Ryan's eyes fluttered open, his vision slowly coming into focus. The white of an army hospital ceiling greeted him.
"Wakey, wakey!" A familiar voice chimed. Ryan turned his head to see Eleanor sitting beside his bed, her face a mixture of relief and concern.
"Eleanor?" he croaked, his throat dry. "What happened?"
"You don't remember? You fought off the shapeshifter," Eleanor explained, her eyes gleaming with pride. "The commotion alerted Aldric. He arrived just in time to finish it off, I hear he's a tier 5!"
Ryan's memories came flooding back - the fight, the pain. He sat up slowly, wincing at the soreness in his back.
"How long was I out?" he asked.
"Three days," Eleanor replied. "But don't worry, I've been catching up on my training. And you... well, you've been growing stronger even in your sleep."
Ryan looked at her quizzically. Eleanor grinned and handed him a small mirror. His eyes seemed to glow with an inner light, and he could feel a large reservoir of power within him.
"Congratulations," Eleanor said. "You've reached mid tier one!"
Mid tier one!
Ryan blinked, then grinned.
Not bad for someone who'd been unconscious for three days.
"How?" Ryan asked.
"Well, it could've been to do with you being a hero, or your heritage?"
My heritage… my parents weren't who I thought they were.
Ryan marveled at his newfound strength.
I could easily cast three of my new lux spells without going out of mana!
Sensing that Ryan might want some space to collect his thoughts, Eleanor said "Okay, I'll go tell General Aldric that you've woken up!" before she turned around and then walked away with a hop in her step.
Eleanor pushed the large white door of Ryan's hospital room open and walked out, but before the door could completely close, Ryan couldn't help but ask, "Why are you so happy?"
Eleanor's hand held the door open as she peeked back inside the room. "Because I haven't had to deal with you for the last three days."
Ryan winced. That hurt more than the shapeshifter!
Ryan watched Eleanor close the door with a bemused expression. The room was quiet now, save for the distant sounds of bustling activity from the window outside.
He took a deep breath, feeling the subtle hum of mana within him, a sensation both exhilarating and unfamiliar. As he tested his newfound abilities, he could feel the gentle yet potent energy swirling in him, making him almost buzz with vitality.
A few minutes later the door creaked open again, and General Aldric entered the room with a serious expression, his uniform impeccably neat and his demeanor commanding respect.
"Glad to see you awake, Ryan," Aldric said, his voice carrying an edge of authority but softened by genuine relief. "How are you feeling?"
Ryan tried to sit up straighter, feeling the weight of the general's gaze. "A bit sore, but better. Eleanor said I reached mid tier one. Is that… normal?"
Aldric's eyes narrowed slightly. "It's not unheard of for heroes to advance quickly, but your progress is indeed remarkable. You've shown extraordinary potential."
Ryan's thoughts drifted to his parents. "General, Eleanor mentioned my heritage might be influencing my growth. Could my parents have had an influence on my sudden growth?"
Aldric's eyes raised in surprise. "Your heritage, like many other aspects, can influence how quickly you increase your mana capacity.
Ryan's mind raced. "So, you think my heritage could be influencing my strength?"
"It's possible, but unlikely, unless you had some interesting parents; I believe it is part of your power as a hero." Aldric said. "However, we must focus on the here and now."
Aldric's face grew stern. "There's something more pressing. The elves know that both you and Eleanor are alive. Which means that there are most likely spies in my camp. Something I am not proud to be saying."
Ryan took in a deep breath. "How will they react to us being alive?"
"Well, we already know: Scout squad three returned bringing news of a force of 6,000 Elven soldiers arriving at Elerea," Aldric explained. "There have also been sightings of elven scouts that suggest they're preparing for conflict. It seems they're eager to eliminate you before you can grow stronger or escape further into the mountains."
Ryan felt a surge of urgency. "So, what does that mean for us?"
"It means we need to be ready for the peace to break." Aldric said. "The elves are likely looking to strike before we can fully mobilise. We've already increased our patrols and are setting up defenses, and the outposts further back into the mountains know already to begin preparations."
"What should Eleanor and I do?"
"You two need to rest, tomorrow afternoon, a few extremely capable and trusted soldiers will escort you across the mountains into the Rupes kingdom to a safer location.
But we can't do that just yet, you need to recover and we need to await the arrival of a couple of those soldiers who are tied up in their own missions."
As the general turned to leave, Ryan called out, "Thank you, General."
Aldric paused, giving Ryan a nod. "Rest up, Ryan. You have a lot of work ahead of you, and every bit of strength will be crucial."
With that, Aldric left the room, the door closing behind him with a soft thud. Ryan lay back against the pillow.
I don't feel any pain, are the wounds gone?
His hand searched around his back but couldn't find any signs of a simple scar.
The healers are pretty impressive.