One week earlier...
On the day he told Jiho all the half truths about his experience with the desires, Minchae applied for the 'Transcendent Trainee package', a course in which you are made to do several random things, learn stuff, in hopes of completing your desire.
It sounds like a complete waste of time, energy and money but the statistics say otherwise. Several have attained transcendence because of these courses. They teach you random skills, such as whistling, unicycling, or how to do a backflip.
"Minchae, balance! How many times do I have to tell you? Here, I'll help." said the trainer as Minchae hopelessly learned how to skateboard.
He attended it for the week preceding his accident, but to no avail. The teachers had him hopelessly learn stuff and it all seemed like a circus show to him. Until the accident...
After the accident...
Minchae woke up. His body felt light. As if a limb was missing, but nothing was missing. He slowly opened his eyes but couldn't tell if they were open or not, as all he saw was darkness.
Hey! Where am I? Kang Tae seok! Jiho! Where are you guys?!
Quest-Giver: You're back already!
Quest-Judge: Yes. He just completed his desire yesterday.
Minchae thought to himself, (I guess the transcendent package paid off.)
What!? What was it? Tell me!
Quest-Judge: Your desire was:
Anger a God. (1/1)
Time limit: 1 year (358 days left)
Desire completed!
Wait hold up. When the hell did I do that?
Quest-Giver: You know the funny part is that if the desire had started in between the first visit, you would've already completed it since you angered me.
And you go and complete it again? What luck you have, boy!
Quest-Judge: You saved Kang Tae seok. The god of trees appeared as an apparition, spending a lot of their causality to assassinate him. Your intervention ruined her plans, causing her to be enraged.
What kind of god is that?
Quest-Judge: Gods don't necessarily follow the moral compass of humans. Even gods of positive domains such as light can be evil.
Well, why did that god try to kill him in the first place?
Quest-Judge: Gods' intentions are often shrouded in mystery. Although I assume that the CEO might've been harming the environment.
Him? Harm the environment? No way, he's famous for the opposite.
Quest-Judge: Things aren't always as they seem. He could've damaged the environment in the future or maybe his projects are indirectly damaging it.
Interesting. Well what happens now?
Quest-Giver: Well, now you receive what every human yearns for! Your ability!
Quest-Judge: You have officially joined the ranks of the Transcendents. A system will accompany you throughout your journey to power.
Minchae's face lit up in excitement as he pranced around, not being able to believe the fact that he had attained his dream.
Oh my god! I can't believe this is happening. I have to tell Jiho immediately!
Wait.
Minchae's thoughts finally connect.
(Saves CEO > goes to sleep?
How does that correlate?)
Oh...
...
Am I ok?! Am I alive!?
Quest-Judge: You are currently in a coma, my child.
What?! No! This can't be.
Quest-Judge: You need not fear, human. Your transcendence will awaken you from your short slumber.
Minchae breathed a sigh of relief as he heard this.
Ok so what is it? My ability?
Quest-Judge: Your ability is Harvester (F). The applications of this ability are endless. You can use it to will as an extended part of yourself. Your imagination is the limit.
So I'm a farmer now?
The giver's expression darkened. The air began to shatter.
Quest-Giver: You insolen-
Quest-Judge: Enough. Keep calm, giver.
Everything returned to its original state. The void: mundane and dark again.
Quest-Giver: Anyways! Stay tuned for your next desire. Let's hope you can complete those as well!
"Minchae! NO! Wake up!" screamed Jiho at the top of his lungs as his tears flowed onto Minchae's hospital gown.
"Yo Jiho, why are you crying?" said Minchae as soon as he woke up.
Kang Tae seok immediately shouted out, "DOCTOR! He woke up!"
A crew of doctors rushed in, pushing Jiho and the CEO out of the way.
They conducted several tests to determine his state.
The doctors came to a conclusion.
"The only damage is his missing leg. The amputation wounds and incisions have healed completely. All results are normal. He can be discharged immediately."
"Move! I want to meet him!" exclaimed Jiho.
