Awakening and Sudden Proposal

Chapter 10: Awakening and Sudden Proposal

Even after one day and a night passed, there seemed no sign of Satria waking up. The nun thought he was just sleeping, however, he couldn't wake up no matter what. This alerted them as they tried every way they know to wake him up. It was all a futile attempt and they left him with a simple explanation that his condition worsen and he fell into comatose.

The small town clinic is lacking in a lodging department, and because of that Dahlia then took Satria to her green tower. It's better to bring him back to her house not back to the inn because she would be there for him. She put him into her late father's bed.

'I still don't know why and how he got so handsome overnight ...' she thought while looking at his clean face.

There's not a single spot or acne on his face. Even somehow, his facial hair was shed away making his face even cleaner. If before he kinda looks rough and older than he seems, but now he looks younger with a smooth babyface.

Dahlia left him there and went to her study room. She devoted a lot of her time to re-studying chemistry. She wrote down question after question about the topic that she don't know and had a hard time understanding. When Satria woke up, then she might ask him those questions. She spends the rest of the noon quietly reading his notes.

"Nggrrhh ..."

As she heard a groan from somewhere, she immediately stood up and went to his room. The eyelids quivered for a bit before he opened his eye to see the world. Dahlia called out his name.

"Satria?"

"Nggh? Dahlia?"

He recovered his eyesight and was puzzled as to why the ceiling is different, moreover, why was she the first time he saw after waking up? No, why he got here?

"How are you feeling? Any discomfort?"

"What happens? Why am I here? And where is this place?"

"Okay ..., one at a time, buddy. Clara, a worker at the Commerce Guild found you unconscious in your room at the inn. After that we brought you to the clinic, you've been in this state for almost two days. Right now you're in my house, the clinic didn't have enough room to let you stay there." Dahlia slowly explained the course of the event to him.

Satria frowned after hearing her explanation, he opened the system to see there were 20 or more unread notifications.

[You have contracted <Qi Burst Syndrome(Major)>, for an undefined duration you will constantly burst out qi out of your body.]

[Your body is in critical condition!]

[Your body is in critical condition!]

...

[Your body is in critical condition!]

[<Qi Burst Syndrome(Major)> has been alleviated.]

[You have learned 'Amethyst Reflecting Circulation']

[Amethyst Reflecting Circulation] - Passive(Toggle)

A qi circulation technique derived from the mechanism behind damage reflection of the Amethyst Barrier. Gather and re-absorb the natural qi that the user has emitted and store it on the dantian. Through constant cultivation of this technique, it will temper the user's flesh and bone to the extreme.

Effect: Store internal energy | For every 100 hours of cultivating this technique increases user overall stats by 0,05 points.

[Your body has entered a comatose state.]

[You have woken up.]

'That much for cultivating about four days? Well, at least the skill is passive, which means I'm constantly cultivating. Speaking of which, it was pretty rash action I did back then. Of course, I need a fricking cultivation technique if I want to safely consume a cultivating pill.' he thought.

Satria feels like the pain that happened back after he consumed the Abundant Pill was just a lie as it has already passed. But he still remembers the sheer horror and the desperate feeling back then seeing his HP bar constantly decreasing at a visible rate.

At that time, he thought because he got a system, then he could do whatever he wants without any consequences. Besides, the pill comes from the system, so it will help him in absorbing the qi, right? But no, his system is not omnipotent. The utility of the system is limited to that, conjuring a portal, trading platform, inventory, and reward system with the quest and others.

"Seems like I got lucky this time around ... sigh." he sighed out in relief as he could stay alive after what he's been through.

"Satria, are you alright? You're spacing out? Do you want me to call the healer?" Dahlia asked while looking at him rather worried.

"I'm fine ..., how much time has passed since I fell unconscious, again?"

"It's been almost two days."

"Two days!?" he frowned deeper.

Satria checked the quest menu, in the limited newbie quest section and it was true. He still only had around one day and sixteen hours left to complete these quests before the time limit ended.

