Awakening in the Cabin
Ariel blinked vacantly into empty space.
The scene unfolding before her eyes refused to feel real.
Just seconds ago, those goblins had been lunging at her, drooling filthy saliva.
Now their skulls were exploding like watermelons under fist-sized stones shot from the forest shadows.
Splat!Crunch!
Blood and marrow sprayed everywhere.
Hot, sticky droplets trickled down Ariel's pale cheek, but she couldn't even scream.
And then... the last surviving goblin shrieked in terror.
"Kieeeek!"
As it clumsily turned to flee—
Swish—
A tall, powerfully built man emerged against the moonlight, utterly out of place in this horrific forest.
An axe gleamed in his hand, tracing a merciless arc.
No battle cry. No hesitation.
Crack!
The axe blade sank into the goblin's crown and cleaved straight down without stopping.
From the top of its skull through the brow, chest, and groin.
The goblin's body split vertically, collapsing limply to either side.
Watching it all, Ariel's vision began to blur rapidly.
'Ahh...'
A dream.
This had to be one of those sweet yet cruel hallucinations flashing before death, like a life review.
Otherwise, no way someone like that shows up at this exact moment.
Convinced it was an illusion, Ariel closed her eyes.
It was warm. And soft.
Ariel struggled to lift her trembling eyelids.
The first thing her hazy vision caught was a rough-hewn log ceiling.
Cool dawn air from the forest mingled with the scent of coarse straw at her nose.
'Where... am I?'
Too tangible against her back for the afterlife.
As she tried to sit up to assess—
"Eek...!"
A sharp pain lancing through her body drew an involuntary groan.
Every muscle screamed, every joint creaked.
The agony yanked her consciousness fully awake.
She was alive.
Reflexively, she looked down at herself.
And felt her heart plummet.
"Wha...?"
Bare skin.
Her mud- and blood-caked clothes were gone, replaced by tight white bandages wrapping her naked form.
Someone had stripped her completely.
And touched every inch while bandaging her.
She began to shiver uncontrollably.
Memories of the goblins flashed—just before capture.
What if that handsome man wasn't a hallucination?
What if he'd saved her from the monsters only to claim her as spoils and drag her here?
Panting, Ariel instinctively raised her left wrist.
A thin red thread bound tightly there.
The magical restraint proving a woman's virginity.
If violated, it would snap or blacken.
Her trembling eyes focused.
The red thread was intact.
Unmarred, vividly crimson as ever.
"Haa... Thank goodness...."
Tension melted into a deep sigh of relief.
The worst hadn't happened.
Clear proof that whoever brought her here hadn't ravaged her unconscious body like a beast.
Gurgle—
Relief unleashed a mortifying stomach rumble.
At the same time, a savory, warm aroma wafted through the open door crack.
Rich stew of meat soaked in oil and simmered herbs.
Clinking dishes and approaching footsteps entered the room.
Ariel yanked the thin blanket up to her chest, hiding her skin.
Creak— The door opened, revealing the man from before she fainted.
Lee Han.
Steam rose from the bowl in his hands.
"You're awake."
Dry, emotionless voice.
Ignoring Ariel's wary glare, Lee Han set the bowl down with a thunk on the rickety bedside table.
"I'm Lee Han."
Ariel silently repeated the name.
Her savior from hell.
But naked under a blanket on his bed, she felt endlessly vulnerable.
Shame and caution made her gaze wander.
With a quavering voice, she forced words out.
"Um... excuse me... my clothes...?"
"Ah."
Lee Han jerked his chin outward.
"Hanging outside. They were caked in blood and mud—unwearable. Washing now, so stick with the blanket till they dry."
"Ah... yes."
This man hadn't touched her lewdly, had treated her wounds, and now offered hot food... He was that kind.
"First... I should thank you...."
Ariel clutched the blanket tight, straining to sit up.
"Eek... Ahh!"
But agony struck again, collapsing her back onto the bed.
"Don't push it. Full-body bruises and burns. Lucky your bones aren't shattered."
"..."
"At least a week flat on your back to recover."
Businesslike tone. So he didn't seem bad.
No—this beastly world, he was a miraculous benefactor.
Blushing, Ariel murmured softly.
"Ah... thank you... truly, you're my lifesaver...."
"Save the thanks."
Lee Han dragged a wooden chair from the table and plopped down.
Then abruptly reached toward her.
"Need to check your wounds."
"Y-yes...?"
"Time to change bandages. Check progress. Reapply herbs."
Ariel flinched briefly but nodded.
He'd saved her; stripping was purely for treatment.
Doubting her benefactor was wrong.
"Yes... please do...."
Blushing furiously, Ariel squeezed her eyes shut and eased the blanket aside.
Her voluptuous figure lay fully exposed on the bed.
Full breasts' curves, smooth abdomen, hips accentuating femininity.
A body to make any man swallow hard.
And Lee Han stared piercingly.
Of course, his mind wasn't on the lust Ariel imagined.
'What a body.'
Lee Han admired her form. But not like that.
'So many spots to treat.'
The trait he craved most: one boosting survival.
Healing.
Passively amplified treatment effects; higher levels added magical healing. The ultimate cheat utility trait.
While cleaning her blood and applying crushed herbs, he'd pulled countless treatment triggers.
So this pink-haired woman covered in minor wounds... was prime farming material!
'Makes me hard just thinking about it.'
Her body stirred base thoughts, but the Healing trait prospect made it throb more.
Give me the trait.
"Might sting a bit."
Lee Han unceremoniously unwound the bandages at her chest.
"Nngh... Eek."
Ariel turned her head, face aflame.
Ignoring it, Lee Han meticulously applied herbs to every injured spot.
Abrasions deep in her cleavage.
Long scrape on her inner thigh.
Deep bruises near her hips.
With eerie focus, he coated them all.
"Hnn... Eek."
His fingers brushing skin made her quiver.
Locking eyes with his gleaming gaze, Ariel's heart sank.
A man's eyes.
Gleaming hunger. Or... psychotic greed.
'No way.'
The perverse fetish of back-alley nobles or madmen.
Inflicting pain on others and reveling in it—purely gore-loving sadism!
'No way... this man...'
He hadn't saved her.
Under pretense of treatment, he was toying with wounds, savoring her pain.
Imagination spiraling, her jaw trembled.
Pupils shook like an earthquake; fingertips blanched white.
Of course, Lee Han's gleaming eyes had a simple reason.
Trait Collector Lv.Max has activated.
You've touched the law of life that restores flesh!
Acquired new trait: Healing (Lv.1).
'Jackpot.'
Gazing at Ariel like this made his mouth water.
How else could he work her for more useful traits?
Meanwhile, Ariel only grew more horrified by his gaze.