Liang Chen’s sudden address drew Ren Shuya’s attention and cut short the pleasant conversation he was having with Qing Chun. There was a slight gleam in his eyes as they landed on Liang Chen, but the fact that it was an appreciative and still somewhat apologetic one made it hard to say anything when faced with it?

"You’ll come visit? Father and Mother have been feeling quite nostalgic recently so I’m sure they’ll welcome you warmly. I… I hope that you can at least become friends over time, but I also understand that not everything is meant to be."

Ren Shuya was understanding of Liang Chen’s predicament, of course he couldn’t just accept some strangers as his parents out of the blue. But at the same time, he couldn’t help but lean towards his own parents and try to do what was best for them. He had seen how nostalgic and reminiscent they had become ever since they had apparently met Liang Chen for the first time. They had lost many of his years and they would never get that time back, their son had grown up without them, it was not something a parent ever wanted to experience.

"And thank you, both of you."

Ren Shuya lowered his head to convey his feelings, not gesturing excessively to either of them. But it was rather clear that he was mostly talking to Yan Ling, he was probably aware of the fact that it was unlikely that Liang Chen would ever take the initiative to visit his birth parents if it wasn’t for her prodding. Yan Ling smiled sneakily and winked as Ren Shuya raised his head again, Liang Chen shaking his for a moment before he raised his spoon again.

"I wouldn’t get my hopes up. And don’t expect us to rush there right away, I have other places I plan on visiting first."

Yan Ling wasn’t wrong, he knew that, those that should have been family could end up becoming friends. But Liang Chen… wasn’t the type that really made friends easily. He could get closer with others, he could appreciate and care for them, but it was much harder when it came to being friends. After all, in the end it was he who had caused the death of his two previous friends, he could still feel their blood whenever he clenched his hands.

"That’s fine, they’ll be happy enough to hear that you’ve actually decided to visit. I’ve already started to tinker with a possible wedding gift, but with you deciding to visit I think it’ll be much easier to get the permission for it. And don’t worry, this will be a present from Ren Shuya, Ren Shuren, and Ren Yazhu, not from the Sebettu race nor from their leaders. Just a personal gift between people, nothing more."

Once again, Ren Shuya made sure to draw a clear line. It was hard enough to get Liang Chen to agree to a visit, the last thing he wanted to do now was to insinuate that Liang Chen should create ties with the Sebettu, even accidentally. If that made him call off the visit then it would undoubtedly hurt his parents, and that had to be avoided at all costs.

Liang Chen gave a small nod and brought the spoon to his mouth again before turning his head to chat a little with Qing Lan. Ren Shuya took the hint and returned to his conversation with Qing Chun, the pleasant chatter of warm voices quickly starting to fill the room once more.

——

The light was bright. Really, it was just too bright, to the point where it would hurt to open your eyes. The stark whiteness of the room also didn’t help, the blinding colour only broken up by small patches of fresh red and dried brown. The air was thick with that stale smell that had now become familiar, old blood and an excess of medicine and anaesthetic, it was a smell that numbed the nose.

But even with all the anaesthetic pumped into him, Zun Zhao could not get any rest. His head was a bit hazy, but in a few moments there would no longer be any drugs that could make him light-headed. Would he miss it? It was hard to tell, the numb sensation he got from some of the stronger drugs was nice, it dulled the pain and made it easier to focus. But at the same time, no longer being affected by those drugs meant that he was one step closer to perfection, one step closer to achieving his goal.

The stone bed beneath him was rough and uncomfortable, especially on the back of his head, so he couldn’t help but lift his head. He observed the surgery that was currently taking place, the changes that were implemented into him.

Back when Liang Chen first met him, he was just a cute little kid with curly blonde hair and light green eyes, he was the picture of innocence. But the years had come and gone, and with time all things would become twisted, especially if you lost those close to you and became desperate for strength and vengeance.

Gleaming gold had been mixed with murky purple and dirty green while light green had become tainted by pale white and mottled brown. He was approaching his twenties after all these years, but he was still only a little bit bigger than when he was still a child, his growth stunted by the repeated surgeries.

His gaze landed on his chest after he raised his head, on the monstrosity resting there. His entire chest had been cut open, his ribs torn out so that they could get free access to his lungs. But the lungs that humans should have, they weren’t there any more. No, his lungs had already been removed, he could see them on the stark white floor next to the bed.

A new set of lungs had been prepared and were currently resting within the cavity of his chest, but they were too hideous to be called lungs. They looked like three cancerous lumps, each one covered in pustules that grew and shrank in tune with the movements of the lungs. Of the three, one was a dark purple, one a bright pink, and the third was as black as tar, the pustules on this particular lung leaking slightly.

