After three days, Eugene slowly regained consciousness. He didn't open his eyes immediately, but he felt that the pillow he was resting on was more comfortable than usual, which delayed him from opening his eyes.
"Have you finally woken up, my lord?" a sweet voice rang out in the room.
"Umm..." Eugene slowly opened his eyes, and to his astonishment, his welcome was the sight of Sylvia's large breasts, which made him realize he was sleeping on her lap.
"Good morning, Sylvia," Eugene said, trying to push his mind away from strange thoughts.
He quickly sat up after remembering what had happened to him, but found himself facing Sylvia's tear-streaked face.
"This is all my fault," Sylvia said, crying.
"What?" Eugene was puzzled.
"It was my brother; it seems my father found me," Sylvia began to cry more and blamed herself.
Eugene didn't know what to do, so the Guide told him to hug her, assuring him that it was the best way to calm her down. Eugene did as the Guide advised and hugged her.
In the following minutes, Eugene entered a series of attempts to soothe the weeping Sylvia. He was trying hard to make her feel safe and reassured.
"Sylvia, you are not responsible for what happened. We are family, and we have to face these challenges together. Don't blame yourself," Eugene said in a calm and reassuring voice.
Sylvia began to slowly calm down, taking a deep breath as she tried to control her tears. "But... what if they come back? What if they come after us again?" she asked anxiously.
"We will work together to protect ourselves and our village. We will become stronger, and we won't let them get close to us again," Eugene said firmly.
Sylvia began to feel some reassurance from Eugene's words and his embrace. "Thank you, Eugene. I will do my best to be strong and protect everyone," she said as she wiped her tears.
Eugene smiled and said, "And I am always here to support you, Sylvia. We will never leave each other."
"Okay, come with me," Sylvia suddenly said.
"What now?" Eugene feared he was about to enter another round of crying.
"It's okay... just come with me," Sylvia said.
------
Eugene looked wide-eyed and mouth agape. He couldn't believe what he saw before him.
"Did I not tell you he would be surprised... Hahaha!" Ramris laughed at Eugene's reaction, enjoying the moment of astonishment on his face.
"We thought that as a king, you should have your rightful place, so we built this for you," Lauren said sincerely, while Sylvia remained silent, carefully watching everyone.
Before Eugene stood an impressive building, a structure resembling a temple with columns supporting the roof, and inside was a throne in the center of the temple. Eugene looked at his friends and family with mixed emotions reflected in his eyes.
"Come on, come on... you have to sit in your place," Ramris encouraged him joyfully.
And that's what Eugene did. He sat on the throne, and all the attendees swore they saw something different in that moment, as if they were witnessing a deity sitting on the throne, not just a king.
After a small celebration, Eugene gently dismissed them, asking them to return to their duties. However, Eugene couldn't hide his embarrassment; he felt as if he might die from the awkwardness.
After everyone left, Eugene sat alone on the throne, trying to absorb what had just happened. The building was magnificent, something he had never expected. His emotions were mixed with pride, gratitude, and also intense embarrassment.
"I never expected this," Eugene said to himself, contemplating the efforts his friends had put into building this temple for him.
As Eugene sat alone in the temple, he heard the Guide's voice in his mind: [Do you see? You are not alone. You have friends and family who care about you a lot.]
"Yes, I see them. I don't deserve this, but I will do my best to be the king they deserve," Eugene replied in a low voice.
Eugene fell asleep on the throne, his body still recovering from the last battle. The throne was unexpectedly comfortable, and he succumbed to deep sleep.
"Eugene, Eugene... let's play, shall we?" Ramris entered the temple enthusiastically, but stopped when she saw Eugene peacefully asleep on the throne.
Ramris approached slowly, looking closely at his sleeping face. "Mmm... Eugene's sleeping face is really beautiful," Ramris smiled as she watched his calm expression. She could see the innocence and tranquility that she rarely saw when he was awake, as he was busy with burdens and responsibilities.
Ramris sat next to the throne, enjoying the quiet. She thought about everything that had happened since Eugene arrived in this world. Despite all the challenges and difficulties, Eugene had always been there to protect everyone, even at the cost of his own wounds.
"You are strong, Eugene... but you also need rest," Ramris whispered gently, realizing that even the strongest heroes need moments of peace and quiet.
She decided to stay by his side until he woke up. She used her magic to cover Eugene with a light blanket, ensuring that he was warm and comfortable.
"Don't worry, Eugene. I will be here to protect you as you always protect us," she said softly, sitting beside him, watching his face and smiling.
After a few hours, Eugene slowly began to wake up, opening his eyes to see Ramris sitting next to him.
"Ramris... what are you doing here?" Eugene asked in a faint voice.
"I was watching you, making sure you were resting well. You need your rest, Eugene," Ramris replied with a warm smile.
"Thank you, Ramris. I feel better now," Eugene said gratefully, leaning against the throne to sit up better.
---------
After talking with Ramris, Eugene said he had some work to get done.
"What... but we haven't played yet!" Ramris puffed her cheeks in protest.
"Okay... I'll play with you tomorrow, alright?!" Eugene said with a smile.
After minutes of negotiations, Eugene succeeded in appeasing Ramris.
After Ramris left, Eugene turned and spoke to the Guide, "Okay, tell me, what happened to me?"
[You have successfully evolved into {Enlightened}, one of the evolutions of humanity.] the Guide replied with a detailed report on Eugene's condition.
[With your current strength, you can easily defeat Jahil.] the Guide continued.
[Your power has significantly increased, along with the speed of your body's recovery and your ability to control magic more effectively, thanks to your evolution into {Enlightened}.] the Guide explained.
Eugene smiled with admiration. "That's amazing. Is there anything else I need to know?"
[Remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Use your power wisely and do not let it corrupt you.] the Guide advised.
Eugene nodded in agreement. "I will."
-------
Eugene left his throne and went to the river. He decided to test his new magical power gained after evolving into {Enlightened}.
"Fireball," he said calmly. A fireball the size of a basketball appeared in his right palm. He then threw it into the river.
Boom!
With the sound of an explosion, water splashed violently, and dust and rocks flew everywhere, creating a large crater with a diameter of 300 meters.
"Damn... so powerful even though I didn't put much effort into it," Eugene said, looking at the crater he had caused, astonished by his new strength.
Eugene was absorbing the extent of his new magical power, feeling excited to use it to protect his village and friends. But at the same time, he was aware that this power came with great responsibility. He decided to use this power wisely and continue training to become stronger and better at using it.