Chapter 896
Chapter 896
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 896
Chapter Title: God's Atlantis
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I couldn't find a safe spot.
No matter how far I walked, all I saw was red sand. To make matters worse, the Moon's Blessing had worn off, leaving me weakened. I no longer had the strength to slaughter the demonic beasts.
No choice. I'll just have to move as cautiously as possible.
I actively made use of my unique trait, Deception (SS). It fooled our presence, scent, footprints—everything about me and Elena. This should let me evade the demonic beasts tracking us from afar.
For any that got too close, I'd deal with them directly. Hiding our appearances with Deception (SS) would be too inefficient.
As I trudged through the desert, I came to a stop. The sky had already darkened. It was still overcast, so not a single star was visible.
"Yu-jin. You're sweating a lot. Am I that heavy?"
"It's not you. Your weight feels like a feather."
Elena's weight was nothing. The reason my body was drenched in sweat was this godforsaken environment.
"Normal deserts cool down at night, but here it's the opposite. It's getting hotter as night falls. Even using mana won't fend off the heat. And our drinkable water is limited. I'm really starting to understand why this zone is called the Drought Region."
Elena wasn't feeling the heat thanks to the Hecate Cape. One of its abilities, 'Adapts to polar environments,' was working perfectly.
"Can't you block the heat with mana or ice?"
"Ice as tall as me melted in 30 seconds. I need to conserve mana for the demonic beasts."
"...This is tricky. How about we stop here and rest?"
I nodded and pulled a tent from my inventory. I even tried turning on a fan, but the hot wind blowing out nearly killed me. Water was the same. Splashing it on my body didn't evaporate it—instead, it just heated up and made things worse.
Thud!
I kicked the tent. Going inside felt suffocatingly stuffy.
"Don't."
"...Don't what?"
"The Hecate Cape. Don't even think about taking it off. I can handle this level of heat. The temperature rose at night, so it'll drop during the day."
If I was struggling like this, Elena—who was weakened to the level of an ordinary person—taking off the Hecate Cape would be disastrous.
"I've recovered somewhat. Ten minutes should be fine."
"That's just your guess. Don't do it."
When I dug in stubbornly, she shook her head.
"You're not going to listen no matter what I say, are you? Fine. Let's compromise at five minutes."
"...?!"
Elena took off the Hecate Cape and tossed it to me.
"Use it or don't. Do whatever. But I'm not wearing it for the next five minutes, no matter what you say."
Less than ten seconds later, sweat began beading on Elena's face.
"...Crazy woman."
I couldn't stop her when she acted like this.
I put on the Hecate Cape. The heat cut off instantly, and I felt better. In extreme terms, it was like going from hell to heaven. Though this was still heaven compared to outside.
Three minutes passed.
Elena, who'd been pretending to be fine, finally couldn't hold out. She let out ragged breaths. Her chest heaved busily up and down. Droplets of sweat fell steadily as a bonus.
"Having a hard time holding out? Admit you were wrong, and I'll give you the Hecate Cape right now."
"...Ridiculous. This much is... Ugh... ."
Elena staggered and collapsed into the sand. I approached her. I didn't hand over the Hecate Cape. Five minutes hadn't passed yet. Knowing her stubbornness, I chose to wait it out.
"One minute left."
"It's taking a while. I can see Father now. He's across the river. Fortunately, he doesn't look too bad. With a river this size... I think we could swim across... ."
"That doesn't sound like a joke."
Five minutes passed. I draped the Hecate Cape over Elena's body. Her breathing returned to normal.
Elena lay on the ground for ten minutes before forcing her trembling body to sit up.
"Why not stay lying down?"
"...My body's sticky with sweat, and sand's gotten everywhere. It feels awful. I want to wash up."
I did as she wanted. I pulled out a bathtub and filled it with ice water. It would turn hot in a few dozen seconds, but that meant she could shower in cold water for at least that long.
"I won't look. Go ahead and shower."
"I won't stand on ceremony."
Elena immediately started undressing. I turned away in surprise. The sound of clothes coming off came from behind.
"Where's the warning before you strip?!"
"It wouldn't matter if you looked."
I wanted to look. But this was Elena. The Elena who'd built an iron wall without even going on a single date with me. I couldn't fall for her playful words so easily.
I haven't even properly conquered her yet. If I saw her naked now... Whew. Just imagining it scares me.
I might lose all the trust I'd built up so far. That would throw off my plans a bit.
In a few days, an intimate moment will come. That's what I should aim for.
Until then, I needed to play the gentleman.
"This is a problem."
"Now what's wrong?"
"The water got hot while you were undressing."
I stood up. My senses were fine, so I could pinpoint Elena's position and the tub's. Eyes closed, I refilled it with ice water.
Splash. Before I could turn back around, Elena slipped into the tub.
"Hoo. It's cold. I usually hate cold things like this... but right now, it feels like heaven. By the way, Yu-jin. Aren't you going to open your eyes? No interest in my naked body?"
"I'm a gentleman. Don't tempt me."
"...You can open them. I promise I won't scold you."
"You think I don't know your personality? I don't buy that."
"......"
Her short shower ended. It was my turn next.
???
I lay down on the mat in just my underwear. I couldn't stand the heat any longer and had stripped off my clothes. It was definitely a bit better than wearing them. The problem was that it was still so hot I couldn't sleep.
"This is driving me insane. I need to sleep to recover my fatigue... ."
This was the Hell Zone. I had to save Complete Recovery as much as possible.
"There's a way."
Elena—who'd slept plenty on my back during the day and was now on night watch—grinned. Her gaze fixed on my face. I could tell she was deliberately avoiding looking at my groin.
"What way? Some secret to falling asleep?"
