chapter 89 "Son, eat slowly. You're going to get indigestion." "You should quit being a hunter and become a mukbang streamer." Under Mom's concerned watch and Hayeon's amazed remarks, we finished the meal. That was after five bowls of rice, a pot full of fermented soybean stew, and dozens of kimchi pancakes disappeared. "Whew, I'm finally full." "......You've got to be kidding. How much do you usually eat?" "If it's delicious, I can eat endlessly." I used to eat a lot, but not to this extent. However, now my metabolism and internal organs have improved beyond comparison, making me outshine many competitive food eaters. "Maybe I should really consider becoming a mukbang streamer." "Nah, let those folks make a living. Leave the competition among humans." "Are you saying I'm not human?" "Yep, you're more like a pig to me." Hayeon clicked her tongue and put down her spoon. Peeking into her bowl, I noticed it was still half-full. "If you waste food, you'll be punished." "You sound like an elderly person." "Don't you know Koreans run on rice? Eat up so the cold will go away faster." "I have no appetite. My head hurts too." "What about the hospital?" "I've been there. I took the prescribed medicine." I quietly observed Hayeon. Her face was flushed red, and beads of sweat were forming on her forehead. She must have tried to study after leaving early, but her fever seemed higher than before. 'The prescribed medicine doesn't seem to be working well.' Honestly, there's a simpler way to heal. Getting treatment from professional healers or drinking commercial potions. But due to the high costs, most ordinary people avoid this option. 'So impractical.' The reason I worked tirelessly was to ensure my family could live safely, without illness, and happily. Even though I understand why they hesitate to spend the money, it's hard not to feel frustrated. How expensive could one potion really be? 'Even just one round of energy circulation would make it better... Wait, could this actually work?' A thought suddenly struck me. "Let me see your hand for a moment." "Huh?" "I said, give me your hand." Hayeon looked at me up and down as if I was some rare specimen. "What is this situation? Why are you acting so weird?" "You just never listen to me." Gotcha. "We're siblings, you know that?" "Stop with the nonsense." I carefully gathered my internal energy. Slowly, very slowly, I directed a stream of energy through my hand into Hayeon's body. "Ah!" Hayeon exclaimed. She must have felt the foreign sensation of the energy. I worried the energy might scatter, but the refined True Internal Technique I had mastered obeyed my control even in another's body. 'This should be enough.' With the preliminary test over, it was time for the main test. This time, I sent the energy into Hayeon's energy center. Normally, it would have been as easy as breathing, but Hayeon's body was different. Her meridians were narrow, and they were clogged with accumulated waste. 'This might be challenging.' In both modern and martial worlds, I possessed a body far superior to ordinary people, but Hayeon was an average high school student. It was understandable, given the waste accumulated over 19 years. 'Still, I should try as much as I can.' I trusted in the stability of the True Internal Technique and my control. Just in case, I didn't forget to give Hayeon a heads-up. "It might hurt a bit, but just bear with it, okay?" "What are you doing?" "Consider it a very stable medical treatment." Mom, doing the dishes, widened her eyes. "Oh, oriental medicine? Son, you can do something like that?" "I just learned a bit." "That's great. Give it a try." Hayeon, on the other hand, seemed skeptical. "Why oriental medicine? I'm not really a fan." "Just trust me and endure it for a bit." "Mom, thanks for raising me. Sorry I can't repay you before I go." What the heck, this girl? I almost lost concentration. I don’t even sweat after running for an hour, but now I was feeling a bit hot. "I'm just kidding. Would I really do something bad to my only sister?" "Then keep quiet. Try not to move too much, even if it hurts." "Okay." I took a deep breath. Now I planned to thoroughly clean Hayeon's meridians. I was the cleaner, and the broom was 15 years of honed energy. "Ready?" "Yes, yes, teacher. But when do we start this?" "Right now." As I answered, I channeled the energy. Swoosh. A gentle yet powerful wave of energy swept through Hayeon's whole body, washing away the accumulated impurities inside her... "Hoo." "Whew." The two breaths released simultaneously had different meanings. Mine was relief, Hayeon's was refreshment. Ding. -[Energy Circulation] has been successfully completed. -[Internal Energy] slightly increases. As the system indicated, the energy circulation was completed successfully. The True Internal Technique is a method that accumulates energy slowly but with utmost stability. Despite the ample impurities, it ended without major issues. "O-oppa, what was that?" The natural use of "oppa" indicated Hayeon’s surprise. I wiped the sweat from my brow, tension still evident, and answered. "I told you. It's a stable oriental medicine treatment." "You were just holding my hand, how is that possible?" Could it be? It’s all thanks to your exceptional brother. I deftly switched the topic. "So, how do you feel?" "It hurt at first... but as time went on, it felt refreshing. My body's lighter now, my headache's gone. It's like..." Hayeon furrowed her brows, trying to encapsulate her feelings. "Like being reborn? It's like all the bad energies inside me got washed away. Ah, I don’t really know." That seems about right. Anyway, seeing her noticeably better complexion made it all worthwhile. I chuckled as I suggested, "Well then, go wash up." "Huh?" "What's with the 'yes'? Is your nose clogged? Seriously, go take a shower; the smell is unbearable." "I showered this morning. What kind of smell—ugh!" Realizing the stench emanating from his own body, Hayeon clamped his nose in a panic. 'It's a natural reaction.' Where else would the impurities in the body go? They're expelled from the body, through sweat or... Gurgle. Poof. Well, sometimes like that, too. But given the large amount of impurities, the smell was no joke. It was to the point where I had to wonder if he'd soiled himself. "Ugh." Covered in sweat and reacting to another strange signal from his stomach, Hayeon practically crawled to the bathroom, while Mom gaped in disbelief. "Oh my." "It works well, doesn't it?" "Indeed. When I was young, I visited an oriental medicine clinic a few times, but this is amazing." "It's because I learned well. If you ever consider going to a clinic, just come to me. You can even do it right now if you want." "Should I? Lately, my digestion has been—" Mom beamed and extended her hand just then. Brrrrr. Rumble. Rumble. She quietly withdrew her hand. "…Shall we wait until Hayeon is done?" "…Yes." Our house only has one bathroom. Ssshhh. As the sound of running water from the bathroom faded, Mom emerged with a refreshed look a while later. "How are you feeling?" "I feel like I'm ten years younger." It's no exaggeration. Hayeon, at nineteen, took over an hour to expel all the impurities from her body. Given Mom’s age, the accumulated impurities were considerable. The two-hour circulation session must have left her feeling incomparable to before. "Right? Just a while ago, I was feeling dizzy and had a headache, but now I’m perfectly fine. I even checked my temperature as soon as I came out of the bathroom, and it’s normal." Hayeon looked at me in amazement. Right after exiting the bathroom, she demolished two bowls of rice as if she never claimed to lack an appetite. "Where did you learn to do this? Are you a healer, oppa?" "I'm no healer. I just picked it up somewhere." "Which clinic did you learn it from? If it's close, I’d love to check it out." "…You shouldn’t go there." "Why? Is it full of scary men?" "The needles are a bit… extreme." She'd probably freak out if she knew those needles were daggers. I pushed away the prying Hayeon and slipped my hand into my pocket. 'Inventory open.' A transparent inventory window appeared with a familiar system alert. If it had been the martial realm, it would be loaded with spoils and various armaments won from defeating Jopil, but in this world, it’s reality. 'It would be nice if the inventories were integrated.' As I pondered this, it was unfortunate that the inventories were separate. Taking just a few high-grade potions to the martial realm would be like carrying spare lives. 'For now, I should be content with being able to recover through level-ups.' As I withdrew my hand from my pocket, two small bottles filled with red liquid rested in my palm. [Low-grade Potion] Type: Medicinal Grade: Third rate Effect: Restores the body upon consumption. Effect is minimal. Description: A liquid imbued with weak healing magic. Easily accessible on the market. These were items I received as raid supplies yesterday. I had no immediate use for them, so I left them in the inventory. 'I should return them, technically.' Even low-grade potions price over 200,000 won each, making them a pricey commodity. Employers as generous as Chief Choi, who hands them out readily, are hard to find. "Take one each." "Oh? It's a potion." "You didn't have to go as far as to get potions... I'm feeling fine already." "I'm suggesting them to avoid any side effects later. You'd end up spending more money otherwise." In reality, there's no side effect to the circulation technique. This was just for extra vitality. "Drink it quickly. You too, Hayeon." Seeing Mom hesitate, she finally consumed the potion, prompting Hayeon, who had been watching closely, to follow suit. Gulp. Gulp. "How is it?" Hayeon tilted her head slightly after the refreshing drink. "I feel a bit more energized, I think. But how would I know, having never tried a potion before?" "Mom’s not quite sure either." "The effects are noticeable if you take it when you're tired or unwell. I'll buy a box so you can have them as needed." "A box? How many come in a box?" "Fifty if you get a large one?" "At 200,000 won each, that's... ten million won? Are you crazy, oppa?" Stunned, Hayeon playfully smacked my arm. "Just because you earned some money, are you throwing it away? That three billion won will be gone in no time if you keep spending like that." "It's okay. I'm earning well these days." "I checked online, and they say when you become a C-rank hunter, you need to replace your gear. Costs in the billions come up easily." "I'm telling you, it's fine. I made four billion just yesterday." "With four billion, you’re living... Wait, how much did you say?" "Four billion." Hayeon froze in place for a moment. Staring blankly at me, she turned to Mom and said, "Mom, oppa said he made four billion." Mom nodded awkwardly, smiling. Once she did, Hayeon asked with a quavering voice. "Is it true?" "Yep." "Four billion?" "Indeed." A determined look settled in Hayeon's eyes. "Oppa, can I drop out of school?" Isn't there a saying that learning never ends?