Rui suppressed the urge to break out of the apotheosis chamber with his newfound power. He wondered if the chamber was built to withstand the kind of power he would unleash when he used Outer Convergence and Flame Breathing.
Even if his current body was out of sync with the Apprentice-level bodies, the sheer amount of power he was capable of unleashing was beyond anything he had ever been capable of in the past. However, he didn't want to damage the property of the Martial Union needlessly, of course. Besides, he did not know if the procedure was medically completed.
He sat put for some time, in the darkness of the apotheosis chamber, until eventually, he heard Doctor Menun's voice through the fluid.
"Squire Quarrier." She addressed him. "I'm pleased to inform you that the procedure has been completed. Congratulations."
Suddenly, the liquid in the apotheosis began draining. His body slowly lowered as he eventually hit the base.
The breathing masks detached from his face as they retreated back into the hatch they came from.
Soon, the top of the apotheosis chamber opened. Rui squinted in pain as the light from the outside blinded him. Having spent a long time in pure darkness, the sudden exposure to light was overwhelming. Thankfully, his other senses were sharp enough to allow him to perceive his environment. He perceived the team of medical staff that had been overseeing his procedure.
"Squire Quarrier." Doctor Menun approached him. "How do you feel?"
"Amazing," Rui replied, before frowning.
His body had changed so much that even talking felt incredibly strange.
However, his words were true.
He felt like he was in paradise. Not because his condition was particularly comfortable normally. But because he was no longer in physical pain. This alone made his current physical state feel like heaven.
"The procedure has been completed successfully. An extraction team is already en route here, they will aid you in exiting the apotheosis chamber." Doctor Menun told him.
The reason he couldn't be released then and there was because his control over his body was highly impeded, one wrong move and he could unintentionally massacre all of the medical staff in the vicinity. That was why the protocols involved a separate team that was qualified to handle newly ascended Martial Squires safely.
Rui nodded. "Thank you, doctor. Thank all of you."
He offered his gratitude to the entire team of medical professionals.
"Not at all, young man." Doctor Menun replied. "We'll be extracting some blood in order to verify that there aren't any unseen anomalies."
A syringe pierced his arm, extracting blood.
The medical team soon bade him goodbye as they left the facility. Soon, two people entered, made their way toward him.
They didn't even bother hiding their Squire-level auras.
"Squire Quarrier." One of them addressed him. "I'm Squire Ferin and this is Squire Gerd. I will be aiding you to your assigned quarters. I will also be aiding you in the rehabilitation process along with my colleagues."
Rui turned towards them. The two of them were old, with black and white hair and wrinkles on their skin. They had an edge to their aura, the type that could only come with a vast amount of experience in conflict. Yet they were also very clearly retired.
Rui suspected that many retired Martial Squires were recruited to fulfill positions like these that were best occupied by Martial Squires.
He also hadn't gotten used to being addressed by the Squire title. It felt surreal, like all of this was some kind of dream. He almost expected to be woken up.
"Squire Quarrier?" Squire Ferin echoes, raising an eyebrow at the sight of Rui wordlessly staring at them.
"Ah... My bad." Rui managed to squeeze out. "I honestly still haven't quite processed everything yet."
"That's quite understandable." Squire Ferin nodded. "The breakthrough to the Squire Realm is not a light breakthrough and it isn't uncommon for such an immense internal change to negatively affect mental health if not handled appropriately. That is what we're here for."
"And what exactly are you supposed to do incidentally?" Rui asked.
"We will be aiding you to your lodgings, and we will be responsible for your acclimatization process with the power of the Squire Realm." Squire Ferin replied. "The Martial Union cannot allow a Martial Squire who hasn't yet mastered their power to return back to the public. The sheer power that Martial Squires can unleash even without the use of techniques is too much, the slightest slip can cause a lot of suffering."
"I understand." Rui nodded. This was part of the documents that he had signed in order to undergo the breakthrough process to the Squire Realm, so he had no issues with his arrangements.
"Be careful as you get up." Squire Fernin told him as he fiddled with some keys over at the terminal that controlled the chamber.
The straps restraining Rui's motions unshackled him as they retreated back into the openings that they came from.
Rui took a deep breath. He would be taking his first real movement as a Martial Squire at this moment. It was an incredible milestone.
He got up with mild exertion.
BAM!
Rui grimaced as he slammed the ceiling with much speed and power, having launched his entire body up with just the slightest bit of exertion.
THUD
He fell flat to the ground.
"You exerted yourself too much." Squire Fernin informed him blandly. "Of course, no need to get worried. This is very normal as the very first movements as a Martial Squire are the most difficult to be able to control. As you undergo your acclimatization process, this will change, of course. Once you've retained control over your body, your time in the acclimatization phase will end and you will be allowed to return to your normal daily life."
"I understand, Squire Fernin." Rui nodded.
He tried getting up again, yet instead, he launched himself up, spinning simultaneously. Squire Gerd caught him with an arm, stopping his motion.
