The dormitory is a facility designed to provide accommodation for the members of a community. Shioram offers its students the highest quality dormitory facilities, entirely free of charge.

I, too, was assigned a dormitory.

It was a facility far superior to any hotel I had ever known.

But I rarely used it.

I hardly ever visited the subsidiary facilities attached to the dormitory.

The dining hall? I didn’t go there often, maybe once every two days. I visited it just to get some nutrients into my system.

My dorm room was the same.

I hadn’t added any personal belongings or brought anything from home. If you compared it to when I first moved in, nothing had changed.

That’s not to say I often slept in the dormitory either.

Mostly because of nightmares. Or sometimes because even if I could sleep, I’d end up staying overnight in the library or the private training room, lacking any real time for rest.

Throughout the entire midterms, I didn’t visit my dorm at all. I didn’t need to, as I could easily take care of showers with magic.

During the written exams, I stayed in the library, and after the tournament preliminaries, I woke up in Hong Yeonhwa’s dormitory.

Now that the finals were over...

I regained consciousness in my master’s arms.

At this point, I wondered if I even needed a dormitory.

‘......’

There was no need to use my Observation ability.

Just by the warmth and the gentle embrace surrounding me, I could tell exactly who it was.

And from the gaze fixed on my head.

I also had a good idea of where I was, but just in case, I extended my Observation outward.

As expected, I wasn’t in the dormitory. I wasn’t even in the dormitory building.

I was in a two-story house with a yard. Judging by the exterior, it seemed to be the kind of housing provided to professors.

In other words, I was in my master’s residence.

It was an awkward situation in many ways, but since I had experienced waking up in a different place before, I managed to remain calm.

Still nestled in the warmth of my master’s embrace, I slowly began to retrace my memory.

I had met Elia’s family, then, full of nervousness, I had gone to see my master.

To be honest, I had been afraid.

In my duel with Baek Ahrin, I believed I had done my very best.

I had used Harmonization without resorting to using Geomhwa or Changhae and employed Cheonbyeonmanhwa to mimic and learn from Baek Ahrin’s martial arts.

I had racked my brain trying to cast spells and used the still-unpolished spirit magic to assist me.

I fought fiercely, and in the end, I lost.

I wasn’t too disheartened. I had expected to lose. In fact, I was surprised by how intense the battle had been.

Although it felt like Baek Ahrin had been holding back somewhat and fighting by the book, I had gained a lot from the experience.

I had absorbed the techniques she showed me, learning how to utilize water energy and cold techniques, and that alone was invaluable.

It wasn’t a typical ability like Water Stream, but if I could imitate and wield Changhae’s techniques, it would be far more powerful.

I was satisfied with the results. Even though I lost and now owed Baek Ahrin a day, I didn’t mind.

But from the perspective of a master teaching a disciple, the story could be different.

Especially considering my master’s early words about the high expectations placed on me... I couldn’t help but worry that she might scold me for losing in the round of 16.

I was scared.

The thought of those warm, kind eyes filling with disappointment, or worse, turning cold with disapproval, was enough to make my breath catch in my throat.

I didn’t want to go. But I couldn’t just run away, so I went to see her.

And she comforted me, holding me in her arms.

All the fear and anxiety washed away in an instant, and I relaxed so much that I ended up falling asleep.

That was all I remembered.

‘...That’s really all there was to it.’

Thinking about it now, it really wasn’t a big deal. I had simply fallen asleep in my master’s arms and been carried to her place.

But it was fine since it was her. She was someone who cared for me and willingly took on the role of my guardian.

I buried my face back into her embrace.

From above, I heard a soft chuckle, followed by a gentle hand stroking my hair.

“You woke up early. How are you feeling?”

[I’m fine.]

[I feel good.]

The soft warmth spread throughout my entire body, and I couldn’t help but relax even more.

[Happy.]

[Languid.]

