27 – Kim Cheol-soo’s Free Clinic vs. Hospital Association (2), Enlightenment
A week had passed.
I operated the Leterma Village with two isolation rooms.
One was for cold patients, and the other was for flu patients.
Depending on the severity of the symptoms, I sent them to the cold or flu isolation room.
“Cough! Ahh… My body is shivering, and my throat hurts. Where should I go?”
“It seems like your symptoms are mild. Please go to the cold isolation room! I’ll guide you to an empty bed in the cold isolation room!”
“Kerlock… So it’s that empty house. Understood.”
Because there was a new patient with a cold, I sent them to the cold isolation room.
There were currently 14 patients in the cold isolation room. There were a total of 22 beds.
I brought in more beds in case there were more patients.
Inside the isolation room, there were Catherine, who was taking care of the 14 patients, and the people from Leterma Village. Among the people in the isolation room, Catherine took the lead in welcoming the new patient.
“Please come to the empty bed. The isolation period is about 1-2 weeks, and during that time, you’ll only live in the isolation room.”
“I can’t go outside…?”
“Because colds are contagious, it’s difficult to leave unless necessary.”
Since colds naturally recover after about 1-2 weeks, I set the isolation period to 1-2 weeks.
Once they recover, they can be discharged.
“Phew! I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.”
Oh, I’m so tired.
At first, people were careless in their care for the patients, but now they have a better grasp of it.
Colds and the flu are diseases that can be improved with sufficient rest and sleep.
If there was someone to take care of them nearby, it would be easier to take a rest.
Since it was winter and the villagers didn’t have anything special to do, many people volunteered as temporary caregivers.
The patients trusted each other as they were familiar faces.
“Wear a mask! Don’t forget to wash your hands.”
I checked on their conditions and thoroughly educated them on hygiene.
To prevent even the healthy villagers from catching a cold.
Fortunately, there were no additional patients among those caring for the sick.
It’s a month-long battle, a long-term one.
During this time, it’s crucial to reduce the number of patients!
We need to minimize the risk of caregivers catching a cold while nursing.
*Sigh.*
After checking the cold isolation room, I went to the flu isolation room.
Both isolation rooms were warm with enough firewood inside, and the elderly villagers who came and went brought warm water for thorough handwashing.
“The system is in place for now.”
The key is to follow this system.
If this isolation treatment goes well, all the villagers of Lette could recover!
The battle lasts for a month, and the recovery period for colds and flu is usually 1-2 weeks, so we kept our expectations low.
Inside the flu isolation room, Malboi would periodically exert his divine power on the patients, sweating profusely.
“If I can’t heal this patient, they’ll die..!”
“No, Malboi, don’t say harsh things in front of the patients!”
Malboi still exhibited symptoms of external phobia, but at the same time, his divine power was strong.
His divine power was strong enough to treat three flu patients alone.
“When Malboi is outside the shrine, he becomes timid, but his divine power is fine.”
James was right about Malboi’s divine power being fine.
I rolled up my sleeves and helped with the flu patient treatment by exerting divine power.
“I can help too, so don’t worry.”
Now, my divine power had grown enough for me to be able to help.
Kim Cheolsu is not a guy as weak as four drops of disinfectant.
I have grown significantly in the past few days…!
To the extent that I can be called “Antibiotic Kim Cheolsu”!
But before saying this, I need to explain what happened in the past week.
A week ago, when the isolation wards were just starting to operate, there was an outbreak of flu patients.
There were a total of 9 flu patients.
Catherine could heal 4 patients, while Malboi could heal 3, leaving 2 patients unattended.
“I was really terrified at that time..!”
I remembered a week ago.
It was a critical moment for Kim Cheolsu’s treatment team!
The heart-stopping moment when two flu patients were gasping for breath, clutching their chests!
With a shortage of hands, there was no one to exert divine power on the two flu patients.
Two influenza patients’ symptoms worsened rapidly.
I propped up the patients on the bed with pillows to help them breathe comfortably and placed a cold cloth to lower their fever, but it was of little use for the patients suffering from the influenza virus.
“Kellock! Kellock! Ugh, it’s too hard to breathe.”
Darn it!
The influenza virus had to be eradicated.
I, who could only muster the power of four drops of disinfectant, felt powerless…!
Suddenly, I heard William’s voice, “Mr. Charles Kims? As an apprentice priest, treating influenza patients shouldn’t be very difficult for you.”
My head turned pale.
What should I do? Typically, in such severe cases, antiviral medications would be administered, but naturally, there were none available here.
I’m doing what I can by channeling my power to the patients, but it’s not having a significant effect.
At this rate, complications from the influenza are inevitable.
“Miss Catherine… Mr. Malvoy…!”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Patient, I’m channeling my power, so please bear with it for a little longer! Ah… What did Kim Chul-soo say?”
“If I use up all my power, will I not become a mirage..?”
Looking at Catherine and Malvoy, who could also channel their powers here to help, both were preoccupied with struggling with the influenza patients.
To the point that they couldn’t hear me.
Gradually, I returned to reality.
I have no choice.
“It can’t be helped.”
If this doesn’t work, then with my bare hands!
I will do it.
Just like when I couldn’t treat the patient with smallpox…!
I channeled a candle-sized amount of power into the influenza patients.
The warm energy within me gathered in my hands and was transmitted to the influenza patients.
“Ugh…”
No change in the patients’ complexion!
