The world I originally came from was a place of half-hearted struggles.

Had I become so disabled that I couldn’t move, I might have given up, but I was healthy enough to move around, albeit with difficulty.

Had I been utterly heartless, I would have remained indifferent to whether others lived or died, but instead, I meddled and ended up crippling my legs.

– Whoosh

It’s the same in this world.

Without any regrets, I could have just cursed and died, but I’ve been left clinging to half-hearted remnants of life, crawling around pathetically.

It’s tough. I hate getting up early every day to exercise, cramming my head with all sorts of strange knowledge.

Swinging a weapon until my palms tear and my nails break during sparring, feet pounding the ground until they’re battered and blistered.

Trudging back for solitary practice, struggling to catch up with academic studies I’ve fallen behind on, and collapsing from exhaustion into nightmares.

I loathe it all.

– Whoosh…!

I hate everything.

The curse of an early death. I don’t even know when I’ll die. By looking at cases and descriptions of NPCs with similar curses, I can only guess it’s about ten years or so.

As the term ‘short-lived’ implies, it wouldn’t be strange to drop dead any day now. It’s frightening. I hate feeling this fear.

I want to taste real flavors again. I want to smell vanilla scents that I’d seek out in times of stress.

I want to see the world with my own eyes, not just spatial information. I want to gaze upon the sky that I can no longer see.

I hate feeling as if my throat is being ripped apart by the slightest mistake.

It’s unjust. Why do I have to suffer like this? What did I do wrong? I’ve always tried not to be a burden to others.

Was I really in the wrong, as those bastards said? Was I not meant to be born at all? Was I nothing but a harmful entity that caused trouble for others?

I…

– Whoosh!

The sound of something burning. Combustion. Emotions being consumed like firewood, amplified to replenish them.

A bizarre yet familiar piece of knowledge came to mind, and suddenly I snapped to attention.

‘Why… No, no! What the hell. Focus.’

What was I just thinking?

As I became conscious of my pitiful whining, my sagging spirit tightened.

I shook off the clinging, heavy emotions as if emerging from a swamp. Suddenly, I became aware of my surroundings.

Something was burning right beside me. No, it was my arm that was ablaze.

My entire right arm, drawing the bowstring, was engulfed in flames. It was a fire infused with mana so potent, it was unmistakable.

‘What is this?’

Flames burst from my arm. An unforeseen phenomenon.

Inside the Tower, pain is minimized to a mere sting, even if you’re cut by a knife.

‘Hot…!’

But it’s hot. The most intense sensation I’ve felt since entering the Tower. The fierceness of the flame grew. If this continued, my arm might be engulfed entirely.

Fortunately, I hadn’t sustained significant damage yet. But considering the escalating intensity of the blaze, I could be harmed if I left it unchecked.

– It’s unfair. Why do I have to go through this here?

‘Ugh…’

My thoughts wavered for a moment. Swollen emotions unsteadied my rational judgment.

My arm trembled. It felt like I had lost consciousness for a second, but luckily it was only for a few moments.

In the sky, the Parasitic Moth continued to fly, with Baek Ahrin distracting it.

A little away, Elia and Hong Yeon-hwa were watching for their moment.

Everyone was sending shocked looks my way. Especially Hong Yeon-hwa, whose reaction was extreme, as if the world was crumbling before her eyes.

I couldn’t understand why. But standing idle, lost in confusion, was the worst thing I could do.

Even now, the violent flames persisted.

The spell that amplifies the owner’s emotions, a fire that feeds on emotions.

Hong Yeon-hwa’s unusually intense reaction.

They all brought a certain flame to mind.

For now, I’ll put aside my questions. Later…

…Later, I’ll find out? Have I ever resolved any of the doubts I have?

– Whoosh

Surviving the daily beatings from my parents with my frail young body.

Staying alive even when my stomach was slashed open.

Surviving a fire that swept away my parents, leaving only me alive.

Living through years on the street without a proper meal.

The miraculous recovery of my crippled legs.

Being dragged into this world.

The rampage of spatial perception, the identity of the void witnessed in the Gate, the Principal’s suspected motives for bringing me here, an impending calamity event.

Have I figured out anything? And could I even if I wanted to? Am I capable of coping?

‘I need… to shoot.’

