The Path of Radiant Ascension
"Number 123. So it was you."
I flinched at Yeon Ye-ha's flat, toneless voice. The words came out of nowhere — abrupt and completely unexpected. But I knew exactly what she meant.
My mind raced. I had no idea what had tipped her off that I was the culprit. I rewound my memories. I hadn't made any particular mistakes around her.
"What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden?"
I played dumb. I couldn't admit it here. And there was always the chance she was just testing me.
"……."
Yeon Ye-ha sealed her lips and stared straight at me.
I turned away from her oppressive gaze and surveyed our surroundings. The underground lake was vast and dark. The only light came from water seeping down through the ceiling, just enough to make out the space around us.
Heavenly Eye — Opening
I swept the area with my Heavenly Eye. The lake wasn't stagnant. Looking at the walls beneath the water, I could see openings — water flowed in through them at the same rate it drained out.
I might be able to leave Ipmagul through here.
Just to be sure, I scoured every corner. No traps in sight.
"There's no one watching us here."
"What?"
"During the Ipmagul trials, the Ipmaso director and personnel from every unit of the Heavenly Demon Cult keep watch. They're evaluating the recruits' abilities. But this place is an exception. Strictly speaking, this isn't even part of Ipmagul."
"If it's not Ipmagul, then what is it?"
"It's an artificially constructed underground waterway. The water here drains outside and becomes a river."
"So we could escape Ipmagul through here."
"It's not a proper exit. There's no telling how long the water's path to the outside is. If we just wait here, an instructor will eventually come find us and help."
"The moment we take an instructor's help, we fail the trial. And how long are we supposed to wait? Who knows when they'll show up?"
"The fourth trial only just started, so we'd probably have to wait at least two days. Otherwise, going back into Ipmagul is another option."
Yeon Ye-ha lifted her head, looking up at where the water poured in — the place we'd been swept from. It was over thirty meters high, essentially a waterfall. Climbing it was possible. The problem was that even after reaching the top, we'd still have to push forward against the current for a while.
I had the Blessing of Water, so I could manage well enough. Yeon Ye-ha was another story. Being a martial artist didn't mean you could swim like a fish. Some masters couldn't swim at all. Though, to be fair, experts of their caliber could pick it up quickly enough.
Breaking through the walls… impossible. The walls alone are over a hundred meters thick.
That was when Yeon Ye-ha suddenly stepped right up to me.
"It's you. You're the one."
"…I'm the culprit? I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Number 123. Hold me the way you did earlier."
"What?"
"Just now, you pulled me in by the waist with one hand. Do it again — wrap your arm around my waist the same way."
Speaking with that blank expression, Yeon Ye-ha turned her back to me. Her long black hair cascaded down her spine. She raised her arms slightly and stepped backward toward me. Looking at her slender waist and full hips, my hands twitched. I almost grabbed her waist just as she'd asked.
"Number 567. I don't know what you're after. What's the point of this?"
"Number 123. I've heard you like women. It's just holding a woman's waist. Or is there some reason you can't put your arm around mine?"
If I refused too hard, it'd only make me look more suspicious.
I sighed and reluctantly reached out, wrapping my hand around her waist. The feel of that slender, firm waist came through my fingers — a familiar sensation.
Yeon Ye-ha tilted her head.
"You're deliberately touching my waist differently from before."
She lowered her arms, took hold of my hand on her waist, and adjusted its position. My entire palm now fully cupped her waist.
"……."
"……."
In the suffocating silence, Yeon Ye-ha nodded.
"This feeling… it was you."
"You've been spouting nonsense this whole time."
I pulled my hand from her waist. Then suddenly Yeon Ye-ha spun around and threw herself at me, looping her arms around my neck and pulling me close like a lover.
I stumbled back in shock. I grabbed her shoulders to push her away, but she didn't budge an inch.
"I'm certain now. You're the one. This touch, this body heat, this scent. I remember all of it."
Soaked through with water, she radiated a different kind of allure than usual. Damp skin, unflinching eyes, the contours of her body laid bare by wet fabric. I desperately suppressed the lust surging up inside me.
"I'll say it again. I have no idea what you're talking about. Or are you trying to seduce me?"
"And if I am?"
Yeon Ye-ha rose onto her tiptoes. Her face drew closer. I felt her familiar breath. She was probably feeling mine just as familiarly.
"I'm no monk or sage. When a woman comes on to me, I don't turn her down."
"……."
Yeon Ye-ha didn't pull back. Those eyes watched me as if daring me to try.
Had she truly convinced herself I was the one?
I couldn't panic and back down here. With a serious expression, I placed my hand on her back. I felt the water-soaked martial robes and her hair. Yeon Ye-ha stayed still. My hand slid down and undid her sash. Her front opened, revealing the bandages binding her chest. Those were soaked through too, of course.
My eyes flicked to her chest. In that moment, Yeon Ye-ha undid the bandages herself. No — she tore them free with her fingers. The bindings came loose, and her compressed breasts burst free. Water droplets beaded across the white flesh, and her large pink nipples stood stiffly erect.
