In the Storm Clan's medical area, the head nurse, a middle-aged woman with her hair in a tight bun, reviewed records with a furrowed brow.
When she read that Charles—or rather, Rian Cole—had defeated nine Novices in one day, sending eight to the hospital while ending up in critical condition himself, her eyes widened.
"A Cole…" she muttered, adjusting her glasses.
The weight of his surname and the scale of his feat convinced her to assign him the clan's best doctors.
"We can't take risks with him," she told her team, ensuring his hands, wrecked by explosions, got top-tier treatment.
If they failed to treat someone of his caliber, the clan leader would surely cut their research funding without hesitation.
Days flew by. Charles remained unconscious, hands wrapped in thick bandages, body hooked to fluids keeping him stable.
Rumors of his performance spread like wildfire through the clan.
"They say a lightning bolt helped him win," a servant whispered in the halls.
