Xung half-dragged, half-carried Old Man Park through the city's back streets. The bright lights of the Hunter's District glowed in the distance, but they headed toward the darker, quieter streets of the Industrial Zone. This was where people like them lived.
His body still hummed with the strange energy from the fight, making Park's weight feel lighter than it should. The rusty sword was hidden under his torn coat. The warm stone was a quiet secret in his pocket.
Finally, he saw it: a small, run-down building with a faded red cross painted on the door. Ms. Mina's Clinic. She wasn't a real doctor, but she was the only one who would help people like them without asking for money up front.
Xung kicked the door with his foot. "Ms. Mina! Help! It's an emergency!"
The door swung open. A woman with tired eyes and her hair in a messy bun looked out. She saw Park's burned chest and her expression changed from annoyance to sharp focus.
"Bring him in. Now," she commanded, her voice all business.
Xung hauled Park inside and onto a clean cot. Ms. Mina immediately started cutting away the melted fabric from Park's chest, her movements quick and efficient.
"What happened?" she asked without looking up.
"A fire glyph. In the dungeon," Xung said, his voice tight.
Ms. Mina clicked her tongue. "Careless Hunters. As always." She cleaned the wound. "He's lucky. These burns are bad, but they look… older than they should. Like they've already started healing. Did you put something on them?"
Xung thought of the red potion. "I… found some herbs," he mumbled.
She gave him a sharp look but didn't press. She finished bandaging Park's chest. "He needs rest. A lot of it. And real medicine. Antibiotics. Painkillers." She listed the things Park needed to survive.
Xung's heart sank. "How much?"
Ms. Mina sighed, wiping her hands on a towel. "For everything? Five hundred credits."
The number hit Xung like a physical blow. Five hundred credits. It was more money than he made in three months. It was an impossible number.
"I… I don't have that," he whispered, the fight and the energy from the stone suddenly feeling meaningless.
"I know," Ms. Mina said, her voice softer. "But I have to buy the supplies. I can't work for free." She looked at Park's peaceful, sleeping face. "I can let him stay for two days. But after that… you need to find the money."
A heavy silence filled the small clinic. The weight of the real world crashed down on Xung. He had power now, but power didn't pay bills.
Suddenly, the door to the clinic banged open.
Three men walked in. They didn't look like patients. They wore cheap suits and mean expressions. The leader had a scar across his cheek.
Ms. Mina went very still. "Boran. I don't have your money yet."
The man named Boran smiled, a nasty, thin smile. "That's a problem, Mina. My boss doesn't like problems." His eyes scanned the room, landing on Xung and the unconscious Park. "Business slow? Maybe you need to find a new line of work."
One of his thugs picked up a glass jar of bandages and dropped it. It shattered on the floor.
Xung's hand tightened. The stone in his pocket began to warm.
`[Threat Assessed]`
`[Boran - Loan Enforcer - Level 5]`
`[Weakness: Overconfident]`
`[Thug 1 - Level 2]`
`[Weakness: Slow]`
`[Thug 2 - Level 2]`
`[Weakness: Unbalanced]`
Boran took a step toward Ms. Mina. "I think we'll take your payment in equipment instead."
The stone burned hot. The words flashed, urgent.
`[Quest: Protect the Clinic]`
`[Objective: Neutralize the threat]`
`[Reward: 200 Credits]`
Two hundred credits. It wasn't enough, but it was a start. A dangerous, crazy start.
Boran reached for Ms. Mina's arm.
Xung moved.
He didn't think. He just acted. The energy from the wolf fight surged back into his limbs. He was fast.
He stepped between Boran and Ms. Mina. "Leave her alone," he said. His voice was quieter than he expected, but it didn't shake.
Boran looked surprised, then amused. He laughed. "What is this? A cleaner boy playing hero?" He shoved Xung hard.
The shove should have sent Xung flying. But his feet were planted. He barely moved. The strength from his level-up held him firm.
Boran's smile faded. His eyes narrowed. "Get him."
The two thugs rushed forward.
`[Combat Initiated]`
Xung saw the first thug swing a punch. `[Weakness: Slow]`. The punch was telegraphed, lazy. Xung ducked under it easily. He drove his shoulder into the man's stomach, shoving him into a medical tray. Tools clattered everywhere.
The second thug came at him from the side. `[Weakness: Unbalanced]`. The man favored his right side. Xung feinted left, then kicked the man's left knee hard. The thug cried out and fell, clutching his leg.
Boran roared and charged. He wasn't like the thugs. He was bigger. stronger. Level 5.
He threw a punch at Xung's head. Xung barely got his arms up in time to block. The impact hurt. It sent a shock through his arms. This man was strong.
`[Weakness: Overconfident]` the words reminded him.
Boran swung again, a wild haymaker. He expected Xung to be scared. To cower.
Xung didn't. He dropped to the floor, sweeping his leg out. He caught Boran's ankles.
The big man wasn't ready for it. He crashed to the ground with a grunt of surprise and pain.
Xung was on him in a second. He didn't have a weapon. He just had his fists. He hit Boran once, twice in the face. The man's head snapped back.
It was enough. Boran stayed down, groaning.
Xung stood up, breathing heavily. The two thugs were still on the ground, moaning.
`[Combat Ended]`
`[Victory!]`
`[Experience gained]`
`[Quest Complete: Protect the Clinic]`
`[Reward: 200 Credits]`
A small, heavy coin purse appeared in Xung's pocket. He could feel the weight of it.
Silence filled the clinic, broken only by the groans of the defeated men.
Ms. Mina stared at Xung. Her eyes were wide with shock and something else… fear. "Xung… what… what was that?"
Boran pushed himself up onto his elbows. His nose was bleeding. He looked at Xung not with anger, but with a cold, calculating hatred. "You're dead, cleaner boy. You hear me? You're dead." He spat blood on the floor. "Let's go." The thugs scrambled to their feet and helped Boran out of the clinic. The door slammed shut behind them.
The silence they left behind was heavy. Xung turned to Ms. Mina. He pulled the coin purse from his pocket and held it out. "It's two hundred. For the medicine." Ms. Mina didn't take it. She just looked from the money to Xung's face. "How did you do that? You're… you're just a cleaner."
Xung looked at the floor. He had no answer. He had saved the clinic, but he had made a powerful enemy. And he had scared the only person who would help them.
He had power. But it came with a price. And the bill was just starting to come due.