Day 3 of the Tower Entrance.
Half of the schedule has already zipped by, and just hours after the main event, the final boss has been discovered and taken down.
Essentially, the main event is over.
As the end of the Tower approaches, the competition among the students is heating up even more.
Hong Yeon-hwa and her group are sneaking away with the dazed Lee Ha-yul.
Everyone has exhausted a significant amount of stamina and mana while battling the boss.
Baek Ahrin, who was aggressively attacking to grab the boss’s attention, and Elia, who showered the fighters with various enhancement spells and buffs for a powerful strike.
Then there’s Hong Yeon-hwa, who pushed Gop-hwa to the max and even used her expansion abilities.
They hesitated to engage in a scuffle with the students who were alerted by the commotion.
After creating a bit of distance, they dug a tunnel into the ground. On top of that, Baek Ahrin laid down some other magic to hastily create a temporary base.
Building temporary bases or trenches is occasionally necessary knowledge in dungeons or on the frontline, so it’s a proud part of the Shio-ram curriculum.
Some time has passed since they hid away to recover stamina.
The interior only has a small hole letting in a trickle of sunlight.
The group was sitting in a triangle around a glowing spell set up in the center.
…It’s four of them, but it’s a triangle.
Baek Ahrin is diagonally left of Hong Yeon-hwa, and Elia is on the right diagonal. Both are staring in this direction.
Blank stares and an awkward atmosphere. Curiosity is evident, but they show a hesitation to ask.
Hong Yeon-hwa cautiously adjusts her posture.
– Just a second
“Eek…”
The breath tickling her neck intensified. The corners of Hong Yeon-hwa’s eyes twitched.
What was nestled in her arms squirmed and burrowed inward. The warmth pressing against her chest became more pronounced.
Hong Yeon-hwa glanced down at her arms. There lay Lee Ha-yul, eyes tightly shut, his cheek pressed against her bosom.
‘Eek…’
Her heart clutched, and she shut her eyes against the overwhelming attack.
People often describe Hong Yeon-hwa’s personality as hasty and fiery. That’s somewhat correct.
She was the type to throw punches before sweet-talking her opponent.
But what most don’t know is that the result of her struggle to control herself led to this moment.
The output of Gop-hwa that Hong Yeon-hwa possesses is unprecedented in her clan’s history. The escalation of her emotions is the highest it has ever been.
From a young age, she was far from calm, and after awakening Gop-hwa at an early age, it only intensified.
Thus, since childhood, she had been trained extensively in managing Gop-hwa and her emotions.
In other words, despite her antics, Hong Yeon-hwa is a person of great patience.
However, she was currently being tested to her limits in real-time.
After barely suppressing the urge rising inside her, she gently patted Lee Ha-yul’s back with the hand supporting him.
“It’s not going anywhere, so it’s okay…”
Gone was her usual shy demeanor as he nestled closer and started whining.
There’s a guess forming in her mind, hence why she quietly offers her embrace and comforts him.
As she whispered that it was fine in his ear, he seemed to settle down. With her gentle pats continuing, his erratic breaths slowly evened out.
Feeling increasingly relaxed, Hong Yeon-hwa let out a sigh of relief and kept stroking Lee Ha-yul’s back.
But suddenly, she felt a piercing gaze. Hong Yeon-hwa hesitantly lifted her head. Baek Ahrin wore an incredibly mysterious expression.
“Yoonyo, it’s really awkward since you’re doing that.”
“Awkward, my foot.”
“That’s not the violent Yeon-hwa I knew…”
Hong Yeon-hwa frowned at Baek Ahrin’s exaggerated reaction. She knew it was just a light joke before getting to the point.
Baek Ahrin, the heir of the Changhae Clan, has had deep ties with the Gop-hwa Clan for a long time.
Being the heiress of the Changhae Clan, Baek Ahrin has met Gop-hwa Clan members frequently and has encountered their unique abilities.
So she couldn’t possibly be unaware of the flame that had erupted from Lee Ha-yul.
After all, it’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t know about the unique power called Gop-hwa.
Elia had momentarily left her seat. Watching the atmosphere, she seemed to have stepped aside.
Baek Ahrin hesitated, then moved her eyes before casually saying, “Lee Ha-yul, were you a member of the Gop-hwa Clan?”
“I don’t know.”
“Huh?”
“I said I don’t know.”
Hong Yeon-hwa replied tersely, easily ignoring Baek Ahrin’s questioning gaze.
But she couldn’t help the complexity of her own feelings.
The Gop-hwa Clan has been a power since two hundred years ago.
With the blood of the progenitor, Hong Yeon, flowing down, the unique skill Gop-hwa has continued along with it.
As the generations pass, the traits of individuals change, and although Gop-hwa has seen various changes, its fundamental foundation remained the same.
Not everyone who inherits the progenitor’s blood awakens Gop-hwa.
Some couldn’t awaken their mana, others couldn’t manifest their unique powers, and some manifested ordinary fire attributes instead, or entirely different unique abilities.
Even the rare occurrence of Gop-hwa would differ slightly from user to user.
Not everyone in the Gop-hwa Clan manifested Gop-hwa.
However, it’s a given that everyone who does possess Gop-hwa is part of the clan, with particularly ‘strong’ Gop-hwa always coming from the main house.
‘……’
With a complicated expression, Hong Yeon-hwa pet Lee Ha-yul’s head.
