CHAPTER 252: CHAPTER 252

Once Whitney left the room, my smile vanished as I clutched my head. My body trembled, and my head felt like it had just taken an ice bath—a sharp, numbing chill that made my thoughts sluggish and disjointed. I groaned softly, trying to piece together the fragments of memory that danced just out of reach.

I was walking away from Cypher then... something exploded. That was all I knew, the rest a blank void. I looked around the sterile room, my eyes landing on my broken phone on the side table. I needed to gather more information so with shaking hands, I picked it up and powered it on, the screen flickering weakly. When I checked the news, there were only articles about Sovereign Legion’s Conquest failure, as I expected.

"...Haa." While I was taking in the information, my heart suddenly sank. It was because I remembered Cypher protected me. Since I lost consciousness, the explosion must have struck me directly. The only reason I only had minor injuries was because of Cypher—his body shielding mine, absorbing the brunt of the blast. He had always been reckless like that, throwing himself into danger for others. But now, knowing he was hurt because of it... guilt twisted in my chest, sharp and unrelenting.

Pushing aside the unease, I stood up slowly, bracing for the familiar stab of pain from the explosion’s aftermath. But... nothing. I felt nothing—no ache, no stiffness, just a strange lightness. Curious, I tried to walk, taking a few tentative steps across the room. I felt completely normal, as if the blast had never happened. My mana reserves must have kicked in during unconsciousness, accelerating the healing process.

Suddenly, there was a knock, and the door opened before a doctor entered. He froze, his eyes widening in horror as he saw me walking around. "Miss Lockhart!" he exclaimed, his clipboard nearly slipping from his grasp.

"Huh? What?" I said, startled by his reaction, stopping mid-step.

"Are you walking?" he asked, incredulous, his gaze flicking to the monitors as if they were malfunctioning.

"Yes?" I replied, unsure why it was such a big deal. I flexed my arms experimentally—no pain there either.

He looked at me enviously, a mix of awe and professional jealousy in his eyes. "You’re an Awakened, right? That probably explains why you healed so quickly. But your other friend hasn’t even awakened yet. Do you want to see him?"

"Yes, please," I said eagerly, my concern for Cypher overriding everything else.

"He’s just next door," the doctor said, gesturing toward the hall before pausing. "Since you’re cured, you can be discharged today."

"How about the bill?" I asked, practical even in my haze.

"Don’t worry, Miss Owen has already settled it," he replied casually, as if it were routine.

"Wait, what hospital is this?" I inquired, a flicker of recognition stirring.

"St. Benedette Hospital," he answered, confirming my suspicion. That explains why—Whitney owns this hospital.

The doctor left, and I turned to the shelves where my clothes were stored. They were half-burnt from the explosion, charred and tattered—useless. I had no choice but to leave wearing the hospital shirt and pants, the loose fabric feeling foreign against my skin.

I opened the room next to me quietly but I froze when I saw Angela there, sitting beside Cypher’s bed and clutching his hand, her face a mask of worry. The intimacy of the moment hit me like a wave—Angela and Cypher should be hanging out together at this part of the novel but because of me intruding, Cypher’s attention went to me instead.

I quietly closed the door, leaving them alone together, I sat on a bench in the hallway, the hospital’s sterile air doing little to calm my racing thoughts.

Pulling out my broken phone, I typed a quick message, my fingers trembling slightly. "Thank you for saving me once again Cypher," I texted, sending it off into the void. It was inadequate, but this should be enough to stop him from falling deeper.

With a deep breath, I stood and left the hospital, the automatic doors sliding open to the bustling streets. I didn’t even realize that I met the rest of my friends outside—Whitney, Rex, Christian, and Edge entering the hospital while I exited, our paths crossing like day and night.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Weekend, Murkifen Tunnels

As much as I wanted to ask Cypher to go with me for our usual dungeon hopping, I couldn’t since he was still healing from the injury he sustained from the explosion. It would also be awkward for us to be alone after that incident, so Christian and Rex were with me instead.

