Chapter 29
"The degenerative changes in your knees have progressed quite a bit."
The middle-aged doctor pointed at the monitor and clicked his mouse.
Displayed on the screen were the X-ray images from the health checkup Chaehо's parents had received a few days ago.
"There aren't any serious illnesses, but considering your age, some strain on the joints is unavoidable. It also looks like you're in the early stages of spinal stenosis."
Chaehо looked back and forth between the monitor and the doctor before nodding.
Minor bruises or muscle aches could be treated with potions, but degenerative conditions caused by aging couldn't easily be cured with recovery potions made for Hunters.
It was possible to use expensive high-level healing magic, but that came with a significant risk of side effects when used on an ordinary person's body.
In the end, consistent care was the only real solution.
"What's the best way to manage it?"
"Strenuous exercise is absolutely out of the question. Light walking on flat ground or swimming would be good. Going up and down stairs is especially terrible for the knees. You need to avoid that."
"Stairs?"
"Yes. They put the body's weight directly on the knees. If you live in an apartment, use the elevator whenever possible, and try to stay on flat ground."
Chaehо left the examination room with the prescription and medical results in hand, then walked out of the hospital.
It was a scorching afternoon, with sunlight beating down relentlessly.
Even after setting aside more than enough money for taxes and the specialized repair cost of the sword that had been chipped while fighting the golem a few days ago, a huge amount still remained in his bank account.
Yet, for some reason, his steps felt heavy.
After getting off the bus, Chaehо headed toward his parents' home.
The neighborhood where they lived was located at the top of a rather steep hill.
The narrow alleyways were packed tightly with old houses and aging villas.
Chaehо let out a sigh and was just about to start climbing the hill when he spotted two familiar figures ahead of him.
His father and mother.
Each of them was carrying shopping bags in both hands as they struggled up the steep concrete stairs leading to their villa.
His father stopped halfway up and placed one hand against his lower back.
His mother held onto the railing while lightly patting her knee.
"Goodness... I swear these stairs get taller every year."
At his mother's complaint, his father cleared his throat.
"Let's take it slowly. What's the rush?"
Chaehо, who had heard their short conversation from behind, suddenly stopped walking.
The doctor's words from earlier echoed in his ears.
Going up and down stairs is especially terrible for the knees.
He silently watched his parents from behind.
Being a Hunter meant constantly brushing against death.
Every day came with the possibility of being torn apart by a monster's claws.
There was only one reason he had endured that constant danger.
His family's peace and comfort.
He had no grand ambition to earn tens or hundreds of billions and dominate the world.
He simply wanted to see his parents living comfortably without getting hurt or sick.
He had seen countless fellow Hunters gamble away their money or recklessly buy supercars as soon as they earned a little wealth.
But Chaehо had never been tempted.
He tightly gripped the smartphone inside his pocket.
Once again, it became clear exactly what those hundreds of millions sitting in his bank account were meant for.
Instead of heading toward the villa, Chaehо turned around and walked back toward the main road.
The moment he opened the door to a real estate agency, the realtor, who had been dozing off, jumped to his feet.
"Welcome! Are you looking for a place?"
Chaehо sat down without hesitation and listed his requirements.
"I'm looking for a newly built apartment around here on a jeonse lease. It absolutely must have an elevator, and I want a complex with good walking paths on flat ground. It doesn't have to be on a high floor."
The realtor's eyes lit up as he turned the monitor toward him.
"Oh, there's actually a perfect place that just came up. You know the newly built apartment complex down below this neighborhood, right? A second-floor jeonse unit just became available there. It's perfect for elderly residents, though the deposit is a little expensive."
"Can I see it right now?"
The realtor hurriedly grabbed the keys and led the way.
The apartment Chaehо inspected matched exactly what he had wanted.
The entrance threshold was low.
The bathroom had anti-slip tiles.
Through the window, he could see the flat landscaping and walking paths inside the apartment complex.
There wasn't a hill or staircase anywhere in sight.
After carefully inspecting the apartment, Chaehо didn't need to think twice.
"Let's sign for this one."
"What? Ah, wouldn't you like to bring your parents to see it first...?"
"If I like it, they'll like it too. I'll transfer the initial deposit immediately, so please proceed with the contract."
After leaving the real estate agency, the next place he headed to was a large furniture complex.
He approached an employee and immediately asked,
"Do you have a bed suitable for someone with a bad back?"
The employee guided him toward rows of soft-looking mattresses.
Chaehо ignored the flashy-looking ones and pressed down on each mattress himself.
If a mattress was too soft, it could actually be worse for the back.
What mattered was having something firm enough to properly support the body.
"This mattress has excellent support, so it's especially popular among older customers."
At the employee's recommendation, Chaehо lay down on it himself before nodding.
He chose the largest size, included the bed frame, and paid the entire amount at once.
Between the realtor's commission and the deposit for the moving company, a considerable amount of money disappeared in less than half a day.
Yet when Chaehо stepped outside, his expression looked more refreshed than ever.