"The fusion will begin now, please steel your mind and grit your teeth, I promise that I will finish it as quickly as I can."

The doctor spoke as Zun Zhao studied his new lungs, drawing his attention. The doctor was a slightly older looking man with brown hair and blue eyes ,a sky-blue robe decorated with feather-like markings adorning his form. He was a doctor right now, but he was also the one who saved Zun Zhao and his sister after their young master was killed, he was also the one who offered Zun Zhao the strength to get his revenge.

Zun Zhao still didn’t know the man’s name, he just always called him doctor or benefactor. But if Liang Chen was here then he would recognize the man, for they had met before. Tian Shen, the Sky-Covering Eagle. Or perhaps more relevant for the people of this Sphere, he was the one holding the Ascended law of Existence, the leader of the forces that were currently waging a war on this entire Sphere.

Zun Zhao grit his teeth with a small nod and the doctor placed his hands on the lungs, two of the pustules rupturing beneath his hand. A shimmering rainbow-coloured light seeped out from his hand and surrounded both Zun Zhao and the lungs, changes quickly starting to appear.

Tendrils of fresh flesh sprouted from the cavity that was Zun Zhao’s chest, latching onto the lungs that were at least three times as large as his normal pair. The lungs reacted favourably to the tendrils, wriggling slightly as the tendrils merged into them. Zun Zhao’s body convulsed violently as he grit his teeth, sweat pouring out from him as if he was a leaking balloon. No matter how many times he felt it, this really was a pain that left you wanting death.

The new lungs were dragged into the cavity of his chest, squeezing his heart as they slowly started to inflate and deflate. The ribs that had been torn out started to regrow, extending slightly to accommodate the new lungs. The rest of his chest also healed slowly, covering the new ribs and lungs. But even so, Zun Zhao looked anything but normal right now, his chest was still expanded to three times its normal size, he looked like a toad trying to present itself.

But eventually, the bloated chest started to shrink, the doctor ensuring that the lungs settled properly and that the ribs covered them. His chest would expand again when he wanted to call upon the power of the lungs, but until then he would at least look normal. Once his chest was fully back to normal, the doctor pulled his hands back, placing one on Zun Zhao’s head and gently ruffling his hair.

"There we go, you did very well.You’ve grown much stronger, you didn’t even get close to fainting this time. Since you’ve reached a stage like this then you’re far more likely to survive future surgeries. You’ve done well, Zun Zhao, the young master would be proud of you if he could still see you."

The doctor spoke with the same warmth and gentleness as a father watching over his son, but his words inflamed the rage in Zun Zhao’s chest. The pain had dulled it momentarily, but the words reminded Zun Zhao of what he had lost, of why he endured this pain.

"Thank you doctor, for everything. With this… is the poison done?"

Zun Zhao breathed rapidly a few times to regulate both his mind and his breathing, asking for an answer he already knew. But he wanted to hear it, he wanted to get confirmation, just like his young master always gave. And the doctor obliged, just as always.

"Yes, with this you will no longer need to fear any poisons, they will become nothing more than a nourishing mist for you."

The doctor had already told him this in advance, but the lungs he just got implanted came from a very special Demonic beast that lived on poisons. Poison was one of the two weapons used by the enemy his young master asked him to kill so becoming immune to them was vital. And with that taken care of, there was only one immunity left that he needed.

"Then, can we begin with the lightning right away?"

Lightning and poison, that was what the doctor had told and shown him. But he also warned him that the strength he could acquire through the Shadowchaser surgery wouldn’t be enough to take down the enemy that used these two elements. If he wanted to avenge his young master then he would need immunity, not just resistance, that was why he had struggled so hard, finally reaching a point where he could contain the needed organs. But the doctor continued to gently ruffle his hair, smiling calmly.

"There’s no need to be hasty, rushing things will have an adverse affect. Go out and get used to your new lungs first, wasn’t there a stronghold of the enemy clans that you wanted to take care of earlier? You should be strong enough to do that now. We can do the lightning immunity afterwards, and after that you will truly be ready to take on the one who formed the alliance that killed your Young Master."

Soft and gentle, his words had a sweet allure to them that Zun Zhao couldn’t resist. Yes, he really was rushing. He’d already waited for around eight years so what did it matter if he waited a bit longer? It would be better to prepare properly so that he could ensure the downfall of his enemy. He sat up somewhat unsteadily, the doctor continuing to smile as he opened the door.

"Ah, but don’t forget to see little Zun Zhi first, I’m sure she misses you."