CHAPTER 55

When Hirayon opened his eyes, an immediate realization washed over him—he was back to his usual state. His mind was clear, and the persistent buzzing that had plagued him for days was finally silenced. Instead, it was replaced by a keen sense that allowed Hirayon to perceive the Aura of everything in the room. However, there was something different. Staring at the ceiling, he noticed traces of a light blue Aura floating in the air like fog, gradually permeating the space. Turning his gaze to the side, instead of a person, he saw a dense, grey-colored smoke forming the shape of a person. It lacked a face but outlined a figure like a suit enveloping the body.

Abruptly, Hirayon heard a familiar voice from the figure, "Are you alright?"

Recognizing the owner of the voice, Hirayon attempted to answer, but his words emerged in a hoarse voice. A scratchy sensation crept into his throat, unleashing consecutive dry coughs that reverberated in the stillness of the room.

The child shifted to his side for a more comfortable position to release the coughs. The next moment, Hirayon heard quick steps and felt a warm hand on his back, gently tapping in a rhythmic motion, and eventually glided up and down to soothe his discomfort.

"Don't try to speak. I'll bring you water," FORT685 reassured, removing his warm, comforting hand from Hirayon's back. He then headed to a nearby table and poured water from a pitcher into a clear, tall glass.

Hurriedly, he returned to Hirayon, who had finally ceased coughing, and guided the child to drink water to ease his dry throat.

"Drink everything," FORT685 muttered a directive that Hirayon happily obeyed.

Once finished, Hirayon released a relieved breath and shifted his gaze to FORT685. The man was no longer shrouded in grey smoke, revealing his worried eyes surrounded by dark circles—a testament to several days of sleep deprivation.

"You look tired," Hirayon remarked, observing the man's fatigued appearance for the first time.

FORT685 let out a short cackle and shook his head. "If I look tired to you, then you might consider Trainer Savio a Zombie in a clean white lab gown."

Perplexed by his servant's comment, Hirayon scanned the room with his eyes, searching for Savio, but the trainer was nowhere in sight.

"I already sent him a message, so he'll be here soon," FORT685 assured when he noticed Hirayon looking for his trainer.

"But I'm really glad you're okay now," FORT685 added, clasping his hands on Hirayon's left hand. "How are you feeling? Do you want to eat?"

Shaking his head, Hirayon refused the offer despite his stomach grumbling for attention. Even with his hunger, he prioritized meeting Savio to confirm the state of his body. He needed certainty, determined to avoid the weakness that made even simple thoughts a laborious effort.

A short while later, the wall emitted a mechanical hum, sliding open to reveal Savio, audibly catching his breath. Unwilling to wait for the door to open fully, Savio hurried in, pushing FORT685 aside. He placed his hands on Hirayon's shoulders and stared straight into his bluish-violet eyes.

"How are you feeling?" he inquired with a quick breath. His weary eyes glowed while waiting for an answer and wandered around Hirayon's body, scanning his entire system.

True to FORT685's description, Savio appeared older, as if deprived of sleep and sustenance for years. Dark, saggy bags hung beneath his sunken eyes, his cheeks hollowed, accentuating his jaw, now adorned with an unshaven beard. Without the clean white lab coat, he might be mistaken for a homeless individual soliciting money on the streets.

"What happened to you?" Hirayon couldn't stop asking with slightly widened eyes. He thought it was a different person until he heard the man's voice.

Confusion clouded Savio's eyes. Unaware of his transformation, he couldn't comprehend Hirayon's concern as he felt physically fine despite the evident signs of exhaustion.

"What's wrong?"

Unlike FORT685, who refrained from commenting on Savio's disheveled appearance, Hirayon spoke his mind.

"You look terrible. Have you seen yourself in the mirror?" He remarked, almost savagely, with his still raspy but sharp voice.

Savio's eyes slightly widened, and his beard-covered mouth curved into a smile. "You're back!" he exclaimed, not registering Hirayon's observation. Instead, he felt overwhelming relief that the child had returned to his usual self.

Although the events surrounding the child's condition remained a mystery, Savio could care less as he was already wallowing in desperation. He had exhaustively sifted through all available data, swallowed his pride, and sought help from other trainers, yet Hirayon remained in a daze, lying on the bed. He thought the child would get disqualified, and his only hope of reaching his dream would again escape his grasp.

Fortunately, Aurelius faced a similar predicament, providing him a glimmer of hope. Savio didn't understand how Aurelius knew the child needed more Aura, but at this point, he no longer cared. He knew better than to stick his nose in Aurelius' business, but this situation made him realize that his dream would be within reach as long as Aurelius was connected to the child.

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He wasn't the sole individual driven by ambition, utilizing the child as a stepping stone toward his dream. As long as Aurelius deemed the child essential for his goals, he would receive unwavering support.

Weirded out, Hirayon raised a brow. "I am. But I want to make sure," he said, setting aside his concern about his trainer's appearance.

Savio nodded and opened a hologram displaying a list of tests, visible to all, and immediately prepared for the first one. A few hours later, Hirayon sat on a chair before a meticulously arranged table brimming with food. He ate with gusto, savoring each flavor and filling his stomach with no regard for proper table etiquette. At some point, he even forgot to use utensils and just picked up the meat from one of the plates.

Watching with bright eyes, FORT685 allowed the child to eat and occasionally filled his glass with water. He no longer questioned where the food disappeared, having witnessed the child drain so much Aura and store it somewhere unknown. Mysteries surrounding the child had become commonplace, and he was now in a state where nothing could surprise him.

