Inside the endless white room, Rey stared at the replay of his final attack again and again.
The moment his fist crashed into Raviel's face.
The moment the so-called invincible heir was sent flying across the arena.
Even now, remembering it made something inside his chest loosen.
A grin slowly spread across his exhausted face.
"So I did land it…"
He let himself fall backwards onto the white floor, laughing weakly.
"At least now I can rest peacefully. That bas*ard didn't walk out of the stadium untouched after all."
The satisfaction in his voice was genuine.
Not victory.
But revenge.
Aiden stood nearby with crossed arms, staring at him in complete silence.
The kid had broken his warning, forced his body beyond its limits, nearly crippled himself… and after all that, this was what he cared about?
Landing a punch.
Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose.
Meanwhile, beside him, Victor looked like a proud father watching his son win a championship.
"See? Didn't I tell you the kid's got guts?"
Aiden slowly turned toward him.
Victor immediately coughed and looked away.
"Anyway…" he quickly waved his hand.
A transparent screen appeared before Rey.
"You didn't just gain injuries from that suicidal stunt of yours."
Rey's eyes lit up.
He immediately opened the system window himself.
And the moment he saw the notification, he froze.
Three new skills from a single battle.
That was absurd.
[You've gained the skills ⟪Pain Nullification⟫, ⟪Impulse Surge⟫.]
[⟪Pain Nullification (F+)⟫
Description:
A passive skill that suppresses the sensation of pain to a minor degree, allowing the user to continue moving and fighting despite injuries. While it does not reduce actual damage, it weakens the body's natural shock response and slightly improves endurance under physical stress.]
[⟪Impulse Surge (E)⟫
Description:
A short-duration enhancement skill that forcefully releases the body's hidden strength in a sudden burst. For a few seconds, the user's physical power and movement explosiveness rise sharply, often enough to overwhelm opponents through sheer momentum. However, the strain placed on the muscles causes temporary fatigue and soreness after use.]
Rey quietly stared at the descriptions.
Then everything clicked together.
The numbness during the final exchange.
The explosive burst of strength.
That final punch.
It all made sense now.
"So that's why…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"When I rushed him at the end… my body stopped caring about the pain."
Victor grinned.
"You were basically running on pure rage."
"And stupidity," Aiden added immediately.
Rey ignored him.
Though internally… he knew Aiden was right.
If Raviel's swords had pierced even slightly deeper, he might truly have died there.
He closed the status window slowly.
His gaze wandered across the white room.
Zero remained silent near her gate as always, her massive particle blob resting beside her like a sleeping monster.
Veylen sat quietly with his eyes closed, his presence calm and detached from everything around him.
The towering gates behind them glimmered with their usual ancient aura, each one radiating a terrifying pressure that still felt unreachable to Rey.
But compared to before…
He felt closer to them now.
Rey finally looked back toward the spirits.
"Guys… what's happening outside right now?"
His expression turned serious.
"I still don't know what condition my body's in."
Victor immediately sighed dramatically.
"It's terrible."
Rey stiffened.
"You're currently in the city hospital. Critical condition. Doctors gave up three hours ago."
Rey's eyes widened.
Victor lowered his head sadly.
"Your uncle called your mother already. They're preparing for your funeral as we speak."
"…What?"
Rey's face turned pale instantly.
"No, wait—"
"You lost too much blood," Victor continued with a mournful expression.
"Honestly, kid… You had a good run."
Rey immediately turned toward Aiden in panic.
"Aiden! Do something! My abilities were unsealed already! I should be healing!"
Even Aiden's eye twitched.
Victor somehow kept going with a straight face.
"Alas… such a young hero…"
Before he could finish—
THUNK.
A metallic spearhead, made from Zero's particles, slammed directly into his back.
Victor screamed.
"AAAAARGH!"
Zero stood behind him expressionlessly, repeatedly jabbing the spear into him without mercy.
THUNK.
THUNK.
THUNK.
"STOP—! STOP POKING ME!"
Victor ran in circles around the room while Zero calmly continued chasing him with murderous intent.
Even Aiden stepped aside instantly.
Nobody interfered when Zero got annoyed.
Nobody.
Rey finally realised what was happening.
"…You bas*ard."
Victor pointed at him while still running for his life.
"I was trying to lighten the mood!"
THUNK.
Another stab.
"AAGHHH!"
Rey almost burst out laughing despite himself.
Still… after calming down, his expression turned serious again.
"Aiden."
He looked straight at him.
"My mother and sister… they aren't actually coming here because of something serious, right?"