It was a level-type Dungeon hidden in a swamp, filled with giant crocodiles, leeches, and bog serpents. The air was thick with humidity, the ground squelching underfoot as we navigated the murky trails.

"Why are we accompanying you again?" Christian grumbled, trying to yank his foot free from the clinging mud that sucked at his boots like a hungry beast.

"We’re gonna clear a dungeon and split the loot 6:4," I said confidently, guiding them deeper into the reeds.

"What? You’re six and we’re four?" Rex protested, his eyes widening behind his glasses, adjusting his gear as he scanned for threats.

"Yep," I replied with a smirk, lunging forward to slash the bog serpent that charged towards us, its scales parting under the blade as it hissed and fell.

"This isn’t worth it," Christian muttered, finally freeing his foot with a wet pop.

"The loots here are worth more than you can imagine," I assured them, my voice echoing with excitement.

"Where did you even hear that a dungeon was hidden here?" Christian pressed, suspicion lacing his tone.

Just then, I heard a splash as we looked around to see Rex face-planting into the murky water, his arms flailing comically. "Okay, that’s it!" He stood up, wiping his mud-streaked face with his sleeve. "This better be worth it, witch!"

We were now deep inside the dungeon, the humid air clinging to our skin like a second layer as the entrance sealed shut behind us with a ominous rumble. Each stage was packed with dozens of mob monsters—those pesky leeches dropping from the vines and smaller serpents slithering through the muck—and capped off with one massive boss-level monster.

I figured it made sense to let Rex and Christian handle the small fries, Rex’s sword slicing through the swarms with precise swings while Christian’s spear jabbed and thrust to keep the hordes at bay. I saved my energy for bigger threats, my dagger feeling alive in my hand, eager for the bosses that required quick, deadly strikes.

"Isn’t this a bit unfair?!" Rex huffed as we wrapped up another stage, his chest heaving from the effort, sword still dripping with ichor. The dungeon was designed to ramp up the challenge with each level we cleared, the mobs getting smarter and tougher the closer we got to the end. We paused for a breather in a small, relatively dry corner, the ground littered with the remains of our latest fight.

I tossed him a bottled water, then one to Christian, before plopping down on a moss-covered rock. "You want to kill the boss? Be my guest. Let’s switch roles then," I said, flashing a teasing grin.

He shut up right away, glancing over at Christian with pleading eyes. But Christian just laughed, shaking his head as he leaned on his spear. "Just be grateful Remillia’s helping us what to do after she takes down the boss. Without her, we’d be lunch for those slugs."

"Other than helping me clear this dungeon, I also wanted to train you guys personally," I said with a sigh. Part of why I’d dragged them here was to sharpen their skills.

"Your tips and tricks are much better than the combat instructors we have at the Academy," Christian admitted, nodding appreciatively as he wiped mud from his spear.

"But why here? We have plenty of time training at the Academy. It’s not as if you’re leaving," Rex pointed out, his sword resting across his knees, a skeptical look on his face.

I only took a long drink from my water bottle, letting the question hang.

Christian looked at me, also waiting for my answer. "Right, Remillia?"

I simply smiled at them and stood up, walking forward toward the next chamber. "Now that you’re done resting, let’s finish this final level."

"Hey, witch!" Rex shouted after me, his voice echoing off the walls.

Christian and Rex exchanged glances before quickly following, their footsteps splashing in the mud.

"Hey, witch, answer our question," Rex said, already by my side, his sword at the ready.

"Are you really leaving?" Christian added, on my other side, his spear poised.

I shoved them both down just as a massive tail came slamming towards us from the shadows, the boss serpent’s appendage whipping through the air like a thunderclap. "Christian! Rex! Get your heads in the game!" I snapped angrily, my dagger flashing as I deflected the tail with a mana-infused slash. "Rule number one in every battle: Don’t let emotions rule over you."