29 - Back to Present

Deimos looked at Lele with a mysterious gaze as he thought to himself, 'Even though I've had some crazy experiences myself, what they've been through is far crazier than anything I could have imagined. I'm not really sure how to feel about all of this. Part of me is extremely excited because my life was a boring hell every day, plain and ordinary. But now, with the advent of magic, the world has regained its colors. However, after hearing what happened in the last 15 days, it seems like living is going to be far more difficult. Not to mention, I am two weeks behind the curve.

"I'm extremely curious and I have a thousand questions in my head."

"Before we proceed with that, let's focus on getting you discharged first. Since you appear to be physically and mentally sound, I doubt they will keep you here any longer," suggested Albert.

"I hope so. Honestly, I can barely contain my excitement. There's so much I want to try out," said Deimos.

"I bet," replied Lele.

Before being discharged from the hospital, Deimos engaged in a lengthy conversation with his parents. Despite their clear distress at not being able to have any physical contact, the conversation went smoothly until they reached a critical topic.

"Son, as an awakened individual, I think it would be wise for you to register and attend an awakener school," suggested Robert, Deimos' father. However, Deimos shook his head and replied firmly, "I don't think obtaining an awakener ID is a good idea for me."

"Son, I understand your concerns, but please hear me out. If you go to the awakener school, you will be able to learn how to control your powers and interact with other awakened individuals safely. What if some of the students there are like your mother and me? What if you accidentally touch them and hurt them?" Robert explained.

"I won't touch anyone! Hell, I didn't touch anyone even before the accident."

"I know that, but that's not in your control. What if someone bumps into you or you trip etc…"

Deimos reluctantly acknowledged that his father had a valid point. Despite the slim chances of accidentally touching someone who couldn't handle mana, the risk still existed. He began to consider his options and eventually came up with an idea. "Can I drop out of the school?" He suggested it to his parents.

His mother was a very strict woman when it came to education. She knew that her son never studied, but she let it slide because he still scored among the best. However, now her son was asking for too much in her eyes, so she stepped in angrily.

"There is no way I will let you become a dropout! No matter what!"

Robert, who had a more lenient view of education, tried to act as a mediator since both Deimos and his mother were known for their stubbornness in arguments. "Let's hear him out first. We both know he's highly intelligent," he said, glancing at Deimos to encourage him to explain his reasoning.

"If I were to register as an awakened right now, I would become vulnerable to exploitation not only by the government, but also by my peers at the awakener school. In this new world that I have been thrown into, it is survival of the fittest, and I cannot thrive while attending school. Besides, I am already in my last year of high school and can easily obtain my degree as a private candidate. Moreover, I am confident that I can pass the tests without any difficulty."

His mother reflected on his proposal "Fine, let's say that you can get the degree with no effort. What about school life and social interactions?"

Deimos scoffed, knowing that his mother's concerns were unfounded. "Are you making fun of me? We both know that I avoided social interactions in school at all costs. I took so little interest in it that I don't even know the names of 80% of my classmates."

His mom knew that this was the truth. Deimos basically only interacted with his family and close friends, and treated everyone else as extraneous. She had tried to fix this trait by dragging him into social scenarios and forcing him to try several sports and social activities. However, all her attempts were utterly futile and only worsened Deimos' introverted traits.

"Okay, I will allow it."

Deimos was basically jumping of joy

"BUT, If you fail the final exam as a private candidate, I will make you quit whatever you are doing and you will fully focus on your studies. Are we clear?"

"Yes"

After leaving the hospital, Deimos began asking his companions a series of questions as they walked towards Albert's house. "Does anyone else know about the dragon being able to talk?" he inquired.

Lele responded, "No, I didn't tell anyone else. I felt uneasy doing so."

"That's probably for the best," Albert chimed in, nodding in agreement. "It could have caused chaos if the world found out."

"You mentioned that Mase experienced Mana strain once, but he recovered after a couple of hours. So why is Finn still unconscious after multiple days?" Deimos asked curiously.

"Well, Finn has a much larger mana reserve compared to Mase. The more mana one has, the more severe the consequences of depleting it." Albert explained.

"I see...well, it kinda makes sense. There's something off about this system, even if I can't quite put my finger on it," Deimos replied.

"I feel the same way," Albert agreed. "There are many things that don't quite fit with the system, but honestly, I don't think it's our top priority right now. We should focus on getting stronger first."

Deimos nodded in agreement, then added, "Regarding what you said earlier about your mana coating, I have a feeling that it isn't tied to your class. After all, the dragon we faced had a different class from yours, but still utilized it."

"That might be true! My mind and days recently have been so filled with worries and duties that I didn't even think about it," Lele stated.

"Can you show it to me?" Deimos asked.

"Sure." Immediately, a yellow aura surrounded Lele's skin, imposing and unwavering.

Deimos slowly approached the aura with his hand. When it made contact, he felt an electrical surge run through his entire body.

"I GET IT!" Deimos exclaimed. "The mana condensed inside our bodies is released and used to surround our bodies. If we don't have enough mana regeneration or reserves, we will end up burning all our mana in a couple of minutes. However, it works as a formidable attack and defense mechanism."

"How did you figure it out so quickly?" Albert asked, disbelief etched on his face.

"You see, I also have a little secret to tell," Deimos replied. "During my training on the other side, I had to learn how to feel my mana. It was tough, but very helpful."

"Wait, slow down, can you tell us the story first?" Albert asked.

Deimos proceeded to reveal to his friends what happened in the inner void. He remembered Harran's words about plausibility and tried to be as vague as possible about some details.

Albert's expression shifted to shock as he became aware of the existence of powerful and mysterious beings.

"I have a feeling that learning mana coating together will prove to be an indispensable skill. Can we try it at your house?" Deimos asked.

After pondering for a few moments, Albert came to a decision. 'If it does work as Deimos suggests, it may not be immediately useful, but it could be crucial in the future.' He spoke up, "Alright, it can't hurt to learn another skill. Let's give it a try."