Chapter 103: Don’t Touch Our Oppa
Chapter 103: Don’t Touch Our Oppa
I pressed down, grinding my foot into the creature’s head. I felt a slight, hard resistance, but as I applied more force, the sensation of Belphegor’s skull being crushed traveled up my leg. My foot ground his head into the floor, pushing down until my sole was flat against the stone. After twisting my foot once or twice, I lifted it to see what was left of his head, now a pulpy mess.
I let out a short breath and admired the scene for a moment before bending down and reaching for his chest.
Even as I placed my hand on his left breast, Belphegor showed no sign of movement. He wasn’t breathing. He looked, for all intents and purposes, completely dead. With a placid expression, I thrust my hand forward.
Plunge!
The sensation was of piercing flesh tougher than a human’s. Looking at Belphegor, his chest now torn open by my hand, I spoke in a mocking tone.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have broken the horns. A bit of a waste… but oh well, I did get you to summon Skurepf. I’d say that’s a net gain. Wouldn’t you, Belphegor?”
Of course, there was no reply. After rummaging around inside his chest for a while, a wide smile spread across my face as my hand closed around something. Just as I thought. I stopped my hand near his heart and, with a firm grip, ripped it out. And yet, despite having an organ as vital as his heart forcibly extracted, Belphegor remained motionless.
I let out a satisfied laugh as I looked at the round, jet-black orb in my hand, caked in dark blue blood.
“Heh heh. As expected of a high-ranking Demonkin. You get these kinds of things. In any case, whether it’s the sword or the heart, I’ll make good use of them. Well then, farewell, Belphegor.”
After a calm goodbye, I turned as if to leave, only to turn right back around. I plopped down on the floor in front of his body.
“That’s just harsh. I said I’d make good use of it and even said my farewells. Isn’t it proper to see me off?”
Silence. I sighed and plunged my hand back into his gaping chest cavity.
“…”
“Stop playing dead. I know you’re still alive.”
At that moment, I felt a faint tremor spread through Belphegor’s body. I didn’t miss it. Laughing loudly at his finally revealed reaction, I poured a massive amount of mana infused with Eternal Flame into his chest.
“If you thought I would just leave like this, I’d like to tell you that you were sorely mistaken.”
Fwoosh!
A pure flame ignited from within his body and began to consume him whole. Simultaneously, black smoke started pouring out of his corpse. Seeing that smoke, I laughed out loud once more.
“Haha. You insidious bastard. I see right through all your little tricks. Hahaha.”
Kuaaaah. Kuaaaaah.
The black smoke let out a resentful cry, as if filled with injustice and rage, but I simply watched in amusement. Eternal Flame, having instantly incinerated Belphegor’s entire body, now transferred its flames to the smoke floating in the air.
Kiaaah… Kiaaaah…
I watched the entire process unfold, resting my chin on my hand. Who was it that suggested we come to Mule? Dealing with Belphegor today would be a great help in achieving the ultimate goal for which I returned to the Hall Plain.
Soon, the smoke began to fade within the pure, brilliant flames of Eternal Flame, disappearing without a trace. I felt refreshed. With this, Belphegor, who had been a long-standing nemesis of mine in the first run, was completely annihilated, down to his Demonkin soul. Just in case, I activated Third Eye and meticulously scanned the spot where he had been. When no information appeared no matter how long I waited, a triumphant smile graced my lips.
And in that moment, I flopped onto my back. I savored the emotions welling up inside me after succeeding in my revenge. Who said revenge was empty? It was so sweet, so satisfying. Feeling a happiness that filled my entire being for the first time in a long while, I wore a pleasant expression.
As the tension that had supported my body dissipated and a sense of relief washed over me, a severe wave of dizziness struck my head. The price for using Eternal Flame with such low stamina came flooding in. The backlash on my body and mana had already been accumulating since I’d started using my skills on the third floor. I had only been holding on thanks to the Latent Ability ‘Unyielding,’ my mental strength, and the thirst for revenge I had nurtured for so long.
“Haaaah.”
But it was fine. I felt fine. My mood was so euphoric that even the breath I just exhaled felt sweet. I was about to drift off to sleep when I carefully placed Belphegor’s heart from my right hand into my robes, then reached out in the direction I had kicked the sword earlier.
