Beginning of Cultivation
Chapter 178: Hospitalization

Chapter 178: Hospitalization

From the depths of unconsciousness, Nora slowly opened his eyes. The unfamiliar surroundings filled him with unease.

"Where am I?"

As his mind gradually cleared, he carefully observed his environment and finally realized his current location.

"I’m not entirely sure which hospital this is, but there’s no doubt—I’m in a hospital."

Having never been hospitalized before, the only knowledge he had of such places came from pictures.

He took a moment to assess his body, then let out a soft sigh.

"Hah... No severe injuries, but right now, I’m far too weak."

Memories of the battle—no, the training match—with Magnus resurfaced in his mind. The fight had made one thing painfully clear: just how powerless he was.

Turning toward the window, he gazed at the distant horizon and murmured to himself:

"I couldn’t even inflict the slightest real damage on the President, even when he let me land a hit. If I truly wish to save this world, I must at least reach his level... or surpass it."

The weight of his mission bore down on him. Rescuing the world was an unfathomably arduous task, and to make matters worse, he had no advantage in terms of past memories. That absence only heightened the difficulty of his journey.

If he had retained his memories, he could have formulated strategies to counter the enemy’s dangerous schemes while preventing his own side from making fatal mistakes.

His eyes wandered across the room, searching for anything that had been left for him. Eventually, his gaze landed on a cabinet to his left.

Resting atop it were a phone and a sealed letter, placed deliberately in the same spot.

Even without thinking too hard, he knew these items had been prepared specifically for him.

Reaching out with his left hand, he picked up the phone and unfolded the letter. The message inside read:

"If you’re reading this, it means you’ve regained consciousness. Congratulations—effective immediately, you have officially joined the ranks of those who protect humanity. From this moment forward, you are recognized as an F-rank hero. Your monthly stipend will be distributed alongside the others. We hope you will dedicate yourself to serving mankind. If you are awake, please call the number on the front of this envelope, and we will arrange for your identification documents to be delivered promptly."

As he read, a smirk formed on Nora’s lips.

"The first step is complete. More importantly, I must have caught the President’s attention by now. Meeting him at this stage is nothing short of a stroke of luck."

Having made up his mind, Nora picked up the phone and powered it on. As expected, there was no password.

Were they not afraid of theft? Of course not—security cameras were installed throughout the hospital. No fool would risk sneaking in just to steal something here.

He entered a series of numbers, and the phone rang.

"Beep... Beep..."

Before long, the call connected, and a voice unfamiliar to him spoke from the other end.

"Hello, Nora. I’m your current assistant—well, more like a general support staff member. I assist many people, not just you. My name is Elias. Pleased to meet you."

"Hello, I’m Nora. Pleased to meet you as well." he replied courteously.

On the other end of the line, Elias was seated in his office. He was a thin-looking man with disheveled black hair and brown eyes. While he possessed no extraordinary powers, his sharp mind and efficiency made him invaluable as an assistant to many heroes.

Judging by Nora’s tone and demeanor (assuming he wasn’t putting on an act), Elias chuckled and said,

"Ha ha, good. I’ll have someone deliver your documents shortly. Let’s meet in person when we get the chance."

"Alright, thanks."

And just like that, the call ended in a hurry. Not surprising—Elias had a mountain of responsibilities beyond simply taking Nora’s call.

Lowering the phone, Nora smirked to himself.

"Efficient, but a little too hasty."

.....

At that moment, with no active missions to handle, Alice was at home. She lay sprawled across the sofa, resting her chin on her hand while idly watching TV.

Suddenly, a different sound interrupted her moment of leisure.

"Beep... Beep..."

"Huh? Who’s calling at this hour?"

It was midday—her designated time for lounging around. Having someone disturb her now was more than a little irritating.

Morning and afternoon were Alice’s designated training hours, except when she had missions. In a way, it was her working schedule.

Seeing the caller ID, she blinked in confusion before answering.

"Elias? What’s going on? I don’t recall any missions recently."

On the other end, Elias’ face darkened. He cursed inwardly,

"Oh, great. So I remember, but you conveniently forget?"

Of course, he didn’t say that out loud. Instead, he replied with a deadpan tone:

"Did you forget that you asked me to inform you the moment Nora woke up? Well, he’s awake. Goodbye."

Without waiting for a response, Elias hung up—a clear sign that he was slightly annoyed.

Alice, snapping out of her daze, stared at the phone and yelled,

"Hey, hey, hey! What kind of attitude is that?! I know I messed up, but hanging up so abruptly is just plain rude!"

Unfortunately for her, no one was there to hear her complaints—Elias had already ended the call.

"Hmph! Not wasting my breath on you. If Nora’s awake, I’d better go see him."

Without further delay, she changed into fresh clothes and caught a bus to the hospital.

Why not just run there?

Simple—the President had strictly instructed heroes to refrain from showing off their abilities and to maintain anonymity during missions.

He despised the idea of heroes turning into celebrities, getting entangled in unnecessary distractions, and ultimately delaying their duty to protect humanity.

As a result, even those capable of superhuman speed often had no choice but to rely on cars or public transportation.

Fortunately, the public transit system in Country X was well-developed. Otherwise, Alice would have been forced to get a driver’s license.

.....

A short while later, she arrived at Nora’s hospital room.

Knowing he was alone inside, she knocked repeatedly—without the slightest hint of restraint.

Nora, recognizing the unmistakable impatience behind the knocks, had a good guess about his visitor.

Still, he asked:

"Who is it?"

"It’s me! I’m coming in, okay?"

Without waiting for permission, she pushed the door open and walked in.

Nora sighed helplessly.

It wasn’t that he disliked this habit of hers—he had simply resigned himself to it.