Chapter 115: Big Brother... Welcome Back

Chapter 111

A massive headache slammed into Orion’s skull the moment he slowly opened his eyes.

A dull, throbbing ache spread through his head, making him instinctively furrow his brows. His eyelids felt unusually heavy, and for a brief moment, he couldn’t even make sense of his surroundings. Everything was blurry, and the figures gathered around him appeared nothing more than indistinct silhouettes.

He blinked several times, trying to clear his vision. Gradually, the blurriness began to fade, allowing him to make out the people surrounding him.

They were none other than his family.

To his right stood Racheal, Elias, Iris, Jack, Noah, and several of the children. On his left were his mother, Eleanor, and some of the remaining kids.

Every single person in the room had worry written all over their faces. Some looked exhausted, while others seemed as though they had been holding their breath for far too long. Their attention was fixed entirely on him, as if they were afraid that something might happen again the moment they looked away.

Orion couldn’t help feeling a little guilty.

It seemed he had made them worry once more.

However, before he could say anything, the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed. The moment the children realized he was finally awake, their gloomy expressions brightened, their eyes lighting up as wide smiles spread across their faces.

"Big Brother!"

Their excited voices rang out simultaneously, and before Orion could properly react, they rushed towards him.

He instinctively tried to sit up, only to notice a small weight resting against his shoulder. Lowering his gaze, he already had an idea of who it could be.

And he was right.

It was none other than Lilly.

The sudden commotion caused by the children had awakened her from her peaceful sleep. She blinked drowsily, clearly confused by the noise, but all traces of sleepiness disappeared as soon as she realized Orion was awake.

Without wasting another second, she threw her little arms around his neck.

The other children quickly followed, crowding around him and practically burying him beneath their enthusiastic hugs.

Orion couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

"Big Brother, you slept for so long! You made Lilly worry!"

Lilly’s little voice carried a hint of grievance. Her eyes were already becoming teary as she looked at him, as though she wanted him to understand just how worried she had been.

Orion smiled sheepishly, gently raising his hand to rub her head and carefully smooth her hair.

"Don’t worry. I’m fine."

He paused briefly before adding with a reassuring smile, "Better than ever, actually."

Lilly stared at him for a few seconds, seemingly trying to determine whether he was telling the truth. Only after hearing his reassuring words did her expression finally soften.

Orion then shifted his gaze towards the other children, eventually settling on Iris.

He had already seen her in Daylight City and knew she had recovered. Nevertheless, seeing her standing there in front of him, moving around freely without the slightest discomfort, brought a genuine smile to his face.

There was something particularly satisfying about seeing the results of his efforts with his own eyes.

Iris was healed.

Completely healed.

Orion’s expression softened as he asked, "You’re feeling great now, aren’t you? You don’t feel any pain anymore?"

Although he already knew the answer, he couldn’t help asking.

Iris shook her head enthusiastically before breaking into a bright smile.

"Of course! Big Brother always keeps his promises. He said Iris would be alright, and Iris is alright!"

Her words were simple, but the sincerity behind them was unmistakable.

Orion nodded, a warm smile spreading across his face. "You’re right. I never go back on my words."

The next moment, a pair of tiny arms wrapped around his body.

Iris had stepped closer and hugged him, resting her little head against his chest.

"Thank you so much, Big Brother."

Her voice was soft, carrying all the gratitude she couldn’t properly express.

Orion smiled and gently patted her head. "You’re more than welcome."

He allowed her to remain there for a little while, enjoying the peaceful moment.

At this point, Orion still couldn’t recall everything he had experienced inside Dungeon X. The details remained frustratingly vague, almost as though an important part of his memories had been covered by a thick veil.

He didn’t know exactly what he had gone through, how much he had struggled, how many dangers he had encountered, or how much suffering he might have endured along the way.

But there was one thing he could make out clearly.

Whatever he had faced, whatever price he might have paid, it had all been worth it.

Seeing Iris standing before him, healthy and smiling, was enough. As long as she was alright, he had no regrets.

"Get away, Iris! You’re already old!"

A familiar childish voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

Before Orion could react, Lilly pushed Iris away from his chest and immediately occupied the space she had left behind. She clung tightly to him, wrapping her little arms around his body as though she owned the entire place.

Iris simply smiled.

She didn’t argue or try to reclaim her position. Instead, she turned her attention towards Orion.

"Big Brother, are you really alright? You slept for a very long time, you know."

Orion blinked.

"Wait... Really?"

He looked at her with a slightly confused expression before asking, "Just how long did I sleep?"

Iris raised her little hand and began counting on her fingers. She seemed to take the question seriously, carefully going through the days before finally answering.

"About five days now."

Orion’s eyes twitched.

Five days?

He had slept for five entire days?

For a moment, he struggled to keep himself from cursing. Just how the hell had he managed to sleep for that long?

He had only intended to rest, not disappear from the world for nearly an entire week!

However, before he could dwell on the matter any further, another voice suddenly interrupted him.

"Big Brother..."

Orion turned his head.

It was little Dame.

The boy had one hand resting beneath his chin, his expression unusually serious. He stood there with his brows slightly furrowed, seemingly lost in deep thought.

His posture and facial expression made him look as though he was about to reveal some incredibly important discovery.

Orion raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Dame looked directly at him before opening his mouth with a perfectly serious expression.

"Big Brother, are you pregnant?"

"..."

For a moment, Orion nearly slipped off the bed.

