Chapter 111: Behind Reinforced Walls

Frey had never imagined that breathing could become such a difficult task.

Every attempt to draw air into his lungs sent unbearable pain through his chest, and the warm blood gathering inside his mouth made him want to cough.

Unfortunately, coughing only worsened the agony spreading through his fractured ribs. His broken left arm lay awkwardly against the floor, while his remaining strength continued slipping away.

Somewhere above him, his mother was screaming his name.

"Frey! Sweetheart, please open your eyes!" Celeste cried, kneeling beside him as tears streamed down her cheeks.

She attempted to lift his head, but Laurent quickly stopped her, recognizing that moving him carelessly might worsen his injuries.

"Celeste, help me get him to the healing chamber," Laurent instructed, struggling to maintain his composure. "Lucien, run ahead and activate the emergency treatment system. Amélie, stay with your mother and don’t touch his wounds."

Lucien immediately sprinted down the corridor, his face pale with terror. Amélie remained frozen for several seconds before hurrying to help her parents.

Together, Laurent and Celeste carefully lifted Frey onto a nearby emergency stretcher, which had been installed specifically for accidents involving dangerous Awakener training.

Frey attempted to reassure them, but the moment he opened his mouth, another painful cough escaped his throat.

"Don’t... worry," he managed, forcing a weak smile despite the blood staining his lips. "I’ve had... worse."

"Stop talking, you idiot!" Celeste sobbed, gripping his uninjured hand as Laurent pushed the stretcher forward. "You’ve never been hurt this badly! Just save your strength and let us help you!"

Frey wanted to argue, but another wave of dizziness forced him to close his eyes.

The training facility had been constructed a few days ago, shortly after his Awakening.

Laurent had spared no expense, purchasing reinforced materials capable of withstanding powerful Awakener attacks and installing protective formations throughout the structure.

The building contained training arenas, equipment rooms, resting quarters, and several specialized facilities intended to support Frey’s development.

Among them was an expensive healing chamber.

Unlike the ordinary medical equipment found in hospitals, the chamber relied on a rare medicinal liquid containing concentrated healing properties.

Although it couldn’t instantly restore someone from the brink of death, prolonged immersion could stabilize severe injuries and accelerate recovery considerably.

Tonight, that investment might save Frey’s life.

When they reached the medical section, Lucien was already standing beside an enormous circular pool filled with luminous green liquid.

The pool occupied most of the chamber, and faint green mist drifted above its surface. Several protective formations surrounded it, maintaining the medicinal liquid’s healing properties.

"Dad, it’s ready!" Lucien shouted, rushing toward the stretcher. "The pool is activated, but the instructions say we have to remove his clothes before putting him inside."

Laurent nodded and immediately began cutting away Frey’s bloodstained shirt. The sight of his son’s injuries made his hands tremble. Dark bruises covered Frey’s torso, his left arm was visibly broken, and a terrible wound beneath his ribs continued bleeding.

Celeste covered her mouth, struggling to suppress another sob.

"Laurent, please hurry," she whispered, her voice trembling. "He’s barely breathing."

Working together, they carefully lowered Frey into the healing pool, keeping his head above the surface with the assistance of a submerged support.

The moment the green liquid touched his wounds, Frey felt a soothing warmth spread through his body.

The unbearable pain gradually lessened.

His breathing remained difficult, but the terrible sensation inside his chest began easing as the medicinal liquid worked to stabilize his damaged lung. The bleeding slowed, and the wounds covering his body started responding to the treatment.

Frey released a trembling breath.

"Fuck..." he muttered weakly, staring at the ceiling. "That’s... much better."

Celeste almost laughed through her tears.

"You’re unbelievable," she whispered, gently brushing his damp hair away from his forehead. "You nearly died protecting us, and you’re still swearing."

Frey managed a faint grin. "Wouldn’t... be me otherwise, Mom."

Laurent remained beside the pool, watching the green liquid gradually surround his son’s injuries.

Although the treatment had begun working, Frey was still in terrible condition. His broken arm would require time to recover, and the damage to his ribs and lung was far too serious to heal immediately.

Nevertheless, he was alive. For now, that was enough.

Unfortunately, the danger outside hadn’t disappeared.

BOOOOOOM!

A tremendous explosion shook the training facility, causing the lights overhead to flicker. Amélie screamed and instinctively clung to her mother, while Laurent immediately turned toward the security display mounted beside the chamber’s entrance.

Several warning indicators flashed across the screen.

[External Barrier Under Attack.]

[Protective Formations Active.]

[Structural Integrity: Stable.]

Laurent opened the surveillance feed.

Outside, dozens of masked Awakeners had gathered around the facility. Some were attacking the reinforced entrance with weapons, while others launched powerful Mana attacks against the protective formations surrounding the building.

