Surviving on a Deserted Island (11)
Cheon Hayeon was acting strange. The evidence was right in front of me.
“Good morning.”
Normally, she would have answered with her usual dignified “It is indeed a good morning,” but instead she glanced away and gave only a slight nod.
“Are you feeling sick?”
When I took a step closer, she immediately thrust her palm out to block me. Even her breathing sounded a little rough. For a martial artist of Cheon Hayeon’s caliber to act like this? It seemed impossible. Still, we had pushed ourselves pretty hard lately, so maybe that was it. Even so, the way she kept shutting me out bothered me.
…What the hell?
I tried to recall if I’d done something wrong during the night, but no matter how much I thought about it, nothing came to mind. When I’d woken up this morning, the only thing stuck to me like a cicada was Han Yeoreum. Cheon Hayeon had been sleeping alone in the far corner. I couldn’t have done anything inappropriate while I was asleep.
“Hwaaaaaahm….”
Meanwhile, Han Yeoreum was yawning so hard it looked like she didn’t have a single thought in her head. With question marks practically floating above my skull, Cheon Hayeon quietly slipped away somewhere.
“I’m sleepy. It felt like it was raining earlier. My body feels so heavy….”
Whether Cheon Hayeon cared or not, Han Yeoreum stretched out her pale legs and propped her upper body up, looking at me with heavy-lidded eyes.
“Go back to sleep.”
Anyone could see her eyes were still full of sleep.
“Mmmrrgh….”
We still had plenty of the food Han Yeoreum had meticulously frozen and stored, plus a decent supply of coconuts and breadfruit. Thanks to that, we had some breathing room. It was still the early dawn before sunrise, so there was time left.
“I’ll wake you when the sun comes up. Sleep a little more.”
“O-kaaay… I’m counting on you.”
She rolled herself up in the thermal blanket and flopped back down. I crouched beside her and gently stroked her hair. She was already breathing softly in sleep before I even finished.
I watched her peaceful sleeping face for a moment, then stood up, stretching my stiff body. It was about time to resume the training I’d paused. But first—
Time for a shower.
I grabbed my toothbrush and toothpaste and strolled leisurely along the moonlit path. The heavy rain from earlier must have cleared the sky; the clouds were completely gone. Near the equator, sunrise and sunset happened at almost the same times. There were still about two hours until dawn. Perfect for washing up and loosening my muscles.
I’d already squeezed toothpaste onto the brush and was walking while brushing my teeth when I ran into her at the stream.
“….”
“….”
Clear green eyes stared at me intently. With the toothbrush still in my mouth, I froze on the spot.
The Cheon Hayeon who had disappeared earlier was standing there completely naked, washing herself. Moonlight softly illuminated the stream, revealing her pale breasts beneath wet, glistening golden hair. Neither of us were hindered by this level of darkness, but the sight of her bathed in that faint glow felt almost unreal.
I’d seen her half-naked plenty of times before, but actually facing her fully bare form was on a completely different level of destructive power. If I had to compare it, it was like the difference between a tactical nuke and a strategic one.
“S-sorry. I didn’t know you were here.”
I snapped out of it and quickly turned around. I should have sensed her presence, but I never expected her not to say anything.
“…It is my own fault.”
The sound of water splashing against skin came from behind me.
“How long will you take?”
“It will only be a moment.”
True to her word, less than five minutes later I heard the rustle of clothing and sensed her presence nearby. She had deliberately made noise as she approached. From the corner of my eye, I saw that she had already dressed and was now sitting on a rock beside me. Steam rose continuously from her body as she used her inner energy to dry herself.
I walked to the stream and finished brushing my teeth. Cheon Hayeon watched me from a distance, her gaze fixed.
“I’m about to wash now.”
Feeling a bit awkward, I spoke first.
“I will not look. You may wash.”
She turned her back to me as she spoke. Yeah, something was definitely off.
Since she wasn’t the type to lie, I stripped off my clothes and tossed them aside. Every time I glanced at her noble back, the image I’d just seen kept flashing in my mind, but I tried my best to ignore it. If I let every little thing like this bother me, going back to the dorm would be a nightmare.
….
Listening to the sound of Kim Mugong washing, Cheon Hayeon gently bit her delicate lower lip.
It was her first time having an erotic dream, and of all people, it had to be about Kim Mugong. After a storm of self-loathing swept through her, she entered what could only be called her “saintess mode.” In a mind colder than it had ever been, Cheon Hayeon finally reached a single realization.
Sleeping beside Kim Mugong every night was clearly having an effect. She had even begun to hope that the incomplete Heavenly Demon Divine Art might one day perfect itself on its own.
However.
If they went beyond simply pressing their bodies together—if they actually performed the dual cultivation act…
The way the Heavenly Demon Divine Art moved on its own when their skin touched. The resonance that occurred when they both raised their qi. And the “peculiar circulation of qi” she had observed when Kim Mugong and Han Yeoreum shared their intimate moments.
Having stayed up for an entire week without sleep, carefully observing everything, all the details she had burned into her mind now unraveled naturally and were analyzed.
The vague hypothesis she had only guessed at before transformed into absolute certainty.
A new realm… and the completion of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
A shiver ran through Cheon Hayeon. It felt as if lightning had struck inside her skull. This was something only Kim Mugong in this entire world could achieve. If it were otherwise, her father and the previous Heavenly Demons would have already found the answer.
