NOVPUB
Chapter 106: 014: Snuggle
"Damn it!" Lynch frowned deeply.
Hypothermia is undoubtedly the most severe physiological condition in extremely cold weather. Once someone reaches this state, they’re already teetering near death.
Lynch promptly took out a Flame Fox pelt from his Space Pocket, spreading it flat on the ground. Then, he added some Constant Temperature Cotton, Warm Sun Grass, and other materials that could help increase warmth.
Next, he stripped every piece of clothing off Avery until she was completely naked.
Her clothes, just like Lynch’s, had long been soaked and frozen from the snow and ice. As the temperature in the cave rose, the ice melted into water and drenched the clothing, making it impossible to keep them on.
After undressing her, Lynch used a towel to wipe away the moisture on Avery’s body from top to bottom before carefully placing her onto the prepared carpet. Finally, he covered her with a blanket.
"Will she survive?"
Lynch couldn’t be sure. At this point, there weren’t many options left.
Hypothermia involves a complex pathological mechanism. Among the spells he knew, only Warmth had a slight effect on this condition. However, he had already tried it, and the results were minimal.
In this situation, the best method of treatment would have been Avery’s own Light Attribute magic spells, followed by Water Element or healing skills within Life Science—both of which offered relatively effective remedies. Unfortunately, these were not Lynch’s areas of expertise.
After thinking for a moment, Lynch retrieved a cauldron from his Space Ring, filled it with water, and added ingredients like Flame Flower and Sun Honey into the mix to brew.
This was a public Magic Potion formula he had read about in the library called "Hot Magic Soup." Its primary function was to enhance Fire Element Affinity, providing amplification when casting Fire Element spells, though it was also highly effective for driving away cold.
During his years at the Tower, Lynch had delved extensively into Magic Potion knowledge. Having maxed out his skill levels in Elementary and Mid-level potion-making, anything below Wizard-level posed no challenge for him.
Soon, a pot of orange-red soup infused with Fire Element began simmering, and Lynch dipped a towel into the concoction before using it to gently wipe Avery’s body.
In hypothermic conditions, Hot Magic Soup cannot be ingested directly. Its effects, similar to alcohol, promote the dilation of pores and blood vessels, leading to even faster heat loss. The energy from the Fire Element must instead be introduced gradually through external application.
After several thorough wipes, however, Lynch’s frown deepened.
The results weren’t promising.
Avery’s hypothermia was too severe. Her core body temperature had dropped below 30 degrees, and, worse yet, she bore stubborn elemental injuries making it difficult for the Fire Element energy from the Hot Magic Soup to permeate adequately.
"Should I modify her body?"
The thought crossed Lynch’s mind briefly, but he quickly dismissed it.
Most of the body modification knowledge he possessed came from Richard’s Necromancy Manual, which leaned heavily toward Dark Element practices. Unfortunately, these were inherently at odds with Avery’s primary Elemental magic focus.
He struggled with opposite system elements himself, so body modification was beyond his confidence.
"Looks like there’s only one option left..."
After carefully considering his next steps, Lynch took off all of his clothes except for his underwear, climbed under the blanket, leaned against the wall, and pulled Avery into his arms.
The most primitive method: body heat conduction.
Unlike elemental reactions, human bodies inherently share warmth without any rejection. Transferring his own heat to her this way would ensure high absorption efficiency.
It was the only option Lynch could think of now. Whether it would work...
"Pray..."
Sighing silently to himself, Lynch adjusted his posture, maximizing skin-to-skin contact between them while making sure the blanket was wrapped tightly around them.
Avery’s body was unbelievably cold—like a slab of frozen meat fresh out of the refrigerator. Pressed against him, her icy skin sent stinging waves of pain across his own.
Fortunately, as a Knight, Lynch had an exceptional physique. He could endure this level of chill.
Even so, he could feel his own body heat rapidly draining into Avery. As her sole source of warmth, any drop in his temperature would reduce the heat she absorbed.
After some consideration, Lynch resolved to cast Warmth on himself to boost his own body temperature continuously while simultaneously practicing the Knight Breathing Method. This technique not only maintained his physical condition but also slightly improved his temperature regulation under these circumstances.
Time passed slowly, with only the howling snowstorm outside and the occasional crackling from the firewood within the cave breaking the silence.
Beyond that were the occasional system notifications.
[Knight Breathing Method Skill Level +3]
...
Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, Lynch finally stabilized Avery’s body temperature. Over time, it began to rise gradually.
[Knight Breathing Method Skill Level +2]
...
Some indeterminate amount of time later...
"Mmm..."
Avery suddenly let out a faint whimper.
Lynch immediately looked down, catching sight of her long eyelashes fluttering slightly as her eyes slowly opened.
"You’re awake?"
Lynch exhaled a breath of relief.
Avery didn’t reply; she appeared still somewhat out of it, barely managing to open her eyes and glance around as though trying to assess the current situation.
Watching her actions, Lynch felt his heart skip a beat.
Avery was, after all, lying stark naked in his arms, and he himself wasn’t much better off. While his intentions were entirely pure and based on her rescue, it didn’t guarantee others would see it the same way.
How would any woman react upon waking up to find herself completely nude in the arms of an almost-naked man like this? Surely, staying calm would be near impossible.
"Um..."
Lynch opened his mouth, weighing his options on how to explain, but soon realized it might not be necessary.
Though Avery’s eyes were open, she seemed not fully conscious, still groggy and disoriented.
Because of her foggy state, she didn’t seem bothered by the situation. Instead, she shivered slightly from the cold and instinctively burrowed toward the warmest spot she could find—
directly into Lynch’s chest, wrapping her arms tightly around him.
Lynch froze for a moment.
Was she awake? Or still asleep?
He couldn’t be entirely sure.
Ultimately, though, he chose not to linger on the thought. A short while later, Avery fell back into a deep sleep, her gentle snores filling the quiet.
"Sleep well." Lynch murmured to himself.
At this moment, there was nothing better for her recovery than a good rest.
Leaning against the cave wall with Avery in his arms, Lynch turned his gaze outward.
Outside, the wind howled, snow swirled endlessly through the air, the world transformed into a frozen wasteland.
Inside, the campfire crackled softly, filling their small haven with warmth.
Parker fiddled with a small stone on the ground, flipping it back and forth with his paws.
By the fire, Lynch and Avery nestled together.
Facing this icy world together.
