In Seattle, USA.

There’s a university hospital that specializes in treating injured superhumans and hunters. It was a hospital that boasted a world-renowned staff line-up as well as a state of the art facility. But, because it was a hospital that only treated superhumans and hunters who had a unique disposition, they rarely received any patients. Even though this was the case, their facilities were always in the best condition.

Anne was one of the nurses who worked at the Seattle University Hospital. She was an elite among elites, an experienced nurse who is rarely nervous even when she meets S-rank hunters who are being treated at their hospital. But today she was particularly nervous.

It was because she has been appointed to tend to the strongest hunter in the world, the Murim Lord, Seol Jungyeon.

However, she wasn’t alone, as there were ten more nurses assigned to take care of Seol Jungyeon besides Anne. Apart from the nurses, there were also a doctor and a Murim counselor around. But she still couldn’t help but tremble.

“Is this the so-called ‘Sacred Pill’ or something like that?”

“Well…I don’t know either.”

“Don’t you know this? If you read a martial arts novel, it was something that was made at some kind of a Shaolin Temple, what was it called? Ah!! Shaolin Sacred Pill! Maybe this one is similar to that… To think I would actually see this.”

“It was made in the Shaolin Temple to be eaten by the Lord, so don’t touch it, okay?”

It wasn’t a fake Sacred Pill created by a fake Shaolin in China, but it was a real Sacred Pill created by a real Shaolin Master who actually existed in Murim. It was a valuable item reserved only for Seol Jungyeon.

Shortly after, Anne took a deep breath and pushed the medical cart full of medicines, including the Sacred Pill, and headed to the ward on the uppermost floor which is where Seol Jungyeon was staying.

As she got closer to the Seol Jungyeon’s ward, Anne could see several Murim Experts who were guarding her ward. Some wore black robes, some wore modern suits, and some were completely shirtless.

All of them were muscular and had a menacing look. They always glared at people who approached their lord’s ward with terrifying eyes, including doctors and nurses. However, they weren’t fools, so they wouldn’t do something stupid towards doctors and nurses who was doing their job to heal their lord. Rather, Anne knew that they were kind. They were just…. a little bit scary.

“Oh, lady nurse. You have to properly take care of the Sacred Pill.”

“I’m sorry to ask when you are so busy, but are there any restaurants that sell rice soup nearby? There’s none? Gosh why are there so many things that are not available in America?”

The Murim experts were quite friendly to the nurses. They felt like a kind local neighbor for the nurses. But Anne knew who they really are because of what happened the other day when some reporters secretly sneaked in, hoping to get a scoop about Seol Jungyeon.

After lightly greeting the Murim people guarding their lord, Anne finally arrived in front of her ward. As she knocked, she heard a voice from the inside saying “Come in”. It was a very beautiful voice that made her happy just by listening to it.

When she entered the hospital room, she could see a woman with platinum hair, which were dyed slightly yellow due to the warm sunlight seeping through the open window, sitting on the bed.

Anne thought that time was coming to halt. She was mesmerized by the Murim Lord’s beauty.

If the goddess of ice were to manifest herself, would she look like this?

-Today’s news! There was an incident where the Murim Hohyanghoe, who participated in the raid of the Great Rift in America, betrayed the expedition and turned around….

-There are many criticisms being poured out towards the United States of America, who had accepted these terrorists’ entry in the nation.

-All the Murim people of the Murim Hohyanghoe were arrested by the New Murim League. Criticism is pouring out towards the United States for leaving the incident in the hands of another party, but the President of the United States dismissed it by saying, “The New Murim League deserves to handle this personally.”

Seol Jungyeon was watching the news. The content of the news itself was roughly the same. It was all related to the Great Rift she dealt with a few days ago.

-It turns out that terrorist Bang Ho-win was actually an SSS-rank superhuman. Meanwhile, praises are pouring out towards Seol Jungyeon, the lord of New Murim League, who had successfully overpowered Bang Ho-win…

-It has been revealed that the Guild Master of Another League, Yoo Seodam, is capable of creating a gap in the dimension. Previously, he was known to have succeeded in the project of turning dungeons into a guild hideout….

-Accusations against China are pouring. The Chinese Government has officially stated that what happened in the Great Rift had nothing to do with them, but the criticisms have not stopped….

