Obsession (3)
Obsession (3)
Which matters more: the physical body or the soul?
When it comes to perceiving, destroying, modifying, and mending, the body is easier. The soul—few can even perceive it, and it is difficult to handle.
Yet when it comes to importance, neither can be placed above the other.
The body is the vessel; the soul is its contents.
When the body collapses, the soul collapses. When the soul rots, the body rots along with it.
By that law, body and soul are both vital components. If either is missing, a living being dies.
'My soul tried to tear itself out of my body.'
Though my mind was held captive by nightmares and in agony, once I woke up I realized what had happened to me.
Normally even perceiving it is a struggle, but in that moment I could sense the soul with stark clarity.
The unconscious body had churned and boiled. Mana lay dormant. Something more fundamental—the soul—had seethed, trying to shatter the vessel and burst free.
By ordinary laws, I had just nearly croaked.
'Would I have died...?'
I quietly dismissed the train of thought. Would my body have been torn apart and died? By any normal measure, death should have been certain, but I honestly wasn't sure.
I am, after all, some kind of hybrid of unknown origin.
But that wasn't the important part.
'......'
As my body and soul pulled apart, I felt a sensation that defied description.
A sense of something deeply essential coming loose. Naturally, you would expect to feel the body and soul separating—but this was different.
The sense that the unique things that constitute me—my Unique Abilities—were drifting apart from each other.
I closed my eyes gently and traced back over the sensation. There was something I could deduce from it.
'The Lee Ha-yul of this side was a soulless shell. The me from the original world was a bodiless soul.'
According to Ariel's explanation, on this side there was a body without a soul, and in the original world there was me—a soul without a body.
They should have originally been one, but somehow they had been separated.
The Tower Masters discovered that body and that soul of mine, and recently summoned the soul and breathed it into the body. That was the full account of how I was called into this world.
'...The Unique Ability that grew distant was All-Rounder.'
I had perceived the sensations relative to the soul.
Which means All-Rounder is the Unique Ability that remained in the body. By that logic, Mana Affinity would naturally be the Unique Ability of the soul.
If I think of it that way, several circumstances make sense.
Why had I never caught even the faintest sign of having All-Rounder as a Unique Ability in the original world?
Because it was the innate talent belonging to the body. Having no body, of course I wouldn't have All-Rounder.
The reason the Player could acquire and handle all manner of Unique Abilities, learn techniques, and become anything? Because the observations were made on the premise of a body that possessed both immense potential and All-Rounder.
...Why a faint soul bloomed within an empty body, I don't know.
'...Hmm...'
"Ha-yul, are you hurting?"
While I was deep in thought, a hand came to rest on my forehead. It was Hong Yeon-hwa's hand, radiating a dense, warm body heat.
"Nn... I'm okay..."
She must have gotten worried, seeing me sitting there blankly with my eyes closed.
I shook my head side to side and buried my face into the palm touching my forehead. The headache that had been splitting my skull just moments ago gradually scattered at Hong Yeon-hwa's touch.
"You're not completely okay. Even though you've stabilized for now, the aftereffects of whatever went wrong are still there. You need to stick to porridge for a while and monitor your condition."
[Yes...]
I nodded at Professor Liana's words from across the way.
She was right. I'd recovered a fair amount, but the aftereffects of almost having my body and soul separated lingered. I'd probably need to keep an eye on my condition and refrain from pushing myself for the time being.
"The Birth Festival is coming up soon... will you be okay by then...?"
'Ah...'
I let out a silent exclamation at Hong Yeon-hwa's worried murmur.
Now that she mentioned it, the Birth Festival was approaching.
The largest festival Siyoram holds every winter.
An occasion when outside guests are generously permitted entry, and cadets are given a great deal of free rein.
'In the Tower... I need to properly demonstrate my ability...'
The Birth Festival also includes a Tower entry schedule. A short-term affair lasting only a few hours, not the usual five-day Tower entry.
But exceptionally, it was also a schedule where the interior of the Tower would be broadcast to the outside world.
I need to make my capabilities clearly known during that event. I don't need to reveal my trump cards, of course, but at the very least I need to let it be widely known where my current weight class stands.
The Reverse Side. In the process of resolving the damage from that incident, I'll need cooperation from the Association and various other parties.
I do have the authority handed over to me before, so it's not an issue—but if I show my strength, my arguments will carry more weight later on.
