The absence of pain was the first thing Kael noticed, whether it was the warm amber lighting or the gentle hum of recycled air. The sharp, burning pain from his injuries had subsided to a dull throb, but his muscles still hurt as if he had been sleeping on concrete for days.
"Subject Kael. Neural stability: 82%. Status: Convalescent. Time elapsed: 3 days, 14 hours, 26 minutes."
"Three days?" Kael croaked, his throat dry as sandpaper.
"You were drooling. Rosa took pictures. You've lost approximately 1.2 dignity points."
"Asha…" Kael groaned, dragging a hand over his face.
Kael moaned and rubbed his temples once more, then blinked as his HUD flickered again, this time displaying a glowing status screen that was dimly visible in his field of vision.
> [HUD STATUS – VITAL MONITOR]
Name: Kael Tsurugi
Level: 6
HP: 160/160
STAMINA: 160/160
Condition:
*No open wounds
*Muscle fatigue: Minimal
*Fractures: Fully healed
*Bleeding: Resolved
*Infection Risk: None
Recovery Log:
— Severe lacerations: Regenerated (1.5 days)
— Torn muscle fibers: Regenerated (2.1 days)
— Internal bruising: Resolved (2.8 days)
Estimated Recovery Time for Normal Humans: 2–3 weeks
Kael blinked at the screen.
"I healed… that fast?" he muttered, He first flexed his fingers, then his shoulders. He anticipated pain, tightness, and resistance. However, it was gone. Nothing more severe than training fatigue, just a slight soreness.
"Correction," Asha replied in her usual dry tone. "You healed 2.3 times faster than expected based on standard human physiology. Either you're secretly a half-lizard… or something in your blood is adapting."
Kael stared at his arms, half-wondering if scales would start growing. "Please don't joke about that…"
"It wasn't a joke." He gulped.
Kael gasped and tried to sit up when he saw that he was wearing something that was definitely not his torn vault suit. The fabric was smooth against his skin, flexible but form-fitting, with a subtle golden trim that caught the light. He looked down at himself, bewildered.
"What the—"
"About time, Sleeping Beauty."
He looked up at Rosa's voice. Wearing an identical black uniform that gave her the appearance of an elite soldier, she was leaning against the doorframe while holding a ration bar. On her shoulder, the golden Phoenix Corps insignia shone..
"We were starting to wonder if you'd slipped into a coma just to avoid bath duty," she continued with a grin, then called over her shoulder. "Hey! The patient's finally awake!"
Clara practically skidded into the room as the sound of hurried footsteps reverberated through the hallway, her face flushed with embarrassment and relief.
"Y-You're awake!? I mean, yes! You're okay! W-we thought you were—um—" Clara's words tumbled over each other as she fidgeted with something in her hands, a pair of sleek glasses with faintly glowing blue-tinted lenses.
Sera emerged in the doorway behind her, her shoulders clearly loosening but her expression carefully controlled. Despite wearing the same black uniform, she somehow gave the impression that she was born to command.
"Hmmp.. you're finally awake idiot" Sera said coolly, though Kael caught the way her eyes quickly scanned him for signs of injury. "We've been waiting for you."
"Translation: Sera has checked on you every four hours for the past three days," Asha's voice whispered in his mind. "She also folded her jacket as a pillow for you. Twice."
Kael noticed the jacket neatly placed on a nearby chair and felt warmth spread through his chest that had nothing to do with the uniform.
"These clothes..." he started, looking down at himself again.
"Advanced Adaptive Environment Combat Uniforms," Rosa said cheerfully. "Designation: A.A.E.C.U. Mark III. Found them in a restricted locker down the hall. Clara worked her magic on the security."
"I-It wasn't magic," Clara stammered, adjusting her new glasses. "J-Just basic bypass protocols. The security system was already compromised from power fluctuations."
"These are military-grade tactical uniforms originally designed for Project Phoenix Field Agents,"* Asha explained. "Bullet-resistant, slash-resistant, climate-controlled, and—thankfully for your fashion-challenged squad—shockingly stylish."
"You dressed me while I was unconscious?" Kael asked, his face reddening.
Rosa's grin widened. "Oh, we drew straws for that honor."
"Rosa!" Clara squeaked, her face turning crimson.
"It was standard medical procedure," Sera said firmly, though her cheeks had a faint pink tinge. "You needed proper treatment, and your vault suit was torn to shreds."
"I recorded everything for medical documentation purposes," Asha added helpfully. "Would you like me to compile a highlight reel?"
"No!" Kael said out loud, then caught the others' confused expressions. "I mean, uh... thank you. For taking care of me."
"Speaking of taking care," Rosa said, tossing him the ration bar, "you need to eat. And then we have a lot to show you."
The girls told Kael what they had found while he was eating. They had mapped out three levels of offices and dormitories, explored the majority of the Command Wing, and discovered enough supplies to last them months if properly rationed.
"T-The really interesting part," Clara said, her voice gaining confidence as she talked about tech, "is what we found in the Engineering section." She gestured to her glasses. "These are Vault Engineering Recon Glasses—Mk-VIS-RG. No AI integration, but they have circuit overlay functions, heat tracking, and diagnostic tools."
She demonstrated by looking at a wall panel, her glasses highlighting power flow patterns invisible to the naked eye. "I can see where systems are damaged, identify power bottlenecks, even predict component failures before they happen."
"Great," Sera said with approval.
Asha said privately to Kael. "During your recovery period, your neural pathways have stabilized enough to unlock dormant skill matrices. Congratulations—you're no longer just a pipe-wielding delinquent."
A new HUD window appeared in Kael's vision:
___
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION — NEW SKILL UNLOCKED]
Skill Unlocked: Sword Mastery (Lv. 1)
Classification: Passive / Combat
Description:
Passive boost to melee combat when wielding sword-type weapons. Includes basic kata and stance knowledge. Skill will evolve through continuous sword usage, live combat encounters, and memory re-synchronization.
Skill Effects:
+10% melee accuracy with swords and bladed weapons
+10% parry and counter timing window
-15% stamina consumption when using sword techniques
Increases combat reaction speed when wielding a sword
Enables advanced sword techniques and kata-based transitions
Unlocks compatibility with high-grade sword-type weapons
___
The memories flooded back, including the echo of his sensei's voice, the weight of a blade in his hands, and the muscle memory of shapes and movements. Along with it came a name that was both familiar and unfamiliar to him.
"Tsurugi," he whispered.
"What was that?" Sera asked.