Reincarnator Returns: Second Shot

The License Exam became the talk of the hospital the day after. Nurses gossiped, doctors allowed the nurses to gossip, and patients chimed in with their own opinions. The entire cafeteria became a breeding ground for conversation.

The United Governments were breaking precedent. Every year since the foundation of the Awakener License, the exam has always been an annual event.

It forced careful consideration. If candidates failed their License Exam, they couldn’t take it until the year after. No impulsive decision to retake it immediately after their failure. They had an entire year to prepare, train, and work on the aspects of their cultivation that caused their initial setback.

At least, that’s what he heard.

Eren listened while he ate his steamed greens topped with shredded chicken breast. The saucy conversations were enough to overpower the blandness of his meal.

No one seemed to know the reason for the United Governments’ decision.

Eren had a slight clue, thanks to his little excursion through the vents.

An Expedition is happening. Soon. And they’re preparing for it by welcoming an influx of new Awakeners.

The logic was simple to follow. And given the same circumstance, Eren would have done the same. More Awakeners, more opportunities of success in the Expedition.

It was also Eren’s only opportunity. He didn’t know when the Expedition was happening, or who was leading it, or how it even worked in the first place. He just knew he had to be ready by the time they started it.

And that could only happen if he had his own License. That meant succeeding in an exam he only had a couple of weeks to prepare—if he could even qualify for it in the first place.

”Want my pudding?”

A jiggly dessert flashed in front of Eren’s face, distracting him from his thoughts. Nieve sat in front of him, pushing the plate of pudding in front of his tray.

”I thought you liked deserts,” he said.

”I do,” she replied. ”But I felt bad for you and thought you might need a sweet treat.”

And when he didn’t respond, she added, ”think about it this way. By next year, you’ll be fully healed and ready. The License Exam would be a piece of cake. It’s okay if you miss it this time.”

Eren grumbled.

As it turned out, he was not allowed to participate in the upcoming License Exam. Too soon, said Dr. Reid. And without his doctor’s express approval, he couldn’t engage in a physically gruelling exam that was already dangerous for physically fit people.

That was the problem with being an orphan and a coma patient at the same time. He had no agency for himself.

He mindlessly picked through his shredded chicken, as if he’d find the answers he wanted to find there.

It had been troubling him since last night. If he can’t get a License, he’d miss the Expedition. And according to Nieve, it could take two to four years before another Expedition took place. That was too long. The more time passed, the harder it was to find clues in Immoræ.

”Your pity’s looking an awful lot like joy,” he said to Nieve.

”Does it? I guess I like it when my patients don’t go off and risk their lives for no reason,” she teased. Her smile indicated how much fun she’s having with this.

”Eren boy!” someone called out, interrupting their conversation.

Geister appeared from a corner of the room and gave him an apologetic look. Behind him stood Dr. Reid, holding his ear and twisting it to her whims. Hard to believe he was a guy who survived against a Phantom that could destroy entire countries.

”Sorry! No good,” he said, before Dr. Reid guided him out of the cafeteria with that scowl on her face.

Before she left, she gave Nieve a stern look. ”Nurse Nieve, I would like it if our patients focus on recovery, instead of other idiotic thoughts. It’s our job to enforce that.”

Nieve bit her lips, looking down in shame.

But it wasn’t her fault. Eren had asked Geister to try and convince Dr. Reid to give her approval for his License Exam. He thought a recommendation from an Awakener would increase his chances of being given permission.

In hindsight, it might not have been the best idea to have her ex come to her with a favor.

He’d have to convince Dr. Reid some other way. Perhaps, an impressive show of force would do...

As he began ruminating on his plans, a group of nurses approached their table and grabbed Nieve by her arms.

”We’ll borrow Nieve for a second!”

”Where are we going?!” Nieve resisted. ”I haven’t eaten yet!”

”We’re visiting the Awakener ward! You know, to prospect some... talents... hihihi!”

The flock of nurses took Nieve away before she could say anything else.

”I told you, you can’t be spending too much time on a single patient! Look, you got scolded by Dr. Reid again...”

”If you’re going to break the rules, make sure you get the best out of it. I’ll introduce you to a cute Awakener in my ward.”

Nieve struggled to break free from her friends. She turned to look at Eren, trying to explain the misunderstanding to him.

But he didn’t seem to be interested. His eyes were unfocused, as if he was in deep thought and didn’t care about anything outside of himself.

She tried not to feel hurt by it.

...

...

...

The days passed and Eren continued his training with the Foundational Movesets. Progress was slow, but steady. By the Venerable Ursine King’s standards, he had reached the Lower Proficiency rank of the Primal Strike.

His legs had become steady, his punches snapping like whips. It was as if roots had started to grow underneath the soles of his feet, allowing him to find purchase on the floor even if it was slick with water.

It was just the very first stage of mastery for the Foundational Movesets, something that children achieved within a few hours of training. But he was proud of his own work.

He looked at the calendar on the wall. It had officially been thirty days since he had awakened from his coma.

A month of progress allowed him to not only walk on his own two feet, but train his body to moderate success.

Now, it was time to finish his Martial Manual. Today, the [Masochist’s Dream] was to be fulfilled.