I observed the state of my body for a moment and shook my head.
"By then... I can recover."
"...Don't overdo it. If it's hard, you don't have to participate in something like the cross-dressing contest."
As I nodded to myself with that thought, Hong Yeon-hwa looked down at me in her arms with a worried expression.
"Oh? Ha-yul is entering the cross-dressing contest too?"
"Yeah, I brought it up last time so I was thinking of signing up, but then his condition turned out like this..."
When Ellia's eyes went round and she asked, Hong Yeon-hwa gently tucked my hair behind my ear.
"It was a joke to begin with, so don't feel bad about it. Okay?"
A moment later, as a gentle touch brushed my cheek, I rubbed my face against it and shook my head.
"It's fine... I'll do it..."
"Are you sure you'll be okay? You were so embarrassed back then. Thinking about it now, I feel like I pushed you too hard..."
"Nn..."
I nodded inwardly at Hong Yeon-hwa's belatedly apologetic murmuring.
It is embarrassing, certainly. Humiliating, maybe? That was the case then, and still is now.
But it's fine.
"Yeon-hwa... wants to see it... so I want to show her..."
"......"
Since Hong Yeon-hwa wants to see it, I can endure a bit of shame as much as it takes.
At that reply, Hong Yeon-hwa's expression shifted. Her firmly pressed lips trembled.
Fwoosh... I sensed the Calamity Flame flaring. The skin of Hong Yeon-hwa, pressed close against me, grew hot. It was warm; I liked it.
"Hoo..."
Letting out a long sigh, Hong Yeon-hwa cupped the back of my head and held it firmly.
"...Ha-yul, shall we kiss?"
"Okay... Mm, chuu..."
As I nodded, my head was tilted back with a touch that was unusually careful. In contrast, a face descended swiftly to fill my vision.
"Chuup, smooch..."
At the sensation—so utterly entrancing it felt addictive—my eyes went limp and melted.
* * *
A short while later.
Cradling a dazed Lee Ha-yul in her arms, Hong Yeon-hwa listened intently to the explanation from Liana and Ellia.
Of course, Hong Yeon-hwa, being utterly ignorant of spirit arts, couldn't understand any of it.
What Hong Yeon-hwa had learned wasn't spirit arts, but how to beat spirit casters into submission.
But since it was something related to Lee Ha-yul, Hong Yeon-hwa widened her eyes and strained her ears.
- Pop, pop.
"Hm?"
Just as she was deeply engrossed in listening.
Something other than voices intruded upon her attentive ears. Along with a peculiar sensation felt near her chest.
"Uh, uhh..."
Liana and Ellia, who had been continuing their explanation from across the way, blinked vacantly.
Hong Yeon-hwa, blinking as well, subtly lowered her gaze past her upper body.
Lee Ha-yul, who had been resting with his face buried against her chest, had at some point lifted his head and was now moving both hands with a drowsy, half-lidded expression.
- Pop, pop.
The buttons of her dress shirt coming undone under his busy fingers.
The two hands, having undone a fair number of buttons, finally seized the front flaps and spread them wide to either side. The ample bosom, encased in her underwear, revealed itself.
People who looked like dairy cows tended to gather peculiarly often around Hong Yeon-hwa, so it didn't stand out, but compared to the average, Hong Yeon-hwa also possessed a preposterously full chest.
Lee Ha-yul, having rubbed his eyes, wrapped both arms around her slender waist and, with perfect composure, lowered his head and firmly buried his face deep into the valley.
It was a positioning that instinctively considered obstacles out of the way, factoring in the warm body heat, the sweet scent of her skin, the soft texture, and the heartbeat echoing in his ears.
"......"
An action utterly brazen and deeply familiar.
If described in isolation, it would be a shameless act bordering on harassment.
"Ha-yul, is it nice?"
"Yes... warm... I like it..."
"Yeah, yeah. Get comfortable."
Staring down at such an act, Hong Yeon-hwa calmly stroked Lee Ha-yul's head.
If anything, a satisfied smile appeared on Hong Yeon-hwa's face.
In truth, this kind of behavior was actually welcome.
Because Lee Ha-yul, relying on her and acting spoiled, was so very endearing.
She wished he would express his affection even more intensely. Wished he would come into her arms without hesitation.
"Sniff sniff..."
"Ah, wait a moment..."
