"UGH!"
"AGH!"
The two groans blended together in the darkness.
Soren's vision blurred from the blow, but he held on. He kept his arms tight around the intruder, pressing them against the wall. His mind raced, outpacing even his heartbeat.
'Who the hell? Assassin?!'
But the intruder recovered quicker than Soren expected. A knee slammed into his stomach, knocking the breath out of him. His grip slipped just enough for the figure to break free and stagger toward the window.
Soren gasped and lunged forward, but his foot caught on the futon. By the time he regained his balance, the window was already open, and the intruder had vanished into the night.
He stood there, breathing hard, staring at the empty frame as the cold night air touched his sweaty skin.
When he turned around, he saw that Ethea was awake, watching him. For the first time since they had met, her usual stoic mask was gone, replaced by clear shock. She stared at him as if she were seeing him for the very first time.
"Ar-!" Soren tried to speak, but a sudden wave of agony cut him off. Every muscle in his body hurt at once, making him stumble sideways until he grabbed the bed frame for support.
"W-What the hell..."
His entire body felt like it had been put through a meat grinder, with muscles he didn't even know existed screaming in protest. That burst of speed from before had vanished completely, leaving behind nothing but agony. Still, he forced himself to brace against the pain, staying upright just to meet her gaze.
"A-Are you ok?"
"..."
Ethea remained silent, her wide eyes fixed on him for a moment before her gaze slowly drifted downward. Her pale lips parted as she took in what she was actually looking at.
"...Your arm."
"M-my arm?"
Soren looked down in confusion.
"!"
Dark blood was rapidly soaking through his sleeve and dripping steadily onto the floorboards. Only then did the sharp sting register in his mind. The assassin's blade must have sliced him during the initial collision.
'Ah. So that's why it hurts so much.'
However, compared to the systemic agony wracking his body, the deep gash felt almost secondary.
He pressed his uninjured hand over the wound, feeling warm blood seep between his fingers.
"I-It's fine," he said automatically, trying to steady his voice. "Just a scratch."
Ethea stared at him, her eyes tracking the blood as it kept dripping, no matter how much pressure he applied.
Soren turned back to the window, leaning out carefully, scanning the darkness below. There was no movement or sound, just the shadows and the distant rustle of the trees.
Whoever it was had probably escaped, or at least he hoped so.
He closed and locked the window. The broken glass and the security could wait until morning. Right now, he had to stop the bleeding.
"I'll be back," he muttered, turning to leave the room.
───────
The bathroom was small and drafty.
Soren flipped the switch, squinting against the harsh glare of the fluorescent light, and opened the medicine cabinet. He located the first aid kit on the bottom shelf, pulled it down onto the counter, and peeled back his torn sleeve to inspect the damage.
'Urgh.'
It was worse than he thought. The cut was deep and jagged, and the flesh around the edges had already turned a strange, unnatural shade of gray. His stomach sank at the sight.
'Poison?'
He didn't know, and he didn't have time to think. Driven by pure panic, he grabbed a bottle of disinfectant and poured the fluid directly into the open cut, desperate to do something to stop whatever was happening to his flesh.
"Hss-!"
His vision went white, his teeth clenching hard enough to ache. Still, he forced himself to keep the bottle tipped until it was half empty, the chemical burn searing through the wound
He exhaled shakily, his hand trembling as he reached for the gauze. Wrapping one-handed proved to be more difficult than it seemed. The bandage kept slipping, kept getting blood-soaked before he could secure it. It took three desperate attempts, fighting off a creeping dizziness, before he managed to pull the layers tight enough to hold.
Slowly, the bleeding began to taper off.
"Huff... Huff..."
Soren leaned against the counter, still breathing hard.
'F-Finally...'
'It's over.'
'We're safe...'
'I am s-'
Ding!
Soren froze mid-thought.
That familiar sound echoed in his mind, followed by glowing words cutting through his vision.
───────
[Investment detected.]
[Target: Ethea Valmere]
[Analyzing investment...]
[Investment Action: You directly engaged a lethal threat, shielding the target with total disregard for your personal safety. During the confrontation, you sustained a grievous physical injury and were exposed to a Tier 5 toxin.]
[Analyzing target response...]
[Your actions successfully prevented the target's death.]
[Your unyielding determination has ignited a faint ember of the will to survive within the target's broken spirit.]
[Evaluating investment significance...]
The messages finally paused.
Soren still stood frozen, staring at the glowing text in dumbfounded silence.
[Evaluation complete.]
[Investment Grade: SUPREME]
[Calculating returns...]
A long string of dots flickered across his vision as the screen processed the data.
[Calculation complete.]
[Returns granted:]
A translucent list unfurled before him, each line appearing with a soft chime.
[1. Ice Emperor's Legacy (Incomplete)]
[2. Grade 7 Ice Affinity]
[3. Heaven-Treading Flash]
[4. Accelerated Regeneration]
[5. Investor's Eyes]
[6. Tether Bond]
[7. Fortified Body Constitution.]
[Integrating all returns...]
[Current Progress: 10%... 30%... 50%...]
───────
'Just what in the world is happening?'
Soren was too speechless to speak.
He didn't know what those returns or the messages meant, but he was sure they were beyond anything he had ever heard of.
'Is this related to that?'
He recalled his previous painful experience.
'Am I... an Awakened now?'
'...Me?'
'...Did I... really awak-!'
Thought barely formed before his body seized.
"Guh!"
Soren's hand shot out, gripping the sink's edge as his knees buckled and his spine arched. Every nerve in his body lit up as a wave of cold and heat crashed through him.
The sensations surged through his veins like liquid fire and frozen steel, racing to every corner of his being. His muscles locked in a violent convulsion, his teeth clamping together so hard he thought they'd shatter.
'W-What's-'
He couldn't even finish the thought before the pain eclipsed everything else, becoming frustratingly unbearable.
"Argh!"
A strangled cry tore from his throat, then, just as suddenly as it started, the agony cut out.
"Huf... Huf..."
Soren gasped, sucking in air like a drowning man.
Slowly, his vision cleared, and his muscles relaxed.
"Huf... Huf..."
[Progress:70%...80%...90%...]
"Agh!"