Chapter 83: The Next Morning

Kai feels a surge of relief as he reads the system's message: "Nullification is successful. The adventurer won't receive any form of damage from the spikes." With the threat of the spikes neutralized, he refocuses on the girl, who is now levitating her spear, her eyes glowing with determination.

The ground continues to tremble, but Kai stands firm, his grip on Dominaredor tightening. The girl charges at him once more, her spear aimed with deadly precision. Kai meets her head-on, their weapons clashing with a resounding force that echoes through the room.

Their battle resumes with even greater intensity. Kai's movements are a blur, his enhanced speed and agility allowing him to dodge and counter the girl's attacks. Each strike he lands chips away at her remaining HP, but she fights back with relentless ferocity.

As the spikes retract back into the ground, the girl unleashes a flurry of spear strikes, each one faster and more powerful than the last. Kai parries and dodges, his focus unwavering. He can feel the strain on his body, but the surge of power from Quick Aura keeps him going.

The girl's HP is dangerously low, and Kai knows he needs to end this soon. With a burst of speed, he closes the distance between them, swinging Dominaredor with all his might. The girl blocks the attack, but the force of the blow sends her skidding back.

Breathing heavily, Kai prepares for one final assault. The girl, her HP nearly depleted, raises her spear for a desperate attack. Kai anticipates her move, his eyes locked onto her.

"Now," he whispers to himself, channeling all his remaining strength into one decisive strike.

With a swift, powerful motion, Kai swings Dominaredor, the blade cutting through the air with a menacing hum. The girl tries to block, but the impact is too great. She is thrown back, her HP finally reaching zero.

The room falls silent as the girl collapses, her spear clattering to the ground, as she slowly fades away. Kai stands victorious, his body trembling from the exertion. The dark aura around him fades, and he takes a deep breath, relief washing over him.

Kai collapses onto the floor, his chest heaving as he tries to catch his breath. The adrenaline from the battle begins to fade, leaving him exhausted but victorious. He glances at his HP, relieved to see it slowly starting to recover. The room, once filled with the sounds of battle, now falls into an eerie silence.

"Feels a bit different fighting in a new body, but I will adapt to it soon."

The system screen materializes next to him, its soft glow illuminating the dim room. Dominaredor reverts to her human form, standing beside him with a proud smile. The system's words forming in the screen, filled with praise.

"Congratulations, adventurer! You have defeated the hidden boss on your first try. This is a remarkable achievement."

Dominaredor beams with pride, her eyes shining. "Master, you were incredible."

Kai smiles weakly, appreciating their words. He leans back against the cold stone wall, feeling the weight of the battle lift from his shoulders.

"And now, for the rewa-" Just as the system is about to display the rewards for defeating the hidden boss, Kai raises his hand to stop it.

"Send me back first," he says, his voice tired but firm. "I'll see what I got later."

The system hesitates, its screen flickering. "But adventurer, you should see your rewards now."

Kai shakes his head, determination in his eyes. "Show me later. I need to go back now. I'm sure it's chaos outside…"

The system wonders for a while, but slowly acknowledges his request, and the screen fades away. Dominaredor kneels beside him, her expression filled with concern.

"Master, are you sure you're okay?" she asks softly.

Kai nods, pushing himself to his feet with her help. "I'll be fine. Be a good girl here." Slowly patting her head, Kai smiles at her.

"I will be back soon."

After saying so, the room begins to shimmer, the magic of the dungeon transporting him back. A bright light covers the area, as Kai closes his eyes, to reopen them back to his room. Looking above the ceiling, he smiles.

"Guess I am back," he thinks to himself.

Kai takes a deep breath, feeling the fresh air fill his lungs. He sits up, stretching his arms as he looks around, when he freezes. "Ah... I knew it..."

Around him were his friend and family, looking at him in relief. Seeing the worried faces of his friend and parents, he awkwardly waves at them. As he did, they rush towards him, relief evident in their eyes. Calling his name, asking if he was feeling better, what happened to him, a barrage of questions.

Hiro and Sakura held him tightly his side, their faces etched with worry. "Kai, how are you feeling? Are you hurt?" Hiro asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Kai shook his head, offering a reassuring smile. He projected his message, lifting his finger. "I'm fine, Dad. Just a bit tired."

Ray stepped forward, his brow furrowed with concern. "What happened, Kai? You just collapsed out of nowhere."

Kai shrugged, shaking his head again as his message changed. "I don't know, Ray. It all happened so fast."

Justin, who had been standing quietly by the side, approached Hiro and Sakura. Placing a comforting hand on Hiro's shoulder, he said, "I told you he would be fine."

