Warmth in the Cave
Silvia leaned her back against the cave wall, where a gentle warmth lingered, and found herself completely unable to regain her composure. Not because of any pain, but because of the situation she had woken up to.
She had opened her eyes to find herself in nothing but her underwear, with Jihyeok pressed tightly against her in only his boxers. It was a completely unfamiliar sight, and it left her utterly flustered.
Silvia stared at Jihyeok, who was still fast asleep in front of her, and agonized over what to do. She had to stay calm. There was no way he would do something like this out of mere lust. There had to be a reason.
She slapped her own cheek hard enough to make a sharp sound, then began piecing the situation together. The reason Jihyeok had been clinging to her was probably because she had been freezing before she lost consciousness. The large pile of burning firewood must have been gathered from outside... and the crushed tree bark and leaves scattered nearby were likely medicinal herbs. When she checked the wound on her ankle, there were no signs of anything having been applied directly, which meant he had probably extracted the juice and made her drink it.
The conclusion was clear. Jihyeok hadn't done this out of selfish desire. He had done it to look after her and protect her.
Once she understood everything, Silvia let out a long sigh.
After grumbling at Jihyeok, Silvia tested her legs and, finding them fine, stood up. She reached for the dagger leaning against the cave wall but suddenly froze.
A dried green liquid was caked onto the blade.
“This is...”
It was unmistakably the blood of a tentacle monster. That was strange. She was certain she had wiped all the blood off after killing the mother tentacle monster...
Tilting her head in confusion, Silvia headed toward the entrance to wash the dagger with rainwater, only to freeze in shock.
Three fairly large tentacle monsters lay dead right outside the cave. It looked like they had discovered the cave and climbed up.
“W-what the hell is going on...”
Each of their heads had dozens of thin, long puncture wounds. Anyone would immediately recognize them as stab marks from a dagger.
Refusing to believe it, Silvia hurried back inside and examined Jihyeok. His face was unscathed. But on the legs exposed beneath his control suit, there were long scrapes. They were clearly wounds from fighting the tentacle monsters.
Swallowing hard, Silvia carefully peeled back the control suit covering his body. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the scream that nearly escaped.
His entire body was covered in countless wounds. Nearly all of them, save for a few, had clearly been caused by tentacles. His fingers were caked with dried blood as if he had clawed his way up a cliff, and even his fingernails were broken. The torn tips of his discarded shoes suggested he had gone through absolute hell.
The boy who had been terrified of dying before their escape attempt had done all this for her. She felt an overwhelming surge of gratitude. And guilt. She had been the one who forced the escape attempt, yet they had failed and she had only made him suffer terribly for it.
Having grasped the full story, Silvia gently pulled the control suit back over Jihyeok’s body, then unwrapped the top she had tied around her thigh and put it on. Once she had also slipped into the jeans hanging on the cave wall, she looked outside.
There were still many monsters out there. The temperature had dropped sharply, making it bitterly cold. She retreated deeper into the cave and crouched down in front of Jihyeok.
Her voice was so soft it was barely audible as she apologized to the sleeping Jihyeok. She checked her storage unit. Only nine percent of her energy remained. She was willing to use it all for an escape, but the moth’s excrement was a major variable. If it had only been on the ground, that would be one thing, but it was scattered through the air high above them. That was a problem.
On top of that, the range of the excrement was an issue. At a glance, it looked like it covered the entire Grand Canyon. If that guess was correct, using Aether was out of the question. Falling from the sky while her body melted would be a pathetic way to die.
As she kept worrying about what to do next, Jihyeok smacked his lips in his sleep, and Silvia couldn’t help but burst into quiet laughter. He must be dreaming about eating something delicious.
She wanted to find food for him, but she didn’t recognize any of the plants here. The animals had either fled or been eaten by the monsters... It was enough to drive her insane.
Unable to do anything else, Silvia decided to wait until Jihyeok woke up. She stared intently at his face.
He was the first man who had ever touched her body. Yet strangely, she didn’t feel bad about it at all. Because she knew he had approached her with good intentions.
Without realizing it, Silvia took Jihyeok’s hand and placed it on her palm.
Had she grown attached while grumbling at him? Just looking at his condition made her chest ache. She hoped the medical equipment back at the lab would heal him completely.
After carefully setting his hand down, Silvia moved to the cave entrance. This place was no longer safe. If more tentacle monsters came to attack, they would be in trouble. She needed to stand guard.
It was her turn to protect Jihyeok. For his sake, she would use every last drop of her remaining Aether. Once the Device was made, it could be recharged anyway, so there was no point in holding back.
‘But... who am I supposed to recharge with?’
She didn’t have anyone she liked... Would she have to make a boyfriend or something?
