A suffocating silence… an endless void.
It felt as if I were drowning in a sea of darkness—no time, no place, no sound, no scent. Just nothingness, swallowing whatever remained of my existence.
Little by little, sensation began to return to my body, like a faint current seeping through my veins, restoring the consciousness I had nearly lost.
I slowly opened my eyes, as if weighed down by stones, and saw a pale white ceiling above me.
It looked like a still cloud, its edges cracked, hanging over me with a strange coldness.
I tried to move my head and glanced around the room.
It was small, with faded walls and a sharp smell—a mix of disinfectant and medicine that almost stung my nose.
The place felt more like a modest school clinic than a real hospital.
Medical tools were neatly arranged on a small glass table, and white curtains divided the beds, offering a sense of privacy that wasn't quite complete.
As I tried to process where I was, a familiar voice broke the silence—cheerful in a way that hadn't changed despite everything we'd been through:
"You're awake!"
With difficulty, I turned toward the source of the voice.
It was Visper, sitting on a nearby bed.
His face was wrapped in bandages, leaving only his eyes visible, yet his voice still carried that lighthearted spirit that always defined him, as if he refused to surrender to pain.
I spoke in a hoarse voice, barely above a whisper:
"Yeah… but… where are we?"
Visper replied, slowly moving his head:
"When I woke up, I found myself here, with my face covered in these bandages. The boss was next to me, so I asked him the same thing. He said we're in the hotel clinic. Looks like they turned one of the rooms into a temporary clinic for us."
I nodded silently, trying to take it in.
Then I attempted to lift my body to sit up—but a terrifying crack echoed from my back, followed by crushing pain that tore through my nerves.
"Aaagh!"
A muffled scream burst from my throat as I collapsed back onto the bed, writhing in pain, as if my bones were protesting my recklessness.
Worry spread across Visper's face as he quickly said:
"Ah! Right! I should call the doctor! Don't move!"
He rushed out of the room, leaving me struggling to breathe as dark thoughts flooded my mind.
Was my body really this bad?
Were my injuries worse than I thought?
It wasn't long before Visper returned—with a man I recognized.
My eyes froze for a moment before I whispered in shock:
"You…!"
It was the white-haired doctor—the same one who accompanied us when we tried to save Marcus.
That calm face, those features that balanced firmness and reassurance—I couldn't mistake them.
The doctor spoke in a calm voice, yet one filled with the firmness of experience:
"Well… it's good that you've woken up."
Then he added, flipping through papers in his hand:
"But don't try to get up again. Your injuries aren't fatal, but they're… unusual. Your body hasn't stabilized yet—it's as if it's resisting full recovery. So rest, and don't strain yourself."
His words stirred both curiosity and unease within me, but I didn't want to dig deeper, so I simply asked:
"Anyway… why are you here? Shouldn't you be at your hospital?"
He smiled gently and said:
"You may not know this, but I'm well-known for my treatment and kindness. Many people ask for my help outside the hospital."
I didn't know how to respond, so I just nodded as if convinced.
Then I asked:
"How long… was I unconscious?"
Visper jumped in before the doctor could answer, saying excitedly:
"You were out for only two hours!"
I gasped in shock:
"What?! Only two hours?!"
I was certain I had been unconscious for a day or more!
Given the pain I went through, those two hours felt like nothing more than a fleeting moment.
That disappointment reminded me of reality's irony: this wasn't a movie, where the hero disappears for days and rises with legendary strength…
this was just a tired body, hurting like any human's.
Visper smiled lightly:
"Why are you so shocked?"
I forced a faint smile:
"Nothing… just an illusion I was living in."
I lay back again, closing my eyes, trying to ignore the white ceiling—but my concern for my companions wouldn't let me stay quiet.
I called out as Visper was about to leave:
"Wait… Zairos! Do you know what happened to him? He was injured too."
Despite the bandages covering his face, Visper couldn't hide a small smile as he replied:
"Zairos? Don't worry… he left a while ago. He's probably in the kitchen right now stuffing himself like usual. His appetite knows no limits."
His words brought both relief… and a bit of strangeness.
Zairos… I had never stopped wondering about that mysterious man.
Visper left with the doctor, and silence once again filled the room.
Nothing remained but my uneven breathing and the trembling of my hand, which I blamed on the blows I had taken in the last fight.
Suddenly, a thought surfaced in my mind… that decisive moment which turned the battle in our favor.
"Right…" I whispered to myself.
I had used the Rapid Response ability… but it was different from what I expected—far stronger than it should have been.
I called out:
"Status Window!"
That familiar blue light appeared, like a celestial panel floating before me.
[Yes, user.]
I asked eagerly:
"Isn't Rapid Response classified as a weak ability?"
[Yes, it is classified as a weak-tier ability.]
"But what happened in the fight was incredible! I felt like I was fighting with power I've never had before. How? Is this a system glitch?"
[No, user. Rapid Response is not a glitch. It adapts to your skills and extracts their maximum potential. In other words, it uses your own abilities at their fullest capacity.]
My eyes widened in shock.
So this ability wasn't just "weak"—it was a true reflection of everything I possessed!
From karate to defense, everything pushed to its peak.
I asked excitedly:
"So… with every new skill I gain from golden cards, the ability will adapt and bring out its full power?!"
[That is correct.]
A surge of exhilaration ran through me, and a smile I couldn't hide spread across my face.
"That's amazing! That means I'll be… almost unbeatable!"
But as always, the window didn't let me celebrate for long.
[No, user. This ability has only five uses. One has already been used. Four remain.]
My smile froze, as if a wall of ice had dropped onto my chest.
"…What?!"
All the excitement vanished instantly, replaced by frustration and anger. I shouted:
"You're only good at crushing hopes! Why didn't you tell me that from the start?!"
[You did not ask.]
I stared at it with narrowed eyes, feeling like I was arguing with a cold rock.
Then I said sharply:
"From now on… tell me everything important about my abilities, whether I ask or not. Got it?"
[Understood. From now on, I will inform you of all important details regarding your abilities.]
I dismissed the window with a long sigh.
There was no point arguing with a system that knew neither mercy nor how to give someone a moment of hope.
But still… a small spark of excitement remained in my heart.
It might be limited in uses… but it was also the key to a power not to be underestimated.