NOVEL WEB Chapter 181: Ascended Draw
Rina and Fiora had been nervously standing guard in front of his room, their expressions filled with worry and exhaustion from their continuous vigilance.
Upon seeing Orion standing there, awake and seemingly fine, their eyes widened instantly in a mixture of astonishment and overwhelming relief.
"Master!" Fiora gasped softly, visibly startled yet joyously relieved, her gentle eyes sparkling with happiness. "Y-you're finally awake!"
Rina immediately stepped forward as well, her voice softly pleading yet firm, "Master, please don't move around too much yet. Lady Selene explicitly instructed us to inform her the moment you woke up. She's been extremely worried."
Orion smiled warmly at their obvious concern, gently ruffling both girls' hair affectionately. "Sorry to make you both worry so much. Thank you for guarding me so diligently. I'll visit Grandma Selene and Grandpa Eldric first to reassure them. You can both relax now."
The two girls exchanged hesitant glances, clearly torn between their relief and the seriousness of Selene's instructions. But seeing Orion's calm, gentle smile, Fiora softly nodded, cheeks slightly flushed, "Alright, M-Master. But please, please be careful."
Orion chuckled lightly, his heart warmed by their earnest care. "I promise. After visiting Grandma and Grandpa, I'll take proper rest."
With a nod to the two maids, Orion calmly walked toward Eldric and Selene's private room. As he reached the ornate wooden doors carved with elegant patterns, he knocked gently before stepping inside after hearing a soft, familiar voice reply.
Selene was sitting quietly by the window, her gaze thoughtful, while Eldric paced restlessly. Both instantly turned upon Orion's entry, their expressions quickly shifting from deep concern to relief.
"Orion, my dear child!" Selene immediately moved forward, gently clasping his hands and inspecting him carefully, her eyes filled with tender warmth yet faint lingering worry. "How are you feeling now? Any pain or discomfort?"
Eldric approached slowly as well, eyes carefully assessing Orion's condition even as his expression relaxed significantly. "You gave us quite a scare, brat. Are you really alright now?"
Orion smiled warmly, squeezing Selene's hands reassuringly before nodding confidently. "I'm truly fine, Grandma, Grandpa. Just a bit tired from the breakthroughs, but nothing concerning. My body just needs a few days to adapt completely."
Selene sighed softly, visibly relaxing as she smiled gently. "Thank heavens. We were both so worried after Instructor Viren brought you back unconscious. Eldric nearly stormed the entire academy by himself."
Eldric coughed slightly, clearly embarrassed yet unrepentant. "Hmph! That useless instructor, allowing my precious grandson to become injured like that…"
Orion chuckled lightly, shaking his head fondly. "Instructor Viren wasn't at fault, Grandpa. It was simply me pushing myself to my limits. Besides, it's paid off greatly—I've grown stronger than ever."
Eldric raised an eyebrow curiously, interest and pride evident in his eyes. "Indeed, Viren said you underwent consecutive breakthroughs. In both Physique and Mana. Your growth rate is truly monstrous."
Selene gently squeezed Orion's hand, voice softly reassuring. "Remember to rest properly, dear. Such sudden leaps put considerable strain on your body. Allow yourself proper recovery time."
Orion nodded seriously, "I promise I will, Grandma. No strenuous training until I've fully adapted."
Satisfied, Eldric nodded approvingly, his expression easing further into warmth and pride. "Good. Take all the time you need. We'll handle anything else that comes up. Also, don't go outside without Edgar for now, those old foxes from Noble Houses have been restless after my little stunt."
Orion chuckled softly, "I heard you made quite the commotion, Grandpa. Did you really need to frighten the entire capital?"
Eldric snorted lightly, eyes flashing with unapologetic amusement. "Bah! They all needed a good reminder about who exactly they're dealing with. Anyway, enough of that. Go rest and don't worry about anything."
