Underworld Tour (4)
The God of Wine and Ecstasy.
He was Dionysus, one of the twelve Olympian gods.
One of the constellations who had been watching our party through Bihyung’s channel for quite some time.
“More importantly, why the hell did you spill someone else’s booze, you bastard.”
Just because you’re the god of wine, does that mean you get to knock over other people’s drinks? This was the alcohol Heewon-ssi had gone through hell to secure for us.
I deliberately put on an irritated expression, covering one eye with my hand as I let out a small sigh.
“Haa… Interrupting a cozy little drinking party with beauties. You’ve completely killed the mood, so take responsibility.”
“Hey, hey…!”
“J-Jinwoo-ssi…!”
Kim Dokja and Yoo Sangah, who had been listening beside me, hurriedly tried to stop me.
But I wasn’t worried in the slightest.
Because if this was the Dionysus I knew—
Constellation, ‘God of Wine and Ecstasy’ likes your bold attitude.
Constellation, ‘God of Wine and Ecstasy’ asks what you desire.
“Knew it. You’ve got a real knack for getting along.”
I looked at Dionysus’s indirect messages and stated exactly what I wanted.
“If it’s all right, could I have some of your wine or your grapes? I’ve always wanted to taste the wine of the god of wine and the grapes of the god of wine.”
Constellation, ‘God of Wine and Ecstasy’ tells you to wait a moment.
Dionysus’s indirect messages cut off for a short while.
Then, after a little time had passed—
Constellation, ‘God of Wine and Ecstasy’ sponsors you with items.
“Ohh! Now that’s the god of wine for you. Straight-up generous!”
I held up the perfectly ripe grapes and the elegantly packaged bottle of wine as I continued.
“Thanks for hanging out with me. I’ll definitely return the favor.”
Constellation, ‘God of Wine and Ecstasy’ says he looks forward to that day.
I glanced at the two beauties on either side of me while holding the grapes and wine I’d received from the god of wine.
They were staring at me with blank expressions.
“Let’s keep this a secret from the rest of the party and have another round just between us.”
“…You got wine that easily? The god of wine’s wine?”
“…Maybe only someone like Jinwoo-ssi could pull that off?”
Ignoring Kim Dokja and Yoo Sangah’s dazed muttering, I bought three wine glasses, a corkscrew, and a dish for the grapes from the general store.
A total of 500 coins have been consumed.
I handed wine glasses to Yoo Sangah and Kim Dokja, then began opening the bottle of wine I’d received from Dionysus with the corkscrew.
I peeled off the foil with the foil cutter, then carefully twisted the screw into the cork so it wouldn’t break, and pulled it free.
Pop!
The cork came out cleanly without crumbling. A rich, fragrant aroma of wine immediately filled the air.
“Oh, now this is the god of wine’s wine. The scent alone blows most high-end wines out of the water.”
“You’re right… It’s incredibly fragrant.”
“Fragrant, and there’s also this sweet grape scent mixed in.”
I poured roughly a third of a glass each for myself, Kim Dokja, and Yoo Sangah.
Normally you pour wine modestly, enjoy the color with your eyes, savor the aroma with your nose, and finally take a small sip to appreciate the taste—but.
“If we run out, we can just ask for more, right?”
“…That’s so you.”
“Hehe. Isn’t that part of Jinwoo-ssi’s charm?”
Kim Dokja shot me a look that clearly said of course you’d say that, while Yoo Sangah simply smiled with an enlightened expression and gave a light reply.
Clink!
The three of us carefully tapped our glasses together and took Dionysus’s wine into our mouths.
Whoa…
The moment the first sip hit, my eyes flew wide open at the fragrant aroma and the way the wine slid down so smoothly.
Comparing it to any other wine felt like an insult. The taste was so exquisite I was briefly left speechless.
And right then, one thought solidified in my mind.
I absolutely have to become friends with Dionysus.
And stay drinking buddies for life so I can freeload off him forever.
When I turned my head, Yoo Sangah and Kim Dokja were also staring blankly at their glasses, clearly stunned by the astonishing flavor of Dionysus’s wine.
Then, suddenly, a system message rang out.
Ding!
You have consumed ‘Dionysus’s Wine’!
The mystical energy contained in the wine raises Stamina and Magic Power by 2 each.
You have exceeded the overall stat limit for this scenario.
…As expected of a god’s wine. Just drinking it raises your stats.
