Chapter 152: An Unseen Threat

The morning air inside the guild headquarters was crisp, but Riku Hayashi's usual sharpness felt dulled. He sat at his desk, rubbing his temples, trying to focus on the reports and plans spread before him. Yet, a creeping weakness gnawed at his body — a heaviness that wasn't from fatigue or injury.

Inside Riku's mind, his AI companion — an ever-present digital assistant integrated into his Essence core — silently analyzed the anomaly."Alert: Vital signs unstable. Symptoms detected: elevated temperature, decreased stamina, irregular essence flow," the AI reported."Cause detected: Pathogen transmitted from Veynos — a rare, non-human disease strain capable of bypassing human immune defenses. This disease is highly contagious and potent."

Riku's brow furrowed. He'd fought and defeated Veynos, but this... this was something different, unseen. A lingering shadow left behind.

Later that afternoon, in the guild's office, Riku sat quietly, his vision blurring at the edges. Yumi Aoyama entered, concern knitting her delicate features. Without a word, she reached out and placed her hand on Riku's forehead.

"Riku... you're burning up."

Riku tried to wave it off."I'm fine... just a little tired."

Yumi's grip tightened gently."You need rest. Please. You can't lead if you're burning out."

Riku opened his eyes, meeting hers — calm, steady, authoritative. She was his vice president for a reason. The weight of responsibility lifted slightly from his shoulders.

"Fine," he relented, voice hoarse. "Where?"

Yumi smiled softly."There's a recovery room in the east wing, specially designed for Essence users. It has climate control, healing support systems, and full medical monitoring. You'll be safe there."

He hesitated, reluctant to relinquish control. But the AI whispered inside his mind, a silent confirmation.

"Rest recommended. Healing efficiency will increase with recovery environment."

Yumi chuckled softly."I've got everything under control. You rest, and I'll manage things here. Vice president's duty."

With a nod, Riku allowed himself to be helped up. The first real rest he'd had since the last battle.

As he lay down, the AI continued running diagnostics, tracing the pathogen's subtle invasion. It warned that if untreated, this disease could severely impair his Essence and combat ability — a danger not just to him, but to the guild he was building.

But for now, as Yumi closed the door gently behind her, Riku surrendered to the healing embrace of rest, determination flickering even through his fevered thoughts.

The battle was far from over — and this invisible enemy was only the beginning.