[Newbie Training] (Ends in 1 Day 16 Hours and 33 Minutes)

[No Longer a Noob] - Reach Merchant Rank Level 5 (3/5)

[Let's Make Some Money] - Earn a total of 1.000 G (54,75/1.000)

[Money is Only a Number] - Spend a total of 1.000 G (4,6/1.000)

[A Company is All You Need] - Establish a trading company (0/1)

[Contractor] - Sign a dozen of contracts (2/12)

[Dimensional Hopper] - Conjure at least two gates to another dimension (1/2)

'I couldn't finish almost all of these quests. It's unthinkable to complete it in just one and a half days left. The time is just not enough.' he thought silently.

It's a pity though, the reward for completing these newbie quests was all very good. However, he's running out of time.

'Wait ..., time?'

Satria's eyes sparkled with a glint as he realized something. Turning to Dahlia who still keeps quiet while looking at him with worried eyes. Satria just realized how she was so pretty up close, but then he shook his head as it was not the time for that. He tried to stand up but his joint and muscle are all stiff and his movement faltered.

He said, "Dahlia, take me to the Commerce Guild!"

"You should take a rest first ..., and it's almost dark, we should go to Commerce Guild tomorrow first in the morning."

"No, I need to go now. It's now or never Dahlia! This is my only chance."

"Satria, you need a rest. I'll cook you something and you should head back to sleep." Dahlia insisted that his condition is not sufficient enough for strenuous activity.

"I know my own body, but I'm running out of time, Dahlia. Please, this is the only chance I got left."

"What's with you and your stubbornness? Do you know how much I worried about you?! No, mister, you're staying here until you recovered."

"Dahlia listen to me, just listen to me ..., this time, please." he pleaded, he took a deep breath and then said. "Actually, it's all true ..., what you said back then with me having a system like those in the light novel. You're right, I have it with me."

"..." Dahlia widened her eyes at the sudden confession. 'That should be his secret ..., but why he suddenly tells me about it?'

In fact, back then at the dinner date, he just keep silent without confirming nor denying her words. Although she guessed he has it, she has no way to prove her suspicion.

"Listen, I've come here with a mission. Something like a quest, and it's time-limited. If I can't finish this quest before the time limit, then I--"

"You would suffer some consequences, is that it?" Dahlia cut his word midway.

"No ..., it doesn't work like that. But the rewards for this quest are so big that I will regret it if I don't finish it. Please ..., help me this time."

"Do you want the reward so much that you would rather put your sick body at risk than miss the reward?"

"Verily, please ..., I need your help."

Dahlia stared straight into his eyes for about five seconds before she sighed. She couldn't persuade him to not do it, not before she figured out everything.

"Sigh..., alright then." she helped him walk by putting his arm on top of her shoulder. "Tell me more about your unfinished quests."

"Okay ...,"

She led him to the stable and prepared the carriage that she used to gather materials in the wilderness. It took no less than five minutes before the carriage was ready to go. When they were on the way to the town, Satria willingly told her about his quest.

After all, he thought that Dahlia could help him in completing the quests. He also thought his secret would be safe with her. She has signed the confidentiality agreements that are a part of the contract, she won't tell a being about his secret.

Finished with telling her about the quest, Dahlia put a hand on her chin and think for a while.

"I maybe can help you with some of those. The quest for signing a contract for example. When you put a commission of goods in the commerce guild or bounty in the adventure guild you have to write a document and later signed it. Maybe your system considered those as a contract."

"Well, let's try that later ... but first, we need to head over to the commerce guild and establish our company," said Satria with a plan in his mind.

"Wait, did you just say 'our' company?" Dahlia asked a bit puzzled why in the world she got brought into this.

"Yeah, well ..., I'm not exactly a native of this place. But you are, someone of this world. With that being said, if you're the one who did it the bureaucracy would be done without much trouble. Add that to your reputation as a magic device craftsman, and the establishment of the company would be faster." Satria said his reasoning.

"..., alright, but then it won't be your company. And if you want to be the head of a company that we both make, then there has to be some sort of relationship between us."

"Can it just be the normal joint ownership?"

