The woman, who had allowed the attack on her abdomen, rolled around on the ground.
Sweating profusely, trembling uncontrollably, the woman finally collapsed, her body sagging onto the floor.
Her teacher, waiting for her to get up, let out a long sigh and approached her, pressing down on the woman's belly with his finger.
The scene in the training room, with the childish woman lying down and the teacher pressing her belly, was a familiar sight. After all, it was something he had experienced personally in the past.
But it felt strange, seeing it from the perspective of a third party.
It felt almost like being a ghost, but now that I was used to it, I couldn’t fold my arms... so I rested my left hand on my waist and calmly surveyed the surroundings.
Were bad dreams called nightmares?
If so, this dream would be the opposite, a good dream.
This time in my life was truly happy.
The training was hard, but the results were clear, and the meals we ate together were twice as delicious as when I ate alone.
Just look at this moment.
We’re just having lunch together, yet the woman's sweat-soaked face is beaming with a bright smile.
‘Sigh.’
For some reason, that sight made me uneasy.
I sighed deeply, turned away from my past self, and met the eyes of my current self reflected in the mirror.
Naturally, I began comparing myself to the past I had just observed.
It was really different.
An empty arm, and limbs that had grown long with age.
Despite being a superhuman with great recovery, I still had several scars all over my body, with exhaustion and resignation clinging to my face.
Compared to the bright past, I looked too miserable.
That was the reality.
I didn’t want to leave. At least if I stayed trapped in a dream, I could bury myself in that happy past.
She had fallen into hell at some point, and now, hopelessly, she was waiting for the day she would die.
‘Tsk.’
I clicked my tongue, struck my head with my fist.
At this rate, I’d really be buried in a dream.
There was no impact. Instead, the world shook with a loud rumble, melting and blurring like it was dissolving.
The past self and the teacher who shone in the dream disappeared as well.
It was time to return to the dull reality.
“......”
My consciousness floated upwards.
I had returned to the cold, hard reality.
She found herself lying in an oddly soft place.
Not saying anything unnecessary, she first recalled the situation right before she fainted.
It wasn’t difficult to remember.
While briefly going out to gather food, a copycat monster? Or another human was picking up her underwear and observing it.
She had tried to blow their head off as usual, but failed.
When she tried to fight seriously, she ended up getting beaten up, and in the end, a powerful attack landed on her abdomen, causing her to lose consciousness.
‘Well, I tried to fix it, but what was I supposed to do...?’
Was it because of the dream just now? That failure hurt even more. Thinking back to the shock that spread through her abdomen, she smiled bitterly.
At least I’m alive, but with that level of impact, I should have had some bruises...
‘Wait, it doesn’t hurt?’
Just as she was about to think, an odd sense of discomfort made her twitch her fingers.
There was no resistance. Her wrists and ankles felt the same. There was no sense of being restrained.
Was that all? Her body actually felt lighter.
The injuries she had left unattended, relying on her recovery abilities, had completely disappeared.
‘What’s going on?’
This wasn’t the situation she had expected.
She had been certain she would either be beaten and imprisoned somewhere or die without waking up from the dream.
But neither happened. There were no restraints, and her body had recovered completely. She hadn’t died.
What the hell was going on?
Should she pretend to be unconscious and observe the situation further?
[Are you awake?]
“......”
She immediately got caught. A strange sense of certainty in the voice made her frown as she slowly sat up.
The thing that had been covering her body slid off gently.
She had no thoughts at first, but the softness brushing against her body made her shiver slightly. Her eyes widened at the softness of the ground beneath her as well.
‘Sleeping bag?’
It wasn’t the rough, smelly monster skin. When she unconsciously reached out and touched it, the world’s softest texture gently caressed her rough palm.
Additionally, a heat magic tool beside her was melting her body, keeping her warm.
It wasn’t overly hot like a flame, nor was it sending sparks or burning the leather. It was just a convenient magic tool that kept her warm.
[How are you feeling? I’ve treated you, so please let me know if there’s any problem.]
“...Your tone sounds so refined?”
She hadn’t felt a hint of civilization in years, and her eyes trembled slightly, but then she straightened up and looked around, raising her tension.
Her gaze fell on the attacker, who was sitting on the floor, wearing a robe.
She tensed up, as if ready to strike at any moment.
She sneered at the strange mask that hid the attacker’s face.
“Just a moment ago, you were beating me like a dog. Is it that easy for you to go back to attacking now that you’re free?”
[...Please don’t misunderstand, I have something I want to ask.]
“Why act like you're scared, you bastard? What, when you feel a bit relaxed, are you going to take another swing at me? Huh?”
[Please don’t curse...]
The attacker, suddenly shrinking at her sharp reply, frowned.
She had been all fiery moments ago, but now, pretending to care about her mood, her brow furrowed.
