Arthur sank deeper into the steaming water, letting the heat soak into every bruised muscle. The private bath in the senior dorms was one of the few perks that still felt worth the blood he’d spilled to earn it: a deep marble tub, enchanted runes keeping the temperature perfect, faint lavender oil drifting from the surface. For the first ti in days, the ache in his shoulders dulled to a distant throb.
He closed his eyes.
Just five minutes. No demons. No empty desks. No guilt.
The water lapped gently at his chest.
Then—
Ding.
A crystalline chi rang inside his skull, sharp enough to jolt him upright. Water sloshed over the edge.
[System Upgrade Complete. Welco back, Host.]
His eyes snapped open.
Finally.
"Sol," he breathed, voice echoing off the tiled walls.
Silence.
"Sol, co on. Don’t ss with ."
Nothing. Not even the usual sarcastic lilt that lived rent-free in his head.
He frowned, water dripping from his lashes. "Sol, why aren’t you replying?"
Still nothing.
Arthur’s pulse kicked up. He flicked his wrist, summoning the translucent blue interface mid-air. The panels blood open like clockwork:
Status Window – check.Skill Tree – check.Shop – check.Inventory – check.
Everything glowed, crisp and responsive. He even tapped the Quest Log; a new daily popped up: "Survive another day. Reward: 10 EXP." Typical.
But the chat box—usually flickering with Sol’s snarky one-liners—was blank.
He leaned back, water settling. "You’re really going to make beg?"
The door to the bathroom clicked.
Arthur froze.
The lock was supposed to be warded. Only two people had access: the dorm warden with the master key, and Alicia with the spare he’d given her after the third ti she’d dragged him out of a training coma.
"Who’s there?" His voice ca out low, edged.
No answer.
The handle turned slowly. The door creaked open.
Steam curled around the figure stepping inside.
Arthur’s breath caught—and not from the heat.
She was impossible.
Long silver hair spilled over bare shoulders, catching the lantern light like liquid starlight. Skin pale and flawless, glowing faintly as if lit from within. A thin silk robe—black, sheer, clinging to every curve—did less to cover and more to invite. Full breasts strained against the fabric, nipples dark shadows beneath. Hips flared into thighs that could crush a man’s soul and make him thank the gods for it.
Her face—sharp cheekbones, plush lips curled in a knowing half-smile, eyes a molten gold that pinned him in place.
Arthur’s hand twitched toward the dagger he kept on the tub’s ledge. Gone. He’d left it in the bedroom.
"Who the hell are you?" he demanded, voice rough. "How did you get in here?"
She didn’t answer. Just glided forward, bare feet silent on the wet tile. The air thickened—charged, like the mont before a lightning strike.
Arthur shifted, water rippling. Every instinct scread danger and want in the sa breath. He couldn’t place her, but sothing in the way she moved, the tilt of her head, the scent—jasmine and ozone—tugged at mory.
She stopped at the tub’s edge. With a grace that made his throat dry, she perched on the marble rim, legs crossing slowly. The robe parted just enough to flash the smooth inside of her thigh.
Arthur’s gaze snapped back to her face. "Answer ."
Her smile deepened, slow and wicked.
"I was gone for just a few weeks," she murmured, voice a velvet blade, "and you already forget , Host?"
His heart slamd against his ribs.
That voice. That voice.
The one that had mocked him through near-death, teased him through upgrades, whispered filthy encouragent when he’d jerked off in the shower after a spar with Akira and pretended it was just stress relief.
"S-Sol?" he rasped.
She leaned forward, hair cascading like a curtain. One finger—nails painted black—traced the water’s surface, sending ripples across his chest.
"In the flesh," she purred. "Literally. The upgrade ca with... perks."
Arthur stared, mouth dry. "You’re—You’re real?"
"Touch and find out."
Her hand lifted, hovering just above his collarbone. Heat radiated from her skin, electric.
He should be freaking out. Should be demanding answers. Should be—
Her fingertip brushed his wet skin.
Every nerve ignited.
"Fuck," he hissed, jerking back. Water splashed. "How—why—"
"Why what?" Sol teased, crossing one long leg over the other as she sat comfortably on the tub’s edge. "Are you not happy to see like this?"
"I-It’s not that," Arthur stamred, ears burning. "I’m just... surprised."
Sol laughed—soft, musical, and wickedly amused.
"You’re adorable when flustered."
"I am not flustered."
"Sure you aren’t." She smirked. "Anyway, nothing complicated to explain. The upgrade gave a physical form. Now I’m not just so disembodied voice nagging in your head."
She lifted both arms, stretching slightly—her new form glowing faintly with mana.
"And creating a body isn’t instant, you know? Took a lot of system resources. A girl needs ti to look perfect."
Arthur rubbed his temples. "You could’ve given a heads-up, Sol."
"And miss this expression?" She poked his cheek with one manicured nail. "Not a chance."
Her tone softened—just barely.
"So... did you miss ?"
"That’s obvious," Arthur muttered. "You don’t know what happened the last few days."
Sol’s grin faded. Her eyes sharpened—serious.
"What happened?"
Arthur exhaled slowly and began recounting everything.
The Black Hand.
The infiltration.
The awakening of a demon.
The students who died.
The interrogation.
His voice cracked only once—when he ntioned the parents at the gates.
Sol listened without interrupting. Her golden eyes never left his face. The teasing was gone. In its place: sothing sharp, focused. System mode.
When he finished, silence stretched.
Then:
"So now you are taking the guilt of lost lives on yourselves," she said quietly.
"Is it not? If I had inford about the infiltration to the authorities, then the situation may have been sothing else."
"And what makes you think that? Most probably they would have dismissed your words as ramblings."
"From what I know, the academy prides itself in its security. They would have never believed your words. So stop with what ifs?"
"The thing you should focus on is that tiline has changed. A demon appearing so early in the story is not a good thing."
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