(Rodova Military Academy – Post Genetic Awakening, Recovery Room)
The doctors kept Leo and Su Yang under strict observation for about an hour, monitoring their vitals and ensuring their bodies had stabilized before clearing them for discharge.
There were no lectures scheduled for them today.
They had been granted a full day of recovery by professor Hen—as a necessary respite after undergoing one of the most physically and mentally taxing experiences of their lives.
For Su Yang, this break came as a welcome relief.
Even now, as he sat up, his head still throbbed, and his limbs felt heavier than before.
Every fiber of his body was adjusting to the genetic changes, and the sensation was far from pleasant.
"Ugh… Are you okay, Skyshard?" Su Yang groaned as they walked out of the medical wing. "I feel like someone hammered a million nails into my skull."
Leo walked beside him—completely normal, his strides smooth and unhurried. There was no sluggishness, no sign of discomfort on him.
It was almost like he had not just undergone the most excruciating transformation of his life, which caused Su Yang to squint towards him with mild irritation.
"And I feel this… intense hatred for the Evil Cult," Su Yang muttered, massaging his temples.
"Those bastards must’ve slaughtered a lot of my ancestors or something, because the second my Awakening was complete, I could feel it. A deep, burning resentment inside me." He said, as Leo turned his head slightly at those words but showed no real reaction.
"I see no point in harboring such a useless emotion," Leo said, his voice noticeably deeper than before, carrying an eerie calm.
"Hatred clouds judgment. It blinds clarity in battle. If anything, it is a liability." Leo advised as Su Yang blinked in confusion.
"What?" He scoffed, casting Leo a suspicious glance.
"Did you suddenly become some kind of monk? What’s up with the philosophy?" Su Yang asked sarcastically, as Leo did not answer immediately.
He simply shrugged.
Indifferent. Unbothered. Like he couldn’t care less what Su Yang thought of his words.
And immediately, Su Yang could sense that something about his behaviour today was…. Off.
For a moment he scowled, wondering if he should bring it up?
However, with his own head hurting badly, he let it slide for the moment, as he was in no condition for a debate.
"Whatever, I guess I’ll see you around then. Hopefully, neither of us gets hit with Ghost Sleep tonight." He said, as he tapped Leo on the shoulder lightly, before moving ahead, as they had reached the fork in the road where their paths diverged
The two of them had reached Leo’s dormitory, while his own was still a few meters ahead, which was why while Leo stayed back outside his door, Su Yang wobbled onwards while holding his head.
’Idiot–’ Leo thought, as he watched him go—before finally stepping inside.
—-----------
The moment Leo stepped into his room, he knew someone was there.
"I know someone is in my room…" he murmured, his voice low and unreadable as he closed the door behind him.
His dark gray eyes flickered slightly as he scanned the space, noticing what others wouldn’t.
Then, as if speaking to the empty air, he continued, "Is it you, Muiyan Faye?"
He asked, as for a brief moment there was nothing but absolute silence.
Then—
"Interesting…"
A feminine voice replied, sounding smooth and almost amused. Experience tales with .Côm
A slight ripple disturbed the stillness of the room, as Muiyan Faye, who had been seated on his bed with her presence completely erased, finally revealed herself.
She leaned back slightly, crossing one leg over the other, as she regarded him with a look of mild intrigue.
"How did you know I was here?" she asked, tilting her head.
"At your current level, it shouldn’t be possible for you to detect me." She said, as she stared directly into Leo’s eyes, waiting for an answer.
For a long moment, Leo simply studied her, offering no immediate response—as if debating whether she was even worth answering.
Then, finally, he exhaled lightly, his lips curving into a barely-there smirk as he said "It was he door handle—"
"Huh?" Muiyan Faye blinked in confusion, as Leo raised his hand, gesturing toward the entrance.
"I saw the heat prints of your hand on the metal. The temperature difference stood out the moment I walked in." He explained with a steady voice, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
"My eyes have become… hypersensitive,"
"I can perceive even the slightest temperature fluctuations on all surfaces. Even on metal." he said, as he met her gaze again... his expression unreadable.
"That’s how I knew someone had entered my room just a few minutes ago." he concluded, as Muiyan Faye stared at him, feeling speechless.
Heat prints? Metal temperature fluctuations?
That was beyond ridiculous.
Most people couldn’t even sense her presence when she was actively moving—yet here he was, detecting her lingering trace through something as subtle as heat differentials?
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Just what kind of absurd vision did he awaken?
"I still don’t understand how you managed that…" Muiyan Faye admitted, her voice carrying a mix of skepticism and intrigue.
"But more power to you if you can notice something so subtle….. I assume that means your genetic awakening went well?" She asked, as Leo remained silent for an uncomfortably long pause.
Then, finally—
"It went well," he said, his tone flat, devoid of any emotion. "I gained the knowledge for two passive skills and completed the understanding of one active skill I already had."
There was no excitement in his voice. No hint of satisfaction or curiosity. Just a cold, matter-of-fact response.
And it was at this point that Muiyan Faye finally noticed it.
Something was off about Leo.
His presence—his demeanor—everything about him felt different.
"What’s happened to you?" she asked, frowning. "Why are you acting so… detached?"
She asked with concern, as Leo merely shrugged in response.
"It’s one of the passive skills I gained," he said.
"It’s called [Monarch’s Indifference]."
"I’m not even sure if I want the skill, But it’s latched onto me like an unwanted parasite for now." Leo explained as he tilted his head slightly as if trying to assess himself from an outsider’s perspective.
"If my previous emotional spectrum ranged from -100 to +100, then this skill has restricted it to something between -20 and +20." He explained as Muiyan Faye’s eyes narrowed.
"I can’t feel extreme sadness anymore, or extreme happiness for that matter, or even anger. It’s like an invisible wall has been placed between me and my emotions."
"My mind continuously remains in a state of peak performance, unaffected by mood swings, distractions, or irrational thoughts."
"It’s… strange," he admitted, finally.
"I’m as focused right now as I would be in a life-or-death scenario. But it makes me feel like I’m a robot instead of a human." Leo concluded, as Muiyan Faye studied him in silence, her unease growing.
Leo had always been sharp, calculating, that much about him wasn’t new, however, there was something inherently human about him before that was gone now.
Now he felt like something else entirely, and Muiyan Faye did not like this development in the future dragon.
Emotions were an important tool to possess for carrying out the impossible, as a rational soldier could never take on impossible odds, but an emotional soldier could.