Aiden sighed.
"No."
"You're alive. Relax."
Rey finally released the breath he had been holding.
"It's already past midnight. You're resting in the medic hall inside the stadium. Hosric's been beside you this entire time."
"He hasn't left once."
Rey went silent for a moment.
"…Uncle."
A small complicated emotion flickered through his eyes.
Aiden continued.
"Your injuries were severe, but once the seal was removed, your body started recovering naturally. Right now, your stamina is simply exhausted beyond its limit."
"That's the only reason you're still unconscious."
Rey nodded slowly.
That made sense.
Even now, he could feel his body recovering steadily.
His resistances had evolved further, too.
When he checked his status earlier, even his Anesthetic Resistance had advanced another level.
His recovery speed was becoming monstrous.
But suddenly—
Rey narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"…Wait."
"If I'm basically healed already… then why am I still here?"
Aiden's lips curved slightly.
"Because your body forced itself into deep sleep to recover mental fatigue."
"And because," he added coldly, "you're an idiot who nearly blew apart his own mana circuits."
Victor, still lying face-first on the ground after Zero's assault, raised a finger weakly.
"Technically true."
Zero kicked him back down.
Rey awkwardly coughed.
"…Fair enough."
Aiden stepped forward.
"Listen carefully now."
His tone turned serious.
"With the seal removed, you need to stop acting recklessly."
"The stunt you pulled at the end of the match attracted attention from people far beyond your current level."
Rey's expression slowly stiffened.
Aiden's eyes sharpened.
"You are no longer some unknown contestant."
"You wounded Raviel Ashcroft publicly."
"You revealed abnormal abilities."
"And after today, powerful people across the continent will begin looking at you differently."
"Some with interest."
"Some with greed."
"And some…"
His gaze darkened.
"…with killing intent."
The room fell silent.
Even Victor stopped joking.
Rey quietly clenched his fists.
He already understood.
The tournament had changed everything.
Aiden continued,
"So until you leave for the university…"
"Lay low."
"No unnecessary risks."
"No showing off."
"And absolutely no suicidal stunts again."
Rey scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"…Can't promise the last one."
Aiden stared at him blankly.
Victor burst out laughing again.
Even Veylen slightly opened one eye for the first time in a while, looking disappointed already.
Aiden took a deep breath.
Then pointed toward the door.
"Now get out."
Rey blinked.
"Huh?"
"You've rested enough."
"We still have preparations to do."
"I already planned your next stage of training."
The moment Rey heard the word training, his instincts screamed danger.
A bad feeling instantly crawled up his spine.
"…Wait."
A faint pulling force suddenly wrapped around his body.
Rey's eyes widened immediately.
"No."
The pull intensified.
"Aiden."
The white door behind him opened.
"NO, HOLD ON—"
"Goodnight," Aiden replied mercilessly.
Victor waved cheerfully.
"Try not to die again!"
Zero casually pointed her spear toward the exit.
And before Rey could resist—
WHOOSH.
He was violently dragged backwards through the white door.
"YOU PEOPLE ARE THE WORST—!"
His scream echoed through the room before vanishing completely.
Then silence returned.
Far away in the darkness of his consciousness, Rey floated helplessly once again.
The white door disappeared before his eyes.
And only the endless void remained.
Rey slowly straightened his body within the endless darkness.
Then his journey through the void began once more.
There was no ground beneath him.
No sky above him.
No sense of direction at all.
He couldn't tell whether he was floating upward, downward, or endlessly in circles.
Only darkness existed.
An endless, silent abyss that swallowed everything around him.
At first, the sensation felt strangely peaceful.
But after drifting through nothingness for what felt like hours…
Even Rey started feeling mentally exhausted.
"Seriously… how big is this damn place…"
His voice faded uselessly into the void.
No echoes returned.
No answers came.
Just silence.
Then—
A tiny speck of light appeared far away in the darkness.
Rey's eyes instantly sharpened.
"There!"
Hope flickered inside him again.
Without hesitation, he forced himself toward it.
Slowly…
Then faster.
The tiny dot gradually grew larger and larger the closer he drifted toward it.
Until eventually—
The light completely engulfed his vision.
And the next moment—
His eyes snapped open.
A blurry ceiling greeted him first.
White.
Bright.
A faint hospital light hung above his head.
Rey blinked several times, struggling to focus properly.
His body felt unbearably sore.
Every muscle screamed in protest the moment he tried to move.
The battle with Raviel had truly wrecked him.
Even breathing felt heavy.
Still, he slowly turned his head to the side.
