Talent Awakening: Draconic Overlord Of The Apocalypse - Chapter 441

Chapter 441: • A Bitter Truth
His thoughts flashed back to a conversation with his future self.

‘Lian can help you in your search…’

‘Do whatever is necessary to pull her to your side.’

The cryptic words echoed in his mind, a puzzle piece falling into place. This was no coincidence.

‘I didn’t think needing her help would be this… Literal.’

Alister thought.

His path, though uncertain, was clearer now.

Lila’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.

“Aren’t we almost there… Shouldn’t we slow down?”

Alister glanced ahead, seeing the hospital growing closer. The wyvern’s speed began to decrease as they neared their destination.

The steel wyvern began its descent, the creature’s massive wings beating harder against the wind. Slowly lowering before the structure, some people panicked at first, but the moment they saw him, they were at ease.

The wyvern touched down with a soft thud, its claws scraping lightly against the metal surface.

He extended a hand to Lila, helping her off as Mar’Garet hopped off effortlessly on her own.

As soon as they were all on the ground, Alister turned to the wyvern as it lowered its head, and he patted it, turning around to face the others as a portal appeared behind him and the creature returned.

“Let’s get inside,” he said.

The hospital corridors were a flurry of movement, filled with the hurried steps of Union alchemists and healers working tirelessly.

The air was thick with the scent of disinfectants, herbal extracts, and something… an unnatural metallic tang that clung to the walls.

Every few steps, they passed makeshift quarantine areas where patients writhed on cots, their bodies trembling and changing as the red mist took its toll.

Some coughed violently, their veins darkened by the strange corruption, while others were restrained by medical personnel, their limbs twitching uncontrollably.

Despite the exhaustion in their eyes, the Union’s healers moved the best they could, their hands glowing with magic as they fought desperately to counteract the affliction.

Officers stood at key checkpoints, their weapons close at hand in case the infected turned violent.

The severity of the situation was undeniable—this wasn’t just an outbreak. It was a war against something unknown.

Lila’s pace quickened as they approached the reception desk.

A female Union nurse, dressed in standard white and blue attire, glanced up from her terminal. Her eyes flickered between them before she asked.

“How can I assist you?”

Lila took a deep breath before speaking.

“I need to see my parents. Their names are listed under Daren and Veyra Monroe.”

The nurse’s fingers hovered over the terminal as she accessed the records, scanning the screen for a few moments.

Then, suddenly—her face paled ever so slightly, her lips pressing together as if struggling to find the right words.

She then hesitantly looked up, as if unsure to say what was on her mind, or if she could even be the one to say it.

“Ma’am… are you sure you want to see them?”

Lila’s eyes shook. What sort of question was that? How could someone not want to see their ill parents? Especially under such a situation?

For some reason, those words sent a very cold chill down Lila’s spine.

But… it wasn’t the words themselves; it was the unspoken weight behind them that made her uneasy.

She had been dreading this moment, but she wasn’t ready for whatever silent message the nurse was trying to convey.

She gritted her teeth…

Then slammed her hands onto the desk, her voice trembling yet firm.

“Of course I want to see them!”

The nurse flinched at her outburst but quickly composed herself.

“Understood,” she said hesitantly, pressing a few buttons on her terminal.

“I will have an alchemist escort you.”

She gestured down the left corridor.

“Follow that hall, and someone will meet you shortly.”

As they turned to leave, Lila’s steps were noticeably faster; she could barely contain her eagerness.

In these moments… while she walked with both hope and fear, she couldn’t help but make a silent prayer to whomever or whatever could hear her, clinging to the hope that her parents would be alright.

But not all prayers are answered, especially in a world where there was no god.

Mar’Garet, however, watched the human female closely… Well, former human, with pity.

The signs were obvious—the hesitation, the nurse’s reaction, the weight of the situation.

“I’m sure you understand what she meant by that,” she murmured to Alister.

Alister narrowed his eyes, his voice low. “Unfortunately, I do.”

It wasn’t just concern—it was a warning.

As they reached the next hallway, a man in a blue-and-white lab coat with the Union insignia embroidered on the sleeve stepped forward.

He was middle-aged, with neatly combed dark hair and a composed demeanor, though there was a flicker of something else in his gaze—pity, perhaps.

Upon seeing them, his expression shifted into something more formal.

“Miss Lila, I hope you’re having a good evening,” he greeted her, though the words felt hollow given the circumstances. Then, noticing Alister, he dipped his head slightly.

“And I hope you are as well, Sir Alister.”

Lila barely acknowledged the pleasantries. Her hands clenched at her sides as she stammered, “Enough with that—just take me to my parents.”

The alchemist sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly. “Lady Lila, there’s no easy way to say this—”

“I don’t care,” she snapped; she didn’t want to hear it, why should she?

“Just take me to them, damn it!”

For a brief moment, her mana flared around her, a surge of green energy pulsing outward.

Her pupils narrowed into slits, her raw emotions seeping into her magic.

The alchemist took an instinctive step back, visibly unsettled. His usual composure wavered, but he quickly regained it, nodding stiffly. “Very well… follow me.”

With that, he turned, leading them deeper into the hospital.

The alchemist led them down a series of dimly lit corridors, the air thick with the scent of antiseptics and something fouler—something rotten.

The further they walked, the quieter the hospital became. The usual sounds of rushing footsteps, whispered conversations, and the distant groans of the afflicted faded away; instead, what took its place was this… unsettling still air.