Chapter 182: Kindred Spirits

After leaving the gatekeeper’s room, Shi Ji headed straight for Regular A’s ward. When he arrived, he found it empty. After asking around, he learned that Regular A had been moved to another room.

Regular A was an ordinary person, so his recovery would take time. But thankfully, he was in good shape and looked pretty spirited.

As a low-ranked C-rank hero, Reagular A wasn’t someone who drew much attention. Unlike the gatekeeper, he didn’t usually have people coming to visit him. So when the door opened and he saw Shi Ji walk in, holding a single small apple, he suddenly felt a wave of emotion.

He was just an ordinary guy, and though he was a C-class hero, people often looked down on him because of his lack of powers. Shi Ji was one of the few people who actually acknowledged his efforts.

“Yo! I’m back,” Shi Ji greeted casually.

Regular A was overjoyed. Despite his injuries, he couldn’t help but make a bigger movement, getting out of bed.

“Shi Ji! Please, sit down.”

Shi Ji placed the apple to the side, looking a bit embarrassed as he said, “Sorry, man, I’m really broke. This is all I could manage for now. I promise I’ll make it up to you when I’ve got more money.”

“Haha, don’t say that. The way you’re talking makes it sound like you’re jinxing me.”

Regular A was even happier than the gatekeeper had been earlier.

“No, really. It may be small, but it means a lot. Thank you, Shi Ji.”

After handing Shi Ji a glass of water, Regular A sat down on the edge of the bed, his movements now much more natural. It was like all his pain had disappeared.

“I never expected you’d come to visit me,” Regular A said, clearly moved.

Previously, the A-rank gatekeeper had faced a similar issue, though the underlying reasons were quite different. Strictly speaking, Shi Ji and Regular A were more like passing acquaintances, having only met briefly. Yet despite that fleeting connection, Shi Ji had come to visit him. This small gesture gave Regular A, who had rarely been acknowledged by others, a newfound sense of confidence. It reinforced his belief that even as an ordinary person, without the aid of advanced technology or special powers, he could still train hard and become a reliable hero.

In reality, Shi Ji’s primary reason for visiting the hospital was to check on the gatekeeper. Since Regular A was also there, he figured he might as well drop by. It was nothing more than that. Of course, Shi Ji wasn’t about to admit this out loud.

Holding the glass of water, Shi Ji took a sip and smiled. 

“I came because you’re a hero. Keep it up, okay?”

Because Shi Ji genuinely acknowledged Regular A as a hero, he spoke more openly with him. 

Regular A might not have the powerful tech that heroes like Alloy had, but even with limited growth potential, he should still try to push his limits. Shi Ji didn’t want to see him give up. He was rooting for him and held high hopes for his future.

Regular A, once again receiving Shi Ji’s encouragement, was momentarily at a loss for words. His eyes grew misty with emotion.

But in the end, he held back his tears. After all, real men don’t cry. Tears wouldn’t solve anything. What he needed to do was work harder and get stronger.

Taking a deep breath, Regular A calmed his emotions, then flashed a bright smile at Shi Ji.

“Shi Ji, thank you for helping me out last time. Actually, the Bronze, Silver, and Gold brothers weren’t injured because of those aberrations, were they?”

Shi Ji, in the middle of taking a sip of water, immediately choked.

Cough, cough… cough!

Regular A froze, immediately feeling apologetic. 

“Ah, sorry, sorry!” 

Shi Ji quickly recovered, shaking his head. “No, no worries. I just wasn’t paying attention.” 

That comment had really startled Shi Ji. He tended to follow his instincts when it came to fights, and most of the time, he preferred sneaky surprise attacks so no one would catch him. Even when he fought head-on, he tried not to hit too hard and would make a quick getaway afterward. Why? Well, the truth was, he was dirt poor. The last thing he wanted was someone chasing after him for medical bills or compensation for emotional distress.

“Regular A, uh… how exactly did you figure that out?” Shi Ji asked, genuinely curious.

Regular A grinned. He suddenly looked a bit sly.

“You forgot this hospital is built specifically for heroes, didn’t you? The Bronze, Silver, and Gold brothers are recovering here too.”

