Chapter 61: Serina’s Role

Meanwhile, Nero was sitting on the training room floor, having completely exhausted both his Mana and Cell Energy after continuing his practice.

He opened his status to check the results.

[Mana: 0/21]

[Mental Power: 0.5/0.5]

[Cellular Reservoir: 0/210]

[Recovery Rate: 0/S]

His maximum capacities remained unchanged after the increase he had received from Second Wind. He still had twenty-one Mana and two hundred and ten Cell Energy, while his Mental Power remained at 0.5.

However, Nero wasn’t disappointed with the results.

’This Training Amplifier is seriously amazing!’

He suspected the reward had permanently improved his training efficiency, although he still needed to confirm exactly how it worked.

According to Enis, an average Awakener would need around a week of repetition to become familiar enough with their Talent to activate it naturally.

Yet Nero had accomplished that in a single day!

No wonder Enis had been so surprised.

’If I can keep improving this quickly, I might actually become pretty good at using Cellular Reservoir.’

There was still plenty he needed to learn, but being able to activate his Talent without consciously thinking about it was already a considerable improvement.

During his practice, Nero had also discovered something troublesome about Cellular Reservoir’s Mana consumption.

The Talent only required Mana during activation. Once activated, he could continue releasing Cell Energy without consuming any additional Mana.

However, if he stopped using it for roughly a minute, Cellular Reservoir would become inactive, and activating it again would cost another Mana point.

Since Nero had repeatedly stopped to rest or examine his mistakes during training, those activation costs had eventually emptied his Mana reserve.

’Well, that’s annoying.’

Fortunately, it wasn’t a particularly serious problem.

His Mana capacity would increase alongside his Power Index, so he simply needed to become stronger.

After resting for a while, Nero took a shower and changed into fresh clothes. By then, he was practically starving, which reminded him of the Warm Meal Voucher he had received earlier.

Nero found a seat and redeemed it.

[Warm Meal Voucher Used.]

A covered plate appeared before him, carrying an aroma that immediately made his mouth water.

"Oh, now this is what I’m talking about!"

He lifted the lid to reveal a generous serving of roasted chicken over buttered rice, accompanied by golden roasted potatoes and a soft egg.

The chicken’s crispy skin was coated in a rich, dark glaze, while the rice beneath it glistened with butter.

Nero broke the egg with his spoon, allowing the warm yolk to spread through the rice before pulling apart a piece of chicken.

After taking his first bite, he immediately reached for another.

"Mmm! This is seriously good!"

The chicken was juicy and tender, while its crispy skin went perfectly with the rich sauce. Even the roasted potatoes were delicious, with golden edges and soft centers.

After exhausting himself during training, Nero couldn’t have asked for a better meal.

As he continued eating, the Mana contained within the food began replenishing his reserves. His exhausted cells also gradually recovered, and the soreness in his muscles started fading.

However, something caught his attention.

’My body’s recovering, but it doesn’t seem to be getting stronger.’

He had expected the additional Mana to encourage further physical development, yet his body showed no signs of increasing its strength.

Then again, Nero wasn’t particularly concerned.

His Power Index had already exceeded 2.0, which was more than enough to support the first phase of Cellular Reservoir.

It’s like the Warehouse comparison.

His body was the warehouse, while Cellular Reservoir determined how much energy he could store and use.

Right now, the warehouse was already large enough. His Talent simply hadn’t developed enough to make full use of it.

’At least, that’s how I understand it.’

Nero continued enjoying his meal while considering his progress.

His High-Human body had evolved far beyond that of an ordinary newly awakened student, but his mastery of Cellular Reservoir was still at the beginner level.

’For now, I should focus on making my Talent catch up with my body.’

Nero had just finished eating when the training room door opened.

"Mr. Savior~ You’re getting harder and harder to find."

Hearing the familiar voice, Nero turned around and found Serina entering the room.

"Serina? What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, obviously. What else would I be doing?"

"I was training. Did you need something?"

"Of course! I thought you’d be a little more concerned about me after what happened between us."

"W-What happened between us?"

Serina placed a hand against her chest, looking deeply offended.

"You stole my first kiss, and now you’re pretending you don’t remember? How cruel, Mr. Savior!"

"You kissed me first!"

"And you kissed me back! What if I get pregnant?"

Nero rolled his eyes.

"You can’t get pregnant from kissing."

"Pfft! Hahahaha!"

Serina laughed at his reaction, clearly enjoying herself.

Nero was beginning to suspect that embarrassing him had become one of Serina’s favorite hobbies, and she seemed to be getting better at it every time they met.

"Anyway, were you training the whole time?" she asked curiously. She was curious to know more about him.

"Yeah." He just nodded awkwardly at her.

Serina smiled before getting up.

"Well, I’d love to stay and bother you some more, but I have some work to finish at the Student Council."

"Right. You’re the vice president, aren’t you?"

"Mhm!" Serina simply smiled at him.

Since Serina was the vice president of the Student Council and worked alongside Richard, he understood why she couldn’t stay for long.

"Alright, then. Good luck with your work."

"Thank you!"

However, instead of leaving immediately, Serina leaned toward him and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Mwah! See you later, Mr. Savior~"

By the time Nero could respond, she was already heading toward the door.

"This woman..."

’Does she have to do that every time?’

He couldn’t help smiling.

After leaving the training room, Nero found himself thinking about Mira Smith again.

’Another High-Human, huh?’

Even after everything he had experienced, meeting someone who belonged to the same race as him was difficult to believe.

Unlike Nero, who had undergone a dangerous transformation inside the Red Gate, Mira had seemingly been born that way.

’How does that even happen?’

Then there was the mysterious voice she had heard after waking up. Nero wondered whether it had something to do with the strange feeling he sensed from her, but Enlightenment hadn’t provided any answers.

’Seriously, you activate whenever you want, but the moment I actually need you, you’re nowhere to be found.’

He was so occupied with his thoughts that he nearly walked past someone calling his name.

"Nero Martinez?"

"Ah? Yes?"

It was Professor Victoria Windsor, the same professor he had seen earlier during Richard’s second awakening.

"Oh, Professor Victoria. Did you need something?"

"Good. I was beginning to think I’d have to ask Lilly to find you."

"Find me? Why?"

"I wanted to invite you to join my class. Lilly told me you awakened recently, and your reaction to Richard’s attack caught my attention."

’She noticed that?’

Nero had deliberately stopped himself from reacting too quickly, yet Victoria had still noticed something unusual.

"I think you’d benefit from proper guidance," she continued. "Would you be interested?"

Before Nero could answer, a familiar System window appeared before him.