Chapter 177: Reborn
Chapter 177: Reborn
"I’ll call you myself if we need you," Soren said, waving his hand. "Just take care of Uncle. And again, don’t hesitate to ask if you need any help."
"I will. Take care," Clara nodded, her expression softening with gratitude. Soren bowed his head slightly to the couple and took his leave, stepping out into the hallway as the door slid closed behind him.
’Now that I’ve taken care of this, I should get back and see if she’s awake now,’ he thought, adjusting his pace.
He had already been outside for more than half an hour, and he didn’t want to leave her alone for any longer.
As he walked, Soren shifted his gaze toward the periphery of his vision, bringing up the floating windows that had quietly settled there.
───────
Name: Clara Hart
Age: 47
Status: Healthy
Rank: 2nd Circle (Early)
Current Mana Level: 12,054 / 22,000
Mental State: Stable, Relieved, Fatigued
Affinities: Water (Grade 4 - C Rank)
Hidden Talent / Traits: None
Potential: 3rd Circle (Estimated Peak)
Investment Value: Moderate
───────
’Hmm...’
───────
Name: Ben Hart
Age: 49
Status: Recovering (Severe Muscle Strain, Minor Internal Bruising)
Rank: Unawakened
Mental State: Calm, Grateful, Physically Exhausted
Hidden Talent / Traits: None
Potential: 1st Circle
Investment Value: Low
───────
’...I see.’
While the Authority Advancement doesn’t seem to have finished yet, it has already clearly affected his Advanced Appraisal ability. He could now see more info and in detail.
This made him certain that this ability was fundamentally tied to his Authority, rather than being a separate ability like his Accelerated Regeneration or Adrenaline Burst.
Moreover, he still had no idea how the advancement was happening or when it would finish, since he had fallen unconscious the moment he initiated it and hadn’t received any notifications upon waking.
Yet, he could feel a profound shift within himself, as if the core of his being had evolved.
’I feel like I’ve been... reborn,’ he thought, recalling the strange sensation that had lingered since he opened his eyes.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t had the opportunity to check himself properly since the attending doctor was already in the room when he woke up. The man had been utterly dumbfounded by his rapid recovery and had immediately sent him to undergo various check-ups for nearly an hour.
The results had turned out fine. Incredible, in fact. If anyone had seen the doctor’s expressions during the examinations, they would have thought the man was looking at a ghost or a completely different species. After all, even high rankers would struggle to recover that quickly from such devastating injuries.
Thankfully, Soren had a perfect alibi to deflect their suspicions: his recently evolved regenerative ability, which offered a logical explanation for his unnatural recovery speed.
Because of all that chaos, he hadn’t found the time to properly check on Ethea yet. More than that, he had consciously decided to wait until the advancement concluded entirely before doing so. He didn’t want to see that frustrating ’insufficient authority’ warning over and over again.
Speaking of which, what exactly was an Authority anyway? Was it really just a high-ranking ability, or did it belong to an entirely different class of power? There had to be others out there too, right? After all, he had seen a sealed Authority listed within Ethea’s profile before, which practically confirmed that his was not an isolated case.
If there were more, what kind of powers would they govern? How many existed in this world, and did they operate under the same rules as his own Investment Authority? Were they related to ’laws’ he heard about that only the 7th circle and higher cultivators knew of?
Soren didn’t have the answers to any of these questions yet. However, as he approached their room, he knew he would begin uncovering the truth very soon. Since... He was already resolved to have a proper, heart-to-heart talk with Ethea about everything.
Of course, such a sensitive conversation would have to wait until they were entirely alone, and it would have to be conducted strictly via telepathy to ensure privacy.
Nodding to himself to steel his resolve, he finally reached the door. However, just as his hand moved toward the handle, he paused. He sensed two distinct presences waiting inside the room.
His muscles instantly tensed. He quickly pushed the door open, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the space.
Standing right by Ethea’s bed was a strange old man he had never seen before. But sitting just a few feet away was a thoroughly familiar figure, the sight of whom instantly caused the tension to drain from Soren’s shoulders.
"Mr. President," Soren said, inclining his head slightly. "Good afternoon."
Soren added, turning toward the elderly stranger and bowing politely. "Good afternoon, Sir."
The President let out a low chuckle, shaking his head in mild disbelief. "I didn’t believe the doctor when he said it, but now, looking at you, I am genuinely astounded. You look as if you were never even injured."
Soren offered a modest smile, stepping fully into the room. "You are overpraising me, Mr. President. I just happen to recover a bit faster than most."
"Urgh, I told you to stop being so humble," the President said, scowling with a look of mock irritation. "That habit of yours really pisses me off. How can a kid who just pulled off a miracle be this frustratingly grounded? Throw me a bone and brag a little."
Soren merely smiled, well aware that the older man was just joking with him. While they spoke, his eyes had already drifted past them to confirm that Ethea was still peacefully asleep. As he did, he noticed a faint ripple in the air surrounding her bed.
’...A sound barrier.’ Soren realized and glanced subtly at the stranger. ’Did he cast it?’
"Ah, right, let me introduce you," the President spoke up, catching Soren’s gaze and gesturing toward the old man. "This is Hector, Hector Calder. You might also recognize him by his title, the Icebreaker Emperor."
Soren paused, the name hanging in the air for a fraction of a second before the realization hit him. His eyes widened, his gaze instantly locking onto the old man with a completely different level of intensity.
’T-The Icebreaker Emperor?!’
He was looking at a living legend.
Soren quickly straightened his posture and bowed deeply to the old man, a sudden wave of genuine tension gripping him. "I-It’s a true pleasure to meet you, Sir! Please forgive me for not recognizing you right away."