Crown Prince Sells Medicine

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Raciel was astounded.

Every detail lay bare before his eyes, as if he had activated some sort of map hack. He could perceive every aspect of his opponent in real-time, an ability he couldn’t believe was real.

‘I can’t believe this…’

His first reaction was skepticism.

Initially, he had acted purely out of survival instinct. Facing the Minotaur’s overwhelming violence, he had desperately rolled and dodged, fearing a miserable death in that perilous place. However, it seemed that his frantic efforts had borne unexpected fruit. At the most critical moment, he acquired an essential ability.

‘Meridian Scanning? The Asrahan Precision Diagnosis… It evolved into a formal skill option?’

Raciel hastily examined the message that appeared before him.

[Skill Exclusive Option 1: Meridian Scanning – Within a range of 10 meters, you can scan and understand the movement of the meridians flowing inside the body of the target in real-time. (Limited to living entities / Number of targets that can be locked on: 1)]

He glanced up.

Through the thick sail that covered him like a blanket, he saw green text floating in his line of sight, indicating “<Lock-on>.” Below it, the imposing figure of the Minotaur was outlined in green.

Yes, the Minotaur whose name appeared on the health check was Uruus.

‘….’

Raciel could observe every movement of Uruus. He saw the basics, such as the movements of its muscles and joints, but he could also perceive the flow of Qi within its body. He could discern the route taken by mana, which meridian it lingered in, and where it flowed. The function of the mana flow stimulating nerves, moving tendons and muscles in certain parts, and even how its breathing process worked.

Heart and lungs.

Small intestine and large intestine.

Stomach and liver.

He could see the harmonious functioning of all these organs and how this harmony affected the creature’s actions. Raciel could see everything clearly and completely.

‘Unbelievable. Isn’t this like a cheat?’

He couldn’t help but think that.

“…Muoook!”

Uruus roared from above, and Raciel could see the Qi flowing down its spine. Just below the seventh thoracic vertebra (T7), there was a spot hollowed out underneath its spinous process, which, in humans, would be the location of the Zhiyang point. It was shining brightly.

The light flowed through the muscle shrinking point on the ninth thoracic vertebra (T9) like an electric current. It then swiftly settled into the Fengshi point on the outside of its right thigh. At the same time, Uruus raised its right leg.

‘It’s going to stomp!’

The moment the Yanglingquan point, located in the hollow where the kneecap and the top of the calf bone meet, glowed brightly, Raciel could predict where its right hoof would land.

He knew the angle of muscle movement.

The point and timing of impact.

All of this was evident to him, without the need for any calculations.

“…Whew!”

Raciel rolled his body twice to the left. Immediately afterward, Uruus’ right hoof crashed down exactly where he had been lying. The timing was precisely as he had predicted.

Tuquazzuck-!

‘…’

Now he understood the power of this option, Meridian Scanning.

‘It’s unbelievably potent!’

It was indeed real.

No exaggeration or bluff.

‘It’s an insane ability.’

Despite the intense tension and sweat-inducing moments, he couldn’t help but marvel. And for a good reason. The Asrahan Core Technique he had used for mana detection was fundamentally different.

‘Before, I could only detect a patient’s mana. When treating George’s brain disease or Anise’s tail, I used the Asrahan Core Technique. Thanks to the Asrahan Precision Diagnosis, I could detect the flow of mana in the patient’s meridians in real-time. But this Meridian Scanning option? It’s on a whole other level.’

The Asrahan Precision Diagnosis and its evolved form, Meridian Scanning, felt worlds apart.

The Asrahan Precision Diagnosis could only detect stationary targets within a range of less than 1 meter. Moreover, using it demanded intense focus, as if taking an important exam. He had to concentrate solely on detecting mana, and sustaining that concentration was a laborious task.

But now?

‘I don’t have to concentrate like that anymore. By simply activating the option, it automatically detects mana for me, right?’

Thanks to this newfound ability, Raciel could roll and move freely without losing focus on his detection.

‘Also, the range is 10 meters. I can fully analyze the Qi of a moving target. This is… a huge difference.’

This evolution was like an explosion of power, igniting a faint spark of confidence within him.

‘I can do this. I can evade. I can survive.’

Kwang! Kwajack! Kwagudek!

“Muoook-!”

Hooves dropped, fists smashed the ground, and horns tore through the deck, but Raciel could foresee every move.

He knew where the Minotaur would strike and the methods he would employ. He carefully studied every detail, successfully evading Uruus’ relentless attacks. As he observed, Uruus’ roar grew fiercer.

‘Phew, isn’t he getting tired?’

