[Marriage Certificate]
'...I'm really married now, huh?'
Soren muttered inwardly as he stared at the document in his hands.
Two names were visible on the parchment alongside the required thumbprints and signatures.
His eyes traced the words for the tenth time since leaving the courthouse.
Although he still found it hard to believe, considering whom he married, he decided to accept the reality in the end.
He folded the paper, tucked it into his pocket, and locked up at the house in front of him. Two stories, white walls, blue roof tiles. It was nothing special, just a regular house in a regular neighborhood.
Well, this was going to be their house now.
'...Hmm.' Soren turned to his side.
There, his wife, Ethea, sat in her wheelchair, staring straight ahead.
Her face... Yeah, he'd seen it a hundred times today and still couldn't get used to it—pale skin, sharp features, long black hair that looked too perfect to be real. Like one of those dolls rich people collect. Beautiful, yet dead inside.
She hadn't said a word since they left the civil affairs bureau.
Not one.
'Here we go.' Soren took a deep breath.
"This is it," he said outwardly, forcing cheer into his voice. "Our new home."
"..." Ethea remained silent.
Shaking his head inwardly, he grabbed the handles of her wheelchair and pushed her toward the door. Inside, he gave her the grand tour.
"Living room. Small, but still nice, right? We don't need much space anyway."
"..."
"Oh, this is the kitchen. I can cook. Do you like anything specific? Soup? Drink? Coffee?"
"..."
Soren kept talking.
The silence was uncomfortable as hell, but he endured it.
He then showed her the small backyard, the storage room, and other places.
By the time they reached the top of the stairs, his throat was dry, and his optimism was running on fumes.
Thankfully, they finally arrived in the bedroom.
He pushed the door open: a double bed, a wardrobe, a nightstand.
"And this is where we sleep," he said. Then, glancing at her pale face, "You tired? It's been a long day after all."
"..."
Ethea stared at the bed while Soren waited for her answer.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Fifteen.
'Still not talking, huh.'
Soren chuckled before speaking.
"Alright, I'll take that as a yes."
He moved the wheelchair to the edge of the bed and carefully positioned himself. He then leaned down, sliding one arm beneath her knees, the other behind her back.
The moment his hands made contact, cold slammed into him.
A bone-deep frost sank through his skin and wrapped around his core. His breath caught. The sensation spread fast, numbing his arms within seconds.
Then Ethea recoiled.
Her body locked up. Every muscle that could still respond pulled away from him with visceral rejection. Her breathing hitched, becoming shallow and sharp. For the first time since he'd met her, her eyes showed something real.
...Revulsion.
Soren froze mid-motion.
He stood there, bent over her, arms committed to the lift.
The cold continued to spread through his limbs, but it was nothing compared to the way she'd flinched from him. Like his touch was contamination. Like being held by him was worse than lying helpless in the chair.
'She can't even stand me touching her.'
The thought hit harder than the cold.
But he couldn't stop now, so he forced himself to move.
He adjusted his grip with excruciating care, trying not to hold too tight, trying not to make it worse.
He ignored the cold, her obvious discomfort, and laid her on the bed as gently and quickly as he could.
"...Done," he muttered, wiping away the sweat on his forehead with his already numb fingers.
He then sensed her gaze and looked at her lying there, still as a corpse, and something twisted in his chest.
'Is she... always this cold? Like, physically?'
He thought about what that must feel like, living in a body that felt frozen all the time. Probably miserably. Probably painful. Probably made you not want to talk to anyone either.
"You okay?" he asked, softer this time. "Need anything? Water? Extra blanket?"
Ethea's eyelashes flickered, her lips finally moving.
"...I... I need sleep."
She muttered in a chilling and low tone.
'!' Soren blinked in surprise. 'Did she... finally speak?'
But he pushed the shock aside and nodded.
"Alright, then get some rest. Goodnight."
He stood up, stretched, and walked to the other side of the bed. He was about to lie down when her voice came again.
"...Alone."
Soren froze, one knee on the mattress.
"...What do you mean?"
Ethea's ice-blue eyes remained fixed on him.
"You mean..." Soren guessed her meaning from her expression. "You don't want me to sleep with you?"
"...Yes."
Soren blinked again. Then he straightened up, turning to face her fully.
"But why? We're husband and wife now?"
"..."
"You signed the paper yourself today." His voice stayed calm, matter-of-fact. "Or... were you not being honest?"
Ethea looked away.
The silence stretched, making the atmosphere awkward.
Soren opened his mouth, then closed it.
The words sat on his tongue anyway, 'Or what, I'm not qualified to be the Ice Empress's husband? Is that it?', but he swallowed them down.
There was no point.
After all, she was once the revered Ice Empress, the jewel of the Morvain family, a woman whose beauty and bearing could silence a room full of CEOs and whose cold elegance made the social elite fight for even a glance in her direction.
But now?
Now she was a disabled girl in a wheelchair, married off to a nobody like him, discarded by the very family that once polished and displayed her.
If their positions were reversed, if he woke up one day to find everything taken from him, he probably wouldn't want to talk to anyone either.
So yeah, no point in poking at wounds that were still fresh.
"Alright," he said finally. "I'll sleep on the floor then."
She glanced at him, wanting to say something. But Soren beat her to it.
