Chapter 119: Eternal Spire (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 119: Eternal Spire (5)
I started walking toward the inn, scanning my surroundings once more.
Is Isia not around here?
I looked around, but there was no sign of her. I hadn't seen her once since we got separated in the corridor.
Not that I had any intention of looking for her.
If I had to drag around someone as frustrating as Isia, I’d probably die of stress.
She was certainly beautiful enough to be intoxicating if she were by my side, but I had no plans to go searching for her.
I turned my gaze to Yekaterina, who was walking with me. She was still following me in silence.
In any case, she seems more useful for now.
"There's the inn," Yekaterina said, pointing.
Where her finger indicated stood a two-story building. A sign above the entrance read, ‘Inn of Abundance.’
Did she choose this one on purpose?
There were a few other inns nearby, but none of them looked to be in very good condition.
The Inn of Abundance, by contrast, had a clean exterior. It seemed to be the best inn in the village.
The price doesn't matter, but…
I glanced at Yekaterina. Sensing my gaze, she turned to look at me.
"Aren't you going in?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. Her tone was filled with the certainty that we would, of course, be staying there.
So, now that she’s decided to sell her body, she’s determined to get her money’s worth, is that it?
I didn't feel the need to point it out. I had more than enough gold, and I needed a comfortable place to rest as well.
"Let's go in."
I entered the Inn of Abundance with her.
The interior was just as impressive as the outside. A faint scent of wood filled the air, and the floors and walls were made of well-polished timber. Stylish lamps on the walls cast a soft, warm glow, and behind the central counter, an elderly innkeeper stood ready to greet his guests.
"Welcome to the Inn of Abundance."
The owner greeted us with a welcoming smile.
"Do you have a room?"
"Yes, of course. We have standard rooms on the second floor and more luxurious ones on the third. Which would you prefer?"
I thought for a moment, then glanced at Yekaterina. She looked up at me with a strange smile.
"A room on the third floor, please. The best one you have."
The innkeeper, looking pleased, pulled out a key and held it out.
"An excellent choice. It's the room at the very end of the hall on the third floor. The rate is one gold per night."
I took a gold coin from my inventory and placed it on the counter. The owner nodded and pressed the key into my hand.
"Enjoy your stay."
I took the key and turned to Yekaterina.
"Let's go."
She nodded silently and followed me. We went up the wooden staircase leading to the third floor. As we climbed, I could feel a slight tremor in her footsteps.
She’s acting all composed, but she must be nervous.
We reached the top of the stairs and walked down the third-floor hallway. Our room was at the very end. I unlocked the door, and we stepped into a room that was better than I expected.
It was furnished with a clean double bed, a table by the window, and even had an attached bathroom.
Yekaterina hesitated at the doorway.
"What are you doing? Come in."
At my words, she slowly entered the room. Her shoulders flinched slightly as the door clicked shut.
I walked over to the window and looked outside. The entire village was visible at a glance.
"So… what's your name?"
I turned my head to look at her, still leaning against the window.
"Jin Seo-yun."
"I'm… Yekaterina. Yekaterina Oleg…"
"I know. I saw it on your status earlier. More importantly, where did all your earlier confidence go? Why are you so nervous?"
Yekaterina's face flushed red at my question.
"Well, it's… it's my first time…"
I pushed off from the window and slowly approached her.
"You made such a bold offer, but now that it's come to this, are you scared?"
"No… it's not that…"
Yekaterina lowered her head, her words trailing off. The nape of her white neck was exposed.
I stood before her and gently lifted her chin. Her violet eyes were trembling.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?"
"Yes…" she whispered.
"You don't need to be afraid. I'll be gentle."
As I brought my lips close to her neck, I felt the soft texture of her skin. Her body shivered for a moment.
"Hahh…"
A shallow breath escaped her lips.
I wrapped one arm around her waist. I could feel her slim yet firm figure through my fingertips.
"What country are you from?"
"Russia…"
"What were you doing before you were dragged here?"
She hesitated for a moment, then turned her head slightly.
"Do I have to talk about that?"
"Well, if you don't want to, you don't have to."
I slowly leaned in towards her lips. Yekaterina's red lips trembled slightly.
The moment our lips met, her body flinched. Awkwardly, but instinctively, she responded to my kiss.
