Ryan's eyes fluttered open, his vision slowly coming into focus. The sterile white of an army hospital ceiling greeted him.
"Wakey, wakey!" A familiar voice chimed. Ryan turned his head to see Eleanor sitting beside his bed, her face a mixture of relief and concern.
"Eleanor?" he croaked, his throat dry. "What happened?"
"You don't remember? You fought off the shapeshifter," Eleanor explained, her eyes gleaming with pride. "The commotion alerted the real guards. They arrived just in time to finish it off."
Ryan's memories came flooding back - the fight, the pain, the terror. He sat up slowly, wincing at the soreness in his back.
"How long was I out?" he asked.
"Three days," Eleanor replied. "But don't worry, I've been catching up on my training. And you... well, you've been growing stronger even in your sleep."
Ryan looked at her quizzically. Eleanor grinned and handed him a small mirror. Ryan gasped as he saw his reflection. His eyes seemed to glow with an inner light, and he could feel a new reservoir of power within him.
"Congratulations," Eleanor said. "You've reached advanced tier one."
Wow, advanced tier one! If my memory from lord commander Marcus serves me well, then I am one section away from teir two! I haven't even been doing much meditation, something else must be influencing my growth for me to be able to skip past the tier one middle section.
"How? I didn't even feel close to reaching teir two last night." Ryan exclaimed.
"Well, it could've been to do with you being a hero, or~ your heritage?"
My heritage is being brought up again, maybe my parents weren't who I thought they were?
Ryan marveled at his newfound strength.
I could easily cast five of my new light orb spells without going out of mana!
Sensing that Ryan may want some space to uncover his new strength and collect his thoughts, Eleanor said "Okay, I'll go tell General Aldric that you've woken up!" before she turned around and then walked away with a hop in her step.
Eleanor pushed the large white door of Ryan's hospital room open and walked out, but before the door could completely close, Ryan couldn't help but ask, "Why are you so happy?"
Eleanor's hand held the door open as she peeked back inside the room. "Because I haven't had to deal with you for the last three days." She said with a smirk, before allowing the door to shut.
Ryan winced. That hurt more than the shapeshifter!
Ryan watched Eleanor leave with a bemused expression, still trying to absorb the news of his new strength and advanced teir one status. The room was quiet now, save for the distant sounds of bustling activity from the corridor outside.
He took a deep breath, feeling the subtle hum of mana within him, a sensation both exhilarating and unfamiliar. As he tested his newfound abilities, he could feel the gentle yet potent energy swirling in him, making him almost buzz with vitality.
A few minutes later the door creaked open again, and General Aldric entered the room with a serious expression, his uniform impeccably neat and his demeanor commanding respect.
"Glad to see you awake, Ryan," Aldric said, his voice carrying an edge of authority but softened by genuine relief. "How are you feeling?"
Ryan tried to sit up straighter, feeling the weight of the general's gaze. "A bit sore, but better. Eleanor said I reached advanced tier one. Is that… normal?"
Aldric's eyes narrowed slightly, as if weighing how much to reveal. "It's not unheard of for heroes to advance quickly, but your progress is indeed remarkable. You've shown extraordinary potential."
Ryan's thoughts drifted to his parents. "General, Eleanor mentioned my heritage might be influencing my growth. Could my parents have had an influence on my sudden growth?"
Aldric's eyes raised in surprise. "Your heritage, like many other aspects, can influence how quickly you increase your mana capacity.
Ryan's mind raced. "So, you think my heritage could be influencing my strength?"
"It's possible, but unlikely," Aldric said. "However, we must focus on the here and now. Your abilities and progress are what matter most for our current challenges."
Aldric's face grew stern. "There's something more pressing. The elves know that both you and Eleanor are alive. Which means that there are most likely spies in my camp. Something I am not proud to be saying."
Ryan's eyes widened. "That isn't good at all, how do you think they will react to us being alive?"
"Well, we already know: Reports have surfaced indicating increased elven activity," Aldric explained. "There have been sightings of elven scouts and skirmishes that suggest they're preparing for conflict. It seems they're eager to eliminate you before you can grow stronger."
Ryan felt a surge of urgency. "So, what does that mean for us?"
"It means we need to be on high alert," Aldric said. "The elves are likely looking to strike before we can fully mobilise. We've already increased our patrols and are setting up defenses, but we need to be prepared for more aggressive actions."
"What should Eleanor and I do?"
"You two need to sit and wait, tomorrow afternoon, I, along with a few extremely capable soldiers will escort you deeper into the Rupes kingdom to a safer location. The Royal Capital, but we can't do that just yet, I have to prepare my soldiers for the soon coming attacks and we need to await the arrival of a couple of those extremely capable soldiers who are tied up in their own missions."
As the general turned to leave, Ryan called out, "General Aldric, thank you."
Aldric paused, giving Ryan a small, reassuring smile. "Rest up, Ryan. We have a lot of work ahead of us, and every bit of strength will be crucial."
With that, Aldric left the room, the door closing behind him with a soft thud. Ryan lay back against the pillow, his mind racing with thoughts of the challenges to come and the implications of the elven threat. He glanced at the small mirror Eleanor had given him, studying his glowing eyes.