Lying in the hospital bed and listening to Old Master Timefield and Arnold trade intelligence on the Ravenlocks, Geno found it all genuinely interesting — but right now, he had precious little energy to spare for any of it.
Because he had a far bigger crisis bearing down on him.
"Master, everything has been arranged. Mr. Geno is ready for his examination."
A medical staff member stepped through the doorway. A doctor in a white coat led the way, reporting to Old Master Timefield with a practiced air.
Geno's revival was nothing short of a miracle — but to be safe, the necessary examinations still had to be carried out.
And that's exactly the problem. No matter how human he looks on the outside, his true form is an Ethereal!
Geno immediately felt a headache coming on. The moment Old Master Timefield and the others discovered he was an Ethereal, everything would blow up completely.
Wait — no. Forget that for now. During the examination, they'd definitely remove the bracelet. And if they took the bracelet off, wouldn't he just drop dead on the spot?!
At that thought, Geno instinctively reached for the Ether bracelet on his wrist. The cold touch of it brought him no reassurance whatsoever — only a surge of rising panic.
Stay calm. Maybe I should just come clean with Uncle Timefield right now.
Just as that thought was taking shape, the doctor in the white coat had already made his way to Geno's bedside.
"Mr. Geno, shall we begin? All the equipment is ready."
The doctor wore a wide smile — but there was nothing warm about it. No trace of a healer's compassion.
What filled its place was naked ambition, plain as day to anyone with eyes.
Not that it was difficult to understand. This patient had been placed under the direct personal care of the Timefield patriarch himself. Cure him, and the old master's favor would come pouring down. A promotion. A raise. Head of Department. Chief Director. Marry rich. Reach the peak of life.
Just thinking about it made him a little giddy.
"Come along, Mr. Geno — let me just take that bracelet off for you."
Click.
"Hm?"
Click.
"Mr. Geno, this is..."
The doctor's expression froze. That carefully assembled smile finally cracked — because Geno's other hand had locked around the doctor's wrist in a grip that wasn't letting go, while the arm wearing the bracelet showed absolutely zero intention of cooperating.
"My apologies — this bracelet is actually suppressing an Ether Corruption inside my body. The moment it comes off, it'll break loose. So..."
Geno attributed the reason he hadn't died to the Ether bracelet.
Old Master Timefield was somewhat surprised — but after briefly examining the bracelet's construction, he ultimately accepted Geno's explanation.
On the surface, the bracelet did appear to function as a suppressor of Ether Corruption. The effect was there, plain to see.
Of course, this was just Geno's excuse. The actual function of his bracelet was something else entirely — nothing at all like what the old master thought he was looking at.
But with so many people present, Geno wasn't in a position to openly reveal his true identity. His only option was to stall the examination for now and find a chance to speak with Uncle Timefield privately.
"I see — well, that's no trouble at all. Our hospital's technology is highly advanced. We can perform a full assessment without removing it."
Right. I don't believe a single word of that. If that were true, why were you trying to take it off in the first place?
Geno didn't believe a syllable out of this doctor's mouth. Even without activating his lie-detection ability, he could tell it was garbage. He genuinely had no idea how someone like this got hired at a hospital.
"I think to be safe, we should hold off on the examinat—"
Click.
He never finished the sentence. The sound of a clasp snapping shut reached him, and he looked down — the doctor had already fastened some unknown ring-shaped device around his arm.
"Now then, let's begin the examination~"
Examination my ass! Are you deaf?! I literally just said — to be safe — we should hold off! Are your ears painted on?! Not even going to consider the patient's opinion?! You absolute disaster of a doctor!
Geno's expression darkened to something that could have curdled milk — but the device was already on, and the examination was already proceeding in smooth, methodical silence.
Looking at the expressions on Old Master Timefield's and Arnold's faces — open, unguarded concern — Geno found he couldn't bring himself to say a word to stop it.
For a long moment, the room was filled with collective held breath and the steady beeping of diagnostic equipment.
No. This can't keep going. If it does, I'm completely exposed.
Realizing that if he didn't act his identity would be laid bare, Geno instinctively began channeling Ether energy inward — working to suppress his body's readings as thoroughly as he could — while his other hand quietly moved to try and sabotage the device.
But before he could do anything, Old Master Timefield's hand — wrinkled, but not rough — came to rest gently on his arm.
"Don't worry, child. Your grandpa here will make sure nothing happens to you."
I appreciate the sentiment, Uncle Timefield — but since when did you start calling yourself my grandpa?!
Geno felt like crying, and couldn't find a single tear. With his arm held down, he couldn't act directly — all he could do was manage his internal Ether with even greater precision, hoping desperately that the device couldn't read what was actually beneath the surface.
But what Geno feared came to pass regardless. He watched the doctor's face abruptly change as the man stared at the screen — then the doctor straightened up, visibly shaken.
"This... how is this possible?"
It's over.
Geno's mind went completely blank. Two words blazed in neon at the front of his skull, and nothing else remained.
Just as he was on the verge of blurting out his secret — the doctor's next sentence arrived.
"Mr. Geno — have you truly suffered severe Ether Corruption?"
"...?"
Hearing the doctor's question, the panic rising in Geno's chest settled — abruptly, completely.
Wait. Had they not found out?
"Doctor — what do you mean?" Old Master Timefield's brow furrowed. "We all witnessed it firsthand. Xiao Jie fought that Giant Hand, and was left severely overwhelmed by the Ether Corruption — we can all attest to that."
The old master had initially assumed the worst — but something in the doctor's expression gave him pause. If Geno were truly in critical condition, that particular look made no sense whatsoever.
"What the instruments are showing is this: Mr. Geno's physical readings are in excellent health. Setting aside a small residual trace of Ether energy attributable to his unusually high Ether Aptitude, he presents as a completely ordinary, perfectly healthy individual."
The doctor's words settled over the room like a lodestone — pulling everyone into silence.
Geno stared at the doctor's hollow, insincere face with complete bewilderment, four words thundering through his mind on repeat: I can't believe it.
It... actually worked? Then what was all that worrying for?
But Geno didn't dwell on that for long. Because something reached him then — a sensation on his hand. Warm. Wet.
Where was that water coming from?
He followed the trail of droplets upward — and found himself looking at Old Master Timefield's aged face, now streaked with tears that ran freely down his weathered cheeks.
____
👻🔥+40 ch: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Reborn as Naoya I Really Am Here for Revenge!
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