Once again, I'm in a familiar situation where I'm looking up at a ceiling that doesn't belong to my house, but a hospital one. I groan as I get out of my hospital bed, unconsciously stretching my arms upwards; my hospital gown looks clean and neat as if I never got dirty and tore one of its sleeves. I never imagine I can still feel this tired after a wake-up though that's because of that sudden trial I had to participate in. I guess it wasn't a dream after all as I'm seeing the Guideline showing up right in front of my eyes right now. Its notifications make the usual ‘ding’ sound after each sentence it shows to me.

[Welcome, Kang Joo-yeon.]

[The revisioned Guideline has been officially reactivated.]

[With the required assistance from Amergin the Judge in fixing the error that has occured, the “backup soul” Elysian is ready to help you obtain your physiological needs through your given tasks.]

[Please wait for your given tasks that's currently being processed and sorted according to the revisioned Guideline’s regulations.]

I wonder why the word ‘revisioned’ keeps on being mentioned to me. I'm not sure if I can trust the old man. Then again, if he was an enemy, he wouldn't have saved me, right? Also, his eyes…

“I wonder why he was alone in that place,” I mumble to myself as I solemnly think about his beautiful eyes indirectly telling me that he misses (probably late) Elysian. Before I can think about his relationship with her any further, someone knocks on the door of this patient room.

“Ms Kang Joo-yeon, may I come in?” a female voice, who could be one of my assigned nurses, asks me.

“Yes, you may,” I reply with a bit of a high-pitched voice that indicates my nervousness even though I should know nobody else can see the Guideline that's still visible to my eyes.

As expected, it's the same young nurse who was berated by Jang last night. She pushes a three-tier trolley where each slot has a food tray. She places one of them as mine on my bedside table, letting me know this is my first breakfast at this hospital since I woke up. I thank her hospitality regardless of the fact she's doing part of her duty as a nurse. She then proceeds to leave immediately. I assume she has to send the other food trays to another patient room that's quite far from where I'm at.

Speaking about breakfast, I do hope Uncle Seung-min was eating well since the past several days I'm not at home cooking for the whole family. Sure Uncle Seung-min is able to cook, but I'm a bit worried for the next whole month that he'll get tired easily, knowing he's working part-time at the gym and probably another one without my knowledge. I sometimes wish Ga-young learned how to cook, but as feminine and pretty as she is, she somewhat has a “taste bud defect” that one time she made the whole samgyetang dish as salty as the sea. It was wasted when we had to bury it in the backyard.

Alas, Uncle Seung-min decided not to force his own daughter to learn something she's not really good at. Also, it's because Ga-young is more interested in becoming a fashion designer seeing how she has actual talent for it. I guess this is even seeing I'm constantly (and indirectly) told that I suck at drawing stuff, particularly a person's face. It's probably for the best that all the cooking is done by Uncle Seung-min. The ingredients aren’t getting cheaper so we've to make sure nothing goes wasted. I can only pray that he’s got enough strength to take care of his health and that Ga-young and Gi-young are on their best behaviors.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Ms Kang, you do know I'm a doctor…not a moneylender,” Doctor Han says while he makes a perplexed look on his face. It must be his rectangular glasses emphasizing the “How did this happen?” kind of look at me.

As embarrassing as it is, I can't help, but feel the need to stuff myself with a few more trays of food. It isn't even lunchtime yet, but the cafeteria at the hospital's ground floor is crowded with patients and visitors along with some of them being the hospital’s employees. It's odd how two pieces of french toast, a huge piece of roast chicken, a few rolls of kimbap and a bowl of seaweed soup weren't able to make me feel full. It comes across my mind that it must've been last night's incident that has led me to desperately ask Doctor Han to pay for the food served at the cafeteria for me.

“I’m sorry, Doctor…but I never bring my wallet to the labyrinth raids I went to, especially when many times I've to abandon my jackets to the Beasts grabbing them.”