Whoosh, Thump.
“Well, now.”
As if it had been waiting, something flew through the air and landed snugly in my palm. It was the demonic sword, Skurepf—the one the creature had summoned but never had a chance to swing thanks to my swift response. I spoke to the sword, my voice laced with disbelief.
“Heh heh. You. Don’t you think you’re switching masters a little too quickly? Even if Belphegor is dead…”
Vmmmm.
As if it understood my words, I felt the demonic sword Skurepf vibrate in my hand. What a funny one. In any case, a sword like Skurepf would be very useful even in the later stages of the Hall Plain, so I decided to take it. Whether it read my thoughts or was pleading not to be discarded, Skurepf let out another deep hum.
“Alright, alright. I don’t plan on using you myself, but I’ll find you a good new master, so just be patient.”
As I muttered in an annoyed tone, the sword stopped vibrating. To think I’d live to see a sword try to curry favor. Then again, it wasn’t strange for a demonic sword to have an ego, but they weren’t the type to choose just anyone as their master. I tilted my head in thought, but since it wasn’t a bad thing, I tucked Skurepf into my robes as well.
All I could see was the faded, old ceiling. I felt a distinct lack of desire to get up. The party was probably still waiting on the third floor. Or maybe not. Knowing them, they might have already set out to find me. It wasn’t that I didn’t think about getting up, but I also just wanted to sleep soundly right here.
It wasn’t just simple sleepiness. The backlash from the fight was making my body scream for rest. In any case, since I’d dealt with Belphegor, the Ruined Laboratory was as good as completely conquered. Lying down, I turned my head slightly and saw the rooms on the first floor where we had first entered.
Before being bombarded by my skills on the third floor, Belphegor had used his specialty, Dark Assimilation, to escape. But I knew he couldn’t have gone far from the laboratory, so I immediately began tracking him with Sensing. Before I gave chase, though, my eyes fell on my party members inside the protective barrier.
〈I’m going after him alone. Everyone, wait here.〉
They were all shouting something at me, but I didn’t have the time. I just threw out that one line and launched myself toward the stairs. A search using even Third Eye confirmed that he was on the first floor. I rushed down to find him frantically sweeping the floor of a room, as if trying to escape somewhere. Come to think of it, was there a secret passage there? I’d have to check it out before we leave.
More things to do kept popping into my head. But the most pressing matter was probably the explanation I owed everyone. I had planned to reveal my true abilities by applying to a clan as soon as we returned to Mule anyway. That timeline had just been moved up a bit. Suddenly, Jung Hayeon’s face popped into my mind. Having a discussion with that young lady was not going to be easy. I chuckled at the silly thought.
In the end, I decided to rest for now. These things would happen naturally anyway; there was no need to be anxious about them now. And above all, my body felt incredibly heavy, like a waterlogged sponge. I made a final thought to seriously consider allocating points to stamina soon, and then I cleared my mind. As I closed my eyes, I felt a deep darkness gradually settling over my consciousness.
*
How much time had passed? It was hard to say I’d slept well. It was more like a forced slumber, no different from passing out. Still, I no longer felt the dizziness in my head, so I slowly opened my eyes. And I was met with darkness.
Even after blinking once, my vision remained pitch-black. At the same time, I tilted my head, curious about the soft, squishy, unidentified something I felt against my head and cheek. Wanting to know what it was, I rubbed my face against it vigorously, and I felt something squirm by my head.
But for some reason, it wasn't an unpleasant feeling, so I rubbed my cheek against it again, hard. The nice sensation of my skin rubbing against flesh made me let out a deep breath without thinking. And then.
“Hngh…!”
Along with a sensual moan, I felt the squishy thing supporting my head squirm once more.
Finally, the culprit blocking my vision was removed, and a cool sensation touched my forehead. The feeling jolted me awake. I had a suspicion, but as I raised my gaze, my eyes met with those of a woman with flowing, short hair and a clear, refined beauty. It was Jung Hayeon.
I held her gaze for a while, trying to piece together the current situation. First, I had lost consciousness, and the party must have found me. Then, while they were checking on my unconscious body, Jung Hayeon had given me a lap pillow. So far, so good.