Raciel sneaked a peek at Uruus’ heart. It seemed to suffer from angina, as the blood flow appeared ragged. Yet, due to its inherent strength, it remained surprisingly active. In fact, it seemed almost frantic.

Seeing this heightened Raciel’s anxiety.

‘This can’t go on.’

Suddenly, he realized that merely dodging would lead to no resolution. That was the natural conclusion.

‘There’s limited space to escape here. Unless I jump off the ship, I’ll have to keep avoiding him within this confined area. But… can I do that?’

It would be impossible. He was already running out of breath. However, Uruus, the king Minotaur, was still quite energetic.

‘Angina? I’m weaker than him. My stamina will deplete first. Even if I predict accurately, I need the energy to move my body accordingly. Without the ability to execute those movements, evasion and everything else becomes useless. One good hit, and I’ll be fatally injured.’

‘I can’t die like this.’

So, before his energy runs out, he need a plan.

‘Oh, this is crazy.’

It was the only solution he could think of, the only feasible method. Just thinking about it made his teeth chatter.

‘I’ve never done this in Korea!’

He headed toward the ripped sail while narrowly dodging Uruus’ fists that struck the deck twice.

Reaching the gap in the sail, he stood up, gazing at the cool night sky with Uruus standing tall in front of him.

“…Puruk!”

Uruus noticed him and snorted vigorously, but Raciel had neither the intention nor the luxury to respond. Ignoring the beast, he ran towards Kozumi.

“Kozumi, give me one thorn!”

He rushed towards the helm and shouted at Kozumi, who was present. Had his shout reached it properly? Raciel saw Kozumi curl up, putting strength into his back.

“Kooooo!”

Pop!

One thorn was plucked from Kozumi’s back.

“Throw it here!”

“…Koooo!”

Kozumi threw the thorn. It was quite large as it had been plucked out in its enlarged state. Raciel swiftly caught it, realizing that it was nearly 1.5 meters long.

‘Perfect.’

He gripped the middle of the thorn. It felt like holding a spear. With his other hand, he pulled out a small disk from his pocket. It was the Shield of Frost, Perennial Snow, that he had obtained a while ago. As soon as he pulled it out, he injected mana into it.

The reaction was immediate.

Patsusus!

A chilling sound erupted from the flat center of the disk. Simultaneously, a white cold mist, similar to dry ice, spewed out. A 1.2-meter radius frost shield formed instantly.

Kagagak!

Raciel stopped running and turned his body 180 degrees to face Uruus. Holding Perennial Snow up, he took a defensive stance. Through the gap in the sail, he aimed the giant thorn at the charging Minotaur. His stance was reminiscent of the Spartan warriors he had seen in a movie.

‘Now, ready to treat today’s rampaging patient!’

Merely dodging was not the answer. Instead, he would use his remaining energy to bring this to an end. He would utilize the meridian scanning option to paralyze the Minotaur’s muscles one by one by targeting its meridians.

With this resolution, Raciel raised his head, and Uruus was already charging towards him.

“Puruk! Muo-!”

Kwakwakwa-!

Uruus charged with its horns lowered, filling the space with its imposing figure. For a moment, Raciel’s legs wavered, wondering why he was doing this. But he quickly encouraged himself.

‘Show them. You can predict it. So…you can avoid it!’

He thought of the matadors of Spain.

Not too hastily. If fear overpowers you and you dodge too early, the bull will easily pursue you. So, maintain a distance where the bull can’t react, and only when your safety is minimally ensured, at that precise moment when these two conditions are met…

‘…Now!’

Tadat!

The bull’s movement was visible through meridian scanning. Thanks to this, he could predict the point and timing of the attack. He identified a blind spot and took two steps towards it.

Hooong-!

One horn whizzed past the side of his head with immense momentum. At that moment, he swiftly bent his waist and rolled forward.

“Ugh!”

Boom! Boom!

The enormous head and neck of Uruus, along with its throbbing chest muscles and armpit, zoomed past him like an express train. He quickly got back on his feet and turned around.

Crash!

The Uruus’s back plowed the deck floor with its horn, not realizing that it had missed its attack, continuing its charge blindly, swinging its head.

In that moment, he saw it.

The tender area around the creature’s waist.

‘The spleen acupoint (脾兪穴), right beside the edge of the 11th thoracic vertebra (T11). In other words, where the erector spinae muscle line is!’

That spot filled his vision. He sprinted towards it, putting all his strength into the run, even amplifying the breath he had been holding.

[Activating the discharge function of slot 1.]

[Please set the discharge amount.]

