The Path To Eternity

Chapter 3: A Dire Concern

Daniel entered the Academy Clinic, the chime of the entrance bell announcing his presence.

Behind the desk, Nurse Parsons, a twenty-six-year-old with long black hair and hazel eyes, was fervently typing medical documents on the projection screen. Her figure commanded attention.

Engrossed in her work and sipping coffee, Nurse Parsons remained silent until Daniel's arrival. "Good day, Nurse Parsons. Embracing the digital work, I see," he greeted her with a familiar smile.

She glanced up at him, a smile playing on her lips. "Well, well, if it isn't my most troublesome patient. Let me guess, another muscle casualty from your relentless training?" she teased.

Nurse Parsons was intimately familiar with Daniel. Since his arrival at the Academy five years prior, he'd dedicated himself entirely to training, often pushing his body beyond its limits. This dedication occasionally resulted in injuries - fractured bones or torn muscles - which initially brought him into contact with the charming nurse.

Since then, Daniel had become a regular visitor to the clinic, seeking to mend his weary body at least once a week. So, his appearance wasn't exactly a surprise.

"Actually, I just finished a ranking match," he confessed, shocking the nurse so much that she choked on her coffee.

Setting down her mug, she turned to Daniel, startled. "You did what!?"

Hearing that Daniel, an unawakened student, had participated in a ranking match against an awakened student, filled the nurse with overwhelming disbelief.

"I just finished a ranking match?" Daniel reaffirmed, confused by the nurse's reaction.

"WHAT!!!? Why!? You could have gotten hurt! Don't tell me... you did get hurt!" she scolded him, poking him only to see him flinch in pain.

"Well yeah, otherwise I wouldn't be here," he replied with a pained expression. As the adrenaline started wearing off, he began to feel the intensity of his injuries.

That single poke felt like a knife stabbing into his side!

"Well, what are you waiting for!? Follow me. The sooner we get you checked out, the sooner I can get you in a pod," she said, leading him into a nearby room.

Standing on a platform, Daniel looked down at the nurse as she examined a projection of his body from her AID bracelet.

"Why do we need to do this again? We haven't done it before," he expressed his curiosity.

"The purpose of the assessment is to determine the severity of your injuries as well as the cause. Previously, you merely had minor injuries such as a fracture or a torn muscle, so it wasn't necessary to go through a full assessment test. This time, you engaged in actual combat, so the assessment is mandatory."

She swiped the projection, rotating it for Daniel to see. "The platform you're standing on scans your energy signature while the two drones at the side scan for physical injuries. As you can see, you have two fractured forearms, a dislocated shoulder, ruptured calve muscles and three damaged ligaments. Which could be considered getting off easy if you take into account that you fought a Candidate Champion!"

Daniel's smile wavered as he noticed her expression darken. 'I wonder how she'd react if I informed her that my body is in this state due to the skills I used and not my opponent,' he thought to himself.

His admission carried a grain of truth. 'The sheer strain these skills put on my body is the main reason I don't use them often.'

'Adding to the challenge, is my unawakened state, limiting me to just twenty percent of the skill's true potential. And to add insult to injury, I am forced to endure strain five times greater than any awakened practitioner.' his expression dampened at his own thoughts.