Ryu lay on the bed, his eyes fixed on the IV bottle beside him. Each drop of fluid traveled slowly down the tube, eventually disappearing into the needle in his arm.
He let out a quiet sigh.
He was hospitalized—well, sort of. He hadn't been taken to an actual hospital, but the situation wasn't much better.
After he lost consciousness, his mother panicked. Terrified something serious had happened, she insisted on calling his aunt—who, unfortunately for him, just so happened to be a licensed doctor. With his mother busy attending an important meeting today, Aunt Jena had taken over his care.
That meant a full medical checkup at home, an IV drip, and strict rest orders.
It was suffocating.
"I'm fine," Ryu grumbled under his breath, glaring at the IV bottle like it was the source of all his problems. But neither his mother nor his aunt had bothered listening.
Still, he couldn't exactly blame them.
When he had first woken up—confused, disoriented, but otherwise unharmed—he'd found his mother sobbing next to the bed, her hands trembling as she clutched her phone, talking frantically to Aunt Jena.
"He's not breathing—his chest… something's wrong!"
He remembered the desperation in her voice, the fear in her eyes.
Even when he tried to reassure her, she wouldn't calm down. She was too shaken to listen.
And now, here he was. Healthy, alert... and completely restricted.
Ryu sighed again, staring at the slow-dripping IV like it was mocking him.
"Haah…" Ryu let out a long sigh, his head sinking deeper into the pillow.
There was nothing to do—no TV, no books, and no freedom. Just him, a slow-dripping IV, and silence.
Suddenly, something moved.
A black, slimy substance slipped out from the back of his hand, oozing upward before taking shape. It molded itself into a tiny figure—a delicate fairy-like woman with dark wings on her back and a black one-piece dress that clung to her flawless form.
Velkora.
"Master," she said softly, flying up and landing gracefully on his shoulder. "You don't need to feel so helpless. Your mother and aunt are just worried for you."
Ryu gave a tired smile and tilted his head slightly. "I know. I get it. But still… it's boring pretending to be a patient when I feel completely fine."
Velkora chuckled lightly, nodding in agreement. "Yes, yes, I understand."
She crossed her legs elegantly as she sat. "Since you're feeling so energetic, why don't we use this time productively?"
Ryu raised a brow. "Like what?"
Velkora smiled. "Why don't I introduce you to the abilities you've gained… from me?"
Ryu's ears twitched slightly at Velkora's words.
Truth be told, he hadn't dared to ask about his abilities until now. Velkora wasn't some cold, passive cheat item—she was a sentient being. Asking what he "got" from her felt... off. As if he were treating her like an object.
Even if he didn't fully understand her, he knew she was a living existence. Powerful. Aware. And strangely loyal. So he hesitated.
"Hehehe~ Master really thinks about everything so carefully, doesn't he?" Velkora giggled, her voice full of amusement.
She'd been aware of his thoughts all along, of course. She had known he was curious about her abilities from the beginning. But she hadn't brought it up until now—because the time wasn't right. But with his aunt busy in the kitchen, they were finally alone.
Ryu scratched his cheek and gave a weak chuckle. There was no point pretending—she could hear his every thought. Trying to shut his mind off to her was useless. He had already accepted that.
Velkora gave a nod and floated back a little, her tone softening as she explained.
"Well, the first and most important thing you get... is passive growth. Since I'm now connected to you—physically and spiritually—your body is evolving even as we speak. Not in age or height, but in attributes: strength, agility, stamina, constitution, tolerance, willpower, and more."
Ryu listened carefully, his expression thoughtful. "But... I don't feel any different. I still feel normal."
Velkora smiled knowingly. "That's because I've synchronized your perception to your growth. I'm making sure your brain registers every change as natural. Even though your stats are rising every second, your mind is adapting along with them. That way, you won't feel overwhelmed or notice anything unusual."
Ryu blinked, raising a brow. "So me feeling normal even when you say you're modifying my thought process... that's also your doing?"
Velkora nodded calmly. "Yes, Master. Because we're connected at a soul level, I can subtly shift your perspective. I haven't touched your core self or personality. But I've adjusted your emotional and mental responses—just enough to keep you calm and accepting."
Ryu paused.
Yeah, that did sound like something that would've freaked him out before. But now? It just… made sense.
He didn't feel manipulated. Just aware. Like his instincts were catching up to the truth, slowly but surely.
"Alright, I get it," he said. "In that case... can you show me my previous stats and the current ones? I'd like to compare."
Velkora smiled with approval. "Of course, Master. Based on your memories, I'll create a heads-up display—like a status panel from those games and anime you liked so much."
As soon as Velkora finished speaking, two translucent blue holographic screens materialized in front of Ryu with a soft chime.
He blinked, startled by their sudden appearance, but quickly gathered himself. Somehow, it felt familiar—like something he'd always dreamed of seeing.
The first screen displayed what he instinctively recognized as his previous stats:
[Status Screen – Ryu]
Name: Ryu Inazuma
Age: 7
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Vital Stats:
• HP (Health Points): 98%
• PS (Physical Stamina): 96%
• MP (Mana Points): 92%
• MS (Mental Stamina): 95%
Overall Rating: F-Rank
Stat Breakdown:
• Strength: 2
• Agility: 3
• Endurance: 3
• Constitution: 4
• Perception: 2
• Intelligence: 10
• Willpower: 9
Just as he was finishing the first screen, a second one appeared beside it. This one was labeled the current stats—updated after the soul merging and Velkora's integration:
[Status Screen – Ryu]
Name: Ryu Inazuma
Age: 7
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Vital Stats:
• HP (Health Points): 100%
• PS (Physical Stamina): 100%
• MP (Mana Points): 100%
• MS (Mental Stamina): 100%
Overall Rating: F-Rank
Stat Breakdown:
• Strength: 3
• Agility: 3.5
• Endurance: 3.5
• Constitution: 4.2
• Perception: 3
• Intelligence: 10.01
• Willpower: 9.05
Ryu leaned forward slightly, examining the panels with narrowed eyes.
Velkora's voice rang out again, calm and composed, as she began to explain the details on the floating status screens.
"Let's begin with the first screen," she said, motioning with her tiny hand. "This one reflects the initial status after your two souls merged. You can already see the effect of the fusion in your Intelligence and Willpower stats."
She pointed toward the numbers, and continued, "For the old Hiroto, Intelligence would have been around six. And for the original Ryu, about four. But when both souls combined... your Intelligence stat surged directly to ten—the maximum possible value for an F-rank being."
Ryu raised a brow, confused. "F-rank? What does that mean?"
Velkora nodded, prepared for the question. "F-rank refers to your overall rating as a lifeform. Most ordinary humans fall under the F-rank category. To advance to the next rank—E-rank—you must have five individual stats that surpass a value of ten. Once that threshold is met, your rank will evolve."
Ryu nodded slowly. "So… it's kind of like a cultivation system?"
"Exactly," Velkora confirmed. "Cultivation is integrated within this ranking structure. Spiritual power, physical growth, and mental strength all count toward it."
Understanding dawned on Ryu's face as he looked over his Willpower stat next.
"That one too," Velkora said before he could ask. "Just like Intelligence, Willpower is directly linked to your consciousness—your soul. So when your two souls fused into one, those stats received a natural boost."
Ryu gave a light nod.
It made sense now. His physical stats improved because of Velkora's influence on his body, but the mental stats—Intelligence and Willpower—were a direct result of the soul fusion.
It was a subtle, steady evolution.
And it had only just begun.