Of course, my overall stats had already exceeded the limit long ago, so nothing actually went up for me.
If it had been something like a Dragon Heart elixir, the excess would have turned into bonus stats. A little disappointing.
Constellation, ‘God of Wine and Ecstasy’ asks how his wine tastes.
“Doesn’t even need saying. It’s the best, man. First time I’ve ever had wine this good. I’m already scared of how every other wine is going to taste from now on.”
Constellation, ‘God of Wine and Ecstasy’ raises his glass at your praise.
When the indirect message said Dionysus had raised his glass, I grinned and raised my own wine-filled glass in return.
Then we drank what was left in our glasses.
We weren’t sitting face-to-face with the guy, but I still instinctively knew.
He had drunk at the exact same moment I had.
Crackle!
The letters formed from the soju I’d spilled earlier scattered, then reshaped into a single arrow.
That arrow pointed straight at the soju bottles in front of us.
Yoo Sangah and Kim Dokja, finally snapping back to their senses, looked at the bottles Dionysus’s arrow was indicating and spoke.
“…I think he’s telling us to drink more?”
“Let’s just drink for now.”
“Looks like we’re going all-out tonight.”
I licked my lips and expertly cracked open a soju bottle.
Kim Dokja looked at me with a worried expression as I opened it.
“You take it easy. You already drank a ton with the others—you’re going for another round?”
“Back at Chungmuro Station I chugged soju in a hurry and got wasted fast, but I’m pacing myself this time. Don’t worry, don’t worry!”
Kim Dokja shot me a sidelong glance, then turned to Yoo Sangah.
“…Jinwoo seems hopeless, so at least you drink lightly, Sangah-ssi. Someone has to stay sober.”
“Dokja-ssi, are you not good with alcohol?”
“Compared to Jinwoo and Sangah-ssi, I’m not exactly strong.”
“All right, all right. Enough talking—let’s just knock them back.”
Clink!
I lightly tapped glasses with Kim Dokja and Yoo Sangah, then downed the soju in one go.
Maybe because I’d already run quite a few rounds with the party earlier, I felt a warm heat spreading through my gut.
We quickly finished two bottles of soju together, but Dionysus still didn’t seem satisfied.
“…I think he wants us to drink more.”
Clink!
We kept chatting with Kim Dokja and Yoo Sangah while knocking back soju, but as empty bottles piled up one by one, we gradually fell silent and just drained our glasses.
“Still, it’s nice drinking together. I was starting to feel a little lonely.”
At Yoo Sangah’s words from my left, I turned my head with hazy, alcohol-softened eyes.
At some point she had pressed right up against my side, resting her head on my shoulder.
“Yeah…. Maybe because it’s been a while. Everything feels a little dreamy… and nice….”
This time Kim Dokja’s voice came from my right.
She, too, was pressed tightly against me, head resting on my other shoulder.
Is this a dream…?
Two beauties who could slap the cheeks of popular celebrities on TV twice over were leaning against my shoulders, bodies pressed close.
The pleasant buzz of alcohol had already been making me feel good, but the two beauties closing the distance and resting on my shoulders made it even better.
Maybe because of the alcohol, both of them felt warmer than usual. And the soft, plush sensation pressing against my body made it nearly impossible to keep a clear head.
Was I just imagining things from drinking too much?
Kim Dokja and Yoo Sangah’s breathing sounded a little rough.
“Jinwoo.”
“Jinwoo-ssi.”
Even though both of them were bare-faced, their flawless, porcelain-white skin was drawing closer and closer to me.
Kim Dokja and Yoo Sangah, eyes hazy, were slowly leaning their bodies toward me.
…Ah, this is that event scene, isn’t it?
Watching the two beauties’ faces draw nearer, I recalled a scene from Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint.
I knew perfectly well this was Dionysus’s doing. But thanks to the alcohol, I was a little out of it, and resisting the temptation was incredibly hard.
Kim Dokja’s face, the closest, came almost nose-to-nose with mine. I leaned in toward her as well.
Then the hazy look in Kim Dokja’s eyes suddenly sharpened.
Her Fourth Wall had dampened her intoxication.
Because our lips were about to touch, Kim Dokja’s face flushed even redder than before as she tried to pull away.
Who said you could?
I wrapped one arm around her waist, cutting off her escape.
“J-Jinwoo…?”
Then, with my other hand, I gently cupped her chin and pressed my lips to her soft pink ones.
Chup.