"In case you need help at night. You can't exactly get up on your own, right?"
"..."
Soren took that as a yes as well.
He grabbed a spare futon from the closet, tossed a cushion on top, and spread it out on the floor beside the bed. Not exactly ideal, but better than the couch. Besides, it wasn't like he hadn't slept like this before.
He then lay down, arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling.
...
...
[Ding!]
[Conditions have been met.]
[Awakening initiated.]
...
An hour passed.
Maybe two.
Soren's eyes were still open.
He should be sleepless from happiness, right?
Married to the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. A wife who looked like she stepped out of a painting.
Any normal man would be lying awake with a stupid grin on his face.
So, was Soren normal? Yes.
Then, was he sleepless because he was like those normal men? Wrong!
He was sleepless because he had already figured out the truth.
It had been circling his mind since the ceremony ended. Since both families had looked so relieved to sign those papers. Since they'd handed over the house deed like they were disposing of garbage.
The Morvain family freed itself from its broken jewel, a burden they no longer had to carry.
And his own family?
They finally got rid of their embarrassment.
The son who never fit in, never measured up, never stopped being a disappointment from the moment he was born.
Two birds, one stone.
Marry them off to each other and forget they existed.
Soren remembered his father's last words to him at the courthouse.
"You're free now, Soren. Live your own life. We won't interfere."
Free?
What a joke.
They called it freedom, but the meaning was clear.
They'd been abandoned.
Both of them.
Cast out.
Given this empty house in this quiet neighborhood, where no one would see them or remember they existed.
"..."
Soren stared at the dark ceiling.
He'd been abandoned by them long before. Always ignored, shuffled aside, pushed out of frame in every family photo.
He'd made peace with it years ago.
But Ethea...
Soren turned his head slightly, looking up at the bed where she lay.
'Did she realize it too?'
Was that why she acted like that earlier? Not because of him specifically, but because she'd finally understood what had happened?
Just a few months ago, she was the revered Ice Empress. Adored and celebrated by everyone.
People lined up for a chance to meet her.
Powerful guilds offered fortunes to recruit her.
Princes and Young Masters sent marriage proposals.
Her family paraded her around like a trophy.
Now those same people had dumped her in this house with a stranger and told her to disappear.
That kind of fall...
Soren couldn't even imagine what that felt like.
First, he had never experienced that kind of life; he had always been at the bottom.
Second, it wasn't wise to judge others without putting yourself in their shoes.
Finally, what happened, happened.
They shouldn't dwell on it now.
Well, at least they had a roof over their heads.
At least their families hadn't literally thrown them out onto the streets.
Although this house might be empty and cold, it was still a shelter.
'...'
Soren turned his head slightly, glancing toward Ethea again.
'Alright then.'
The thought came quietly but with an unexpected weight.
'Since I married her, I'll support and protect her till the end of my life.'
This wasn't a romantic wow.
This was... just a personal decision.
An ordinary man's promise to fulfill his duty as a husband.
She was his wife now, for better or worse, but he'd signed the paper and made that promise.
And unlike his family, unlike hers, he didn't make promises he didn't intend to keep.
Whatever happened from here on out, he'd see it through.
"..."
The thought brought him an odd sense of relief.
It felt like he'd finally found solid ground after hours of floating in uncertainty.
Soren let his eyes close again.
His breathing slowed, and the tension in his shoulders eased. Sleep pulled at him gently this time, no longer held at bay by racing thoughts.
Eventually, darkness took him.
Then, in the depths of his consciousness, something stirred.
A pulse.
A pulse that bypassed his senses entirely and resonated in the core of his being.
Soren's unconscious mind registered it distantly, like a dreamer hearing thunder from far away.
The pulse came again, stronger and more focused this time.
And then, cutting through the void of sleep like a voice speaking directly into his soul, came words that weren't words, thoughts that weren't his own.
[...]
[Conditions have been met.]
[Awakening initiated...]
A heartbeat of silence.
Then everything ignited!
Pain exploded through Soren's body.
Something fundamental inside him was being torn apart and rebuilt simultaneously.
His back arched, his hands clenched, a strangled gasp died in his throat as his lungs seized.
Heat flooded his veins, and cold followed immediately after.
The two sensations warred inside him, neither giving ground, both burning with equal intensity.
'What... What is happening...'
His thoughts scattered, reformed, and scattered again.
Something was slowly forming inside him, growing and expanding.
A core of energy blazed into life in the center of his chest where nothing had existed moments before.
The pain peaked!
Then, as suddenly as it began, it stopped.
Soren lay gasping on the futon, his entire body drenched in cold sweat. His heart hammered against his ribs. His vision swam with afterimages of light.
Slowly, his breathing steadied.
And in the silence that followed, a final message echoed through his mind.
[Awakening complete.]
[You have awakened: Investment Authority!]
"..."
The messages faded.
Soren lay there, chest heaving, staring at the ceiling with wide eyes.
His mind raced, trying to process what just happened.
Awakening? Investment Authority?
None of it made sense.
He'd been tested at fifteen like everyone else.
He had undergone the awakening ceremony a few times.
The results had been clear: no Core, no Talent, no Ability, no potential.
He was unawakened, a dud.
Seven years had passed since then. People didn't just spontaneously awaken in their twenties; it didn't work that way.
