From Trash to Lord of Thunder: The Rise of the Cursed Extra-Chapter 35: The Offer

Charles stepped out of the clan's hospital, the cool air hitting his face.

'This is way better than that room,' he thought, taking a deep breath.

His body still felt heavy, like invisible weights were tied to his arms and legs, but a restless energy pushed him to move.

Originally, he'd planned to stay a few days to avoid suspicion, but he couldn't resist.

Only now he had a small problem: he wasn't alone anymore.

Tap tap!

Kaira's quick footsteps echoed behind him, struggling to match his brisk pace.

'This girl doesn't give up,' Charles thought, glancing at her over his shoulder.

Kaira was there, in a fitted red tunic, black hair cascading in waves over her shoulders, smiling like she didn't have a care in the world.

'She's too persistent,' he thought, recalling how even when he tried using the bathroom, Kaira had waited outside, claiming it was in case he needed anything.

'I get that she thinks I'm hurt, but... come on, isn't this borderline stalking?'

As they walked, a question that had been nagging him since waking up hit hard.

'Wait, my clothes...' he thought, eyeing the clean tunic he wore. 'My stuff was trashed when I passed out—who changed me?'

The thought made him stop dead, turning to Kaira with curiosity and a touch of suspicion.

"Hey," he said, crossing his arms. "Who changed my clothes last night?"

Kaira blinked, clearly caught off guard.

"Uh..." she mumbled, looking away, scratching her hair nervously.

This content is taken from freёnovelkiss.com.

Her cheeks flushed faintly red, and her voice came out softer than usual.

"You really wanna know?"

Charles frowned at her response.

'Seriously?' he thought, and then, on impulse, sniffed his arm.

'Soap...' he thought, eyes widening. 'No way she also...'

Heat rushed to his face, his mind flooding with images he'd rather not picture.

'Did Kaira bathe me while I was out?'

He shook his head hard, trying to erase the thought.

'I don't need to think or worry about that—this isn't my body,' he told himself, breathing deeply. 'This is Rian's body, and this world isn't real.'

Charles started walking again, faster now, and Kaira followed, clearly noticing his mood shift.

"You mad?" she asked, concern in her voice, her red eyes studying Rian for clues. "Did I do something wrong?"

Charles pressed his lips together, a pang of guilt hitting him for his reaction.

'Right, this is another world—it's not her fault,' he thought, still processing.

"No," he replied curtly, not looking at her. "Just... tired."

It was a half-lie, but he didn't want to dive into an awkward conversation.

"I get it..." Kaira murmured softly.

They reached the hallway leading to the dining hall and the water fountain where Charles had his first fight.

'Here we are,' he thought, stopping by the fountain.

Though still not fully used to this place, being there felt oddly comforting.

Kaira, noticing Charles's gaze toward the dining hall, tilted her head.

"Hungry? We can grab something if you want."

Charles shook his head, still caught in his thoughts.

"No," he said, frowning. "Just... remembered something."

He paused, looking at her.

"By the way... that food you gave me today, where'd you get it? I don't recall the dining hall serving stuff like that."

The creamy soup and fresh-baked bread Kaira had brought didn't match the basic grub the hall usually served.

Kaira let out a soft laugh, shrugging.

"Well, from the dining hall, obviously," she said with a smile, but seeing Charles's confused look, she added, "When you hit a certain rank, you get access to a special kitchen where you can cook whatever you want."

Charles blinked, surprised.

"So you cooked that?" he asked, incredulous but a bit impressed.

If there was one thing Charles loathed with every fiber of his being, it was cooking—not just because it took time, but because when you're done...

'You always have to clean up the mess!'

"What you made was... good. Really good."

Kaira straightened, clearly pleased.

"Of course it was good!" she exclaimed, hands on her hips. "I'm not just a fire master, you know? I can handle a kitchen too."

Her smile was so bright Charles couldn't help letting out a faint laugh.

'She's like an excited cat,' he thought, feeling the tension in his shoulders ease slightly.

"Well, speaking of handling stuff..." Kaira said, glancing around. "Where's the dumbbells? Or the gear you use to train?"

Her red eyes scanned the fountain and benches, clearly expecting more than an open space.

Charles coughed, scratching his neck.

'Crap,' he thought, realizing he'd walked here on instinct, forgetting Kaira was with him.

"Uh... I don't use equipment," he said, shrugging. "I just... train here. With nothing."

Kaira's eyes widened.

"You train... without equipment?" she asked, her tone pure skepticism. "You're not joking, right?"

She stepped closer, crossing her arms.

"Those flips and moves you pulled in the arena—you learned them here? Without a mat?"

She gestured at the stone floor.

"If you fall, you could break something."

Charles opened his mouth to reply but stopped short.

'I don't even know how I learned that,' he thought, a twinge of confusion hitting him.

The flips, quick moves, the way his body seemed to know what to do in the arena—all that came from Rian, not him.

It was like the body had its own muscle memory, but he couldn't tell Kaira that.

Instead, he forced a smile.

"Just... practiced," he said, shrugging again. "Practiced a lot until it worked."

Kaira stared, clearly unconvinced.

"Practiced..." she echoed, her tone half-mocking, half-curious. "Sure. Like it's that easy."

She paused, eyeing the empty space around the fountain.

"You know? This place is... well, kinda dull for training."

Her red eyes lit up with an idea, and she turned to him.

"Hey, what if I show you a better spot? A really good one for training. What do you say?"