The first thing Killian felt was warmth.
He couldn't tell if it was the Element he awakened, or the temperature in the room he returned to, but it's been a while he felt warm.
Since he awakened a few days ago, his body's temperature dropped to ridiculous lows.
Are you still there?
"Did you think the Fire swallowed me?"
He breathed out in relief. You did swallow it first.
His eyes felt heavy, as well as his limbs and lower body. He felt the bed under him, and could hear the beeping monitors. Quara must've found him.
There must be some broken bones, and with his mana drained, he wouldn't even think of doing much in the next mission.
How long was I out?
"If you didn't notice, I am bound to your consciousness so I don't know what happens to you when you aren't conscious."
I guessed since you can move the tendrils without my will you can do a lot more.
"Hmm… are you cautious of me now?"
Killian said nothing at first. He moved his fingers and toes and felt only slight pain. The bandages on his head could be why the headaches hadn't kicked in yet.
He opened his eyes halfway and recognised the ceiling above him. He was in his room.
Why will I be cautious when you save me?
"Because you're smart enough to know that if I can save you, then—"
You need a vessel to live, and I have the best affinity to you.
Why will you kill me?
He couldn't completely trust a sentient being that never told him exactly what he wanted, but there was currently no reason to think his life was at stake.
After all, the Void Element was still wielded by him. The mana used by the tendrils were still his.
"I felt it whenever you used my mana." He cleared his throat and added. "I have no problem with you protecting my blindside. We're partners, afterall."
"You're not my master?"
He reached for a bottle of water by his bedside. "Do you have a kink, or did your former vessels make you call them that?"
"Partners, it is."
You didn't answer me.
He forced his upper body off the bed. The strain was still there but the pain wasn't. His eyes shifted to the clock and his lips parted. 6:00. It was already late.
"In a second, they'd bring in dinner."
Ring! Ring! Ring!
The bell by the table alerted him. As usual, he took a pillow and threw at it. He stared down at his arm.
They were bulkier than he remembered and he hadn't been in the gym since the training days.
I guess simulations help. All that running and dodging can't be for nothing.
He checked his WLog interface for any notifications.
[New Title Added!]↓
[Rewards Available!]↓
[High Performance Alert!]↓
He looked through the second one as more rewards was the only exciting part of it.
[B-Rank Mana Renewal Vial!]
[Collect At Second Table!]
He jumped out of his bed. That was the exact thing he needed to buy during the points exchange. It sped up his restoration within five hours.
He checked the New Title and it was a generic one.
[Triple Realm Walker]
He shook his head, and checked the last one. It wasn't good.
[High Performance Alert Sent To Team Leader.]
[Expect More Guidance!]
That was the last thing he wanted. George hovering over him. He walked to his phone that beeped.
As he passed by the mirror and stood there. His body had changed from what he remembered that morning.
This isn't the result of the simulation practice.
He grew by four inches, and his thighs were fuller. He wondered if it's the famed 'warden puberty' praised to turn fifteen year old boys to grown men.
He checked his butt and frowned. That was usually the part that told him he added weight or not. He sighed and walked to the table to grab his phone.
Another phone notification came. He fell back to bed. He squinted his eyes when his phone screen came up, then reduced the brightness.
There were 222+ texts.
He gently wiped his eyes in case he saw triple digits and it was only two, by his sister.
222+ texts.
"What? From a group chat!"
[Warden Newbies! Gossip Centre!]
[222+ Unread messages.]
[Set nickname.]
He checked if he'd see anyone he knew, and then a text came directly to his phone.
[Evelyn Const - 6:02]
'Hey, you're online?! Omg you're almost never online. Hsgaiyaksn.'
'Are you okay? I texted your sis, and she said you passed out after training.'
'Hahaha you and Juda will totally need my help during the mission.'
'Oh, yeah, are you okay?'
'ah I already asked. Hahahaha!'
Killian blinked multiple times, trying to read the text but more kept coming. He ended up tapping the AI-Summarise feature, then typed back a reply.
[Killian Dom - 6:08]
'I'm good. Thanks.'
He waited for any other message.
[Evelyn Const - 6:09]
'Okay.'
He reacted with a 'thumbs up' to her message. He didn't open the group chat, and dropped his phone. Whatever happened there shouldn't concern him.
Walking out of the door, he glanced at the alarm clock. 6:10am. His body trembled slightly. He had slept all through yesterday's evening to a new morning?
He quickly returned to his phone and confirmed that it was morning. He saw another message from Evelyn.
[Evelyn Const - 6:10]
'So formal. Typical Killian. Hahahaha.'
'Oh, I already told Juda.'
'Let our group match with garters in our uniform.'
'See you by 1pm.'
1pm. Garters. Uniform.
He hadn't even had time to think of a uniform amidst awakening the Void and thinking of ways to hide it.
A Warden's uniform worn during their first mission was really important, as it was the first image.
I would just wear black leather as usual.
He headed for the incense table. Since it was 6am, then the alarm was for the ancestral greeting his parents made everyone in the family do.
He entered the room, and grabbed incense sticks. He stabbed them in the bowl of rice his mother always 'fed' the ancestors.
So I'm going for my first mission. If you guys are 'alive', then look after me. He bowed once.
"Now, I should start packing for the mission." He walked to the door. "How could I have slept for more than sixteen hours—"
As he reached for the door, it opened, almost slamming his face. He saw him again. Keith.
I was talking out loud again.
"Will you move?"
Killian folded his hands. "I actually wanted to talk to you. I heard you did something disrespectful to our older sister recently."
Keith raised a brow, then looked behind him, at the window. "I don't have the time—"
"Neither do I. But find it. Hmm?"