SOWER: My Cultivation Creates Gods

17 | The Plausible Narrative

"That's vague as hell."

『Specificity will come with progress. For now, you should focus on recovery and understanding your basic capabilities.』

Rome walked to the window of his hospital room. Outside, the sky was dark. Night time. How long had he been here?

Then another thought struck him.

"Wait. If you restored my 'vessel' or whatever, why am I in a hospital? Shouldn't I be completely healed?"

『External healing was necessary to stabilize your condition until our covenant could be fully established. Additionally, sudden miraculous recovery tends to raise questions. This provides a plausible narrative for your survival.』

"So I'm still supposed to be injured?"

『You were in critical condition when admitted. Multiple fractures, severe blood loss, internal injuries, and a severed limb. Your survival was considered medically improbable. Your current state would be... suspicious.』

"Great." Rome sighed. "So I have to pretend to still be injured?"

『For now, yes. Though your recovery can be expedited beyond normal parameters without raising undue suspicion. Hunters are known to heal quickly with proper treatment.』

Rome turned back to the status window, still floating in the air.

"And what am I supposed to tell people about this?" He gestured at the screen. "About you?"

『Nothing. They cannot see what you see. They cannot hear what you hear. I exist for you alone, Rome.』

"Lucky me." He ran a hand through his hair. "So I just have a voice in my head now. That's not crazy at all."

『I am not a delusion. I am a function.』

"Yeah, you keep saying that." Rome sat back on the edge of the bed. "Does this function have a name?"

『ARCAN will suffice.』

"ARCAN. Okay." Rome took a deep breath. "And what do I do now? Just... go back to grinding One-Star gates with my fancy new system?"

『For now, yes. Though your potential has increased significantly. Your path is no longer limited to mere survival.』

"What's that supposed to mean?"

『It means, Rome D'Angelo, that you have been given a rare opportunity. A second chance. What you choose to do with it is, within certain parameters, your decision.』

Rome was about to ask another question when the door to his hospital room opened. A nurse walked in, then froze when she saw him sitting upright.

"Mr. D'Angelo! You're awake!" She hurried over to check the monitors beside his bed. "This is... this is remarkable. Let me get the doctor right away."

She rushed back out, leaving Rome alone with the invisible system and the voice in his head.

『I suggest you prepare yourself,』 ARCAN said. 『There will be questions about your survival. And about the arena.』

"Yeah." Rome took a deep breath. "I figured as much."

He glanced down at his left hand one more time. Flexed his fingers. Felt the movement of tendons and muscles that should have been gone.

I should be dead.

But I'm not.

I got a second chance.

And whatever this ARCAN thing is, whatever it wants from me...

I'm going to use it to make sure Calypso never has to worry about anything ever again.

The status window faded from view as the sound of multiple footsteps approached his room.

Rome straightened his spine and put on his best "confused patient" expression.

Game on.