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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Kim Ji-young’s eyes widened.
“S-Son…?”
Even though she’d never seen it in person, she recognized it instantly. Spirit’s Tears, when it was first discovered, had become a symbol of hope for those suffering from Mana Syndrome.
“How did you get something so precious?!”
Hearing Kim Ji-young’s unusually raised voice, Lee Soo-hyeok and Lee Seo-yoon rushed in.
“What’s going on?”
“What happened?”
Their reactions were similar to Kim Ji-young’s.
“O-Oppa, is that…?”
“Could it be… Spirit’s Tears?”
“Yes.”
Lee Seong-joon nodded confidently, proudly presenting the contents of the wooden box.
“H-How did you get this?”
It was an incredibly expensive item, worth hundreds of billions of won, and even with money, it was nearly impossible to find.
Yet, there it was, nestled inside the wooden box in Lee Seong-joon’s hands.
“…As you all know from the news, I did pretty well in the raid gate. The Baekho Guild gave it to me as a reward.”
To be precise, “pretty well” was an understatement. Hunter-related news dominated the headlines, and articles about the raid gate rankings, featuring rookies from the five major guilds, were everywhere.
So, his family, who watched the news every morning and evening and worked outside, couldn’t have missed his achievements.
‘First place.’
He’d even defeated Song Seung-jun, the Crown Prince. While it was a remarkable feat, he’d downplayed it, not wanting to burden his family.
He was prepared for their surprise, like with the bank account reveal and the move. But the Spirit’s Tears was beyond their expectations.
“Even so, Spirit’s Tears…?”
They’d heard that the guild’s stock price had soared and the top-ranking rookies received substantial rewards. But they’d never heard of anyone receiving something as expensive as Spirit’s Tears.
“I made a special request beforehand, so I was able to get it easily.”
Lee Seong-joon’s calm and convincing explanation made Lee Seo-yoon and Lee Soo-hyeok nod in admiration.
“…Amazing.”
“That’s incredible.”
But Kim Ji-young couldn’t relax.
“Son, did you perhaps…?”
“Yes, you’re right.”
Kim Ji-young’s eyes wavered at Lee Seong-joon’s confident reply. She wasn’t foolish. She knew why he’d acquired the Spirit’s Tears: to treat her Mana Syndrome.
While she was grateful, she couldn’t readily accept it. It was an item worth hundreds of billions, and he’d practically risked his life to obtain it. It was natural to hesitate, even if it was for family.
“…”
Kim Ji-young bit her lip and looked directly into Lee Seong-joon’s eyes. A flicker of refusal crossed her usually warm and gentle gaze.
But then she shook her head and muttered to herself,
“The reason you suddenly participated in the raid gate… was all for this.”
She imagined her son struggling to obtain the Spirit’s Tears. Guilt filled her eyes.
“Because of this useless mother, our son…”
“Don’t say that. Why would you call yourself useless?”
“As a mother, instead of taking care of you, I’ve only been a burden…”
Kim Ji-young whispered, looking at her agitated son.
“I’m so sorry…”
“Don’t say that. The everyday things I took for granted – a clean room, warm meals, decent clothes – were all possible because of your dedication and love…”
Lee Seong-joon smiled warmly and continued,
“So, to me, no, to us, you’re the most wonderful and admirable mother in the world.”
It wasn’t just about daily life. His mother, Kim Ji-young, was the most devoted parent.
“Do you remember the monster invasion in Gimpo?”
It happened about 20 years ago, but he remembered the traumatic event clearly, even though he was just a kindergartener then.
The sudden monster invasion and the ensuing chaos. Screams filled the air, and the area turned into a scene of pandemonium. Lee Seong-joon’s house wasn’t spared.
Monsters broke in, and his family, except for Lee Soo-hyeok, who’d left for work early, was surrounded. It was a life-or-death situation, but Kim Ji-young didn’t back down.
She stood her ground, protecting young Lee Seong-joon and Lee Seo-yoon.
Of course, as an ordinary person, she couldn’t hold off the monsters for long. Maybe five seconds at most.
