The Beast in the Shadows
In the Moonlight Shelter inn, behind the building, atop a massive oak tree. Amid the silence of the forest where darkness had settled, Serena's eyes gleamed between the leaves. Crouched on a branch, she stared fixedly at a specific window on the second floor. A faint lantern light leaked out from beyond the tightly closed window.
"Tsk. I can't hear much." Serena pricked up her ears. An elf's hearing far surpassed that of humans, but the window and curtains made it difficult to catch clear sounds. Still, the sounds didn't matter. The movements visible to her eyes were more than enough to grasp the situation.
Shadows cast on the curtains. Two figures tangled into one, writhing like beasts. The silhouette of a man gripping the woman's hips from above, thrusting his waist with merciless force. Thud. Thud. Thud. The vibrations were strong enough to make the entire building tremble faintly, reaching all the way up to the tree.
"Insane... is that even human?" Serena swallowed dryly. It had already been over an hour since she began her observation. She had never directly witnessed a human other than Hans having sex, but she knew from common sense that an ordinary human male would have finished and passed out long ago.
But the male in that room—Hans—showed no sign of stopping. If anything, his hip movements grew even more intense as time passed. The woman in the shadows threw her head back in what looked like a scream, her body convulsing. Whether from pain or pleasure, it was impossible to tell. But the man showed no mercy. He hooked her legs over his shoulders and drove in deeper, more destructively, the scene laid bare in shadow.
"That waist movement... it's a beast in its purest form." Serena's thighs twisted together involuntarily. The rough bark of the branch scraped against the inside of her thighs, yet even that coarse sensation felt like stimulation.
"If something like that were inside me, shaking..." Just imagining it made her lower belly grow heavy and wet. That ridiculous stamina. Those tireless thrusts.
"Pass. No, first place with honors." Serena licked her lips.
The light in the room went out and the vibrations stopped only when dawn approached. Only then did Serena relax, leaning her back against the branch.
"Sleep well, human. Tomorrow... it might be my turn."
She settled in to sleep atop the tree. She intended to wait stubbornly until her prey emerged from its nest.
Late morning. Sunlight squeezed through a gap in the curtains and struck Hans's eyelids.
"Ugh..." Hans groaned as he opened his eyes. The first thing he felt was a heavy pressure weighing down on his chest. When he lowered his head slightly, he saw Masa with her lush brown hair. She had buried her face in his chest, her arms and legs wrapped tightly around his entire body, sleeping soundly. Like a snake refusing to let go of its prey, her smooth legs had slipped between his thighs and coiled around them firmly.
"My waist..." Hans tried to sit up but collapsed back down. It felt like every vertebra in his spine had come apart. His pelvis creaked, and the muscles in his thighs screamed.
Yesterday alone, he had gone through Eila, Mari, Ophilia, and then Masa. A total of four consecutive battles. And each in different locations and positions—a deadly race.
"Mmm... hubby..." At that moment, Masa mumbled in her sleep from within his arms. "Don't go... put more inside me..." She hugged his waist even tighter and rubbed her breasts against him. The way she naturally called him "hubby" sent a chill down Hans's spine.
The words he had blurted out in the heat of the moment yesterday—"I'll take responsibility"—had come back to shackle him. While carefully stroking Masa's hair, Hans thought about how much he wanted to run away. If he stayed like this, he would truly be sucked dry until not even a bone fragment remained, turned into a mummy.
But at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to push away this woman who trusted and relied on him.
Rustle. Masa opened her eyes. Her gaze took in Hans's haggard face. Normally, that would be a face to worry about, but a supremely satisfied smile spread across Masa's lips. The anxious widow from just a few days ago was nowhere to be seen. She carried the relaxed composure of a lioness who had eaten her fill.
"Did you sleep well, my dear hubby?" She planted a deep kiss on Hans's cheek.
"Yesterday was truly... the best. I feel like I've been reborn." Her eyes still said she was hungry for more.
Hans answered in a hoarse voice. "If you enjoyed it, Miss Masa... that's a relief. But I, some water..." His throat felt like it was burning.
Masa sprang up. "Oh my, I wasn't thinking straight. Wait right there." She got out of bed completely naked. Her voluptuous body was revealed in the morning sunlight. Red handprints and bite marks covered every inch of her like medals. Traces proving the intensity of last night.
Far from being embarrassed, Masa straightened her back and fetched water as if showing off those marks.