And yet...
Snap!
Soren's eyes shot open wider.
His head whipped toward the bed on pure instinct, and his pupils constricted to pinpricks.
A masked black figure hovered over Ethea's sleeping form. And in one gloved hand, a blade catching the faint moonlight, already descending toward her throat.
"!"
Soren's body exploded from the futon.
He crossed the distance between the floor and bed in a single heartbeat, a speed he'd never possessed, a speed that shouldn't have been possible.
Crash!
His shoulder slammed into the figure's torso before the blade could fall another inch.
Boom!
Both bodies hit the wall hard.
"UGH!"
"AGH!"
...
"UGH!"
"AGH!"
Two pained groans mixed in the darkness.
Soren's vision swam from the impact, but he didn't let go. His arms locked around the intruder, pinning them against the broken wall. His mind raced even faster than his heart.
'Who the hell? Assassin?!'
However, the intruder recovered faster than he expected.
A knee drove into Soren's stomach. Air exploded from his lungs. His grip loosened just enough for the figure to twist free and stumble toward the window.
Soren gasped, lunging forward again, but his foot caught the edge of the futon.
Half a second.
That's all it cost him.
By the time he regained his balance, the window was open, and the figure was gone, swallowed by the night.
Soren stood there, chest heaving, staring at the empty frame.
The cold night air brushed his sweat-soaked skin.
Slowly, he turned.
Ethea was awake.
Her ice-blue eyes were fixed on him, wide for the first time since he'd met her. They were filled with complex emotions, difficult to read, though one stood out from the rest: shock.
She was staring at him like she was seeing him for the first time.
Soren opened his mouth to speak-
And the pain hit!
"!"
Every muscle in his body screamed at once.
He staggered, caught himself on the bed frame, and groaned.
"W-What the hell..." he muttered through gritted teeth.
His entire body felt like it had been put through a meat grinder. Muscles he didn't even know existed were screaming in protest. That burst of speed from before had vanished completely, leaving behind nothing but agony.
But he forced himself to stay upright and meet her gaze.
"A-Are you ok?"
He asked worriedly.
"..."
Ethea's eyes were still wide, still fixed on him with that strange expression. Shock, yes. But now something else as well. Something he couldn't name.
Then her gaze dropped.
Her lips parted.
"...Your arm."
"My arm?"
Soren looked down in confusion.
"!"
He saw blood.
Dark and wet, soaking through his sleeve and dripping onto the floor.
He blinked. Only now did the sharp sting register.
A gash ran along his forearm, deep enough to hurt, messy enough to need stitches. The assassin's blade must have caught him during the crash.
'Ah. So that's why it hurts so much.'
But compared to the rest of his body screaming at him, the cut felt almost secondary.
He pressed his other hand against the wound.
Warm blood seeped between his fingers.
"I-It's fine," he said automatically. "Just a scratch."
Ethea stared at him, at the blood, at the way it kept dripping no matter how much pressure he applied.
Yet, she didn't say anything anymore.
The silence stretched.
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, they were probably gone.
He pulled the window shut and locked it. The broken glass would have to wait until morning.
"I'll be back," he said and quickly walked out of the room.
_____ ____ _
The bathroom was small and cold.
Soren flipped on the light, squinting against the sudden brightness, and opened the cabinet.
First aid kit. Where was the first aid kit?
He found it on the bottom shelf and quickly pulled it out. Set it on the counter and finally got a good look at the wound under deep light.
'Urgh.'
It was worse than he thought, deep and ugly.
Heck, he even suspected that he had been poisoned!
He quickly grabbed the disinfectant and poured it directly onto the wound.
"Hss-!"
His vision went white, his teeth clenching. But he kept the disinfectant flowing until the bottle was half empty.
He exhaled shakily and 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. But eventually, after three attempts, before he could lose consciousness, he managed to wrap it tight enough.
The bleeding slowed and eventually stopped.
"Hm..."
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, sharp and clear.
Then words materialized in his vision, glowing and translucent.
[Investment detected.]
[Target: Ethea Morvain(Wife)]
[Analyzing investment...]
[Investment: You have directly engaged the lethal threat, shielding the target with total disregard for your own safety. During the confrontation, you sustained a grievous physical injury and were subjected to a Tier 5 toxin.]
[Analyzing target response...]
[Your actions prevented the target's death.]
[Your determination ignited a faint ember of 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...]
Dots floated in his vision as the process continued.
[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...]
[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 something beyond the scope of 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, grabbing the sink edge to keep himself upright. His knees buckled, his spine arched. He felt as if every nerve in his body lit up at once.
Then cold and heat, both at the same time.
They surged through his veins like liquid fire and frozen steel, racing each other to every corner of his being. His muscles convulsed. His teeth clamped down so hard he thought they'd shatter.
'W-What's-'
He failed to finish the thought.
The pain became frustratingly unbearable.
"Argh!"
Soren groaned out loud.
A few moments later, just as suddenly as it started, it came to a stop.
"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!"
...
"Huf... Huf..."
Just as Soren was about to relax, the second wave hit.
However, it wasn't physical this time.
It was a violent surge of information that felt as if it were being hammered into the very structure of his brain.
"AGH!"
Soren's head snapped back, his eyes rolling into his skull.