Hiro and Sakura exchanged relieved smiles with Justin. Just then, the door to the room opened, and Anastasia entered, holding some papers in her hand. "Ah, so you're awake now, Kai," she said, her voice calm and soothing.

Kai nodded as Anastasia walked over and sat beside him. She took his hand, closing her eyes as if checking something within him. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and smiled. "Yes, you're alright now. It was just a migraine headache."

Anastasia stood up, addressing everyone in the room. "Kai needs to rest. It's almost morning, and he needs to recover his strength."

As she and the others began to leave, as Hiro and Sakura took one last glance at Kai smiling as the left the room. Ray stayed behind, pulling up a chair next to Kai's bed. "I'll stay with you, Kai. Just in case you need anything."

Kai smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Ray. I appreciate it." His words showing his sincere thankfulness to Ray.

Outside Kai's room, Anastasia gathered Hiro, Sakura, and Justin. Her expression was grave, and she took a deep breath before speaking. "Kai's condition is not good. The flow of mana within him is very weak, and I'm unable to stabilize it. The Mana Explosion in him is like devouring all of him mana. I'm not certain..."

Hiro's face paled, and Sakura's eyes filled with tears. She clutched Hiro's arm, her voice trembling. "What does this mean for our son? Is he in danger?"

Anastasia's eyes softened with sympathy. "I'm afraid so. Without a stable flow of mana, his condition could worsen."

Hiro's jaw tightened, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "There must be something we can do. We can't lose him. Not after finding we finally found him..."

"I know..." Anastasia turned to Justin, her tone softening slightly. "And you did a good job using your mana to maintain Kai's flow. It bought us some time."

Justin smiled modestly, though his eyes were filled with concern. "I did what I could."

Sakura's voice broke as she asked, "Is there anything we can do to cure Kai's illness?"

Anastasia sighed, thinking for a moment before responding. "I'm not sure yet... But maybe if I see his old medical records, I can find give a proper answer. With those, I might be able to find a solution as well."

Hiro stepped forward; his determination mingled with desperation. "I'll go and bring them back. Give me two days."

The morning sun cast a warm glow over the academy grounds as Kai and Ray made their way to class. The air was crisp, and the sounds of students chatting and laughing filled the air. Kai felt a sense of normalcy returning after the previous night's events.

As they walked, they spotted their homeroom teacher, Ms. Elizabeth, approaching from the opposite direction. She's wearing a white coat, with kind eyes and a gentle smile as she came to them.

"Good morning, Ms. Elizabeth," Ray greeted her with a cheerful wave.

"Good morning, Ray, Kai," She replied, her smile widening. "How are you both doing today?"

"We're doing well, thank you," Kai responded, his projection forming at his fingertip.

Ms. Elizabeth fell into step with them, her presence comforting. "I'm glad to hear that." She looks over Kai, as her eyes starts to fill with concern. "But Kai, did you not get enough sleep?" She asks, looking over Kai.

Kai looked at her, slowly as he nodded, appreciating her concern. "Yes, but I'm fine now. Just a bit tired."

Ray chimed in, "Yeah, I told him to rest but he won't listen. He's tough."

Ms. Elizabeth chuckled softly. "Yes... You're right. I can see that." She looked back at Kai. "It's good to have friends who look out for you, right Kai?"

Kai just smiles, as he nods to her.

As they continued walking, Ms. Elizabeth chatted with them about their classes and upcoming assignments. Kai and Ray exchanged glances, both noticing how friendly and relaxed she seemed.

"Ms. Elizabeth, you seem in a good mood today," Ray remarked with a smile.

She laughed, a light, melodic sound. "Well, it's a beautiful morning, and I enjoy talking with my students. It helps me understand you all better."

Kai smiled, feeling a bit more at ease. "We appreciate it, Ms. Elizabeth."

They reached the classroom, and Ms. Elizabeth held the door open for them. "Alright, let's get started with today's lesson. I hope you're ready."

Kai and Ray took their seats, feeling a renewed sense of normalcy and support from their teacher.

As Kai and Ray settled into their seats, they exchanged glances. Ray leaned over, whispering, "Isn't Ms. Elizabeth being a bit too friendly with us?"

Kai nodded, his brow furrowing slightly, as his projection came up. "Yeah, it's like she knows us too well."

Ray shrugged, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Maybe she's just trying to get on our good side."

Kai chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Or maybe she knows something we don't."

They both fell silent as Ms. Elizabeth began the lesson, but the thought lingered in Kai's mind. There was something about her familiarity that felt both comforting and mysterious.

-To be Continued