“Hayul?”

That was the voice that had helped me when I was at my wits’ end in the gate terminal.

Elia Slade. The female cadet likened to a chickling, who had been of much assistance to me over the past month.

For a moment, I hesitated.

I was about to throw a punch instantly upon sensing her, but the moment I recognized it was Elia, the force drained from my fist.

There was a reason for it. This was the interior of the Tower, where competition between cadets was permitted, a hefty 1,000 points hung around my neck, and my current state was on the brink of death.

There was no reason not to strike. Classmates or not, this place was designed for us to fight one another.

It wasn’t that there wasn’t any collaboration, but given my near-death state, I held no value as an ally. Hence, collaboration was meaningless.

The wisest thing for Elia to do here was to strike me with magic and cause my disqualification.

The smartest thing for me to do was to attack before her magic could burst forth.

I couldn’t lash out. Elia, on the other hand, suddenly moved closer and reached out her hand. Her hand approached, brimming with mana.

“Oh my. What happened to you…?”

It was a hand full of healing magic. The amplified touch, the soft caress on my cheek, sent an unprecedented stimulus coursing through my mind.

‘…Hick!’

I nearly screamed. No, rather it was a sensation belonging to a category I had never imagined, so I couldn’t even produce a scream.

The mana from her grip seeped into my cheek.

It was different from the clumsy healing magic I had cast.

Unique abilities in the healing domain, transformed mana, and specialized healing magic aiding those abilities.

Now, perceiving the world through mana, I felt all of it. The energy seeped through the wounds. It felt like the warm sunshine spreading throughout my body, tending to the injuries.

The energy split into two paths as it entered my body.

One stream settled upon the wounds, bolstering my vitality and coaxing my natural healing, while the other led the regeneration of the damaged flesh.

Unique Ability: [Recovery Melody]

Capable of swift recovery but burdensome immediate healing, and a slower, less burdensome recovery amplification.

A unique ability that allows the balanced use of these two types of healing. The owner’s skill determined the precision of the application, making it a coveted ability everywhere.

“All these are injuries? Oh dear…”

Elia sighed with pity, increasing the output of her unique ability a bit. More energy seeped into the wounds.

‘Wait a minute.’

– Twitch.

“Hayul, even if it hurts, just bear with it a little longer.”

‘It’s not that it hurts… Hah!’

It was too, too ticklish? Soft? How should I put it? If I had to compare, it was close to being ticklish.

But the sensation was too stimulating to be regarded merely as ticklish.

Fearing that I might scream, I desperately restrained myself. Nonetheless, my body twitched involuntarily.

“Right, just a bit more…”

Gradually, the injuries improved. While not completely healed, I had recovered enough to engage in basic combat.

The focus was on immediate healing. I was conscious of my twitching hands as the sting from the wounds lessened.

My injuries were many.

The most common were those sustained from Qi. I had been slashed by Qi-laden swords, stabbed by spears, beaten by blunt weapons, and struck by arrows.

There were injuries inflicted by magic and others by special unique abilities.

Though I had used all means at my disposal to dodge, block, and avoid vital areas, injuries had accumulated.

Superhumans are not like ordinary humans. Their healing capabilities also exceed common levels. Wounds heal faster, and injuries that shouldn’t recover do heal.

However, the enhanced abilities are not limited to healing; the ability to inflict wounds had also increased.

Ordinary injuries might be one thing, but when another superhuman’s mana, another ‘uniqueness,’ rips through the wounds, healing slows. In severe cases, permanent damage can occur.

The pouring energy ceased. Elia, with a faint sigh of fatigue, stopped caressing the wound and lowered her hand.

“That’s all for now. Any more would be too straining for the recovery.”

You understand, right?

Her speech ended as if seeking a response. Struggling with the sensation and gasping for breath, I fumbled with my lips.

‘Uh-huh…’

It was hard to speak. I couldn’t because of the curse, and I wasn’t even sure what to say.

As I continued to fumble, Elia seemed to fidget around for a response.

After that, a rudimentary treatment followed.

She took care of the herbs briefly before applying a little to my unhealed wounds.

Over it, she wrapped something soft and bandage-like around and around. My body twitched every time she touched my skin.

I felt an irresistibly intense sensation.

“Ah, tsk. If you move, it won’t work.”

Unable to resist, I floundered like a fish, and Elia sternly scolded me as if admonishing a child.

It was ridiculous, but I had no strength to rebel right then and there.

How much time of endurance did I endure? Only after my breath became ragged did the treatment come to an end.

The wounds had somewhat healed. The groaning and the quivering of my body had drained my energy.

As I lay face down on the ground, panting, a gentle touch reached my head.

“You did well. Good job, so good…”

Her voice was like that of an adult comforting a child. As her beautiful hands stroked my head repeatedly, I felt as if I had indeed become a child.

With time, I had somewhat adapted to it.

Initially, it was simply electrifying and ticklish, but now the previous comfort seemed to multiply several times, melting into my skin.

Combined with the mental fog due to blood loss, the continuous caressing gradually brought on drowsiness.

‘No, this can’t happen.’

Slap slap. I tapped my cheeks with both hands.

Thankfully, Elia’s healing had prolonged my life. Since I wasn’t disqualified, I was now in a position to discuss the future.

I still seemed half asleep. Furrowing my brows, I was about to tap my cheeks again when a cautious touch interfered with my right hand.

The culprit was Elia. For some reason, she carefully caressed my right forearm… precisely, just below the elbow.

