Chapter 4

004 – <Press the Pressure Points and They Can't Move>

“You’re awake.”

“Ah.”

I replied with a short answer. A woman holding a lantern was looking at me. She was a healer with striking blue hair.

“You were unconscious for three whole days, which had us quite worried.”

“Sleep, wha-, three days?”

“Yes.”

I recalled my last memory of being knocked out after receiving a powerful slap from Elpride. I thought it was an unusual slap, but to be unconscious for three whole days…

She truly was a terrifying woman who defied common sense.

She must have slapped me with the intent to k*ll. At the thought, my jaw and cheek still felt numb.

“Your nose was bleeding quite a lot. Please wait a moment.”

The blue-haired woman walked off somewhere and soon returned, handing me a set of pristine white undergarments similar to those used in hot springs.

“Give me your dirty clothes. I’ll have to wash them.”

She was an unexpectedly kind woman, unlike the people in this world of barbarism and superstition. Healers generally give off this kind of vibe.

It’s hard to imagine someone who isn’t inherently good taking care of and treating the wounded.

Of course, they do charge a hefty amount.

Still, the kindness I had only faced through disdain and violence felt as though it was seeping into me like water into a sponge, leaving me utterly bewildered.

“Here, here you go.”

“Well, then, please rest well. It’s nighttime after all. Ah, and Elpride said she would come back in about five days.”

“Gee-HAAAK-!”

“Yes? What does ‘Gee-HAAK’ mean? Is it ‘Gee-HAAK’?”

“Ah, no, it’s nothing. The sound of surprise at the thought of seeing her again… It’s a kind of exclamation used by Samaritans.”

“Ah…”

The name ‘Elpride’ had now become a complete trauma for me. My body was trembling just from hearing it from someone else’s lips.

My body clearly remembered the lethal slap she once delivered. If hearing her name alone can do this to me, I wonder what might happen if I were to face her in person.

I might lose control and wet myself.

While I was engulfed in fear, the blue-haired healer spoke up.

“Miss Elpride is a wonderful person, you know. She has an excellent record as an adventurer and donates generously to our clinic. She’s truly a kind person.”

What is this? Is she describing a completely different person than the Elpride I know?

It’s questionable whether words like ‘good’ or ‘kind’ can describe her. Despite those thoughts, before I could say or think anything, the blue-haired healer added a few more words.

“I’ve never seen someone bring slaves to the clinic for treatment. It’s nice to have such a kind owner.”

It was difficult to tell if this woman was teasing me or genuinely speaking her mind.

The gratitude I had felt towards her kindness evaporated instantly, melting away like snow in the sun.

“Yes, well, that’s that.”

“Oh my, look at me blabbering. It’s getting long-winded at a time when everyone else is asleep.”

Finally realizing her mistake, the woman slouched her shoulders. As her voice quieted, the sounds of people snoring or groaning in pain filled the room.

“If you suddenly feel any pain or need anything, please let me know. I don’t sleep much, so I patrol the clinic every night and early morning.”

As the blue-haired healer muttered quietly, I finally took a closer look at her face illuminated by the lantern.

Her claim about sleeping little seemed true, as I could see slight dark circles under her eyes.

I spoke to her.

“There’s actually something I need…”

“Yes? What is it?”

“I’m looking for a job. Is there anything I can do here until Elpride comes back? I’d also like to receive some form of compensation, if possible…”

Given my need to save up money for my freedom again, there was nothing I wouldn’t do. Thus, I couldn’t remain still for a single moment, growing more and more anxious.

“Hmm…”

The healer murmured in thought, making various sounds like “hmm, ah, hmm,” before finally smacking her tongue and saying,

“There was a need for some help, but are you sure you’re up for it in your condition?”

“I’m fine.”

I checked my body here and there, twirling and flexing different parts.

The excruciating headache and nosebleed had subsided, and the various throbbing and aching parts of my body had calmed down as well. Indeed, my condition was in perfect health. And when I felt this good, it was time to start moving my body to make some money.

“You’re in good condition.”