The media from all over the world was insanely noisy. However, Anne thought it was only natural. In the first place, the Great Rift was a phenomena that always attracts the attention of the entire world. And currently, on top of that, not only a hidden SSS-rank murim expert made an appearance, he also betrayed the expedition. Could there be any issue bigger than this?

However, it only became more festive when the world came to know that it was Seol Jungyeon who successfully overpowered such SSS-rank Murim expert and persuaded the members of Murim Hohyanghoe by revealing that Yoo Seodam of Another League could open dimensions.

There was so much information, but by far, the one who received the most attention is none other than Seol Jungyeon.

And for Anne, it was truly dream-like to know that Seol Jungyeon was in front of her right now.

“E….excuse me… L..Lord.”

As Anne calls her, Seol Jungyeon quietly turned her head and looked at her. Her eyes carried despair and gloom. Anyone who saw those eyes would feel their heart ache.

Seol Jungyeon never smiled. Anne thought that if she smiled even a little, she would be really beautiful.

‘When she was asleep, she was like a flower fairy, but when she woke up, she felt like the embodiment of ice.’

When Seol Jungyeon slowly stood up, Anne could see a voluminous body that was revealed through the parts that were not covered by the thin fabric of a patient’s clothing. She had felt it from the first time she saw it, but that body didn’t match Seol Jungyeon’s young face at all.

Anne swallowed her saliva before slowly approaching Seol Jungyeon. Then the door of the ward silently opened as someone walked in.

“Ah, Lord.”

Anne knew her. She is the Korean girl called Shin Hye-ji who was working as Seol Jungyeon’s secretary.

Shin Hye-ji sighed and said.

“Lord, didn’t I tell you that if you look so absent-minded like that, people around you will also be nervous and will be unable to do anything. Smile, smile. Please smile a little.”

“I’m trying.”

“Who were you thinking about?”

Shin Hye-ji didn’t ask ‘what were you thinking about’ because Shin Hye-ji knew very well what filled her Lord’s mind.

“No one..”

“As if. Lord, please stop worrying. It’s Yoo Seodam we are talking about.”

In fact, it wasn’t just Seol Jungyeon who was worried about Yoo Seodam. People all over the world were also wondering where he was.

He is not only good with Mugong and magic, but now he can also manipulate dimensions. What is his identity? No, before that. What has happened in the Great Rift that has been closed?

-Meanwhile, many people are worried about Yoo Seodam as several witnesses said that Hunter Yoo Seodam couldn’t escape from the Great Rift. But according to the Chief Executive of Another League, Yekaterina, Yoo Seodam would return soon, but she did not reveal the details…

Coincidentally, there was news about him on TV. Shin Hye-ji was also curious about his whereabouts. But right now, she was more worried about Seol Jungyeon, who was suffering from anxiety thinking about him.

“He is a person who always fulfills his promise. So, let’s just believe in him and wait. Lord, you know that you’re really busy right now, right? Let’s finish everything before Hunter Yoo Seodam returns”

Seol Jungyeon recalled what Yoo Seodam had told her.

He said that even if he was trapped in the Great Rift, he would surely return to Earth.

So, he asked her to wait for him.

“You wouldn’t always be like that…. until Hunter Yoo Seodam returns, right?”

She was right. Seol Jungyeon realized that she couldn’t mopped around forever.

As the Lord of New Murim League, the things Seol Jungyeon had to do were numerous, and many of her people were waiting for her. On top of it, she was sure that Yoo Seodam also didn’t want her to be rotting in the corner like this and neglects all of her works.

“…You are right.”

Seol Jungyeon, who was able to extricate herself from her depressed state, finally smiled. It was such a faint smile that couldn’t be noticed at first glance…

‘Oh my God, my God!’

Anne screamed internally. She felt as if the whole world had been brightened with just that one smile.

* * *

Sometimes, when I am having a hard time, I have a dream. Most of those dreams start with a girl. She was Reyna Ju, a girl I trusted and relied on more than my deceased adoptive parents.

She was someone who always cheered me on whenever I felt like giving up. When I was busy grieving over my helpless reality, she would ask me to try again. At that time, we leaned on each other and trusted each other more than anything. I trusted Rayna Ju more than my own deceased adoptive parents.

