Joe’s eyes snapped open and he jerked upright with a sharp gasp, dragging air into his lungs as if he had been drowning. His gaze immediately dropped to his body and he realized he was lying in a bed covered with thick blankets. His heart pounded as he looked around, trying to piece together where he was. The last thing he remembered was smashing into a counter before everything went black.

  He quickly took in his surroundings and discovered he was inside a large room. Four beds were arranged vertically along the walls, with him occupying the one on the far right. Beside his bed stood a tall shelf stocked with numerous vials filled with liquids of different colors. A small drawer rested next to him, and several empty bottles were neatly arranged on top of it.

  A low, pained moan came from his right, drawing his attention. Joe turned his head and saw a middle-aged man lying on the third bed. The man was buried beneath multiple layers of thick blankets, with only his flushed face exposed. A white towel rested on his forehead, and his skin was an alarming shade of red. Even without touching him, Joe could tell the man was in terrible condition and likely hanging on by a thread. The bright light pouring in from the window on the left side of the room only made the grim scene more apparent.

  Joe slowly pulled his arms out from under the blankets and examined his hands. They were completely healed. He shifted his legs under the sheets and found they responded without pain or resistance. Carefully, he traced his cheeks with his index finger and confirmed the blisters were gone as well. His body had returned to normal.

  Just as he prepared to step out of bed, he noticed several notifications lingering at the edge of his consciousness. He mentally granted the system permission, allowing them to appear before his eyes.

  [Title Unlocked: Divine Chosen (Partial)]

  Condition: Form a contract and become an Official Chosen of a God.

  Reward: Allows you to inherit the Legacy Skills of the Absolute Goddess Serene. Improves the rate of mastering Legacy Skills inherited from the Absolute Goddess Serene.

  Joe was not surprised by the title, but he was undeniably thrilled. The ability to inherit skills from a Goddess was an enormous advantage, one he fully intended to exploit without shame. He did notice that the contract was labeled as partial, which made him wonder what exactly was required to complete it. He figured he would have to ask her the next time they met.

  Another notification appeared.

  [Skill Acquired: Spiritual Meditation (Silver)]

  The system explained that the skill allowed him to enter a deep meditative state and access his Soul Space without needing to lose consciousness, making it easier to reunite with the Goddess. The downside was that he would be unaware of his physical surroundings while the skill was active, but even so, it was an incredible ability.

  Then a third notification appeared.

  [Skill Acquired: Blessed Physique (Divine)]

  Joe’s eyes widened in shock. He had not expected to gain a Divine ranked ability. The skill boosted all his attributes and multiplied them threefold. It also allowed him to refine the soul energy he consumed, doubling its potency and enabling him to harness denser spirit energy. Both abilities were extraordinary and clearly synergized well with his existing powers. If this was only a fraction of the Goddess’s strength, then she must have been holding back immensely during their encounter. The realization reinforced just how terrifyingly powerful she truly was.

  After reviewing everything, Joe dismissed the messages. Almost immediately, the door swung open and a woman wearing a fitted black dress and long golden earrings stepped inside. Her expression was stern, and though her face remained stoic, Joe found himself captivated by her striking green eyes. His cheeks flushed faintly before he looked away.

  “I see you’re awake,” she said coolly as she closed the door behind her.

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  The dress hugged her figure as she walked toward the shelf beside his bed, her movements confident and deliberate. She grabbed a few bottles and moved toward the sick man without sparing Joe another glance.

  “Yeah,” Joe replied after a moment, realizing he had been quiet. “I woke up a few minutes ago.”

  “Good for you,” she responded flatly as she placed several bottles on the drawer beside the patient and opened one filled with red liquid. She gently tilted the man’s head and guided the potion to his lips.

  “Thanks for healing me,” Joe said sincerely, bowing his head slightly. “If it wasn’t for you, I probably would’ve died.”

  After ensuring the man swallowed, the healer straightened and turned to face Joe. “It’s not like I had much of a choice. You barged into my establishment despite the sign clearly stating I was on break. You shattered my door and destroyed my counter. How exactly do you plan to repay the damages?”