And just like Aiden had said—
He was inside the medic hall.
Beside his bed sat Hosric, half-asleep on a chair, occasionally nodding off from exhaustion.
Dark circles had formed beneath his eyes.
It was obvious he hadn't rested properly even once.
The moment Rey shifted slightly—
Hosric's eyes instantly opened.
His entire body became alert immediately.
The exhaustion vanished from his face as he hurried toward the bed.
For a second, he almost looked afraid.
Afraid the movement had been accidental.
Afraid he imagined it.
But then—
He met Rey's gaze.
Fully awake.
Alive.
Hosric froze.
"...Rey?"
Rey weakly looked at him through the layers of bandages wrapped around his head.
"Yeah… Uncle…"
His voice sounded rough and dry.
"Did you think I died back there or something…?"
He gave a faint grin.
"My ears are still ringing, though."
The joke immediately made Hosric's expression darken.
"Is this the time for jokes?"
His voice rose sharply.
"You nearly died, kid!"
Rey blinked slightly.
Hosric rarely shouted like this.
"It's already been half a day and an entire night since you collapsed!"
"Even the doctors almost gave up on stabilising you!"
"If your grandfather hadn't intervened personally, your surgery wouldn't even have continued!"
"And here you are making stupid jokes!"
His voice echoed through the medic hall, drawing attention from nearby patients and medics.
Rey awkwardly scratched his cheek.
Well… mentally scratched it.
His hands were wrapped like ancient artifacts.
"Haaa…"
"I thought I at least beat that dumb prince badly enough to make it worth it…"
Hosric nearly exploded again.
"That's what you're focused on?!"
"I told you to surrender if things got dangerous!"
"But no, your stubbornness dragged you right back onto another hospital bed!"
"Can't you finish even one match normally?!"
Rey coughed lightly.
"Well… technically it's not my fault, my opponents keep trying to kill me."
Then he slowly glanced downward at himself.
And finally realised something horrifying.
"…Why do I look like a wrapped corpse?"
His entire body was covered in bandages from neck to toe.
Only parts of his face remained visible.
He genuinely looked like a living mummy.
Hosric snorted.
"With the number of holes in your body, what else did you expect?"
"Don't even think about removing them."
"The doctors already replaced your bandages twice while you were unconscious."
"They'll come again in another hour or two."
Rey's face immediately twisted.
"Another few hours?!"
"Uncle, I'm itching to death in these things!"
"I can't even move!"
Hosric ignored him completely.
"You should be grateful you're alive."
"Uncle, please…"
Rey started groaning dramatically.
"It feels horrible."
"I'm sweating under all this."
"My skin's itching everywhere."
"I feel like I'm being cooked alive."
Hosric stared at him blankly.
"You sound more childish than Fenlor right now."
"Please…"
"Uncle…"
"Please remove them…"
"Haaaah…"
Hosric finally rubbed his forehead in defeat.
"You really don't know when to stop."
"Fine."
"I'll call the doctors."
"But they're replacing the bandages, not removing them completely."
Rey immediately nodded obediently like a satisfied child.
Internally though—
He already knew something.
His body had mostly healed already.
The soreness remained because of internal strain and mana exhaustion.
But the external wounds?
They were probably gone.
Which meant—
The moment the doctors removed the bandages…
Things were going to get awkward.
A short while later, several doctors hurried back into the room after hearing Rey had regained consciousness.
Their expressions carried visible disbelief.
"With the dosage he received, he should've remained asleep for at least a full day…"
One doctor muttered quietly.
Another nodded seriously.
"His recovery speed is abnormal."
They quickly began examining Rey's condition.
Pulse.
Breathing.
Eye sight.
Everything.
Meanwhile, Rey simply lay there quietly, pretending not to know anything.
Then the bandages started coming off.
Layer after layer.
The room gradually fell silent.
Hosric's relaxed expression slowly stiffened.
One doctor froze halfway through unwrapping Rey's arm.
Another blinked repeatedly.
The final bandage around Rey's torso came loose—
And every single person in the room stopped moving.
Complete silence filled the Medic hall.
Because underneath the countless wrappings…
The scene was something nobody expected to find.
The medic who had personally stitched Rey's thigh wound the previous night staggered backwards in disbelief.
"That's impossible…"
Hosric's eyes widened.
Even he looked genuinely shaken now.
The doctors stared at Rey like they were looking at some unknown creature.
One of them even removed his glasses and cleaned them repeatedly before looking again.
A younger doctor swallowed dryly.
"…Am I dreaming right now?"