Martial Era: Starting With The Strongest Talent-Chapter 204: Waking Up
The silence after Ivy’s final words stretched for a moment, heavy with everything she had just revealed. The weight of two lost years settled into the room, pressing down on all three of them.
Ivy steadied herself and spoke clearly.
"Two years have passed since that day. We tried everything to bring you back. The Eden Group spent heavily, bringing in the best healers we could find, but nothing worked."
She paused briefly, watching their reactions carefully.
"We even tried contacting Saint Julius Nova... but we never got a response. Not until recently."
Remedy’s eyes narrowed slightly, her expression sharpening instead of breaking.
"The Saint replied?"
Ivy nodded.
"Yes. Felicia and Scott went to bring him here. He should arrive soon."
She expected shock, confusion, maybe anger. Instead, what she saw unsettled her more. Remedy simply processed the information, as if the two-year gap was something she had already accepted.
Adam was quieter, but not panicked.
He sat there for a second, his gaze lowering slightly, his fingers tightening against the edge of the bed. Then he exhaled slowly, his expression settling into something firm.
"So... it really was two years."
Ivy felt a chill run through her.
Why aren’t they reacting?
Her thoughts raced as she studied them both. Something about their calmness felt off, like they had gone through something else entirely during that time. Something she couldn’t see or understand.
Did something happen while they were unconscious?
Before she could ask, Adam moved. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
He pushed himself up from the bed, ignoring the faint weakness still lingering in his body. The ward gown shifted awkwardly as he stood, but he didn’t seem to care, his focus already shifting forward.
"Well," he said, rolling his shoulders slightly, testing his body.
"I guess we should get ready for the Saint’s arrival."
Remedy stood up right after him, matching his pace without hesitation. Her movements were steady, she had already adjusted to her new strength.
"Yeah," she replied simply.
"We should."
The two of them walked toward the exit without another word, moving in sync like nothing had happened.
As they passed her, Remedy lightly tapped Ivy’s shoulder.
Then they stepped out.
"...."
Ivy stood there, completely still for a moment, her mind struggling to catch up with what she had just witnessed. Her eyes stayed fixed on the doorway long after they were gone.
"Did they even hear what I said?"
Her voice came out quieter than she expected.
They had been unconscious for two years. Two years of fear, effort, and uncertainty. And yet, they walked out like they had just taken a short nap and woken up refreshed.
Ivy let out a small breath, her shoulders finally relaxing.
Then, slowly, a faint smile formed on her face.
...It’s good to have you back.
****
The corridor stretched ahead as Adam and Remedy stepped out of the ward, their footsteps echoing faintly against the polished floor.
Two years.
Adam still couldn’t fully process it.
As they walked, his eyes moved across the manor’s interior, picking up subtle changes. The structure was the same, but there were signs of age, slight wear, new fixtures, small adjustments that only time could leave behind.
Nothing was untouched.
His gaze shifted slightly, then landed on Remedy.
If two years had truly passed, then she was eighteen now.
Remedy noticed his stare almost immediately, her eyes sliding toward him without slowing her steps. Her expression remained calm, but there was awareness in her gaze.
"Something on your mind?"
Adam blinked once, then shook his head.
"No its nothing."
She held his gaze for a second longer, as if weighing whether to press further. Then she gave a small nod, accepting his answer for now, even if she didn’t fully believe it.
"Alright."
They walked in silence after that, their thoughts drifting in different directions. Despite their calm exteriors, both of them had too much to process, lost time, new strength, and whatever had truly happened during those two years.
Eventually, they reached the split in the corridor.
Without needing to say anything, they separated, each heading toward their own room.
Adam pushed open the door to his room and stepped inside.
At first glance, it looked the same.
But as he walked further in, the differences became clear. The space had been maintained carefully, cleaned and preserved, yet there were small changes.
Someone had been taking care of it.
He let out a slow breath and sat down on the bed, the tension in his body finally easing slightly. For the first time since waking up, he allowed himself to fully feel the changes within him.
His fist clenched and power responded instantly.
He was no longer who he had been before.
"Profound Master..."
The words came out quietly.
It didn’t feel distant. Supreme Master wasn’t far either. All he needed now was enough existence to complete his spirit’s evolution. The path ahead was clear, it was just a matter of time.
Still, something else caught his attention.
Adam raised his hand slightly.
Then summoned his panel.
╭───────────╮
〖Name: Adam〗
〖Rank: Profound Master (Evolvable)〗
〖Cultivation Talent: G〗
〖Special Talent: Equip ❖ Connect ❖ Analyze ❖ Fuse〗
〖Affinity: Wind ❖ Death+〗
〖SLOT〗
↳ SOUL (5): Rapid Charge D ❖ Cryogen D ❖ Cultivation SSS ❖ Mind Control E ❖ Bone Generation D
↳ BODY (6): JUDGEMENT
↳ Gene (3): Chaos
↳ Blessing: +5 Star Power
╰───────────╯
[Star Power: 58±]
[Existence: 3,000]
[Martial Spirit: Profound 4 Star (Evolvable)]
[Enlightenment: 54,000]
His eyes scanned through it quickly.
Most of it made sense. His rank, his spirit, even the evolvable state, none of that surprised him after what they had gone through. But one detail stood out immediately.
Enlightenment.
It hadn’t been there before.
Still, the exhaustion creeping into his body didn’t give him much time to think deeper. The adrenaline was fading, replaced by a heavy, unavoidable fatigue that pressed against his senses.
Adam leaned back onto the bed slowly, staring at the ceiling.
His eyes began to close.
The questions, the confusion, the power, everything blurred together as his body finally claimed its rest. Within seconds, his breathing evened out, and his mind slipped into darkness.
For now, everything could wait.