When I kissed Kim Dokja, I tasted the bitterness of alcohol on her lips.
But in contrast, the soft, pliant texture of her lips carried the sweetest flavor imaginable.
Lick.
“Thanks for the gift, Dokja.”
“E-e-euk…!!”
I smiled at our first kiss and looked straight into her eyes as I licked my lips.
Was kissing me that embarrassing? Kim Dokja made the most flustered expression I’d ever seen on her, her face turning apple-red.
Then she covered her face with her pure-white coat and ducked her head, muttering something rapidly under her breath.
Amused by how cute she looked, I chuckled and turned to the left.
There, Yoo Sangah was watching me with the same hazy expression.
I released Kim Dokja’s waist and this time wrapped my arm around Yoo Sangah’s. Just as I had with Kim Dokja, I gently cupped her chin and spoke.
“Last time Sangah-ssi did it for me. Now it’s my turn to return the favor.”
“Ah…….”
As if she had some idea what I meant, Yoo Sangah carefully closed her trembling eyes.
To meet the expectation I saw in her, I slowly moved closer—
Chup.
And stole her lips as well.
Her beautiful pink lips, just like Kim Dokja’s, also carried the bitter taste of alcohol.
But the soft, pliant feel of her lips was different from Kim Dokja’s—and just as fantastic.
A sweetness that made me want to kiss her again and again.
When our lips met, the haze gradually left Yoo Sangah’s eyes. She looked at me in startled surprise.
Dionysus, satisfied with the scene, had withdrawn the intoxication he had secretly spread over us.
“A-ah…. Euk…!”
When I carefully pulled my face away, her face flushed bright red.
“W-what did I just….”
Her beautiful eyes trembled violently, as if an earthquake had struck them.
She asked me in a shaking voice, but I simply smiled and said nothing.
“E-euk…!”
Yoo Sangah, too, seemed overcome with embarrassment from the kiss. Just like Kim Dokja, she covered her face with the brown coat she was wearing and ducked her head.
Watching the two beauties on either side of me hang their heads in shame, I bowed toward the arrow Dionysus had made of soju and spoke.
“Thanks. You’re the best friend a guy could have.”
Crackle-crackle!
Tiny sparks jumped from the spilled soju on the floor.
Then the droplets formed a string of text.
Exclusive Skill, Otherworld Language Interpretation Lv.4 has been used.
—Haha. Did you like my gift?
“Of course. A kiss with two beauties like this is a treasure among treasures—nothing else can compare.”
—Hehe. Glad you liked it. I knew the two women beside you had feelings for you, so I played a little ‘prank.’ Good thing the reaction was positive.
Rumble! Rumble!
Thunder suddenly began to crash across the night sky.
The Outer Gods in the ‘Great Hole’ above had noticed Dionysus’s presence.
Some might wonder why Outer Gods would react to a few letters written in soju droplets.
In the world of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint—more precisely, Ways of Survival—a constellation directly conveying its ‘will’ is an extremely significant act.
Transmitting one’s will to the ground without going through an incarnation or dokkaebi is something only the highest-ranking constellations can do, and the probability cost is enormous.
That’s why the countless constellations in the night sky bother with ‘indirect messages’ in the first place.
“You sure you’re okay? The tentacles up there noticed you.”
—I hate those tentacle bastards, but I had to step in this time.
“Well, yeah.”
The reason Dionysus was directly conveying his will was entirely because of Kim Dokja.
I turned my head and glanced at Kim Dokja, who was still burying her face in her coat and muttering quietly.
“Dokja.”
“…@)!@(#!”
“Dokja? Stop being embarrassed and snap out of it.”
Her figure, which had been hanging her head and muttering for a while, suddenly froze. At last Kim Dokja lifted her face from inside the coat.
Her face was as red as a ripe apple.
“…Why aren’t you embarrassed?”
“I just kissed someone I like. Why should I be embarrassed?”
“…Be honest. You used to be a player, didn’t you?”
“…I’ve never cheated in my entire life, Dokja.”
I had dated two girlfriends in the past, but that was only in high school and college.
My high-school girlfriend moved away and we broke up; my college girlfriend broke up with me when I enlisted. After that I never dated again.
Especially kissing beauties like this—it was a first for me, so my heart was pounding just as hard.
Still, in front of Kim Dokja and Yoo Sangah, who were reacting like complete virgins, I wanted to act at least a little tough.
Twitch.
At that moment, Kim Dokja and Yoo Sangah’s movements stopped unnaturally.
