His eyelids rarely opened.

When he exerted all his strength to open them, a faint slit appeared, but even that slight vision brought stinging pain.

And yet, it didn’t mean he could truly see.

When he opened his eyes, all he saw was a dark, endless world.

It felt like a deep sea without a single glimmer of light, or an empty universe devoid of stars and the moon, filled only with darkness.

The color was no different from when his eyes were closed.

Whether he opened or closed his eyes, the world was dark.

Even if he ignored all observed information, the world remained equally dark.

But the darkness he saw with his eyes open felt much more oppressive.

Of course, back then, the power he held through spatial perception operated perfectly, turning him into something like a claimant of disability.

Either way, ever since his first day in this world, he hadn’t opened his eyes.

He opened them now.

As he lifted his face, a vivid red color registered in his retina.

The red hair tickling his nose, almost brushing it, and the white skin beneath it…

It was Hong Yeonhwa. She was asleep, holding him close, her breath soft and steady.

He was buried warmly in her embrace, her warmth radiating over him.

He blinked blankly.

Red and skin tones… familiar colors.

He wasn’t born visually impaired, so in his previous world, he’d seen colors like these countless times.

Furthermore, with his power of Observation, he had often gathered and interpreted information, perceiving the world in ways far superior to sight.

In fact, the world seen through his eyes might have felt limited, frustrating, and inferior compared to the information his Observation provided.

The world he saw with his eyes felt different.

It conveyed sensations that were distinct from the information he usually received. It was a new experience.

People are often foolish and dull, only realizing the true value of something once they’ve lost it.

He was one of them.

He hadn’t recognized the preciousness of his blurry vision until it was taken from him for a while.

‘…What is this?’

His blinking eyes felt strange, clumsy.

He touched the area around his eyelids, his expression perplexed.

Colors registered on his retina. Red and skin tones. Beyond that, there was nothing he could see.

He glanced around, and fog filled his vision.

A thick fog, obscuring anything beyond a step ahead.

He even wondered if there was anything beyond.

When he looked in the other direction, fog filled the space there as well.

Whether he looked up or down, fog was all he could see.

Even a quick scan of his surroundings showed nothing but fog.

The only exception was Hong Yeonhwa and the faint area immediately around her.

In the dim, grayish fog, Hong Yeonhwa was the only distinct color.

‘…What?’

His expression twisted without him realizing it.

Last night… when he kissed Hong Yeonhwa, his eyes had opened on their own.

For the first time, he saw Hong Yeonhwa’s face with his eyes. Although he’d been aware of her appearance through his powers, seeing her through his eyes had frozen him, entranced by her beauty.

Yet he couldn’t see anything around Hong Yeonhwa.

The fog blanketed everything around her, blocking his view completely.

‘This is ridiculous.’

He felt utterly baffled.

He didn’t even know why his vision had returned, but now that it had, it was only half-usable. It made his head spin.

And then…

Sniff, sniff.

His nose twitched suddenly.

This had happened often before. He couldn’t smell anything before, especially when he disliked something… or when he was close to someone.

But now he could smell.

The strongest scent, by far, came from right in front of him.

The flesh that moved up and down with each breath Hong Yeonhwa took, right under his nose. The chest he had buried himself in all night.

“......”

He lowered his head again, pressing his face firmly against her ample chest.

His nose sank into her warm skin, and a rich, sweet scent filled his nostrils.

It was a warm, milky smell, like heated milk.

The soft feeling of her flesh against his face, her warmth, and Hong Yeonhwa’s scent filling his nose…

He felt his body relax completely. His mind, floating in happiness, swayed gently.

“I like it…”

[I’m happy.]
[I’m happy.]
[I like it.]
[I’m happy…]

He was happy.

There was no room for doubt. The essence of happiness radiated from his entire body.

At that moment, he felt like the happiest person in the world.

And he wanted to stay this way.

He wanted to continue leaning on her, being held and cherished.

For as long as possible.

And to make that happen… to live happily for a long time, he needed to be free from threats.

Threats weren’t resolved by staying still. He had to move, suppress, and eliminate them himself.

In his case, the main threat was the catastrophic events that shook the world… the invasion of the Towers.

The Tower of Purgatory, the Tower of Frost, the Tower of the Dead…

For a happy future, he had to prevent the chaos these Towers would bring.

