Cha Uijae opened his eyes. Something damp and heavy was draped over his aching face. It felt like a wet towel. This had happened not too long ago, hadn’t it? Uijae blinked several times under the towel. His entire body felt like it had been beaten, but that wasn’t the main concern.

"…Where am I?"

He was sure he had collapsed in the library, yet here he was, lying on what seemed to be a bed. Uijae fiddled with the soft, heavy blanket as he drifted into thought. This didn’t seem like the infirmary of the Seowon Guild. There was no smell of disinfectant or gusts of wind seeping through hastily repaired wall cracks. Even the blanket was softer and strangely familiar.

Uijae removed the damp towel. He blinked again. Darkness. The only thing visible was a glaring red countdown: 25 hours, drastically reduced.

"Did I lose nearly a whole day…?"

There was no time to waste. As he started to sit up, a chilling voice cut through the air.

"…You’re awake, huh?"