Chapter 70: Shadows Amidst the Light
"Lei Feng…"
Dr. Ryan's voice was solemn—tinged with a weight he rarely displayed. His arms were folded across his chest, white coat slightly rumpled from hours of pacing. The calm professionalism that usually defined him had given way to a rare edge of tension, his sharp gaze locking onto Lei Feng with unwavering intensity.
"As much as I'd love to keep you here and grill you for answers," he sighed heavily, "I don't dare."
Lei Feng blinked, puzzled. "Why not?"
Ryan exhaled, pressing two fingers to his temple like he was trying to hold back a migraine. "Because the young Miss and Lady Solstice have been waiting for you. You'd better run to them—don't keep them waiting any longer."
"Ah! Where are they?!" Lei Feng asked, suddenly jolted by urgency.
"Spellbound Restaurant. Been there for two hours," Ryan muttered, voice dipping into exasperation. "Two whole hours..."
"Two hours?!" Lei Feng repeated, raising two fingers instinctively. "What a screw-up… I'm seriously late!"
With a sharp inhale, he spun on his heel, already halfway to the door—
"Wait."
Ryan's voice cut through the air like a blade, halting Lei Feng mid-step.
The doctor's gaze had darkened now, tone lowering into something far more serious.
"I don't know what you did... or how you did it," he said slowly. "But listen to me—lay low for now."
Lei Feng paused, glancing back over his shoulder.
"If word gets out," Ryan continued, "things could spiral. You might think I'm being paranoid, but I've seen this before. Scientists, doctors—even government spooks. They'll want to study you. Dissect you. Not for knowledge. Not for progress. For power."
"...Run experiments on me?" Lei Feng muttered, brows furrowing. A chill crept down his spine.
Ryan nodded grimly. "You have no idea how dark the world can get. There's always someone stronger. And those in power? They fear what they don't understand. That means they'll either try to control you... or destroy you."
Silence settled between them, heavy and unspoken.
"…Thanks, Ryan," Lei Feng said at last, voice low but steady. "I'll remember that."
Without another word, he pushed through the hospital doors.
They slammed shut behind him.
---
The sunlight greeted him like a warm hand—but it did little to calm the tension in his chest.
Stepping out of ApexHealth Hospital, Lei Feng inhaled deeply. The crisp scent of high-altitude flora and sterilized marble filled his lungs. The air inside had been calm, laced with healing enchantments that subtly soothed the mind.
But outside?
He felt only the weight of reflection.
> "The world is a much darker place… there's always someone stronger…"
Ryan's words echoed like distant thunder.
Lei Feng tugged at the zipper of his navy-blue hoodie, now grateful he'd changed out of the flamboyant Storm Dragon Robe.
"This hoodie still looks a bit flashy… but way better than walking around in gear that screams 'elite awakener,'" he muttered.
His blue eyes narrowed, gaze sharp as steel.
"Next stop… Spellbound Restaurant."
---
Volaris Prime — The Crown of Civilization
At the heart of Volaris City, Volaris Prime stood as a symbol of elegance, magical innovation, and aristocratic power.
Unlike the grimy alleyways of the outlands or the chaotic commerce of the mainland, this place pulsed with silent grandeur. Roads paved in enchanted crystal gleamed beneath immaculately trimmed trees. Marble towers, sculpted with elemental motifs, reached toward the skies. Flowers lining the sidewalks shimmered faintly with aura-enhancing enchantments—beauty, fragrance, even subtle buffs.
And the people?
Power dressed in style.
Elves cloaked in moonweave walked beside Beastkin adorned with ancestral gold. Feys floated by in crystalline dresses, and humans in tailored arcane suits discussed politics in clipped, elegant tones. Every passerby radiated something—mana, money, or lineage.
Here, power wasn't just possessed. It was flaunted.
---
VROOOOM—!
A sleek levicar glided to a stop beside the curb, its chassis gleaming with reflective alloys and faint mana runes pulsing beneath the surface.
With a gentle hiss, the doors slid open.
From it stepped Lei Feng.
Calm. Collected. Hands tucked into his hoodie pockets.
His sharp gaze swept across the radiant scenery—but he didn't linger on the beauty. Instead, he noticed the lack of something.
No paparazzi.
No hushed murmurs.
No glances of awe.
Here? He was invisible.
A few nobles nearby, adorned in silk cloaks and family-crest brooches, eyed him with thinly veiled disdain—especially after watching him step out of a booked levicar.
One of them, tall and lean with silvery-blond hair, nudged his companion. "A public ride? Must be someone's assistant."
The other, bulkier and covered in rune-etched piercings, snorted. "Probably wandered here from the slums."
Lei Feng ignored them.
His gaze was locked on the golden archways of the Spellbound Restaurant in the distance. He was about to head off when—
"Hey!"
A voice called out from the left.
A tall young man strode toward him, exuding loud confidence. His jacket was unbuttoned, revealing a sculpted torso covered in intricate tattoos—dragons, sigils, a massive phoenix winding from hip to collarbone. Each knuckle was ringed with silver rings, catching the sun's light with every step.
"I'm Lucas," he said, extending a hand. "Lucas Tan."
Lei Feng gave it a light shake. "Lei Feng."
Lucas blinked. "Lei Feng? Never heard of that name. Or any 'Feng' family either."
"Never heard of a Lucas either," Lei replied coolly, already walking past.
Lucas blinked again—this time stunned—then laughed. "Hah! Come on, now. I'm Lucas Tan, young master of the Tan Family!"
> "Tan Family? Never heard of them. Probably not one of the Big Five," Lei thought, unimpressed.
Lucas, mistaking the silence for awe, grinned. "Heh. Finally remembering, huh? Go on—apologize for being rude."
Behind him, several of his friends—equally fashionably dressed, equally arrogant—watched the scene unfold with mocking amusement. A few of the women whispered among themselves, eyes flicking toward Lei Feng with a blend of curiosity and derision.
"Tan Family?" Lei said flatly. "Still doesn't ring a bell."
"What?!" Lucas's face twitched.
Even his entourage froze in stunned silence.
> "Is he screwing with me? He doesn't look like a backwater low life… how can he not know who I am?" Lucas fumed internally.
"You're not from around here, are you?" Lucas asked, trying to compose himself.
"No. I'm here for a meeting."
Laughter broke out from behind him.
"Oh-ho! A tourist!" one of them snickered.
"You don't belong here, Lei," Lucas sneered. "Why don't you head back to whatever backwater you crawled out from... peacefully."
Lei Feng's gaze hardened. His hands stayed in his pockets, but his eyes were sharp, glacial.
"What if I say no?"
Lucas's smirk twisted into something darker.
"Then I'll break a few of your bones... and send you back there myself."