Ice Emperor's Legacy flooded his consciousness. Thousands of complex mana pathways, intricate details of the legacy, and Heaven-Treading Flash forced their way in.
It was a library's worth of mastery being compressed into a single, agonizing instant.
He saw the rotation of the stars, the flow of glaciers, and the silent death of the absolute zero.
His legs gave out completely.
He slumped against the cold tile of the bathroom wall, his chest heaving.
[Progress: 100%]
[Integration complete!]
Finally, the pressure subsided, leaving behind a heavy, echoing silence.
Soren sat there for a long minute, staring at his hands. They were bloody and pale but also steady.
The weakness that had defined his life for twenty years was gone. In its place was a dense, cold power that pulsed in time with his heartbeat.
He looked at his injured forearm.
He reached out and slowly unwound the bandage.
"!"
Although he expected it somehow, he still couldn't believe his eyes.
The skin underneath was flawless, as if it hadn't been injured at all.
"I-It... It's really gone..."
Soren muttered in disbelief.
"Ha... Haha..."
A silly laugh escaped from his lips.
He felt as if he was dreaming, that this was just a nightmare.
But... Those things he just experienced...
There was no denying it.
He has awakened!
"Haha... I did it... I really awakened."
Strangely, he couldn't stop himself from smiling.
The weight that had pressed on his chest for seven years had finally vanished.
Being a dud made his already uneventful life even worse. He had spent years as the punching bag for his siblings' ridicule and the shadow his friends eventually stopped noticing.
This had once been his only dream, but after years of failing every test, he had buried that hope deep enough to forget it existed.
But now...
He clenched his fist, feeling the cold energy pulsing through his veins.
He caught himself starting to grin again and immediately forced his face into a neutral expression.
'Calm down. This isn't the time.'
He still had to return and check on Ethea.
Soren moved quickly.
He turned on the shower, scrubbing away the half-dried blood and the dark, foul-smelling grime that had seeped out of his pores during the transformation.
The 'stench' of his past self was washed down the drain.
He dried off, pulled on a fresh set of clothes, and stepped back into the bedroom.
Surprisingly, Ethea was still awake, her eyes fixed on the door.
As soon as he entered, their gazes met.
Her eyes immediately dropped to his forearm, which was now bare and completely unblemished.
A faint, surprised glint passed through her pupils, a crack in her icy mask.
Soren didn't miss it, but he pretended not to notice and offered a reassuring smile.
"See? It's already healed. Told you it wasn't a big deal."
"...You..."
"...You awakened?"
Instead of replying, she asked a question.
"...Yes." He nodded. He walked to the bedside and carefully adjusted the blanket, tucking her in with a gentleness that didn't match the new, heavy pressure radiating from his body. "Besides, you must have already sensed it, right? That was why you were awake back then."
"..."
She remained silent, her lifeless eyes tracking his every move.
Being already used to her antics, Soren continued as he stepped away from the bed.
"Don't worry. Now that I have awakened, I will protect you even better!"
Ethea squinted at him briefly, her gaze unreadable. After a moment, she turned her head away, staring at the far wall.
Soren let out an awkward smile, realizing how that might have sounded to a former 7th Circle Ice Empress. He was a newly awakened novice promising to protect a fallen legend. And... It also sounded like a confession. But he didn't take his words back.
"Alright, then have a good night."
He muttered and walked to his futon, positioned it across the doorway, and sat down. He crossed his legs into a lotus posture, closing his eyes to finally explore the massive, frozen ocean of knowledge now resting in his mind.
However, before that, he had to check something else.
He focused his mind on the newly acquired skill.
'Investor's Eyes.'
His pupils flickered with a faint, golden hue.
Immediately, a faint overlay appeared around her body, and glowing text materialized in his field of view.
______ _______
Name: Ethea Morvain
Status: Critical
[Age: 21]
[Rank: 7th Circle [Crippled / Regressed]]
[Current Mana Level: 0 (Sealed)]
[Core condition: 97% destroyed - severe irreparable damage]
[Mana pathways: 4% functional - catastrophic severing]
[Physical Condition:]
-Paralysis (Near-Complete - Below Neck)
-Chronic Pain (Level 8/10 - Constant)
-Nerve Damage (Severe - Permanent without intervention)
-Muscle Atrophy (Advanced Stage)
-Core Instability (Deteriorating - Life-Threatening)
-Malnutrition (Moderate)
-Cold Body Constitution (Ice Attribute Residue - Uncontrolled)
[Authority Status: Frost Sovereign - Sealed/Dormant]
[Affliction Detected:]
[Curse: ▇▇▇▇▇'s ▇▇▇▇▇ - Grade: Eighth Circle]
[Details: Insufficient Authority - Unable to analyze]
[Effect: ???]
[Origin: ???]
[Estimated Survival Without Treatment: 8-14 months]
[Mental State: Broken Will - Suicidal Ideation - Resigned to Death]
[Investment Value: SUPREME]
[Potential: Immeasurable (If restored, can surpass previous peak)]
[Recommendation: Immediate investment in recovery resources required]
______ _______
...
"!"
As Soren read the information, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
'T-This...'
His breath caught in his throat.
The words hung in his vision, each line a dagger straight into his chest. He expected her to be in bad shape. He knew she was paralyzed, knew she was crippled after that
But this...