I gritted my teeth. Emotions intensified. Along with them, the flames grew more violent.

This is not a normal emotional state. Repeating that to myself, I aimed the bow at the Parasitic Moth.

I don’t know why my arm is acting out, but for now, I’ll shoot first, think later.

I narrowed my thoughts. Folding all the excessive considerations and focusing on one thing.

– Whoosh!

More than the enchanted magic on the arrow, my mind was drawn to the wild flames flickering from my arm.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind.

The roaring flames that wrapped around my arm. I didn’t know the origin, but they were flames of my own mana, burning through the ambient mana.

If that was the case, perhaps I also had control over them.

I tried to tame the flames.

Whoosh! The fire flared up more violently than before, like a creature rearing its head in defiance.

But that lasted only a moment; gradually, it lowered its crest and moved onto the arrowhead at my command.

Looking back at the previous arrow, even by my own judgment, it was threatening. It needed just one shot, after all, as I had packed it with mana.

Now…

– Whoosh!

It appeared to be the strongest attack I had ever launched.

I released the bowstring, taut to the point of snapping.

From the ground to the sky, a crimson line was drawn. The arrow split the air, creating a turbulent wind that brushed against my skin.

Fast.

I could sense the desperation in the Parasitic Moth’s wingbeats. The flow of the wind became chaotic.

I hit it. That was the first thought.

– Boom!

The explosion followed immediately.

* * *

My vision was a blur. I doubted the world I was seeing with my own eyes.

I wished it was a lie, just a dream.

Waking from a nightmare, I would’ve kicked off the covers and risen, perhaps fuming for a moment, but then sighing in relief.

I hoped it was all a dream. But her senses, her intuition, told her this was reality.

‘Ugh…’

A splitting headache washed over her. Hong Yeon-hwa gasped for breath. Blood seeped from her clenched fist.

Beyond that, I saw an arm wrapped in flames and an arrow with a malevolent aura. The fired arrow pierced the air at a speed that even shocked her.

– Boom!

The arrow that struck the Parasitic Moth caused a colossal explosion of flames. The creature’s screams echoed in all directions.

Then a gale whipped up, flapping Hong Yeon-hwa’s clothes violently. Dirt mounds amassed from the battle’s aftermath scattered in all directions.

Flame. It was familiar to her. Her clan’s symbol was fire, and the innate abilities that followed were also of fire.

But that flame… the flame arising from the scars left by her clan…

It felt almost personal to her.

That realization gnawed at Hong Yeon-hwa’s heart.

“Hong Yeon-hwa!”

A familiar voice. Baek Ahrin’s shout turned Hong Yeon-hwa’s head.

“First! Hunt down the boss!”

She spoke only the essentials. Hong Yeon-hwa stuttered for a moment, then bit her lip hard.

It made sense. That… the boss should be dealt with first before any questions.

– Whoosh!

The flames surged again. The fire that always blossomed at her will. The Gop-hwa, tainted with unpleasant emotions, emerged deeper than before.

Bang! Her legs, wrapped in Gop-hwa, stomped the ground. The landscape receded, and she launched herself skyward with all her might.

– Screeeeeech…!

As the aftermath of the explosion settled, the body of the Parasitic Moth was revealed.

The moth, wobbling precariously, tilted to one side. Its left wing, struck by the arrow, was completely shredded, rendering it unable to maintain flight.

Hong Yeon-hwa had planned to create an opportunity with Baek Ahrin, but she hadn’t expected to provide such a critical chance.

Feeling the approach of death, the Parasitic Moth frantically tried to distance itself from Hong Yeon-hwa, but she was already within striking distance.

Her eyes, bloodshot, glared at the Parasitic Moth.

Right now, Hong Yeon-hwa was incredibly angry. It was an understatement. She seemed ready to burst at any moment.

Gop-hwa feeds best on the owner’s emotions. Therefore, users of Gop-hwa must know how to exploit their emotions.

A whirlpool of thoughts swirled in her mind. She channeled them into a single outcome.

All the emotions, all the irritation, stemmed from that damn monster.

She could be accused of shirking responsibility, but she reasoned simply. By doing so, she efficiently fueled her emotions.

‘Not yet.’

