“This is nothing, Dad. You’ll be able to do it too someday,” Luca said casually, not bothered that Donald had seen his ability. With a grin, he took the new sneakers from his father and put them on.
Recently, Donald had been busy not only stockpiling weapons and supplies at the villa but also playing Eternal Game. Since he wasn’t much of a gamer, his level progression had been slower than most—he hadn’t even hit level 10 yet.
However, as a former soldier, his adaptability was high. Luca knew that as Donald’s level increased and he experienced more feedback from the game, he would eventually possess Transcendent powers too.
Donald mulled over Luca’s words, and a flicker of anticipation appeared in his eyes.
No matter how old a man gets, the dream of becoming a superhero never really fades.
“What are you two doing in there? Why are you dragging your feet? Let’s get going!” Sini’s voice came from outside, urging them to hurry. The father and son quickly responded and finished getting ready.
Once everything was packed, the three of them got in the car and headed to the hospital in the heart of Celephais.
During the drive, Luca pulled out his phone to check the latest news.
He was particularly interested in strange events that had been occurring.
Though there weren’t many, he made some notable discoveries.
For instance, there had been a recent string of bizarre serial killings in Celephais. The victims differed in age, identity, and circumstances, but all had one thing in common—they were missing their hearts. The entire city’s police force was now on high alert, trying to track down the murderer.
In a nearby Coast city, the trees in the Forest Park had begun growing at an accelerated and unnatural rate. In just a few days, the vegetation was as dense as it would normally be after several months.
And in Nephew city’s New Century Marine Museum, typically harmless sea creatures had suddenly turned hostile. One dolphin even grew razor-sharp teeth and bit off a trainer’s arm.
On top of that, there had been an increasing number of natural disasters: storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.
Doomsday enthusiasts, who had been relatively quiet in recent years.
They started popping up again on various platforms, preaching that the end of the world was near. Their wild theories ranged from the plausible to the outright ridiculous. If Luca hadn’t traveled back from ten years in the future, he might have started believing some of their claims.
Thinking back, Luca realized that the last time these strange occurrences began happening, it was around this same time.
But he didn’t care.
It became clear to him now that the real world had already been showing signs of the game’s descent back then.
After reading through the news, Luca browsed the Eternal Game forums.
Nothing particularly significant had been happening in the game recently.
The only notable thing was that The World Guild still had a bounty out for him, and the reward had now doubled.
Apparently, kicking them out of Riverfall City had left quite a psychological scar on them in Celephais.
Another thing worth noting was that several top-tier players had already reached level 20 and moved on to the next major city.
Luca recognized many of these players as legendary figures from his past life.
He made a mental note to keep track of them.
In Eternal Game, long-distance travel between regions wasn’t an easy feat.
Although Luca couldn’t interact with those top players for the time being, he knew it was only a matter of time before their paths crossed.
The sun was blazing high in the sky.
Their car cruised along the road.
Since both Luca and Susie lived in the suburbs, and with it being rush hour.
The streets were filled with pedestrians and vehicles.
By the time they arrived at the city hospital, more than an hour had passed.
Celephais might not have been a well-known city, but its hospital was one of the top 20 comprehensive hospitals in the country.
It was well-equipped with modern medical facilities and spanned a massive area. Crowds of patients and doctors bustled in and out of the hospital.
Luca already knew which room Susie was in, so after entering the hospital, he didn’t need to ask a nurse for directions. He carried the fruit and flowers Sini had bought and led his parents straight to Susie’s ward.
When the three of them arrived via the elevator, they found that the room was already filled with people.
Most were Susie’s classmates and teachers.
In addition, a few formally dressed men and women stood there with straight postures.
It likely colleagues of Darabont.
It seemed like they were about to leave.
The two groups exchanged polite nods and smiles as they passed each other.
Luca briefly glanced at the middle-aged man leading them out.
He recognized him as Coarmy, the chief of the Celephais Police Department.
However, Luca didn’t dwell on it and entered the room, still holding the gifts.
The room was already filled with bouquets and fruit baskets, evidence that many had visited earlier.
Zoey was chatting with their teacher, Olivira, who was also Luca’s homeroom teacher.
Nomadey was there as well, fawning over Susie with obvious eagerness.
Susie, lying in bed, didn’t look too happy.
But the moment she noticed Luca and his parents walk in, a smile finally appeared on her face.
However, as if remembering something, she shot Luca an annoyed glare before turning her face away in a huff.
“What’s he doing here?” Nomadey’s smile vanished the moment he saw Luca, his face twisting with frustration.
Back in Southwind City, he had planned to catch up to Luca and Susie.
But to his dismay, the Cloudwing Airship they were on moved at such a high speed that he lost track of them in no time.
Now, seeing Luca show up to ruin his plans once more, his mood plummeted.
“Hello, Uncle Darabont, Aunt Zoey! We came to visit Susie!” Luca, unfazed by either Nomadey’s or Susie’s reactions, greeted Darabont and Zoey with a bright smile.
