When Su Zhan finally regained consciousness, it felt as though he had been drifting in darkness for an eternity. He could not recall anything after devouring his fourth power the night before. The last thing he remembered was the wild, almost violent surge of energy coursing through his body, threatening to tear him apart. Now, as his mind slowly surfaced, he was greeted by a pain so intense it felt as if every cell in his body had been ripped to shreds and only just stitched back together. Even the slightest movement made him fear he might fall apart again.
He forced his eyes open and tried to focus on his surroundings. The hotel suite was quiet, sunlight filtering through the curtains. On the floor, the seven people whose powers he had absorbed lay scattered, unconscious but breathing steadily. Their clothes were intact, and there were no signs of injury. Relief washed over Su Zhan. The last time he had lost control, things had ended in disaster. He shuddered at the memory and silently swore that if he ever attempted something so dangerous again, he would make sure to prepare better—perhaps even keep someone trustworthy nearby in case of emergency.
He tried to sit up, but his body protested, every muscle aching. A sharp, metallic scent filled the air, and he looked down to see his clothes soaked through with blood. Yet when he checked himself, there were no visible wounds. The blood was a remnant of the internal trauma his body had suffered, not an external injury.
Am I hurt? He frowned, probing his body for injuries. There was nothing obvious, but he felt weak and drained, as if his very essence had been wrung out.
After several minutes, he managed to sit up, breathing heavily. He reached out with his mind, intending to use telekinesis to bring the bottle of wine from the table to his hand. Nothing happened. He tried again, focusing on his other abilities—telepathy, freezing, location, even the power of the light ring—but none responded. For a moment, panic threatened to overtake him. Had he lost everything?
He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and reached for the wine bottle by hand. The familiar, comforting weight of the light ring on his finger reassured him. At least that power still worked. He took a long drink, letting the cool liquid soothe his parched throat, and then asked the system, "What happened? Why can't I use my powers? What happened after I blacked out?"
The system's voice echoed in his mind, calm as ever. "You attempted to devour too many abilities at once. Your body could not adjust to the sudden influx, so it triggered a protective mechanism. All your powers are temporarily locked while your body heals and adapts."
Su Zhan managed a wry smile. "So I should be grateful I'm still alive?"
"Indeed. Your superhuman healing is the only reason you survived. While your body collapsed from the overload, it began to heal itself immediately. The abilities you devoured are still within you, but until your body finishes adjusting, you cannot access them."
"In other words, I'm powerless for now. But once my body recovers, my abilities will return?"
"Yes. This is a temporary state. When the adjustment is complete, your abilities will be restored. Additionally, your devouring power has doubled in capacity."
Su Zhan let out a slow breath. "Doubled? That's not bad. I suppose I should rest for a few days and let my body recover. There are still four or five days left in this world. When I'm back to full strength, I'll go after Hiro Nakamura's power."
A flicker of disappointment ran through him. The whole reason he had come to this world was to obtain Hiro's time-space ability, and now he would have to wait. Still, he could not rush the process. Pushing himself any further might be fatal.
Just then, the system spoke again. "You may have to stay in this world a while longer."
Su Zhan frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Your body has not fully recovered. Until it does, you cannot traverse space. The system will keep you in this world, using the energy generated by the abilities you devoured to extend your stay."
"I thought the time limit for this world was seven days. You mean I can be stranded here?"
"Yes. The energy from the seven abilities you consumed is enough to keep you here for an additional seven days. If your body is still not ready after that, more energy will be used to prolong your stay."
Su Zhan shook his head, a bitter smile on his lips. "So it's like renting a hotel room. When your time is up, you have to pay extra to stay longer."
He stood slowly, wrapping himself in the light ring's protective energy, and shuffled to the bathroom. The hot shower washed away the blood and sweat, and by the time he emerged, he felt a little more like himself. He wrapped a towel around his waist and began to gather up his scattered clothes.
A knock sounded at the door. Su Zhan answered to find the Haitian waiting patiently outside.
"How come you're back?" Su Zhan asked, surprised.
"You told me to come in the morning," the Haitian replied, his voice calm.
Su Zhan blinked, glancing at the clock. "Wait… Is it already the next morning? Was I unconscious for a whole day?"
The Haitian nodded. "You just need to delete the memories of these people and send them back."
Su Zhan nodded, grateful for the Haitian's reliability. After the Haitian finished his work, Su Zhan ordered breakfast from room service and changed into a fresh set of clothes. As he ate, he felt his strength slowly returning. His movements were less stiff, and the pain had faded to a dull ache.
"It seems my recovery is going faster than expected," he thought, a sense of relief washing over him. If things continued at this pace, he would soon be able to move freely again. Perhaps he could even take a walk around the city, buy a few gifts for Skye, and enjoy a bit of normalcy before diving back into the chaos.
For now, though, he would rest, recover, and wait for his powers to return. The path to true strength was never easy, but Su Zhan had survived worse. He would endure this too—and when the time came, he would be ready.