“And yet you brought your smartphone on that day…”

“I needed to send a “I'll be fine.” message to my uncle before I left it at the Alliance's concierge area.”

Thankfully, I did before I met Jung-han at that street though I can't imagine how much my uncle panicked the day I went missing. It was also no point to bring your modern-day belongings inside a Labyrinth which will make you lose them too easily.

“That's understandable, but today you should've called your uncle…”

“I don't wanna give him any more stress about my stay here. I would appreciate it if you keep these additional expenses from him, Doctor. I’ll pay you back someday.”

“I'm not gonna be a cruel debt collector so rest assured, Ms Kang. I know you'll do so soon. I'm just glad you still have an appetite after experiencing that event. Actually, it's hard to believe a woman like you can eat this much.”

I too find it hard to believe that I'm eating so much before lunchtime officially started, but I guess it's okay to treat myself once in a while. I'm more glad they serve shandy canned drinks here because I really need a refreshing drink after surviving another ordeal the old man has forced upon me. Speaking about him, I realize that because of his healing magic, my teeth don't feel sore right now. I remember almost breaking some parts of them while I had to gnaw some of the vines.

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“Man…do I have to say thanks when I meet him again?”

“What did you say?”

“Oh…it's nothing, Doctor. I was thinking about an old man whom I must meet again.”

“I didn't know your grandpa is still alive today, Ms Kang.”

“Well…he's not exactly my grandpa, but he's really, really old, I tell you.”

Doctor Han gives me a confused look. I can assume he's surprised to hear a youngster having a great-grandparent when the term “ancestor” is a more appropriate label to refer Old Man Amergin.

“So it's really happening, huh?”, one of the people at the cafeteria says aloud. “It’s about time the Slayers Alliance should give their permission in producing those robots with the mana of an S-rank.”

I turn around to see what that person is looking at. On the TV screen, it shows some special news segment about some famous politician shaking hands with a scientist seeing how he's dressed in a lab coat and behind them says “Maorga Inc.”. The two men smile at each other while many cameras take a photo of their handshake to each other. A female newscaster reports about the scene shown to the channel’s viewers.

“With Candidate Noh Tae-hwan’s signed agreement to be the main sponsor, Professor Kim Gun-jae of Maorga Incorporated promises the public that the day of having many S-rank Slayers will come true. Despite the leaders from the Slayers Alliance having yet to allow the implementation of their mana being put into the durable robots Professor Kim has made, the public majority agrees that there's nothing unethical with AI having a Slayer's powers…”

“Will those robots of his be able to withstand such strong magical power being put inside of them?”

“I don't believe many civilians like us will agree to this life-changing decision.”

“Haven't you heard about the nine S-rank Slayers that went missing a few months ago? It's a matter of time before our country loses more of them.”

“But I don't know if trusting robots handling with that much power is a safe idea.”

“The Labyrinths are getting more unpredictable, you know. I've seen a shocking rumor on the forums I went to recently. A very recent Labyrinth was supposed to be an E-rank, but it turned out to be a S-rank. Half of our country's S-rank Slayers were in Busan and the others were busy clearing the same-ranked Labyrinths near Seoul. If only the Alliance let lower-ranking raid teams have at least one of Professor Kim’s AI having the power of an S-rank…”

As much as their reason for supporting AI replicating a high-ranking Slayer's powers is plausible, I've to agree with the vocal minority that this idea is not only unethical, but it's also dangerous. It also leads me to a possible worst-case scenario where a higher-ranked humanoid Beast is able to take full control on these robots that the only way to defeat them is to request the world's only three SS-rank Slayers to work together. It's unknown if that scientist who's playing God has successfully made his robots sustain the power of an S-rank.

“Those men never give up in pursuing a dangerous idea, huh?”

This is unusual for Doctor Han to disagree on something because I often thought people around his age would give in to such idea if it involves humanity’s safety amongst the spawning Labyrinths.

“I hope it doesn't come true,” I reply to his level-headed words. “I don't think I can handle another powerful Beast with a strong control ability.”

