Chapter 101: Finally under treatment

Getting an appointment at a good hospital was necessary unless one has a serious medical emergency. And Elara’s condition couldn’t be counted in that emergency situation. Well, for Kai and Jean it was an emergency situation but the hospital wouldn’t evaluate it like that.

However, the moment Kai arrived at the hospital, covered in monster blood and radiating the bloodlust left behind by his earlier battle, nobody dared question him.

He had tried to suppress it, knowing full well that his presence alone could frighten ordinary people, but the murderous aura clinging to him refused to subside completely.

"D-Don’t worry. We will handle everything properly," the doctor assured him, adjusting his glasses for what must have been the third time since their meeting.

Kai nodded and gestured for Jean to place Elara on the bed.

The little girl was breathing more easily now that he had given her the diluted potion, but he wasn’t willing to take any chances. He needed a professional to examine her and confirm that she was out of danger.

"We’ll run a few diagnostic tests. If you’re worried, you may accompany her inside," the doctor explained.

A nurse soon arrived and carefully took Elara into her arms before carrying her into the emergency ward.

Kai turned toward Jean. "You should go with her."

"What about you?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Not like this. I might cause an infection, so I’ll clean myself up first."

Jean wanted him beside her. She knew how anxious he was, and despite his attempts to conceal it, she could see the worry in his eyes.

He had remained composed throughout their journey, but she understood that his calmness was only a thin veil over the fear he had been carrying since Elara’s condition deteriorated.

Still, she couldn’t deny that he had a point.

"Pick up the call. I’ll keep you updated." She had already taken out her phone and dialed his number.

Kai offered her a faint smile and nodded.

"Got it."

He answered the call and switched on the speaker before Jean followed the doctor into the ward.

Once they were gone, Kai released a long, weary breath. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly, though the worry hadn’t disappeared entirely.

He turned toward a passing nurse, who seemed to be doing her best to avoid getting too close to him.

"Excuse me. Is there somewhere I can clean up?"

The woman stopped and gave him a stiff smile before pointing down the corridor. "At the end of the lobby, to your left. Would you like me to arrange a hospital gown as well? You might have sustained injuries during your last battle, Hunter."

Kai sighed and shook his head.

"I’d appreciate a change of clothes, but don’t worry. I’m perfectly fine."

The nurse nodded. "Someone will bring you a fresh set shortly."

"Thank you."

Kai watched her leave before glancing once at the door across the corridor, behind which Elara was being examined.

For the first time since the battle ended, he felt a little of the weight pressing against his chest begin to lift.

Elara’s breathing had improved, and now she was in the hands of professionals who could properly assess her condition. All he needed was confirmation that his little princess was safe.

With that thought in mind, he headed toward the bathroom.

All right, it’s time for a little chat, System.

...

Meanwhile, the hunters from Arden and Balendhall were being transported to the Association headquarters. Since the operation was over, it was time to settle down and discuss the future.

Those requiring immediate medical attention were already on their way to the Association Hospital, a facility specifically established to treat hunters and officials.

Somehow, and thankfully, Adam had ended up in the same vehicle as Hannah.

Another officer sat with them, though he had never entered the Void himself.

Dave occupied the seat beside the driver, quietly preparing a report on the events that had unfolded.

Outside, the city was descending into chaos.

News of the Void suddenly forming a prison around Blue Mountain had spread rapidly, leaving the authorities scrambling to contain the situation.

For weeks, the Association had concealed the existence of the Void from the general public, fearing the widespread panic that such knowledge might provoke.

Whatever justification they had once possessed for keeping the truth hidden, maintaining that secrecy had become virtually impossible now.

The incident had taken place in the middle of the city, with tension of civilians involved in it and while the battle was going on many reporters has already began covering the news.

Dave was one of the officers who would undoubtedly be working overtime for the foreseeable future. Reports needed to be compiled, witnesses questioned, casualties accounted for, and the countless questions raised by the incident answered.

The work awaiting him was enough to keep him occupied for weeks, perhaps even months.

Yet while Dave busied himself with the report, another person who should have been preparing for the enormous burden awaiting them was lost in an entirely different thought.

"Hunter Hannah," Adam finally broke the silence, turning toward the blonde woman seated beside him. "I understand that you’ll first need to include everything in your official report, but may I ask you a question first?"

"Of course, Officer Adam," Hannah replied calmly.

Even now, she remained somewhat dazed, her thoughts drifting back to the events she had witnessed. And understandably so. Among everyone in the vehicle, she was the only one who had witnessed the bizarre ordeal from such close quarters.

The images were still fresh in her mind, and no matter how many times she tried to make sense of them, she kept arriving at the same impossible conclusion.

Adam hesitated, carefully considering his words before finally asking what had been bothering him the most.

"Was Hunter Kai involved in the battle that took place inside the Void?"

Hannah’s eyebrows rose slightly.

"Kai?"

"Yes, the man who was driving that car." Adam still found it difficult to believe that Kai had dared to provoke such a monstrosity and then driven away without a scratch, as though he hadn’t just interrupted a being capable of threatening humanity itself.

Then again, considering the state Kai had been in when he arrived, drenched in monster blood and carrying an unmistakable aura of violence, Adam suspected that he had played a far greater role in the battle than anyone had initially realized.

Hannah looked at him in surprise. She hadn’t expected Adam to know Kai personally, though, upon reflection, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable. As the nation’s chief of surveillance, Adam was responsible for keeping track of anomalous individuals. If someone like Kai had escaped his attention entirely, that alone would have been cause for concern.

Hannah released a weary sigh and lowered her head slightly.

"Officer Adam, all I can tell you is this. You, I, and thousand of others are alive today because of him."

"..."

Adam fell silent.

In a way, he had received the answer he was looking for. Yet Hannah’s words had only deepened the mystery, giving birth to a hundred new questions in his mind.

°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Drop a comment. And one thing; stop debating about the character’s action and argue in the review. Just read and move on, or maybe drop the story