The soft sound of footsteps echoed outside Alex's room, growing louder with each passing second. His body tensed instinctively.
Then, a familiar voice called out gently.
"Alex, may I come in?"
His breath hitched. It was his mother—Ava.
Turning his gaze toward the door, he quickly sat up, his mind racing. His heart clenched at the thought of his mother seeing him sweaty and exhausted from his earlier workout.
"Wait!" he called out urgently.
He jumped out of bed, quickly changing out of his damp, sweat-soaked clothes. His arms felt sore, his legs still ached, but he ignored the discomfort. He grabbed a small cloth from the bed, hurriedly wiping his face and arms to appear more presentable.
Taking a deep breath, he called out:
"Okay, please come in."
The door creaked open.
Ava stepped in gracefully, her expression filled with warmth and concern.
However, what caught Alex off guard were the two men standing behind her.
The first man was tall and strikingly handsome, appearing to be in his late 40s. He had long brown hair tied loosely behind him and piercing black eyes that seemed to see through everything. His presence exuded confidence, wisdom, and strength.
The second man was elderly, appearing to be in his late 70s. His long, flowing white beard and deep wrinkles gave him the appearance of a respected scholar or doctor. He carried himself with an air of knowledge and patience.
As Alex's gaze met the brown-haired man's, the stranger stared at him without blinking.
Alex felt a strange pressure under the man's intense scrutiny. It was as if he were being analyzed down to his very soul.
Ava noticed the tension and gently nudged the man beside her.
"Austin, you're scaring our son!" she scolded.
The man—Austin—blinked and let out a small chuckle. His lips curled into a soft smile as he turned to Ava.
"What do you mean? I was just looking at him." His voice was deep yet gentle, laced with curiosity. "He feels… different."
He reached out and rubbed his palm affectionately over Ava's head, his touch tender.
Alex narrowed his eyes slightly. ("What does he mean? Different how? Does he know something?")
A thousand questions filled his mind, but before he could voice them, he asked the most obvious one.
"Who are you?"
The moment those words left his lips, the brown-haired man froze, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"You… don't remember me?"
His voice held a strange mixture of shock and pain.
Then, turning toward Ava, he spoke dramatically:
"My own son has forgotten me? I am heartbroken."
Alex watched in confusion as Austin clutched his chest like a tragic hero, shaking his head in sorrow.
Ava rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed by his antics.
"Stop being dramatic. We have guests." She gestured toward the elderly man before looking back at Alex. "Son, this is your father—Austin."
Alex's mind blanked for a moment.
His father?
He had assumed his parents existed in this world, but actually meeting his "father" like this felt surreal.
Austin, sensing his hesitation, simply smiled. "We can talk more later. For now, we should focus on your health."
Ava turned toward the elderly man and said, "Doctor, please check my son. He's been acting strangely."
The doctor stepped forward, his expression calm yet curious.
"Young Master, may I examine your energy flow?" he asked respectfully.
Alex hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Go ahead."
The doctor extended his hand.
"Please give me your right hand."
Alex placed his hand in the doctor's, feeling the old man's fingers press gently against his wrist.
Then, something strange happened.
A cold yet warm energy seeped into his body through the doctor's touch. It flowed through his veins, searching, probing, analyzing his internal state.
Alex shivered slightly—it felt like his body was being scanned from the inside.
After a few moments, the doctor opened his eyes, his face filled with astonishment.
Ava, who had been watching anxiously, immediately asked, "Well? What's wrong with him?"
The doctor took a deep breath before speaking.
"It's… astonishing. His condition is improving at an unnatural rate. The poison inside his body is being removed little by little… but the most shocking part is…"
He paused.
Ava's voice trembled slightly. "What? Tell me!"
The doctor looked at her with serious eyes.
"The poison inside his body was supposed to be fatal—incurable. And yet… his body is actively removing it on its own, using an unknown energy."
The room fell silent.
Austin's expression darkened slightly. "Unknown energy?"
The doctor nodded. "Yes. It is unlike any normal cultivation technique or medical method I've ever seen."
Ava's eyes welled up with tears, her emotions overwhelming her.
"And his memories?" she whispered.
The doctor shook his head. "There is no physical or spiritual damage to his mind. If he has lost his memories, the cause must be tied to this unknown energy."
Austin placed a hand on his chin, deep in thought. "Is there any way to restore them?"
The doctor hesitated before sighing. "No… at least, none that I know of."
Austin's jaw clenched, but he remained calm.
"Let's talk in private, Doctor," he said after a moment.
He turned and exited the room, the doctor following closely behind.
Now, only Alex and Ava remained.
Alex turned to look at his mother. The way tears shimmered in her eyes made something ache deep inside him.
Even though he didn't have real memories of her, he felt her love.
Something about her presence calmed him.
She had been worried sick about him.
Feeling a strange sense of guilt, Alex stepped forward and gently wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Mom, I'll be fine," he reassured her softly.
Ava looked up at him, her voice trembling. "Really?"
Alex smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "Of course! See, I've even got muscles now."
He flexed his skinny arms, revealing absolutely nothing impressive.
Ava blinked… then burst into laughter.
Her beautiful laughter filled the room, warm and full of relief.
She reached out and pinched his cheek lightly. "You silly boy. Make sure you actually build some muscles, or I'll be really sad."
Alex grinned. "I promise."
She patted his head gently before saying, "Rest now. I need to talk with the doctor some more."
She then turned and exited, leaving Alex alone once more.
Alex slowly made his way toward the bed, his body still exhausted.
Lying down, he stared at the wooden ceiling, his mind full of thoughts.
His father was Austin.
His mother truly cared about him.
His body was recovering unnaturally fast.
And most importantly…
The poison inside him was supposed to be incurable.
Yet, he was still alive.
And his body—his new body—was healing itself using some unknown power.
Was it related to the System? Or something else entirely?
One thing was certain—he wasn't normal.
As his eyes grew heavy with exhaustion, a single thought echoed in his mind.
"Just what am I?"
And with that, he drifted into sleep.