Two things I didn’t understand were: one, why Jung Hayeon, of all people, was the one giving me a lap pillow. And two, the question of why I had burrowed under her robe and was now resting on her inner thigh.
To find the answers to these questions, I spoke in a calm voice.
“Hello.”
“…”
“This is quite a comfortable pillow.”
Perhaps sensing my inner thoughts from my unusually formal tone, Jung Hayeon took a breath through her sharp nose and then spoke.
“Let me tell you this beforehand.”
Jung Hayeon’s voice was incredibly clear. She moved the hand that was stroking my forehead to the back of my head, supporting it and applying a little pressure. I interpreted it as a signal to get up.
“It wasn’t my intention for you to stick your head there, Soohyun-ssi. I want to make it clear that you burrowed in there yourself.”
After carefully considering User Jung Hayeon’s words, I calmly retorted.
“Hmm. In that case, couldn’t you have simply pulled that audacious head back out?”
“No matter how many times I pulled that audacious head out and put it back in its original position, it kept burrowing back in. I had no choice. I gave up on the eighth attempt after pulling it out for the seventh time. Congratulations. Seven falls, eight rises.”
“…I’m sorry. It was absolutely not intentional. But… uh.”
Her words had a strange edge to them. Unable to think of anything else to say, I immediately apologized and hurriedly tried to sit up. But in that moment, all the strength left my body, and I lost my posture. The world seemed to rotate ninety degrees; I clearly couldn’t keep my balance. In the end, as I was awkwardly trying to get up, I was about to fall backward again.
Thump, soft.
As my body gave way, Jung Hayeon quickly grabbed and pulled me into an embrace. Completely unintentionally, I ended up in her arms again. I was at a loss for words at the soft sensation I felt once more at the back of my head. And, her breasts boasted an unexpected size and firmness.
“…Just like this.”
“I was trying to believe you until you tried to get up. But what just happened doesn't allow me to.”
Her tone was sharp, but for some reason, I didn’t get the feeling that she was truly angry. I managed to plant my butt on the floor and sit up straight. I wanted to blurt out, “Well, you didn’t have to give me a lap pillow in the first place,” but I kept my mouth shut. I had a feeling that if I said that, she would get genuinely angry.
However, her intuition was unexpectedly sharp.
“Just in case, I’ll add one more explanation. It’s true that I volunteered to look after you, Soohyun-ssi. But I had no choice.”
“Why is that?”
“I was too worried to leave you with Ahn Sol-yang or Yoojung.”
Jung Hayeon finished with a bitter smile. The convenient thing about talking with her was that neither of us needed to spell everything out in painstaking detail. Just like with Kim Hanbyul.
This situation was the same. She and I were just having a friendly chat, but it was all just small talk—light conversation before getting to the main point. Seeing her reaction after I woke up, I could tell she was being considerate of me right now.
In any case, with that one subtly meaningful sentence, I understood and accepted the entire situation.
I scratched my head once or twice and looked around the room. It seemed they had brought me into one of the rooms on the first floor. That meant we still hadn’t left the Ruined Laboratory. I had been worried they might have found me unconscious and carried me back to Mule, so I was relieved. It would be too much of a waste to return without checking the secret passage.
However, the other users were nowhere to be seen. I briefly scanned the area with Sensing and then turned to Jung Hayeon.
“Where are the others?”
“The third floor. There was nothing but ashes, but they’re checking just in case there’s anything to salvage.”
At her clear answer, I let out a small groan and used all my strength to get up. Unlike the first time, now that I was more clear-headed, I was able to stand up straight with almost laughable ease. And I could feel Jung Hayeon’s gaze growing sharper as she watched me.
“…It’s a misunderstanding.”
“Well, I suppose it could be. Ahn Sol-yang practically spammed healing spells on you.”
“Hah.”
I took a deep breath and checked my body. I didn’t know how long I had been out, but it didn’t seem to have been for an extremely long time.
As I moved around, checking my condition a little more, I heard the sound of multiple footsteps from beyond the door. As their footsteps grew closer, I reflexively composed myself.
I turned my head to look at Jung Hayeon. She was looking back at me with a calm expression. But her eyes had, without me realizing, grown profoundly deep.