Despite the dark circles under their eyes, they looked in good spirits and warmly welcomed Donald and Sini into the room.
Sini asked a few questions about Susie’s condition and, upon hearing she was fine, let out a long sigh of relief.
Since the hospital room was getting crowded with kids, the parents soon stepped out to chat elsewhere.
leaving only Luca, Nomadey, and their classmates inside.
As class president, Susie was popular and well-liked, and a group of girls gathered around her, chattering away.
Luca, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the noise, quietly turned to sneak out, hoping to find somewhere more peaceful.
But just as he made his move, Susie, who had been secretly watching him, caught on immediately, and her annoyance flared up.
This jerk! He barely visited before, and now he’s trying to sneak off again?
Sitting up in bed, she glared at him and threatened, “Luca, if you dare leave, I’ll tell Mom, Dad, and your parents about what you did in the game. Let’s see how they deal with you then!”
Luca had almost made it out of the room but stopped dead in his tracks. He turned around, exasperated, and said, “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t hold it against me?”
Susie tilted her head up and shamelessly replied, “When did I say that? Besides, after what you did to me in the game… how could I not hold a grudge? Luca, are you saying you don’t plan on taking responsibility?”
Nomadey, hearing this, couldn’t keep his cool any longer. He shot up from his seat, his face flushed with anger, and shouted, “Luca, you scumbag! What did you do to Susie in the game?!”
His heart was in absolute turmoil.
The worst part was thinking that something might have happened between them on the airship. The thought made Nomadey feel even worse.
What a miscalculation! I should’ve followed them!
Who could’ve guessed that in just a few short hours… something would happen between the two of them?
Their classmates exchanged glances, starting to pick up on the strange tension between Luca and Susie.
People had teased them about being close before, but over the years, nothing had ever come of it—not even by the time they graduated high school.
Many of their friends who had rooted for them felt it was a shame.
But now, it seemed like there might still be a chance…
Luca glanced at Nomadey, his expression flat. “If you keep barking, do you want me to throw you out?”
Without waiting for a response, he ignored Nomadey, whose face had turned as red as a tomato, and sat down next to Susie’s bed. Forcing a smile, he asked, “So, what does the young lady require?”
Knowing that Susie’s hospitalization and the incident in the game were both somewhat his fault, Luca felt guilty. This time, he decided not to argue with her.
Seeing him back down, Susie’s face lit up with triumph. She pointed at a bunch of grapes and commanded, “Peel me a grape.”
Realizing that the situation was not in his favor, Luca sighed and did as she asked.
After a moment, Susie added, “And then cut me an apple and carve it into a rose.”
“Alright, alright,” Luca rolled his eyes, but with the control he had over his body, carving a rose from an apple wasn’t exactly difficult.
The fruit knife danced in his hand, and with a few swift movements, the apple’s flesh was quickly shaped. In no time, an intricately carved apple rose appeared in Luca’s hand.
The petals were perfectly detailed, each groove and curve visible, making the rose look incredibly lifelike.
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Everyone in the room was stunned. Nomadey’s eyes practically bulged out of his head.
No way, he really did it?!
Even Susie was taken aback, covering her mouth in surprise. She hadn’t expected Luca to actually pull it off.
“Hmm… I guess that’ll do,” Susie said with mock indifference, but her delighted expression betrayed her. She carefully tucked the apple rose away with a satisfied smile.
Then, as if another idea popped into her head, she nudged Luca with her foot. “By the way, I want some dragon fruit too, but without the seeds.”
Luca nearly choked in frustration.
Dragon fruit without seeds? Why don’t you just ask for the moon while you’re at it?!
He shot Susie a deadly glare, gritting his teeth. “I’m warning you, don’t push it too far, or this whole thing will end in disaster!”
“Fine, let it end in disaster then.” Susie shrugged nonchalantly and then raised her voice, calling out sweetly, “Mom! Dad! Uncle! Aunt! Luca did something to me in the game, and—”
Panicking, Luca lunged forward and quickly covered her mouth, forcing a strained smile. “I was just kidding! You don’t have to take it so seriously! Dragon fruit without seeds? No problem, I’ll take care of it, right now!”
Hearing this, Susie’s eyebrows arched playfully, and her eyes curved into crescent moons, clearly enjoying herself.
Not long after, Darabont and the others returned to the room.
Zoey, looking puzzled, asked, “What happened? I thought I heard you calling for Luca?”
Susie, now casually chatting with a group of her friends, blinked innocently. “Oh, nothing. We were just playing a game.”
No one thought much of it, but Sini glanced around the room, slightly confused. “Where’s Luca? Where’d he run off to?”
“Oh, him? He’s right there.” Susie pointed toward the corner of the room.
Luca was sitting cross-legged, face expressionless, as he painstakingly picked seeds out of a dragon fruit with a toothpick.