As she was lost in vague worries, Silvia suddenly wondered what it would be like if Jihyeok became her partner. It didn’t seem... bad. He was reliable, and after spending time with him, she found his personality matched hers well. He had said they didn’t match, but that was obviously just him throwing a playful tantrum...
But did recharging only work if they actually liked each other romantically? She didn’t like Jihyeok as a member of the opposite sex, but she did like him as a comrade... And did sleeping while hugging like they had earlier count as a sexual act?
If it did work, maybe she should ask Adele if it was okay to recharge with Jihyeok. They didn’t have any romantic feelings for each other... For the greater good, wouldn’t Adele understand?
After letting her imagination run wild with all sorts of scenarios, Silvia shook her head. Right now she needed to stop thinking about useless things and focus on keeping watch.
Swallowing the complicated feelings rising in her chest, Silvia widened her eyes and began scanning their surroundings.
“Ugh...!”
A short groan came from behind her. Silvia, who had been standing guard for nearly an hour, whipped her head around. Seeing Jihyeok sitting up with a grimace, she rushed over and helped support him.
“How do you feel? Are you okay?”
Her question was filled with worry. Jihyeok looked at her for a moment before nodding.
“Yes... What about you, Miss Silvia?”
Who was worrying about whom right now...? He was the one covered in wounds. Clicking her tongue, Silvia placed a hand on his back and helped him sit up straighter. As the control suit slid down, his bare upper body was revealed.
So that firm, bare skin had been pressed against her back. Feeling strangely embarrassed, Silvia slightly averted her gaze as she answered.
“My ankle feels a little sore, but otherwise I’m fine.”
“That’s a relief.”
“What are those tree bark and leaves?”
“Willow. It has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. I extracted the juice and made you drink it. How does your stomach feel?”
“My stomach...?”
Silvia looked at him with puzzled eyes. Jihyeok explained.
“I adjusted the dosage, but since it was raw juice... there’s a chance it could upset your stomach.”
“My condition is excellent. My stomach feels fine too.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Seeing the genuine relief on his face made her oddly happy. The corners of her lips lifted slightly as Silvia asked,
“Can I apply this to wounds?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll grind some more. Let’s put it on your wounds.”
“You don’t have to. I already used what was left after giving some to you on my own wounds. It doesn’t hurt at all right now, so don’t worry.”
He was frowning but claimed it didn’t hurt... He was a terrible liar.
“Don’t lie. I’ll go get more, so tell me where it is.”
“I tore it from a slightly protruding part of the canyon cliff. It’s probably all underwater now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. There was only one tree like that nearby. I’m telling you not to waste your energy.”
It didn’t sound convincing, but what could she do? He wouldn’t tell her where the tree was and kept insisting he was fine. Silvia decided to change the subject.
“Those monsters... You took care of them, didn’t you?”
“Yes. They suddenly climbed up and I fought them... They weren’t much.”
“Not much? Look at your own body before you say that, you idiot.”
“I think of them as honorable wounds. I won three against one. Maybe I should become a Beast Slayer too?”
Even in this situation, his playful tone... He really was a funny guy. Silvia let out a small snort and said,
“You should just stay put and type on a computer.”
“Those are harsh words...”
“I’m saying it because I’m worried.”
“I know. By the way, Miss Silvia, if your leg is okay, could you help me to the entrance?”
“Why?”
“I want to listen to the sound of the rain more clearly.”
She hadn’t noticed it before, but this eccentric and sly side seemed to be Jihyeok’s true nature. Spending time idly exercising alone in Uijeongbu felt far less enjoyable than struggling through adversity together here and talking like this. Of course she never wanted to experience a situation like this again, but that was the general idea.
“Alright, got it.”
Supporting Jihyeok, Silvia helped him to the cave entrance, and they sat down side by side. The rain poured down fiercely, striking the ground with loud pattering sounds. If Jihyeok hadn’t told her to listen, she might never have noticed how pleasant this sound was.
Glancing at the pleasant smile on his face, Silvia spoke.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
“How long do we have to stay like this?”
“I don’t know.”
“Should we go to where the fighter jet crashed?”
“While looking for the willow tree, I happened to find the tentacle monster you killed. There was nothing nearby. It looks like all the debris was swept away by the rapids.”
“Really...? So we’re just stuck here waiting to die?”
Jihyeok turned to her with a dumbfounded expression.
“Could you not say such scary things?”
Chuckling, Silvia shifted closer to him until their hips were touching. Without even realizing what she was doing, she sat cross-legged.
“I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Does Aether only recharge if you have a Device?”
“To be precise, you need a Device made of Polymus. That material draws out Aether’s true power.”
Silvia nodded slowly, then asked again.
“Are you sure?”
“Based on the information I’ve gathered so far... I can’t say for certain. Aether is such an irregular form of energy...”
“I see... You said it recharges through sexual acts with someone you like, right?”
“Yes.”
