"The Gunslinger?" Boros repeated. "So that means..."
"Yes," Veronica answered. "Griffin's primary weapons are firearms."
A grin slowly spread across Boros' face.
Veronica immediately narrowed her eyes.
"You just imagined fighting him, didn't you?"
"Uhhh... no?" Boros replied while scratching the back of his head.
"Good," Veronica said bluntly. "Because if you challenge Griffin, you'll die."
Boros' grin only widened further.
"That just makes me want to fight him even more."
Toman let out a nervous laugh.
"He really is like the other Apex-Ranked Adventurers..."
"And apparently the most handsome one too," Veronica casually added.
Before Boros could react, she suddenly grabbed his chin and tilted his head upward slightly.
"Your skin's surprisingly smooth," she muttered while examining his face. "How often do you eat?"
Boros blinked.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"A lot, actually," Veronica replied before finally letting go of him.
She adjusted her glasses again.
"Well? Answer the question."
"I eat whenever I'm hungry."
"I see..."
"And how often does that happen exactly?"
Boros stared at her for a moment.
"I dunno... whenever I'm hungry?"
Veronica immediately flicked his forehead.
Then she walked toward one corner of the room and began moving aside several glass tubes and medical tools as if searching for something.
"It has come to my attention," she said while rummaging through the shelves, "that the only information currently registered on your Guild ID is your picture and your rank."
She glanced over her shoulder.
"Is that correct?"
"Yeah," Boros answered.
"Well, that's a problem."
Veronica finally found what she was looking for and walked back over holding a syringe.
She sat down in her chair again.
"I'll give you your massage treatment afterward, but first we need to run a few tests so we can properly complete your Guild records."
She pointed toward him.
"Stick out your arm."
Boros extended his arm without complaint.
Veronica inserted the needle into his skin smoothly. Boros didn't even flinch.
As she drew blood, Veronica casually continued questioning him.
"Do you drink?"
"Drink?" Boros repeated.
"Alcohol," she clarified.
"Nah. I hate the taste."
"Ooh?" Veronica smirked slightly.
"Do you smoke?"
"No."
Boros frowned slightly.
"I hate that taste too."
Veronica slowly pulled the needle out before setting it aside.
"You know..." she said thoughtfully, "I'm actually starting to like you."
Boros raised an eyebrow.
"I've worked as a doctor for years, and you're the first Adventurer I've met who dislikes both smoking and drinking."
She let out a tired sigh.
"Almost everyone in this damn Guild does one or the other."
Her irritation was painfully genuine.
"It's unbelievably annoying."
She stood from her chair and gestured toward the center of the room.
"Alright. Stand up."
"Let's move on to the next test."
"Stand on the stadiometer. Let's measure your height," Veronica said.
"I'm curious to know how tall he is exactly," Toman added excitedly. "He's a damn giant."
"You should be able to tell basic things like height just by looking by now, Toman," Veronica replied as she adjusted the measuring arm over Boros' head.
A brief pause.
"Seven feet," she said. "Just as I thought."
"Woah..." Toman's eyes widened. "So tall."
"You're acting like you've never seen him before," Veronica said flatly.
She stepped back and gestured toward the machine.
"Toman. Since you're currently jobless, process his blood sample."
"Yes... Doctor," Toman said quickly.
He carefully placed the sample into an oven-like device.
The machine lit up blue as numbers began scrolling across the screen.
"How does that work?" Boros asked.
"The machine?" Veronica glanced at it. "It's not complicated. It analyzes blood against its internal system to determine type, genetic structure, and health markers."
"In some cases, it can even detect illnesses and suggest treatment protocols."
"I see," Boros said, stepping down from the stadiometer.
Ding.
"Doctor, results are ready," Toman announced.
He pulled a printed sheet from the machine and handed it over.
Veronica adjusted her glasses and read aloud.
"Blood type: O-negative. Genotype: AA. Blood sugar levels: normal."
"No infections or diseases detected."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Signs of dehydration... and recent hemorrhaging. Along with extreme physical strain."
She looked up at Boros.
"Your body is in far worse condition than your face lets on." The fact you're still standing is impressive."
She walked over to a table, grabbed a bottle of water, and handed it to him.
"Water?" Boros asked.
"Yes," she replied. "Drink consistently. Not excessively, but enough."
"Your fight with those Draken put serious strain on your body."
Her tone turned sharper.
"You really should listen to my advice and avoid combat for the time period I gave you."
She pointed at him.
"Your blood levels are low. Eat iron-rich food. Don't skip meals like you're invincible."
"Water first. Then protein. Then rest."
"Alright," Boros replied simply.
"Now sit," she said. "I'll ask a few more questions, then we'll move on to your massage so you can leave."
"More information for the ID?" Boros asked as he sat.
"Yes."
She picked up a pen and pad.
"What's your dominant hand?"
"Right."
"Any past surgeries? Any injuries that could affect battlefield performance?"
"No and No."
"Good." She wrote quickly.
"I'll be adding medical flags to your ID."
Boros tilted his head slightly.
"Medical flags?"
"For example," she explained, "I'll register the combat restriction I gave you earlier. You'll be marked as temporarily exempt from missions for the next three months."
"There will be additional notes as well."
Boros exhaled slowly. "You're serious about this."
"Yes," she said with a faint smile.
"Completely."
She turned toward Toman. "Send all recorded data to the ID department. They'll update his records."
"Yes, Doctor."
Toman collected the files and Boros' ID before leaving the room.
Veronica adjusted her glasses again.
"Now. Take off your clothes. We're moving on to your massage."
.....
A short while later, Boros stepped out of the office, rolling his neck slightly as he walked toward the reception area.
"Yo," he said.
"Shiro!!" Akeno's eyes lit up immediately.
"You took your time," Kinuko chuckled.
"Yeah. She wanted to record everything so my ID wouldn't be empty," Boros replied. "Won't take this long tomorrow."
"Sooo?" Akeno leaned forward.
"So what?"
"This is the part where you say, 'Sorry for keeping us waiting,'" she said, mimicking his voice.
"Apologize? I'd rather die," Boros replied, folding his arms.
"Huh?! Is that how you treat people who waited for you?" Akeno snapped.
"Huh? I don't see Kinuko complaining, you damn hag."
"Hag?!" Akeno gasped. "How dare you!"
"Woah, woah now," Griffin laughed from the side.
"Griffin?" Boros said, letting go of Akeno's shirt.
"Yer done with Veronica?" Griffin asked.
"Yeah."
"We were gonna give this to ya after your first mission," Adams said, stepping forward. "But since there was a reward for the Chaos Twin Draken hunt, we decided to give it to you now."
Griffin pulled out a black card.
"This is your standard transaction card," he explained. "But this one is specially made for Apex-Rank Adventurers and above."
"It's used to collect mission rewards and Guild payouts. Normally, you'd get it after your first official assignment."
"But the Guild Concord placed a bounty on those Draken. We should've split the reward... but the Guild isn't in need of funds."
He paused slightly.
"And you risked your life."
"So I figured you deserved the full amount."
Griffin placed the card in Boros' hand.
"The total in that account is..."
"One million Nex."