Chapter 269: The Antidote (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 269: The Antidote (3)
Using a lecture as an excuse, Shin Minha slipped out of the workshop and entered the observation room through a passage only she knew.
In truth, the "observation room" was just a tiny room, only about ten square meters, with nothing but a peephole.
She'd heard her predecessor had built it, but for what purpose, she had no idea.
The entire room was lined with a magic-shielding barrier, making it a sealed chamber that was not only soundproof but also impervious to magic detection, despite the peephole. It was obvious, even at a glance, that a great deal of care had gone into its construction.
It must have cost at least several hundred million won, but her predecessor hadn't been wealthy enough to build something like this on a whim. He had been a professor specializing in Summoning, just like her.
In any case, the reason she'd made an excuse to leave the workshop and come here was simple.
'Riyal despises men... Will he be okay...?'
No matter how coldly Kang Hyun-woo had rejected her proposal or ignored her demand for a written apology, he was still her student, and she was his professor.
As a professor, she had a duty to ensure her student's safety.
Of course, she had told him to persuade Riyal as a little prank, but she had fully intended to step in if things got dangerous.
That had been the plan, anyway.
'Wh-what is he doing...?'
Peeking into the workshop, Shin Minha was horrified.
She'd let it slide when Riyal splashed water and threw tea on Kang Hyun-woo. A part of her had even found it satisfying.
But when Kang Hyun-woo suddenly stood up, she couldn't help but panic.
She thought he'd lost his patience and was about to start a fight.
Just as she was debating whether to rush in and stop them, something unbelievable happened right before her eyes.
Kang Hyun-woo not only caressed Riyal's cheek but leaned in and kissed her.
A chill ran down her spine. If she let this continue, someone might actually die.
But what followed was even more incredible.
“Mmph, mmm... chuu, slurp...♡”
Like a shy maiden, Riyal was clinging to Kang Hyun-woo's clothes, completely absorbed in the kiss.
Shin Minha's jaw dropped at the sight.
Although the magic-shielding barrier prevented her from hearing their conversation, there was no way Riyal would have been won over by just a few words.
In the first place, it was a miracle that he'd even managed to have a proper conversation with Riyal, a unicorn who harbored a deep hatred for men.
'Could it be... an artifact?'
The suspicion crossed her mind for a moment, but she quickly shook her head.
She hadn't known him for long, but she knew Kang Hyun-woo wasn't the kind of villain to resort to such unscrupulous methods.
Besides, thanks to their racial traits, unicorns were resistant to all sorts of status effects.
Even if he was in a relationship with Choi Hyena, the next head of the Seongbuk Choi family, it wouldn't be easy to acquire an artifact powerful enough to affect a unicorn.
Moreover, Riyal was a noble among unicorns, a pureblood.
There was no way she would fall victim to an artifact without putting up any resistance.
'Did she fall in love at first sight...?'
Shin Minha was utterly confused.
She knew it was logically impossible, but she couldn't deny the reality unfolding before her.
*
I ignored the stare I felt on the back of my head and took off my shirt. It was soaked with tea.
'What is she doing over there?'
Through a small hole, I could see a pair of familiar blue eyes. It was Shin Minha.
My magic detection hadn't picked her up, so I wasn't sure, but when I extended my qi sense, I felt her clearly. Shin Minha was watching me from a small room, about ten square meters in size.
'Is she a voyeur or something?'
It was a little startling and awkward, but I couldn't stop now. I had to endure this much to make the antidote.
Recalling the price of an elixir that had recently sold at auction, I buried my face in Riyal's flushed, crimson neck.
“Heek?!”
I sucked on her nape while stroking her thigh. Riyal trembled as my hand slid further up her dress.
I found her reaction a little absurd. This was a far cry from the girl who had dragged me into a classroom and kissed me out of the blue.
She seemed like a different person, getting all tense from just a little skinship.
But her addictively soft skin and the scent that tickled my nose were the same as ever.
I boldly reached out and squeezed Riyal's butt. I felt the texture of her underwear more than her skin.
“Ah, you can't...”
Contrary to her words, Riyal gently wrapped her arms around me, as if to keep me from escaping.
And this is a unicorn?
Suppressing a laugh, I untied the sash of her dress.
Swish. As I unwrapped her dress like a present, her naked body, clad in a matching set of lavender underwear, was revealed.
Embarrassed that we were both down to our underwear, Riyal's face turned so red it looked like it might explode.
To ease the tense atmosphere, I gave her a light peck on the lips. The peck soon morphed into a passionate kiss, our tongues and saliva mingling.
“Haup, slurp, mwah... chuu...♡”
She seemed to be enjoying the kiss quite a bit, holding me tight as she continued our sloppy make-out session. As our breaths mingled, I began to remove her underwear, piece by piece.
Her breasts were bigger than Seoha's, but smaller than Noel's.
But their shape was exquisite. Perfect teardrops, you could say.
Her well-defined abs were also a nice sight.
As if trying to forget her embarrassment, Riyal kept her eyes squeezed shut and focused on the kiss.
But it was difficult to make any more progress in this position. I had no idea what would happen if I just went for it with a virgin unicorn without any foreplay.
“Ah...”
The moment our lips parted, Riyal sighed, her eyes half-lidded. Seeing the disappointment dripping from her gaze gave me a strange feeling.
'Am I seeing her through rose-colored glasses?'
Suddenly, Riyal looked beautiful to me.
Of course, she was beautiful, but after everything she'd done, I couldn't just see her in a positive light.
I chuckled, thinking I was catching feelings way too fast after just one encounter.
