—

After Yashua and Dabura left, Xithora returned to the room and checked on Kieran's wound, pressing on it softly to understand its level of tenderness.

"Does that hurt?" Xithora asked after having Kieran remove his top to expose all areas of the wound.

"Not as much," Kieran answered truthfully. "I received my rewards, and amongst the rewards was the crest that supplies a decent amount of power."

"Ah yes, I recall that being true. The Champions receive a special type of crest to honor their bravery and potential," Xithora replied.

The War Crest of Champions was indeed unique, even amongst the other crests, since it was designed with the needs of the younger generation in mind. In comparison, Commanders and Generals didn't require as much assistance, so they were given other types of benefits.

Still, Xithora felt some shock after pressing on Kieran's wound. As far as Xithora knew, the energy within the War Crest of Champions wasn't enough to speed up his healing this much.

Although it was only noticeable due to her high stage, Xithora watched as the wound closed at a visible rate.

'This boy's body heals very quickly, almost on par with an Advanced Being. He must specialize in Vitality. Then again, considering the type of power he wields, it's understandable,' Xithora thought to herself.

After pondering Kieran's situation, a milky aura enveloped Xithora's hand as she walked around the small bed. She slid her hand across Kieran's back and massaged his shoulder to stimulate the healing process.

"I heard you've joined High General Veradin's faction," Xithora commented.

Kieran nodded, somewhat surprised by how fast word traveled within the War Deity Council. Barely an hour had passed, yet Xithora was already aware of what had happened.

Perhaps it was a luxury presented to General-level characters, but Kieran felt this capacity to dispense information was frightening.

"I did. Scar vouched for High General Veradin, so I didn't see any reason to decline. From what I heard, his faction doesn't seem too restrictive," Kieran answered.

A faint smile crept upon Xithora's lips as she listened to Kieran's opinion. "You're not wrong. Lord Veradin is a revered figure within the War Deity Council that many fear but also respect. However, you must remain wary because human nature is darker than you know."

"Do you speak from experience?" Kieran questioned, glancing toward Xithora, who froze.

She blinked and gazed into Kieran's eyes before nodding. "Yes. My opinion comes from my experiences."

"We all have our past, and sometimes we fail to come to terms with it. However, if your heart tells you it's okay to trust, sometimes it's safe to make yourself vulnerable. But, I would never suggest you become completely vulnerable; that's how you get hurt."

Kieran's word came from his heart.

Alliances, friendships, relationships—it could all become very fragile instantly. Even after spending years getting to know people, in the end, you could be betrayed by blindly trusting or allowing yourself to become too vulnerable in someone's presence.

Kieran's hand tightened as he spoke, but he unclenched his hand and massaged his palm a second later.

'Although I have begun to trust my teammates, I have never been too vulnerable with them. They know nothing of my pain, but I'm not prepared to share my story, and I don't know if or when I ever will be.'

Xithora noticed Kieran had grown quiet and looked over his shoulder to see his somber expression. "Aren't you too young to bear such a heavy expression? Lighten up, smile—enjoy your life as a young man. There will be plenty of time later for you to mull over your circumstances."

historical

Xithora smiled pleasantly. "Take it from a lady who spent her youth distraught over a man she believed loved her only to be used and discarded in the end. You may open your heart but trust sparingly."

Pain flashed within Xithora's gaze as she spoke about this event, but she didn't go into great detail as it was something she tried her darnedest to get over. Unfortunately, wounds of the heart weren't superficial.

One couldn't wake up one day and simply will it away.

With time the pain faded, and soon enough, the pain became bearable while serving as a learning experience.

"Such a candid young man. I'm sure you will claim the hearts of many if you maintain your current personality during your rise to power. Broad shoulders, a firm personality, and incredibly handsome—the trifecta many women seek."

Kieran chuckled weakly. "It's as you said. I must trust sparingly. If I do find a soulmate, I hope it's someone I can place the entirety of my trust in."