'97% core destruction... 4% functional pathways... Chronic pain level 8 out of 10... Constant...'
'This...'
'This is too terrifying!'
And that line.
'Broken Will - Suicidal Ideation - Resigned to Death...'
Soren's hand clenched into fists on his knees.
'She isn't quiet because she's cold. She's quiet because she's already given up!'
He thought back to every interaction since they'd met. The silence. The emptiness in her eyes. The way she flinched from his touch but didn't fight back. The way she said 'alone' like it was the only word that mattered.
She...
She wasn't just rejecting him.
She was rejecting life itself.
And...
'8 to 14 months...'
The timeline echoed in his mind.
If he did nothing, if he just went through the motions of this arranged marriage, Ethea Morvain, no, Ethea Velmere would be dead within a year.
And... Her family probably knew.
Yet... They dumped her here anyway.
"..." Soren's jaw tightened.
He looked at her lying there on the bed, facing the ceiling, her breathing shallow and uneven. She probably thought he couldn't see her. Probably thought he was too busy with his own awakening to notice.
But he noticed.
He noticed the way her fingers twitched occasionally, involunatary spasms from damaged nerves. He noticed the tension in her shoulders that never fully relaxed. He noticed that she hadn't closed her eyes once since he came back.
She was in pain.
Constant, unending pain.
And...
She was enduring it alone.
'Like she's been enduring everything alone.'
Unfortunately, he didn't know how to fix her core or how to heal her severed pathways.
But he knew one thing.
He had promised to protect her.
And protection didn't just mean stopping assassins.
It meant keeping her alive.
Keeping her from slipping away into that darkness she was already halfway consumed by.
But for that, he needed money.
He needed power and connections.
And the only way to get those was to become stronger and use everything to the fullest.
Thankfully, he now had the tools and the path.
All he needed was time.
Time to grow, time to learn, and time to become strong enough to save her.
Eight to fourteen months...
No, five or six months at most.
Soren nodded to himself, and his gaze swept over the overlay one more time, committing every detail before he dismissed it-!
He froze.
His eyes locked onto the blurry line he had almost missed in the shock of everything else.
'...!'
As he read, his blood ran cold.
'A... A curse?!'
He stared back at the obscured text, at the blacked-out name and the ominous grade rating.
'...Eighth Circle curse?'
That... That was almost near the peak of power.
The kind of curse that could only be laid by someone standing at the top of the world.
'Then...'
'Was the incident back then... not a coincidence?'
The thought hit him like a physical blow.
Soren's mind raced, pieces clicking together faster than he could process.
The Gate incident six months ago. The one that had crippled the Ice Empress. The one that everyone called a tragic accident, a freak occurrence, the unpredictable nature of the anomaly.
But...
What if it wasn't?
What if someone had engineered the whole thing?
An Eighth Circle curse didn't appear just by accident.
Either someone paid for it, or someone at the Eighth Circle or above did it personally.
And maybe...
'Maybe her family also found out about it. And decisively chose to abandon her. After all, the enemy was too high for them to handle.'
He doubted whether they even tried to investigate it.
Why would they? Investigating meant risking conflict with an Eighth Circle powerhouse. Fighting meant possibly losing everything. But abandoning one crippled daughter? That was easy. That cost nothing but her alone.
'...Cowards.'
Soren took a deep breath and let out a slow sigh, deciding not to think about them and focus on the issue.
Unfortunately, he couldn't see the curse's origin or even name. If he did, maybe he would have some clue to work on. A name. A direction. Something to point him toward the enemy.
Or maybe...
Maybe it was better not to know for now.
After all, knowing too much was also a problem.
Like, what if the enemy behind this was watching?
What if they had eyes on this house, on Ethea, or on anyone who got too close?
If he suddenly started asking questions, digging into things he shouldn't know yet...
He might lead them back to him, back to her.
Soren's eyes narrowed.
If so... then he had to be careful.
Extremely so.
Because they could come back to finish the job if they noticed anything wrong.
Or...
'Maybe they already did?'
The earlier scene crossed his mind. The assassin. The blade.
Soren's blood ran cold again.
Was that a coincidence? A random robbery? Or was it the first move from whoever cursed her, finally coming to make sure the job was done right?
He didn't know.
He couldn't know.
And that was the worst part.
Soren looked at Ethea again, squinting slightly.
He wanted to believe it was random. It was just a burglar who picked the wrong house.
But deep down, he knew.
This was just the beginning.
The tip of the iceberg.
And somewhere beneath the surface, something massive and dark was waiting.
'...Hmm.'
Soren took another deep breath and closed his eyes, forcing the mounting dread into a corner of his mind.
'When the time comes...'
'...I'll have to be ready.'
'For her.'
'And for myself.'
...
Soren settled deeper in the lotus position, his spine straightening, his breathing slowing to a deliberate rhythm.
He then closed his eyes and turned his awareness inward.
Deep within the vast ocean of knowledge the Ice Emperor's Legacy had dumped into his consciousness, one section burned brighter than the rest.
'Glacial Emperor Scripture.'
The main cultivation technique of the entire legacy.
The foundation upon which everything else was built.
He focused on it, and the knowledge began to unfold.
'Glacial Emperor Scripture... Foundation Stage.'