But those few seconds created a miracle. It bought enough time for a hunter operating nearby to arrive and eliminate the threat.
“If you hadn’t protected us back then… Seo-yoon and I wouldn’t be alive today.”
“That’s just what a mother should do.”
Lee Seong-joon clenched his fists. A selfless love, willing to sacrifice even their own life – it was what a parent should do, but it wasn’t easy.
That’s why he was so grateful, and why he had to cure her.
“…It’s the same for me. I just want to do what a son should do.”
There was no hint of falsehood in Lee Seong-joon’s determined eyes.
“So please, accept it without feeling burdened.”
“…”
Tears streamed down Kim Ji-young’s face. She’d tried to hold back, not wanting to cry in front of her children. But she couldn’t.
Lee Seong-joon’s sincere and heartfelt words resonated deeply, stirring her emotions. She was so grateful and proud.
“Our son… you’ve become so dependable. I always thought you were the one who needed protecting…”
Lee Seong-joon simply smiled, listening to his mother.
“Thank you, thank you, my son.”
“Thank you for giving birth to me and raising me.”
As mother and son shared a warm smile, Lee Seo-yoon cautiously spoke.
“I love our family very much too, but considering the situation, I think there’s something we need to address…”
The sudden interruption drew everyone’s attention to Lee Seo-yoon. While it was a bit awkward, she seemed to think it was important, so she continued,
“Shouldn’t we consult a mana specialist before taking the Spirit’s Tears?”
While the cause of Mana Syndrome was unknown, the reason it was incurable was clear: the absorbed mana remained within the body.
Unlike hunters, who could manipulate mana, ordinary people couldn’t control it, so it accumulated haphazardly, occasionally causing flare-ups and excruciating pain.
Therefore, a cure required not only Spirit’s Tears to absorb the mana but also a mana specialist to help circulate the energy throughout the body.
But Lee Seong-joon knew this.
“Don’t worry about that.”
“Did Baekho introduce a mana specialist as well?”
“No.”
Lee Seo-yoon and the others tilted their heads in confusion. But their question was quickly answered.
“I’ll do it myself.”
“You can do it, Oppa?”
Lee Seo-yoon’s eyes widened, but Lee Seong-joon simply nodded.
“Yes.”
To be honest, he was confident he could do it better than any specialist. He possessed the ability to circulate energy throughout his body: Blood Qi.
Almost every part of the human body had blood flow. And Lee Seong-joon knew the Blood Demon martial arts, the pinnacle of blood Qi manipulation.
‘Blood Palace Tribulation.’
As the name suggested, it was a technique that controlled a target’s blood through infused blood Qi. It wasn’t simply controlling blood flow through the meridians like second-rate martial artists.
It allowed him to manipulate everything related to blood – heartbeat, flow rate, direction – at will. This meant he could guide the energy from the Spirit’s Tears to every corner of the body.
“Please sit here.”
His confident demeanor reassured Kim Ji-young. Her son wasn’t one to boast without reason. She sat down on the chair he indicated without a word.
“Just swallow it like you would with a vitamin supplement.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes, but please don’t get up until I say so.”
After she nodded and swallowed the Spirit’s Tears, Lee Seong-joon placed his hand on her back. He carefully channeled blood Qi into his arm.
Red blood Qi emanated from his palm and spread through Kim Ji-young’s body. It wasn’t the violent energy he used against enemies, but a gentle warmth.
A moan escaped Kim Ji-young’s lips as the warmth spread through her body.
“Ah…”
At the same time, her blood flow, normally dictated by her own body, began to move according to Lee Seong-joon’s will.
From here on, it was straightforward. But he didn’t let his guard down. This was about his mother’s health.
‘There’s no room for error.’
With intense focus, he delicately guided the energy from the Spirit’s Tears. From the smallest cells to the largest organs, he carefully and gently absorbed the accumulated Qi throughout her body, like caressing a newborn.
The energy, starting from her lower abdomen, the dantian, flowed through her legs, rose up past her shoulders, and finally, brushed past her head, returning to its starting point.
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