[Are you Daela Celeste...?]
“...Who are you?”
Daera froze at the sudden mention of her name.
A copycat monster, or perhaps some mysterious figure tracking her recently.
Either way, it was strange that this person knew her name.
[For now, I’m not a monster.]
“Whether you’re a monster or human, why the hell do you know my name, you bastard?”
[Alright, I understand. Please don’t curse... I’ll explain.]
The attacker, sensing Daera’s murderous glare, quickly pulled off the robe.
‘White?’
Beneath the dark robe was unexpected, pure white hair.
Even in this wasteland, her hair shimmered with a glow.
Even when hidden under the robe, there had been an aura of nobility, and her hair matched that.
While Daera blinked, a slender hand removed the mask.
The dim surroundings suddenly brightened.
“Eh?”
In her brief life, she had met many people. Some were objectively unattractive, while many others were handsome or beautiful.
But not this person in front of her.
A beauty.
A person whose appearance seemed to have had an immense amount of effort poured into it—so much so that even a single part would be insufficient to describe it.
“Eh, eh...”
Daera, who hadn’t faced people properly for years, was overwhelmed by the violent beauty in front of her.
[My name is Ihayul. And...]
Her shock and astonishment were completely washed away by the words that came right after.
[Teacher... I am a disciple of Astra. Are you... Daera-senpai?]
“......”
Daera’s mind went blank.
At the same time, a hope that had been buried under resignation began to rise.
Daera Celeste.
I hadn’t met her yet, but I knew her name.
After becoming a disciple of my teacher, there were times when, while falling asleep in his arms, he would tell me about the past, almost like reading from a fairy tale.
I didn’t exactly enjoy it.
Listening to my teacher’s past was fine, but sometimes it felt like I was digging up old wounds.
And with the way he smiled while reminiscing about the past, a kind of filthy jealousy would creep into my heart.
But, I had heard the story anyway.
Maybe it was because of the perception of being blind? Or maybe it was because I didn’t want to probe any deeper.
But my teacher never showed me a photo of the missing disciple.
That’s why it took me a while to realize.
‘It’s an excuse, but... now that I know...’
If I had figured it out a little sooner, I might not have ended up hitting Daera or driving my energy into her abdomen.
Anyway.
[...That’s what happened.]
While stroking the egg-shaped heat magic tool, I briefly explained the situation to Daera.
Sitting across from me, Daera blinked blankly, her lips opening and closing uselessly as her pupils darted around, unable to focus.
‘Did I explain it too briefly?’
But there wasn’t much I could do. It’s impossible to explain everything in such a short amount of time.
I could have dumped all the information using my knowledge, but I wasn’t sure about the potential side effects, so I held back.
“......”
Daera’s shoulders trembled slightly. She had clearly been emotionally stirred, and I steeled myself.
It wasn’t uncommon for people to throw a fit after hearing shocking news.
This was the reverse side, packed with monsters and threats.
Though I was blocking her presence from the inside of the barracks, if Daera panicked, her special lightning powers could be dangerous, even for the barracks.
“Ugh, ugh...”
She trembled as if electrocuted.
I prepared to subdue her, no matter what reaction she showed.
“Ugh, cough, ugh...!”
[?]
Contrary to my worries, Daera didn’t show any violent symptoms.
Instead, she lowered her head, tears like droplets of rain falling from her eyes as she quietly sobbed.
[Da, Daera-sama...?]
The sight of her was so pitiful.
It felt as if I were a half-eaten piece of food waste in the face of her sorrow. I hesitated and approached her.
Before I knew it, Daera grabbed me and pulled me into her arms, burying me against her chest.
“Is it... really true? You’re not lying, right? If it’s a lie, I’ll really kill you... okay?”
There was a mix of weak doubt and an overwhelming desire for this to be true.
I nodded slowly, lifting my gaze.
[Yes, yes. It’s true. I showed you the photo, right? Teacher is healthy too.]
“Ah, cough... I haven’t given up, but... thank goodness... really...”
[Yes, it’s really a relief.]
As Daera’s arms tightened around me, her soft chest pressed against my face. Heavy tears fell onto my hair.
‘......’
The density of emotions conveyed through those tears was dark and deep. Given the circumstances, it wasn’t surprising at all.
Feeling pity, I gently patted her back.
I reached under the robe, pulling out the heavenly feathers hidden beneath, and carefully placed them over Daera to cover her.
.
.
.
It took a while for Daera to stop crying.
Considering the suffering she had endured, she probably managed to control her emotions as quickly as she could.
Knowing this, I stayed quietly like a doll in her arms.
Though tears had stained me, I wasn’t running away for something so trivial.
“Sniff...”
Daera sniffled, her eyes red and moist.
I had already been wiping her eyes with a handkerchief from before.
“Ugh, hehe... thank you.”
