Chapter 8

A familiar car pulled up to the gate. Nicole stepped out. The grind on her face widened as she approached Arthur quickly, her heels clicking on the pavement.

"Arthur!" Nicole called out, "I've been instructed to take you to a hotel. Come with me."

Arthur, and nodded as he followed Nicole to her car. He loaded his luggage into the trunk, and they drove away from the Lin estate.

The drive to the hotel was mostly quiet. Despite Nicole tried to engage Arthur in a conversation, he was spacing out in between.

 Nicole occasionally glanced at Arthur, her worry evident in her eyes. She could tell that something was bothering him, but she didn't press him for details.

They arrived at the hotel, and Nicole helped Arthur check in. She assured him that her grandfather, Mr. Lee, would be joining them soon to discuss the business matters he had mentioned earlier.

Just as they were settling into the hotel room, Nicole's phone buzzed with an urgent message. She glanced at the screen and her face paled.

"It's from James," Nicole said, her voice trembling. "He says that my father suddenly fainted at home. We need to go back immediately."

Arthur, despite his own concerns, didn't hesitate. "Let's go," he said resolutely.

Nicole and Arthur rushed back to Nicole's mansion. As they arrived, they found Mr. Lee lying on a couch, looking pale and weak. He was conscious but clearly unwell.

Without wasting a moment, Arthur said to James, "Take him to his room." 

James instantly did as instructed.

Nicole and Arthur rushed back to Nicole's mansion. When they arrived, they found Mr. Lee lying on a couch, looking frail and weak. He was conscious but clearly unwell.

Without wasting any time, Arthur took charge. He instructed James, "Take him to his room."

James immediately complied, carefully assisting Mr. Lee to his bedroom.

Arthur stayed by Mr. Lee's side, holding his hand as he focused his healing powers to stabilize Mr. Lee's condition. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he used his powers.

When Arthur noticed that Mr. Lee's condition had improved and he seemed stable, he stopped the healing process and quietly left the room.

 Nicole, who had been anxiously waiting, approached him with concern.

"Arthur, how is my father?" she asked, her voice filled with worry.

"He's stable for now," Arthur replied softly. "But he's not out of danger yet."

Nicole's eyes welled up with tears, and she hurried into her father's room to be by his side.

As Arthur walked out into the hallway, a maid approached him, holding a glass of water for Nicole. 

He accepted it offering to give it to Nicole, but as he opened the door to reenter Mr. Lee's room, he noticed that Mr. Lee was awake.

Mr. Lee, though still weak, managed a faint smile and said, "Nicole, call Doctor Chan. He just arrived in the city."

Arthur nodded quietly and stepped out of the room, trying to make as little noise as possible.

After returning the glass to the kitchen, Arthur felt an overwhelming exhaustion wash over him. He sank into a chair at the dining table, not intending to sleep, but his fatigue got the best of him.

But then-

Arthur found himself back in that surreal place, surrounded by the vastness of the ocean. Before him stood a single, imposing figure, his ancestor.

"Glad to see you again," Arthur said, "I need answers."

The man laughed as stared at Arthur,  

"Arthur," he began, his voice echoing in the boundless expanse, "you must exercise caution with your powers. Using them without thought could put you in great danger. You must not reveal your identity."

Arthur nodded, "I won't reveal my identity as the son of the dragon, as you've advised. But what about Nicole's grandfather? I couldn't let him die."

The ancestral figure maintained its solemn gaze. "Your medical abilities are intertwined with the spiritual power of a Mage," it explained. "You must learn to harness and strengthen that power discreetly. It is the key to your abilities."

The man then gave Arthur a book.

"This is the book of Ten Thousand Ways, it contains recipes for making immortality pills. Follow the instructions and be cautious, do not let the book leave your sight." 

Arthur's excitement didn't seem to last, just as abruptly as he had entered this mystical realm, he awoke.

Startled and agitated, Arthur initially feared he might have lost the precious book in the transition from one world to another. 

His heart raced as he frantically searched the area around him. The book had become his lifeline, a key to something greater than himself.

His anxious search soon led to relief as he discovered the book safely beneath his hands.

With the book secure in his possession, Arthur began to carefully leaf through its pages.

 His eyes scanned the text and illustrations until he came across something that resonated deeply with his current predicament – a recipe that had the potential to save Nicole's ailing father, Mr. Lee.

Without hesitation, Arthur write the ingredients on a paper.  

He called for one of the maids who served the household, "Please," he implored, "fetch me a selection of herbs, here are the ones I need." He gave her the paper.

"I also need a suitable pot." 

The maid nodded quickly and hurried to gather the required ingredients and a pot.

 Meanwhile, in Mr Lee bedroom, doctor Chan have arrived and after checking his pulse he nods his head.

"His pneumonia is worse. You need a blood transfusion."

Nicole's eyes wells up as she said, "Doctor Chan, we could go to the hospital and get the transfusion." 

"That's not a problem Nicole but, with his age, he might not make it. And remember he have a rare blood type." 

Nicole fell on her knees. She had thought that everything was finally okay, but it wasn't.

Doctor Chan then said, "Let's still give it a shot. Who treated him before?" 

"An inexperienced young man." Mr Lee was furious, he had thought Arthur finally healed him, but like doctor Griffin said, Arthur was nothing but fake. 

Unable to contain her emotions, Nicole pleaded with her grandfather. "Grandfather," she implored, her voice quivering, "please reconsider. Let Arthur reexamine you. He has already shown his remarkable abilities. There might be something he can do to help you."

"Never!" He snapped.