As usual, Ashan completed his daily routine, though the brief sense of normalcy it offered faded almost immediately after. Zevi had made sure of that much. By the time he managed to free himself, he was already on his way toward Lia's laboratory, the location reluctantly obtained from one of the staff members who clearly hadn't wanted to get involved.
The corridor stretched ahead in silence, and with each step he took, his thoughts sharpened rather than settled.
Lia Frost.
Among all S-rankers, she stood out as one of the very few who could truly command the air; not merely hovering or gliding for short bursts, but moving through the sky with precision and control, as though it were her natural domain. In the hands of an assassin, that kind of freedom didn't just increase lethality; it redefined it entirely.
An enemy who could strike from anywhere, at any moment, without restriction.
That alone was enough to put anyone on edge.
But Ashan's concern didn't stem solely from her combat ability.
It ran deeper than that.
Fragments of the system information surfaced in his mind, bringing with them details that had lingered ever since he first saw them; exposure to dragon core radiation, cellular mutation, and a body that had been forced into an unnatural balance, slowing the passage of time itself.
She had faced that incident in her twenties.
And even now, she barely seemed to have aged beyond it.
'A woman who had slipped free from time's grasp… yet continued to sharpen herself within it.'
Ashan exhaled quietly as he approached the end of the corridor, his gaze settling on the intricately designed door ahead.
Power wasn't what made her truly dangerous.
It was perception.
Lia wasn't the kind of person who overlooked inconsistencies or dismissed subtle irregularities. If there was something to notice, she would notice it. And once she did, she wouldn't stop until she understood it completely.
And that posed a problem.
Because there were things about him that could not be allowed to surface.
As if that wasn't enough, another presence rose in his thoughts; far smaller, far less imposing in appearance, yet no less troublesome.
Nori.
The parrot that didn't simply observe, but saw; through power, through concealment, through the layers people hid beneath.
When it had looked at him before, its reaction had been anything but normal.
'There was no mistaking it. It saw something.'
'And if Lia ever chose to rely on that creature's insight…'
Ashan's fingers curled slightly at his side before he forced them to relax, his expression remaining composed as he finally came to a stop in front of the door.
'Both of them are problems. And neither could be underestimated.'
…
A polished nameplate gleamed softly under the overhead light.
Prof. Lia Frost
Ashan raised his hand and knocked twice, the sound echoing faintly along the corridor.
"Professor, I'm here. May I enter?"
The response was immediate.
The door opened almost the instant his voice faded, revealing Lia standing just beyond it, as though she had already been expecting him.
Her appearance was different from before.
A pristine white coat draped neatly over her shoulders, its sharp lines emphasizing the slender shape of her frame. Beneath it, a black skirt and dark stockings contrasted against her pale skin, while a brown belt cinched tightly at her waist. Her hair was tied back with careful precision, though a few loose strands had slipped free, brushing lightly against her face and softening the otherwise sharp impression she gave.
For a brief moment, she looked less like an assassin, more like someone who dissected people for a living.
A quiet chuckle escaped her lips.
"Oh my… you're earlier than I expected. Come in."
Ashan stepped inside, and the moment he crossed the threshold, his gaze slowed.
The laboratory was vast, far larger than the exterior suggested.
Bright overhead lights illuminated long worktables arranged with deliberate precision, each one covered in complex machinery whose purpose wasn't immediately obvious. Some emitted a low, steady hum, while others projected shifting symbols, graphs, and anatomical structures into the air, the translucent displays rotating and adjusting as though reacting to unseen inputs.
Thick cables ran between the devices, interwoven with crystal-like conduits that pulsed faintly with energy, forming a seamless blend of advanced technology and awakened science.
Along the walls, tall glass cabinets stood in perfect alignment, housing preserved samples, detailed anatomical models, and carefully arranged instruments. Every item was labeled. Every label was aligned.
Nothing was out of place.
At the center of the room stood an elevated examination platform, surrounded by scanning equipment designed to analyze everything at once; muscles, nerves, organs, even mana pathways. Thin beams of light swept across its surface at intervals, adjusting themselves with quiet mechanical clicks that echoed softly in the otherwise controlled silence.
Ashan's eyes moved slowly, taking everything in.
'A lab…? This is beyond that.'
'Compared to Aren's facility, this place feels like an entirely different world.'
At Lia's gesture, he took a seat on the angled chair, the material firm yet subtly adaptive beneath him. She moved toward the central platform, activating the surrounding systems with practiced ease, each machine responding in sequence until the room seemed to fall into a synchronized rhythm.
Only then did she return, taking a seat beside him.
She turned slightly, studying his expression before a faint smirk curved her lips.
"Does it feel like a dental clinic?"
Ashan let out a small breath, allowing a restrained smile to form, though his eyes continued to scan the surrounding machines with quiet caution.
"Not exactly… though I can't say I'm used to being surrounded by this much equipment at once. It feels less like treatment and more like… evaluation."
Lia's smirk deepened, clearly pleased by the answer.
"That's not entirely wrong," she said, leaning back slightly as her gaze drifted toward the machines humming around them. "Most people feel nervous in places like this. Their bodies react before their minds do; subtle tension, irregular breathing, slight stiffness in posture."
Her eyes flicked back to him.
"But you're unusually composed."
