Chapter Twenty-One: Rebirth

When she opened her eyes again, Shaxia had no idea how much time had passed.

"Well, it looks like her condition has stabilized. You may come in now."

The moment she opened her eyes, Shaxia found herself surrounded by several people. They were Shion, the Director, and Mr. Shi Silang, the old man who taught her martial arts. There was also a bald doctor present.

At first, Shaxia only felt someone pressing on her body and touching her head. It must have been the doctor checking her condition and changing her dressings; it felt a bit ticklish, which prompted her to open her eyes.

"Cough... what a crowd. Why is everyone here?"

Although Shaxia’s voice was weak, she could at least speak, which was an improvement over last time.

"They have been visiting you every day since they heard you regained consciousness," the doctor said with a smile.

"This is the New Spring and Autumn City Municipal Hospital. We have a ward specifically designated for SVARG," Shion spoke up first. "You’ve recovered quite well, Shaxia."

According to the doctor, three days had passed since she first woke up. When the nurse had rushed to inform the doctor at that time, they found she had fallen back asleep.

"It’s good that you can converse now; you were in a coma for quite a while," Master Shi said, stroking his beard as he patted Shaxia’s head.

"How long was I out...?"

Shaxia tried to sit up. This time, her body felt no pain. Although her head was still wrapped in bandages, the doctor assured her they were only superficial wounds.

"About a week... You actually recovered quite fast. At the time—" Shion started to continue, but the Director beside her gently nudged her foot. Shion realized something and stopped.

"Yeah, I remember feeling unbearably sore when I woke up last time. Now I feel perfectly fine." Shaxia didn't seem to notice what Shion had been referring to; she stretched her neck and shoulders, shook her wrists, and looked completely relaxed.

"Our medical expertise here is the best in the world," the Director said with a smile. The doctors at SVARG collaborated with the top institutions globally.

Shaxia wanted to try walking, and the doctor agreed. It seemed she really had recovered well.

"Ugh... my legs still feel a bit weak..."

The doctor brought her a pair of crutches, and with their assistance, Shaxia was able to move around without difficulty.

"Oh, right. What was the outcome of the operation? How are things outside?" Shaxia asked the group.

Of course, the operation had been a success, but the details were something Shion and the others would have to explain. Although the city's population was dwindling, the essential functions remained operational.

In any case, the battle had not truly disrupted the daily lives of the citizens. Soon enough, those who needed to work went to work, and those who needed to study went to school.

Having spent several weeks in the hospital, Shaxia was starting to feel stir-crazy. Though she still had some injuries, she proposed returning to school as soon as possible. Keeping her spirits up was good for her recovery, and she missed her friends. She even found herself missing the identity of "Qin Yun."

One day, when Long Sheng and Li Jiayi arrived for class, they saw Qin Yun back in the classroom. However, she had a bandage wrapped around her head and medicinal patches on her body.

"Long time no see..."

Seeing the surprised expressions on her friends' faces, Qin Yun smiled sheepishly and greeted them.

"Qin Yun... how did you end up like this? Are you okay?" Li Jiayi asked with concern.

"I told you! Qin Yun didn't leave the city; she was just injured and needed to recover," Bruce said, patting Long Sheng on the shoulder.

"It’s fine, I’m here now, aren't I?" Qin Yun looked at the friends gathering around her. She took some snacks out of her bag to share with everyone as a reunion gift. "Everyone, please help yourselves. I’m fine. Compared to what happened to Jiayi, these injuries are really nothing..."

"Qin Yun, how could we... you’re the one who got hurt, we should be the ones treating you to a meal," Long Sheng said, scratching his head. But Qin Yun pushed the snacks into his hands.

"I’ve been eating very well while recovering these past few days. I couldn't finish it all myself, so of course I had to share with you all."

As everyone had suspected, Qin Yun’s week-long absence was indeed because she had been injured during the evacuation. Since her friends had already reached their own conclusions, it saved Qin Yun from having to explain further.

The bell for class interrupted their conversation.

"Ah, class is starting. Everyone, put the snacks away..." Qin Yun was the first to stuff hers into her desk.

A middle-aged teacher with a receding hairline, whom Qin Yun had never seen before, walked slowly into the classroom and tossed his textbook onto the desk.

"Hello everyone. I am a substitute teacher from another school..."

It was no wonder; less than a third of the seats were filled. Because of the monster attacks, many students, their families, and even teachers had chosen to leave the city.

"Er, I believe you all have seen the situation. In any case, all schools in the city are dismissed this afternoon. The Education Bureau is holding a faculty meeting to discuss merging grades and restructuring the schools."

"Oh..." the students responded listlessly. Usually, they would be thrilled to hear about an early dismissal.

"Sigh..."

Having hoped to return to everyday life to change the atmosphere, Qin Yun felt a sense of helplessness. She sighed and silently opened her textbook, but she couldn't focus at all.

Although she hadn't been "Qin Yun" for very long, she cherished this peaceful daily routine. Perhaps, for the original Shaxia, this was something she instinctively longed for—a pursuit buried deep in her heart.

Maybe after recovering all her memories, she would be able to truly accept this life of combat. But for now, she was still just "Qin Yun," and Shaxia had not fully returned.

The deserted cafeteria also made everyone feel uneasy during lunch.

"Is this all there is to eat now?" Qin Yun looked at the meager lunch, which seemed like a joke.

There were only a few trays of food, just two dishes and a soup. This shocked Qin Yun, who had just returned to campus. The once lively cafeteria, bustling with a wide variety of dishes, was now staffed only by a few matrons serving the students. The long, crowded queues for food were gone, replaced by a sparse trickle of students who quickly grabbed their trays and left.

"There are even fewer students than before..." Long Sheng noticed Qin Yun’s surprise and patted her shoulder helplessly.

"This has been going on for a while," added Li Jiayi, who had already pushed her wheelchair to a table after getting her food.

"Those of us who didn't leave the city just have to get used to it," Bruce said listlessly as he slumped into a seat and began to eat.

Indeed, how could the average citizen withstand these constant, successive attacks? Rather than living in fear, it was more practical to leave it all behind. According to the Director, because one of the Origin Cubes was buried beneath the city, the monsters were drawn to this location as their destination. To put it bluntly, the city itself was a battlefield for intercepting these monsters—the "Kin."

"Don't worry. My dad and his colleagues heard some inside information. The government is going to take measures, and the international community will also provide us with support," Bruce said, his mouth full, yet eager to share the news. "After all, these monsters might show up in other countries too, right? Remember that operation by the international joint fleet overseas?"

Qin Yun remembered; that was the battle against the tentacle monster in the coastal city. Now that the whole world knew about these monsters, appropriate measures would surely follow.

Of course, from Qin Yun’s perspective, these civilians should never have been dragged into this. With the population decreasing, it would be easier for her to fight without collateral damage.

Oh well. Even if the cafeteria food wasn't as nutritious as what she had in the hospital, at least she was eating with her friends. It seemed that everyone was in for a difficult time ahead.