Haa….
Cheon Hayeon let out a deep internal sigh.
Even if she had found an answer close to certainty, what could she do with it? She wasn’t bold enough in that regard to just walk up to him and say, “Would you share the clouds and rain with me?” It was doubtful whether Kim Mugong would even accept, and her father would certainly never allow it. Even if they succeeded, the moment they were discovered, she couldn’t guarantee Kim Mugong’s safety.
Suddenly, the words she had spoken in the dream flashed through her mind.
I must be crazy. I’ve gone mad.
Cheon Hayeon squeezed her eyes shut. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t understand what had possessed her to say those things. And then there was that part about keeping it their little secret. Of course, that wasn’t entirely wrong. She and Kim Mugong already shared many secrets. Keeping one more wouldn’t be difficult, but…
“Haa….”
A deep sigh escaped her lips.
“Got something on your mind?”
Kim Mugong, who had finished washing and approached without her noticing, asked.
“It is nothing. Merely a trivial concern.”
Composing herself, Cheon Hayeon answered in her usual tone.
“That’s good, then. I’m heading out to train. Want to come with me?”
Cheon Hayeon, who had been lost in thought, nodded heavily.
Moving my body a little should help clear my head.
Right now, that was the only thought she had.
The sound of waves crashing against rocks filled my ears. As the sunrise began, the humid air pressed down on my entire body. I exhaled qi-infused breath and stepped forward.
It was the same footwork imbued with the profound principles of the Heavenly Demon Tyrant Step as always, but my opponent brushed it off like a gentle breeze. Neither the power of my will nor the restrictive force of the Heavenly Demon Tyrant Step had any effect.
The air around her shimmered translucently, and the tremendous wave of energy sent yellow sand flying in all directions.
The moment our hands finally intertwined—
BOOM—!
A massive crater was carved into the center of the wide sandy beach. Cheon Hayeon’s hand gently wrapped around my fist.
Just as I had grown stronger, so had she. However.
Her movements were slightly different from usual.
It was such a minute difference that I wouldn’t have noticed without the transcendent intuition granted by my Martial Soul, but there was definitely a crack in her movements. When our hands met, that tiny opening felt much larger.
Of course, seeing it and actually breaking through it were two entirely different things, so I didn’t dare launch an attack. The way her brows were slightly furrowed, the way her eyelashes twitched—none of it matched the usual cold, composed Cheon Hayeon.
“Are you not feeling well?”
I asked, taking a few steps back.
“Do not concern yourself with it.”
With an unusually pouty tone, Cheon Hayeon shook her head. Then, without giving me any breathing room, she launched herself toward me.
Shrieeeek—!
The sound of air being torn apart. Her attack, fueled by incredible acceleration, made my hands go numb just from blocking it. Whether it was simply the nature of her martial art or not, Cheon Hayeon’s Heavenly Demon Supreme Palm seemed to have no distinct forms. Just tracking the dark flashes with my senses and blocking them was already starting to overwhelm me.
“Hey, take it easy…!”
I shouted urgently, but Cheon Hayeon kept swinging her hands wrapped in dark energy as if she were venting her frustration.
“If I did something wrong, just say it!”
I yelled confidently, but even while attacking, Cheon Hayeon met my eyes and shook her head.
“You have done nothing wrong.”
“Then what is it?”
“It is nothing…!”
Nothing my ass. Just looking at those sharp eyes, it was obvious something was up.
“Is this because of what happened at dawn? That was an accident.”
“That is not it…!”
Then what the hell is it, woman?
Damn it.
At this point, I had no idea. Whether it worked or not, I had no choice but to aim for the tiny openings in her defense.
I moved my body as much as possible while gathering my will. The half-baked Heavenly Demon Tyrant Step couldn’t restrain Cheon Hayeon even for an instant. In that case, I would pour everything into it.
My head throbbed. I ignored it. In the extremely slowed-down time, I perceived the complex trajectories of Cheon Hayeon’s strikes. Thud—! Relying more on instinct than reason, I stomped my front foot down. A footwork wave carrying immense will erupted from my sole and momentarily froze Cheon Hayeon’s movements.
In the slow-motion world, Cheon Hayeon’s eyes widened as they met mine. In that instant, I squeezed out every last bit of my internal energy and muscle strength to throw a punch.
KWANG—!
My body spun through the air. My consciousness nearly cut out. Golden hair scattered in all directions filled my vision as my body slammed into the ground. The air shook violently, kicking up a fierce sandstorm.
In the center of that sandstorm, I lay there blinking blankly.
I couldn’t understand what technique Cheon Hayeon had used. The impact itself wasn’t that strong. Was it some kind of redirecting force technique? I’d have to analyze it slowly to figure out the exact answer.
When I tried to get up, Cheon Hayeon immediately climbed on top of me. It looked almost like a ground-and-pound. The position was strangely suggestive, but the excited expression on her face sent a strong warning signal through my brain.
“…Hey, we’re not done yet?”
I hurriedly covered my face and took a defensive stance.
“What are you two doing…?”
The twist in the situation came from a completely unexpected place.
Han Yeoreum, who had woken up from the loud sounds of our spar, was rubbing her sleepy eyes and looking back and forth between me and Cheon Hayeon.
“…!”
Cheon Hayeon’s eyes widened in shock. Then—
KWAAAAANG—!
She brought her fist down with terrifying force.