The next morning arrived far more peacefully, just like always. Still, it is the mornings only which are usually quiet. Not noons or evenings.

For once, everything was quiet. There was no Elena lecturing me, which she always did with the real Woo Jin. And most importantly, there was no warning about some abnormal monster being near me.

It was kind of refreshing not thinking about what to do next for a bit.

The soft sunlight leaking through the curtains landed directly on my face and slowly dragged me out of sleep.

"Morning already?"

I was already half awake, so it didn’t take me long to open my eyes and sit up on the bed. For a few seconds, I just stayed there blankly staring at the ground because I was still feeling a bit sleepy.

Yesterday had been way too exhausting.

Sneaking Viora out of the hospital. Confronting Elena. Then learning about Black’s reality.

If I am being honest, the last one really gave me chills until I finally fell asleep.

"How could Black be a monster?"

Everything felt unreal when I thought about it carefully. His way of living, the way he talked, and the way he behaved so nonchalantly.

Adding up all of those things made it even worse.

Still, before anything else, there was something more important; the Gate.

Today was the day Black’s group would enter the goblin Gate.

If they know what kind of Gate it is and what is in it, then that means it was an old Gate. Because only old ones can be assessed briefly by some of the Hunters who had assessing powers.

And if I wanted Viora to evolve, then I needed to go there no matter what. Even if it meant staying close to Black.

I slowly got off the bed and stretched my body. Surprisingly, I still felt lighter than usual because of the Soul-Link buff.

Three times stats increase... Just thinking about it sounded ridiculous. And since Viora is just in the room next door, I am right now feeling stronger than before.

However, the moment I remembered the condition to raise the skill level, my expression became complicated.

"The level rises depending on Viora’s emotional attachment..."

Does that mean if she keeps getting more attached to me, the skill will continue becoming stronger?

That sounded both broken and dangerous. I can’t wait to see the limit of this skill.

.....

After washing up and changing my clothes into the same set as yesterday; a white shirt and dark blue pants.

The wardrobe in my room had nothing else besides these. So I had no choice.

Knock~

Knock~

As I was walking toward the door to get out of the room, soft knocks came from the other side of it.

"I hope this is Woo Jin’s room..."

The moment I heard that small muffled whisper, I immediately opened the door.

And there I saw her, Viora. She was standing outside while holding the wall with one hand and the edge of her sleeve with the other.

Her hair was slightly messy from sleep and the oversized sleeves of the kameez almost covered her hands completely.

Honestly... She looked way too harmless for someone with demon horns on their head.

"Viora," I let out and her lowered face moved up toward me.

"Good morning," she said quietly.

For some reason, her voice sounded much softer in the morning. One corner of her lips was pulled upward while the other was down. I could easily tell that she was smiling but forcing herself to stay calm.

"Morning."

I didn’t know that my word would be the last because for the next few minutes neither of us spoke.

I just stared at her frozen stance, constantly moving eyes, and her partly opened mouth as if she was speaking without making any sound.

This is getting awkward.

"So—"

I began and was immediately cut off by Viora.

"How are you feeling?"

She was quiet for more than three minutes but she spoke just when I was going to? I feel like she was waiting for me to begin first.

"I am feeling good like always."

Hearing me, she just smiled and began to walk away without even saying anything in response.

I tilted my head slightly in confusion and watched at her retreating figure.

Unlike yesterday, this time her steps were slightly more stable. Yet, her foot still clashed with the wall.

"Mmm..." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

She stopped and I heard her pained voice as she tried as hard as she could not to let it out.

I took a step forward to help her but as I did another voice entered my ears from downstairs.

"Woo Jin! Viora! Breakfast!"

It was Elena and that wasn’t it. When Viora heard it she raised her other hand and kept it in the air with her palm facing the floor.

Without thinking I dashed toward her and by grabbing her hand as I led her downstairs.

"Why couldn’t you ask for my help before bumping your foot into the wall?"

By the time we reached downstairs, Elena was already sitting near the table while drinking coffee.

The moment her gaze landed on us, more specifically on the way Viora was lightly holding my sleeve again, one of her brows twitched.

Without greeting us or pressing the matter any further she just rolled her eyes and kept her focus on the cup in her hand.

"G-good morning, auntie."

Both I and Elena looked at her when she greeted Elena like that, with the word auntie.

"Auntie?" Elena just repeated one word, however it was enough to make both Viora’s and my minds race with countless possibilities.

"I-I mean I don’t know your name so..." Viora cleared up and Elena just told her to sit and eat without saying anything further.

Meanwhile, I sat down across from Elena and looked at the breakfast in front of us.

There were toasts, eggs, and coffee. Today, it was simple.

But the atmosphere? That wasn’t simple at all.

Because Elena kept staring at me while I was feeding Viora. She followed every movement I made with her eyes.

’It is making me nervous.’ I thought in my mind.

"A... Mmm... Auntie of Woo Jin. Can I make a request?"

Halfway through the breakfast Viora spoke up.

"What is it?" Elena asked with her brows furrowed.

"I... want to go out today with Woo Jin."

As soon as that request left Viora’s mouth my mind went blank and the bread from my hand fell back onto the plate.