After finishing the meal, Hirayon washed himself and changed into a clean white shirt and jogging pants. Seated on the bed, he fell into thought.

Savio had mentioned that his body was functioning well, but he advised Hirayon to rest for the remainder of the day instead of diving into training. Despite the positive turn of events, the mystery surrounding his exhaustion persisted, and Hirayon received a strict order to use his Aura and abilities with care.

Hirayon kept his dream to himself. Despite his desire for a thorough assessment of his current condition and the revelation of unsealed abilities, he opted to keep them concealed. The last thing he wanted was to provide Aurelius and Savio with additional leverage over his powers. He preferred to discover and harness these abilities on his terms, using the facility as a tool to strengthen himself rather than allowing the duo to exploit his potential for their own gains.

A pressing concern abruptly surfaced in the sea of his thoughts, casting a shadow of doubt and apprehension over Hirayon's future plans.

"What's wrong?" FORT685 asked as he approached, noticing Hirayon's serious expression.

"Did I really drain hundreds of Aura Stones?"

FORT685 settled into the chair beside the bed and nodded at the child. "To be more specific, you drained 300 Class-E Water Stones, 200 Class-E Blood Stones, and 260 Class-C Water Stones. I even doubted our stones would be sufficient, but fortunately, you stopped before I emptied the last box."

'That much, and still, I could tell I'm not yet filled to the brim.'

Watching his master's expression contort into a frown, FORT685 reassured him. "We couldn't trace where the drained Auras went but don't dwell on it too much. I mean, understanding your body's state is essential, but you have Trainer Savio for that. I think you should focus on growing stronger so you won't deplete all your Auras next time."

Hirayon recalled his dream-like encounter with his mother and the distant Aura Ring within his Core Orb. Perhaps because it was a dream, he didn't notice the horizontal line until he walked for minutes—it seemed too far.

Gazing at FORT685, still seated in the chair, Hirayon asked, "Can you enter your Core Space?"

"Yes, of course. Why do you ask?" FORT685 inquired.

"I just want to see my Aura Ring and check if I have enough Aura," Hirayon reasoned, not revealing that he could already enter his space.

"Oh, that makes sense. You can check there."

"Did you have a huge Aura Ring? What did it look like?"

FORT685 chuckled as if Hirayon had said something amusing. "I feel flattered that you think I have a large Aura Ring. To be honest, mine wasn't large, just average. The distance from my Core Orb, hmm..."

FORT685 stood up and walked a few steps away from Hirayon, stopping about 2 meters away. "If the bed were my Core Orb, then my Aura Ring would be about this far," he said, holding both arms at his side.

Perplexed, Hirayon swallowed his surprise and concealed his reaction with an understanding nod. "And now? How far is your ring from the Core Orb?" he probed, expecting FORT685 to step farther from the bed. Yet, his servant remained still, arms held out, head slightly tilted to the left, a confused expression on his face, not comprehending his master's question.

"What do you mean? My Aura Ring is about this large," he said, hardening his arms, emphasizing the curve that acted like a part of his Aura Ring.

With a frown, Hirayon asked, "Yeah, that's when you were a child, right? The first time you saw your young Aura ring?"

FORT685 chuckled and dropped his arm, shaking his head. He looked at Hirayon with a gentle, understanding smile. "I don't know if I'm offended or not, but this length is the current distance of my Aura Ring from the Core Orb. When I first entered my Core Space, the ring was almost sticking to the core."

Hirayon's mouth slowly opened in shock. Multiple thoughts surged through his mind, and the image of his Aura Ring in his space replayed. If he stood a step away from his Core Orb and observed the distance, there would be no hint of horizontal bright light. It would only become visible after walking for a minute or so, still at least a kilometer away. Considering his enhanced sight, his Aura Ring was too expansive to be seen with the naked eye.

The child fell into a daze, and FORT685 immediately approached him. "What's wrong? Are you feeling tired again?"

"No, I just remembered reading somewhere that the Aura Ring's distance from the Core Orb was usually... huge."

"You might have read about a Prime Oddities Aura Ring. Are you worried about yours?"

Still in a daze, Hirayon nodded.

"Don't worry, I think yours would be large. I wouldn't even be surprised if it was larger than mine," FORT685 said, chuckling, before turning away. He went back to clearing the table, leaving the child in an evidently astounded state.

The first time he entered his Core Space, Hirayon could see the horizontal light in the distance, indicating a large Aura Ring. But now, he couldn't find a fitting word to describe how wide and expansive it had become. He even felt apprehensive about entering his Core Space, not ready to witness firsthand the vast amount of Aura stored and what sealed abilities would require such an amount.

Dropping onto the bed, Hirayon shielded his eyes with an arm. His thoughts were a chaotic whirlwind of questions demanding answers.

'What abilities do I possess? Why can't Savio perceive the changes in my body? And why is my Aura Ring so vast?'

In a bind, Hirayon frustratingly closed his eyes and willed himself to enter his Core Space. A moment later, the clacking of plates FORT685 was stacking was replaced by comforting silence. Opening his eyes, Hirayon found himself surrounded by an infinite darkness and a shining blue Core Orb illuminating what it could reach. Turning, he peered into the void, hunting for any trace of horizontal light. Yet, even with his sharp eyes, there was none.

A sigh escaped him as he stared into the distance, almost as if he could still see his mother's figure from that dream. His eyes shimmered with an unwavering determination, a silent vow echoing through his mind. Uncertain about the path ahead, he knew his goals were clear: to grow stronger, unravel his latent abilities, and finally clear his mother's name.

'But first, I must fill myself with more Aura and escape this facility.'

R E H I L I Y A