Kneading the Butler Straight to Heaven [Shall I Cast Kneading?]
“Crazy…”
I blinked at the holographic window floating in midair.
It wasn’t a glitch.
Kim Hyunah’s name was clearly listed as the target for Kneading.
I hadn’t known it worked on people.
I’d figured the skill wasn’t limited to bread dough, but I never imagined it could be used on humans.
But how was I supposed to use it?
I couldn’t just blurt out, “Hey, mind if I knead you a bit?”
Flustered, my body froze up.
Then the skill window in the air started flashing wildly.
Flash—flash—!
The text swelled and shrank repeatedly, like it was grabbing me by the collar and demanding I knead right now.
Honestly, I was dying to know what it’d do to a person.
It’s not like she could knead me back.
When I’d used it on flour dough, it’d skyrocketed the fermentation speed and explosively boosted the bread’s flavor and fatigue-recovery effects.
So what would happen if I kneaded a human body directly? Would all their fatigue vanish in one go?
Or would their body turn chewy like dough? Yeah… that’d be weird.
I was insanely curious about the results.
I swallowed dryly and cautiously turned my gaze to Kim Hyunah.
She’d just wolfed down the bread I’d baked and was leaning against the wall with a rapturous expression.
Color had returned to her face, so it must’ve worked well.
The exhaustion that had etched her features had faded a bit.
I shuffled over hesitantly and murmured to her.
“Um… are you still pretty tired, by any chance?”
At my question, Kim Hyunah snapped her eyes open, snapping out of her bread-induced haze.
Her eyes, which had been dull just moments ago, now sparkled with clarity.
“No… thanks to you, my fatigue melted away like a miracle. I still can’t believe something like this is possible!”
Her voice brimmed with energy, unlike before.
The heavy weariness that had crushed her body for so long seemed to have lifted somewhat.
The more vibrant she got, the trickier my situation became.
How do I knead her naturally?
“Oh… r-really? Glad to hear it.”
I couldn’t hide my disappointment.
If she’d still been tired, I could’ve used a lame massage excuse and pushed through.
I fidgeted, shuffling my feet in place.
As my impatience grew, my suppressed ears started flapping wildly again under the chef’s hat pulled low over my head.
Twitch, twitch.
Kim Hyunah alternated her gaze between my dancing hat and my restless fidgeting.
She was a sharp hunter who’d spent ages in the Tower.
She instantly clocked that this cute benefactor of hers desperately wanted something from her.
Kim Hyunah subtly rubbed one shoulder in pretense.
“Ah, but… the bread took care of the fatigue, yet my muscles are still a bit stiff. Quite sore, actually.”
It was painfully obvious acting—anyone could tell.
She’d forced out the excuse to accommodate me, but to me, it was like rain in a drought.
“Really?! You’re still tired, right?!”
My face lit up.
I felt my ears perk up joyfully under the hat.
I scooted right up to Kim Hyunah, clasped my hands neatly, and gazed up at her.
“Then let me fix that fatigue completely! Leave it to me!”
Kim Hyunah flushed at my sparkling eyes and the perky hat.
God, she was violently cute.
The innocent gaze from what looked like a fresh fifteen-year-old girl sent ripples through her hardened sensibilities.
“Pardon? Oh, no. I couldn’t impose on someone as esteemed as you…”
But her refusal hit a wall—my pleading eyes.
I gazed up at Hyunah with all my desperate intent.
Please, just hand over that sore body of yours.
Under my unwavering stare, Kim Hyunah finally waved the white flag.
“Haa… alright. Then, I’ll gratefully leave it to you.”
“Hehe, got it!”
As Kim Hyunah surrendered, I cheered inwardly.
Yes! She took the bait.
I nodded eagerly and checked the floating skill window again.
At the bottom of the now-stilled hologram that had been flashing moments ago.
Tiny text there seized my full attention.
Special condition met: Reward granted
Use skill on target successfully: Kneading skill levels up!