The information unfurled in his mind like a scroll being carefully unrolled.
Complex diagrams appeared in his consciousness, pathways of light tracing through a human body, showing exactly where Mana should flow. Which meridians to open first. Which nodes to strengthen and so on.
Soren studied them intently, memorizing every detail.
The technique consisted of three stages, with the first being the Foundation Stage.
It had a single, clear purpose: establish a pure ice-aspected Core through a process called Frozen Refinement.
The concept was elegant in its brutality.
First, absorb raw Mana from the environment. Draw it into the body. Guide it through specific pathways where it would be converted into his own usable energy.
Then, instead of simply storing it, freeze it within the core.
The freezing served two main purposes. It compressed mana, allowing more to fit in a smaller space.
And it shattered the impurities, the chaotic fragments, and the foreign essence that contaminated normal cultivation, forcing them to dissolve and exit the body.
Only the purest essence would remain, crystallizing into the foundation of his cultivation.
Soren exhaled slowly.
'Alright. First step: sense the Mana.'
He focused on the air around him.
At first, there was nothing. Just darkness and the sound of his own heartbeat.
But then-
A faint shimmer at the edge of his perception. Like seeing heat waves on a distant road, but cold instead of warm. Invisible threads of energy drifting through the room, through the walls, through everything.
'So... This is Mana.'
Soren thought in awe.
It was the raw energy of the world itself after all.
'I... I can actually sense it now...'
Before awakening, this would have been impossible. But now, with his newly formed Core acting as a kind of spiritual organ, he could finally perceive what had always been there.
Soren reached out with his awareness, trying to grasp one of those threads.
It slipped away.
He tried again. And again. And again.
Still nothing.
The Mana drifted past him like smoke, untouchable, refusing to respond.
'...This is harder than I thought.'
The knowledge in his mind showed him how it should work-the mental technique, the breathing pattern, the circulation pathway. But knowing and doing were entirely different things.
It was like reading a manual on how to swim and then being thrown into the ocean.
Soren gritted his teeth and tried a different approach.
Instead of grabbing, he visualized his Core as a well. A deep, empty well that naturally pulled things toward it. He imagined the Mana drifting down, drawn by gravity, by inevitability.
Time passed.
Slowly, one thread shifted, just slightly.
But just enough to move toward him instead of past him.
'There!'
Soren focused harder, maintaining the visualization. The thread drifted closer. Closer and closer. Until it touched the surface of his awareness-
And dissolved.
"..."
Soren's eye twitched.
He'd lost it at the last moment. His concentration had wavered for just a split second, and the Mana had scattered like mist.
'...Again!'
He didn't give up and repeated the process.
Again and again.
Finally, the mana entered his body.
For a brief moment, Soren felt it, a cool sensation spreading through his chest, formless and wild. Then it dissipated, scattering into nothing.
'Damn it.' Soren cursed inwardly in frustration.
But at least he was improving.
He recalled the info from the Scripture again.
'...Alright, one more time.'
He focused on his crown, visualized a gate opening there, allowing Mana to flow inward.
A thread drifted near.
He guided it gently and carefully. It entered.
This time, instead of scattering, he followed the pathway diagram in his mind. Down through his head, along his spine, branching through smaller channels.
The Mana began to change as it moved, losing its formlessness, gaining structure, and becoming denser.
By the time it reached his Core, it wasn't raw and wild anymore.
It was pure Mana.
His Mana.
'Hehe...'
The sensation was intoxicating like drinking ice-cold water after days in the desert. His Core, which had felt empty and dormant, suddenly pulsated with life.
'It worked!'
But the moment of triumph was brief.
The tiny wisp of Mana he'd just created and absorbed was impure. So, he quickly activated the next, final step of the Frozen Refinement.
He willed the temperature within the Core to drop.
The Mana responded, crystallizing, hardening. The cold intensified, compressing the energy tighter and tighter until-
Crack.
The impurities shattered like brittle glass and dissolved into nothing.
What remained was a single, flawless thread of pure mana.
Soren's eyes snapped open briefly, then closed again.
'That's it. That's how it works!'
The process was clear now.
He settled back into focus, this time with newfound confidence.
The room around him faded. Time lost meaning. There was only the rhythm: absorb, guide, convert, freeze, refine.
One thread became two. Two became five. Five became ten.
Each cycle became slightly easier. His control improved. The pathways began to widen, accommodating the flow more smoothly. His Core, which had been barely a flicker, started to glow with steady, cold light.
And after an hour or so, something shifted.
The initial clumsiness vanished. His intuition kicked in, filling the gaps left by inherited knowledge for interpretation. He stopped following the diagrams rigidly and started adapting, finding his own rhythm and flow.
He started pulling it in faster and refining it more efficiently.
His Core began to fill, layer by layer, like ice forming on a winter lake.
Sore completely lost himself in the process.
Hours passed.
The night deepened.
His body remained perfectly still, but inside, a transformation was taking place.
More time passed.
Finally, just as the sun started rising, Soren 'woke up', his eyes shining with brilliant cold light.
"I... I've broken through!"
...
Soren opened his eyes.
A cold, brilliant light flickered in their depths before fading.
He exhaled slowly, watching his breath mist in the cold air. Then, he glanced down at his hands. They were radiating a faint chill and humming with energy that hadn't existed hours ago.