"There's this thing called illusion magic."
"You know illusions don't work on me."
"If you don't resist my illusion, it might. Worth a try, don't you think?"
"You're not even in a state to use illusions."
"An illusion to induce sleep isn't hard. Especially for me—illusions are much easier than other magic."
"Will it work?"
"Illusions are hard to land because you have to pierce the target's mental barrier. This one just calls forth sleep—it doesn't toy with or manipulate the mind. It all depends on whether you accept the illusion without resistance. In short, it comes down to whether you fully trust me."
This was a golden opportunity. A chance to show Elena my trust!
With Absolute Mind, it probably won't work anyway... but I should at least try.
I was curious too. If I wanted to fall under the illusion, would it actually take hold?
"Just relax your mind. Tell me when you're ready."
"...Ready."
"You might dream, or you might not. I'm in no shape to manipulate dreams too. Don't blame me if it's a nightmare."
"Got it."
Elena's index finger approached slowly. It drew closer and closer to my eye.
Pok.
Her finger tapped precisely between my brows.
"Sleep isn't com... ."
Drowsiness crashed over me in an instant. For a brief moment, I considered resisting, but I surrendered to it. My consciousness sank.
???
"He fell asleep this easily...?"
Elena was flustered. Flustered because the illusion had worked so well.
Was Sung Yu-jin pretending to sleep just to mess with her? Elena could swear that wasn't it. She wasn't foolish enough to mistake feigned sleep for deep slumber.
"Ha... He doesn't even fall for a sincere illusion... Unbelievable."
She poked his cheek with her finger. Even with some force, he didn't stir.
The illusion had taken hold perfectly. Too perfectly—that was the issue. He wouldn't wake from satisfactory sleep or ordinary shocks. Of course, she could wake him easily. A tiny bit of mana to dispel the illusion would do it. It was a shallow one, after all.
Elena sat beside Sung Yu-jin. Night watch was no big deal. She could nap on his back during the day.
"......"
She kept glancing at him.
Her eyes drifted to Sung Yu-jin again and again. Twenty minutes passed like that.
Even in sleep, he's sweating buckets.
Elena's hand reached toward his face. She intended to wipe the sweat. No handkerchief, so she'd use her hand.
Sweat-soaked strands of hair brushed her slender fingers, and beads on his forehead and cheeks dripped down.
Looking at him like this, he's pretty handsome. I get why Seira's so obsessed... .
Elena frowned. Thinking of Seira soured her mood. On a whim, she poked his cheek again, spitefully.
Sung Yu-jin's head shifted.
"......!!"
He opened his mouth and sucked on her finger, suckling at it. Elena froze. His tongue's movements were a bit odd, but she caught on to what he wanted.
He wants water. Makes sense with all this sweating... .
In this zone, she could only give 100ml per hour. Better to let him drink while asleep. Elena picked up the nearby magic canteen.
If she put it to his mouth, he'd drink on his own. Even in deep sleep, his instincts seemed intact.
The canteen stopped midway to his mouth.
...Too easy would be no fun.
Ignoring her suddenly pounding heart, Elena dipped her finger in cold water and slipped it into his mouth. He sucked the moisture from it. His tongue licked endlessly, craving more water.
The corner of Elena's mouth curved up. Little by little, like feeding a newborn puppy, she let him drink through her finger, carefully.
How many times did she switch fingers? Both her hands were sticky with his saliva.
She toyed with his lips. They parted, and his tongue poked out to lick her finger.
It's like... kissing my finger.
A strange tickle made Elena flash a lewd smile.
What if... I used my lips instead of my finger... .
How would he react?
The outcome was obvious, but she was curious.
Her fluttering heartbeat had turned into full-on pounding.
"...No, can't do that. No. I must've lost my mind for a second. My body's off, bringing on these weird impulses... ."
Elena's actions halted as she muttered. Her widened eyes fixed on Sung Yu-jin's groin. He'd stripped down to boxer briefs because of the heat, and unfortunately, his cock had slipped out through the vent hole, standing tall like a pillar.
"......"
Elena had never been interested in sex.
But now. She couldn't tear her eyes from Sung Yu-jin's manhood.
Gulp.
She swallowed dryly and barely managed to look away.
"...You awake? If you're messing with me, cut it out. Not funny."
She patted his face with her palm. No response. She even lifted his eyelid and checked the illusion. Sung Yu-jin was fast asleep.
Elena's gaze returned to the upright cock.
"...Just a physiological reaction, huh. Guess I should tuck it back in."
Elena approached his lower body and reached for his cock. It was iron-hard and burning hot. Alive. She felt its pulsing heartbeat vividly in her palm.
"Can't put it away like this... ."
Her slender white hand gripped the shaft and slowly stroked up and down. Once more accustomed, her movements quickened.
There was a reaction. Clear, sticky fluid leaked from the slit at the tip.
Too transparent for semen. Is this Cowper's fluid?
Stroke, stroke.
Her hand kept going. She figured out the right pressure. Her technique grew skilled, and suddenly the cock throbbed violently, spurting white fluid.
Far more than she'd expected, nearly reaching 2m before splattering into the sand. Elena slowly examined the semen on her hand.
Fishy. Sticky texture... No taste, obviously.
She shook it off. But her eyes stayed glued to his cock. It hadn't shrunk at all. Her delicate hand gripped it again.
Only after making him cum twelve times by hand could Elena finally tuck it back into his boxers. Of course, she erased all traces before sunrise.
Sung Yu-jin opened his eyes after the sun rose and a bit more time passed. Elena acted like nothing happened.
"Awake? Hope the sleep was satisfying."
"Feels refreshing and great. Extremely satisfying."