However, all of that ends when 9 years ago, she was swallowed by a Great Rift.

Then the dream changes to the Hell Gate raid from 7 years ago. It was a place where all terrible plagues of this world were mixed together, no dreams nor hopes could be found there. Humanity’s conquest mission of Hell Gate was bound to fail since it wasn’t a space where humans should step on.

However, I saw Rayna Ju there.

It was by no means a hallucination, illusion, nor a dream. Because I clearly made eye contact with her. However, right after that moment, I passed out.

Even now, in my dreams, I could still see Reina Ju vividly. She, who claimed to be my guardian on behalf of my birth parents who I don’t remember as well as my foster parents who died when I was still a child, was beckoning me….

Suddenly, when I was walking closer towards the Hell Gate,

‘Seodam, don’t come outside.’

Then, a golden light enveloped my body.

* * *

“…Heoeok!”

My eyes burst open. Just now, I think I had a dream… But, I couldn’t remember it.

“Ugh…”

My head throbbed.

When I tried to grab my head with my left hand, I felt something was pressing on it. I turned my head to look at it.

There, I could see blood-soaked Aracelli sleeping while hugging my left arm tightly.

“What…why…?”

<She has been nursing you for days. She also used her own blood and mana to heal you, Seodam.>

“Then, this blood…….”

<It’s your blood.>

In a hurry, I checked my entire body. The wound I got from the fight against Bang Ho-win, including the one on the abdomen, had gotten better. It was not completely healed yet, but it looked like it wouldn’t hinder me from moving.

Besides, the flame that floated above my head had kept my body warm, so my body temperature was also normal.

<Seodam, quickly extinguish that flame. She’s squeezing her last bit of mana to light it for you.>

As soon as I heard the system’s words, I raised my hand and turned the flame off. Only then I realized that the flame contained magic that preserves body temperature and recovers stamina.

Wheeing…!!

As soon as the flame went out, a chilling wind struck my body. At the same time, I realized that I was only able to stay warm thanks to the flame. I also realized that the flame was too small to keep 2 people warm.

I hurriedly looked at Aracelli’s face. She was dangerously pale and cold, sweat was trickling from her forehead. It turns out that she had covered her body with only a thin piece of giant grass. It was no wonder she had a hard time withstanding the cold.

With only 1% mana left inside her body, she was in a much more dangerous state than me, who had almost recovered all my stamina.

I took out a thick cloak from my inventory and covered Aracelli’s body with it. Then, I held Aracelli in my arms to preserve her body temperature before summoning 3 flames and lit it around us. I also gently poured warm water into her mouth.

“Euuummm…….”

Not long after that, Aracelli slowly opened her eyes. She looked at me with her half-closed eyes for few moments before opening her mouth and said in a very weak voice,

“Professor….”

Seeing her struggling, something heavy hit my chest.

“Why are you overdoing it…”

Shortly after I spoke those words, I realized that I had made a mistake. Those words weren’t the words I wanted to say to her.

“….Thank you.”

Aracelli smiled faintly and buried her face deeper into my chest. Then, magic circles around my heart slowly started rotating. It wasn’t by my will nor the flower spirit’s will, but Aracelli’s will. She slowly recharged her Mana through my heart.

(E/N: Seodam has become a battery charger for two girls now loll)

As her mana returned, her body gradually started functioning again. And as her body became warmer, it was noticeable that her complexion was also improving.

“Professor….”

“Yes?”

“Professor……”

“I’m here, you can tell me.”

“Don’t be sick….”

After mumbling those words, Aracelli fell asleep in my arms.

I was caught up in a strange mood as I stared at her sleeping face for a long time.

It’s because her words about not getting sick, which were not really anything big, kept lingering in my head. It wasn’t a big deal, but it touched my heart because it contained her sincerity.

Suddenly, I remembered her fate, which I had seen before.

Aracelli Rinekal, she was an Archmage who successfully saved her own world. However, after she saved her world, she chose to chase after me instead of live happily as a hero who was worshipped by everyone in her own world.

I wondered why she chose to travel through space and time and wander through countless worlds.

Is my existence really worth pursuing even though she had to endure many hardships and pain?

I don’t know.

Unknowingly, I didn’t move in the slightest while holding Aracelli in my arms until the sun rose.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep