The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family Chapter 2
“Hey, hey, exclusive news! Exclusive!!”
At the commotion of a colleague, the nurses who were in the middle of eating dinner become fixated.
“Don’t be shocked! It’s about the patient in Room 3. That patient who woke up a few days ago. Turns out they have memory loss!”
“Wow. This is insane.”
“Unbelievable! Unbelievable news!”
“Right? It’s no joke.”
While everyone was astonished, a new nurse, who still didn’t know anything, asked her senior with a bewildered look.
“Senior, isn’t Room 3 the VIP room? Who’s there?”
“Huh? You don’t know? It’s Park Ki-hyuk in there—the son of Optimum Agent’s chairman and the youngest child of the Sword Master family!”
“Ah!! Is this the patient with Mana Deficiency Syndrome? That patient?”
It’s a rare disease where the patient cannot absorb mana.
Since it was the first case ever discovered in the world, it once caused quite a stir. And what’s more, the patient was the son of the famous Optimum Agent chairman and the youngest child of the Sword Master family.
There was talk about “the fall of a genius” and Korea was in an uproar about it, so it would be more surprising if anyone didn’t know.
“But Senior, if he was admitted due to Mana Deficiency Syndrome, I would’ve definitely known.”
“You, Mi-yeon, really know nothing. The patient in Room 3 wasn’t admitted for Mana Deficiency Syndrome.”
“Then what was it?”
“Don’t be shocked.”
After her senior deliberately prolonged the suspense…
“He swallowed a magic gem!”
“…A magic gem?”
“He did!”
“Raw?”
“Completely raw!”
“This is absurd!!”
Magic gems are extracted from monsters.
Since unprocessed magic gems are contaminated with various energies, including the unique madness of monsters, they must be purified and processed before humans can use them.
“The even more absurd part is, he didn’t just do it once or twice—it was continuous consumption. How did it end? Boom! He exploded. When he was admitted to Room 3, he was likely unconscious.”
“Why? Why would he do such a foolish thing…?”
“Why do you think? Probably hoping it would cure his Mana Deficiency Syndrome.”
“Now that I think about it, he was labeled a genius who would surpass his father and older brother when he was young.”
“For a while, he was celebrated as a once-in-a-lifetime prodigy. They called him a body made by God’s mistake.”
“Ah? I remember! The media covered it extensively at the time. Thinking about it now, you can’t really trust the media, can you?”
“You’re right. You’re absolutely right.”
“Not necessarily, though.”
While the nurses chatted, a nurse who had been silently eating continued her thought.
“Did you see the patient in Room 3? He’s enormous. He looks inhumanly large.”
“Is he really that big, Senior?”
“Hmm, just at a glance, he’s probably over 2 meters tall. And his proportions… they’re impeccable. Even though he’s extremely thin, he looks like a model. He could’ve already been successful as a model if he hadn’t done anything dangerous like this. Honestly, it’s a body God made by mistake.”
“Wow…”
“I want to see him too.”
“Do you think that’s all there is? The patient in Room 3 is already walking.”
“…What?!”
“…Are you serious?”
“No, I’m joking, right? Senior, Patient Park Ki-hyuk was unconscious for six months. Are you saying he can walk after only a week?”
“I can’t believe it either. I’m still skeptical. But it’s the truth. Let’s check before it’s too late.”
“Senior! Senior!”
“We’ll come with you, Senior!”
“Try moving.”
Park Ki-hyuk moves.
“That’s right. Now try walking a little more.”
Park Ki-hyuk walks.
“Good job. That’s great. Can you take a slightly bigger step?”
Park Ki-hyuk takes cautious steps, concentrating his strength into his feet.
This body, which is so tall and thin and relies on a walker, is mine.
With each step I take, sweat drips down in droplets.
This body that belongs to Park Ki-hyuk is mine.
It’s my new vessel.
“Very good. Excellent today as well. Let’s rest for a bit.”
“Phew, thank you.”
When the rehabilitation therapist leaves the room, a woman who had been watching me through the transparent window approaches the therapist.
If I am Park Ki-hyuk, then the neatly dressed woman with well-combed hair must be Kim Yeon-hee.
The day my consciousness returned, she burst in, panting like she had run a marathon, tears streaming down her face. Since then, she has personally taken care of everything. This is undoubtedly my mother.
“I’m still getting used to it.”
A completely new world, a family I’ve never heard or seen before.
Despite my pondering about how to deal with this, what can I do?
How can I, who can’t even walk properly, hide from the realities of this situation? It’s not as bad as I thought being quietly cared for.
But even if I adjusted to the body, having memories would have made the situation easier. That’s not in my control either.
If any kind of spirit or essence had remained, I might’ve been able to extract some memories, but this body’s owner disappeared into nothingness before I could claim the body. I had to greet my mother—someone who was shedding endless tears—with zero knowledge.
Still, thank goodness I have some sense. Otherwise, I nearly asked her, “Who are you?”
Being dumbfounded like that, the doctors kindly provided a “memory loss” excuse.
Indeed, when you don’t know, remaining silent is best.
As my old saying goes, that’s not wrong.
What was unexpected was Kim Yeon-hee… no, Mother’s reaction.
When she learned that her son had lost his memory, she actually wore an expression of relief.
She said things like, “Good, Ki-hyuk. Let’s start anew by shaking off all the bad memories. I’ll help you,” while smiling.
“Bad memories”…
It didn’t take me long to realize there must be a story behind the original owner of this body.
“But.”
I don’t care.
Park Ki-hyuk is Park Ki-hyuk, and I am me.
Even if there’s a story or lingering regret, what does it matter?
The owner of this body now is me.
I’m not a fool to be shackled by an unknown past, nor am I idiot enough to miss the opportunity given to me by Heaven.
“You’d be foolish to hesitate and sit around with this talent given by God.”
Where else could you find a more embarrassing scenario?
I have to live stylishly, don’t you think?
I laughed and confidently rose my body.
…
…
Clatter!!
“Teacher! Ki-hyuk!!”
“Patient! Are you alright?!”
“H-Hey, can someone help me to my feet?”
I have to build this body first.
Returning to the hospital room, I caught my breath as my attending physician came to visit.
The two left the room to talk with the guardian outside. Through the window, I could see them talking.
But do you two know something? You can hear everything quite clearly.
I couldn’t help but listen, though it wasn’t out of choice. As soon as I came to, the first thing that shocked me was the bizarre sensitivity of this body.
“… As you can see, it seems the contaminated mana that had spread to the organs is completely gone. Furthermore, here…”
And without a doubt, while this body listens well, the sounds come naturally, not intentionally.
“… the recovery progress is way better than imagined. The motivation for rehabilitation is also excellent. However, regarding memory…”
“It’s fine.”
Mother, who usually bows in gratitude, cuts off the topic with a sharp word every time it comes to memory.
The doctor awkwardly smiles, seemingly regretting bringing up the subject.
Mother, you’re embarrassing, even for me. She throws a reassuring smile at the doctor who nervously checks from afar through the window. Her gentle smile somehow ends up twisting her features.
…So, is my smile weird?
“When do you plan to be discharged?”
“What does the doctor think?”
“Hmmm. The patient should stay in the hospital as long as possible to ensure full recovery, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Hmm… Different words from what you said earlier. You just mentioned that based on the chart alone, you could say there’s no problem, he’s normal.”
“Ah, ah! It’s just words. The chart and the actual condition are different, you see. Like today when the patient stumbled during rehabilitation. These are common things for patients who have been unconscious for a long time…”
The conversation drags on, but as usual, the end is similar.
After throwing a compliment about the miraculous physical condition of the body, they ask if a few tests can be performed.
And this pattern has been repeating for a while.
In response, Mother firmly changes the topic:
“I’ll think about it.”
The doctor twists and fidgets like a dog with urgent needs.
It’s amusing.
Sure enough, this body is special if they have to grovel like that just to draw a few drops of bl**d. Come to think of it, even I who dwell within this body am still shocked. How much more curious would they be?
Still, from my perspective, all their efforts will be in vain.
If my guess is correct, this body is not something that can be understood with mere drops of bl**d.
No matter how advanced the technology, it’s still human technology. And no matter how developed magic may be, it’s still human magic.
If my guess is right…
“This body is beyond the realm that humans can comprehend.”