"I don't know anything about that, but normally only a married couple would have joint ownership of a company."

Dahlia turned her head from the rein to look at him. But the oblivious man didn't even notice her gaze and put his hand on his chin thinking.

"..., hmm, is there no other possible way around this?"

"Oh well ..., why not ..., just do it?" Dahlia asked, turning her cheek deep red just like her hair.

"What?" Satria who was still oblivious asked.

"I mean, why we just not ..., you know, getting engaged and be done with it?" she got redder the more she said that.

His mind spun and it was overwhelming, he couldn't believe what he just heard. Did he just got confessed by an anime girl? Soon, his rational thought kicked in and he asked with a raised voice.

"Do you even aware of what kind of ridiculous thing you just said? Miss, we just met less than a week, I know you were heartbroken because that si-, I mean your ex-fiancé dumped you. But I'm in no fucking way becoming a replacement for someone you can't have."

"Hey, that's a rather awful thing you said ..., and I'm not looking for a replacement. Tobias can go to hell for all I care. But be serious, think about it. You must be madly in love with me right?! Right?"

Satria.exe has stopped working. It's not responding.

"Wu ... what kind of ..., how did you even have such confidence to think yourself so highly like that? Why would you think I'm madly in love with you, someone I just met not that long ago?"

"But you know me!? Although it's not me, the manga version of me, the light novel version, whatever ..., you already knew everything about me before coming here. With you coming to this place, that means you must love my character so much that you want to see me, your waifu directly. Tell me if I'm wrong. And look, you keep divulging your secret even when I don't ask about it. If it's not love, then what?"

"Love is a heavy word, and there's no way I would madly in love with a fict-"

"I dare you to finish that sentence, Mister! I'm not a fictional character. More like, I'm the real living version of that fictional character. Yeah, it was like the character Dahlia in that novel is based on me."

"That's true. But miss ..., are you sure, you're okay? I think, there's something wrong with your head. You're not making any sense since we talk about this."

"I'm totally sane, Satria! And call me Dahlia."

"Okayy, Dahlia. Let's ..., calm down for a second. You're driving me crazy here."

Satria sighed his head and thought about how the hell the discussion lead to this topic for a moment.

Dahlia also calmed down for a bit, and so much regret and shame with whatever she said. 'What in the world just I said? Dahlia, what has gotten into your mind?'

The journey continued with both of them stay silent after that bout. Satria gathered his thought and then said the best reason that he could think of in his mind.

"I ..., can't, no, I won't be having any romantic relationship with anyone after what happened. Not until I fulfilled my goals."

"..." Dahlia went silent for a moment, Satria also didn't continue speaking. Dahlia then asked. "What's your goal?"

"First of all, financial freedom. Own a land, buy a house, make a company ... maybe."

"You're not even fully sure about your goals! And it's not like having a spouse will prevent you from completing those goals, right?"

Satria decided to not give her any hope for a relationship. Although he's excited about having an anime waifu spouse, it doesn't feel right. It wasn't supposed to be this easy and with Dahlia's unstable state right now, it's questionable whether whatever she said is true to her heart or not.

"Okay, okay ..., maybe you're right. But I won't be backing off from what I said. Look ..., Dahlia, I'm trying to make a living by coming to this world. I have no time for that kind of stuff. I'm sorry to say this, but no, what you said previously is wrong. I'm not interested in having a romantic relationship with you. I don't even love your character from the novel much, my arrival in this world is just one of the many coincidences in the world. Don't think yourself that high, Dahlia ..., if not because you're lucky then I won't even be here."

"That's ..., somehow sound cruel." Dahlia turned down her gaze and she almost let out tears from her eyes.

'My ex-fiancé dumped me, I never met the handsome knight, and even someone I thought definitely love me actually never put me in his eyes. Am I ..., really that plain and unattractive? Why do I feel like I'm not the main character?' she thought, and a tear started streaming from her eyes.

"... hey, don't cry. I'm sor- ..., sigh." he sighed and pulled her shoulder into a hug, and Dahlia just surrendered herself on his frame and cried on his chest.

'Damn, what a mess ...'