Chapter 277: Beast of Betrayal (4)
Chapter 277: Beast of Betrayal (4)
After Solari fainted.
I was startled for a moment by her limp form, but as if proving her status as a divine being, she regained consciousness quickly. Relieved, I was able to finish driving into her.
She did try to scramble away, pleading for me to let her rest… but after I caught her by the tail and gave her backside a few playful swats, she slipped right back into mating mode.
I lost track of how many times the cycle repeated—her trying to flee the moment she woke up, getting caught, being pinned beneath me again, and then fainting with her eyes rolling back.
Even Solari had her limits, it seemed. Eventually, she was completely spent, reaching a point where she couldn't even get up anymore.
Only then did I finally start cleaning up and lay down beside her.
However, despite my exhausted body, sleep didn't come immediately even after I closed my eyes.
I had a lot on my mind.
The most important thing was whether my wound had been repaired.
I let my consciousness sink slowly into the darkness behind my eyelids. Since I had done this once before, reaching the realm where my traits were engraved wasn't particularly difficult.
Right next to the 'Blessing of All Gods,' which still radiated multicolored light, the brilliant white sun no longer existed.
Yet, there were no signs of it being violently torn away either.
A long scar had once stretched from the boundary of my soul and body—where the 'Sun God’s Blessing' used to reside—all the way to the extremities of my physical form, through which I had expelled the mass of divinity.
Now, a pure white light filled that gap like new flesh.
It felt as if Solari’s divinity acted as a sort of glue, binding my soul and body even more tightly together.
I see. So this is why she insisted she had to be the one to mate with me.
This was something only a being who had spent millennia alongside humanity—receiving the power generated by faith and granting blessings in return—could achieve.
An ordinary person wouldn't be able to comprehend the structure of the soul and body, and even if they did, they wouldn't be able to manipulate such pure divinity.
However, one thing bothered me… the divinity had melted into my body far too smoothly.
I knew that holy power was inherently stable, but still, it was someone else's power, wasn't it?
There should have been at least a minimal sense of dissonance, yet I felt none at all.
It felt as if it had been my own power from the very beginning.
In times like this, there’s a very simple way to find out what’s going on.
'Status Window!'
The moment I called for it in my mind, a translucent screen popped up.
Perhaps because the monsters outside hadn't been completely cleared out yet, no achievement settlement window appeared.
However, the function that informed me of my own condition was still working perfectly.
Ding!
======================
【Trait Removed!】
Trait: Sun God's Blessing (A+) has disappeared!
Are you insane, human?
What on earth have you done?!
======================
Well, this notification probably popped up the moment I converted the blessing into a mass of divinity and fired it.
Fortunately, there was another notification that followed.
======================
【Trait: Sun God's Favor (S) Acquired!】
You are loved by the Sun God!
The traces of radiance left deep within your body are proof of that.
Just as it is an immutable truth that the day will break and the sun will rise even after the darkest night, the Sun’s love for you will remain steadfast at all times.
For her light is already within you.
……You are impressive in many ways.
======================
“???”
What the…?
The treatment Solari mentioned definitely included restoring the blessing I had lost.
But this wasn't just a restoration!
Several things had changed… but first and foremost, it had jumped from A+ to S-rank.
It was only a one-rank difference, but the implications were enormous. To put it simply, it was the gap between Iris, who stood at the edge of being a High Magician, and an Archmage.
Essentially, it meant there was no higher trait in this category.
In fact, receiving an S-rank blessing meant one was qualified to become an Apostle of that god, so that should tell you how high a rank it was.
Beyond that, the recovery bonus during the day had increased by 50%, and I could now gain half of that recovery even at night.
The 5% increase in light attribute damage was a nice bonus.
In terms of pure effects, it was actually slightly better than the 'Sun God's Blessing (S)' I remembered.
Of course, the main draw of that version was the potential to become an Apostle, so its bonus effects were somewhat mediocre compared to other S-rank traits.
For me, since I had no intention of becoming an Apostle anyway, this version was much better.
By the way….
The phrase 'The Sun’s love for you will remain steadfast at all times' kept catching my eye.
This is definitely that, right?
Solari seemed to be avoiding bringing it up… but when you're this intimate with someone, you can't help but notice whether they're sincere or not.
