"Ah..."
The first thing to return was the pain.
Then, as an icy sensation crept from the soles of his feet up his spine, Jason abruptly opened his eyes and woke from his sleep, shivering.
"Shit! It's freezing..."
Trembling from the chill that had swept over his entire body, Jason tried to curl himself into a ball, only to discover that nylon straps had fastened him to the bed.
Using his cold fingers to undo the restraints, he gripped the bed with one hand and supported himself with the other, slowly floating up and sitting upright on it.
Only then did he notice that the Hua Nation researcher who had injected him with the antibodies earlier was sitting on a stool beside the bed, watching him.
"Your metabolic rate is still quite low. It's normal to feel cold."
"How... long was I asleep?"
Zhao Shuxuan glanced at the timer on his wrist.
"About twenty-seven days."
"Twenty-seven days?!" Jason's eyes widened in surprise as he muttered, "Unbelievable."
Zhao Shuxuan asked, "Is there a problem?"
"...When I was serving in the United States Marine Corps, I was once injured and fell into a coma for a week. I spent a full month lying in a hospital bed. I remember that when I was first allowed to get out of bed and walk, every muscle in my body felt like it had been torn apart. Even with the help of medical staff, it took me half a month before I could walk normally."
As he spoke, Jason raised his arm and stared at his hands in disbelief. After a long pause, he continued, "But now, I feel like I just took a slightly longer than usual... nap?"
"It is indeed strange. Logically speaking, prolonged inactivity should cause muscle atrophy, but the pheromones secreted