  Joe laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry about that. I genuinely thought I was going to die and wanted to reach you before it was too late. I don’t have any money right now, but I promise I’ll pay you back.”

  “So you broke into my house, destroyed my furniture, and you’re telling me you have no money?” she asked, her tone sharpening.

  “That’s correct,” Joe admitted, embarrassed.

  She sighed. “Unbelievable.”

  She picked up a green bottle and gave it to the sick man, prompting Joe to ask, “What happened to him? Is it some kind of disease?”

  After the man swallowed, his groaning lessened. The healer set the vial down and grabbed another. “His party was attacked by a wild beast in Evergreen. He was the only survivor. The creature inflicted a severe infection, and he barely made it back alive.”

  “That’s horrible,” Joe muttered. “Was it one of the Great Beasts?”

  After administering a third potion, the man fell into a silent sleep. The healer turned back to Joe. “That’s the troubling part. It wasn’t one of the Great Beasts. It was a newly evolved Grade 2 that hasn’t been registered by the Guild. He passed out before giving more details.”

  Joe’s pupils shrank. Another unregistered Grade 2 meant the situation in Evergreen was escalating faster than expected. If evolved creatures kept appearing, the forest could become completely inaccessible and even threaten Suveny. Fortunately, if it was newly evolved, it wasn’t a Grade 3 like the Lord of the Woods.

  “Will he recover?” Joe asked quietly.

  “It’s unlikely,” the healer replied grimly. “He may last a few days, perhaps a week if he’s stubborn. I’m working on a cure, but it could take weeks. He probably won’t survive.”

  Joe frowned deeply. The memory of losing his parents resurfaced vividly, the sight of them being rushed into the emergency room forever burned into his mind. He had allowed himself to hope back then, only for a doctor to crush that hope moments later. It had been the worst day of his life, and a part of him had wanted to follow them, though he had lacked the courage to do so. He could only imagine what this man’s family was experiencing now.

  When Joe returned to the present, he realized the healer was standing beside his bed, staring down at him intensely.

  “Answer me honestly,” she said. “Are you truly an Unawakened?”

  “That’s right,” Joe replied cautiously.

  “Don’t lie to me, or I’ll break your skull open,” she warned, cracking her knuckles.

  Joe swallowed. “I’m telling the truth. I don’t have any mana.”

  “That’s impossible. My door is reinforced with enchantments and talismans. So is my counter. An Unawakened should not be able to break them.”

  Joe had not noticed anything like that in his panic. “I swear. I don’t have mana.”

  She studied him carefully before speaking again. “I don’t sense any mana or special enchantments on you even after you regained consciousness. That leaves only one explanation. Do you possess a Special Physique?”

  “Are they common?” Joe asked.

  “There are many across the world. Some are inherited through clans, others are unique to individuals. I possess one myself. It allows me to convert herbs I ingest directly into potions.”

  Joe blinked. His admiration quickly turned into a disturbing realization. He instinctively covered his mouth and stared at her with horror when he thought to himself how exactly she was producing the potions. There were two distinct possibilities and both were disgusting.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” she demanded.

  “You didn’t feed me potions like that, did you?”

  “Of course I did. What do you think fixed your legs?”

  Joe doubled over, clutching his stomach as nausea rose.

  “You’re starting to annoy me,” she said, raising her fist. “Do you have a Physique or not?”

  Joe composed himself and shook his head. “No. Maybe your enchantments weren’t working.”

  “They were. I checked them yesterday.”

  “Then I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe it was adrenaline or something.”

  She suddenly smiled, a curious glint appearing in her eyes. “You’re interesting. I can see why the Guild and the Town Guards want to speak with you.”

  Joe stiffened. “They’re looking for me?”

  “Yes. They both require your presence.”

  Joe swallowed hard as dread crept into his chest.

  He had only just woken up, and somehow he was already in trouble.