“What counts as ‘someone you like’? Does it have to be romantic attraction? Or does liking them as a comrade count too?”
Jihyeok’s head tilted about fifteen degrees. Wearing an uncertain expression, he answered in a skeptical tone.
“I’m not sure.”
“Really...?”
Trailing off, Silvia made a suggestion that clearly caught Jihyeok off guard.
“Then... do you want to test it on me?”
“...Excuse me?”
Once the words left her mouth, the embarrassment hit her like a truck. Seeing Jihyeok’s flustered face made it even worse. But she had her reasons. In this desperate situation, she was willing to try anything. That was all. There were no other feelings involved. Probably... No, definitely.
Thinking that, Silvia made excuses in a bashful voice.
“This isn’t the time to be picky about hot or cold rice. It’s hard to expect help from the Doctor, the place is crawling with monsters... and you already fought here. If we just sit still, we’re really going to die.”
“That’s true, but...”
“I like you as a comrade. Don’t you feel the same?”
“I really do like you too...”
The way he omitted “as a comrade” and added emphasis on “really” made her heart skip a beat for some reason. She must be nervous. That’s what Silvia told herself.
“Then let’s try it once. If it recharges, we might be able to escape.”
“Escape...? How exactly?”
“With enough energy, we can do anything. We could dig a tunnel, quickly search for an area without excrement... There are plenty of options. If recharging works, our chances open up considerably.”
“Uh... um... So... what exactly... do you plan to do...?”
Seeing Jihyeok stutter so obviously was somehow amusing.
“Well...? You probably know better than I do.”
Jihyeok scratched the side of his head while sneaking glances at her. It looked like something had occurred to him. Taking a small breath to steady herself, she continued.
“What do I need to do?”
“You’re really going to do this...?”
“I told you to try it. We don’t have a choice.”
“Ha... This is crazy... Then just stay still... And don’t hit me even if you’re surprised.”
“Got it.”
Silvia took a long breath through her nose and sat up straight like a wooden statue. Her heart was pounding furiously. She had never been this nervous in her entire life. What would Jihyeok do? Strangely, she felt a hint of anticipation. She told herself this was just reconnaissance for the future.
With that resolve, Silvia squeezed her eyes shut the moment Jihyeok’s hand approached her waist. When his touch slipped under her torn t-shirt and made contact with her stomach, her body twitched.
“How does it feel...?”
Jihyeok’s cautious question. Silvia answered,
“Ah, I’m not sure yet... It feels ticklish...”
“Hmm... Hold on. I’ll move behind you.”
“Do as you like...”
There was a rustling sound, and soon after, Silvia let out a sharp gasp as Jihyeok’s firm upper body pressed against her back. Then both of his hands gently caressed her pelvis, waist, and the area around her solar plexus. She felt her face growing hot.
An indescribable sensation. Her breathing quickened on its own and her body temperature rose. With her eyes closed, her sense of touch and hearing became razor sharp. So did her sense of smell. A strange scent she hadn’t noticed before filled the air. Was this Jihyeok’s body odor? It smelled sweet, yet somehow odd.
The moment Silvia tried to breathe in more of that scent, Jihyeok pressed his lips against the back of her neck and sucked with a loud smack. Her entire body broke out in goosebumps. She trembled violently and hunched her shoulders up until they nearly touched her jawline.
The act of sucking hard with pursed lips. She had heard about this before. It was exactly the method Adele had described for making a kiss mark.
“Hey... wait a second... Hah...!”
Silvia tried to stop him but completely froze. Jihyeok had gently bitten down on her earlobe. Then his tongue slipped out and flicked the tip of her earlobe, causing Silvia to part her lips slightly and let out a hot breath.
“Hngh...!”
All strength left her body. She leaned her back against Jihyeok’s chest. The feeling was incredibly lewd. Between his hands reaching up to her underboob and his tongue licking her ear, she couldn’t think straight.
“Hah... Hah...!”
Breathing in short, rapid gasps, Silvia made up her mind that she would absolutely keep this a secret from Adele. She could never tell her about this. Even if something happened and she was forced to speak, she had to hide these feelings at all costs.
When Jihyeok suddenly stopped his caresses, all the tension left her body. She buried herself in his embrace, panting, and struggled to check her storage unit. The charge level was unchanged. The experiment had failed.
But why had he stopped so suddenly? She had been getting really worked up... The reason became clear soon enough.
“Miss Silvia.”
“Yeah...? What...?”
“Could you look over there?”
Jihyeok pointed over her shoulder. From the spot he indicated, an enormous red glow floated in the air, swallowing the tentacle monsters and melting them away. That color was unmistakably the moth’s excrement. If this was the same excrement that had blocked their path earlier, now in motion... then this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to escape.
It was something to celebrate. Even if their hypothesis was wrong, they had to move immediately and check. So why did she feel so disappointed and regretful?