Kim Hajun exhaled and opened. He was standing with his legs a shoulder-width apart and his arms raised in front of his chest with his fingertips touching with his palms spread apart. Kim Hajun took in a deep breath, and his chest expanded as his veins rose to the surface of his skin, bulging and wriggling like worms. A small ball of fire appeared in the space between his palms, wisps of smoke leaking out from his fingers.

Kim Hajun glanced at the watch on his wrist. More time passed than he had expected, but then again, he hadn’t expected to consume the Heart of Fire while in such a weakened state. Not only that, but he had lost the princess ant pupa. His preparations prior to entering the tower had gone so successfully that he had almost forgotten what failure felt like. As Kim Hajun lowered his hands, the tiny flame floating between them winked out of existence. A sigh escaped from his mouth as he grabbed the towel hanging on the wall and whipped it over his shoulder.

A few minutes later, Kim Hajun exited from his room in the inn. After handing the jar of ant honey to Gaegukja Yeol to pass the exam, he didn’t linger around or try to garner her goodwill. He headed straight to the healing clinic and had his injuries treated for free by a student. Then, he went to the residential area and booked himself a room at an inn to consume the Heart of Fire without disruptions. He was a bit regretful he couldn’t get to know Vur’s group a bit better, but they had never been a part of his plan in the first place. They were variables, and if circumstances didn’t line up for them to work with him, then that was that.

“This is some pretty interesting magic.”

“It’s not really magic though,” a very familiar voice said. To Kim Hajun, it sounded akin to a bird singing, the notes piercing through all the other sounds to catch his ears. “If you do some research into the tower, you’ll learn it’s a biological feature.”

Kim Hajun turned his head. The woman he heard and wanted to see, Gaegukja Yeol was walking alongside Vur’s group. The demon, Tafel, was examining the root bracelet wrapped around her arm. Through the root bracelet, the inhabitants of the tower could interact with the infrastructure all around. Kim Hajun glanced at his own forearm; underneath his watch, there was a tangled shadow wrapped around his skin like a wristband. Not only was it light and flexible, it was nearly impossible to cut. Many people used it as a shield well into the upper levels of the tower.

“Hey, isn’t that Kim Hajun?” Tafel asked, the demon’s eye somehow catching Kim Hajun’s gaze despite him doing his best to avoid it. There was no need for him to be nervous, but when Gaegukja Yeol’s head turned, and when her red eyes made eye contact with his, Kim Hajun’s chest flooded with heat, and his palms grew clammy.

Gaegukja Yeol flew over, her feet not bothering to make a walking motion as she usually did. She paused in front of Kim Hajun and stared into his eyes. After a bit, her lips curved upwards into a smile. “I see you’ve consumed my Heart of Fire. If you make it to the twenty-third floor, come pay a visit to the Hwasan Lava Baths; there might be an opportunity waiting there for you.”

Kim Hajun swallowed and nodded. “I’ll be there,” he said. “I’ll definitely be there.”

Peals of laughter rang out as Gaegukja Yeol giggled and covered her mouth with her hand. “You’ll make it,” she said and patted Kim Hajun’s shoulder. She raised her eyebrows upon seeing him so calmly accept her touch. “You’re not afraid of getting burned?”

Kim Hajun’s mouth opened, but he closed it less than a second later. He fixed his posture and looked into Gaegukja Yeol’s eyes. “By you?” he asked. “Never.”

Gaegukja Yeol’s lips curved upwards even more, her eyes squinting in the process, causing little red embers to flare out of them like crow’s feet. Her hand slid upwards from Kim Hajun’s shoulder, her fingers gliding along his neck. Without warning, her orange fingers burned white as blue flames danced on her nails. Kim Hajun gasped as his body went rigid, but his eyes narrowed as he locked eyes with Gaegukja Yeol and didn’t resist. A second later, the flames on Gaegukja Yeol’s fingertips disappeared, leaving four patches of reddened skin on Kim Hajun’s neck, and the flaming woman’s smile softened. “Interesting. I’ll remember you.”

Kim Hajun exhaled as Gaegukja Yeol retreated, flying backwards while maintain eye contact with him. When she was halfway back to Vur’s group, her body whirled around, causing a tiny tornado of fire to blossom into existence for a brief moment. By the time it disappeared, Gaegukja Yeol had returned to Tafel’s side. Kim Hajun clenched and unclenched his hand while taking in a deep breath. He stood in place, watching as Gaegukja Yeol acted as a personal guide for Vur’s group. His hand wandered up to his neck where Gaegukja Yeol had burned him, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. “What a familiar sensation.”

***

Stella shuddered, and her neck cracked as her head whipped from side to side, looking around to locate whatever had given her the heebie-jeebies. A furrow appeared on her brow when she couldn’t find anything out of place. “Did anyone feel that just now?”

“It’s probably Kim Hajun staring a hole into Gaegukja Yeol’s backside,” Lindyss said. “Speaking of which, what exactly do you want from us that you’re following us around like this? I don’t mind mooching off of people when they’re willing to throw free help my way, but it’s starting to reach the point I’d feel uncomfortable rejecting you once you ask for a favor.”

“Is it alright for me to ask upfront?” Gaegukja Yeol asked and blinked. “Well, in that case, I’d like you to accept the sponsorship deal from my clan. We’re currently heading to the recruitment area, and we can get all the papers finalized right away.”