Daera smiled faintly and hugged me even tighter. I was buried in her soft flesh, and it became difficult to breathe.
“Aah... it’s so warm... I’m sorry if this is uncomfortable... but I really need some human warmth right now...”
[Of course, I understand, Daera-sama.]
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I nodded firmly at Daera’s words of apology.
She needed warmth. How could I not understand that?
I was also extremely thirsty for affection, having been alone recently.
And Daera? It must have been even longer. I would have gone mad by now if I were in her place.
Thinking this way, I couldn’t help but admire Daera and feel relieved that she was okay.
I poked my head out from her chest and softly patted Daera’s back, truly relieved.
[Thank you for enduring until now. Let’s go back together now.]
“Huff! Yeah... Thank you. Hehe. You said you learned from Teacher, right? My junior is so kind...”
[Yes, I learned the basics from Teacher. Thanks to that, I’ve grown... ]
...but then, a strange feeling suddenly made my mouth twitch.
[...Junior?]
What did that mean? I searched with my knowledge.
The answer came quickly.
My lips trembled.
[Daera-sama, I’m not a woman.]
“Pfft, hehe! You really can’t take a joke. Then, actually, I’m a man.”
[.......]
“...Huh?”
Seeing my annoyed expression, Daera finally blinked and looked down at me, still holding me in her arms.
She tilted her head, confused.
“...You’re telling me you’re not a woman with that face...?”
[I'm a man.]
[I'm a man.]
[I'm a man.]
[I'm a man—]
“Ah, I see. I got it for now.”
Without listening to my complaints, Daera buried her face in my chest again.
Well, even if it was like this, there was no stopping the confession necklace, but I swallowed my dissatisfaction deep inside.
“Sigh...”
After confirming that my voice had stopped, Daera sighed heavily and buried her face in my hair.
“Sniff sniff... Junior—no, no, what was it again? Oh, right. Disciple! The smell of my disciple is so good...”
[Daera-sama, I’m a man...]
“Sorry, I really need the smell of a person right now. Is it bothering you?”
[It’s... not that, I just feel like we’re too close for comfort...]
“What does it matter? If the smell is good, who cares about gender?”
As she sniffed my scent, I asked, confused, and Daera didn’t seem to care. She buried her nose back into my hair.
“Sniff, ha... but seriously, your scent is really so good. You’re really so pretty... Sniff sniff...”
[Daera-sama, you’re kind of creepy...]
When I said that, I felt a sharp pang in my chest. I wasn’t sure why.
[...By the way, Daera-sama]
“Hmm...? Huh...?”
It was then.
When I called her, she gave me a displeased sound, mumbling to herself.
I tilted my head in confusion, and Daera looked down at me with a serious expression.
“Disciple? Don’t call me by that title so formally, just call me ‘Saja~’ and be done with it.”
It was an unexpected topic. I had no idea why this subject suddenly came up.
[Suddenly?]
“It’s not sudden. I learned from Teacher, and you learned from Teacher too, right? So we’re both Saja and disciple.”
It wasn’t incorrect, I guess. Titles do carry different meanings for different people...
[Uh... Daera Saja?]
“No, in the end, it’s still ‘Saja’. But I like it, it feels kind of affectionate. Hehe...”
Daera, or should I say, Daera Saja, hugged me again.
She seemed very much in need of affection from someone. Now that I thought about it, her obsession with titles made sense.
...Thinking about it, I think I might be obsessed with the title of Teacher as well.
[Umm, Daera Saja, have you seen the core in this space?]
“Huh? Core? That missile thing?”
[No, no, I mean the pillar of the space... think of it as the dungeon's core.]
“Ah? So this was a dungeon, huh?”
[Hmm... it’s similar to that.]
“Ah, I see...”
Daera nodded and then buried her nose back in my hair. After a while, she suddenly lifted her head.
“Ah, I think I saw a few places that could be called cores.”
[Really?]
My expression brightened at her words. After all, she had lived here for years.
She must have had some experience with the core.
It didn’t matter if it wasn’t exact; as long as I knew the general direction, I could find it quickly.
“It was so unique, it really stuck with me. It’s somewhere here, sticking out of the ground.”
[What is it?]
I eagerly waited for her answer, and Daera shrugged.
“It’s a tower. It’s huge and stretches all the way up into the sky.”
...
[What?]
[What...??]
[....What did you just say?]
Her answer was completely unexpected.
[Player Compensation System: Favorability]
Lee Ha-yul →?
●●●○○○○○○○(35/100)
｢Master of Traces｣ ｢Discomfort｣
▼Dramatic Changes▼
Lee Ha-yool → Daera Celeste
●●●●●●○○○○(61/100)
｢Private House｣ ｢Lightning｣ ｢Sympathy｣ ｢Compassion｣ ｢Pity｣ ｢Pity｣