And Solari never actually rejected me, even while she was making a fuss about running away. If anything, she demanded it more intensely, as if this was her only chance.
I wanted to hear it from her own lips if possible, but I didn't expect to be spoiled like this.
I opened my eyes with a bitter smile. I saw Solari, who had apparently regained consciousness at some point, staring at me before hurriedly closing her eyes and pretending to sleep.
“Lady Solari?”
“…….”
“Come on, we already made eye contact. Why are you pretending to sleep?”
“Zzzzz…”
“Imitating snoring won't work either. I just checked and the treatment seems to be finished, so I won't tease you anymore. So, open your eyes.”
“…Really?”
“No. I was just testing you.”
Solari, who had been about to peek, squeezed her eyes shut again.
The effort she was putting into it only made it more obvious she was awake… and her lion ears had suddenly flattened downward.
Chuckling, I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her toward me.
I felt the soft sensation of her feminine body against my left side.
Solari’s body was trembling slightly, but at the same time, she gulped as if in anticipation.
To top it off, she was cautiously squinting one eye to steal a glance at me, which made a hollow laugh escape my lips.
She had always been informally friendly for a god, but now she felt like a completely ordinary woman.
It might be because she was currently possessing a human body.
I smiled brightly as I toyed with her twitching lion ears.
“I’m joking.”
“…Eh?”
“The treatment is over. And obviously, the mating ends here too. I’m really okay now, so let’s talk for a bit.”
“Mmm. You want to get our stories straight so we know what to tell Helena, right?”
“Is there really a need for that? We just have to tell the truth and ask for her understanding.”
“I suppose, but….”
Solari nodded vaguely, a flicker of guilt and regret passing over her face.
But soon, as if she had made up her mind, she spoke with a firm yet lonely smile.
“Right. That would be best, wouldn't it? Since this was just a one-time thing anyway.”
“Huh? No, it's not. I'm going to do it again next time.”
“…Grrr?”
Solari let out a characteristic beastly sound and jumped.
I continued in a nonchalant tone.
“Surely… you aren't planning on hitting it and quitting it, are you?”
“H-hitting it and quitting it?”
“It means using me and then tossing me aside.”
“I know what it means! If anything, I was the one who got… no, that’s not it! I have no intention of tossing you aside!”
“Then you’ll do it with me again next time, right?”
“…….”
I asked Solari, who kept her mouth shut while her eyes darted around.
“Do you hate it?”
“It’s not that….”
“I liked it. So much so that I want to keep sharing a bed like this in the future.”
“……!”
I turned my head toward Solari, who was stammering at my blunt words.
Then, I smiled gently and tapped my lips.
“If you feel the same way I do, Lady Solari, then kiss me. I’ll handle whatever problems follow. But if you don’t want to… just close your eyes and go to sleep. Everything will be back to normal when you wake up.”
“Back to normal….”
“Yes. We’ll just pretend nothing happened tonight.”
“…….”
Solari’s gaze wavered uncontrollably. Unable to find a place to look, she slowly brought her face closer.
Is this really okay? What about Helena or the other women? What should I say to the believers? And so on.
Her expression made it clear she was thinking about a million complicated things.
Nevertheless, Solari didn't stop bringing her lips toward mine. When the distance had closed by half.
I decided to close the remaining gap myself.
Mwah.
“Hmph?!”
Startled because she didn't expect me to move first, Solari let out a muffled sound. Enjoying her reaction, I slid my tongue inside.
Though she hesitated at first, Solari soon accepted me and intertwined her tongue with mine.
Like children hooking pinkies to make a promise, the two of us made a vow with our tongues.
For a long, long time.
“…Phew!”
I pulled away at last, grinning at Solari as she panted for breath.
“The head of an Evil God should be enough for a dowry, right?”
“Rawr?”
Solari’s ears perked up and her eyes widened. Before long, she understood my meaning and, instead of answering, she wriggled her body down under the covers.
Then, I felt a damp, soft warmth on my lower half.
I quickly lifted the blanket to see Solari with my member in her mouth.
As if to distract me, she gave the shaft a light nip, her eyes curving into a beautiful crescent.
“You can still go, right?”
“…Of course.”
The new trait I just got increases my stamina recovery even at night.