I soon reached my limit.
It felt like the moisture in my body had completely dried up, and the pain surged, making me want to stop channeling my power immediately!
“Ugh… I want to rest!”
Ah, I just want to give it all up and snuggle into a warm bed.
The overwhelming sense of exhaustion in my body was no joke.
But I didn’t stop.
It was a kind of stubbornness.
I didn’t want to fail this time.
Although lethargy was overwhelming, there was a pride within me that didn’t want to give up! As a result.
Ugh…!
My power was fading.
The pain I felt grew, and at some point, the pain disappeared.
Pa-aht!
Before my eyes, an endless sea of light unfolded.
A sea of light, the gathering of holy energy and sacred power.
Unknowingly, I had communicated with the sea of light.
Spread in all directions, a vast sea of light that only reached my ankles in an instant, I did not understand.
Until now, I was able to communicate with the sea of light through the help of Miss Catherine, never on my own, because of that.
“Huh…?”
What happened?
Surely, I continued to pour in sacred energy, and even though the limit was reached, I kept adding… It was as if I broke through a wall and connected to the sea of light.
I didn’t particularly intend to? I looked around, feeling doubtful.
When I received Miss Catherine’s help, there was a sandy beach, but it was not here where I connected.
There was only a faint sea of light all around.
The depth was not that deep.
“Is what’s good, really good…?”
Conveniently, the sacred energy must have been all used up, should I replenish it and go?
For now, I only understood what I could understand and strolled through the sea of light.
Pa-aht.
Sacred energy surged through my body.
Strange, no matter how far I walked, the depth of the sea did not increase.
It felt like I could replenish sacred energy as much as I wanted? No matter how much I walked through the sea of light, I did not think there was a limit.
“It’s amazing.”
Surely, when I came to the sea of light with Miss Catherine’s help, my body quickly reached its limit.
But when I came alone, there was no such limit.
“Something warm.”
I feel good.
If there were a parasol and a sunbed here, wouldn’t it feel like I’ve just come to the beach in Busan?
Slightly different from the image when I received Miss Catherine’s help.
Quietly, as I enjoyed it, I realized.
Plenty of sacred energy throughout my body! It only reaches my ankles, but the replenishment is fast.
Is it okay?
“Oh…”
At the same time, I felt it.
Somehow, now I feel like I could communicate with the sea of light on my own if I set my mind to it.
Without Miss Catherine’s help.
I vividly received the feeling of entering this sea of light.
I feel like I can do it on my own.
“Kim Cheol-su, without Miss Catherine’s help, I can now replenish sacred energy on my own!”
A capable adult on his own, Kim Cheol-su.
I felt a sense of accomplishment.
“Should I just cut off the communication and try to connect again?”
Can I really communicate with my own strength? Let’s test it out.
I want to make this experience truly mine!
“First… let’s go back.”
I lowered my head in thought.
I came here while treating a patient.
A patient struggling with respiratory distress.
I must use the sacred power I just replenished on the patient for now.
Because the urgent patient comes first!
Pah-ah!
I returned to the flu isolation room.
There was a flu patient in front of me, struggling to breathe.
I infused the sacred power with a familiar feeling.
Ziiing!
However, the amount of sacred power coming out is unusual.
My sacred power, which was about the size of four drops of disinfectant and a candle so far, not only surpassed the candle but seemed to grow to the size of a “small torch”!
“!?”
My sacred power noticeably increased.
Did I come back from the sea of light alone?
Instinctively, I felt that I had grown into a “full-fledged priest.”
I had gained enlightenment!
“Haah…haah…oh… I can breathe easier now.”
The patient’s complexion gradually improved.
When I infused the sacred power the size of a candle, no matter how much I poured it in, the patient’s complexion remained dark.
But when I infused the sacred power that had grown to the size of a torch, the complexion improved.
I trembled.
The enlightenment was astonishing and thrilling.
How much harsh persecution and disregard I had endured because my sacred power was weak!
The worries that had been weighing on me disappeared like melting snow.
Now, at least, there will be no more ridicule for having weak sacred power.
“Oh oh…!”
Even with the torch-sized sacred power, I raised the unyielding sacred power again.
It is definitely torch-sized.
My eyes are not mistaken.
I feel the significantly enlarged sacred power.
“Ha…haha…”
Laughter bubbled up.
I have definitely grown.
Now, I should be able to treat flu patients on my own.
Human victory!
That day, I cured two flu patients.
Catherine and Malboi were astonished by my rapid growth.
They had never seen a treatment disciple grow as quickly as me.
Ha-ha, in my past life in this world, there was not a single special talent, but now, am I finally seeing some light?
Thanks to curing 9 influenza patients that day, subsequent treatments went smoothly.
At this rate, I could treat all the patients in Lete Village.
This is the growth story of me, Kim Chul-soo, over a week.
***
One month later, the highly anticipated judgment day.
In the name of fairness, Mongus, the representative of the Urkyo main sect evaluation team, was invited.
“I will visit Lete Village and Leble Village, evaluate Kim Chul-soo’s treatment team and the hospital association, and designate the winner!”
If it’s the renowned fair Mongus, he can be trusted!
Kim Chul-soo and William glared at each other and then nodded respectfully to Mongus.
Depending on the outcome, either Kim Chul-soo’s treatment team or the Western Hospital Association would rejoice, while the other would face disgrace!