Ashan met her gaze calmly.
"I've had enough strange experiences lately. This doesn't feel like the worst of them."
A soft chuckle escaped her.
"How reassuring. I'll take that as a compliment."
There was a brief pause, not empty, but observant. Her eyes lingering just a fraction longer than necessary, as if testing whether his calm was genuine or constructed.
"I don't follow conventional methods," Lia continued, her tone settling into something steadier. "Most healers rely on instinct and ability alone. They see damage, they fix it. Simple."
Her fingers tapped lightly against the armrest.
"I prefer understanding what I'm working with first."
Ashan tilted his head slightly.
"So you analyze before you act."
"Exactly."
She gave a small nod.
"And that difference is what made me who I am."
Her gaze sharpened slightly, though her posture remained relaxed.
"In that sense, I'd say I'm more valuable than healers who rely solely on their abilities."
Ashan didn't respond immediately. Instead, he let the words settle, as though genuinely considering them rather than reacting impulsively.
Then, calmly,
"Professor… are you saying you're more capable than Senior Sorin?"
The hum of the machines seemed louder in the brief silence that followed.
Lia blinked once.
Then laughed.
Not offended, but amused.
"How bold," she said, her eyes narrowing slightly as she leaned forward just a little. "You didn't hesitate at all. Most people would at least try to soften that question."
Ashan's expression remained steady.
"I thought being direct would be better than circling around it."
"Hmm."
She studied him more openly now, curiosity replacing amusement.
"Or maybe you just don't know where the line is."
"That's possible too," Ashan replied without missing a beat.
That earned him another quiet laugh.
"No… you know exactly where the line is," she said, her tone turning more thoughtful. "You just chose to step over it."
Ashan said nothing to that.
Lia crossed her arms, leaning back again as she let out a slow breath.
"Ordinary healers aren't worth comparing," she began, her voice casual at first, though there was a faint edge beneath it. "Their limits are predictable. Their methods are standard."
Her gaze shifted slightly, unfocused for a moment.
"But Sorin…"
A pause.
"She's different."
Ashan's eyes sharpened subtly.
"In what way?"
Lia glanced at him briefly before answering.
"Efficiency. Precision. Output."
Each word was measured.
"She doesn't just heal, she restores. Fatal injuries, severed limbs… even complex internal damage that would take others days, she handles in hours."
Ashan leaned back slightly, absorbing that.
"That's not just skill. That's something closer to perfection."
Lia gave a faint nod.
"Exactly. Which is why I don't compare myself to her."
Her fingers stilled.
"In terms of raw healing ability, she's ahead of me."
Ashan watched her carefully.
"But?"
A small smile appeared on Lia's lips.
"But I don't rely on the same approach."
She leaned forward this time, resting her elbow lightly against her knee.
"I don't need to match her strengths if I can compensate in other ways."
Ashan's gaze lingered on her for a moment longer before he spoke again.
"I heard you can regrow limbs as well."
Lia's expression didn't change immediately.
"Yes."
A short answer.
But this time, the certainty from before was missing.
Ashan noticed.
"…Though it's not as impressive as it sounds," she added after a brief pause. "There are limitations. Costs. Conditions."
Her eyes drifted unconsciously.
Just for a moment.
To her right leg.
Ashan caught it instantly.
The shift was small.
But it was enough.
He didn't interrupt immediately. Instead, he let the silence stretch just slightly, giving the moment weight before stepping into it.
"Is that because you can't regrow your right leg?"
The effect was immediate.
Lia froze.
Not completely, but enough for the change to be unmistakable.
Her gaze snapped toward him, the softness in her expression disappearing as something sharper took its place.
"What did you just say?"
She stood up in a single motion, the chair shifting slightly behind her as she stepped forward.
"How do you know that?"
Each step she took closed the distance, her presence pressing down in a way that made the air feel heavier, denser.
By the time she stopped in front of him, the earlier playfulness was gone entirely.
"Speak clearly," she said, her voice lower now, controlled but carrying unmistakable pressure. "Who told you?"
Ashan blinked once, his reaction measured, just enough surprise to feel natural without looking exaggerated.
"…Professor?"
Her gaze didn't move.
"Yes," she said. "Answer me."
Ashan let out a small breath, as if realizing the weight of what he had just said.
"I didn't think it was hidden," he replied calmly. "I assumed it was something anyone observant could notice."
"Anyone?" Lia repeated, her eyes narrowing further.
Ashan nodded slightly.
"The first time we met, your right leg lagged behind your movement; just slightly. It was subtle enough to dismiss, so I did."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"But after my awakening, my perception improved."
Lia said nothing.
So he continued.
"When I looked at you more carefully… your right leg didn't feel alive."
The words settled heavily between them.
"I wasn't certain at first," Ashan added, his tone steady. "I thought I might be overanalyzing."
A brief pause.
"But when you described your ability as 'better than nothing'…"
He gave a faint shrug.
"That removed the doubt."
Silence followed.
Not empty, tense.
Lia remained standing in front of him, her eyes fixed on his, searching, measuring, breaking down every word and reaction as though he were the one on the examination table now.
Then slowly,
She exhaled.
The tension in her shoulders eased, though her gaze didn't lose its sharpness.
"…I see."
Another pause.
Longer this time.
"…You're sharper than you look."