After chatting warmly with his grandparents for a few more moments, Orion excused himself, gently reassuring them once more before heading toward Seraph's room.
Selene turned to look at Eldric, "How will the others know that it was you who put that pressure? Most Nobles still think that the brat Reynold took pity on us out of his friendship with our…"
Eldric shook his head, "I'm just worried something might happen to him, that's why I asked him to take Edgar with him. The Nobles were just an excuse."
The two of them continued to chat as they felt relief wash over them after Orion woke up so quickly.
As he approached her door, Orion knocked softly before stepping inside. Seraph sat quietly by the window as always, her emerald eyes slowly turning to him with quiet surprise and subtle relief.
Orion smiled gently, pulling over a nearby chair and sitting comfortably across from her. "Sorry for being absent these last couple of days, Seraph. Something unexpected happened at the academy."
Seraph tilted her head very slightly, quietly attentive, a faint glimmer of concern appearing briefly in her eyes. With great effort, she opened her mouth and said with difficulty, "A..re…y..o..u..o..k?"
Orion's eyes flashed with surprise hearing her broken voice, he quickly gestured her to stop, "I'm fine, you don't need to push yourself. If you are having difficulty then just some more time. You are already getting better."
Seraph paused, feeling relieved that he was alright as she silently sat there and gazed at Orion peacefully.
Orion nodded and continued. "Everything is fine now. I just need to rest a few days to fully recover."
He sighed lightly, relaxing into the chair. "You should have seen Grandpa's reaction though. Apparently, he scared the whole capital. I'm just relieved nothing serious happened."
A faint smile touched Seraph's lips at his exaggerated sigh, her shoulders relaxing visibly, clearly reassured by his presence and relaxed demeanor.
Orion continued gently, "How have you been these last few days? Hopefully Fiora and Rina have been looking after you properly."
Seraph gave a small, gentle nod, her eyes softening subtly. Though she remained quiet, Orion sensed clearly that she appreciated his presence and quiet conversation more deeply than words could express.
He smiled warmly, leaning back comfortably as he continued chatting softly, sharing small stories from the past few days and his experiences in the Origin Mana Pool.
Seraph quietly listened, her expression subtly brighter, clearly comforted and reassured by Orion's gentle, steady voice and calming presence.
For a long while, they sat comfortably together, chatting with a lighthearted mood. Orion inwardly felt happy for this peaceful, restorative moment after his intense breakthroughs.
After a long time, he stood up and bid her farewell, returning to his room to rest before jumping on the bed.
'Haa… that was quite relaxing,' he said with a content sigh and eyes closed.
[Master, I forgot something.]
'Hmm?' He opened his eyes and saw her showing him system notifications.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations for reaching Tier 2 in Mana/Physique Cultivation]
[1 Ascended Gacha Draw acquired.]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations for reaching Tier 3 in Mana/Physique Cultivation]
[1 Ascended Gacha Draw acquired.]
He curiously looked at the notifications, 'What is this Ascended Gacha Draw?'
[Echo left this mechanism behind to reward you for your progress. I think this was his way of paying back for limiting the system. (・・ )]
Orion stared curiously at the notifications, intrigued by the unfamiliar term. After a brief hesitation, he shrugged lightly, deciding to test it immediately.
'Alright, Lumi. Let's see what this Ascended Gacha Draw can offer.'
With a small, playful smile, Orion mentally confirmed his choice.
[Alright! We going GAMBLING!!! (✧∀✧)/]
The gacha BGM began inside his mind as Lumi created hype for the draw. In the next instant, the result of the Gacha showed in front of him.
Orion's eyes widened drastically, his breathing quickening sharply, and his heart pounding violently in his chest.
His relaxed demeanor shattered completely, replaced by absolute shock and disbelief as he read the text on the display floating clearly before him.
"No way…" Orion murmured in disbelief, heart racing wildly as he stared at the result that he thought to be impossible hovering before his eyes.