BXBX NOVEL Chapter 94: Chapter94-Reputation
Lying on the hospital bed, his body was wrapped in bandages, and any slight movement made him feel as though he was falling apart, his body aching and unresponsive.
After several failed attempts to stand, John resigned himself to lying down.
It was morning.
The sky was a clear blue, and the sunlight was bright and warm.
A gentle breeze rustled the treetops, and sunlight streamed through the clean windows onto John's slightly pale face.
Gazing at the pristine sky and the grassy streets outside, John felt momentarily dazed, as if everything involving the Crimson Demon, Dusk Sect, and Rean had been nothing but a dream.
The door creaked softly open.
John turned his head to look.
He saw a short nurse wearing a mask, carefully carrying towels and medicine, entering the room.
The nurse set down her items, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and then, looking up, she noticed John watching her.
Seeing her gaze, John smiled at her.
His voice was slightly hoarse as he said, "Hello."
The nurse was visibly taken aback.
After regaining her composure, she hurriedly ran out, calling, "Director, director, the patient in Room 102 has awakened."
Not long after, a middle-aged doctor in a white coat rushed over.
The doctor first inquired about John's current physical condition.
After confirming there were no major issues, he nodded and proceeded to conduct a comprehensive examination of John.
John's attending physician was also an awakener, and a diamond-tier healer at that.
His examination techniques were a blend of skills, Mind Power, and some specialized medical equipment, integrating modern technology with extraordinary powers to ensure the utmost accuracy of the examination data.
John cooperated fully, understanding that any issues with his body were his own to bear.
After the examination, the doctor, looking at the report in his hands, told John, "There are no major issues at present. Your recovery rate is quite impressive, and your absorption rate of transcendent medicines is high. The power that was within you has also been fully absorbed."
Glancing at John, the doctor continued, "Your basic attributes have now surpassed those of an awakener of the same level by four times. However, you'd better not use this ability again in the future. Absorbing power that is too strong could potentially cause irreversible damage to your body. With your talent, it's really not worth the risk."
John was not surprised that the doctor was aware of his detailed condition.
Professional detection equipment can measure an awakener's attributes with an error margin not exceeding one point, providing extremely precise data.
During the battle with Rean, as the Bloodthirsty Blade devoured Rean's life force, John's Blood Absorption skill also gained a significant amount of attributes and vitality from Rean.
The reason John took so long to wake up was largely due to digesting this power.
After all, even just 1% of World-Annihilator level attributes was enough to overwhelm John.
John's survival could only be attributed to his exceptionally good luck; had it been any ordinary awakener, they might have exploded on the spot.
Even so, after absorbing some of Rean's life energy, John's body automatically entered a state of deep sleep.
Given another chance, John would definitely not choose to enhance his powers in such a reckless manner again.
However, high risk comes with high reward.
John glanced at his panel.
His spirit attribute had now reached 1200 points.
From Rean alone, John had gained approximately 300 spirit points, a significant boost indeed.
The doctor continued, "Although your body has mostly recovered, I still recommend staying in the hospital for further observation to ensure there are no hidden issues before leaving."
"I've seen too many awakeners who rushed out of the hospital and ended up damaging their foundation. Just take your time to recover here; there's no need to rush, and Hidden Stars will cover the medical expenses."
John was surprised to learn that Hidden Stars would cover the medical bills, saving him the trouble of pleading poverty to Captain Victor.
He nodded, "Thank you, doctor. I understand."
The doctor closed the medical report, paused for a moment, and said, "It is we who should be thanking you. If it weren't for you all, Stellarburg might no longer exist, and my family and I would not be alive."
After saying this, the doctor bowed deeply.
Then, he instructed the nurse beside him, "Take good care of the patient. If there's any problem, notify me directly. Don't be careless."
The nurse nodded vigorously at the doctor's words.
After giving some more instructions, the doctor finally turned and left.
After the doctor left, the nurse looked at John again, her eyes filled with admiration.
She sincerely said, "Mr. John, I also want to thank you for saving my brother."
John was momentarily taken aback, puzzled, "Your brother?"
He thought hard but couldn't remember saving her brother specifically.
After all, he had saved too many people to recall each one.
The nurse explained, "My brother is a newly awakened awakener. A week ago, he was on a trial outside Stellarburg and happened to encounter the Dusk Sect's sacrificial event."
"Then, outside the city, he met you and your teammates. He saw you kill the Dusk Archbishop with a single strike. My brother said you're his idol, and when he becomes strong, he wants to be like you."
So, it had already been a week?
John felt somewhat dazed.
He hadn't realized he had slept for an entire week.
What had happened during this week?
How were Captain Victor and the others?
How was everything handled afterward?
...
Questions swirled in John's mind, eager for clarity.
Soon, John's gaze settled on the nurse, realizing he could glean some information about the outside world from her.
He then began to chat with her.
The nurse was very enthusiastic and answered all of John's questions without hesitation.
John even suspected that if he asked her measurements, she would probably tell him truthfully.
Through their conversation, John learned about recent events.
After Rean's death, the Dusk Sect's worshipers became disorganized.
With both the Dusk Archbishop and all thirty-six stewards dead by their hands, the Dusk Sect, stripped of its high-end combat power and left with only a few insignificant members, could no longer stir any trouble.
Thus, shortly after the incident concluded, Hidden Stars captured a large number of Dusk Sect worshipers.
Following Federal laws, these individuals were sent to newly developed safe zones for labor reform.
The most sinful among them, the quasi-stewards and awakeners, were executed.
The conversation then shifted to the rebuilding and repair of Stellarburg's architecture.
Although the civilians of Stellarburg were protected and suffered minimal casualties during the Dusk Event, most of the buildings were damaged, especially in Stellarburg's noble district core, which saw extensive destruction.
Upon learning about the catastrophe that befell Stellarburg, the Federation dispatched a significant number of architectural awakeners to assist in the city's restoration.
These architectural awakeners, belonging to the life class, specialize in construction and building.
With their help, Stellarburg was restored to its former state in just three days, with the work completed the day before yesterday.
Moreover, Stellarburg's defensive formations and wallforts were significantly strengthened.
The topic then turned to John himself.
According to the nurse, she had learned about John from the news and the internet.
John was not only recognized as Stellarburg's top genius but also a member of Hidden Stars, achieving considerable feats in the recent conflict.
He had even beheaded the Dusk Archbishop, Rean, marking him as a promising young talent.
However, there were also rumors about John being overly ruthless and lascivious, tarnishing his reputation as not entirely commendable.
Hearing this, John's eyes revealed contemplation.
His first reaction was that he had been set up.
In John's view, neither statement was well-intentioned.
The second claim was self-explanatory, merely tarnishing his reputation--a matter of little consequence to John.
What puzzled John the most was the first claim.
In this war, anyone with eyes could see that the greatest merits belonged to Shadowcloud and Victor.
Aside from releasing everyone from the Crimson Realm ahead of time and picking up a "corpse" at the end, John hadn't contributed much else.
Yet, public opinion had placed him at the top of the list for meritorious deeds.
John even specifically inquired further, only to find that the nurse hadn't even heard the names of Victor and the others.
This was becoming interesting.
John stroked his chin, his eyes filled with thought.
Those spreading rumors not only dug up all his information but also labeled him a peerless genius, as if they wished the entire Federation to know that he, John, possessed extraordinary talent and boundless future prospects.
John was unsure of the benefits this might bring him, but such actions undeniably thrust him into the spotlight.