Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Bloodletting

[This is a Contagious Disease Patient. Do you wish to treat?]

[(Estimated MP cost 80)]

“Phew.”

I took a sigh of relief while taking off the mask.

Since I’ve never seen a dangerous state for green so far.

When day breaks the veterinarian and the owner will be greatly surprised. Because the cat’s condition improved a lot overnight.

I walked while hiding the mask in my arms.

“Ugh, cold.”

***

Animal hospital.

Kim Min-seong asked back in surprise.

“Is that··· really true, doctor?”

“Yes.”

The veterinarian carefully smiled.

“Kami improved a great deal overnight. It seems it tried hard wanting to return home quickly. Still just in case, it would be good to hospitalize one more day while watching the prognosis.”

“Thank you, really thank you···.”

Kim Min-seong bowed repeatedly.

To him Kami was family.

The first winter after starting to live alone upon getting a job in Seoul. After picking up the one crouching behind a trash bag trembling and bringing it home while drunk, they had been together ever since.

The cute furball that was always by his side whether hard or happy times.

Honestly when it caused accidents he got angry, and there were times it was annoying too···.

There were far more times he laughed because of Kami.

Then a few days ago.

When he saw Kami limp and drooping powerlessly after work, and traces of vomit and bloody diarrhea scattered here and there, it felt like the world was collapsing.

“Would you like to see Kami for a moment?”

“Yes···!”

He followed the veterinarian into the hospitalization room.

“Kami···.”

His throat choked while calling the name.

Even yesterday he heard that because the body had weakened too much, there was a possibility it wouldn’t overcome the illness no matter how treated.

That he might have to prepare his heart···.

Myaoww.

But unlike yesterday when Kami showed no reaction drooping, it looked straight at him and made a cute sound.

Tap tap.

It also lifted the front paw connected to the IV and scratched the door.

“······!”

Kim Min-seong collapsed right there.

The tears he had been holding back burst out.

‘God, Buddha. Really thank you···.’

The next day.

The veterinarian rubbed both eyes and reconfirmed Kami’s test results.

‘Is this··· possible? Recovering this fast?’

It was a recovery speed that could only be seen as a miracle numerically.

Could an error have occurred.

But Kami really became healthy. It drank water well on its own, and the bowel condition also improved a lot.

“Doctor, Kami’s guardian has arrived.”

The veterinarian only took their eyes off the test result paper after the staff called.

“Yes. Kami, please prepare for discharge.”

Kami was soon held in Kim Min-seong’s arms in the examination room, then quickly entered the cage going home.

“Really thank you. Thank you, doctor.”

“The guardian also worked hard. Please go carefully. Kami, even after going home take good care of your body···.”

Mraaaow!

Kami threw a tantrum as if never coming again.

“The voice has become vigorous too.”

The veterinarian came out to the lobby smiling to see them off.

“Then I’ll be going. Thank you.”

Kim Min-seong headed to the door while bowing repeatedly to the end. Also toward Kang Bong-sik fiddling with the displayed dog toys.

Kim Min-seong getting farther while tightly holding the cage containing Kami like a treasure jar.

Kang Bong-sik gently smiled, then took the chosen toy and went to the counter.

“Please calculate this.”

Thinking it was good that he secretly came and treated even at dawn today.

‘I should often walk near the animal hospital from now on too.’

Meanwhile at that time.

A free meal service operated by a church.

“Cough, cough!”

Homeless person Mr. Jang stood in line coughing with his companions. Several people in front also coughed.

“Seems the flu is already circulating.”

“Because the weather got cold.”

“There. Cough, cough! By any chance, cough, kuhak, ptoo.”

Another shabby homeless person approached ignoring the line.

“Hey, don’t cut in line. Want to get kicked out?”

“Not doing it, cutting in. Just ask one···. Cough, cough!”

“What.”

“Ahem! Have you guys by any chance seen a guy walking around in pitch-black clothes, wearing a weird bird mask?”

“Ah.”

Mr. Jang acted like he knew.

“The guy who went around writing ‘I will defeat bad illnesses’ on a sketchbook?”