“Well, there is a fair bit of physical work involved. I could use some help.”

*

“Uuuuugh-!”

I screamed in pain as someone grabbed my hair tightly. This person, a wounded adventurer, was in extreme agony and holding onto my head.

“It hurts! My body is breaking! Hey, you bastards, let go! Let me go, I said!”

“Hassan! Keep him still!”

The blue-haired female healer, Finley, shouted at me.

I prepared myself to have a circular imprint on my scalp and had to forcefully press the adventurer’s body and shoulders into the bed to keep him immobile.

“It’s done!”

“Hold him still! Cure-!”

As a hurried incantation was chanted by the blue-haired Finley, the adventurer let out a piercing scream.

“Uuughgh, ggh-!”

The large gash from his stomach up to his chest, which had been carved out, was now glowing strangely and healing before my eyes at an astonishing speed.

Healing magic.

This extremely rare spell, usable by only a select few, was indeed a sight rare to behold. The concept of magic, truly beyond comprehension, was the only way to describe it. Watching it made my heart race as it was indeed a fraudulent yet extraordinary feat.

Still, it seemed that the process of healing itself was very painful, as the middle-aged adventurer, squirming under my restraint, flailed about like a fish pulled out of water and screamed in anguish.

“Ah! Goddamn it! I’m dying!”

“You’re not dying, Mister Velos. We’re healing you! Please stay still, stay still!”

“They’re trying to k*ll me! Let go! Let go of me! This isn’t healing! You quacks!”

After all the commotion, the entire ordeal was finally over. I understood now why she had mentioned earlier the need for physical labor.

“Phew, that was tough, huh.”

After successfully treating the D-ranked adventurer Velos, Finley approached me. Her face was soaked with sweat, and her strange blue hair was damp and sticking out everywhere.

Despite this, she looked quite good. She had an inherently pretty face, and as a hardworking woman who sweated through her labor, she fit well within my preference for women.

Her soaked white healer’s attire, and the way her chest moved up and down, seemed rather alluring, making me turn my gaze away to avoid feeling uncomfortable.

“Heheh, I must look terrible, huh? My makeup’s all smudged…”

“Not at all, you look better than me.”

Indeed, my own condition was far worse. Looking at a mirror in the corner of the clinic, I saw my hair pulled this way and that, my unkempt beard growing unruly, and an overall destitute appearance.

I was, after all, truly a penniless vagrant.

“So, it’s almost noon. Once we take care of the customers this afternoon, our day will be over. It’ll pass quickly; we’ve been extremely busy.”

Finley sighed deeply. I asked her,

“Is it like this every day?”

“Yes, does it get this busy every day?”

“Today’s been relatively slow. When the underground ruins were first opened, it was so hectic I thought I’d d*e.”

Finley wiped her sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. That’s when I noticed a trickle of bl**d running down her right wrist.

“Hey, you’re bleeding.”

“Huh? It’s real? I guess I got scratched by a fingernail earlier. Dealing with thrashing patients like that, these kinds of scratches are nothing new.”

Unfazed, Finley lightly licked her own wound with her tongue.

While she tirelessly treated others’ wounds, even enduring physical pain for the cause, she was so nonchalant about her own that it was somewhat ironic. For some reason, it gave her an air that stirred something in a man’s heart.

Hence, I extended my hand towards her wrist.

“Let me see.”

“Eh?”

“It might get infected. I’ll bandage it for you.”

“Aww, it’s not that big a deal…”

Though clearly embarrassed, Finley still extended her wrist towards me.

Having dealt with around ten patients together just that morning, a strange camaraderie had formed between us.

I wish Elpride were at least half as understanding as Finley is.

Swoosh.

As her wrist was extended towards me, I furrowed my brows, seeing a long scratch mark. As I reached out my hand to touch it, the following words appeared:

Ding!

‘Name: Finley, Level 4

Condition: Insomnia, Ankle Sprain, o*al Inflammation.’

What is this?

Although I didn’t shout in surprise, it was because I had seen similar phenomena appear a few times already, and had developed some restraint.

