Chapter 240: Chapter 240

And then, Kim Geon froze.

Did I just imagine that?

He widened his eyes, every muscle in his body locking up.

There’s no way... Not with the state my brother's in...

Kim Gwon moved his finger again, as if denying his brother’s disbelief.

A groan escaped from his mouth—his first sound in years.

Kim Geon’s lips trembled uncontrollably at the sight.

His hands flailed in the air, unsure what to do. Even his fingertips quivered as violently as his lips.

His throat tightened. His vision blurred.

A miracle, so sudden and overwhelming, shattered the calm and composed Kim Geon completely.

“That’s a relief. I gave it a shot, just in case.”

“Sir... Department Head...”

“I promised, didn’t I? That one day, when my healing ability improved, I’d wake your brother from his coma.”

Kim Geon bit down hard on his lip at Su-ho’s words.

But even as he clamped his mouth shut, the tears came without resistance.

“Thank you... Thank you so much, really...!”

Tears flowed like a broken faucet, endlessly.

At the same time, he bowed again and again, his forehead nearly grazing the floor.

Su-ho grabbed him by the shoulder and gently pulled him up, standing him before his brother.

“You can thank me later. Focus on your brother for now.”

“Thank you... Thank you so much...!”

From the slowly awakening Kim Gwon came a single word: Hyung.

That was the trigger.

“Gwon-ah? You’re awake? Do you recognize me?”

His brother’s urgency slipped out.

At that, Kim Gwon smiled faintly.

“Of course... how could I not recognize you?”

“Gwon-ah...! Thank you... Thank you so much...!”

His brother’s recovery was a miracle. Just those few words from him were enough to completely break down Kim Geon again.

Su-ho quietly stepped aside to let the brothers have their moment.

It truly was a relief.

He’d used Recovery calmly, not expecting much—just on a hunch. But it had worked.

Isabella was right after all.

She’d said that Recovery from a second-tier healer could cure even a coma. And it had proven true.

Of course, it wasn’t just about reaching Level 200. The Recovery skill itself had to be of S-rank or higher.

Su-ho left them and headed to the next room.

There, Kim Geon’s real body lay sleeping.

Will it work this time too?

If it worked on the comatose Kim Gwon, maybe it could work on the paralyzed Kim Geon too.

Su-ho reached out and used the skill.

[Recovery is activated.]

A radiant light enveloped Kim Geon’s body.

No noticeable change.

But that was fine. He’d find out the results once Kim Geon returned to his daily life.

He gave the brothers time, waiting quietly.

Eventually, Kim Geon—face swollen from crying—stepped out and found Su-ho.

“Haha... yes. I may have lost control earlier.”

“What do you mean ‘lost control’? If it had been my brother suddenly waking up, I’d have reacted the same.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Well, now that he’s awake, introduce me. I’ll be seeing him again, after all.”

“Ah, yes. Of course. Right this way.”

They entered the room. Kim Gwon was now propped up in bed.

As he tried to get up to bow, Su-ho quickly stopped him.

“It’s okay. Just stay seated. You’ve only just woken up.”

“Still... I really want to thank you, sir. My brother told me everything. Thank you so much.”

Kim Gwon was just as courteous as his brother.

The mood softened naturally, and the three of them talked for a while, going over everything that had happened during Kim Gwon’s lost time.

Eventually, once most of the explanation was over, Kim Gwon sighed in quiet awe.

“This really is... a miracle...”

Tears welled in his eyes again.

It was only natural, thinking about how much his brother had gone through.

Wiping his eyes, Kim Gwon said, “Sir, thank you again. As soon as my body’s ready, I’ll find a way to repay you.”

“No need. You’ve just woken up. And Kim Geon has already paid enough, so don’t worry.”

“Right. I’m doing the work for both of us. All you need to do is focus on recovery. That’s more than enough.”

“That’s enough. We’ll talk more later. Just focus on healing for now. I’ve got to get back to work, so we’ll talk again soon.”

Kim Geon called for the caregiver.

The caregiver was shocked at the sight of Kim Gwon awake, but offered heartfelt congratulations.

After stepping out of the room, Kim Geon bowed deeply to Su-ho once more.

“Thank you so much, sir.”

“Alright, that’s enough. Bow one more time and your forehead’s going to drill a hole in the floor.”

“Even if it did, sir, you deserve it.”

“You talk too much... But seriously, congratulations. You’ve solved your biggest worry.”

“Thank you. It’s all thanks to you.”

“Do you really mean it?”

“...Of course. Truly.”

“Then help me with one thing.”

“Name it, sir. I’ll give it my all.”