He stared at the little boy in utter disbelief, wondering whether he had heard correctly.

What?

What the hell was that question?!

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone turned towards Dame, their expressions ranging from confusion to outright disbelief. A few even exchanged glances, seemingly wondering whether the boy had finally lost his mind.

However, Dame didn’t appear bothered by their reactions. In fact, he seemed even more confident.

Maintaining his serious expression, he continued speaking as though he were delivering an important medical diagnosis.

"It is a special knowledge that only people who are pregnant suffer from this sickness called sleeping sickness."

He paused briefly, giving everyone enough time to absorb his supposedly profound discovery.

"It makes them sleep frequently throughout the day. Sometimes, they have a very long sleep, wake up for only a few hours or days, and then fall asleep for another long period."

Dame stroked his invisible beard, his expression growing even more solemn.

"Based on my analysis, Big Brother has slept for five days. Therefore, I believe he must be pregnant and is currently suffering from sleeping sickness!"

He finally concluded his explanation with the confidence of a scholar who had just presented an undisputed scientific theory.

Silence.

The eyes of everyone present twitched.

"..."

For several seconds, nobody seemed to know how to respond.

Then Jack finally broke the silence.

"He’s saying complete nonsense."

His eyes twitched as he stared at Dame.

Noah, standing beside him, couldn’t help adding his own comment.

"And he’s saying that nonsense with way too much confidence."

The two exchanged a look, seemingly sharing the same disbelief.

However, there was one person who didn’t seem to find anything strange about Dame’s ridiculous explanation.

Lilly.

Still clinging to Orion, she blinked a few times before turning her little face towards him. Her eyes were filled with innocent curiosity.

"Big Brother... Are you really pregnant?"

"..."

Orion immediately covered his face with his palm.

It wasn’t just him. Almost everyone else in the room did the same.

For a moment, Orion genuinely wondered what he had done to deserve this. He had just woken up after five days of unconsciousness, and instead of receiving a peaceful welcome, he was being interrogated about an imaginary pregnancy!

To his dismay, he had no choice but to explain to the overly confident Dame and the equally curious Lilly that he was, in fact, not pregnant.

The entire explanation was ridiculous enough to make him question the intelligence of the people around him.

Jack watched the scene unfold before shaking his head, his expression filled with genuine discomfort.

"It really isn’t fun living with a bunch of immature people..."

Noah glanced sideways at him.

He wanted to point out that Jack was one of those very immature people he was complaining about. However, after considering the kind of reaction such a statement would provoke, he decided against it.

Knowing Jack, he would probably fly into another fit of rage and cause unnecessary trouble.

Noah silently swallowed his words.

I’ll let him have this one.

After all, their Big Brother had only just woken up. There was no reason to turn the room into another battlefield.

---

Orion eventually spent more than two hours with the children.

During that time, they bombarded him with all sorts of questions about his journey, the things he had encountered, and the incredible changes to his appearance.

Of course, the most popular subject was his white hair and the cool, almost majestic appearance he now possessed.

They wanted to know everything.

How had he become so handsome? Why had his hair changed colour? What had happened to his eyes? And, most importantly, how could they become just as cool as him?

Orion listened to their endless questions with an amused smile.

Since he couldn’t properly remember the details of his reawakening, he had no intention of giving them an explanation that might only confuse them.

Instead, he decided to make up a story.

And knowing Orion, it was hardly surprising that the story he constructed was anything but modest.

He told them about the incredible journey he had supposedly undertaken, the countless difficulties he had overcome, and the extraordinary experiences that had eventually transformed his appearance.

His delivery was so convincing that the children listened with wide eyes, hanging onto every word.

Naturally, the tale was heavily exaggerated, and some parts were completely fabricated.

But Orion didn’t feel particularly guilty about it. After all, what else was he supposed to do when he couldn’t even remember the actual process that had led to his reawakening?

Besides, the children seemed to be enjoying themselves.

By the time he finished, several of them were practically glowing with excitement. Their eyes shone with admiration as they made all sorts of promises to follow in his footsteps. They wanted to become just as powerful, just as cool, and just as majestic as their Big Brother.

Some even began imagining themselves with white hair and extraordinary abilities.

Orion could only smile warmly at their enthusiasm.

He didn’t discourage them. If anything, he was happy to see them so inspired.

Eventually, the children began leaving one after another.

Lilly was carried away despite her obvious reluctance to leave Orion’s side, while Iris also departed after giving him another affectionate look.

Soon, the lively atmosphere in the room gradually settled.

Only four people remained.

Eleanor, Racheal, Elias, and Orion.

The three adults took their seats around him.

Unlike the children, whose faces had been filled with excitement and curiosity, their expressions gradually became serious. The casual warmth that had filled the room moments earlier gave way to a much more focused atmosphere.

They had waited long enough.

There were things they needed to know.

And Elias was the first to break the silence.

"Orion..."

He looked directly at the young boy.

"Is it true that you’ve reawakened?"

Orion’s expression also became serious.

He understood that there was no point hiding it from them. After everything that had happened, he had a great deal to explain.

He nodded.

"Yes. I have indeed reawakened."

A brief silence followed.

However, before Elias or the others could say anything, Orion continued.

"But that’s not the only good news I brought back."

He paused, allowing his words to settle before looking at the three people seated before him and revealing something that would undoubtedly change their lives.

"Not only have I reawakened, but I also have the ability to make the three of you reawaken as well."