“Yeah yeah, that’s him! When did you see that guy?”

“It’s been a while? Was it mid-October?”

“Hmm? A guy I know also said he saw such a guy in the park around then. Said he only shook hands and left.”

The homeless person who coughed hard in the meantime swallowed spit.

“That guy who shook hands, by any chance didn’t he say something like a cold got better after meeting that weird guy?”

“Well? I don’t really know.”

“Things like the face. Didn’t see it?”

“They said he just shook hands and left in a flash?”

“Why are you looking for that guy?”

“No, I heard a weird rumor.”

“What kind of story are you telling like that?”

A woman in a suit interjected.

The homeless person hesitated for a moment then turned his body.

“Nothing.”

And headed to the end of the line.

“By any chance it’s not a bad··· story, right?”

Mr. Jang waved his hand. It was a face he was seeing for the first time, but the neatly dressed appearance seemed like a church related person.

“Not at all. There was a guy who walked around the park in a weird disguise before. We were talking about that guy.”

“Weird disguise?”

“Yeah. A guy wearing a pitch-black hat and pitch-black coat, wearing a mask with a bird beak, and what he did was funny.”

The woman tilted her head.

‘Bird beak mask? If it’s that kind of outfit··· plague doctor?’

“Secretary Lee.”

The pastor of the church operating the free meal service approached.

“Please be sure to convey to the representative that we’re really grateful for the food donation this time too.”

Secretary Lee also smiled.

“Yes. I’ll be sure to convey it.”

***

A house with only Arong and me.

I was sprawled on the sofa playing a phone game.

News was on the TV.

[The flu is raging nationwide.]

“Arong, they say the flu is raging. How much experience would that give?”

Arong tilted his head.

The wall calendar had somehow become November.

‘Plague Doctor’ level also rose to 6.

‘Plague Treatment’ skill proficiency hit 34.

Every time I used it MP decreased rapidly and the recovery speed was extremely slow, so lately the fun and interest of leveling up was cooling.

I gained the ability to treat sick people and animals, right?

Good deed! Nice deed!

Yay, rewarding!

I’m not that kind of personality.

“If the goal and reward are vague motivation doesn’t come.”

Moreover this level system.

Truly outrageous.

When I dug through the system logs and calculated the experience, it was pure gangster stuff.

Does it make sense that the moment you level up excess experience disappears and returns to 0%? Huh?

Thinking about it this power itself is a broken ability but···.

Ding.

-[What are you doing these days]

University classmate Park Jae-yoon sent a message.

-[No thoughts of part-time?]

[What part-time?]

When I answered a call came immediately.

-[My parents run a restaurant. But the employees caught the flu so it’s an emergency. Help out a bit.]

With my legs on the sofa armrest I wiggled my toes.

“It’s annoying.”

-[Please! Hey! I’ll give a high hourly wage too, and later I’ll···. Uh, I’ll introduce a really pretty girl!]

I raised my body.

“What’s the restaurant name, friend?”

Park Jae-yoon’s family restaurant was a fairly large sashimi place.

“Really thank you for coming. Have you done restaurant work before?”

“Yes. Before enlisting I briefly did a part-time at a meat restaurant. I also have a health certificate.”

Even right after being discharged, not knowing when I might do a part-time I had issued a health certificate.

Beside me Park Jae-yoon nodded.

“As expected a prepared talent.”

“When will you keep the promise?”

“Next weekend.”

“Call.”

The work given to me was hall serving.

When customers come guide seats, bring water, take orders, carry food, organize dishes.

“Please go safely!”

“Student Bong-sik, your greeting is also refreshing and good. If it’s okay don’t you think of continuing to work?”

Somehow break time.

I smiled and answered.

“Mother. Being sick is already sad, think of a stone that rolled in briefly taking your seat. How disappointed the employees would be.”

“You speak well too. Our son is so blunt, I wish he would learn a bit from watching.”

“Park Jae-yoon is··· blunt?”

“Huh?”

They say even parents don’t know everything about their children.

I’ve seen that guy get drunk and act like a clown in front of women more than once or twice.

“Kang Bong-sik.”

Park Jae-yoon gestured from the kitchen.