"Hah… Mmph…"
Her body, at first tense with nervousness, gradually relaxed and leaned against me.
I slowly pushed my tongue into her mouth. She flinched for a second but soon began to respond, clumsily accepting my tongue.
"Heup… Mmph…"
Her hands lightly gripped my arm. Our tongues tangled softly as I deepened the kiss, sharing saliva.
"Haahng…♡"
Yekaterina's breath grew hot. Her initial tension had vanished, and she was beginning to respond more and more.
"Hnngh… Mwah… Haa…♡"
Her moans became thick and sticky. Our tongues wrapped around each other, exploring, and the inside of her mouth grew hotter and wetter.
"Hahh… Haa…"
When I pulled my lips away slightly, I saw her flushed face. Her violet eyes were still trembling.
"Let's stop here."
"What…?"
Yekaterina stared at me, her eyes wide with surprise. Her face was still flushed.
"I have something else to do."
It was a shame, but I slowly pulled away from her and stood up.
"Ah… okay."
Yekaterina nodded, a complicated expression on her face.
Yoon Jae-ho. That guy must have already gone looking for a fortuitous encounter.
There were two fortuitous encounters on the first floor.
Since Yoon Jae-ho was the first to arrive in the village, he had likely already claimed the one located inside it.
The one outside the village was quite far, and monsters appeared along the way, so even he wouldn't have been able to go for it right away.
He may be a regressor, but he's pathetically weak in the beginning.
The fortuitous encounter I was heading for now was one that would be helpful to him in the early stages.
It's not a particularly amazing one, but there's no reason to just hand it over to him.
I stood up and spoke to Yekaterina.
"You can rest here."
"Um… can't I go with you?"
"Hmm, I don't mind."
Before I could even finish my sentence, she quickly got up and stuck close to my side.
"Then let's go together."
I looked at her for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright. Follow me."
We left the inn. The village was still in a state of chaos. People were gathered in small groups, murmuring amongst themselves, unsure of what to do. It was only natural, having been suddenly thrown into this situation with no information.
Yekaterina looked at the people, then at my face, a sense of relief washing over her. It was clear she felt she had made the right choice.
The village entrance came into view, and I walked past it without hesitation.
"Are you leaving the village?"
"Yes."
"Isn't it dangerous?"
"It's fine."
Yekaterina followed me, her eyes filled with worry. We passed the village entrance and headed into the forest.
As we walked along the narrow path between the dense trees, the air grew more humid, and our surroundings became silent.
I stopped and looked around. The metallic scent of something in the air hit my nose.
The smell of blood?
"Over there…"
Where she was looking, I saw several goblins.
The ugly, green-skinned creatures were tearing at something. The stench of blood was thick in the air.
I picked up a few stones from the ground and threw them at the goblins' heads.
Thwack!
The stones, imbued with my internal energy, pierced through their skulls. Green blood splattered as the goblins collapsed.
"That's amazing…" Yekaterina murmured, her eyes wide with shock.
I walked toward the goblin corpses without a word.
What they had been feasting on was the body of a man. This was the fate of someone who had foolishly entered the forest unprepared.
"Ugh…"
Yekaterina covered her mouth and turned away, clearly shocked by the gruesome state of the corpse.
"Let's go."
Still averting her gaze from the body, Yekaterina quietly nodded.
"Yes…"
She followed me with an anxious expression. I continued forward along the forest path.
I killed over twenty goblins on the way to the fortuitous encounter.
Yekaterina stuck close behind me, her face a mask of tension and fear.
She looks like she's regretting her decision to follow me.
I took her hand and kept moving. We passed through the goblin-infested woods and entered an area where the dense trees began to thin out.
Before long, we arrived at our destination.
Before us stood a giant statue in the shape of a snake. Made of black marble, the statue gleamed smoothly, each of the snake's scales intricately carved. Its two red, glowing eyes were so sharp they seemed alive.
"Is this the place you were looking for?"
"It is. Follow me."
I led Yekaterina past the snake statue and into a cave. The entrance was shaped like a snake's open mouth, giving it an ominous feel. As we went inside, the damp air and a musty smell assaulted my nose.
"Umm… I have a… bad feeling about this," Yekaterina muttered in a small voice, looking around.