“…Cheated?”
“…You’ve never…?”
Huh?
A strong sensation like every hair on my body standing on end suddenly washed over me.
A voice as cold as a chill wind reached both of my ears with perfect clarity.
From the left and the right.
The pleasant, hazy buzz from the alcohol vanished in an instant, and the sweet, soft, cozy atmosphere turned into a horror movie. Silence fell like a curtain.
I carefully moved my eyes to glance left and right—and immediately regretted it.
There stood Yoo Sangah and Kim Dokja, staring at me with cold eyes that held not a single spark of light.
The moment I met those eyes, it felt like my breath had been cut off.
“So what you’re saying is you’ve dated other people before…?”
“…Jinwoo-ssi, how many people have you dated?”
“U-uh…?”
Kim Dokja and Yoo Sangah slowly closed the distance, pressing nearer.
Just a moment ago having them lean on my shoulders had felt amazing. Now it didn’t.
No—now I was terrified.
“How far did you go with them?”
“I was a first-timer….”
Then they linked their arms through mine and squeezed hard, pinning my arms in place.
The soft plushness of their chests pressed against my arms, but this was no time to appreciate the softness.
…Shit. Is this a death flag?
Am I going to die here?
Alarm bells rang in my head and cold sweat began pouring down my entire body.
I racked my brain for a way out of this situation, but maybe because of the panic, the mind that usually spun so sharply when my life was on the line was now a complete blank white sheet.
I looked at Dionysus’s text with trembling eyes, hoping for help.
—Haha. What a mess.
But that damn bastard clearly had no intention of helping.
In the end I had to break through this crisis alone.
I opened my mouth in a stiff voice.
“U-um? S-so, since Dionysus is here, m-maybe we should deal with Shin Yooseung’s problem first and then continue…?”
““…………….””
Squeeze.
Apparently my answer didn’t please them. The two beauties increased the pressure on my arms even more.
Poke.
A sudden jab in my side made me flinch.
I turned my gaze to check what had poked me. Kim Dokja’s and Yoo Sangah’s fingers were jabbing my sides from both directions.
“…Did you like it, Jinwoo?”
Kim Dokja brought her lips to my ear and asked in a voice as cold and chilling as ice.
“…How did we compare to the people you used to date, Jinwoo-ssi?”
Yoo Sangah likewise brought her lips to my other ear and asked in the same bone-chilling voice.
Normally I would have grinned like an idiot and said their sweet voices made me happy, but not now.
“We’re asking you right now. How was it?”
“How far did you go with those people, Jinwoo-ssi?”
“How did it feel stealing the lips of two beauties, hmm?”
“As Dokja-ssi said, how did it feel skillfully toying with us when we had no experience at all?”
I couldn’t give either of the two beauties beside me any answer at all.
…I seriously feel like I’m going to piss myself.
I wanted to break free of these arm-locks and run for my life. But deep down I knew.
If I ran from this, a far harsher future awaited me.
I rolled my eyes and looked at Dionysus’s text again.
—…What the hell is this. Scary.
…How do you think the guy actually in the middle of it feels, you bastard.
Cold sweat pouring down, I took a small breath and slowly began thinking of a plan to break the situation.
“That….”
““That?””
Kim Dokja and Yoo Sangah stared straight at me.
“Haa… Screw it. I’ll just be honest. I’ve dated two people. In high school it only went as far as a few kisses. In college, before I enlisted, we did… stuff. But.”
I lowered my gaze to my partner.
“When I tried to go all the way with my college girlfriend, we got a motel room and everything, but in the end we couldn’t finish.”
Constellation, ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ looks at you with a face that says ‘no way.’
“Yeah. She said it was too big and it hurt, so we couldn’t. Of course, I was a virgin back then so I didn’t prepare enough either.”
A considerable number of constellations avert their eyes.
Swoosh.
The constellations, Kim Dokja, and Yoo Sangah carefully glanced down at my partner.
Then light returned to Kim Dokja’s and Yoo Sangah’s eyes, and their faces rapidly turned crimson.
Smack!
Smack!
“Guhk…?!”
The two of them slammed their hands down hard on my back.
“Have you lost your mind?! What the hell are you talking about right now!!”
“W-what are you saying in front of the constellations!!”
“N-no, you two asked me to tell you….”
““Who the hell just blurts that out with zero filter!!””
Kim Dokja and Yoo Sangah, faces tomato-red, began relentlessly pounding my back.