‘This trip is for that, too.’

Leaving the Guhwa family’s home, he would seek out the dungeon, Lake of Mana.

The Lake of Mana, filled with pure mana, was the perfect place to enhance one’s mana abilities.

It was a rare dungeon that didn’t produce many monsters to fend off intruders… in short, a goldmine-like dungeon.

Though finding and entering it had been a challenge in the original, with Observation and spatial powers, entry should be achievable with some time.

‘The Proof of Protection is also there.’

In addition, the Lake of Mana contained the Proof of Protection, an artifact designed as a prosthetic arm.

If he could prove himself worthy of it, he could both fill the void of his missing arm and gain a significant power boost.

The Proof of Protection was particular about its owner. From his memory, he recalled that it judged based on compatibility.

If he couldn’t qualify as its owner… he’d simply sell it and proceed with conventional prosthetic restoration.

He had been holding off on the restoration, hoping he might be able to use the Proof of Protection. If it didn’t work out, there was no need to leave his arm empty.

Additionally, near the dungeon, there was the stronghold of a future obstacle.

Since they hadn’t yet grown to full strength, he could handle them now, saving himself trouble later.

In short, he needed to stay busy.

“Nngh…”

Swallowing the bitter feeling, he lifted his body.

At that, Hong Yeonhwa’s arms tightened around him.

He wriggled out and found a large pillow nearby, placing it in her arms as a replacement.

Hong Yeonhwa, who hadn’t slept well, twitched slightly as if sensing something strange, but soon drifted back into deep, steady breaths.

He climbed out of bed.

Looking around with his half-open eyes, he saw only fog. Eventually, he closed them again.

He opened the room’s mini-fridge and took out a drink.

Judging by the label, it appeared to be orange juice. The glass bottle was rather fancy, suggesting even the drinks here were high-end.

‘There’s no… scent.’

He unscrewed the cap and took a sniff, but there wasn’t the slightest hint of orange.

Instead, he could catch traces of other scents.

The commonality was that they all seemed to originate from Hong Yeonhwa… her scent, to be exact.

With a puzzled expression, he took a sip.

It was cool.

There was no taste. Last night, when he’d pressed close to Hong Yeonhwa, he’d been able to taste her skin.

His vision had returned the previous night, and with it, his senses of taste and smell.

But something about them felt incomplete.

And he could even speak.

“Ah─ Ow…!”

• Cough.

It was a half-formed ability.

The moment he tried to speak, pain tore through his neck. He was used to pain by now, so he didn’t collapse to the floor.

Last night, he’d managed to speak just fine, but now it was back to this.

He had a hunch.

‘......’

He returned to the bed.

Hong Yeonhwa was still sound asleep.

He felt a bit guilty. She hadn’t slept well last night because she’d let him lean on her.

He gently adjusted the blanket over her chest and quietly spoke.

“Yeon…hwa…”

His guess was correct.

His voice was functional under specific conditions.

‘What is this…’

Eyes that only saw Hong Yeonhwa, a nose that only smelled her scent, taste buds that only sensed her flavor… a voice that only worked when directed to her…

His sealed senses had returned, but not completely.

The Curse of Silence was lifted, though only partially.

He hadn’t done anything.

He hadn’t used a Jewel of Salvation, nor a wish from the Towers.

What could have caused the curse to malfunction after that kiss?

He had a vague idea…

‘……’

He let out a deep sigh and opened his eyes.

The fog was thick. When Hong Yeonhwa left his line of sight, only fog filled his vision.

Even though it was dense enough to make seeing beyond a step impossible…

In the corner of his vision, something flickered—a small rectangle hovering in midair.

When he turned his gaze toward it, the rectangle shifted to stay in the corner.

‘What the hell…’

He immediately understood what it was.

Being familiar with the game Savior, he knew exactly what that icon represented.

And so, he couldn’t help but curse.

Grinding his teeth, he rubbed his face.

‘Status window…’

The faithful companion aiding a player’s growth.

‘So that was still attached…’

A hollow laugh escaped as he felt his knees go weak…

 

Player Adjustment System: Favorability

Lee Hayul → Hong Yeonhwa
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♡ (90▷91/100)
「Affection」 「Milk」 「Sense of Debt」 「Gratitude」 「Warmth」 「Comfort」 「Softness」