A quick flashback of the Painting Labyrinth’s massacre on the raid team I was in has made me show my disgusted look to Doctor Han. I must've frightened him with it that I've to quickly say these words.

“I'll be heading back to my room. Thanks for paying for the food, Doctor.”

“Oh…sure. It would be for the best if one of your family members brought your wallet soon. I'm a doctor for other patients, you know, especially around this hour for the next month.”

I give Doctor Han an agreement nod. Before I take another step, he alerts me to take my last canned shandy drink being held in his hand. As soon as I touch the canned drink, some sort of memory suddenly shows up in my mind. Coincidentally at the same time, my fingers touch his own ones. In the memory I'm seeing, he’s on a phone call in his office.

“In fact, Slayer Shin heard her heart beating at a normal pace. That means Kang Joo-yeon is telling the truth, Slayer Yoo.”

Is that his memory? Am I looking into the past?

As stunned as I am, I try my best to keep a straight face in front of Doctor Han. I calmly take my canned drink from him before I say my “See you around, Doctor.” sentence. Then, once I turn my back towards him to walk away from the cafeteria, I let out a sigh of relief that my doctor doesn't suspect anything suspicious about me; especially when I somewhat have the ability to read someone's memory.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“To think the old man is giving me this kind of skill…,” I mumble to myself in my patient room. Lunchtime is over already and I can hear the footsteps of the hospital’s employees pacing two and frow outside my room’s door. I really should stop talking unconsciously to myself because if someone with bad intentions finds out about this Guideline I've got, all eyes will be on me if I ever get exposed by that someone. Anyway, I'm figuring out what other skills the old man has given me besides this one

[The skill ‘Memory Reading’ has successfully been implemented in this revisioned Guideline by Amergin the Judge.]

[You obtained the title “Memory Reader” due to your success in its usage of reading someone's memory.]

Reading memories, huh? Is this because of what I said to him? He should know I was talking gibberish…or do I really want to know someone's past that badly?

It gets me wondering why I want to experience such a thing. I did remember yesterday that I was searching up whatever article is related to druids. One of them is that druids can foretell the future. Hence, it's odd why I don't have that kind of skill, and whether it's a good idea for a druid like me to see only memories. What's more is that I can do this without anyone knowing about it. But, I've to be careful of accidentally making physical contact with a Slayer, especially a high-ranked one like Slayer Shin whom I just learned has super hearing ability.

How did Uncle Seung-min know his ability? I doubt this is public info and since superhearing isn't a physical display to see with your eyes.

“Ha~ whatever. It's difficult to figure out everything I want to know today. I need a very long nap as a proper rest. My brain shall work fully afterwards.”

Just when I sit down on my bed, another notification from the Guideline alerts me. This time, it's about something else and I can't believe this kind of task is coming from the old man himself.

[You have 1 unread message from Amergin the Judge.]

“Confirm to read the message.”

[Message opened.]

[Daily Task Required for Participant Kang Joo-yeon's Physical Strength]

[Kicks - (0/100)]

[Punches - (0/100)]

[Pull-ups - (0/100)]

[The participant will receive a necessary penalty if the given task fails to be completed by midnight.]

This old man has got to be insane. I don't recall having to participate in a boxing competition. I'm not even a man, and if I were, I would be willing to try out at least one physical activity. Plus, I'm designated with the healer class so I don't understand why I have to complete this kind of task.

“The old man should give me a task that will reward a healing-related skill,” I mumble, or more precisely grumble, to myself just for this occasion. “Why the physical strengthening that’s obviously meant for Chun, Jung-han, and Slayer Shin? I've had enough of thinking for one day. If you can hear me, gramps…I feel more exhausted after meeting you. Don't you dare wake me up for the next ten hours, okay?”

And so, I plop myself down on the bed, pulling the blanket over me. That should be the last time I remember having a proper rest except I was naïve believing the old man would just leave me alone for at least one whole day.