LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 109: I am Ill?
A week had passed since the dungeon break incident, and everything had returned to normal.
People had returned to Central City, with some rebuilding certain parts of the city while many searched for new homes.
At the far end of the city, where the tear in the void still gazed at them, a new dome had been reinforced—a dead zone for the people of the East Region.
Because of this, many humans who had previously lived in that part of the city had become homeless. The Union Vanguard made sure each of them would receive a new home.
The city now appeared as bustling as ever, with all kinds of people walking about, but scenes of construction were visible throughout the city.
---
In the Phoenix Order guild, Max paced back and forth in his room, his expression complicated.
'It's been a week, and she hasn't awakened yet.' This thought kept nagging at him as he grew increasingly worried about Alice the longer it took.
Max continued to move around for a few more minutes before calming down and sitting on his bed. 'She'll be fine,' he reassured himself as he opened his status.
---
[Max]
– Rank: [Apprentice]
– Level: 3
– Class: [Dimensional Keeper]
– Title: [Limitbreaker, Aura of Primordial]
– Physique: 13.8
– Soul: 11.9
– Energy: 24.5
– Skills:
—» Class Skills: [Three Dimensional Body, Dimension of Time, Dimension of Spirits, Dimension of Flames]
—» Acquired Skills: [Magic Sword Barrage (Lvl-30), Advanced Sword Arts (Lvl-35), Phantom Dash (Lvl-40), Celestial Tempest (Lvl-15), Flame Genesis (Lvl-20), Abyssal Coating (Lvl-20), Eternal Bulwark (Lvl-15), Sky Float (Lvl-30)]
—» Comprehensions: [Sword Aura (Lvl-1), Flame Aura (Lvl-1)]
– Bloodline: [Black Dragon Chaotic Bloodline]
—» Draconic Essence: [15]
—» Dragon Scales: [5]
---
Max glanced at his status and sighed. For the past week, he had done nothing but train, especially focusing on Celestial Tempest, his strongest attack skill, and Eternal Bulwark, his strongest defense skill.
However, their levels had only increased marginally after four full days of practice.
In the end, he spent the remaining three days practicing his other skills, and their level increases were satisfactory.
Beep!
Max turned to his holowatch, but after seeing the message, he sighed.
[When are you coming?]
'They sure are excited to see me,' Max smiled. After the dungeon break incident, Max had been approached by someone from the Thorne Family—a lady carrying an invitation letter written and signed directly by the head of the Thorne Family.
But since he was worried about Alice, he hadn't left the Phoenix Order guild since then.
'The first thing I'll do after seeing Alice is to visit the Thorne Family,' Max decided. He had a feeling they knew more about his sister than anyone else in the East Region.
Just then, a sudden sensation overwhelmed him.
"Huh?" Max muttered, his voice barely audible as a wave of weakness engulfed him. His legs buckled under an unseen weight, and he staggered onto the bed, reaching out for balance.
His vision blurred, the edges darkening as if a veil were being drawn over his eyes.
"What's going on?" he muttered weakly. His limbs felt like they had been drained of all strength, as though his very essence was being siphoned away.
A strange, oppressive lightness overtook his body, leaving him floating in a disorienting limbo between consciousness and oblivion.
The world around him twisted and spun, colors blending into one another in a surreal haze.
'I can't breathe…' He clutched his chest, feeling a faint pulse beneath his palm, weaker than it should have been.
'Am I dying?' The sharp sting of panic flared briefly, but his thoughts were sluggish, too muddled to grasp the situation fully.
'How did I become so weak…?' This single thought echoed in his mind—a faint cry of confusion and despair—before his knees gave way entirely. His body crumpled onto the bed, his head hitting the pillow with a dull thud.
Darkness swallowed him whole, and his breathing slowed to the rhythm of unconsciousness, leaving his room eerily silent.
---
After what felt like a restful night's sleep, Max woke up feeling refreshed—better than ever.
'I've never felt so good after a sleep,' he thought as he got out of bed and stretched his arms and legs.
However, just then, memories of how he had fallen asleep flooded his mind, making his expression turn gloomy.
"What happened? Am I ill or something?" Max muttered, recalling the wave of weakness that had completely overwhelmed him. It had come quickly and taken him by surprise.
'What is this? Some sort of side effect of the Dimension of Time?' he contemplated, but then discarded the thought. If it had been a side effect from spending too much time in the Dimension of Time, he would have faced this situation much earlier, not now.
Moreover, aside from his own thoughts drifting due to loneliness and the silent nature of the Dimension of Time, he never felt anything from it.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Just then, the beeping sounds of his holowatch drew his attention.
[Where are you?]
[You're late.]
[I've been waiting for half an hour now.]
Max frowned at the messages, but after seeing who it was from, a gentle smile graced his face.
[Give me five minutes… I'll be there.] Max replied.
He then scrolled back through the chat and saw that she had messaged him to meet two days ago.
A wave of coldness washed over him as he saw that. 'I've been out for three whole days!' Max's heart rate increased a bit, but he forced himself to calm down.
He understood that nobody could experience a wave of weakness and lose consciousness for three whole days straight without something being seriously wrong.
'I wonder if the guild has someone who could check on me,' Max thought, deciding to ask Alice after meeting her.
After combing his hair and putting on a full blue shirt over a black t-shirt, Max left his room and headed for Phoenix City.
The meeting place was the same as it always was—Ember Heart Hall.
Having lived in the Phoenix Order guild for over three months, he had become accustomed to Phoenix City, though it never failed to amaze him.
Entering the city, he headed straight to Ember Heart Hall. It didn't take long before he made his way inside and saw the figure of one person he had been wanting to meet for a long time.
He walked over to her and sat down across from her at the table.
"How are you?" Max asked softly, his tone laced with genuine concern.
Alice's face lit up with a bright smile at the sight of him. "I'm fine," she replied warmly. "I actually awakened five days ago, but Mother insisted I stay home. She was worried my condition might worsen if I went out too soon."
"I see," Max said with a small nod, letting out a relieved sigh. "I was worried for a moment."
Alice's expression turned playful, her lips curling into a cheeky grin. "Worried? For me?" she teased, tilting her head slightly.
Max shifted his gaze to the side, avoiding her eyes. "Cough… of course, I was worried. You're the Young Miss of the Phoenix Order guild. If anything happened to you, what would become of the guild?" he said, his words betraying a mix of awkwardness and genuine care.
Alice giggled softly, her sweet smile brightening the room. "Hehe, let's go! I want to buy some clothes," she declared, springing to her feet with newfound energy.
As she walked ahead, her steps light and joyful, Max couldn't help but smile. Seeing her full of life again warmed his heart. He quickly got up and jogged to catch up. "Wait up!" he called after her, his tone tinged with fondness as he followed her into the bustling streets.