Castorice didn't know what Cha Hae-in was really thinking, but she could feel the goodwill behind her actions.
That left her with a strange sense of 'unexpected, yet reasonable.'
The two S-Rank hunters she'd dealt with before—whether it was Go Gunhee or Choi Jong-In—had both approached her with smiles and kindness.
But if anyone claimed there hadn't been even a trace of calculation or intent to use her, not even they would believe it.
Maybe it was that clear, almost foolish purity unique to college students.
Whatever the reason, the feeling Cha Hae-in gave her now was far more straightforward, almost hot-blooded. Her goodwill carried no schemes, no weighing of profit and loss.
Naturally, Castorice agreed without hesitation. Before class, the two strolled through the campus together.
Most of the time, Cha Hae-in was the one talking, explaining the life of a hunter and the things one had to be careful about.
Even though she'd only been a hunter for two years, she'd spent most of that time as vice guild master of the strongest guild.
Even if she herself hadn't suffered many setbacks, she'd seen more than enough of other people's failures.
More importantly, she spoke plainly, without that annoying riddle-talking habit.
No matter what Castorice asked, she got an answer immediately.
It was a rare chance to absorb social knowledge and hunter-related common sense in a normal, efficient way, and it had been practically handed to her.
They walked around campus for more than ten minutes, and throughout that time, countless gazes fell on them.
Both were S-Rank, but the way people looked at them couldn't have been more different.
If Cha Hae-in was a dazzling new star, every glance filled with admiration and anticipation, then when it came to Castorice, those looks turned into wariness and unease.
That didn't surprise Castorice at all. She'd long since planned to give others a reason to instinctively keep their distance.
Cha Hae-in, however, didn't take those looks as lightly as Castorice did. Instead, she asked about the minimum range of that ability.
"If I don't actively spread it, everything within one meter is a forbidden zone. But if I control it consciously, then as long as you don't touch me, it's fine."
"Then what about through clothing?"
"Just clothing isn't enough to block death's gaze… At the very least, you'd need a pair of really thick leather gloves."
She wasn't the original Castorice, after all. With her mastery of the Taixu Sword Qi at its peak, controlling her power was effortless. She could compress that curse-like zone of death to the absolute minimum.
Unfortunately, as the incarnation of death itself, she couldn't completely ignore that curse. Calling it a curse was misleading anyway—it was simply part of her essence.
"Is controlling it… very hard?"
Cha Hae-in asked hesitantly.
"It's not hard, really. For me, it's like adjusting my breathing rhythm. Rather than difficult, it's just unfamiliar."
Castorice wasn't sure how the conversation had drifted here. She assumed the other woman just wanted to better understand her ability, to keep a safe social distance.
"It's only awkward at first. Now, even though I still keep my distance from people, it's mostly to prevent accidents."
"I see."
The moment she heard that, Cha Hae-in stepped closer from her original three-pace distance until only a single step separated them.
That bold move instantly shocked everyone watching.
"Cha-sunbae, this is…?"
Castorice looked up in confusion.
Their heights weren't that different—one was about 163 centimeters, the other around 165.
But when she raised her head, she saw something that genuinely puzzled her.
Cha Hae-in, who usually looked calm and even a bit unapproachable, now wore an expression as if she'd been bewitched by something.
Her cheeks were faintly red, and her gaze lingered on Castorice in a strange way, like she wanted to get even closer.
"Cha-sunbae?"
"…Castorice, are you really… a hunter?"
Only after saying that did Cha Hae-in realize, a beat too late, that the handkerchief in her pocket wasn't pressed against her nose like usual.
Before she could stop herself, she leaned closer to the purple-haired girl in front of her. Her nose filled instantly with a rich, sweet fragrance.
"It's actually… not stinky?"
Even with acting skills inherited from Amber, the corner of Castorice's eye twitched.
What are you even saying to a beautiful girl!?
"Ah! Sorry! I mean, I meant to say… um…"
Cha Hae-in immediately realized how misleading her words sounded and rushed to explain, but halfway through, she remembered Guild Master Choi's request not to tell others about this.
Even without her explanation, Castorice could more or less guess the truth.
So smooth-brained college students didn't only exist back in Shenzhou… Even though she appreciated Cha Hae-in's kindness, Castorice really wanted to complain about her abysmal social skills.
She and Misumi Uika should really balance each other out. Misumi could give her some social sense, and she'd give Misumi some courage and self-regulation.
"Is it mana hypersensitivity…? That's rare."
Castorice—or rather, Amber—hadn't seen many cases like this either. Someone who possessed mana yet was hypersensitive to it was practically a spectacle.
That said, Cha Hae-in's symptoms were much milder than those of typical mana-sensitive individuals.
That might actually be why she had mana in the first place.
"Mana hypersensitivity?"
This was the first time Cha Hae-in had heard the term.
But then she remembered that Castorice wasn't Korean, but from Y Country. A flicker of hope rose in her chest. Maybe this wasn't so uncommon overseas?
Thinking of that, she hurriedly asked, "By mana hypersensitivity, do you mean… smelling unpleasant odors from other hunters?"
"Your case is the first I've seen."
Castorice's smile remained gentle, clearly unbothered by what had just happened.
"Normally, the reactions are much more severe."
"So… my symptoms are actually mild? Can it be treated?"
Cha Hae-in couldn't tell whether she felt relief or anticipation. This condition had plagued her for two years.
Even during missions, she had to endure smells she could never get used to. It didn't seriously affect her combat power, but the constant strain on her mood and mental state had been tormenting her.
"Mana hypersensitivity isn't a disease."
Castorice didn't mind sharing knowledge. In her previous world, this wasn't even specialized knowledge—it was common sense.
It could only be said that mana had appeared in this world far too recently. Ten short years simply weren't enough to research it thoroughly.
"Mana hypersensitivity is different from medical allergies. In medicine, 'allergy' and 'sensitivity' are often confused, but they mean different things. Mana hypersensitivity is closer to sensitivity than to a true allergy."
To solve a problem, one had to understand its nature first. Castorice explained calmly, without rushing.
"Medically speaking, sensitivity isn't an immune response like an allergy. It's a direct neural reaction—pain, burning, discomfort felt immediately when stimulated. It's instant and temporary. Once the stimulus is removed, the unpleasant sensation disappears right away."
"And mana hypersensitivity happens because the body overreacts to mana. It usually appears in people with extremely high mana affinity."
"Extremely high mana affinity…"
Cha Hae-in nodded thoughtfully, then frowned.
"If that's the case… doesn't that mean it's a kind of talent? But there are plenty of hunters stronger than me, and they don't have this problem…"
"Affinity and control are different talents. Affinity is almost impossible to gain later, but control can be trained."
Castorice explained, "As long as you improve your control over mana, Cha-sunbae, you can avoid this issue entirely."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.