For a moment, as I rested in her embrace, my mind drifted away from the complex and frightening thoughts about destruction, mortality, and the future.

Maybe it was just a form of escapism, but I felt like my spirit was recovering.

For a while, I continued to be comforted by her touch, quietly healing.

 

I found myself glancing around my master’s house, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.

The house was a two-story structure with a yard.

The second floor consisted of guest rooms, a study, and a workshop—smaller rooms in comparison to the rest of the house.

The bedroom where my master and I had slept was tucked away in a corner on the second floor.

As I descended the stairs, a spacious living room came into view.

Bright morning sunlight streamed through large windows, filling the room with a pleasant warmth without the need for artificial lighting.

The first floor had all the amenities one would expect: a fully equipped kitchen, various utility rooms... everything seemed to be in place.

‘There aren’t many decorations.’

As I looked around, I couldn’t help but feel the space was quite large. It also struck me as neat, almost minimalist, reflecting my master’s preferences, with no excessive adornments.

My master had gone to the shower earlier, leaving me in the living room.

‘Maybe I should make her breakfast.’

The refrigerator was stocked full of ingredients. Vegetables, fish, meat, various sauces, and seasonings—all neatly arranged.

It didn’t seem like they had been touched much. Just to be sure, I used my Observation ability to check if anything had spoiled, but thankfully, everything was fresh.

I wasn’t particularly skilled in cooking, but I could manage a simple home-cooked meal.

Honestly, I had a small desire to make something for my master and earn a bit of praise from her.

But there was the issue of my impaired sense of taste and smell... and the fact that I was missing one hand.

I had some concerns, but I figured that with the power of Observation and the use of the Heavenly Wings, I could manage.

‘Oh, right.’

As I pondered over the idea while fiddling with kitchen tools, I suddenly remembered something and tapped the hologram device hanging around my neck.

[Contacts: Baek Ahrin (3)]

▶Baek Ahrin: Notice! The loser must fulfill their promise!

▶Baek Ahrin: Please arrive by noon (map attached)!

▶Baek Ahrin: We’ll have lunch together, and feel free to wear whatever you want~

The first messages I saw were from Baek Ahrin.

As we had agreed after the duel, I was supposed to spend the day with her.

I tilted my head, wearing a somewhat perplexed expression.

Even though I had asked why she wanted to meet, or why she had made the bet in the first place, Baek Ahrin had only responded with a vague smile.

‘...She’s not planning anything strange, right?’

Not that I had any reason to distrust her. After all, this was Shioram.

Neither tricks from within nor invasions from outside had ever succeeded against the impenetrable security of this academy.

It was one of the few places where I could feel somewhat safe.

The more I thought about it, the more fitting the name “Cradle” seemed.

If one were to compare the students to seedlings or infants, Shioram was the perfect place to ensure they grew safely and properly.

‘I’d like to meet the Tower Master of Growth someday... hmm?’

As I mused on this thought, my eyes fell on something unexpected: a “99+” notification under Baek Ahrin’s three unread messages.

99+. Meaning there were more than 99 unread messages waiting for me.

‘Why are there so many?’

I was bewildered. There weren’t many people who had my contact number, and spam messages would be automatically filtered into the junk folder.

I hastily pulled up the message history.

[Contacts: Elia Slade (4)]

▶Elia Slade: My parents had a great time chatting, and they’ve gone back home now.

▶Elia Slade: Thanks for coming to see me, Hayul! It means a lot!

▶Elia Slade: I’ll make sure to return the favor next time!

▶Elia Slade: (saluting chick emoji)

Elia’s messages. Simple enough.

After sending a quick reply, I continued to scroll through the message log.

[Contacts: Riana Velus (7)]

▶Riana Velus: Cadet Lee Hayul, you did well during the midterm evaluations! ꒰(ノ⁾⁾˙∇˙)꒱乃

▶Riana Velus: There may have been some disappointments, but keep working hard for better results!

...