Shi Ji’s eyes widened immediately. He put down his cup in a hurry.

“Nope, nope, I gotta get out of here right now. I’ll visit you again later—gotta go!”

With that, he didn’t waste a second. He quickly made his way to the window.

Regular A, already sensing what was about to happen, called out, “Hey! Shi Ji! This is—”

But before he could finish, Shi Ji leaped straight out of the window without a second thought.

Regular A rushed over to the window and looked down. Nothing. Shi Ji had already vanished without a trace.

“This is the eighteenth floor…”

***

When Shi Ji first came to the hospital, he hadn’t considered all the details—like the one he just ran into. This hospital was built specifically for injured heroes, and every single one had their own private room. Most of the wounded heroes came here for treatment, though there were always exceptions.

Regular A was here, the A-rank gatekeeper was here, and the beaten Bronze, Silver, and Gold brothers were also here. But what Shi Ji didn’t know was that Divine Hunter, the one who suffered the worst beating from him, was also in the hospital.

Divine Hunter’s injuries were severe. Even though he had a tough body, the damage Shi Ji inflicted went beyond the surface. While the external wounds were healing, the internal damage was much harder to fix. According to the doctors, Divine Hunter would have to stay in the hospital for at least a month.

Thinking back on what had happened, Divine Hunter couldn’t help but feel unlucky. He hadn’t even seen who attacked him, yet he ended up getting pummeled so badly. There was no way to explain this kind of frustration.

And that wasn’t the only loss. His arrows had been taken too.

Divine Hunter guessed some local kids must’ve grabbed the arrows. As for why they didn’t take the bow, it was probably because the bow itself weighed several dozen pounds—far too heavy for a child to carry.

What he didn’t know was that his bow had been swapped out as well.

***

At that moment, a nurse was pushing Divine Hunter in a wheelchair down to the lower floor for a routine check-up.

He couldn’t feel much of anything throughout his body, except pain. His entire body was bruised, and the parts of his face that weren’t covered were swollen and black and blue. The whole situation was almost laughable. If this had been yesterday, it would’ve been even more ridiculous. His face had been so puffy and swollen that he really did look like a pig.

As soon as the elevator arrived on the lower floor and Divine Hunter was wheeled out, someone rushing by at a quick pace caught his eye.

“Wait a second! Nurse, hurry, push me over there! Follow that person!”

The nurse nodded and quickly pushed Divine Hunter in the direction he requested.

Turning a corner into another hallway, Divine Hunter spotted the figure from a distance and immediately recognized him.

“Hey! B.. Blade! Wait up!”

Sure enough, it was Blade.

But just as Divine Hunter tried to call out louder, the nurse quickly stopped him.

“Lord Divine Hunter, this is a hospital. Please lower your voice.”

“But…” 

Before he could finish, Blade already stopped and glanced back.

Seeing this, the nurse picked up the pace, pushing Divine Hunter closer.

Blade being at the hospital was surprising enough, but as Divine Hunter got closer, he noticed Blade’s clothes were torn, and his body was covered in various injuries.

“What the…?” Divine Hunter was at a loss for words. “Blade, what happened to you? How did you get hurt?”

Divine Hunter knew how powerful Blade was. For someone like him to be injured—that was hard to believe.

Back when Divine Hunter had fought Blade, he had held back a little. Otherwise, Blade wouldn’t be in just this rough condition.

Despite his defeat at Shi Ji’s hands, Blade wasn’t discouraged. In fact, for the first time ever, a faint smile appeared on his face. It was a look of genuine relaxation, something Divine Hunter had never seen from him before.

“I ran into a monster,” Blade said with a grin.

He couldn’t bring himself to admit that Shi Ji had defeated him. Although he’d learned something from the experience, his pride still wouldn’t let him say it outright.

Divine Hunter blinked in surprise. 

“A monster? You mean an aberration? How strong was it to leave you like this?”

Blade nodded. 

“Yeah, really strong. Very, very strong. Anyway, I’ve got something to take care of, so I’ll be off.”

As Divine Hunter watched Blade walk away, he stood there, mouth half-open, unsure of what to say. There was something about Blade now—something unfamiliar.

Divine Hunter had no idea that the person who beat him and Blade was the same man.