And shortly after, Mother enters the room again, trying her best to appear composed, but her rigid expression cannot hide her tension.
I innocently ask:
“Why do you look so troubled? Are they asking for bl**d again?”
“No, they just came to talk about your condition. They said you’ve improved a lot, which surprised the doctors. I’m proud of you, son.”
“Mother.”
“Mom.”
“That’s right, Mom. What did you tell me before? We agreed not to lie to each other.”
At the word ‘lie,’ Mom hesitates for a moment and carefully begins:
“Phew… Sorry, son. You’re right. The doctors are continuing to ask for tests.”
“Just let them do it, Mom. I’m fine with it.”
“No, I don’t think it’s right. Treating other people’s precious children like lab subjects? The more they talk, the more I just get angry. Just let me be, let them look at my veins if they want. It’s ridiculous.”
“Mom, drink this water and calm down.”
After gulping down the water bottle in one breath, Mom decisively said:
“Son, we should transfer hospitals.”
To which I nodded:
“Let’s just check out.”
“Check out? Are you sure it’s okay?”
“Things are getting tiresome anyway.”
“But still, you can’t even walk properly yet…”
“Isn’t being able to walk alone enough?”
While my mom tilts her head in confusion at this sudden declaration of discharge, I smiled brightly at her.
Let’s wait for two days.
Two days to see if this body can walk on its own without support.
And two days later…
I walked out of the hospital entrance without any support.
*
Even after leaving the hospital, my strange behavior continued.
Day 3 after discharge:
I walked around the neighborhood alone. I did vomit at one point, but I completed the circuit.
Day 4 after discharge:
My dormant digestive system started functioning again. I started eating rice instead of gruel—delicious soybean paste stew.
Day 7 after discharge:
I jogged every morning at dawn. Gained 10 kilos in muscle mass. Although I look somewhat better, elementary students still called me a “dried fish.” How insulting.
Day 10 after discharge:
Added a midday workout. Another 5 kilos of muscle mass. Everyone was surprised when I visited the gym. Of course, their reactions weren’t positive.
Day 20 after discharge:
I was now able to exercise in the morning, afternoon, and night, eating 9 meals a day. My organs were all functioning normally, leading to explosive growth.
And today, exactly 30 days post-discharge…
The humiliating sight of a person who couldn’t even take a step on their own was gone. What stood in front of me was the “second coming of Xiang Yu.”
Everyone looks at me in astonishment.
Of course.
For the better.
“Wow… He’s really tall! Look at that height and those proportions!”
“Can you see his height? Tsks, you don’t understand yet. It’s not about the height—it’s about the legs! All I can see are the thighs. Look at that perfect split—what sculpture!”
“Isn’t he even getting tired? I get tired when I ride a bike.”
“Huff huff. I can’t even keep up with him. Is that even a human being?”
In addition, women argue whether I’m a model or an actor, while a group curses, claiming that my “important part”—well, it must be small, surely.
In different forms, it’s clear that I’m attracting attention.
After all, what can you say? Even I admit that I stick out.
First, my tall height naturally draws attention. Then the ideal proportions leave people in awe a second time. Finally, an unreal athletic ability leaves them amazed. They will ultimately conclude that I must be a superhuman.
Someone is claiming that I must be using mana.
Someone is arguing that the performance is impossible without mana.
Someone is boldly asserting I must undergo a gender transformation, sorry—a character transformation.
I’m sorry, but I’m afraid not.
Because right now, I…
haven’t used even a single drop of mana.
“Interesting, isn’t it?”
To be compared with a superhuman solely based on physical ability.
Compared to just 20 days ago, when I was likened to dried fish, zombies, and scarecrows, this is undoubtedly tremendous progress.
Having run for an additional hour, I sat on a bench, wiping my body with a towel.
Steam rises from my body.
Even after running at full power for two hours, I should be tired. But deep in my muscles, the small fibers cry out in unison, demanding to be used. It seems they won’t tire anytime soon.
I’m scared of myself these days.
“It’s been one month…”
One month since I opened my eyes in this world.
One month since I came into this confusing new body and acquired a new family.
Finally, I am certain.
“Of the identity of this body.”
