Chapter 8: Recovery

The nurse had fallen unconscious. Right now, he was in a dream wonderland, imagining how her boyfriend would propose to her and they would get married and have 10 children and live happily ever after...

Then, a cold splash of water splattered all over her face, forcing her to awake abruptly as he took in a deep gasp of shock.

She looked around in confusion, finally noticing the kid standing above her with an empty glass in his hand.

"You awake?" Sol quipped at that moment.

...

After ten minutes or so, the nurse gathered herself mentally and also wiped the water off of her face and clothes.

At this time, Sol took his clothes from the closet in the room and put them on. Right now he was ready to pass this test now.

"What are you doing? You can't leave this room until you have recovered. I understand it is frustrating waiting here while everyone else is preparing to take the finals, but there is nothing you can do."

The nurse's tone was dismissive, but also slightly empathetic.

Sol finished buttoning up his plain shirt. "Listen, lady, I'm fully healed. Just let me out of here."

"Fully healed?" The nurse skeptically exclaimed.

"Fine. Go ahead and check if you don't believe me."

This prompted the nurse to walk over to him, placing her hand over his forehead for a short moment.

An aura exuded from her hand. It was a specific type of Ether that allowed the user to understand the physical traits and descriptions of an individual.

After ten seconds, the nurse took a step back, astonished by the results.

"I-its true... you don't have any bone fractures." She didn't seem to believe the words coming out of her own mouth, "Not just that... but it's almost as though there weren't any fractures to begin with."

She was at a loss for words. At that moment, Sol walked by her and toward the door.

"If that's the case, then I'm out of here." He was one step away from exiting, but just as he was about to leave, the nurse rushed over and grabbed him by the arm.

Sol turned his head past his shoulder to face her.

"Wait! Even if you are fully healed, the senior doctor has ordered for you to stay here until he says otherwise! Sol... don't be foolish." The nurse said with a hint of fear and uncertainty in her voice.

Sol squinted his eyes slightly, 'Does this woman know me or something? Well... I wouldn't be surprised if she does. The previous Sol was quite the peon.'

With a piercing gaze, Sol pulled his hand away from the nurse's grip, "No one can order me to do anything." He coldly stated before turning around and walking away.

The nurse was left stunned. She had not expected such a reply from the boy.

'I heard he was a submissive, weak-minded character... were those rumors wrong or something?' She thought to herself.

Sol spoke his final words to her from 10 feet down the hallway, "The old Sol you knew is dead," he said while walking away.

As he walked through the halls, he had his hands in his pockets and moved completely carefree.

His chin was raised, expressing his overwhelming confidence. His strut was loose and his expression nonchalant.

He soon made his way out into the main lobby of the Vanathril Medical Center where he was hospitalized in.

It was a fairly large room with several rows of seats taking up most of the space.

Sol walked by the front desk near the hallway he came from and spoke loudly, "I'm leaving!" As he made his way toward the exit.

"W-what!?" The receptionist behind the front desk, a woman in her early thirties, exclaimed in confusion, "Wait! What is your room number? What even is your name!? You can't just barge out!!"

She tried to catch his attention but it was too late, as he had already left the lobby.

The Medical Center was directly connected to one of the academy's main hallways.

The hallway was large and spacious, with several other passages connected to it like an elaborate labyrinth.

Sol checked his watch, 'Looks like I still have about half an hour before school starts. The finals should take place then, so while I wait, I guess I'll have some food.'

His stomach grumbled as he thought this to himself. He could already smell the aroma of food somewhere nearby.

His mouth watered as he followed the scent of sizzling meat and spices through the halls.

Eventually, he landed in the canteen. 'How long was I stuck waiting for the Curse Of Undying to activate? It's been over 13 years that I haven't tasted any solid food.'

Sol walked over to the food line and grabbed three empty trays.

As the cooks behind the food stared at this random kid who just barged in, Sol stuffed his three strays full of everything he wanted.

Vanathril Academy's food wasn't to be taken lightly. It was prepared by gourmet chefs and also had a heavy price tag on it.

Sol could have cared less about the price tag at that moment though, grabbing a seat in the middle of the canteen before beginning to chow down on the food.

As the cooks stared at him, completely taken aback, Sol grabbed a drumstick of meat and tore the entire piece of tender meat off the bone before swallowing it.

As he did, however, the savory meat got stuck in his throat. At that moment he hit his chest a few times to help get it down, before taking a swig of fresh mango juice.

The sweet tingle of the juice melted into the salty oils of the meat, giving a combined flavor of pure bliss.

As he continued to eat, Sol thought to himself, 'Now that I'm finally back, I have to continue my plan of action without any delay. The first step is as clear as can be... get strong. Brutishly strong.'

His demeanor was serious. He meant what he said. As he came to finish his meal, he wiped his mouth with a napkin before laying back in his seat.

He placed his feet on the table and his hands behind his head, closing his eyes.

'Cultivation is first...' He began to think of a plan, fidgeting with a small piece of bone in his mouth, 'But physical strength is also important. To be able to match the skills that I have honed, I need a body that is worthy of being better than that of any other being in this world.'

As he continued to ponder, he suddenly felt a forceful grip on his shoulder.

"Hey boy... how do y' intend ta' pay for that?" A large cook with forearms the size of Sol's torso said in a low tone as he stood over the boy.