But this particular action was a little embarrassing.
Nuzzling against her chest, Lee Ha-yul's nose took in deep breaths of her scent.
Normally it'd be fine, but right now she'd just been running around like crazy. Worried he might even smell sweat, Hong Yeon-hwa's cheeks flushed.
Though, of course, it was nothing compared to what she planned to do on the last day of the Birth Festival...
"D-do I... smell...?"
"Smells good..."
[Milk smell, good]
"...Ehem, well, that's a relief then."
Coughing dryly, Hong Yeon-hwa pressed a peck to the crown of Lee Ha-yul's head.
Then with her free hand, she took a nearby blanket and draped it over Lee Ha-yul, who was nuzzling against her chest, wrapping him up as if embracing him more closely.
"Huh...?"
Having witnessed that entire series of events from straight ahead, Liana's eyes trembled faintly. Her mouth opened as if to say something, then closed again.
Something seemed off, yet Lee Ha-yul's demeanor was utterly brazen and deeply familiar. And Hong Yeon-hwa, likewise, was perfectly composed, as if absolutely nothing was wrong.
As if Liana, for sensing anything strange, was the abnormal one—that was how composed they were...
"...Hmph."
Catching Liana's gaze, Hong Yeon-hwa's lips twitched at the corner.
A peculiar sense of superiority filled Hong Yeon-hwa's chest.
...The artifact still wound around those two interfered with that sense of superiority.
It was wound around her a good deal too, but she had no idea why he'd left it on those two as well.
Hong Yeon-hwa patted Lee Ha-yul's bottom and whispered.
"Ha-yul, shall we undo that artifact? It seems like they're both feeling stifled."
"Nn... no... it's mine..."
"M-mine... baby, you're good, right? How about doing that stuff to me instead? Hmm?"
"N-no. It barely has any strength behind it, so it's fine."
"That's right. Plus it's warm, so I even like it."
'Tch.'
The ploy backfired. Lee Ha-yul, rarely for him, fussed in response to Hong Yeon-hwa's words and refused to undo the restraints.
Clicking her tongue inwardly—careful that Ha-yul might hear—she had no choice but to withdraw the suggestion.
"Ha-yul, if you're sleepy, you can just sleep here. Okay?"
"Nn... can we sleep together tonight too...?"
"Yeah, since you're not feeling well today, let's go to bed early together. Don't worry about Seo-yul."
As she patted Lee Ha-yul's bottom and whispered, a mumble came from under the blanket. His voice had grown even hazier—maybe intoxicated by the scent of her skin.
Nodding in satisfaction once more, Hong Yeon-hwa lifted her head.
"Please continue the explanation."
"Ah, yes..."
With a somewhat dazed expression, Liana resumed her explanation.
.
.
.
There was a lot she didn't understand, but it was enough to roughly grasp the situation.
As expected, Hong Yeon-hwa couldn't make sense of the deeper meaning either. Still, she ought to at least store it in her memory.
"After that, the exhausted baby— I mean, Cadet Lee Ha-yul consumed an elixir."
"An elixir? Which elixir?"
"Yes, it was an elixir from the Taesan Family. Its main ingredient was the root of a Fairy Tree. I assume it was brought expecting a racial synergy."
"Aha, the Taesan Family. Their elixirs have excellent effe—"
Hong Yeon-hwa, who had been about to finish her sentence, blinked.
A precious elixir produced by the Taesan Family, made primarily from the root of a Fairy Tree.
But as a member of the Three Great Families, she'd been gifted it and eaten it many times.
She'd also given that same elixir to someone as a present.
"Cadet Hong Yeon-hwa?"
"...Excuse me, by any chance was the name and the manufacturer...?"
"Yes, that's correct. Even if the serial number was different, it was the same type."
Liana nodded calmly.
Hong Yeon-hwa rewound her memories.
The elixir she'd gifted to Lee Ha-yul... when had that been?
Before their first Tower entry.
She'd given it to him on a Friday, she was sure. Over the weekend, her messages went ignored. She remembered feeling upset because of that.
- [Sorry I couldn't reply. It's barely an excuse, but I took the elixir and ended up asleep all weekend.]
'......'
A processed elixir with low physical burden, and he had slept all weekend? Slept so deeply he couldn't even respond to messages...?
Hong Yeon-hwa's eyes blinked.
A sudden ominous thought flickered through her mind.