‘All of it!’

The circle slot started rotating at full speed in reverse.

[Releasing the 12 liters of air stored in the circle slot.]

He applied the discharge force to his toes.

At that moment, he stomped on the deck.

Boom!

An air bomb exploded from his toes, propelling him forward like an air rocket. As he soared through the air, he kicked off the ground and pulled back his spear. He aimed at the spleen acupoint, which was approaching rapidly. He thrust his spear into it like a sharp dagger.

But then… it was blocked.

What-?

“…Huh?”

Despite putting his entire body into the attack, his spear failed to penetrate the creature’s tough skin. He had timed it perfectly, yet his spear couldn’t even scratch the creature’s hide and bounced off!

“-Ugh?”

Boom!

The recoil from his full-strength stab surged back through the spear. It felt as if he had sprinted 100 meters towards a solid wall and was flung back.

“…Ugh!”

Crash! Bang!

Helplessly, he was flung back onto the deck, tumbling over three times. He lost his grip on the spear. Everything was spinning around him, and he felt completely disoriented.

‘Quick, quickly….’

Despite feeling dizzy, he urgently tried to stand up. He reached out his hand to grab his spear. But then.

“…Mooo.”

Right above his head, he heard the creature’s rough breath. Simultaneously, a giant shadow enveloped him. He looked up immediately, and that’s when he saw it.

“Rooooooar!”

A massive fist was hurtling towards him.

“…!”

Predictions? Acupoint scanning? He could see it all. But to avoid it, it was too…

‘It’s too late!’

The moment he realized it, Raciel activated the Perennial Snow, using it as a shield to crouch down and jump back. He should have felt like he was hit by a dump truck.

…!

But there was neither a loud noise nor an impact. He felt nothing.

‘What.’

Was he hit? No, he had defended himself. Raciel looked around dazedly. Pieces of cold energy sparkled all around, scattering like beautiful stars in the night sky.

‘Perennial Snow……’

It shattered in one strike.

Then what about him?

What happened to him?

The pieces of Perennial Snow were getting farther away. The scenery around him was moving slowly. He was flying. No, he was being blown away. The crew members stared at him in shock. Demian was half-fallen, shouting something.

Then came the rapid approach of the fall.

Crash! Bang!

“…!”

A scream was beyond his strength. Like a kite with a severed string, he crashed onto the deck. He didn’t know how many times he tumbled or in what position he ended up sprawled in. A hollow laugh was the only thing that came out in his stunned state.

‘Am I… alive?’

Face down, he barely lifted his gaze. His fingers twitched and trembled. Seeing that, he knew. For now, he was alive. Mostly thanks to Perennial Snow that absorbed most of the shock.

But now, it felt like he was about to die. His whole body was unbearably painful. No, pain was secondary.

Kuwoong… Thud…

The heavy footsteps were approaching. A violent snort on one side. The silhouette of a victorious monster was getting closer. It seemed that brute intended to make an example out of him.

‘Is this… the end?’

A strong sense of reality.

Goosebumps sprouted.

His fingertips cooled.

He hated it. Dying in a place like this. Ending up so pitifully. He still didn’t want to give up. So, whatever it is. Any sort of thing.

‘Geu, geuht!’

He tried to stand. With trembling hands, he forced them to move, pushing against the ground. Splinters from broken wood pierced his palms.

“Uhht!”

The sharp pain awakened his senses. He could distinctly feel each piece of splinter that lodged into his palm. But it wasn’t just the splinters he felt. Something was clutched in his hand.

‘A leather… pouch?’

It was the pouch he always carried. One side had been torn open. He could see the contents spilling out through the tear. Things he had received while summoning a Phantom Beast. Magical seeds that could enhance the physique of a Phantom Beast.

‘Sunflower seeds….’

A red sunflower seed filled his sight. At that moment, suddenly, an impossible possibility came to mind.

‘Perhaps.’

Something he had never tried before.

But maybe.

Really, maybe.

Could it be possible?

“…..”

Under normal circumstances, he would have dismissed it as madness. Laughing at the idea of such a ridiculous thing. But not now.

“Phuruk!”

The Uruus raised its fist above his head. He lacked the strength to avoid it. Something, anything. Now was the time when he had to do it.

Grip!

He held the seed tightly and brought it to his mouth. He tossed it in and chewed. He fervently prayed. No matter how ridiculous the possibility seemed. Even if it was a vain hope. He wanted something to happen.

‘Please.’

At that moment.

….Hwaaack!

The world seemed to shrink.

No, he was now at eye level with the Minotaur.

(To be Continued)

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