Novel's Extra: I Awakened The Strongest Physique From The Start

Silence stretched across the room like an unrelenting tide, thick and unyielding. The soft flickering of the enchanted lantern cast elongated shadows across Vanessa's face, but it did nothing to hide the astonishment in her eyes.@@novelbin@@

Alenia, usually filled with warmth and patience, was just as still.

Her silver eyes, which often held boundless affection for Alex, were now searching—analyzing, dissecting, as though she was trying to piece together the impossible.

Vanessa was the first to recover, though the sharp breath she took betrayed her inner turmoil.

She leaned forward, her fingers interlocking as she rested her chin lightly upon them. "Say that again," she commanded, her voice a careful mask of control.

Alex, unflinching, met her gaze head-on. "I have memories of my previous life."

Alenia's lips parted slightly, but no words came out. She looked to Vanessa, then back at Alex, her brows furrowing as though trying to grasp the weight of his statement.

Vanessa, on the other hand, merely exhaled, closing her eyes briefly before reopening them, sharper than before. "How much do you remember?"

"I'm not sure..." Alex answered, struggling to answer. "I remember things in fragments."

A frown made its way to Vanessa's brows as she heard those words. "What does that mean?"

"What I mean is that I haven't regained all of my memories," Alex replied, his gaze lowered, causing Vanessa and Alenia to exchange a glance.

'Fragmented memories?' They had never heard of anything like this.

The room was again enveloped in silence before Alenia, still grasping the enormity of the revelation, finally spoke. "Alex," she began, her tone gentle yet laced with urgency, "when did you regain these memories?"

Alex hesitated, but only for a second. "On the day of awakening."

Vanessa's fingers twitched, and though she outwardly maintained her icy composure, Alex could see the subtle tension in her jaw. However, Alex found something else in her eyes.

There was relief.

'At least he lived his childhood without past life's memories,' Vanessa sighed inwardly.

"Then... everything you've done," Alenia, on the other hand, murmured, a realization dawning upon her. "The knowledge you shouldn't have had, the instincts, the way you always seemed prepared—it was all because of your past?"

Alex nodded. "Yes."

Vanessa tapped her fingers against the table, her mind working through the implications at a speed that even Alex had to admire. When she finally spoke, her voice was softer but no less intense. "Tell me about your past life."

Alex took a breath, gathering his thoughts. "I wasn't from this world," he admitted, watching as Vanessa's lips pressed into a thin line. "The place I lived in was... different. Magic existed, but not in the way it does here. Power was structured in ways foreign to this world."

He wouldn't lie now, but that didn't mean he would tell them everything. He was going to reveal compulsory things.

Alenia listened in rapt attention, while Vanessa, though silent, was undoubtedly analyzing every word.

"I was strong," Alex continued. "Not in the way I am now, but in a way that made me untouchable where I came from. I had power, influence, knowledge... and enemies." He paused, his eyes darkening slightly. "In the end, those enemies led to my death."

Vanessa's gaze flickered. "And you were reborn here."

"Yes."

Another stretch of silence filled the room—heavier than the last.

Alenia was the first to move, leaning forward with an unreadable expression. "Alex," she said softly, "do you still consider yourself... him?"

The question caught even Vanessa off guard, her gaze snapping to Alenia before returning to Alex.

Alenia wanted to know whether Alex thought of himself as Alex Mathew or Alex Drakathor.

Alex, however, at that question, merely smiled—a small, knowing thing. "No," he said, shaking his head. "I am Alex Drakathor. But the memories of my past life, the experiences, the knowledge… they're a part of me."

Vanessa studied him for a long moment before finally exhaling. "I should have known something like this was the answer."

Alenia gave her a sidelong glance. "You knew?"

Vanessa shook her head. "Not this exactly. But I knew that Alex was... different." Her gaze softened, if only slightly. "And now, I finally understand why."

Alex waited, gauging her reaction. "And?"

Vanessa regarded him for a long, heavy moment before finally leaning back into her seat. "And now, I want to know everything."

Alenia nodded, a small smile forming. "Yes, Alex. Tell us everything."

And so he did.

For the first time, Alex revealed the truth of his past—the battles he fought, the power he once wielded, the mistakes he made, and the lessons he carried into this life.

He spoke of his old world, the forces that shaped him, and the enemies that eventually led to his demise.

Yes, he excluded the details of the fight and the darker part of his childhood, saying that he couldn't remember those parts, but he did tell them most of the things in the most cryptic way.

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Vanessa and Alenia listened intently, absorbing every word and every detail. They asked questions, seeking clarity, and Alex answered as best as possible.

By the time the conversation ended, the air in the room had shifted. The weight of secrecy had lifted, but a new understanding had settled in its place.

Vanessa, ever composed, finally let out a breath and stood. "You should have told me sooner."

Her expression remained as cold and distant as ever, but Alex could see she wasn't confused.

Alex merely smiled. "Would you have believed me?"

Vanessa's lips twitched—almost as if she wanted to smile but refused to. "Perhaps not."

Alenia chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, regardless of your past... you are still our Alex."

Alex's expression softened. "That won't change."

Vanessa nodded once. "Good." She glanced toward the door before looking back at him. "Then, from now on, let's ensure no more secrets remain between us."

Alex met her gaze and, for the first time in a long while, felt something shift between them—an unspoken promise, an understanding that ran deeper than words.

"No more secrets," he agreed.

Alex didn't mind telling Vanessa and Alenia about his plans. They weren't weak enough to need protection from him. The locket—one that stores one of Vanessa's attacks and defenses—on his neck proved he still needed Vanessa's protection.

'Hah...'

A sigh of relief left Alex's lips as he felt the weight on his shoulder lessen, even if by a bit.

He felt good after finally revealing these things to Vanessa and Alenia.

What he failed to notice was how Vanessa and Alenia had their fists clenched, an emotion in their eyes that Alex wasn't able to make out, or maybe he mistook it for something else.

It was fear.

It wasn't a fear directed at him but for him.

They were scared of something happening to him more than before.

"I will take my leave now."

It wasn't until Alex left with those words that their expression, which seemed relaxed, tensed again.

"What do we do now?" Alenia asked, her fingers twitching in worry, tears forming in her eyes. "We can't face those beings with the power we have..."

Vanessa didn't reply, her cold eyes staring at nothing before she stood up.

"We need to talk with someone who might be able to help us."

Alenia, hearing those words, had her eyes widen. "You mean...?!"