Netherworld Retrograde

Chapter 177: Chapter 83: The Third Awakening Opportunity

When Li Yelai woke up, what he saw was a ceiling that was unfamiliar yet somewhat familiar.

”Is this... an official hospital?” Li Yelai barely recognized the place. It was the hospital he had been taken to after his first encounter with the Skin Stripper.

He was lying on a soft hospital bed, and his usual charge clothes had been replaced with a hospital gown.

He didn’t know how long he had been unconscious, Li Yelai just felt somewhat weak.

But he was certain, it was the officials who had brought him here. He just wondered if they had wrecked the ambulance...

He struggled to sit up, unfastened his hospital gown, and checked his injuries.

He had been smashed once, and his organs were very painful. He didn’t know how well he had recovered.

The puncture wound in his abdomen had healed, but it left a shallow scar.

However, there were no visible stitches on it, which wasn’t very obvious.

Touching the scar on his abdomen, Li Yelai was a bit worried—it seemed to be right over his kidney... He hoped he hadn’t been crippled.

But pressing on it seemed to cause him no pain.

At that moment, someone entered the room.

It was Cheese, wearing a loose sweater, sporting headphones, and carrying a bag of fruit.

Seeing Li Yelai awake, surprise flickered in Cheese’s beautiful eyes.

However, upon seeing Li Yelai exposing his chest to check his wounds, she immediately started teasing, ”Your unutilized, brand-new kidney has been restored. Don’t worry.”

”Smart aleck, how do you know I’ve never used it?” Li Yelai closed his hospital gown, pointing at Cheese, and asked, ”How long have I slept?”

”Three days.” Cheese placed the fruit on Li Yelai’s bedside and said, ”It’s been three days since Doll rescued you from the mall.”

”Three days...” Li Yelai was surprised, realizing he had been unconscious for so long.

His last memory was Mr. Shadow refusing the deal and seeing Doll arriving at the scene.

It seemed Mr. Shadow had sensed Doll’s arrival for support and thus refused the deal. That guy still had principles, huh.

Cheese’s gaze grew complex as she said, ”I really don’t know what secret mission you accepted. But you shouldn’t take such risks.

You, a Second Awakening Spiritual Ability User, chasing a Third Awakening Spiritual Ability User alone, that’s too risky.

If it weren’t for Doll’s timely appearance, you may have...

You may be quite special, possessing abilities difficult for ordinary people to understand, but you are not immortal. I hope you understand that.”

Cheese’s voice was no longer gentle but carried a hint of sternness.

Cheese knew little of Li Yelai’s ordeal; her authorization only covered that Li Yelai fought with an unknown Third Awakening Spiritual Ability User, killing him at the cost of severe injuries and partially collapsing the building they were in. Fortunately, Doll arrived in time to take him away for treatment, or else the consequences would have been unthinkable!

Just hearing about this feat, one could sense the bloodiness of it. Second Awakening against Third Awakening, collapsing part of a mall...

One couldn’t imagine the kind of dangerous villain Li Yelai had faced!

Li Yelai nodded silently; he understood the peril of the situation and why Cheese was so upset.

He had been pushed to the point of negotiating with Mr. Shadow. If it had been someone else, they might have died...

”I’ll be careful, but at that moment, I really couldn’t back down,” Li Yelai spoke, without offering much explanation.

Cheese’s eyes flickered, but she held back from saying what she wanted to say.

Instead, she softened her voice and asked, ”After battling against a Third Awakening, did you gain anything?”

”Just a moment.” Li Yelai meditated and peered into his Soul Well, surprised to find that after battling the Flying Gunman,

his Soul Well had expanded and developed quite a lot, it seemed...

It seemed he could attempt advancing to Third Awakening now!

Indeed, dangerous battles could refine one’s mastery of spiritual energy, accelerating the advancement!

This realization gave Li Yelai a surge of excitement; he already had the Third Awakening Potion—all he had to wait for was the Soul Well to expand.

Now all the conditions were met!

Soon, he would be able to become a Third Awakening Spiritual Ability User!

”I think... I can try for Third Awakening,” Li Yelai said, ”And I already have the magic potion prepared.”

Cheese slightly furrowed her pretty eyebrows, ”Third Awakening, huh... catching up to me so soon?”

Cheese herself was only at Third Awakening.

As a senior, being quickly caught up to, even surpassed, by Li Yelai, a junior, gave her mixed feelings of complication and relief.

After thinking it over, Cheese seriously said, ”You should be aware of the risks associated with using magic potions. I recommend waiting until your body has fully recovered before using the potion to attempt an upgrade.”

The risks involved with magic potions were significant; the user might be affected by the power within. One needed to be in the safest state possible when using them.

”I know.” Li Yelai naturally agreed.

Then, Cheese rose and said, ”I need to discuss this with the captain. Continue to heal well, don’t forget to check in with Yun Yan and the captain. They’re worried about you.”

Li Yelai nodded.

”And... it was Doll... she saved you.” Cheese looked at Li Yelai, hesitated, and then said, ”Make sure to thank her...”

Her eyes held some complexity; then, glancing at the time, she pushed the door open and left.

Less than ten minutes after Cheese left the room, the door to the room was pushed open again.

There stood a girl dressed in a frog doll suit, holding a thermos in one hand and carrying an advertising sign in the other.

For some reason, upon seeing Li Yelai awake, Doll’s body stiffened.