Soon, a series of military jeeps arrived at the scene, kicking up dust and ash from the ruined ground.
The stronghold had sent reinforcements and transport.
General Magnus himself came over, giving a quick look at the situation.
When he saw Isaac, he nodded once, a rare look of approval crossing his usually stern face.
“You did good,” the General said simply.
Isaac managed a tired salute in response.
Magnus turned to the others and barked out orders.
“Load up. We’re heading back.”
Everyone moved quickly.
Isaac was helped into one of the jeeps by Nero, who gave him a firm pat on the back before jumping into the front seat.
Tyr sat on Isaac’s shoulder.
The Deathwood Guardian was stored back into Isaac’s spatial ring.
Selene quietly sat beside Isaac, still pale, and shaken.
The engines roared to life, and the convoy rumbled back toward the stronghold.
Isaac leaned back into his seat, feeling every ache in his body.
Tyr leaned close, as if trying to shield him from any sudden bumps.
At some point, Celia rode past their jeep in another vehicle.
She waved at Isaac with an enthusiastic smile.
Isaac gave a small nod back, unable to understand why she was quite believing of his claim of defeating champion rank awakeners.
The jeeps rolled into the stronghold.
As they stopped, people began splitting up quickly, some returning to their dorms, others heading toward their assigned stations.
Isaac, Leora, and Selene, however, didn’t follow the crowd.
They moved straight toward the medical ward building.
Selene and Isaac needed to get checked properly. No risks could be taken after what they had been through.
As soon as they entered, Isaac barely had time to take a step when Emily ran toward him at full speed.
She dove into his arms without hesitation.
He caught her automatically, feeling her small body shaking slightly as she clung to him. She was almost on the verge of tears.
The notifications started flashing in front of his eyes.
+2 AP
+2.5 AP
+3.5 AP
+3.1 AP
+3 AP
+3.2 AP
The AP messages kept raining.
Isaac blinked, surprised. The numbers were staggering.
It told him just how much she had worried for him while he was gone, and how happy she was to see him back safe.
While she hugged him tightly, Emily finally noticed the injuries on his body.
She froze in his arms.
Her head slowly turned to look up at him. Her eyes, usually bright and warm, were now hollow. Her expression grew terrifyingly cold.
“Who harmed you?” she asked, her tone chilling.
Biting coldness poured out from her small frame.
Isaac pulled her back into a hug without answering immediately.
“I already finished the person who harmed me,” he said softly.
Emily, slightly stunned by his embrace, looked up at him again.
“So he’s dead?”
“Yes.”
Slowly, the terrifying coldness began to fade from her.
The warmth returned to her eyes as she sagged against him again, holding onto his shirt tightly.
While Isaac comforted Emily, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Alice and Selene were facing each other silently.
After a few moments of heavy silence, Alice spoke first.
“I’m happy that you’re back,” she said quietly.
Selene, already crying, nodded weakly.
“Thank you…” she said, but her voice was hoarse, and it was clear to Isaac that she was struggling to put her emotions into words.
It would take time.
Alice turned to Isaac after that, her gaze soft but complex.
“I’m…thank you,” she said, her eyes reflecting emotions she probably didn’t fully understand herself yet.
Professor Catherine clapped her hands together lightly, cutting into the heavy atmosphere.
“Alright, enough for now. Isaac, Selene—you two need to get checked immediately. We need to make sure you weren’t afflicted by a curse, permanent poison, or something else entirely.”
She then added, glancing at Isaac, “Since it’s already late, we’ll go back now. You won’t have classes tomorrow. Just have your check up and rest.”
Alice quickly said, “I’ll stay with Selene.”
Emily stepped forward too. “I will too—”
Before she could finish, Professor Catherine interrupted her.
“Emily, we talked about this earlier. You trained for hours today, then sat at the shop all day. You’re exhausted. You need to come home with us and rest.”
A small “Oh…” escaped Emily’s lips.
She looked between Isaac and Alice.
Alice blinked, confused at Emily’s gaze.
But Isaac understood.
Emily hesitated for a moment before smiling brightly and rushing over to Alice, grabbing her hand.
“Alice,” she said seriously, “I’m worried about Isaac, so please look after him while you take care of Selene too.”