“Level up…”
I swallowed hard.
This could be a huge breakthrough.
Bread made with level 1 Kneading had produced cheat-level fatigue recovery.
What insane effects would level 2 bring?
If it added buffs, I’d basically be a walking bank.
I urgently tugged at Kim Hyunah’s collar.
“Hey, is there somewhere to lie down on your stomach?”
“Pardon? Somewhere to lie down? In the bakery room…?”
Kim Hyunah echoed in bewilderment.
Fair enough—asking to flop down in a bakery out of nowhere sounded insane.
“I need to lie flat to use my skill properly! Hurry!”
Urged by my desperation, Kim Hyunah dazedly scanned the room.
Thankfully, there was a flat simple sofa in one corner for resting during fermentation.
“Then… would that work over there…?”
Kim Hyunah cautiously headed to the sofa.
Still looking confused, she carefully removed her suit jacket and set it aside.
I got the bewilderment too—Hyunah must’ve felt the same.
Now in just her blouse, she lay face-down on the sofa.
She blinked, clearly still not getting it.
“Relax. It’ll feel amazing.”
Probably.
I hopped onto the sofa.
I knelt near Hyunah’s waist area.
My slight fifteen-year-old frame—she didn’t even seem to notice me on her back.
Makes sense for a hunter; this weight was nothing.
I rolled up my sleeves firmly.
Took a deep breath and gently placed my hands on Kim Hyunah’s back.
“Here we go.”
Active Skill: Kneading Lv. 1 activated.
Pat—knead—!
My hands moved on instinct.
Slowly, like a cat treading a soft blanket.
Energy flowed from my palms, seeping into Kim Hyunah’s back muscles.
“Hngh…”
Suddenly, a short cry escaped her lips as she lay there.
A mix of bewilderment and strange pleasure.
Her body went rigid.
The sensation rippling down her back was unlike anything she’d ever felt.
No comparison to the massages she’d had before.
No pain from pressing knotted muscles.
With every touch of my small hands.
Energy burst from my palms, piercing her skin and soaking into the spaces between bones and vessels.
Knead, knead, rub rub.
“Haa…”
Tension drained from Kim Hyunah’s body in an instant.
Her shoulders, stiff from stress, sank smoothly like a lie.
My hands moved seamlessly from her nape, along her shoulder blades, down her spine without gaps.
Hard-knotted muscles hiding fatigue melted away like ice cream under Kneading.
“Haa… hmm… hngh…”
Kim Hyunah’s moans echoed in the quiet bakery.
She should’ve blushed from embarrassment, but she wasn’t in her right mind.
The violent pleasure and ultimate refreshment had blown her reason away.
My hands pressed firmly around her shoulder blades.
Take that.
The Kneading energy aligned her twisted bones and delved deep.
Crack—pop—!
A refreshing bone sound rang out, and her lips parted.
“Haaaah…!”
Her hands gripped the sofa leather tightly.
Chronic fatigue buildup deep inside, toxins from abusing awakening agents.
All evaporated under my touch.
Her neck, hunched from desk work like turtle neck, straightened to its proper place.
As the skill continued, her body slipped into ultimate relaxation.
Thrilled by her reactions, I sped up, my tail swishing.
Knead, knead.
“Haa… yes, right there… a bit lower… haa.”
Her body undulated like waves.
How much time passed?
“Phew… all done!”
Refreshing!
Kneading felt so good even for me—I’d lost track and gone overboard.
I wiped sweat from my forehead and got off her back.
Zone-out must’ve drained my stamina hard.
Felt twice as tiring as kneading dough.
Kim Hyunah sprawled on the sofa, utterly limp—not a twitch.
Like her soul had fled.
“Uh… did I overdo it?”
Then, the awaited skill window popped up with a cheerful chime.
Ding—!
‘Kneading’ skill used successfully.
Condition met: Reward granted.
Flash—!
The status window glowed brilliant gold.