I groped Riyal's breasts as I slowly moved down. I kissed her chest, her ribs, her navel, her lower abdomen, and finally left a mark on her inner thigh.
“Wh-what are you doing!”
Riyal pushed me away with both hands as I tried to bury my head between her legs.
“You think I'm thirsty? I have to get you warmed up before we do it.”
“D-do it...?”
Ripples of shock spread through Riyal's eyes. Her reaction caught me off guard as well.
'What? Did she not intend to go all the way?'
I had naturally assumed we would. I thought Riyal was on the same page.
Of course, I only needed her love juice, so it didn't matter if we stopped here.
Though it would be a lie to say I wasn't disappointed.
Riyal kept glancing at me, constantly trying to read my expression. Unable to stay still, she fidgeted with her fingers.
“Th-the sacred ritual... can only be performed by a married couple...” she mumbled in a voice as faint as a crawling ant.
“Sacred ritual?”
I'd heard that term somewhere before.
The Sacred Ritual (聖式).
High-ranking mythical beasts, including unicorns like Riyal, have a custom of treating their first sexual experience as a sacred ceremony.
They call the first night with their partner the 'Sacred Ritual' and strictly forbid any other sexual relations.
In other words, if I wanted to have sex, I had to promise to marry her.
I stealthily picked up my pants from the floor.
Riyal was pretty, sure, but getting tied down like this was a bit...
“What are you doing?”
Just as I was cautiously trying to back away, a cold, sunken voice pierced my ears. The temperature in the room seemed to drop along with it.
I turned my head, a bone-deep chill running through me.
Riyal was glaring at me with murderous eyes.
I swallowed dryly without realizing it.
In place of the blushing, shy bride-to-be from moments ago stood a violent filly.
“I asked what you're doing.”
“...”
Drip.
Something fell.
It was a drop of cold sweat.
She looked ready to smash the flowerpot from the table over my head if I said the wrong thing.
But I wasn't worried.
I'm still alive because I've navigated countless predicaments like this one.
I trust my silver tongue.
“I have no intention of marrying y—”
In that instant, a small, white fist filled my vision. The sound that followed, however, was anything but light.
Thwack!
*
Sitting in the middle of the training room, I calmed my breathing and opened my eyes.
I stood up and did some light stretches.
About half a day had passed since the unicorn's brutal assault. My whole body still seemed to ache.
'That violent unicorn.'
Riyal had instantly taken the mount position and rained down punches at an incredible speed, giving me no room to make excuses.
Whining about getting beaten up by a girl might seem pathetic, but you'd think differently if you were on the receiving end.
She wasn't just hitting me; she was infusing her fists with magic. Anyone who could take that and be fine wouldn't be human.
On top of that, the impacts that broke through my guard were so dizzying I had no idea where she'd learned to fight like that. It was clumsy, but it was unmistakably an internal energy striking technique.
'Do unicorns learn martial arts?'
It's a good thing my recovery rate is high. Anyone else would have been laid up for at least four weeks.
Still, I managed to complete the antidote one way or another.
For now, that was enough. I didn't have any other objective, after all.
'But why was Shin Minha hiding and watching?'
She can't actually be a voyeur, can she?
She didn't seem like the type to have that kind of kink.
Of course, you can't judge a book by its cover. What's more, eight out of ten mages are eccentrics, so it wouldn't be a huge deal even if Shin Minha was a voyeur.
There are far worse kinks out there.
'Still, a professor being a voyeur is a bit much, isn't it?'
A dry laugh escaped my lips.
But I quickly wiped the smile off my face and picked up my sword.
Closing my eyes, I swung my sword, recalling the day I sparred with the Duke of Rutland.
As expected, the sword cut through empty air.
Nevertheless, the path of the sword continued unbroken. At the tip of the blade, which traced a dark trajectory, stood the Duke.
He dodged the sword with light footwork and threw a punch. Each blow landed with a weight that could not be ignored.
But I'm different now.
Boom!
I instantly accelerated and caught up to him.
The sword, imbued with dark energy, took on a golden hue and accelerated further, like a meteor streaking across the night sky.
The Duke of Rutland's eyes widened as he defended.
But the golden Aura pierced his defense, leaving a significant wound. Immediately after, the sword turned dark again.
The demonic energy settled in my dantian stirred in response.
An even more tyrannical sword strike flew forward.
It was a sword I did not know.
But I swung it with confidence nonetheless.
Because there was no need to separate the sword from myself.
The sword, which made space itself tremble, collided with the Duke of Rutland's outstretched fist. A massive shockwave erupted, and I was thrown backward.
“Haa...”
I exhaled and opened my eyes.
The training room, which should have been a mess, was as pristine as if nothing had happened.
It was mental training using multitasking thought.
Of course, the simulation's accuracy was low because I had limited data on the Duke of Rutland, but it was a decent training method nonetheless.
“I guess it's still too early for me to face an S-rank Hunter head-on, huh?”
I wasn't frustrated.
I hadn't even used magic, and my opponent was one of Europe's absolute powerhouses, said to be on par with an 8th Circle Archmage.
In fact, it would be shameless of me to feel disappointed or frustrated.
Of course, that didn't mean I was going to stop here. As far as I knew, the Duke of Rutland was the strongest person I had ever fought.
He was the perfect training partner.
After catching my breath, I closed my eyes again.
Dozens, hundreds of sword paths unfolded in my mind.
The ever-changing sword strikes stemmed from a single sword and spread out in all directions. This meant that one sword (一劍) and ten thousand swords (萬劍) were not different.
Forgetting even the passage of time, I charged toward the Duke of Rutland.
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[Rematch with Cheon Yeo-hwa?]
[Y/N]
[Y]