ENERGI: THE PRIMORDIAL CONDUIT[OP MC, APOCALYPSE, SURVIVAL, AND LITRPG]

Sunlight streaked through the window, illuminating the two figures in the room.

Natalie softly rubbed Kael's hair as the latter lay on the ground, using her lap as a pillow. Even now, Kael remained unconscious, though his state appeared to have improved a bit.

Dried tear stains marred Natalie's features, her brown eyes glowing with worry. Not only was she anxious about Kael's state, but her sister's survival also weighed heavily on her.

But there was nothing she could do but hope and pray. Nathaniel had gone to support the principal in handling the mess outside. If Nathaniel had been with the old man yesterday, maybe they would have avoided the tragedy that unfolded.

Natalie sighed once again and continued watching over Kael's sleeping figure.

Time slowly passed.

Exactly twelve hours since Alice, Rose, and the others had entered the trial, the space within the room suddenly distorted greatly, and before Natalie could react, two figures appeared.

A suffocating pressure suddenly spread out, causing the young girl to almost collapse. Thankfully, the pressure disappeared just as quickly as it came.

Natalie gasped for breath, her body soaked with sweat, only for her to stiffen when she heard a very cute voice clearly belonging to a little girl, yet containing a shocking tone of authority.

"What happened to big brother Kael?"

---

Kael's eyelashes trembled slightly before his eyes slowly fluttered open.

It took a moment for his hazy vision to clear, but once he collected himself, he was surprised to feel...

Nothing.

There was no pain as he expected. No ache. No migraine. In fact, he felt better than ever.

That was when a familiar yet strangely unfamiliar voice drifted into his ears.

"You are awake."

A small hand rubbed the side of his face, prompting Kael's head to tilt slightly upward.

"Sophy?"

Two pairs of golden pools gazed at him calmly, and it took a moment for Kael to register the implication of the sight before him.

His body instinctively moved to sit upright, only for a small hand to push him back to his lying position.

"Don't move!"

Kael became stunned. Not only had he felt a shocking might from that small dainty hand, but since when did Sophia become so commanding?

Only now did Kael feel that something was strange. The aura around the eight-year-old was calm, too calm actually. Her eyes glowed with a depth that belied her age, and seemed to have witnessed far more than they should.

"Are you really Sophia?" Kael couldn't help but whisper.

A small finger flicked his head, yet Kael barely felt it.

"Silly! Does big brother no longer recognize me?"

"But how... Why do you seem so different?"

The Sophia he knew would have screamed in joy to see him awake. She would have hurried to hug him, while even sobbing from happiness.

Yet there she was, sitting on her knees with a calm look on her face.

Several ideas sprang up within his mind, yet the more he sifted through them, the paler his face became.

'It can't be that something is wearing her body, right?'

The thought refused to leave his mind.

As if sensing his inner turmoil, Sophia smiled gently before her smile turned rueful.

"It is truly me, big brother. It's just that I have experienced a lot."

"What do you...your nose!"

Kael, who was about to further question her, suddenly sprang up when he saw a line of blood leak from the little girl's nose.

Yet Sophia merely smiled before rubbing it away with the back of her hand.

"It is nothing. It's just that I'm not allowed to speak of my experiences with someone who has not faced theirs."

Kael held the girl by the shoulders before pulling her into his embrace.

He could see it, and now that he felt her warmth more clearly, he could feel it.

This was indeed his Sophia.

But if that was the case, what could make her change so much?

'Does time flow differently within the trial? If that is the case, just how long had she spent inside? Days? Weeks? Months? Or even years?'

The more Kael thought of it, the more the chill running down his spine seemed to intensify.

This apocalypse was forcing them to grow and adapt. It was changing them in ways Kael couldn't fathom.

And just the thought alone was disturbing.

A hand suddenly tapped Kael on the right shoulder. He jolted and was about to spring forward to make some distance, only for him to root himself on the spot when he heard that familiar voice.

"It's nice to see you up and fine. You know, you really shouldn't make it a habit to fall unconscious every time you fight a battle."

Kael turned to see that familiar enchanting smile. It was just that this time it was too radiant and filled Kael with uneasiness, instead of the usual feeling of irritation, especially as there were blood stains on his face.

"Nathan?"

"In the flesh!"

The senior raised his hands as if expecting an applause.

But Kael just stood there, looking at him with shocked eyes. Despite how Nathan restrained his aura, Kael's instinct which had been growing the more he fought was warning him, was screaming at him that this was one of the strongest person he had seen to date, bar the crawler anomaly.

Before Kael could react, Natalie and Nathaniel suddenly rushed into the room, shouting in excitement.

"Whoa! That was so cool!"

"How the hell where there five of you?!"

"Senior Elena is really scary. She tore Mr Daniel's entire arm off and would have killed him if not for Iris and the principal."

The two kids kept screaming, their faces flushed with excitement, while Nathan grinned as he basked in their praises.

The more Kael heard, the more his mind blanked out. He couldn't help but blurt out.

"What?"

______

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