Tier 5. She had managed to hunt one alone before, but it lacked something. She lacked the certainty that it could be killed.

Even if it could be killed, she didn’t want to let it off easily.

A distinct uniqueness that sets it apart from other beings. A right to assert one’s uniqueness in a world permeated with special abilities.

That is what a unique ability is.

The Gop-hwa—flames that burn oneself and the world, leaving nothing of what is hated but ashes.

It feeds on mana and life force, turning everything into kindling, but especially thrives on burning emotions. To do so, it amplifies the owner’s emotions.

Gop-hwa is a unique ability that is difficult to categorize.

It manifests as a fire attribute, an enhancement within the body, and it also brings several advantages to combat.

Being unique.

Different from all else.

But being unique is not enough. Both the first superhumans and those living in this moment would agree.

Being unique now doesn’t guarantee being special and unique in the future.

To stand still while everyone moves forward is akin to regressing.

Thus, one must progress. Not to rest on the present, but to expand on uniqueness.

Hong Yeon-hwa approached the Parasitic Moth. An ideal opportunity since the surprise attack. She discarded her sword and reached out her hand.

Gop-hwa entangled around her grasp like threads.

‘Expansion Ability.’

[Open Fire].

Whoosh. The flame in her hand extinguished. The violent flames that had been writhing around her body also vanished without a trace.

The additional surge in physical abilities that came with Gop-hwa also disappeared.

Instead…

– Whoosh!

A different, more intense flame burst forth from her hand than ever before.

Selection and focus.

Discarding the trivial and concentrating solely on output.

“Die.”

– Boom!!

A deep red hue covered the sky. Intense heat radiated in all directions.

The moth’s body, engulfed directly by the flames, cast an ephemeral shadow.

But like a torch in a storm, the shadow flickered precariously—unable to even utter a proper death cry—it vanished into oblivion.

.

.

.

Hong Yeon-hwa, having poured Gop-hwa to the last, landed on the ground.

The land, which had been somewhat intact, was now melting and scorched—a complete mess.

She had tried to control it, deliberately unleashing the flames upward to minimize the impact on the ground.

Nevertheless, that didn’t squelch her concerns. Hong Yeon-hwa quickly scanned her surroundings.

A semi-spherical ice structure caught her eye a short distance away. It was Baek Ahrin’s defense against the blast’s aftermath.

Hong Yeon-hwa ran toward it with glee.

As she approached, the ice split open. Inside were Baek Ahrin, Elia, and Lee Hayul.

“Hayul…!”

Hong Yeon-hwa’s face was filled with worry. Lee Hayul looked incredibly distressed.

His breath was ragged, his face flushed red. His body wobbled weakly from side to side as if he might collapse at any moment.

Pushing past Baek Ahrin and Elia, Hong Yeon-hwa rushed to Lee Hayul’s side.

“Hayul! Are you okay?! What to do… Ah, right! Healing! Ahrin! Heal—no, before that! Your arm! Hayul, show me your arm!”

Hong Yeon-hwa flustered, waving her hands. She was dizzy from recently using a significant amount of mana.

“?”

Lee Hayul tilted his head in confusion. After several moments of puzzlement, he extended his arm forward.

– Light touch

“…Huh?”

A sense of fullfillment filled her. Hong Yeon-hwa let out a dumbfounded exclamation. Then an arm wrapped around her waist.

Her eyes, quaking as if struck by an earthquake, looked down.

She saw Lee Hayul nestled comfortably in her embrace.

“Huh…?”

Her train of thought abruptly cut off. However, strangely, her mind rapidly analyzed the current situation.

For some reason, flames reminiscent of Gop-hwa, the same—or rather, exactly Gop-hwa—erupted from Lee Hayul’s arm.

Gop-hwa, a unique ability.

A feature that fiercely combusts, feeding off emotions, which can also become a weakness or strength.

Stirring emotions…

After completing her chain of thoughts, Hong Yeon-hwa’s gaze swept over Lee Hayul’s face.

His cheeks flushed with heat, his breath rugged, a faint moan escaping his lips…

His expression mirrored the one from before, but now, comfortably held in her arms, he seemed more relaxed.

After grasping the situation, alongside her concern, another emotion sprang forth.

“…Gulp.”

Hong Yeon-hwa swallowed.