“Have you ever sliced sashimi?”

“No way.”

“I’ll show you.”

“Oh.”

I entered the kitchen.

Park Jae-yoon’s father crossed his arms.

“Yeah, try doing it from start to finish once.”

“Yes.”

On the cutting board a flatfish just taken from the tank was flapping.

Park Jae-yoon solemnly held the knife. As if not the first or second time, he started processing without hesitation.

“······.”

When I saw the flatfish head get cut off, and blood spreading along with the guts coming out I flinched without realizing, but didn’t take my eyes off.

Watching the shape gradually changing.

Looks delicious.

“Now just slicing it nicely to eat is the end. Kang Bong-sik, do you want to slice what you’ll eat?”

“Is that okay?”

“Anyway this is your dinner. I’ll make you a rice bowl.”

Somehow Park Jae-yoon’s father took off his apron and went out to the hall.

I received the knife from Park Jae-yoon.

“Then even if I slice it thick···.”

[System]

-Equipped a knife.

-Can use skill ‘Bloodletting’.

Red circle marks appeared all over Park Jae-yoon’s body.

“······.”

“What are you looking at like that. Don’t tell me you’re going to stab me?”

“No···.”

Cold sweat flowed down my back.

I put the knife down on the cutting board.

The circles that had been marked all over Park Jae-yoon’s body disappeared.

“Just you slice it. I’m not good at knife work.”

“Yeah.”

Bloodletting was a skill I had consistently ignored ever since awakening as a ‘Plague Doctor’.

Because it literally means drawing blood.

But for the activation condition of this skill to be holding a knife.

Moreover the marks that appeared on Park Jae-yoon just now.

All were vital points of the body.

They said the plague doctor’s bloodletting is a quack technique that kills people rather than saving them.

In this ‘system’ it’s an attack-type skill.

I don’t know if it’s a skill that simply informs vital points, or if muttering to activate makes me move like a game character without realizing.

I don’t even want to experiment.

What on earth is happening on Earth 1328 years later for there to be such a vicious skill.

“Kang Bong-sik, don’t just stand blankly take out a bowl over there and scoop some rice.”

“Yeah.”

***

I helped Park Jae-yoon’s parents’ restaurant for a week and received part-time pay more than the hourly wage.

“It would be good if you do weekend part-time too.”

Following Park Jae-yoon’s mother who was regretful, Park Jae-yoon’s father patted my shoulder.

“Come even for a family outing meal. I’ll give a lot of service.”

“Yes! Thank you for everything! I’ll come again!”

Park Jae-yoon followed to the parking lot.

“Keep the appointment time well tomorrow. That girl really hates people who don’t keep appointments.”

“Is she really pretty?”

Tomorrow, I was going to get introduced to a girl by Park Jae-yoon.

“Yeah.”

“But why don’t you show a photo. At least SNS···.”

“What kind of world is it these days to inform personal information first?”

“Am I an untrustworthy guy?”

“Then why don’t you trust me. I said she’s really pretty?”

“If she’s really pretty you’d meet her yourself, it’s suspicious why you’re introducing her to me.”

Park Jae-yoon closed his mouth.

“······.”

“What? Is there some problem?”

“That, actually···.”

Park Jae-yoon hesitated then answered.

“She’s my cousin.”

“What?”

“She’s a high school student, but pretty. She said she wants to meet a university student···.”

“Are you crazy, bastard?”

Outrageous.

“Park Jae-yoon, repeat after me. A properly sane adult.”

“···A properly sane adult.”

“Does not meet minors.”

“Minor···. Hey, she said she wants to meet a university student first, huh? At least you’re a decent guy so···.”

“Get lost, bastard.”

Looking at him smiling slyly, he must have expected in advance that I would refuse after hearing the age.

I got in the car and started the engine.

Knock knock.

Park Jae-yoon knocked on the window.

“I’ll buy drinks next time.”

“Got it, man.”

This shit.

I even bought new clothes to wear for the blind date tomorrow.

Park Jae-yoon that bastard.

I didn’t say this because it might look like I don’t have any.

© TofuSpirit#1bejl