Sometimes, people act unconsciously.

For instance, when someone is deep in thought and gets startled by a touch, they might instinctively swing their hand.

For superhumans, such ‘unconscious actions’ need to be watched carefully.

Atra is a top-tier hero in combat and interpersonal combat.

With bone strength, muscle density and elasticity, reflexes, and dynamic vision all at their peak, superhumans specialized in close combat possess a powerful physique and honed senses.

If Atra unconsciously threw a punch, even lightly, the impact would not be light.

Of course, as superhumans advance in level, they also gain some control over their unconscious actions, but there are times when this control fails.

Therefore, training to control the level of unconscious actions is essential.

‘Just now?’

Atra blankly looked down at her hand. It appeared smooth at a glance.

Once covered in countless scars and marks, her skin was now smooth, thanks to her exceptional healing abilities.

‘Just now…’

She had unconsciously wrapped her arm around Lee Hayul’s waist.

The warmth that was once nestled in her arms was gone. Or rather, it tried to leave. The warmth that had been naturally present in her arms tried to leave.

So her hand moved on its own. Atra realized this fact belatedly. It was shocking.

‘Recently?’

Atra recalled recent events.

She had unconsciously, almost habitually, held and patted Lee Hayul.

She had heard from a detailed diagnosis that his mental burden, not just his physical injuries, had reached a highly dangerous level.

His physical recovery was progressing smoothly.

In fact, his recovery was unusually rapid, to the point where it was almost strange.

If he continued to recover at this rate, his healing period would be significantly shortened, and it wouldn’t be long before he could start regenerating his lost arm.

But she didn’t let her guard down.

His mental state had deteriorated, even more than during Liana’s late mental health diagnosis.

The results back then were shocking.

She remembered the results showing extreme levels of mental fatigue.

Now, it was even worse. That was why Lee Hayul’s mind often wavered as if he was half-asleep even when awake.

Therefore, she paid particular attention to his mental care.

Lee Hayul spent most of his days sleeping, and when he was awake, he was in a daze.

She stayed by his side constantly, comforting him when he groaned in his sleep, possibly having nightmares, by holding him close.

Since he had difficulty moving, she fed him and also administered his medication.

To avoid him feeling stifled being confined to the healing room, she took him out in a wheelchair for walks in the park.

When he felt down hearing about the victims in Shipnaha, she comforted him, telling him there was no need to be so gloomy.

This was almost a daily routine. Except for the unavoidable times they had to be apart, Lee Hayul spent his time in Atra’s arms.

Lee Hayul didn’t reject her. In fact, he seemed to prefer being held by her.

Atra didn’t find it uncomfortable either.

Lee Hayul’s small stature made it easy to hold him, and she didn’t feel the usual discomfort of skin contact with another person.

His soft skin and the occasionally sweet scent when he sweated, like honey water, were quite pleasant…

‘Thinking like this makes me sound like a pervert…’

Atra shook her head. She had fallen into such deep thoughts that strange ideas surfaced.

Her mind returned. Atra took a deep breath, tidied her disheveled clothes, and lifted her head.

“Whew… Hayul, are you uncomfortable? Are you okay?”

– Shake shake

In Atra’s view, Lee Hayul, who was tightly hugged by Hong Yeon-hwa, shook his head side to side.

It was a familiar sight. A scene she had grown accustomed to recently.

It was a sight she had seen while holding him in her own arms.

But now, it wasn’t her.

Suddenly, she felt a sense of emptiness. Her arms felt hollow without him.

The satisfying sensation of holding him snugly was gone.

The warmth of shared body heat was gone, and the comforting scent that seemed to heal one’s mind and body was gone.

What had been naturally there was now absent.

At that moment.

With a somewhat satisfied expression, Hong Yeon-hwa patted Lee Hayul’s back and then moved her other hand.

“…?”

What followed was something Atra couldn’t have imagined.

Hong Yeon-hwa adjusted her position slightly and reached her hand to Lee Hayul’s stomach, which was covered by his patient gown.

For most creatures, the abdomen is a critical area.

Injury to the internal organs clustered in the abdomen can be fatal.

Yet, that crucial abdomen was being mercilessly handled by another’s hand.

Atra’s jaw dropped in shock. The unimaginable action left her stammering.

“W-what are you doing?”

“Hm? Oh… this? Temperature regulation.”

“…Temperature regulation?”