Su-ho smirked at the response.

Su-ho led Kim Geon to another part of Nexus Academy.

Two people stood waiting and immediately stood at attention when they saw him.

The two waiting for him were none other than Kang Dae-han and Park Goong.

“It’s been a while. How have you two been?”

“Thanks to you, we’ve been well.”

Just as he’d told Bae Dong-hyeok and Kim I-gang, Su-ho planned to bring them into the Special Division.

And both had accepted his offer.

Refusing would’ve made no sense anyway—Su-ho was a benefactor to both of them.

He introduced them to Kim Geon.

“This is Kim Geon. Someone I trust deeply.”

“I’m Kim Geon. Nice to meet you.”

At his greeting, both Kang Dae-han and Park Goong bowed politely.

Su-ho turned to Kim Geon again.

“Get them both signed up for the Special Division’s special recruitment. Take care of them during the registration period. Kang Dae-han is a hybrid tank. He’s over Level 100, so train him like the others. But Park Goong hasn’t had his Hunter license for long.”

“Then should I steer Park Goong toward Grade 9 recruitment?”

This special recruitment had positions ranging from Grade 6 to Grade 9.

But Su-ho shook his head.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“No. His level is a bit low, but prep him for Grade 7. Park Goong was a national-level archer. His techniques more than make up for the level gap. If he scores high in the field assessment, he’ll pass. So drill him hard—on the basics, not just archery.”

Su-ho looked back at Kang Dae-han and Park Goong.

“You’ve both heard, right? I’m now the head of the Special Division. I want to bring you on board, but it has ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) to be official. Please, pass the assessment fair and square.”

“I’ll definitely pass!”

“Good. I’m counting on both of you.”

After encouraging them and giving Kim Geon further instructions, Su-ho finally left the academy.

Most of the urgent matters had been handled.

All that was left was the special recruitment evaluation in fifteen days.

Applications would start being reviewed around then.

But that didn’t mean he was going to rest.

There was something perfect to tackle during this brief gap.

Su-ho picked up his phone and made a call.

– You think I wouldn’t know your voice? What’s up?

He was calling none other than Martin Park.

At the question, Su-ho replied:

“It’s been a while since we last met.”

– So? You want another painting?

“That too, but I figured I should reach out before my schedule gets slammed.”

– So I’m supposed to adjust to your schedule now?

“Of course not. And I wouldn’t come empty-handed. I have a new offer I think you’ll like.”

“Are you still in Korea?”

“Then you’ve probably seen the articles about me?”

“Then how’d you know what I’m talking about?”

“Ha. Don’t lie. There’s no way you wouldn’t know what I’ve been up to while staying in Korea.”

Martin Park wasn’t the type to avoid media.

He groaned a little and replied:

– Fine. I’ve heard about the Jeju incident and the North Korea situation. So, what is it?

“Let’s talk in person. I’ll come to you.”

“Perfect. I’ll head right over.”

Su-ho got in his car and left.

They met at the Seoul Art Museum.

Martin Park was alone, admiring a painting when Su-ho approached him.

“Were you viewing some art?”

“Yeah. Needed inspiration.”

“Inspiration’s hard to come by, isn’t it?”

“If it came easily, it wouldn’t be inspiration. Anyway, stop with the chatter. Let’s hear your offer.”

As expected of Martin Park—impatient, but in a way Su-ho appreciated.

So he skipped the pleasantries.

“I’m planning to launch the operation in North Korea in a month, at most.”

“Already? I knew you were planning to move in, but this is faster than I expected.”

“There’s no reason to delay. And speaking of which, you’ve always been interested in rare pigments, right?”

“I’m talking about pigments you can only get in North Korea. Tempting, right?”

“Pigments from North Korea?”

“For example, a blue pigment extracted from Heaven Lake on Mount Baekdu.”

“Heaven Lake... huh?”

Martin Park’s eyes widened at that.

“Or a pink from a Kumgang flower tree. A gray made from Kaesong cement. Things like that. I’ll get them for you.”

“Those are definitely unique shades I can’t get now... Wait, are you suggesting a tab system?”

“Yes. These materials won’t be available until the operation starts. But if we make a deal now, I’ll make sure to extract and save them for you.”

“If you’re not interested, feel free to decline.”

“Who said I’m not interested? I was just mulling over the color possibilities.”

“Then do I have your approval?”

“Yes. This is a better offer than I expected. I was already working on a full-moon piece—guess I’ll get started properly.”

With that, Su-ho finally smiled.

Now he could finally clear out the Library of Martial Arts.

“I’ll escort you there now.”