"How's that possible though?" Tae seok asked the doctor.
"The only possible explanation is that he transcended. It is certainly possible since he is of age. But we need permission to perform a transcendence test."
The doctor waited for the command and couldn't perform the tests because they could harm a non-transcended person.
"Well he's awake, right? You should ask him." Jiho suggested.
"Sure. Also, you may meet him now. Come along."
The doctor escorted the two back to Minchae's room to have them meet.
"Jiho, I transcended!"
"Are you ok? Minchae!"
"Yeah I'm good. Perfectly healed up with everything because of transcendence."
Jiho thought to himself, (Does he not know he doesn't have his leg?)
"Minchae, your leg..."
"What, my leg?"
Minchae's expression went blank as he felt around, searching for his left leg, unable to grasp anything except his right leg.
"What? Fuck! How'd this happen?!"
"It was crushed by a metal beam when you saved Kang Tae seok." said Jiho.
"That's you, isn't it?" said Minchae, pointing towards the middle aged man standing beside Jiho.
"Yes. I'm very sorry. I'll do whatever I can to help you."
"Are you okay?" asked Minchae, worried about the result of his leg's sacrifice.
The CEO's mind filled with a fog of confusion about the fact that Minchae was worried instead of angry.
"Yes, I'm perfectly fine. All thanks to you."
"Great. At least my leg didn't go in vain."
The doctor interrupted, "Hold on. If you are really a transcendent, your leg will eventually heal. Do you allow us to perform the test?"
"Yes. Please go ahead." said Minchae looking at the message overhead which read, 'Harvester (F) obtained'.
"So Minchae. I'm sure you know what the test is. But just for procedure, I will tell you again. We will make a small cut on your palm. If it heals in a few minutes, you are a transcendent and vice versa."
The doctor reached for a scalpel. Minchae flinched at the irrational thought of not being transcended. The doctor grabbed the scalpel off the tray beside him and made a small incision on Minchae's palm. He was about to use a gauze cloth to absorb the excess blood when the wound glowed blue and the blood was pulled back inside by an unknown force.
"Kid, you say you've transcended. What's your personal skill then?" asked the doctor, hoping for an explanation for the bizarre phenomenon that had just occurred before them.
"It's called Harvester." said Minchae.
"That oughtta explain it. Your body lost blood and your skill reacted somehow... Perhaps, your harvester skill harvested the lost blood back into the wound?" the doctor said in an unsure and questioning tone.
"Now let's just wait a few minutes and finish off the test to seal the deal." declared the doctor.
They waited a few minutes to see if the wound would heal and lo and behold, the wound had completely closed up.
"The test results have come back positive and your friend is, in fact, a transcendent now." the doctor clarified.
"That's amazing! That means his leg will grow back, right?" asked Jiho.
"Precisely. Over the course of a month or two, his leg will return completely." said the doctor.
"So, should we proceed with discharging or do you want to let him rest?"
"I think a homely environment would be better for rest." said Jiho.
"Alright, I'll tell them to get the bills ready."
The doctor made all the preparations required for Minchae to discharge as soon as possible. Minchae left his recovery room on a wheelchair with a pair of crutches, slightly unsettled but rather unfazed by the loss of his leg, knowing it'll come back and excited to get his rank evaluated.
"How much is the bill?" asked Minchae.
"After all taxes and additions, the total comes out to 22 million won."
Minchae's jaw fell to the floor in shock upon hearing the number.
"What are you on about!? How the hell am I supposed to pay that much?"
"We can put you on a government aid progra-"
Kang Tae seok, the CEO interrupted the receptionist and said, "No need for that. I'll be paying up front in cash."
Out of the 3 men in jet black suits, one stepped forward with a briefcase full of cash. He pulled out stacks of cash, counted and paid immediately. The receptionist flinched at the sight of the towers of cash crammed into a briefcase. He closed up the briefcase and returned to the trio of men in black.
"I've never seen this much money in real life before." said Minchae, admiring the fortune he could've enjoyed, had the descent not happened.