'What the hell was that!' Damon stared at the status window.
'And how am I supposed to explain to this girl that my strongest skill is carrying boxes without throwing out my back?'
Damon, paralyzed by pure panic, said nothing.
Iris interpreted his silence as Post-Battle Trauma.
Her blue eyes stared at him with a devotion that made him want to puke.
"It's alright… Our healer has already informed us about your mana backlash. It must be a complete shock for you, sir… losing your powers after saving everyone."
Mana backlash?
Did she seriously think he was Zero and had only lost his powers?
"Oh, and one of the symptoms of that backlash can be temporary memory loss. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Iris Valen, Captain of the Inquisitors. I will be in charge of your recovery and your personal security, so no one will approach you without my authorization."
"And, Master… the doctors were confused at first. They tried to verify your identity with biometric scans, but it was useless."
"The radiation from the explosion was so intense it rewrote your genetic code," Iris continued, completely unaware of Damon's rising panic.
"Your fingerprints were burned off, and your DNA is so saturated with Void energy that the identification machines just display 'Read Error'. To the medical system, you are biologically an anomaly."
'What? Seriously?'
'The explosion erased me from the system? I'm a ghost! God bless magical radiation!'
She stood and gave him a formal, perfectly executed bow.
"It is an honor to serve you."
Damon was shocked at how quickly she could go from crying to full military decorum, but something else bothered him. Why were the Inquisitors in charge of recovering a solo Hunter?
The Inquisitors weren't nurses; they were the government's attack dogs.
He had questions, but none of them mattered right now.
He needed to escape and get back to work.
Damon tried to stand, but it was useless; he was still completely casted and couldn't move his limbs.
"You must not try to stand on your own! You've been in a coma for two months, and your recovery capabilities are now no higher than a normal human's! Please wait!"
Heh. My recovery has always been that of a normal human… wait.
"T-two months?!"
"Do not strain your voice! Nurse! Please!"
The heart monitor beside him started beeping like crazy.
***
After the nurse fixed it and gave him a sedative, they fed him and turned on the TV.
To him, it was all background noise until the tiny screen blasted a blood-red headline:
"BREAKING! IN OTHER NEWS, NATIONAL HERO ZERO HAS AWAKENED FROM HIS COMA!"
A reporter continued while showing a split-screen with two pictures: his awful delivery ID photo and another of Zero in his black suit and mask.
"...After surviving the Unidentified Rank Rift that killed over two thousand people, including multiple Hunters from top guilds, and saving millions with a suicidal Mana Burst… Zero, now publicly identified as Damon Kells, has returned."
They cut to street interviews.
People crying. Candlelit altars.
"Damon Kells, I love you! Please have my baby!" screamed a group of girls outside the clinic, holding signs with his face.
Now the whole world knew his name and face and believed he was Zero… How the hell was he supposed to get out of this mess?
If he stepped outside and a Goblin attacked him, he'd die live on camera in front of his fans.
And what was that about a Mana Burst? Was that the deafening blast he witnessed when the real Zero raised his hand?
But that Hunter… he had to be dead, cause there was no way he survived that.
Damon glanced again at the mask fragment on his nightstand.
Was this the reason they confused him?
He tried to reach for it, but a sharp pain stabbed through his right eye, like a needle being driven in.
[ITEM: Fragment of the Void Mask]
[RANK: A+ (Damaged)]
[STATUS: Bound]
[Damage Resistance: +500 (Currently 0)]
[Concealment: +500 (Currently 0)]
[SYSTEM NOTE: User does not meet the mana requirement.]
'Stats? Did I hit my head so hard I'm seeing a video game UI?'
He thought it was just his imagination messing with him, so he tried again.
[ITEM: Hospital Remote Control]
[RANK: F (Trash)]
[Hidden Ability: None]
[Sell Value: $5]
Ha… even the TV remotes are like me. Trash.
Then his brain clicked.
He could see the rank and value of objects. He could see hidden information.
If he went to a flea market… if he dumpster-dived behind the big guilds… he could find items that looked worthless and sell them.
He could get rich.
But first he needed to get out of this room alive.
He remembered the phone Iris had left on the table: Zero's Communicator.
A matte-black device with no brand and It looked like military tech.
Damon picked it up. Should he use his new "ability" on it?
He squinted, then the blue box appeared.
[ITEM: Inquisition Quantum Link]
[RANK: A+]
[STATUS: Encrypted / TRACKED]
[WARNING: Microphone active. Direct transmission to Central Tower.]
Damon's blood ran cold. They were listening right now.
But he had no choice.
He dialed the only number he knew by heart.
"Who is this?"
Damon pressed the phone to his mouth.
"Listen closely, rat. It's me. Code Red."
There was silence on the other end. Then Jude's voice shifted.
"Damon? Is that you?" Jude lowered his voice. "Bro, if you're calling from the hospital… hang up. Hang up right now."
"What? I need you to get me out of—"
"Shut up!" Jude snapped. "You don't get it. Just ten minutes ago they announced that anyone who tries to contact 'Hero Zero' without authorization will be treated as a terrorist."
"And Damon… they just knocked on my door."