CHAPTER 78: LIFE UPDATE: NERFED

Auren’s eyes slowly opened, his consciousness finally returning like a sluggish tide.

’Ugh...’

Every fiber of his body screamed in protest. The strain from entering ’Avatar Mode’ and the overwhelming backlash from tapping too deeply into his unlimited mana pool had finally caught up to him.

"W-Where... am I?"

A low groan slipped from his lips as he clutched his pounding head. A brutal migraine throbbed behind his eyes, sharp and relentless. It felt like invisible chains were tightening around his limbs, pulling him down into the cold.

Though there was no mirror in sight, he could feel it- how his body had withered. His arms, once toned from training, now felt like sticks. His clothes hung looser. He was weak. Frail. Hollowed out

His body- once alive with energy- now dangled like a broken puppet. He felt limp and helpless.

Almost his entire form was wrapped in healing bandages. A loose, soft brown tunic- far more luxurious than anything he usually wore- draped over his battered frame. Its long sleeves were embroidered with delicate elvish runes that glowed faintly, likely aiding his recovery.

Even his hands and head were wrapped up like a cursed mummy, with a dull, swollen ache pulsing beneath every wrap.

"This is... weird."

On instinct, he reached inward, trying to tap into his massive mana pool, hoping to trigger one of his recovery skills.

But nothing happened.

"...No way," he whispered, panic creeping into his voice. "Why can’t I channel my mana?"

The harder he tried, the worse it got.

It felt like trying to force a boulder through a keyhole- pointless and agonizing. His mana channels, once smooth and vibrant, now felt thin and dried up, like brittle wires on the verge of snapping.

"Hyup!"

Each failed attempt sent sharp jolts of pain through his arms and legs. Inside, it was worse as it feels like needles seemed to jab at every pressure point, while his veins tightened as if filled with acid instead of blood.

Minutes passed. The pain only worsened.

"It feels like my body is about to burst from inside..." he thought grimly while gritting his teeth.

He finally stopped trying to force his miniscule mana and allowed himself a moment to observe his body.

"Something’s not right with my body..."

The last thing he remembered was the explosion- the heat, the blinding light, and the roar of that final attack. And now... this?

"Where...is this place?" he whispered to himself.

His blurry gaze roamed the unfamiliar but elegant looking room.

No longer was he in the modest stone quarters he’d grown used to. He now lay upon a grand, king-sized bed adorned with elegant drapes and fine silken covers.

The mattress beneath him was impossibly soft- like the memory foam beds from Earth- and the pillow smelled faintly of lavender and... something distinctly feminine.

The walls shimmered with magical runes and ornamental etchings. Graceful windows carved in elvish design let in warm refreshing sunlight and a breeze that smelled of runewood and spring blossoms.

The polished marble floor reflected the ceiling’s silver inlays like a mirror, and every furnishing exuded luxury and elven craftsmanship.

"Whoever owns this place is either royalty... or close enough to it," he thought. "And if we’re talking elven royalty..."

His mind landed on one name.

"Could this be... Queen Elarya’s room? Then this is VIP treatment then!"

He tried to sit up- tried being the operative word. Unfortuantely, his arms refused to lift more than a few centimeters.

"This isn’t good. My body should’ve healed by now... usually, it only takes a couple of hours..."

His concern mounting together with his questions.

Feeling helpless, Auren shut his eyes and plunged deep into his mental space, determined to get answers.

"Bigbird? Hey, what’s going on with- wait, what the..."

His thoughts froze.

Right at the heart of his inner realm- where the majestic phoenix once perched in all its flamboyant glory- stood something else entirely.

A massive golden egg. Too big, about the size of two-story house.

It pulsed with a radiant glow, warm and awe-inspiring... yet there was something unsettling about it. Regal, yes. But also silent. Ominously silent.

Beneath the egg, a small puddle of mana barely shimmered. Calling it a pond would be generous-it was more like the last drops at the bottom of a drained glass.

"No wonder I can’t draw any more mana... That smug, oversized bird has been silently leeching it!"

He squinted, noticing a faint shimmer beneath the golden egg- what little mana remained was being sucked dry, sizzling softly as it vanished into the shell like steam over fire.

"I’ve got a really bad feeling about this..."

Cautiously, he stepped closer to the egg, reaching out with a shaky hand until his palm pressed against its warm, polished surface.

"Hello? Wei? Moshi-moshi?" he called out, half-joking as he tried to mentally reach through to his best buddy.

But what greeted him was silence-a vast, pitch-black void with no trace of that cocky bird.

No smug comeback. No psychic connection. Not even the smallest spark of life despite its radiant glow.

It felt utterly dormant.

Whatever was inside the egg seemed sealed off- completely unreachable.

"Was it the fight with Vulkris that triggered this?" he murmured, unaware of the hidden blessing he’d received from Ugha, the Primordial Beast of Flame, while he lay unconscious.

"Is this... some kind of rebirth phase? "

He wasn’t sure.

But at this point, it was the only explanation that even remotely made sense.

"No wonder my healing’s crawling. My ace- my everything- is sealed in here."

He gave the shell a light tap with his knuckles. No response. It might as well have been a glowing boulder for all the good it did.

"I wonder when you’ll come back..."His voice trembled with quiet longing, the usual teasing tone nowhere in sight.

Without the phoenix’s strength, he was little more than a fragile human in a world where that meant death.

And that- was terrifying.

"I’ve gotta play it smart from now on. No more reckless stunts. Not until you’re back, Bigbird..." he muttered, lowering his hand from the golden shell."...and not until my regeneration returns, either."

He lingered there in stillness, gazing up at the dormant egg suspended within his mental realm. The air was thick with the weight of everything unsaid- gratitude, guilt, and something else he couldn’t name.

"Thanks for saving me, by the way," he murmured, barely above a breath. "If it weren’t for you... I’d be Vulkris chow. Or worse—extra crispy on a stick."

A weak chuckle followed, but it was hollow and thin. The kind of laugh you make when you’re trying not to break.

His gaze lingered on the small, golden egg nestled in soft cloth nearby- its warmth faint but steady, like a sleeping heartbeat.

"Come back soon, alright?"

The words left his lips gently- soft, raw, and filled with something deeper than he let on.

Then, with a final glance and a breath he didn’t know he was holding, he turned away.

Letting the silence close in once more.