Her eyes silently questioned, and Hong Yeon-hwa responded with a look that seemed to say why ask something so obvious. In fact, Hong Yeon-hwa even slipped her hand inside the clothes.

“For a Gop-hwa user, body temperature fluctuates when their condition is poor. Didn’t you often deal with this when taking care of him?”

Atra knew this. She had encountered many members of the Gop-hwa clan on the frontlines and was aware of the side effects of their unique ability.

She also knew about Lee Hayul’s fluctuating temperature. Thus, she made sure he was properly covered with blankets and monitored his temperature while holding him.

Even as she continued explaining, Hong Yeon-hwa’s hand didn’t stop. The hand inside the patient gown rubbed Lee Hayul’s stomach.

Lee Hayul, who had been squirming as if ticklish, stopped struggling as he felt the warmth on his stomach.

As she gently soothed Lee Hayul, Hong Yeon-hwa continued her explanation.

“So, we transfer the warmth of Gop-hwa through physical contact. It’s a simple and effective emergency treatment.”

The explanation ended. Atra wasn’t fully convinced.

It was hard to believe that such an indecent-looking act was a form of emergency treatment.

But she couldn’t refute it.

Atra had seen Lee Hayul use Gop-hwa. She didn’t know why or how, but witnessing it was undeniable.

Hong Yeon-hwa possessed Gop-hwa.

As the heir of the Gop-hwa clan, she would be more knowledgeable about Gop-hwa than anyone. How could Atra argue against her?

However, Atra didn’t like it.

Watching such a scene unfold before her eyes didn’t sit well with her.

It wasn’t pleasant.

An inner turmoil stirred within her.

At that moment, Hong Yeon-hwa, who was looking down at Lee Hayul, lifted her gaze.

Their eyes met.

“……”

“……”

Even while pretending otherwise, their glares clashed in the air.

Why?

Atra sensed similar emotions in Hong Yeon-hwa’s gaze.

‘…Should I have come alone?’

Caught in the middle, Baek Ahrin broke out in a cold sweat.

* * *

Hong Yeon-hwa and Atra, staring coldly at each other.

Between them, like the contents of a sandwich, Baek Ahrin, who had been trying to keep the conversation lively, sighed deeply inside.

‘…Should I have come alone later?’

Despite his small and adorable appearance, and his typically docile and timid nature, making Lee Hayul quite popular, anyone observant would notice a certain barrier in how he interacted with others.

Baek Ahrin particularly noticed that the barrier was even thicker when it came to her.

Why? She didn’t know. The barrier had been there since she first met Lee Hayul.

For her own goals, Baek Ahrin needed numerous powerful allies.

Therefore, she was getting acquainted and building friendships with various cadets.

Among them, special admission student Lee Hayul was someone she had to befriend.

However, he seemed to fear her, so Baek Ahrin felt the need to break down this psychological barrier somehow.

Her trick? The cheat code was Hong Yeon-hwa.

The interest Hong Yeon-hwa showed toward Lee Hayul was significant.

There wouldn’t be anyone at Shio-ram who didn’t know this fact or rumor.

Hong Yeon-hwa was exceptionally weak towards Lee Hayul.

The reverse was also true.

Lee Hayul, who acted like a wary puppy, wagged his tail solely for Hong Yeon-hwa.

So, she thought she could increase his affection by tagging along with Hong Yeon-hwa for the visit…

…But seeing the chilly atmosphere swirling in the healing room, it didn’t seem like a very good choice…

‘Why does he fear me?’

From their first meeting, she was puzzled.

Baek Ahrin tilted her head.

Did Lee Hayul have a bad experience with the Changhae clan?

It was strange.

The Changhae clan’s area didn’t overlap with the orphanage Lee Hayul had been in.

There was no Changhae member active in that vicinity. In fact, there was no reason for any contact related to Baek Ahrin.

Yet, a thick psychological barrier had been erected against her.

Baek Ahrin tried to see through him whenever she was around Lee Hayul…

‘Sigh…’

She didn’t have much success.

She could only reconfirm that Lee Hayul found her frightening and unsettling.

However, it also seemed like he had a favorable view towards her in some ways.

Even during the post-admission celebration, when she tried to take him outside on the pretext of Hong Yeon-hwa’s request, she expected him to refuse.

But Lee Hayul didn’t refuse. Even though he was intoxicated, he followed her obediently like a well-behaved child.