A smile crept across his face.
'I... I did it.'
'I've broken through.'
He was now at the Early Stage of the First Circle.
What's more, he achieved it in just one night!
Soren's smile widened at the realization.
He knew this was absurd. Even with his limited knowledge about the Awakened world, he understood the basics. Most newly awakened people took weeks just to sense Mana properly and perhaps months to establish their foundation. And yet here he was, having crossed the threshold in a single session.
'This is... incredible.'
But the smile didn't turn into arrogance.
Soren's expression softened as he recalled why this was possible.
'It wasn't luck. It was the Investment Authority.'
The legacy, the affinity, the regeneration ability. All of it had been granted to him through that Authority. Without it, he'd still be that same powerless failure lying on the floor.
And...
His gaze drifted toward the bed where Ethea lay sleeping.
'It was thanks to her.'
He didn't believe it was a coincidence that he awakened on this specific night. The very night he'd married her. The very night he'd risked his life to protect her.
The Investment Authority probably got awakened because of her. While the returns also came from her, even if indirectly.
Everything he had now... it all traced back to that moment he'd decided to stay by her side.
'So... Thank you, Ethea.'
The thought was quiet and sincere.
He owed her more than she'd ever know.
'Alright, let's get up now.'
As Soren stood up and stretched his stiff body, he noticed the frost covering the floor in a perfect circle around where he'd been sitting. The temperature had also dropped noticeably, probably due to both his cultivation and the broken window.
'I should be more careful. If I cultivate like this every night, she'll freeze. And fix the window as quickly as possible, too.'
His gaze then returned to Ethea.
She was asleep, her breathing steady and even, her expression peaceful for once. Or at least, as peaceful as someone in constant pain could look.
His heart ached at his powerlessness about the situation.
'...'
He stood there before walking away.
'Sleep well.'
Then he slipped out quietly to wash up and prepare breakfast.
Click.
The door clicked shut.
Ethea's eyes opened slowly.
Unlike Soren's assumption, she'd been awakened. Had been awake for the last hour or so.
Well, maybe longer.
Because it was hard to tell anymore. Time blurred when every moment was pain. When every breath was an effort. When existing itself was exhausting.
But she'd been conscious.
Aware.
And she'd felt everything.
The cold that had seeped through the room as he cultivated. Felt the shift when his foundation stabilized. Felt the breakthrough.
All of it.
And throughout the night, one question had remained in her mind.
'...Why?'
Why did he fight the assassin?
Why did he get wounded protecting her?
Why did he protect her in the first place?
They were strangers. Forced together by families who wanted them gone.
He owed her nothing.
And yet.
And yet...
Ethea's gaze remained fixed on the closed door.
She couldn't understand.
Just what did he want from her?
...Love?
No. That couldn't be it. They had met just yesterday. Spoken maybe a dozen words in total. And love didn't work like that. Love wasn't something that appeared overnight like some kind of magic.
Then...
...Was he... Was he after her body?
Her lips pressed together. The thought alone made her stomach twist. She'd hear a few stories about such cases. Ones marrying crippled people like her just so they could have complete control over their lives.
But...
She thought back to yesterday. The way he'd carried her. The way he'd frozen when she flinched. The way he adjusted his grip to be more gentle. The way he'd slept on the floor without complaint when she told him to leave her alone.
He... He wasn't like that.
If he really wanted her body, he wouldn't have acted that way. He wouldn't have listened to her at all.
If he wanted to take advantage, he could easily have done so. She was paralyzed, helpless, unable to fight back.
But... he didn't.
He asked, he waited, and he respected.
So then what was it?
Duty?
The marriage contract binding him?
Some sense of obligation because their families forced them together?
'...'
Ethea didn't know.
She couldn't know.
And that uncertainty gnawed at her more than the pain ever could.
Because she'd learned, over six long months, that people always wanted something.
...Always.
Her family wanted her gone.
Her former comrades wanted to forget she existed.
The world wanted her to disappear quietly...
Everyone had a reason, a motive, or an angle.
So what was his?
What could a broken, dying woman possibly offer him?
...Nothing.
Because she had nothing left to offer.
No power, no status, no future.
Just pain and the slow march toward death.
So why?
The question continued to circle endlessly in her mind, and just like before, no right answer came.
'...' Ethea's fingers twitched beneath the blanket.
She wanted to ask him. Wanted to demand the truth. But her voice wouldn't cooperate. And even if it did, she wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer.
Because...
Because if he had no reason...
If he was just... kind for the sake of being kind...
Then that would be even worse.
Because kindness without reason was the most fragile thing in the world.
And she couldn't afford to believe in fragile things like that anymore.
'I won't... I... I can't...'
Creak.
The door opened gently, interrupting Ethea's thoughts.
Her eyes shifted toward the sound.
Soren carefully stepped in, carrying a tray filled with food and a steaming cup of tea. He glanced at the bed and paused briefly when their eyes met.
"Oh, you're awake. Good."
"I prepared some food, let's have breakfast together."
...
Soren carefully lifted her from the bed and settled her into the wheelchair. He made sure her feet were positioned correctly, adjusted the blanket over her lap, then pushed her toward the small table where he'd set up breakfast.
"Let's wash up first," he said, disappearing into the bathroom.