It was dinner time.
Steam rose from the doenjang jjigae his mother had prepared on the table.
Chaehо took a large spoonful of rice before speaking casually.
"You two are moving next week."
His father froze with his spoon halfway toward the stew.
His mother's eyes widened as well.
"Moving? What are you talking about? There's still a year left on the lease for this house."
"I already spoke to the real estate agency. They'll handle finding someone for the remaining period. You don't need to pack either. I'm hiring a full-service moving company."
His mother stared at Chaehо in disbelief.
"Son, where did you suddenly get the money for all this? You didn't go somewhere dangerous again and earn it by getting yourself hurt, did you? Why are you already throwing away all that hard-earned money?"
"It wasn't dangerous. I'm C-rank now, remember? I picked up some mana stones while clearing a dungeon alone, and I got lucky because they sold for a good price."
It wasn't a lie.
He had simply left out how difficult the process had been.
His father cleared his throat and began lecturing him.
"Even so, you can't spend money recklessly just because you're earning well while you're young. You'll regret it later. You should save that money for when you get married. Why waste it just so we can live more comfortably?"
Chaehо put down his spoon and looked seriously at both of them.
"I went to the hospital today. They said both of you need to take care of your joints and backs because of your age. The doctor specifically said you should walk only on flat ground and avoid stairs."
He pushed their health examination results across the table.
"But our house is on a hill, and there's no elevator. If you keep carrying grocery bags up and down those stairs every day, eventually there'll be problems that even a lot of money won't be able to fix."
His father stared at the medical results and smacked his lips.
"Still, isn't this all too sudden?"
"You know why I work as a Hunter."
There was firm conviction in Chaehо's voice.
"I do dangerous work because I want the two of you to live comfortably. If I don't spend money on things like this, then there's no reason for me to enter dungeons in the first place. I've already replaced your bed with one that's good for your backs, so all you need to do is move there and live comfortably."
Faced with their son's gentle yet unwavering attitude, his parents could no longer find anything to argue about.
His mother's eyes reddened slightly as she turned her head away.
"Good grief. I knew you'd grown up, but now you're really doing whatever you want."
Despite her grumbling tone, the pride in her voice couldn't be hidden.
Chaehо picked up his spoon again and smiled.
"Then just make plenty of stew for me. I'm going to be eating a lot from now on."
After improving his family's living conditions, Chaehо headed to a large Hunter training facility on the outskirts of the city.
Inside the building were multiple indoor training rooms divided by section, along with specialized training grounds built to withstand tremendous impacts.
Chaehо walked up to the counter and handed over his identification card.
"I'd like to register long-term. Give me access to the advanced training rooms."
The employee took his card and began processing the payment.
"The advanced rooms have a fairly high daily fee. How long would you like to register for?"
"One month for now. I'd also like to apply for the one-on-one practical swordsmanship training program."
The cheerful sound of the receipt being printed rang out after the payment was completed.
There was a clear reason Chaehо was willing to spend so much money on an advanced training facility.
His weapon was Time Slow.
For a brief instant, he could observe the movement of the world in slow motion, find an opening, and strike the enemy's vital point.
But the skill didn't increase his attack power.
Nor did it strengthen his body.
No matter how clearly he could see an opponent's weakness, it meant nothing if his sword couldn't reach it.
Until now, he had survived using the shallow combat instincts he'd picked up while working as a porter, combined with his stubborn persistence and sharp observational skills.
But from upper-tier C-rank dungeons onward, the monsters possessed physical abilities on an entirely different level.
His battle against the enormous Stone-Armor Golem had made that painfully clear.
Without a proper physical foundation and genuine swordsmanship to support him, he would eventually hit a wall.
As he walked down the hallway behind the employee, rough shouts and the metallic clang of weapons came through the open doors of the other training rooms.
Hunters belonging to various guilds were sweating as they trained themselves.
"This way. The instructor assigned to you is already waiting inside."
The door to the advanced training room opened, revealing a spacious and comfortable area.
The floor was covered with special mats capable of fully absorbing powerful impacts.
Various types of practice weapons were displayed along one wall.
At the center of the training room stood a sturdy middle-aged man holding a wooden sword.
"You must be the new student."
The instructor gave him a slight nod.
Chaehо returned the greeting, then removed his jacket and tossed it to one side.
He walked over to the weapon rack and picked out a wooden sword whose weight felt most comfortable in his hand.
The texture of the wood settling into his palm felt surprisingly good.
A huge settlement payment had landed in his bank account, but Chaehо's daily life had not become relaxed in the slightest.
If anything, now that some of the heavy responsibility toward his family had been lifted from his shoulders, he finally had the opportunity to focus entirely on his own growth.
"I want to rebuild everything from the basics."
Chaehо walked toward the center of the training room and lightly swung the wooden sword.
Whoosh!
The sharp sound of it cutting through the air echoed once through the quiet room.
Then Chaehо looked at the instructor.
"Train me hard."