He found her frightening. Yet, he also seemed to have or want to have a positive view of her.

‘Hm.’

At that point, Baek Ahrin sorted her thoughts.

Lee Hayul had no connection to her before Shio-ram.

The first time he met her was inside Shio-ram.

So, there was something in their first meeting that caused him to feel repulsion.

From an objective perspective, Baek Ahrin thought she didn’t have any traits that warranted dislike.

It wasn’t narcissism; it was a fact.

Her appearance was strikingly beautiful.

Her figure was well-balanced, with ample curves and slim proportions.

She didn’t have a malicious personality that tore others down.

She had plenty of wealth.

The power of her family was well-known.

Her strength was growing, and her growth potential was exceptionally high.

Yet, Lee Hayul found her frightening…

There was something to be feared… inside her.

Baek Ahrin solidified her expression beneath her ‘mask’. The chilling heart she could feel even now.

The damn curse that clung to her from birth exuded a foreboding and eerie aura.

If Lee Hayul could see through this curse? Did his perception ability include sensing the curse? If so, his repulsion made sense.

If not for the ‘mask,’ she would likely be viewed with ominous suspicion by countless people because of the curse.

‘…Then it’s a mess.’

From the start, her first impression was that of a cursed woman with a heart of darkness.

‘No, it wasn’t entirely like that.’

While Lee Hayul did show repulsion, he also showed favor.

There was hope. If she could exploit that favor effectively, she could build a rapport that surpassed the curse’s repulsion.

That was why she had spared time from her studies to come here.

She had no intention of living with this kind of thing. She would remove it somehow.

‘Whether I survive until then is another matter…’

Baek Ahrin stood up with a bitter smile.

Then she approached the bed.

Lee Hayul, who was sharing warmth with Hong Yeon-hwa, lay down and fell into a deep sleep.

‘Healing… well, I’ll just pour in the Changhae energy.’

Baek Ahrin came for a hospital visit, bringing a gift and intending to help with the healing.

The Changhae’s energy flow had the attribute of healing magic.

Unlike other healing abilities, it wasn’t just simple healing and regeneration but also enhanced the restorative properties of the target’s vitality.

In crude terms, it was like a self-recovering potion that worked on its own.

Additionally, Baek Ahrin had medical knowledge and had learned professional healing magic and the Changhae clan’s traditional healing methods.

Although the effect might not be significant on Lee Hayul, who was already receiving intensive healing, it wouldn’t be entirely ineffective, and it would be good to claim credit later.

– Wooo…

Changhae’s energy welled up in Baek Ahrin’s palm.

And then.

Baek Ahrin sensed Changhae’s energy.

‘…Huh?’

Inside her ‘mask,’ Baek Ahrin’s face stiffened. Her fingertips froze.

She felt the Changhae energy emanating from her palm. That was expected. She was controlling it herself.

…There was more.

Apart from her own, there was another source of Changhae energy in the healing room.

It wasn’t being actively used. It was more like the remnants of past usage.

That energy… where the arm had unnaturally disappeared.

It was lingering around Lee Hayul’s shoulder.

Baek Ahrin thought carefully. She recalled the list of Changhae members dispatched globally.

There was no Changhae member dispatched to the association’s intensive care unit.

No Changhae member was active in Shipnaha either.

“Why? Is there a problem?”

Hong Yeon-hwa asked Baek Ahrin, who had suddenly stopped.

“No, nothing. I was just concentrating.”

Baek Ahrin shook her head. She then smiled as if nothing had happened and continued using Changhae.

Throughout the process of channeling Changhae.

Baek Ahrin’s gaze remained fixed on Lee Hayul’s shoulder.

– Flinch

Lee Hayul’s body twitched as if reacting to her gaze.

– Ding! Ding! Ding!

A peculiar alarm rang in his hazy consciousness as he slept.

Lee Hayul’s smartwatch had been retrieved and was stored separately.

*

*

*

– Ding! Ding! Ding!

[Savior Adjustment System: Destruction Path]

[Detected “Curse of Eternal Winter”!]

[The system strongly rejects Eternal Winter!]

[When the Savior faces Eternal Winter, the system will fully support the Savior!]

…

[Savior Adjustment System: Pioneer Path]

[Main Quest “Tower of Eternal Winter” generated!]

[Savior, drive away the approaching Eternal Winter!]

End of Chapter