"Here, drink." She supported Hans's head and helped him drink. It was the touch of someone caring for a patient—or perhaps a pet.
"Sleep more. As much as you want to rest." Masa set the empty cup down and laid Hans back down. "And... from now on, I won't be charging you for lodging or meals."
She swept his bangs aside and smiled seductively. "My house is your house now. Hehe. You don't need to do anything here. Don't lift a single finger. I'll take care of everything. I'll feed you, bathe you... and do everything else for you."
Breeding. The word flashed through Hans's mind. He was grateful for this overprotectiveness, yet at the same time, it felt suffocating. If he stayed lying here, he would end up living on this bed for the rest of his life as Masa's personal dildo and pet husband.
I can't. I have to escape.
Suddenly, the humiliation he had suffered in the forest came to mind. Cecilia. The way she had looked at him like an insect, calling him a porter. Easy men aren't fun. A surge of venom rose within him.
Hans kicked off the blanket and staggered to his feet. "Thank you, Miss Masa. But... starting today, I must go out every day for training."
"What?" Masa's expression hardened. "You're going out again? When your body isn't even in good shape? Do you hate being with me?"
Her eyes were filled with obsession. Hans swallowed hard and put on the most solemn expression he could manage.
"I need to become stronger." He clenched his fist tightly. "Only then can I protect you, Miss Masa, and our future. Didn't I say I'd take responsibility even if it breaks my bones? A weak man cannot protect a woman."
In truth, his main motivation was revenge against the woman who had dumped him like a dog, but he packaged it as the weight of responsibility as the head of the family. Those words struck a chord in Masa's heart.
"Oh my... goodness..." Masa's eyes turned into hearts. "My hubby... you're so cool."
She pulled Hans into a tight embrace. "Alright. When a man has made up his mind, a woman shouldn't hold him back. I'll make sure you eat a hearty breakfast before you go. Wash up and come down."
After getting dressed, Masa left the room humming a tune. The moment the door closed, Hans's legs gave out and he collapsed to the floor.
"Whew... I barely survived."
Afternoon. Hans was trudging through the forest path, breathing heavily. Deep in the woods, far from the village where no one ever went, stood a single dilapidated cabin.
This is it. Hans was certain. It was the address Kane had casually mentioned while they were drinking at the campsite.
"My house? It's stuck in the forest behind the village. Perfect place for living alone. Come if you dare."
He had thought it was a joke back then, but the man really lived in a place that looked like it could be haunted.
"Master! I'm here!" Hans shouted as he entered the yard.
Kane, who had been napping in a hammock, opened one eye. "Oh, you're here? You're earlier than I expected."
Kane yawned and got up. Hans bowed his head with grim determination.
"Please subject me to hellish training starting today. Teach me quickly. That... aura or whatever it's called."
Kane crossed his arms and looked Hans up and down. His legs were shaking like a newborn foal, and the dark circles under his eyes were as black as if they'd been painted with charcoal.
"Hey." Kane clicked his tongue. "What the hell is wrong with you? Did you get gang-drained by a bunch of succubi or something?"
"I'll endure it with mental strength. Please teach me quickly. I'm in a hurry."
Hans's eyes burned with intensity. But Kane just scoffed.
"Aura? A guy who can barely walk is talking about flying. Wake up from your dream, kid."
Kane kicked a log at his feet and tossed it to Hans.
"Ugh!" Hans staggered as he caught the log.
"Start over with basic physical conditioning. Stamina is national power. With such weak lower body strength, you couldn't swing a sword, let alone handle night duties."
Kane lectured with his hands behind his back. "Carry this and run to the top of that mountain peak over there. If you don't make it back before sunset, training's over before it even begins."
Hans was outraged. "What kind of barbaric training is this! I asked you to teach me techniques, techniques! Isn't this just a waste of time!"
He wanted to flatten Cecilia's nose right away, yet all he got was log running.
"Shut up and run!" Kane bellowed. "Or do you want to stay unprepared until that maniac Cecilia comes back?"
Cecilia. The moment that name came up, Hans's eyes changed. The rising humiliation and desire for revenge.
That's right... to get revenge on that woman...
Hans gritted his teeth. "Understood. If Master says run, I'll run."
He hoisted the log onto his shoulder. "I'll be back!"
Hans began running with fierce determination. Kane watched his retreating figure and muttered to himself.
"His venom is impressive. At this rate... he might become a monster even Cecilia can't handle."