NOVEL FROG Chapter 58
[Your Stomach Awakens.]
‘Hmm?’
Raciel blinked his eyes. It was an unexpected message that popped up at a time he hadn’t anticipated at all.
‘The stomach? A new member of the Five Viscera and Six Bowels has woken up?’
But the timing was odd.
Anise and the fifty werewolves. There was no message that popped up after he successfully paralyzed their tails. But now, a month later, this appears?
‘It must mean that the true effect of the procedure has just completed.’
It must have been a procedure that required the patient’s adaptation. He paralyzed the tail and tricked the body. He had the little toe move in place of the tail. There must have been some inconvenience, of course.
‘That adaptation is now complete, and that’s why I’m getting this reward now.’
But that reward is a new member of the Five Viscera and Six Bowels. An unexpected anticipation welled up.
‘What kind of creature is the stomach?’
He gulped down a mouthful of the salad he was eating for breakfast. Then, an immediate response came back.
Ding Dong!
[The Stomach responds to the food you have ingested.]
[Stomach: Boo hoo, I am a baby Stomach! I hate greens! Give me something tasty!]
“…….”
What is this thing?
Throwing a tantrum about side dishes as soon as it’s born.
Raciel moved his fork with a strange feeling. He chewed a few sausages. Swallowed. The Stomach immediately responded.
[Stomach: Ugh, isn’t there something tastier than this?]
‘Something tastier?’
Raciel chuckled.
The Stomach replied.
[Stomach: Pork cutlet… sweet and sour pork… chicken… pizza, please. I feel like I’m going to faint.]
‘…….’
[Stomach: And also a roll of kimbap… Ddeokbokki with lots of sauce. Jajangmyeon on the side, and for dessert, donuts rolled in sugar and syrup? Is that okay?]
“…….”
After a few words, he understood.
‘This thing has the palate of an elementary school kid?’
He let out an involuntary chuckle. But there was nothing he could do. He didn’t really have a way to cater to the Stomach’s requests.
‘Sorry, but there’s no food like that here. I miss kimchi, gochujang, and doenjang just as much as you do.’
It was a typical sentiment for Koreans. In reality, after eating only local food here, he often craved late-night snacks. Especially the tangy taste of kimchi, or the spicy, savory flavor unique to Korean food, sometimes keeping him up at night.
‘But I’m dealing with it. There’s nothing we can do. So, you should endure it too, okay?’
[Stomach: Sob… then at least give me candy.]
‘Tsk. Fine. Got it.’
He pretended to give in and picked up a candy that was on the plate for dessert. He rolled it gently in his mouth until it melted, then bit into it hard.
[Stomach: Sweetness! Yay!]
[The Stomach cheers at the sweetness celebrating its birth.]
[The Stomach has donated 300 HP to you.]
[The Heart, Lung, Large Intestine, and Liver rejoice at the birth of the youngest member and donate 500 HP.]
[The Liver is particularly happy about the junior and donates an additional 200 HP.]
[Current HP: 1,000]
“……Phew.”
Unexpectedly, he received a ton of HP donations. In addition, it will be easier to treat patients in the future.
‘The consultation range of the Five Viscera and Six Bowels has expanded. It’ll be easier to diagnose diseases related to the stomach.’
His mood naturally brightened at the thought. But the reward didn’t stop there.
Ding Dong!
[The level of Asrahan Core Technique increases.]
‘Hmm?’
Apparently, today was a day when all good things happened at once. Raciel let out a sigh of joy. He watched the additional message that popped up.
[You have adjusted and released the substances stored in the circle slot in microgram units during the process of performing local paralysis on the tail of the werewolf tribe. This meticulous control, which has been repeated, has become a great asset, promoting the growth of Asrahan Core Technique.]
[Skill Name: Asrahan Core Technique]
[Stage: Single Circle Lv. 3]
[Absorbs surrounding mana. The absorbed mana is processed/amplified in a circle around the heart and operated. The amplification rate increases significantly as the number of circles increases.]
[Mana Amplification Rate: 150%]
[HP required for next level-up: 1,500]
[Current HP: 1,000]
Up until here, it was almost the same as the previous level-up messages. But after that, there was a special additional message attached.
[As Asrahan Core Technique grows, the mana circle you possess is also affected.]
[The storage space of the mana circle is expanded.]
“Oh?”
The capacity of the circle slot was expanded. It was the moment he was reading that message.
Whoooosh!
Suddenly, a change occurred in the circle surrounding the heart. It felt as though a small water balloon was bulging inside his chest.
Eventually.
Ding Dong!
[Slot 1 has been expanded.]
[Maximum capacity of Slot 1: 10 liters -> 12 liters]
The message concluded, announcing the completion of the circle slot expansion construction (?).
“……”
Raciel was just eating breakfast and received an unexpected reward.
“Wow, I’m full, and I haven’t even finished my meal.”
It was like finding a 50-dollar bill in a winter coat pocket that you’d forgotten about from last year. Or maybe it was the feeling you get when you receive a message from a friend offering to set you up on a blind date while scratching your stomach and watching TV at home.
A smile of satisfaction came out naturally.
‘Anyway, the basic system is set up now.’
The Star Palace Oriental Medicine Clinic, opened with difficulty.
