Chapter 169: A New Power?
The strange, neutral yet slightly sharp alcoholic smell hit Max’s nose, causing his eyes to flutter open. Above him was a white ceiling, one he recognized all too well, one he had seen not too long ago. And now, it was appearing before him once again.
A dull ache throbbed in his hand, pulling him further from the fog of unconsciousness. Along with it came a heavy wave of grogginess that clouded his mind. Blinking through the haze, Max slowly lifted his arm to inspect it. There, piercing into the skin of his forehand, was a needle connected to a thin tube. His gaze followed the line up to an IV bag hanging nearby, its contents slowly dripping down.
"I’ve ended up here again?" Max thought grimly. "It makes me wonder... am I in a new body again?"
A faint chuckle stirred in the back of his throat. "Maybe that’s what my power will end up being, just hopping from one body to the next."
Yet even through the disorientation, Max could tell, this time, he was still in the same body. The same Max’s body. Relief washed over him in an instant, though it was dulled by the overall state he found himself in. His body felt worse than it ever had, aching, drained, as if it had been pushed far beyond its limits.
’I wonder if all of this was worth it,’ Max mused wearily. ’It’s hard to know if anything’s changed yet. Will there even be any effect? I made a strong vow. I’ve faced death more than a few times already... but without knowing what kind of power I’ve gained access to, if any, I might never know whether this whole ordeal worked.’
Time passed in slow, dragging minutes. Then, at last, the door slid open with a faint hiss. Unsurprisingly, Aron stepped inside, a warm smile playing on his lips.
"You haven’t forgotten who I am this time, right?" Aron asked with a teasing tone.
Max shook his head slightly, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"A stalker? A Silver Ranger? Which name do you prefer?" he replied dryly.