He returned with a basin of warm water and a soft cloth, kneeling beside her. He then helped her to wash her hands and face.
Then, he pulled up a chair and sat beside her, positioning himself close to the table.
The tray sat between them, steam still rising from the porridge and tea.
Ethea stared at the food for a moment. Her upper body remained completely frozen, but a quiet determination flickered in her ice-blue eyes as she concentrated entirely on her hand. Her fingers trembled, dragging slightly across the surface as she forced her wrist to move.
She could do this much at least-
"No need."
Soren's voice cut through her attempt.
Ethea froze, her hand stilling instantly against the table, and turned to look at him.
Soren had already picked up the bowl of porridge and the spoon. He scooped a small amount, blew on it gently to cool it, and turned toward her with a faint smile.
"Ahh."
"..."
Ethea's brain refused to work for a split second.
What... What was he doing?
Her lips parted automatically, whether from shock or instinct, but before she could form words, before she could say I can eat by myself, the spoon was already there.
Warm porridge slid into her mouth.
"Good girl," Soren murmured with a slight chuckle.
"!"
Ethea's face burned at his words.
A faint blush spread across her pale cheeks before disappearing just as quickly, hidden beneath years of practiced composure.
But her mind was screaming.
'G-Good girl?!'
'What am I, a child?!'
Ethea forced herself to chew and swallow and then opened her mouth to speak-
Another spoonful appeared.
"I-"
Spoon.
"Mmph."
Chew. Swallow. Open mouth-
"I ca-"
Spoon.
Chew. Swallow. Try to speak-
"I can e-"
Spoon.
Chew. Swallow. Open.
"...eat myself," Ethea managed to finish her words after a few tries, but Soren was already preparing the next spoonful.
"Mm-hmm," he acknowledged without stopping. "I know. But this is faster and easier."
Ethea wanted to argue, she wanted to insist, but Soren didn't give her the chance. He didn't even pause. He just kept going, scooping, blowing, feeding, one smooth motion after another, like this was the most natural thing in the world.
Spoon after spoon.
And somehow, despite herself, she just... let him.
And before she realized it, the bowl was empty.
Soren set it aside and picked up the teacup, holding it carefully to her lips.
Ethea drank.
The tea was warm and soothing.
She actually liked it a little.
In a few sips, the cup emptied.
Soren set it down as well and looked at her expectantly.
"So? How was it?" He tilted his head, a hint of genuine curiosity in his eyes. "I'm not some professional chef or anything, but I've been cooking for myself for the past seven years or so. I'd like to think I'm decent. But don't hesitate to criticize."
Ethea stared at him.
...Seven years.
He had been cooking for himself for seven years.
Meaning... he'd been alone for seven years.
Just like she'd been alone for six months.
But his aloneness had been chosen for him, hadn't it?
The Velmere family embarrassment. The unawakened son. The one they ignored until they could marry him off to a crippled stranger.
She knew the story. She'd heard it before the wedding when the servants were gossiping around her as if they wanted her to hear them. However, she didn't care back then.
But now...
Now she didn't know what she felt.
"..."
"(૭ ｡•̀ ᵕ •́｡ )૭" (Expectant Soren)
"...It was fine."
The words came out before she could stop them.
"<(˶ᵔᵕᵔ˶)>"
Soren's face lit up.
"Yeah? Good. I'll make something different for lunch. Any requests? Vegetables, meat, dough, whatever you like. Just let me know if there's anything specific you want."
Ethea stayed silent.
Actually, she didn't know what she wanted or liked anymore.
Food stopped mattering six months ago when eating became a chore instead of a pleasure.
Soren waited, patient as always, his steady eyes on hers.
When the silence started stretching, he chuckled softly in surrender.
"Alright, I'll surprise you myself then."
He stood and began collecting the dishes, stacking them neatly on the tray.
Ethea watched him move.
The way his hands handled the dishes with practised ease, the way he hummed softly under his breath, in some tune she didn't recognize. The way he acted this was normal, like feeding a crippled stranger was just another part of his morning routine.
She watched.
And the question that had been circling her mind all night finally clawed its way out.
"...Why?"
Soren paused, tray in hand, and glanced back at her.
"Hm?"
Ethea's jaw tightened.
She hadn't meant to say it, hadn't meant to give voice to the doubt that consumed her. Not yet, at least. But now it was already out, and she couldn't take it back. So, she decided to continue. This would happen sooner or later anyway.
"...Why are you doing this?"
Soren tilted his head slightly. "The breakfast?"
"No." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "...All of this."
Understanding crossed Soren's features.
He set the tray back down.
Then he turned to face her fully, and when he spoke, his voice was soft and sincere.
"Well, because I'm your husband."
Ethea blinked.
That... That was it?
That was his answer?
"That's... that's not a reason," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
Soren's smile didn't waver.
"Sure it is. I signed the paper. Made a promise. And I don't make promises I don't intend to keep."
He picked up the tray again.
"Rest now. I'll be back soon."
He walked toward the door.
Ethea stared at his back.
His answer didn't explain anything at all.
And yet...
And yet when the door clicked shut, she found herself staring at it for a long, long time.
"...Husband."
The word felt strange on her tongue.
Foreign even.
But... not entirely unpleasant as she expected it to be.
And she didn't know what to do with that.