For a moment, feeling the softness in her grasp felt awkward, but as he rubbed his head against her hand, a smile broke out.
“…Was this your first awakening?”
“It seems like it.”
In agreement with Baek Ahrin, who had been watching intently, Hong Yeon-hwa nodded.
“What’s next? Are you planning to bring him into the clan?”
“First, I need to find out if he is a clan member.”
Hong Yeon-hwa tightened her expression.
If he used Gop-hwa, assuming that the bloodline has awakened it, Lee Ha-yul must indeed be a part of the Gop-hwa Clan.
But why was Lee Ha-yul abandoned in an orphanage since infancy? How did that burn on his right hand occur, and who did such a thing?
Nothing is confirmed yet, but those questions need answers first.
“Then Lee Ha-yul would become Hong Ha-yul?”
“What’s that… You should tell Ha-yul first.”
“Or are you planning to marry him off as a son-in-law?”
“W-what? Suddenly spouting nonsense…! Ahem! What weird talk is this!”
Baek Ahrin burst into laughter at Hong Yeon-hwa’s expected furious reaction. Hong Yeon-hwa gritted her teeth but adjusted her posture just in case Lee Ha-yul felt uncomfortable.
Awakening mana and unique abilities are determined during childhood.
Gop-hwa, when first awakened, unleashes flames haphazardly in all directions.
Fortunately, there are signs leading up to it, but dangerous nonetheless.
Also, if one cannot control Gop-hwa, there is a dramatic rise in emotions as well.
Right now, Lee Ha-yul’s state is likely like that. His mana is empty, Gop-hwa has halted, but the emotional surge remains.
That’s why… he suddenly dove into Hong Yeon-hwa’s arms.
Emotional elevation, amplification, rise.
Whatever you want to call it, at that moment, controlling emotions becomes difficult.
But one thing remains the same: new emotions don’t spring up out of nowhere.
One can hate someone even more, but one can’t start liking someone they dislike.
What has nestled in her arms… was it something he had always wanted to do?
Suddenly, that thought made her face heat up.
Inside the tunnel, the magic cast provided just enough light. Trying to hide her flushed face, she bowed her head, only for her nose to bury itself in Lee Ha-yul’s hair.
“…Sniff sniff?”
Hah.
Hong Yeon-hwa inhaled deeply. An indescribable sensation shot up her spine. The fragrance that had been subtly rising earlier hit her straight in the brain.
Lee Ha-yul’s scent filled her nostrils. An exotic aroma she had never smelled before… yet it felt somehow familiar, a contradictory fragrance.
Perhaps it could be compared to the sweet scent of fresh grass mixed with honey.
Not overly strong yet subtly intoxicating, his scent filled her chest. The heavenly sensation made her body tremble.
‘W-wha… what the hell is this?!’
This madness. Just as she was melting into a wave of impulses, reason swiftly returned.
Hong Yeon-hwa gasped and scolded herself. What was she doing, acting so absurdly.
Suddenly lifting her head, she subtly checked Baek Ahrin’s response.
“……”
She didn’t seem to react at all. What was she thinking, her eyes closed as she gently nodded her fingers.
Seemingly pondering about Lee Ha-yul’s Gop-hwa.
Hong Yeon-hwa’s mind was entangled, but the current situation was far more stimulating than her complicated thoughts.
“…Ahem.”
After a brief pause, Hong Yeon-hwa quietly lowered her head again, burying her nose in his soft hair.
Sniff sniff…
When she thought about it, wasn’t Ha-yul giving in to emotions by snuggling up to her? This was just an amplification of emotions. No new feelings were being created.
In other words, it meant that Ha-yul secretly wanted to be in her arms all along.
If that were the case, wasn’t it okay for her to allow this much?
Hong Yeon-hwa finished her self-justification. Despite her efforts at mental training, she was still young and inexperienced.
‘…What’s she doing?’
Baek Ahrin tilted her head with her eyes half-closed.
Hong Yeon-hwa’s crown was clearly visible. When she listened closely, it was like the breath of a perv, loud and clear.
…No matter how much she tried to suppress it, to openly be smelling him like that?
If you cut out the context… no, even with the context, it was a pretty bizarre scene.
Here was a half-dazed person cradled in her arms while she buried her head in his hair, sniffing away…
‘Isn’t that sexual harassment…?’
She considered whether to intervene but then recalled how Lee Ha-yul usually treated Hong Yeon-hwa.
…With his blunt personality, if she asked to let him smell, wouldn’t he panic and yet comply?
Baek Ahrin shook her head and stood up. She thought of bringing Elia, who must be bored outside.
With swift strides, she stepped outside the tunnel.
– Ding!
Suddenly ticklish breath made Lee Ha-yul wriggle.
*
– Ding!
[The “Blessing of Growth” assists your growth.]
[The “Blessing of Growth (Special)” assists your growth.]
[The “Blessing of Growth (Tower Entrance)” assists your growth.]
[The “Curse of Beauty and the Beast” assists your growth.]
[The “Curse of Loneliness” assists your growth.]
[The “Curse of Silence” assists your growth.]
[The ability “■■ and □□” is growing.]
[The unique ability “Jack of All Trades” is growing.]
[The unique ability “Mana Affinity” is growing.]
[The ability? “?” is manifesting temporarily.]
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