At first, he wondered if it would go well. Still, he pushed ahead with hope. After many twists and turns, he opened the clinic, focusing on viral advertising. Word spread, patients flocked in, and he even recruited professional nurses to cover the lack of manpower. And so he has finally come this far.
‘Now it’s the season of harvest.’
Every day passed with the dream of collecting bonus lifespans from the influx of patients. Anise and the werewolf nurses began their internship. They started looking after patients in the clinic and inpatient rooms.
Their ability was beyond imagination.
“Your Highness, the patient in Room 6 is not well.”
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
A young werewolf nurse ran into the clinic while Raciel was treating a regular patient. He spoke with a serious expression.
“The patient’s scent has changed. I think he’s about to get a fever.”
“Is that so?”
Raciel followed him to the patient.
When he felt the patient’s pulse, indeed, there were precursors of a fever. The liver was filled with fatigue. It was because of the slightly strong medication. So he changed the prescription. He also felt a surprise inside.
‘He detected a change in the patient’s condition without even reading the pulse. Whoa. Is this even real?’
An incredible ability. Moreover, the werewolf nurses had ample physical strength, as expected. 3 shifts like human nurses? They didn’t need that.
“Your Highness, this is Anise. We have made a new work schedule after a discussion.”
“Hmm?”
“Please take a look at this.”
“……”
When Raciel saw the new schedule handed out by Anise, he couldn’t help but be astounded.
“Why are the working hours 24 hours?”
“Well… We find that more convenient.”
“So, you want to work for 24 hours straight, then rest the entire next day, and keep doing that in alternating shifts?”
“Yes.”
“Won’t that be exhausting?”
“We find it easier than switching between day and night shifts every day.”
“No, what I’m asking is, will you be alright working for 24 hours straight?”
“To be honest, we considered working 48 hours and then resting 48 hours.”
“……”
“Do you approve?”
“Well, if it doesn’t affect your work and you’re comfortable with it, then sure.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
“……”
It was like that.
In a word, the werewolves seemed to be a race born for nursing. All their physical talents were optimized for nursing. Thanks to that, the system at the Star Palace Oriental Medicine Clinic became more solid.
Gradually, bonus lifespans began to be calculated for regular patients. Over a period of ten days, Raciel received six days of bonus lifespan—a modest but satisfactory increase. He understood that progress couldn’t be achieved all at once and reminded himself to be patient. The dream of automating the Oriental Medicine Clinic grew stronger as his confidence in the process increased.
However, during this time, the werewolf nurses started their on-the-job training. Amidst their training, the palace steward of the Star Palace paid a visit to Raciel while he was in the middle of a consultation.
“Hmm? What brings you here, Steward? Are you feeling unwell?”
“No, Your Highness. Actually…”
“Actually?”
“I have a grave matter to discuss, so I took the liberty of visiting.”
“I see. Just give me a moment to finish this consultation.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Curiosity swirled in Raciel’s mind. What could be so serious that the palace steward needed to discuss it personally? He speculated whether it might be a problem he wanted to consult about or if he had a health issue he couldn’t share with others.
After finishing with the patient, Raciel turned his attention back to the palace steward, who appeared resolute and serious.
“So, what is it that troubles you so much?”
“Your Highness, I regret to inform you that the Star Palace’s operation budget is nearly depleted.”
“……Hmm?”
Raciel’s head tilted involuntarily. The report seemed absurd—how could the Star Palace, the royal family’s domain, be running out of funds?
“That’s… unlikely.”
Raciel couldn’t comprehend the situation fully. As the crown prince of the empire, with no significant upheavals or changes in the royal family, it was puzzling that the palace budget was in dire straits.
“It doesn’t make sense. Is this a legitimate report?”
Raciel wondered if it was some kind of joke or prank, but the palace steward’s demeanor remained solemn.
“Your Highness, I assure you, this report is entirely truthful and accurate. The Star Palace’s operation budget is truly insufficient.”
“Really?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“You’re not joking?”
“Not at all, Your Highness.”
“……”
The palace being strapped for cash seemed ludicrous. An urgent question escaped Raciel’s lips.
“Why?”
“Do you wish for a detailed explanation?”
“Absolutely.”
He needed to know what was happening; there had to be a significant problem at hand.
‘Without funds, the Oriental Medicine Clinic, along with everything else, will come to a halt.’
Finances were essential—be it for purchasing medicinal herbs, paying the nurses’ wages, or covering the patients’ food expenses. Without money, the progress made in setting up the Oriental Medicine Clinic would be squandered in an instant.
‘This is unbelievable. What’s going on?’
Raciel couldn’t help clenching his teeth. He had already experienced bankruptcy in his clinic back in Korea due to insufficient funds, and now, he was faced with another financial crisis.
“Tell me everything in detail. Leave nothing out.”
This wasn’t a normal situation; there had to be something he didn’t know. Someone might have sabotaged the finances or devised a scheme. Whatever the case, there was more to the story. That was the suspicion that compelled Raciel to ask the palace steward.
Finally, the palace steward began explaining.
“Yes, Your Highness. As you instructed, I will provide a detailed explanation of the matter…”
As the palace steward revealed more information, Raciel started to realize exactly who was responsible for the current financial crisis.
‘…Raciel, what have you done?’
He gritted his teeth at the original owner of his current body, the frail Crown Prince Raciel Adria Magentano, as depicted in the novel.
(To be Continued)
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