“Hayul, are you okay here?”

What does she mean by okay… Oh, my right hand?

I tentatively felt my right hand. Bare skin… felt repulsive from various angles.

Here in The Tower of Growth, when Shio-ram issues the cadet or active wear, it isn’t damaged, but it can be donned or doffed. It seems my arm cover slid down while applying the medicine.

She must have seen the burn scars.

I hesitated with my mouth slightly open, then stealthily glanced at Elia.

I was worried she might find it repulsive.

I wanted to ask, but my mouth was in this state, and I couldn’t speak. Plus, I had no smartwatch.

The frustration was unbearable.

I furrowed my brows slightly, then, on an impulse, I removed the caressing hand.

And then I changed the motion of both hands, drawing in the air.

Sign language… these days, isn’t it called ‘sign language’?

At any rate, I had learned it out of necessity. Later, when my throat healed, I discarded the knowledge, but now I used it just in case.

When I first came to this world, I wondered if I should revert to using sign language again, but thanks to the modern marvels of smartwatches and holograms, I tossed that knowledge aside.

No answer came from Elia. She didn’t understand. I wasn’t disappointed, though.

I hadn’t expected her to understand from the start. It was just an impulsive act, borne out of frustration.

After all, there were parts I’d forgotten since I’d learned it long ago.

In the original world, sign language varied from country to country. As the worlds were different, the systems might be completely unrelated.

Once again, I fell into thought. How could I convey my thoughts─

“Are you okay now… right?”

Elia tilted her head and asked quizzically.

Unconsciously, I turned my head towards Elia. I hadn’t imagined she would understand.

Worried that she might have guessed randomly.

I moved my hand again.

“Do you understand… Yes, I know. How do you know… Aha. That’s what you’re curious about.”

Cross-verification complete. She was reading my sign language.

As I expressed my amazement, Elia chuckled. Apparently, The Tower of Harmony even translates sign language, which falls under the category of language.

What kind of structure is the Tower that makes such feats possible? It was beyond me.

“Still, if you don’t know sign language at all, it’s not very effective. I have a younger sibling in the family who has difficulties with their body.”

Ah crap. Landmine.

My face stiffened. I touched on a sensitive topic.

“Don’t look so upset. It’s much better now. Besides, it was only for a brief moment, and now there’s the smartwatch, right?”

Noticing the change in my expression, Elia reassured me it was okay.

Judging by her demeanor, it seemed she wasn’t repulsed by the burn scars. Or maybe she was just not showing it.

“I have three younger siblings, and the youngest sister was congenitally frail. She had trouble seeing, her throat wasn’t good, so she couldn’t speak well… and her hearing was poor.”

Elia continued.

“So, it was really dangerous until she received treatment. Fortunately, she received good care, and there are no problems now. She’s still improving.”

All the while, she kept caressing my right arm.

“Hmm… That’s why you’ve been especially kind to Hayul, I think.”

‘?’

Suddenly, why was she talking about me? As I tilted my head, she stroked it again. I had no reason to refuse anymore, so I passively accepted the touch.

Lately, the people I’ve met have had a tendency to be quite lenient with physical contact.

That included Hong Yeon-hwa and Professor Liana, and now Elia, who was with me. And it seemed the same with a few others as well.

“Because you resembled my younger sibling. The way you’re helpless, just like a drenched puppy when left alone, clueless when helped, pretending not to like it when caressed… And above all, being cute.”

She listed the reasons one by one. But hearing them was incredibly embarrassing.

“So, it’s like treating a sibling, that’s probably why I behaved that way towards Hayul. Sorry if it made you feel bad.”

I shook my head immediately. How could I feel bad? I had received her kindness, so I couldn’t be anything but grateful.

Seeing my response, Elia exhaled as if relieved.

Afterward, while recovering my strength, I had a simple conversation with Elia.

About the time when my detection ability had turned off right after I arrived, how I had been pursued for over a day, and how I nearly fell from a tree where I had fallen asleep…

The conversation, if it could be called that, progressed slowly due to the use of rudimentary sign language. It was more like killing time.

That was when it happened. Besides the sound of Elia’s breathing next to me, there was no other sound until the noise of raindrops reached my ears.

Rain began to fall beyond the cave. What started as a few drops soon turned into a pouring shower.

“It’s coming down pretty strong all of a sudden.”

Elia, who had been idly touching my head and chatting, looked puzzled and picked up her staff. An array of mana was set up at the cave’s entrance.

It seemed to be to prevent water from coming in.

“Thankfully, with the rain falling like this, a lot of cadets will probably give up the pursuit.”

No matter how powerful a superhuman is, they can’t completely disregard natural environments. It’s natural that tracking becomes more difficult in weather like this with heavy rain than in fine weather.

I also felt a bit relieved by the rain. With it pouring, I could worry less about being pursued…

– Thud

Just as I was thinking this, someone’s footsteps began to approach from afar.

“…Hayul?”

Seeing my face tense up, Elia also appeared to become anxious.

The presence approached right up to the cave’s entrance. It felt somewhat familiar.

And it was a cold and chilling mana.

“Knock knock~”

A clear voice, incongruent with the dreary atmosphere, came from beyond the barrier at the cave’s entrance.

“Do you want to build a snowman~?”

A random remark.

Elia, who had been tense, tilted her head and whispered to me. Her warm breath tickled my ear, giving me a shiver.

“Isn’t that a line from a movie during the Solar Era?”

…The original world naturally existed in the Solar Era.

I hid my displeasure and nodded.