Chapter 4

Akso Hospital

ququ: Hey, Yvonne, it's me. Just coming out of the elevator. Dr. Zayne hasn't gone home, has he?

Yvonne: Don't worry, all checkups are in the system, which sends out notifications. Dr. Zayne can't forget them.

ququ: ...Yeah. Besides, even when he's not working, he's still in his office.

I met Zayne after Grandma took me in. I was eight years old then.

Our families had been friends for years, so we'd occasionally get together for meals.

We didn't meet again until half a year ago, during a follow-up checkup on the Protocore fragments in my heart.

I would've never guessed that after not seeing him for more than a decade, he'd reappear as my primary care physician.

Yvonne: You've known Dr. Zayne for a while, right? I'll transfer your call over so you two can get started.

ququ: No, don't—

Electronic Voice (F): Akso Hospital, for a brighter future.

Zayne — Electronic Voice: Good job. You were ten seconds away from being a no-show.

ququ: I fought everyone to book the last appointment of the day. Waaait!

Zayne — Electronic Voice: Don't worry, we have five seconds left.

ququ: Do you really need to be precise?!

Zayne — Electronic Voice: Three... Two...

Arriving at the office door, I push it open.

Zayne: Congratulations, you weren't late. Is this impeccable timing a new Evol ability of yours?

ququ: I can't believe you're just sitting there and counting down. What are you, a ticking time bomb or something?

ququ: Yvonne said you returned to Linkon at five o'clock this morning and were back to work by seven.

Zayne: She tells you everything

ququ: You said it was a vacation, but you were actually in the Arctic to work on a secret project, right?

Zayne: Patients shouldn't be so nosy.

Zayne: Report.

ququ: ...

Zayne: Any changes recently?

ququ: No.

Zayne No?

ququ: ....I've had one exam after another, so I pulled a few all-nighters.

Zayne: Ignoring medical advice like it's nothing. I suppose you're just here to go through the motions.

Zayne: Sit over here, please.

ququ: Huh?

Zayne: Listening.

ququ: Right...

ququ: This isn't the first day I had Protocore fragments in my heart. Even Dr. Dean said I was perfectly fine.

ququ: And it's been fourteen years. If anything bad—

Zayne: Shh.

ququ: ...

Zayne: Don't talk. But you should still breathe.

ququ: (Zayne looks so serious... Did he notice something was off?)

ququ: (Nah, he just normally looks aloof. He probably has the same expression on his face regardless of whom he's treating.)

Zayne: A fast resting heart rate. What riled you up this time?

ququ: ...Y-you're just imagining things...

Zayne: ...

ququ: Fine, I was really nervous, okay? But I'm always like this whenever I see a doctor...

Zayne: Truly, your allergy is unique.

ququ: So?

Zayne: Heart arrhythmia, premature ventricular contractions, heart murmurs...

ququ: Really?

Zayne: Despite being aware of the risks, you still became a hunter.

ququ: ...Make fun of me all you want, but you know why I did it.

Zayne: ...

Zayne: I wasn't mocking you. Linkon has been the safest it's ever been under the watchful eye of our skilled hunter, qua.

ququ: Not necessarily. One day, our skilled Dr. Zayne will find himself in a bit of a predicament. The hunter who saves you might just be me.

Zayne: If you wish to hold something over me, then I suggest you be careful while out on the field.

Zayne: I'd prefer not to see you be airlifted to the hospital via helicopter.

〔You've received a new message.〕

Zayne Just Now

\[Message\]

Zayne

No Introduction

Zayne: has been an increase in patients attacked by Wanderers as of late. There is also a rising number of individuals with Protocore fragments in their hearts.

Zayne: Don't get complacent. You should be aware of your medical condition.

ququ: You should know too as my primary care physician. *Read*

ququ: I'm fine, really. I have a lot of energy! *Read*

Zayne: Usually, patients experience aftereffects after being attacked.

Zayne: may feel fine now, but there still might be problems later down the line.

ququ: But many of the patients you treated all recovered, right? *Read*

ququ: You're a good doctor, Dr. Zayne. *Read*

Zayne: It's difficult to say if your optimism is a strength or a weakness.

ququ: All right, I promise to follow the doctor's orders. I won't be stubborn, and I'll avoid taking unnecessary risks. *Read*

Zayne: All right. Let's start with regular checkups then.

Hunter Trivia: Protofields (Post)

Hunter_Know_It_All

The annual badge ceremony for new Deepspace Hunters has just concluded. We welcome these hunters to our happy family! You will make many new friends, and together, we will hunt Wanderers and embark on a new journey!

And now, allow me to teach you the first thing regarding combat as a hunter: Protofields!