Brilliant flashes illuminated the gardens as explosions repeatedly struck the defensive barriers.

However, the facility remained standing.

The reinforced walls absorbed the impacts, while the protective formations prevented the attackers from directly damaging the structure.

"Thank goodness," Celeste whispered, tightening her arms around Amélie. "They can’t get inside, can they?"

Laurent studied the display before answering.

"Not immediately," he replied, although his expression remained grim. "The walls and formations were designed to withstand attacks from 3-Star to 4-Star Awakeners. As long as the defenses remain active, we should be safe."

"Should be?" Lucien repeated, staring at his father. "Dad, what happens if they keep attacking?"

Laurent hesitated.

He had spent an enormous amount of money constructing this facility, believing that the best materials and protective formations available would provide sufficient security for his son.

Yet watching the masked Awakeners outside, he suddenly understood how fragile that confidence had been.

Money could purchase reinforced walls. Money could purchase protective formations, expensive equipment, and rare healing treasures.

But money couldn’t guarantee that someone powerful enough wouldn’t eventually break through them and money certainly hadn’t protected his family when their mansion exploded.

If Frey hadn’t been present tonight, they would probably have died before reaching the gardens.

Laurent slowly clenched his fists. For the first time in many years, the wealthy businessman felt utterly powerless.

"Dad?" Lucien asked again, noticing his father’s silence.

Laurent turned toward his children and forced himself to remain calm. "The defenses are holding, Lucien. That’s what matters right now. We’ll remain here until we can contact someone capable of helping us."

Frey listened quietly from the healing pool.

His father was trying to reassure everyone, but Frey could hear the uncertainty in his voice. Laurent had always seemed capable of solving any problem, whether it involved business, money, or the family’s future.

Tonight, however, none of those things mattered.

Outside stood Awakeners who could destroy an ordinary mansion with a single attack.

And inside were four ordinary humans who couldn’t defend themselves against even one of them.

Frey closed his eyes briefly, struggling against the exhaustion threatening to overwhelm him.

Then he remembered something.

Jet.

His eyes snapped open.

"Mom," Frey called weakly, turning toward Celeste. "My phone. Where’s my phone?"

Celeste frowned. "Sweetheart, you need to rest. Whatever it is can wait until you’re feeling better."

"No, Mom," Frey insisted, attempting to sit upright before a sharp pain forced him back against the support. "Jet called me before the explosion. He warned me that we were being targeted. I need to know what’s happening to him."

Laurent looked toward his wife.

"The phone was left in the dining room," he reminded Frey, his expression darkening. "It was probably destroyed when the mansion was attacked."

Frey cursed under his breath.

"Then give me yours, Dad," he requested, holding out his uninjured hand. "I know his number."

Laurent immediately retrieved his phone and handed it over.

Frey entered Jet’s number with trembling fingers before pressing the call button.

The line rang.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Nobody answered.

Frey frowned and waited until the call disconnected before immediately trying again.

Still nothing.

"Come on, you bastard," he muttered, staring at the screen. "Pick up your damn phone."

Celeste watched him anxiously. "Maybe Jet is somewhere he can’t answer, sweetheart. You said he was the one who warned you, didn’t you? Perhaps he’s already found somewhere safe."

Frey wanted to believe that, unfortunately, he knew Jet too well.

His friend wouldn’t have called in such a panic unless something terrible had happened. More importantly, Jet had somehow discovered the attack before Frey’s estate was struck.

Which meant Jet might already have been attacked himself.

Frey called again.

The phone continued ringing without an answer.

He tried a fourth time, then a fifth, ignoring the worried expressions on his family’s faces.

Nothing.

Outside, another explosion struck the facility’s protective barrier, briefly illuminating the medical chamber through its narrow windows.

Frey barely noticed.

His thoughts were racing.

Jet lived in an apartment in Zenith City with Inez. Unlike the D’Aubigné family, he didn’t possess a private estate surrounded by expensive defenses.

There were no reinforced training facilities nearby, no protective formations capable of withstanding sustained attacks, and certainly no healing pool waiting to treat serious injuries.

And Inez was only seven years old.

Frey stared at the unanswered call, his expression gradually changing from concern to horror.

If these masked bastards had attacked his family because of their connection to the expedition, then Jet would almost certainly be another target.

Perhaps the most vulnerable one.

Because while Frey had barely managed to escape into a fortified facility with his family, Jet had nowhere comparable to retreat.

And if the same number of attackers had been sent after him...

Frey tightened his grip on the phone, suddenly realizing that his best friend might be fighting for his life somewhere in Zenith City, desperately trying to protect his little sister without the safety of reinforced walls.