▶Riana Velus: During the break period before the vacation, I plan to give you and Elia cadet intensive spirit magic lessons!

▶Riana Velus: I’ve coordinated the schedule with Professor Atra, so please confirm!

▶Riana Velus: (Break period schedule.mng)

Professor Riana’s messages.

It was just as she had informed us earlier.

The midterms were over, and soon the vacation would begin. The brief period following the midterms and before the vacation was commonly referred to as the “gap period.”

During this time, the academy usually gave students a bit more freedom.

Basically, class hours were reduced, and we were given more free time.

A few weeks ago, both Elia and I had nodded in agreement to Professor Riana’s suggestion that we spend this time learning more about spirit magic.

For me, there was no reason to refuse. Professor Riana was a renowned expert in spirit magic, and learning from her was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

‘So I’ll be getting a crash course in spirit magic before the vacation.’

The utility of spirits had become abundantly clear to me after the duel with Baek Ahrin.

Even though I hadn’t used them as a full-fledged spirit magician and only relied on them as support, that support had been incredibly helpful.

Without the spirits, I would have had to strain myself even more.

Nodding to myself, I scrolled through more of the message history.

There were a few miscellaneous messages.

One from the association about coordinating reward schedules, and a few brief congratulations from other cadets regarding my performance in the tournament.

I chuckled when I saw a message from Aiden, expressing both astonishment and curiosity about how I had managed to copy techniques.

There weren’t that many. Certainly not enough to push the message count over 99.

‘?’

As I scrolled further, my hand suddenly froze at one point.

[Contacts: Hong Yeonhwa (99+)]

▶Hong Yeonhwa: Hayul.

▶Hong Yeonhwa: What did Baek Ahrin say right before your duel?

▶Hong Yeonhwa: She didn’t say anything strange, did she?

▶Hong Yeonhwa: If she said anything weird, you can just ignore her.

...

▶Hong Yeonhwa: Hayul, where are you right now?

▶Hong Yeonhwa: Hayul?

▶Hong Yeonhwa: Hayul?

...

▶Hong Yeonhwa: (missed call (0:01:39))

▶Hong Yeonhwa: Hayul.

▶Hong Yeonhwa: Where are you?

▶Hong Yeonhwa: Why aren’t you answering?

▶Hong Yeonhwa: Is something wrong?

...

▶Hong Yeonhwa: (missed call (0:02:10))

▶Hong Yeonhwa: ?

...

“...?”

More than 99 messages and missed calls from a single contact.

The first message was sent yesterday evening, and the most recent one was just an hour or two ago.

I stared, dumbfounded, at the screen.

The fact that there were over 100 unread messages was shocking.

‘What is this?’

I couldn’t make sense of it.

If I’d received so many texts and calls, there’s no way I wouldn’t have noticed.

At the very least, I would have felt my device vibrate, since it was always attached to me.

Even though I tend to go deaf to my surroundings when I fall asleep in someone’s embrace, I definitely wouldn’t have missed such frequent alerts.

I hurriedly tapped on the hologram to check the alarm settings.

[Alarm Settings]

[Alert Sound: OFF]

└[Alert Tone: Default]

└[Volume: 0]

[Vibration: OFF]

└[Vibration Strength: 0]

‘Huh.’

Everything was set to “off.”

A question mark floated above my head.

‘Why is it turned off? Even if I mute the sound in public, I always keep the vibration on...’

It was a strange situation in many ways. I tilted my head, perplexed, but quickly snapped back to reality and began typing a reply.

This was no time to be lost in thought—I needed to reassure Hong Yeonhwa that everything was fine.

My fingers moved rapidly across the screen.

 

[Player Assistance System: Favorability]

Lee Hayul → Atra Clyde

●●●●●●●●○○ (83▷84/100)

[Master] [Anticipation] [Sense of Security] [Yearning for Affection]

[Curse of Silence] and [Curse of Solitude] conditions not yet satisfied.