Death Mountain
Death Mountain
"..."
Even after returning to my room, I couldn't make sense of what had just happened.
Why the hell did Baekseol kiss me...?
Aaaaagh!
A scream exploded inside my head.
I'd kept up a calm facade on the way out, but the moment I was alone, my mental defenses crumbled completely.
Someone who'd sunk thousands of hours into gaming—did I ever have time to date?
If I'd dated, forget thousands; I probably wouldn't have hit even a few hundred.
Four years of university, and even after, my life had been all games, nothing else.
Friends around me started dating one by one, pushing blind dates on me, but I'd always brushed them off with "no time."
Truth be told, it wasn't lack of time—it was lack of interest.
The virtual world was just far more appealing than reality.
So, in short, that kiss was the first of my life.
And Baekseol? Her beauty could crush any famous actress or idol group member—no contest; she'd dominate them.
Up close, her clear, translucent skin looked as white and soft as piled snowflakes, and those lips I'd never paid much mind to before...
The feel of them suddenly wrapping warmly and softly around mine...
Honestly... it felt good.
I had to admit it.
In that moment, all my worries vanished; my focus narrowed entirely to that sensation.
It was like the world held only me and Baekseol—her warm lips and trembling breath were everything.
What emotion had Baekseol reclaimed in that instant?
Joy? Love? Sorrow?
She'd been crying, yet smiling—and she kissed me.
Ha... how am I supposed to face her now?
My Supernatural Ability's correction would keep any outward signs hidden.
But my brain was going haywire inside...
I flung myself onto the bed and buried my face in the pillow.
No one watching meant the correction weakened, so this was fine.
Ascaros was bound, so no issue there...
"Lord Astra has had quite the... intriguing experience."
Ascaros's voice seeped from the shadows.
He was definitely mocking me.
"Shut it!"
"Impressive. I never imagined Lord Astra's heart could race like that... Mine beats so steadily; I was genuinely concerned."
"Ascaros..."
I laced my voice with warning.
"My apologies. A slip of the tongue."
Ascaros's tone dropped lower.
But a subtle amusement lingered beneath it.
This bastard...
Daring to tease his master, even as a subordinate?
"Speaking of, you must be enjoying this. It's been thousands of years for you too, hasn't it?"
Counterattack launched.
"......What might you mean, Lord Astra?"
A hint of wariness crept into Ascaros's voice.
"No idea about your human days, but sealed away for millennia—no women in sight. So even trivial actions fascinate you now."
"As a human, I was quite popular with women. The Academia girls lined up just to glimpse me..."
Pride wounded in his tone.
"Doesn't matter. You've been solo for thousands of years."
Critical hit.
"I don't know what 'solo' means, but... it feels awful."
Ascaros's voice chilled sharply.
"I... apologize. Let's end this."
Surrender declared at last. But I didn't stop.
"And now you're a skeleton—no women for you ever again."
Final blow.
"........."
The shadows fell utterly silent. Ascaros's presence vanished deep within.
That's what you get for mocking your master.
At that moment, Baekseol gazed out the window, a genuine smile—not an act—lighting her face.
She raised a hand to touch her lips.
Astra's warmth seemed to linger there still.
Astra... you were definitely flustered.
She'd felt it when their lips met.
For a brief moment, his heart had raced wildly, his eyes trembling.
Nothing like his usual calm, icy demeanor—a pure, childlike bewilderment.
"Astra must have felt happy too."
The emotion she'd reclaimed wasn't sorrow or love.
It was the most fundamental feeling for any living being.
Joy.
Of course, she didn't fully grasp joy yet.
Humans forget even vivid facts from minutes ago in an instant.
Let alone an instinctual emotion buried for centuries—could she truly comprehend it the moment it resurfaced?
Like a long-unused muscle suddenly flexing, emotions needed time to awaken fully.
What she felt now was merely joy's faint edge, its hazy outline—not the whole.
But one thing was certain: kissing Astra had been pure impulse.
No calculation, no reason.
Just something surging from her heart's depths, propelling her.
As her frozen heart began thawing from the Soul Orchid Chaos, that impulse had burst forth first.
She could label it "joy" because it was utterly new—a warmth, a thrill, above all, the vivid sense of being alive.
"Is this... joy?"
Baekseol still wasn't sure.
But this moment was the most meaningful of her emotionless centuries.
"I want to feel more."
Then, once more with Astra...
The mere thought prickled delightfully, like a tickle deep inside.
That sensation spread through her body, igniting a strange flutter.
Like a child tasting sweetness for the first time, craving more candy—Baekseol couldn't stop yearning for that feeling.
"Tomorrow too."
A strange light gleamed in Baekseol's eyes.
For her, left only with the joy from the Soul Orchid Chaos, Astra had become its sole source.
A single drop of water on her centuries-parched desert heart.
The moment she tasted that sweetness, she could no longer endure the thirst.
Like a drug addict craving their fix, Baekseol began fixating on that unique emotion only Astra could provide.
Astra... you must feel the same.
Baekseol murmured softly, forehead against the window.
Tomorrow... longer.
Moonlight illuminated her pale face, but an unfamiliar heat now burned in her expression.
The decisive moment when Baekseol's obsession with Astra took root.
Though the man himself had no clue.
The next day, I brought Ria to Baekseol's office.
"Astra."
I froze at the sight of Baekseol beaming at me—radiantly, genuinely.
Get it together. This is serious business.
But I quickly suppressed the feeling.
What I had to say was crucial for me, Ria, and Baekseol alike.
"Baekseol, I have something to say."
"Anytime."
Her voice was softer than usual.
Women know these things—Ria sensed the shift in our auras.
Something... happened?
Of course, she didn't pry.
We got along casually now, but these two were Haven's absolute powers—regiment leaders.
Too intimidating to probe personal matters.
I sat, and Ria and Baekseol followed suit.
"Baekseol, sorry, but I need you to come with me sometime."
"Sure."
"...What? Why?"
I was caught off guard.
I hadn't expected instant agreement without even asking why.
"I said sure."
Baekseol smiled brightly.
Normally, she'd grill me on destination, reason, duration—but just being with me was enough for her now.
"...Alright. Ria comes too. Destination: Death Mountain."
"Death Mountain—the territory under Sirka's control."
"Yes."
"Won't it be tough for Ria?"
Even if Ria was strong for her age, Death Mountain wasn't easy.
Charge in unprepared, and you'd return slashed like a knife victim—or worse, dismembered.
But my response surprised her.
"No—Death Mountain will be the perfect training ground for Ria. Plus, there's an opportunity I know of."
"An opportunity? On Death Mountain?"
Baekseol asked, astonished.
Death Mountain brimmed with deathly aura—how could fortune lurk there?
And if there was one, wouldn't Sirka know first?
"Yes. One we three can all claim."