"Not everyone is the same, so we can't view the world in a uniform scope. I'm sure you'll meet and bond with your fated person or even persons, depending on your beliefs. Also, your wound has closed, but there will be residual pain."

Kieran hadn't realized how much time had passed while talking to Xithora. Their conversation was deep and somewhat enjoyable, so it escaped his notice.

As Xithora said, although the wound closed, Kieran felt as if it were still there when he touched the faintly discolored skin.

The color of the fresh skin was lighter and would regulate once it healed adequately and was saturated by Kieran's abilities. For now, it resembled a large scar down his chest.

"Although it was relaxing and comforting to talk with you, I have official duties to tend to. Take care, Aatrox," Xithora said, patting Kieran's shoulder.

"Thank you for your care. Can you tell guards that I'll be resting for the moment? I'll come out after I'm done."

"With pleasure. Take as long as you need," Xithora voiced.

Afterward, she left the room, and Kieran laid down on the bed as if he were sleeping. Once in a comfortable position, he brought up his user interface and initiated the log-out sequence.

..

Inside the Medical Facility..

Kieran took off the VR Helmet, and a flash of blinding light assaulted his eyes. He covered them and winced before sitting up. However, just as he sat up, he gasped and clutched his chest.

A sharp pain traveled through the place of his wound and made several of his nerves jump, inflicting incredible discomfort.

'What the fuck?!' Kieran thought in utter disbelief. His pain on Earth was nearly three times greater than what he felt inside Zenith Online, but there was no scar on his chest.

Alongside his pain, Kieran was also alarmed by Bastion and the rest. They leaned close and gazed into his eyes as if they wanted to gaze into the depths of his soul and confirm his safety.

"He lives!" Nemean screamed out.

"Please move aside!" Dr. Riley commanded, attempting to barge through Bastion and the others. She couldn't make her way through due to the sheer difference in their size.

Once they stepped aside, Dr. Riley approached Kieran. "Are you okay?"

"Why do you ask that?" Kieran questioned with a peculiar glint in his eyes. There was something amiss with Dr. Riley's tone—it was too tender, as if she were distraught.

"Well.. your heart stopped beating for ten seconds. And you regularly stopped breathing, and it truly scared me. But when you resumed breathing, your lungs felt more.. powerful every time," Dr. Riley said.

'My heart stopped beating?' Kieran had never heard of such a phenomenon before. "Uh, what about my readings? Is there anything out of the ordinary now?"

Dr. Riley scanned through the tablet in her hands, comparing the changes. She didn't detect anything horrifyingly amiss, so she shook her head.

"No, not really. There aren't many changes in terms of your energy consumption, but your vitals are stronger—healthier. I may be mistaken, but I believe you've processed the remnant wastage that should've been expelled from your body."

"I see. And what about them? How is their progress?" Kieran asked, looking at Altair and the others.

"In terms of progress, Altair is in the lead, followed by Bastion, then Alice, then Nemean, and so on. Except for Altair, they're receptive to X-hancers because they are virgins to the medicine."

Kieran turned and examined everyone, beginning with Nemean. Out of everyone, his physique was admittedly the best, but Altair's speed and precision were deadlier.

"Wait, before we worry about ourselves, I think we should get a proper read on the boss. Is he fine? That attack he received was absurd. I don't even understand how he was still standing!" Bastion exclaimed.

"True, I concur. That final attack almost cleaved you in half. Has it left trauma?" Altair questioned, glancing at Kieran's subconsciously rubbing his shoulder.

"It has, but it's nothing unbearable. I've felt worse. But I logged out because we need to discuss a few important matters—a guild. I want to create a guild very soon, but we must address our weaknesses and what hinders us."

Altair and the other's gazes lit up when Kieran said he was ready to create a guild. It required a lot of frameworks and everyone understood that, which is why Kieran intended to sit them down.