Han Dae Sung Returned From Hell - Chapter 5
# 5
005
hellish system or pop-up window.
The square border with the text was blazing with fire.
Daesung looked at the hologram floating in the air with confused eyes.
“Hey… Mr. Han Dae-seong? “Is there anything that makes you uncomfortable?”
“No, this.”
Daeseong answered the doctor who asked with concern and pointed to the status window with his finger.
The doctor turned his head to the point where his fingertips were pointing.
But the doctor could see nothing.
The ceiling in the corner of the rehabilitation treatment room could only be seen in the distance.
“Why is the ceiling suddenly…?”
“….”
It seemed like he didn’t know what he was talking about.
‘It seems the status window is only visible to the eye.’
Since the demon beasts couldn’t speak, I was always wondering if they could even see the status window.
But through the doctor’s reaction, I was now certain.
The status window can only be viewed by the user.
‘That aside. Why is this appearing now?’
I already tried to summon the status window several times yesterday and the day before yesterday to check.
Normally, it was possible to summon it through ‘thought’, but when there was no response, I tried using voice just in case.
However, after seeing no response, Daesung realized that the system in hell does not apply on Earth.
But now that realization has hit me hard.
‘What is Advent Quest?’
Moreover, the contents of the system were also extremely unfamiliar.
What is advent and what is quest?
The form and type of system has always been simple.
Level Various status values Skill list List of currently owned items Experience points. This is it.
There was no such thing as a quest.
It was then.
A timer began to be created right next to the status window.
[You have 10 seconds to decide whether to accept or not. If there is no response, the quest is automatically rejected.]
[10 9 8…]
Daesung’s judgment was slightly clouded because of the status window that popped up without his knowledge.
However, even as the number on the timer was mercilessly decreasing, his mind was already leaning towards ‘acceptance’.
A status window suddenly appears.
Moreover, this is my first time seeing it.
But the doubt was short-lived.
‘I don’t know what it is, but it’s a status window. There’s nothing bad about it.’
It can be seen as ‘trust’ that has been gradually built up over 80 years.
He, who had not yet shaken off complete distrust even in his attending physician, had infinite faith in Sang Sang-chang.
The reason is simple.
Because Sang Tae-chang never told a lie for 80 years.
When the status window announces that he has leveled up, he has actually become stronger through leveling up.
If the status window showed a danger signal, he was actually in danger.
In short, Sang Tae-chang became his only ‘ally’ while he was going through hell.
It is no exaggeration to say that it is a lamp that illuminates the pitch-black darkness.
Sometimes, I calmly tell the truth without the fat.
Sometimes, they even provided helpful information.
So, it was a bit confusing, but also reassuring, to suddenly appear like this.
‘I don’t know what it is, but the fact that the system is asking whether I accept it means that at least it won’t harm me.’
Daesung decided to accept.
He already knew how to accept the system’s suggestions.
All you have to do is focus your gaze on the answer you want, either yes or no, and blink your eyes twice.
Daesung did just that.
Blink blink.
[You have accepted the quest.]
Soon, the letters in the holographic message became blurred and began to rearrange, and a new sentence emerged again.
—–
Advent Quest-1 (In Progress)
‘Body Restoration.’
Difficulty: Lowest
Content: Go to the marked target point.
Time limit: 1 hour
Goal: Move to the marked point
Reward: Elixir of recovery for the absolute < small×1 >
Materialization: Jade body + 10%
—–
First, the content, and then the reward caught my eye.
The word ‘recovery’ made Daesung’s heart pound.
What he needed most now was for his body to return to normal.
And the final realization.
The meaning of other things could be inferred just from the terminology, but I had no clue about this part.
Okche Plus 10%. And implementation.
If you interpret it intuitively, it means that it embodies about 10% of the Okche…
‘Why Okche?’
The expression ‘okche’ is mainly used to refer to the body of an emperor or monarch.
I couldn’t tell whether the object of that expression was myself or if I was embodying someone else.
‘no. Now is not the time to worry about this.’
Daesung, who was reasoning about the meaning of embodiment, shook his head.
The system only provided directions and did not explain everything in a friendly manner.
But it doesn’t matter. Even though I didn’t know it at first, I was able to naturally understand its meaning as time passed.
The same goes for the Advent Quest that appears before my eyes.
For now, the most important thing is to complete the quest to obtain the elixir of recovery.
‘If it is the marked target point…’
It was at that time when Daesung was looking around the inside of the treatment room.
Suddenly, blue arrows elongated from the tips of his slippers and became a single line.
The line passed the doctor across from him and stopped at the end of the parallel bars.
And- tiring tiring!
A ▼-shaped mark was formed at the end of the line, as if indicating that this was the destination.
‘I guess that’s the target point.’
It was exactly where the parallel bars ended.
The distance is about 4m based on Daeseong, which is located in the middle of the parallel bars.
Can you do it?
‘Even if you can’t do it, you have to do it.’
For him, whose limit is to move only three steps, 4 meters is a distance equivalent to a long march across the country.
Even at this moment, my legs felt as weak as a deflated balloon.
However, when he thought that it would be difficult for him to just walk after defeating the demon god and surviving hell alone, he felt jealous.
If that elixir of recovery can calm this anger and calm the anxiety symptoms…
‘It’s worth the challenge.’
Thinking like that, Daesung grabbed the parallel bars and lifted himself up from his slump.
“Ha, Han Dae-seong?”
The attending physician was embarrassed.
“There’s no way you’re going to continue…”
“Get out of the way.”
“That’s enough for today. “I understand that you’re anxious, but you have to do it tomorrow-”
“Get out of the way.”
“….”
It was a look in his eyes that would not be broken no matter how many times he persuaded and tried to dissuade him.
This is not the first time I see a patient filled with this kind of evil.
The attending doctor nodded at Daesung’s words to get out of the way and went out of the parallel bars.
Once this happens, the patient has no choice but to realize it on their own.
No matter what you do, it won’t work.
It is cheaper to suffer and regret yourself than to say a hundred words.
The attending doctor crossed his arms as if to give it a try.
‘If my legs can’t move, I can crawl.’
Daeseong stared at the target point as if he were looking at a Cheolcheonji enemy.
Even while I was standing still and thinking like this, my legs were shaking like aspen trees.
“Sigh…!”
Daesung gritted his teeth and advanced toward the target.
1 step… 2 steps…
slowly.
***
“Fuck.”
Five steps was the limit.
It can be seen as a huge step forward, twice as much as just before when I walked and stretched three steps.
But it took over 30 minutes to move these five steps.
It’s such a frustrating speed that I wonder if even a sloth with arthritis would be faster than this.
If we can continue at this pace, it is not impossible to reach our goal.
One problem was that there was a time limit on the quest.
Daesung stretched out his arms and glanced at the status window.
[Time Limit: 00:27:46]
27 minutes remaining.
I wondered how much time had passed, but 33 minutes had already passed.
What’s even more frustrating is that even if you add up these five steps, the total distance is 1m, even if you put it generously.
The remaining distance to the target point is well over 3m.
Seeing that my body was already losing strength, my future was truly bleak.
The attending physician laughed to himself.
‘it serves him right. ‘I ended up like that because I didn’t listen to the doctor.’
The doctor approached Daesung, who was sprawled out on the floor, with a worried expression on his face.
“Thank you for your effort. Now, go back to the hospital room and have dinner.”
“Close up.”
“yes? I don’t really have any questions to ask…”
“No. “Please shut your mouth.”
“….”
“Think about it.”
Daesung gasped and looked up at the ceiling.
‘You damn bastard. Even if it weren’t for the patient, wow…!’
The doctor gritted his teeth quietly.
Daesung paid no heed to the doctor’s anger and was anxiously lost in thought.
‘It’s not a problem that can be overcome with grit. It is impossible to achieve this goal in the remaining time.’
He calmly assessed the situation.
Overcome the impossible with the power of grit. He painfully knew how absurd and delusional these theories were.
You can’t do anything that can’t be done.
That’s reality.
However, I couldn’t give up on the reward that was right in front of me.
If this method doesn’t work, just replace it with that method.
‘The question is, what method is that?…’
There must be at least one sharp number.
Daesung calmly took a deep breath and read the contents of the quest once.
[Move to the marked target point.]
This is just a guess, but it didn’t seem like the system would necessarily give an impossible mission.
The system has always been transformed according to the current state of Daesung.
So isn’t this ‘quest’ the same thing?
Should we give Daesung a mission to walk to the end of the parallel bars even though he knows that walking is too much for him?
At that time, this thought suddenly occurred to me.
‘What happens if I don’t arrive within the time limit?’
As soon as Daesung could ask such a question, Sangtae Chang gave an answer.
[A penalty will be added if the quest fails. The level of the penalty is proportional to the difficulty of the quest.]
[Due to the nature of the Advent Quest, no penalty is added, but no compensation is paid.]
‘That’s it. Damn you.’
The fact that no compensation is given to Daesung now is a painful penalty in itself.
It was a status window system that had served him well for 80 years.
Could it be that this is just a ploy to screw him over?
Asking a patient who has difficulty walking to walk 4 meters is in itself a vicious message –
‘No, wait a minute.’
Suddenly he felt a sense of discomfort.
What is it? What is this?
Daesung suddenly realized that he was mistaken.
Daesung reread the quest, pondering what the clues to the illusion were.
[Move to the marked target point.]
“Ah.”
And one word struck Daesung’s mind like a thunderbolt.
It is not about ‘walking’ to the
‘moving’ goal point.
‘Move’ to the target point.
That means….
‘All you need is the result of hitting the target point.’
Nowhere in the content was there a sentence about walking to the goal point.
Even though it bothers me that the title of the quest is ‘Taking Baby Steps’, a title is a title after all.
What is important is the content.
‘I can’t believe you’re noticing this now.’
It’s a moment when I feel stupid, even though 80 years have passed.
It was impossible to walk there anyway, so it was worth a try at least once.
Even at this moment, the time limit timer is rapidly decreasing.
“Doctor.”
“Oh yeah. “Can I get you a wheelchair?”
“I have a favor to ask.”
“yes. “Is it a wheelchair?”
“Pick me up.”
“…?”
The doctor could not believe his ears.
“Well… if you’re going back to the hospital room, wouldn’t it be better to just go in a wheelchair because it’s easier for the patient and less difficult for me?”
“You’re not going back to the hospital room. And it’s a waste of time to bring a wheelchair.”
“What on earth do you mean?”
“Hold me on your back first.”
“….”
The doctor was so dumbfounded that he wasn’t even angry.
For now, he carried Daesung on his back as the patient told him to.
Like most sick patients, my body was thin and not heavy.
However, apart from the heavy feeling, a sense of self-destruction swept over me like a wave.
‘To do this, I studied until I was bloody…’
Of course, Daesung had no business knowing how the doctor felt.
He, riding on the doctor’s back, spoke in a serious voice.
“From now on, walk forward until I tell you to stop.”
“…yes.”
The doctor walked forward, swallowing down the irritation and anger that was creeping up.
Did it take about 5 seconds?
As soon as the doctor steps on the end goal of the parallel bars.
Bam-!
[The Absolute One has met the clear conditions!]
[The quest has been completed and the materialization work is progressing!]
[Current materialization rate: Jade body 10%]
—–
Advent Quest-1 (Completed)
‘Body restoration.’
Difficulty: Lowest
Content: Go to the marked target point.
Time limit: 1 hour
Goal: Move to the marked point
Reward: Elixir of recovery for the absolute < small >
Materialization: Jade body + 10%
—–
A fanfare sound briefly rang in my head.
“Stop walking. stop.”
“Yes…”
And after a delay of about 3 seconds, a new notification window appeared. [
Reward
‘Elixir of Recovery for
the
Absolute < small >
It’s a leap.’
Even without asking, they kindly provided me with compensation information.
However, contrary to the notification that payment had been made, nothing was heard in Daesung’s hand.
While I was feeling puzzled, I felt a clear liquid flowing down my throat.
“…!”
Before I even savored the taste of the liquid.
A strange sensation swept over Daesung’s whole body.
Daesung could not help but tremble without realizing it.
It feels like the effect of the liquid is spreading evenly through the blood vessels!
At the same time, the fatigue that had been oppressing my mind disappeared like a lie.
That’s not all.
The pain I felt in my arms and legs was even relieved little by little.
I still felt a slight pain, but it wasn’t to the point of death like it had just been.
And above all-
“….”
it was more vivid.
The sensation of the legs starting from the toes and going up to the pelvis.
“Put me down.”
“…no. As a service, we will take you to a place where there is a wheelchair.”
It was almost a desperate tone.
However, Daesung’s next words put the attending doctor in shame.
“Just drop me off.”
“I might collapse, right?”
“are you okay.”
Daesung said firmly.
‘It’s not my fault if I fall, right?’
It wouldn’t be a bad thing to see a refreshing butt kicking scene.
The doctor immediately released both arms from Daesung’s waist.
But just as he had secretly hoped, it worked! No sound was heard.
“Tskcha.”
Light.
Daesung stepped on the floor with both legs intact, as if a feather had landed.
“uh?”
The doctor was surprised and hurriedly looked at Daesung and was immediately surprised.
‘Is there anyone who would have had a hard time walking without parallel bars?’
Isn’t he standing on his own two feet without any support?
Of course, it wasn’t completely perfect, and the center of gravity wavered like a newborn donkey.
But it didn’t look like it was going to fall any time soon.
“Whew…”
Daesung sighed.
Earlier, it seemed like it would be difficult to even straighten my knees, but not now.
Just a little numbness in the joints?
‘The elixir of recovery is showing results.’
Joy flashed through Daesung’s heart.
He raised his head and looked at the opposite end of the long parallel bars.
The distance that felt so far away now seems like it’s no big deal.
‘can do.’
It is definitely not unfounded confidence.
Running might be a bit difficult.
But what if you have to walk everywhere?
100%… no, 200% possible!
‘good.’
Daesung swallowed hard.
After briefly preparing his mind, he tried to take a step forward.
This one step literally meant everything.
If the first step is difficult, it will be impossible to get there.
Step-
That short process of taking a step and stepping again.
It wasn’t difficult at all.
Of course, I didn’t feel any pain.
‘done.’
Daesung’s mouth trembled slightly.
He didn’t rush into joy and straightened his back.
The goal point you set is to hit the end of the parallel bars on the other side.
One step, then two steps.
Two steps, then three steps.
Four steps, five steps, six steps….
It was an
instant
.
“…oh my god.”
The one who was astonished was the doctor who was quietly watching.
He couldn’t help but believe his own eyes.
I felt like all the medical knowledge I had accumulated during my 15 years of medical experience was being denied!
It was worth it.
“…What the hell is this-”
The patient had difficulty walking even three steps and even standing without holding on to the parallel bars was difficult.
I walked.
A distance of over 10m.
And without even holding on to the parallel bars.
Normally, it would take four to five months to reach this level.
The doctor adjusted his glasses with trembling hands. It was a habit he had when he was embarrassed.
“Hu-”
Daesung exhaled once more.
My legs still trembled slightly, but I didn’t feel any muscle pain.
Even though running was difficult, walking seemed possible all day long.
Only then could he be satisfied.
‘okay. ‘I should recover at least at this speed.’
“Doctor.”
When Daesung spoke, the doctor, who had been in a daze, shook his shoulders.
“Yes yes?!”
“That’s it for today.”
“Ah ah… yes…. ah no. that….”
The doctor’s expression was so exhausted, as if he had seen a ghost.
Daesung left the treatment room with a leisurely gait.
He said without even paying attention to the wheelchair placed at the entrance to the treatment room.
“Get rid of this damn wheelchair too.”