“H-Huh?” Alice blinked, startled. “But—”
Emily cut her off quickly. “It’s fine if it’s you. I know you’ll take care of Isaac.”
Before Alice could say anything else, Emily followed Professor Catherine toward the exit. Leora left with them.
As the three disappeared, the medical staff separated Isaac and Selene into different rooms for their full body examinations.
Isaac caught Selene’s lingering gaze as they parted.
But he ignored it.
Inside his private room, the healers and doctors worked quickly. Magic and technology combined for rapid scans and tests.
Alice came to check on him several times, alternating between his room and Selene’s.
She didn’t say much when she visited, just stood near his bed, quietly watching him, making sure he was still breathing properly.
Hours passed like that.
It was around midnight when Isaac’s final checkup ended.
Left alone in the room, he finally pulled up his AP balance.
AP Balance: 430.061 → 790.456
Isaac let out a low whistle.
From 430 to 790 in less than a day.
He had gained roughly 360 AP in 18 hours.
It was a new record!
’Out of the 360, about 260 came from passive AP gained through Emily. The remaining 100 came from when we met outside the medical ward.’
790 AP.
Only 210 more, and he could finally afford the Sun-type Tier 1 Genetic Crystal.
He clenched his fists tightly in excitement.
Almost there.
The prize was so close.
After a minute, he stood up and left the room.
The guard stationed outside didn’t stop him.
Instead, he gave a respectful nod and said, “You can move around the medical ward. Lady Catherine has given permission. But please don’t leave the building.”
Isaac nodded. “Thanks.”
Before walking away, he asked, “Which room is Selene in?”
The guard gave him directions, and Isaac made his way there.
As he peeked inside, he didn’t see Alice. Only Selene was resting quietly on the bed.
He smiled faintly.
He knew exactly where Alice would be.
Without hesitation, he climbed up to the rooftop.
The moment he stepped outside, a soft breeze brushed past him.
The rooftop was mostly empty, and standing near the railing was the familiar figure he had been looking for.
Alice.
She turned at the sound of his footsteps, clearly surprised to see him.
Isaac smiled and walked over without saying anything. He stood next to her, both of them staring out into the distance.
The night was quiet.
There was no moon in this world.
Instead, far away, a gigantic pillar of light rose into the sky, casting a gentle illumination over everything.
It wasn’t bright, but it was enough to give the night a calm, almost solemn feeling.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Finally, Alice broke the silence. Her voice was soft but strained.
“Why did you do that?” she asked. “Why did you put yourself in so much danger? You had multiple dagger wounds… you were poisoned…”
She clenched her fists.
“What if you—”
“I did it for you,” Isaac said simply, cutting her off.
He turned to her. She was already looking at him, her eyes glistening under the faint light. Their gazes met and locked.
“I did it because you wanted Selene back safely.”
He smiled again, a small, steady smile.
“I like you, Alice. No…” He paused. “I love you.”
Alice froze.
Isaac’s voice stayed calm, but firm. “I want to see you happy, not crying. If a few injuries are enough to erase your sadness, then I’ll bear them with a smile.”
Alice looked stunned, unable to respond.
Isaac stepped closer. Her back lightly touched the railing. There was no retreat now.
“Yes,” he said. “I’m proposing to you.”
Alice’s lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
“I love you,” Isaac said again, slower this time. “I don’t know when it started. Maybe back when we first met in the academy. Maybe it happened months later. All I know is that I loved you then, and I still love you now.”
He gently took her hand in his.
“I want to spend my life with you. I want to be with you when you are sad, I want to be with you when you are happy. I want to spend my time with you until we grow old, and I want to spend my last days smiling with you. So….”
He looked her in the eye.
“What about you?”
Alice’s shoulders trembled.
She tried to speak, but her voice broke. After a few seconds, she finally managed to say something.
“Yes…” she whispered.
She nodded, her face flushed and her eyes filling with tears that she didn’t bother to hide.
“Yes… I love you too.”
Isaac smiled, relieved, and leaned in.
Their lips met.
It wasn’t a fiery kiss or something rushed.
It was steady, gentle, and filled with everything they couldn’t put into words. Alice clutched the front of his shirt tightly, as if grounding herself.