It was the same with Elpride, and the same with Finley.

Why did these words appear before my eyes? What could be the reason?

In Elpride’s case, there were additional texts and numbers, including her health and quirks.

In Finley’s case, it was simple with just her name and conditions.

“Is there a problem?”

Finley noticed that I was furrowing my brows and asked cautiously.

“Nothing serious, but do you sometimes experience ankle pain?”

“Ah, yes. My left ankle hurts a little…”

“Do you also have any o*al inflammation?”

“That’s right! How did you know? Did I mention that to you? How could you figure it out?”

I neatly wrapped her wrist with a clean bandage and adhered a bandage to fix it in place. Once I removed my hand from her wrist, the words floating before my eyes disappeared.

What is this?

Although I don’t know what exactly it is, the ability to perceive someone else’s information is surely a strange power.

As the morning passed and afternoon approached, a flood of patients began arriving at the clinic.

Because the three healers including Finley were so preoccupied with the large number of injured people that they couldn’t handle them all.

This was, after all, a savage world where laws and manners were mere jokes. People in this world would stab each other in the stomach for the slightest eye contact.

It would be more surprising if there were fewer wounded.

Ding!

‘Name: Beneris, Level 5

Condition: Habitual dislocation, Back Pain, Nasal Allergies’

However, such an environment was quite advantageous for me, with these strange new abilities.

I had discovered that placing my hand on someone’s wrist could make these mysterious words appear.

It felt like I was an ancient sage doctor from period dramas determining illness through examining the pulse at the wrist.

“Beneris, lie down on your stomach here. Oh, your pelvis is really out of alignment. Do you often sit with your legs crossed?”

“Eh? How did you know that?”

“Look, your legs are uneven. One side is rotated, meaning your pelvis is misaligned. Adjusting it will help.”

Crack.

“Hey, you motherfucker! Ugh!”

Crack. Crack.

“Uh…uh…”

Every time I pressed into the man’s pelvic, lower back, and spine with the palm of my hand, it resounded throughout the clinic like a massive earthquake.

This is called Chiropractic or Manipulative Therapy and falls under alternative medicine.

Of course, I had no formal certification or extensive expertise. My knowledge was just a basic understanding picked up by watching my father helping others. However,

‘Beneris’s back pain’ has been cured.

’Quest Value +10’

Just that fact alone caused my quest value to increase, so it was a win-win situation for me.

Even though I don’t know what exactly is good about this quest value going up, it can’t hurt, right?

“Alright, you’re done. Try standing.”

“Oh, d*mn! My back doesn’t hurt anymore! What the hell is this? So cool!”

The middle-aged man, who had complaints of chronic back pain, stood up and spun his back around.

“It used to hurt with every movement. What the hell magic is this? The healers here couldn’t fix it with their spells?”

“I just adjusted what was misaligned. However, if your posture is unstable, the issue could recur, so you need to be careful.”

“d*mn, you’re amazing. This is so cool. My back works now. Even that popping sound felt good.”

“You shouldn’t try this carelessly. You could damage nerves and become paralyzed.”

At the mention of paralysis, the man’s face darkened. However, I wasn’t exaggerating; there certainly were cases where improper treatment had led to d*ath or paralysis.

“Sounds like some secret Samaritan art?”

At the man’s question, the image of a dark-haired savage came to my mind. They were insane prophets wandering across vast wildernesses, prophesying the apocalypse.

“About the same.”

Back home, the alternative medicine similar to traditional Korean medicine or bone setting would be regarded as a strange method, but perhaps it could be called a secret art.

“Anyway, thank you, really. Extremely grateful. I feel great that this pain, tied up for years, has gone away. Here, take this.”

The thin-looking middle-aged man took out a coin from his pocket and handed it to me.

Thinking it might be a copper penny meant for snacks, I blinked in wonder when I saw a bright silver coin.

1 Silver!

I couldn’t help but widen my eyes at the dazzling shine.

[Author’s Note] I can release up to 4 chapters a day until chapter 20!