After staring blankly, she soon clapped her palm as if realizing something.

"Oh... So that’s why the heat felt strangely weaker."

"What are you suddenly talking about?"

"Oh, I’m talking about my skill."

Lauren looked at Walfred.

"It’s a passive skill called Heat Emission, and ever since meeting you, I’ve felt like the heat output weakened a bit. I thought it was just my imagination, but..."

It wasn’t imagination.

Watching Lauren mutter that, Walfred also revealed the truth he hadn’t mentioned.

"Same for me."

"What? You too?"

"Yeah. If you come within 16 feet, my skill effects decrease overall."

"Oh! So that’s why you told me to keep my distance..."

"Right."

Mystery finally solved.

Lauren’s complexion brightened a bit.

As if she finally understood Walfred’s somewhat prickly attitude so far.

"What other skills do you have?"

"...What?"

"Skills besides Heat Emission."

"Oh! ’Fire Resistance’ and ’Heat Preservation.’"

Passive skill, Fire Resistance.

This was almost the same type of skill as Walfred’s basic passive skill, Cold Resistance.

Heat Preservation, on the other hand, was unfamiliar.

"What kind of skill is Heat Preservation?"

"It maintains the state of objects I’ve applied heat to. Simply put, it’s like a thermos skill."

Lauren explained with an example.

"If I boil water with Heat Emission and then use ’Heat Preservation,’ the temperature stays maintained for about 24 hours."

"That long?"

"Yes, though that’s based on being inside a shelter. Outside, three or four hours is the limit."

Lauren gave an awkward smile.

Meanwhile, Walfred was inwardly impressed.

’That’s a really good skill.’

Not for combat, but nothing beat it for survival. If you could maintain body heat for three or four hours, your range of activity would dramatically increase.

"Then what about additionally acquired skills?"

"Additional skills?"

"Besides the basic passive skill and unique skill you get when awakening. You should have randomly acquired skills as you leveled up."

"Oh, if it’s that, I don’t have any."

Lauren laughed awkwardly.

"I’m still level 1."

"Level 1...?"

Walfred asked back in a daze.

But only briefly, as Walfred soon made an expression showing he understood what Lauren’s answer meant.

"Must’ve awakened recently."

"No. It’s been about 5 months."

"...What?"

At the returned answer, Walfred looked at Lauren with a dumbfounded expression once more.

5 months. That was more than enough time to hit at least level 20 no matter how poorly you did.

Walfred asked back with bewilderment.

"What the hell have you been doing all this time?"

"Well, um..."

Lauren answered hesitantly.

"The shelter people wouldn’t let me go out."

"Why?"

"They said if a precious fire attribute Awakened got hurt or died, the entire shelter would be in danger."

"...Ah."

There was definitely a possibility.

Maybe not if the shelter had no hunters at all, but if they had combatants, they wouldn’t deliberately throw a precious fire attribute Awakened into danger.

"So I just stayed next to the stove installed in the center of the shelter all day, emitting heat."

Lauren gave a self-deprecating smile.

Seeing that, Walfred clicked his tongue low.

’Can’t say I don’t understand.’

Fire attribute Hunters were a shelter’s lifeline.

No one would expose such a precious resource to danger. But that wasn’t protection, it was closer to breeding. Basically using her as a living heater.

"But my skill levels went up quite a bit."

According to Lauren, her basic passive skill Fire Resistance and unique skill Heat Preservation were level 2.

And Heat Emission, which was basically used automatically, had reached level 4.

Walfred nodded silently.

Just as the conversation was wrapping up.

Grumble!

Was it because the tension had finally released?

Breaking the silence, a loud sound came from Lauren’s stomach. Lauren jumped in surprise and clutched her stomach. Her face turned red as a beet.

"Oh..."

At that sight, Walfred chuckled and rummaged through his backpack. Then he pulled out a frozen canned ham he’d grabbed from the warehouse store and tossed it.

"Catch."

"Huh? Ah!"

Lauren fumbled to catch the can.

"Heat it up and eat it. With your ability."

"Oh, thank you. I’ll eat well!"

Lauren clasped the can with both hands.

Then, as she’d explained earlier, she momentarily intensified the heat output of Heat Emission, and the cold, hard can quickly warmed up.

"Should I heat yours up too?"

Lauren asked with sparkling eyes.

Walfred reflexively started to say no, then stopped.

’Come to think of it...’

When was the last time he’d eaten warm food?

Of course, thanks to Frost Feast, eating frozen food was better for gaining experience, but wouldn’t one day be okay?

After mulling it over, Walfred ultimately decided to eat warm food just for today.

"Yeah, please."

"Okay!"

Lauren smiled brightly.

Shortly after, the piping hot can came back. Walfred opened the lid with anticipation, and soon a delicious smell wafted up.

Gulp!

Enough to make him swallow reflexively.

Walfred took a big bite of the large ham chunk and immediately widened his eyes.

’Delicious.’

Juices he hadn’t been able to taste when it was frozen filled his mouth. Walfred devoured the ham with a moved expression.

Some time later.

After the satisfying meal ended, warm air and drowsy atmosphere spread through the container.

"Mmm..."

Full belly and released tension?

Lauren, having finished tidying up, started nodding off. She’d drop her head, then startle awake repeatedly.

Walfred said as if tossing it out.

"If you’re sleepy, you can sleep."

"What? N-no. I should keep watch..."

"What watch for a level 1?"

Walfred chuckled.

"We’ll be here until the blizzard stops anyway, so get some sleep while you can."

Prickly but considerate words.

Lauren hesitated, then nodded.

"Then... I’ll just close my eyes for a little bit. Wake me up right away if anything happens."

"Okay."

The moment those words ended.

Lauren settled into the corner.

And not long after, soft breathing sounds could be heard.

"..."

Walfred watched sleeping Lauren for a moment before turning his gaze away. He wasn’t planning to sleep yet.

There was still something to do.

[System: Hunter Community]

[Connect to Community?]

A feature unlocked upon reaching level 20.

It was time to use the feature he hadn’t been able to check earlier.