Lord of the Time: I Can Reincarnate Infinitely

"Huh? Aren't you too excited? Not now. My master's isn't in the City currently. I don't even know where he went, but he was surely outside the Wall of Rose."

Rozho sighed lightly.

"Not now? Guess I was too excited." Caleb scratched his head. Here he thought that he would meet Rozho's legendary master. Curious, he decided to ask. "What the fuck is your master doing outside the Wall of Rose. Aren't the Apokalips there already exceeded Tier 8 Apokalips? That place is too damn pretty dangerous base on what I've heard."

"Beats me..." Caleb's question just made Rozho shrug. He had been with his master growing up, but even now, he doesn't know why his master keeps going outside of the Wall of Rose. However, his master could survive months alone in a dangerous place, which shows his strength. "Master's thought isn't something I could fathom. He may be kind, but he was quite eccentric."

Hearing this made Caleb chuckle. "Well, there are a lot of strong people and masters that are eccentric. Since we won't meet him now, I'll visit my friend first and check on him."

"Andre or that one in a coma?" Rozho raised a brow.

"Yes, the one in a coma. We call him Fatty." Caleb smiled. Then, as if thought of something, he took out a gold coin from his pocket and gave it to his green-haired friend. "By the way, ask Kidd or Kazuto to refill our food stocks. Don't forget the vegetables and fruits."

...

As Caleb pushed the door in front of him and walked inside the private room. A familiar sight greeted him. White room with only one large bed on the side. There are three machines on the bed, unlike their previous visit. One was for nutrition, one for oxygen, and the last, well, he didn't know what it was for.

Taking nine steps forward, Caleb stopped by the side of the bed with a melancholic expression. He stared at the figure on top of the bed, feeling a pang of sadness threatening to swallow him. But he quickly controlled his emotions before they could even take hold of him. He heaves a long, heavy sigh before saying. "I'm the only one that visited you this time. Luna and the others were currently on a mission. Fatty, you have to wake up or we'll leave you in the dust. As of now, the three are doing their best to earn contribution points and become stronger. For their sake and yours..." his voice trailed off for a few seconds, hoping that Fatty would surprise him and suddenly talk. Alas, this is reality, not a damn movie.

With a sigh scanned Fatty's condition wistful smile.

Fatty lay still on the bed, his short black hair giving a contrast to the pale complexion of his face. Time had etched wrinkles on his forehead, telling tales of the year that had passed. His once lively brown eyes were closed, hidden behind the stillness of a deep slumber. Caleb didn't know why Fatty would fall into a coma and it's been a year already, yet he wasn't showing signs of waking up.

Despite the thinness of his current belly, there is still some sagging skin, a visible reminder of a past of his robust figure. Fatty's form was almost ghostly. The room around him held the quiet of a long-held breath, broken only by the low hum of the nutrient machine that diligently supplied him with sustenance. The steady rhythm of the machine echoed the monotony of his coma-bound existence.

Caleb sighed. 'This kind of setting is really depressing.'

Beside the bed, an oxygen machine stood sentinel, a silent guardian ready to intervene if the need arose. Its presence spoke of a fragility that lingered in the air, a reminder of the thin line between life and the void that Fatty teetered on. Caleb knew that the oxygen machine was a backup. Just in case Fatty's body suddenly forgets to breathe.

The patient's clothes adorned his form, the fabric draping loosely over the now-frail frame. The room, bathed in a soft, clinical light, bore witness to the passage of time that had seemingly paused for Fatty, cocooned in the stillness of his year-long slumber.

Just like that, Caleb stayed in Fatty's room for three hours. After that, he gave him a last look. "Don't worry. Our friend will visit you after their mission. As for me, I'll be busy for a while and muttered. Hope you had already woken up on my next visit."

...

In front of the Gate of Babel. Kazuto, Kidd, Rozho, and Rekka accompanied Caleb. They looked at David in front of them who started to speak as they reached the gate.

"It's just been a year and one of you guys was already about to upgrade Tier. Johan, you've certainly exceeded my expectations. It's a pity that you chose a path that has a limited future. Once you've reached Tier 6 of the Shadow Path... It would be really hard for you..."

David sighed, feeling genuine pity this time. Due to Johan's excellent performance in the operation. He realized that the latter would make an excellent leader of squads. Not only that, he has already witnessed Johan's talent in fighting during the sparring sessions conducted last year. Such a genius was now limited by the Shadow Path.

'How about I apply the other recipes of his path to the higher-ups? Hmmmm... No, that would be too dangerous. Shadow Path is already dangerous. What's more, someone like him advanced to higher tiers of the Shadow Path. It would really threaten the balance of power in the city. The higher-ups would surely crush me to death if that happened. It's already good that they tolerate his existence.' David shook his head to clear away his initial thoughts.

Things concerning the Shadow Path are suicidal and sensitive matters. Furthermore, the upper echelons of the city had started to have the idea to completely remove the Shadow Path from the regiment. It was unfortunate that their advantage over the other two regiments would be gone at that time. After all, they are the only regiment that has three recipes. The addition of the shadow path served only as decoration, but it was useful to attract talent.