As all hunters know, Wanderers are monsters formed by Metaflux, a mysterious energy from Deepspace. For reasons yet to be discovered, we struggle to deal the killing blow to them in our world. And once a Wanderer finds a chance to escape, it retreats into a dimension of its own making: the Protofield.

It's hypothesized that Protofields might be a type of spacetime rift. Once we enter these Protofields, we can effectively eliminate Wanderers, and the Protofields they generate will also vanish.

Many seasoned hunters have reported a diverse array of environments within the Protofields they entered, ranging from forests, lakes, and even magnificent structures similar to ones humans would create. In addition, based on the images brought back by hunters, a circular, mysterious symbol can be found in most Protofields. What is the origin of this symbol? What does it represent? Could it be a clue to the true nature of Protofields? The Association is still investigating these mysteries...

That concludes our lesson for today. The training simulation has been updated with the latest algorithms, making the combat environments within Protofields even more realistic. Please check it

share with "Zayne"

Zayne

No Introduction

Zayne: I finished reading it.

Zayne: there anything else you'd like to add?

ququ: Wanderers are wreaking havoc these days. I'm worried you might get dragged into a Protofield on your next medical mission trip... *Read*

ququ: I need to know in advance. Just in case. *Read*

Zayne: A Protofield's unstable Metaflux can also harm the human body.

zayne: Even trained hunters who have come into contact with large amounts of Metaflux within a short period of time need to be treated via energy dissipation immediately.

Zayne: addition, the number of hunters diagnosed with Protocore Syndrome has been steadily increasing these past few years. It's speculated this is connected to frequently entering a Protofield.

Zayne: Please be mindful of your own safety as a hunter.

ququ: Finally, this busy day can come to an end...

I plop onto my bed and pull out my Hunter's Watch. In my inbox is a team recruitment notice that's signed by Jenna.

ququ: I actually became a hunter...

ququ: UNICORNS and its Alpha Team... I wonder what the veteran hunters are like.

Outside my window, under the night, the trees sway, their branches rustling to the beat of the wind. Thunder rumbles in the distance.

ququ: Is it about to rain? The weather forecast didn't mention anything about a storm...

Suddenly, the phone rings.

Caleb — Voice Call

ququ — Phone: Caleb?

Caleb — Voice Call: I knew you'd still be awake. What're you up to?

ququ — Phone: Just got home. I'm beat.

Caleb — Voice Call: Your first day of hunting. Well?

ququ: It wasn't bad at all. I didn't bring disgrace to my family.

Caleb — Voice Call: Well, that's good. What matters is that you're alive.

ququ — Phone: What about you? Why are you calling me now? Aren't you on a military flight operation?

Caleb — Voice Call: I should be cruisin' along. But things wrapped up quite nicely and ended early.

ququ — Phone: Did you guys encounter any Wanderers in the Deepspace Tunnel? Was it dangerous?

Caleb — Voice Call: Are you actually worried about me?

ququ — Phone: If something happens to you, we won't be able to see Grandma together at the end of the month!

Caleb — Voice Call: Come on. I know how important it is to you. Even if I was in a wheelchair, you'd push me there.

ququ — Phone: Ugh, say something good for once! Don't jinx yourself!

Caleb — Voice Call: All right. It's been peaceful.

Caleb — Voice Call: The field within the tunnel is as stable as it can be. Very few Wanderers. Don't worry.

ququ — Phone: Really? Every time you tell me not to worry...

Caleb — Voice Call: Everything else is top secret. My lips are sealed.

ququ — Phone: Yeah, yeah. Everything is a secret with you people in the Deepspace Aviation Administration.

Caleb — Voice Call: Yeeep. Mysterious, and, spoooky.

ququ — Phone: I'm sooo scared. Scary enough for the pip-squeak to put cilantro in your food.

Caleb — Voice Call: Okay, I'll stop.

Caleb — Voice Call: It's late. You should go to bed now. Sweet dreams.

ququ: (Ever since Grandma took Caleb and me in, she hasn't stopped worrying about us...)

I pick up my phone, set an alarm, then walk over to the window.

ququ: (She must be really happy that I joined UNICORNS.)

As I draw the curtains, in the darkness, something strange catches my attention. I look up and...

Outside my window, separated by only glass, a giant eye turns to meet my gaze.

ququ: (...What is that?!)

In the blink of an eye, darkness swallows everything outside.

I couldn't understand what I just saw. Raindrops fall, their trails of water seemingly cutting everything.

The overwhelming darkness of the night envelops the nearby buildings. A storm rages on, swallowing all the light in Linkon.

To Be Continued...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***