"Number 567! C-calm down. You're not in your right— mmph?!"
Yeon Ye-ha pressed her mouth to mine. Soft feminine lips and the plush press of her full breasts against my chest sent blood rushing downward.
No. Hold it together. If I get hard, there's no way out of this…!
Every time I'd taken her, I'd changed my appearance. But there was one thing I never altered — the shape of my cock. I'd needed to imprint it on her pussy.
She sucked on my tongue and saliva. I put every technique I'd accumulated to full use.
This is genuinely dangerous.
I tried to push her off, but her hand seized my crotch. The instant a man's weak point was grabbed, strength drained from my arms. My cock twitched and began to harden. She stroked it through my clothes as she broke the kiss.
I was startled — because the corners of her pink lips curved upward into a smile. But the smile vanished like summer heat haze.
"Your saliva tastes exactly the same as always. And your cock is just as hot and hard as ever. Still planning to deny it?"
I am not.
I couldn't say it. She'd already been certain I was the culprit long before this. Right now, she was just driving the nail in.
I squeezed her right breast hard, stripped off her pants, and groped her full ass.
"Nngh…"
Yeon Ye-ha's body shuddered.
"Fine. I'm the man who's been fucking you every night. What are you going to do about it?"
"Now that I know who you are… I'll have my revenge."
I sensed killing intent. I threw myself away from her in a hurry. A blade flashed through the space where I'd been standing. A fraction of a second slower and I'd have been cut.
Yeon Ye-ha settled into a stance, radiating controlled killing intent. Both hands gripped the hilt as white sword aura flared to life.
I swallowed hard.
Damn. This is a dangerous situation… and I'm so fucking turned on.
She was wearing nothing but a single pair of panties now — the white thong I'd gifted her. Soaked with water, the thick shape of her pussy showed through clearly. Her clit jutted out at the center, and below it the axe-mark of her slit was sharply defined.
Her massive breasts were fully bare as well. Those erect pink nipples radiated a powerful presence. A water droplet clinging precariously to the tip of one nipple fell with a soft plip — obscenely erotic.
Her long limbs, that slender firm waist, black hair plastered wet against white skin. All of it was sexy as hell. My cock was so hard my pants felt painfully tight.
"You planning to kill me?"
"…I've been violated by you for nearly a year. Isn't that reason enough to hate you and want you dead? I've always longed for the moment I could kill you. Now is the time to put an end to those days of humiliation."
She kicked off the ground and charged at me. Her breasts bounced heavily in accordance with the laws of physics. My eyes kept getting pulled toward them.
Don't tell me this is part of her strategy too?!
I drew my blade in shock and blocked her sword.
She took a step back and drew a circle in the air with her sword. The blade elongated — her specialty, the Illusion Sword. At the same time, her breasts seemed to bounce and stretch along with it.
Illusion Sword followed by Illusion Tits…!
If I just stood there, I'd be finished. I forced some distance between us, straining a bit. My leg muscles throbbed from the effort.
I can't use Charna, and in my current condition I can't maintain full power for long even if I draw it out. Should I release the seal…? No. We're too close to Ipmagul. Unsealing could make things even worse. I still have Complete Recovery… I'll manage somehow in this state.
First, I stripped off my clothes.
"…Why are you suddenly taking off your clothes?"
"You think I don't see through your plan? You're using your naked body to pull my eyes and scatter my focus. I'll use the exact same tactic."
"Unbelievable. To think I've been violated by a man like this for a whole year…"
Yeon Ye-ha muttered with a self-deprecating edge. Despite her attitude, it was surprisingly effective — her eyes kept flicking toward my crotch. Her interest in my cock was only natural. She'd been fucked by me every day for the past year, yet this was the first time she was actually seeing my cock and body.
"Hooo…"
Yeon Ye-ha exhaled a long breath. She closed her eyes, then opened them again.
"I don't sense any fighting spirit from you. Take this seriously. I intend to kill you."
"I have no intention of killing my woman."
Her body flinched. She trembled slightly, shrinking back for a moment, then immediately recovered her stance.
"Who is your woman?"
"You, obviously."
"……."
Yeon Ye-ha approached like a ghost and swung her Illusion Sword. Her silent footwork and the vision-scrambling Illusion Sword complemented each other perfectly. I focused entirely on parrying her blade.
Parry, parry, and parry again.
But as time passed, I fell further behind. Minor wounds multiplied. My arms grew heavy, my breathing ragged.
What I was aiming for was a single blow that could knock her out cold.
…No openings.
Yeon Ye-ha's sword left no gaps. The Illusion Sword densely painted across the air was like a massive wall.
Not being able to use Charna is this frustrating!
I had no choice but to hope for her mistake. The moment that thought crossed my mind, my foot slipped. I was the one who made the mistake. I tried to catch my balance before fully falling, but Yeon Ye-ha's sword interfered.
CLANG!
Her attack sent my blade flying from my hand, and the back of my head slammed against the hard ground.
And Yeon Ye-ha stood over me, her sword pointed at my throat.