NOVEL WEB Chapter 180: Waking Up
She set the cup down carefully, eyes sharpening subtly again as she regarded Viren. "Continue watching over Orion discreetly, Viren, for as long as he is in the academy. Guide and support him subtly from the shadows. His journey is one we must carefully nurture yet never interfere with excessively."
Viren bowed solemnly, accepting his responsibility clearly. "Yes, Dean Alariel. You have my word—I will do all I can to support Orion's path appropriately."
Satisfied, Dean Alariel smiled faintly, dismissing him gently with a wave. "Then go and rest now, Viren. You've experienced enough excitement today. I shall carefully consider the implications of everything you've shared with me."
Viren lightly rubbed the back of his head and sheepishly said, "Uh, so about the salary raise that I asked before..."
Alariel became silent, looking serenely at Viren, "...Is this the reason you took the risk to head to Helstorm's house?"
He lightly chuckled, "No no no, how can I play with my life so lightly? But what can I do? I need money for my gambling addiction."
Alariel became speechless before the two of them started discussing his salary, before soon Viren respectfully bowed and left in a happy mood.
As he stepped outside, gently descending toward the academy grounds below, he felt the world become more colorful as he deeply breathed in the fresh mana-filled air.
***
Warm sunlight filtered gently through the curtains, casting a soothing golden glow across Orion's room. The room was quiet, filled only with the faint rustling of leaves outside and the distant chirping of birds perched in the mansion's lush garden.
Orion lay comfortably in his bed, his breathing steady and rhythmic, eyelashes fluttering faintly as consciousness gradually returned to him.
His brow furrowed slightly, a faint discomfort lingering within his muscles and bones, remnants of the intense transformation his body had undergone.
Slowly, Orion's eyes opened, his vision momentarily blurry before sharpening into clarity. He gazed at the familiar ceiling, momentarily disoriented as memories began flooding back: the overwhelming intensity of the Origin Mana Pool, the fierce breakthroughs, the surging dragon bloodlines devouring all the mana.
He slowly sat up, feeling a deep soreness permeating every fiber of his body. The exhaustion he felt was too strong yet strangely satisfying, like the comforting ache after an intense training session.
Almost instantly, a cheerful screen appeared at his bedside, Lumi's vibrant text immediately popping up:
[Master! You're finally awake! (≧◡≦)♡ How are you feeling right now?]
Orion smiled faintly, his voice slightly tired yet calm, 'I feel... tired. Like my body was run over by a herd of wild beasts. But aside from that, surprisingly alright. How long was I unconscious, Lumi?'
Lumi's screen flickered energetically as she replied swiftly:
[It's been exactly two days since your session in the Origin Mana Pool! Everyone's been super worried about you, Master. But Grandma Selene and Grandpa Eldric have been guarding your room carefully, ensuring you rest properly!]
Orion's eyebrows rose slightly in mild surprise, nodding thoughtfully. 'Two whole days... longer than I expected, but considering what I went through, that seems reasonable.'
He then asked cautiously, carefully flexing his fingers and rotating his wrists, "How exactly is my body doing, Lumi? Any lasting issues or side effects?"
Lumi's response was swift,
[Your condition is stable, Master, but due to the sudden massive leaps in both mana cultivation and physique refinement, your body will require a few more days to fully adapt to the increased strength and newly expanded channels. You should rest for a couple days to let your body fully adapt to the changes.]
Orion sighed softly, leaning back against the plush pillows thoughtfully. 'That makes sense. The breakthroughs came quickly—too quickly, perhaps. My entire being was strained to its absolute limits.'
Lumi's words became more excited yet tinged with subtle admiration:
[But Master! Your breakthroughs were absolutely incredible! (✧∀✧) You simultaneously broke through the second and third levels of both the Basic Mana Training Technique and the Ninefold Physique Refinement Scripture.]
[Your mana channels expanded massively—now you have a total of 27 Primal Mana Channels! Your Sea of Consciousness has quadrupled in size, and your physique has significantly strengthened.]
Orion blinked, slightly astonished as he digested this new information, 'Twenty-seven mana channels... no wonder the influx of mana became so overwhelming. I was barely managing to handle it until—'
He paused, his voice trailing off slightly as his gaze turned inward, recalling vividly the fierce stirring within his dragon bloodlines. 'Lumi, at the end, my Dragon Legacies—my True Fire and Thunder Dragon Bloodlines—decided to pay rent. They surged suddenly and aggressively devoured all the mana from the Origin Mana Pool. It was as if my body acted purely on instinct.'
Lumi speechlessly heard him talking about rent before thoughtfully saying,
[Yes, Master. Your Dragon Legacies stirred awake in response to the intense situation, protecting you by actively devouring the remaining Origin Mana. This helped stabilize your breakthroughs, ensuring your body could absorb and utilize the overwhelming influx without permanent harm.]
[And this also helped to push your Dragon Evolution further, we can't be sure how long it will take but it should be infinitely close now.]
Orion nodded with a serious expression, fully understanding the gravity of Lumi's words. "Evolution huh, I also feel rather full, as if my entire body is saturated to its limit. I wonder what will happen during my evolution."
[We can't be sure as you are not really a True Dragon or a Human, it might be a unique experience or the same as other dragons.]
Orion sighed lightly, 'I can't know what will happen, neither can I train, nor can I go to the academy... haa, back to the bum days huh.'
Lumi's voice echoed immediately in his mind,
[No no no, you can't do any of that, Master. Remember, patience is key right now. Rushing further might strain your already exhausted physique.]
Orion exhaled gently, nodding calmly. 'You're right, Lumi. I'll heed your advice and rest properly for the next few days. My body deserves it after everything it endured.'
Lumi cheerfully flickered again, expressing her approval,
[Yay! Master is finally listening to proper advice! (´▽`) You deserve this rest!]
Orion chuckled softly, feeling warmth in his heart from Lumi's ever-present enthusiasm and sincere care. He knew clearly how fortunate he was to have such loyal support and guidance at every step of his difficult journey.
His gaze drifted thoughtfully toward the window, wondering how his grandparents reacted to his unconscious body. Quietly, he asked Lumi, 'Did anything else happen during my unconsciousness? Did my grandparents cause any trouble due to my condition?'
Lumi answered sheepishly, her text flickering shyly,
[Err, Grandpa Eldric might have scared the entire Royal Capital with his anger and aura when you arrived unconscious. But after hearing your condition clearly, both he and Grandma Selene calmed down, focusing solely on ensuring your peaceful recovery.]
Orion rubbed his forehead with amusement, 'Grandpa really is something. What did he even do to scare the entire capital? And did none of the Noble Houses come to cause trouble?'
Lumi giggled softly,
[I didn't hear any commotion, maybe Arya's father helped out.]
Orion stretched lightly, his body feeling heavy yet much stronger than before. With a resolute sigh, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and slowly rose to his feet. Immediately, Lumi's screen flashed with urgency beside him:
[Master! (╬ Ò ‸ Ó) What exactly do you think you're doing?! Didn't you just agree to rest?]
Orion chuckled lightly, giving a gentle shake of his head as he replied casually, "Relax, Lumi. If I'm going to rest, I might as well spend it usefully. I'll just sit down in Seraph's room and have a small chat with her. Staying here idly feels too stuffy."
Lumi's screen flickered uncertainly, clearly torn between enforcing strict rest and approving Orion's kind intentions:
[Hmm... well, I guess talking quietly with Seraph isn't exactly strenuous. But please take it easy, Master! (⋟﹏⋞)]
Smiling softly, Orion slowly made his way to the door. The moment he opened it, two small figures waiting anxiously outside immediately turned around in surprise.