Dragon's Wrath: The Cursed Returnee

After that conversation, Ethan went home. Ian had no real reason to go with him, given that the trip would be somewhat long. So, Ethan was alone in the chopper with his thoughts and the pilot, who looked like some secret agent in a spy movie.

"That potion she created… it can get a little better, but it looks like Anna is aiming for something else. Such a potion probably can restore lost limbs and even repair serious damage in nerves… so she is probably trying to create a potion to… revive the dead."

That was something that Ethan had never heard of. Still, given how silent Ian was when they were talking about it, the chances of him being wrong were quite small. Regardless, it feels like Ethan got himself involved in something troublesome again, so he made a mental note to learn and train in alchemy. Still, at such a moment, he didn't have any other choice because even with his system, his chances of reaching Anna's level were close to none. He was a warrior, not a mage or researcher, so something like that was only natural.

Somehow, Ethan arrived when his family was having dinner. Since it would be a pain to wait for the chopper to land, he ended up jumping when it was fifty meters above his home. Ethan landed in the garden of his home but still broke one finger… he wasn't strong enough to pull a stunt like that and succeeded completely unharmed.

Ethan's parents frowned when they heard the sound of him landing and thought it was something else, but Hannah calmed them down. Still, only at that very moment, Ethan remembered that he forgot to do a check-up at the school.

"Crap," Ethan muttered. "Let's hope that they won't ask me about it."

Ethan felt like he had returned to the time when he messed up and prayed for his parents not to find out. In any case, he wasn't a little kid anymore, so he entered his home without looking nervous or suspicious. That being said, his parents and Hannah could read Ethan like an open book, not even one year in a fantasy land would change that.

"I knew he wouldn't do it," Hannah said and then let out a long sigh." It can't be helped. I will bring Nuvian tomorrow and ask him to take a look at you."

"Sorry," Ethan forced a smile while he scratched the back of his head. "Still, it is kind of surprising that a king has that kind of talent, and I assume he is one of the best healers in his world."

"You are right," Hannah puffed her chest and then smiled proudly. "As such, he helps many people even when he should be working to rule his world. Anyway, I will teleport him after work tomorrow, so don't be late because it isn't often that he comes in on a weekday."

"Yes, ma'am," Ethan nodded.

Ethan began to wonder if he should talk about the expedition to the other world with his family. Still, in the end, he decided to keep quiet about it. At least for the time being, since he had no idea if things would be on his way. Somehow, Anna wasn't against the idea of him joining the crew. It looked like his powers gave her a favorable impression. Still, Ethan had no idea what he would have to face on the VR simulator on the fifteenth stage. Given how Ian was confident, it shouldn't be difficult, but there was always the chance that he was just trying to mess with him.

After dinner, Ethan headed to his own, wondering if he should ask Hannah for some help with his magic training. Still, in the end, Ethan decided to stay quiet. Hannah, apparently, slept through the whole day. However, at the dining table, she looked a bit exhausted, and it was better to give her a little more time to rest.

"I suppose there is no point in delaying the inevitable," Ethan said. "My days from now on will become quite busy, so I need to rest whenever possible. It is time to confirm that theory…"

As someone who spent the good part of a year on the battlefield, Ethan knew very well how to control his body in order to relax as fast as possible and then quickly fall asleep. Just as expected, not even a full minute had passed since he fell on his bed, and Ethan was already sleeping. Still, he only relaxed for a few moments… he got tense again, even in his sleep, when he began to dream. No… when those memories returned.

Ethan saw himself leading a small party of knights while chasing the remaining of the gremlins. Those little beasts were quite fast, and given that their numbers still were pretty high, Ethan and the others were having a hard time approaching them. Why? It was because when they got too close, a gremlin would fall back and slow them down. Although none of them could last for more than a second, with every passing moment, Ethan's and the other fatigue was increasing. They fought for several hours against a much larger army, after all.

"Is this a continuation of the previous dream? Now I remember, this is the first time which I…"

More unpleasant memories, come to think of it, Ethan barely had any happy memories of the other world. It was only natural, given that his life there was just an endless battle against a much more powerful army. At first, nothing surprising happened. It was more of the same, a gremlin approached, and Ethan cut them down. However, little by little, things changed…

You received ninety experience points.

You received twenty-eight coins.

You received ninety experience points.

You received twenty-eight coins.

You received ninety experience points.

You received twenty-eight coins.

"You have got to be kidding me…"

Ethan didn't want to believe it, but that was really happening. He was receiving experience and coins while having a dream. There was no mistake. Those nightmares were being caused by something that has mana. However, he couldn't quite imagine what. Hannah would probably feel their presence if it was an enemy near his home. Maybe the problems were those nightmares in his memories… maybe the problem was Ethan himself.