Just as planned. With this, the earlier atmosphere is completely broken.
Even though I was getting my back beaten by both of them, it was ten times—no, a hundred times—better than slowly suffocating under that earlier mood.
For several minutes Kim Dokja and Yoo Sangah kept smacking my back, and the earlier rigid atmosphere finally loosened.
“Hey…. Can we get back to talking about the Underworld now.”
I was seriously about to die from exhaustion.
I looked down at the text Dionysus had written and pleaded.
—…Fine. Shall we continue the conversation then?
“…Yes. Then, ‘God of Wine and Ecstasy,’ before we talk, there’s one thing I’d like to ask.”
—What is it?
“As far as I know, there are two birth myths about you. One is that your mother was Princess Semele of Thebes, and the other is that the Queen of the Underworld was your mother.”
—Hmm. You know quite a bit about me.
“I think you can already guess why I’m bringing this up. So I’ll ask. Which of the two traditions is the real one?”
—Does it matter?
“It does. I have a reason why it needs to be the latter.”
This was exactly why Kim Dokja had thrown the drinking party at Jung Heewon’s suggestion.
To lure Dionysus of Olympus.
If, as Kim Dokja predicted, Dionysus’s tradition was that of Persephone, then Dionysus was Persephone’s son.
That meant contact with Persephone in the Underworld would be possible—so they had drawn him in.
The soju droplets on the ground trembled this way and that, then formed new letters.
—What an insolent human. But I like insolent humans.
I clutched my waist against the burning heat from Kim Dokja’s earlier back-smacks and read Dionysus’s text.
—There was once a human who was as reckless as you. A fellow who played the lyre most beautifully. But he didn’t end well either.
Kim Dokja read Dionysus’s text and answered with a confident face.
“I’ll be different.”
—I can open the entrance to the Underworld for you. The ‘Wealthy Father of Night’ does not like me, but the Goddess of the Underworld will grant my request. However, that place is extremely dangerous, and there is no guarantee you will return alive.
“That’s fine.”
Crackle! Splash!
Hearing Kim Dokja’s answer, Dionysus moved the soju droplets in a satisfied manner.
—Good. I also like earnest humans.
—Remember this: you are given only twelve hours. If you do not return within that time, you will never be able to return to the scenario you lived in.
As soon as Dionysus finished speaking, Kim Dokja pressed a hand to her eyes and staggered.
I carefully caught her swaying body.
“Come back safe, Dokja.”
Kim Dokja seemed to want to say something to me; her lips moved for a moment.
Then she completely lost consciousness.
Her consciousness had safely departed for the Underworld.
Holding the unconscious Kim Dokja’s body, I spoke to Yoo Sangah.
“Sangah-ssi. With this, I think we should wrap up the drinking party for now.”
“What happened to Dokja-ssi? Why did she suddenly lose consciousness?”
“Dokja’s consciousness has been sent to the Underworld by the ‘God of Wine and Ecstasy.’ She probably won’t wake up until morning.”
I created a door to My Room behind me and moved toward it as I spoke.
“I’ll put Dokja in her room first. Help me clean up the bottles here, and then you should head to your room too, Sangah-ssi….”
Ding!
Hm?
I glanced at the indirect message that floated up in front of my eyes.
And I was startled.
Constellation, ‘Queen of the Darkest Spring’ gazes at you.
Persephone? Why is she sending me an indirect message all of a sudden?
Right now she should be pouring all her attention on Kim Dokja, who had just invaded the Underworld.
Constellation, ‘Queen of the Darkest Spring’ smiles as she gazes at you.
Constellation, ‘Queen of the Darkest Spring’ invites you to the Underworld.
Waver.
What?! What’s going on all of a sudden?
A sudden wave of dizziness and an overwhelming drowsiness hit me. My knees buckled.
I focused as hard as I could and carefully laid Kim Dokja down on the floor.
Damn it… Why is Persephone suddenly targeting me…?
The drowsiness was so intense I could barely keep my eyes open.
I looked at Yoo Sangah, who was rushing toward me in a panic, and opened my mouth.
“Sangah-ssi, put Dokja in her room, and just lay me down on the living-room sofa.”
“J-Jinwoo-ssi…!”
Unable to fight the drowsiness any longer, I closed my eyes.
A new Hidden Scenario has arrived.
Constellation, ‘Queen of the Darkest Spring’ guides your soul.
The instant I sank into sleep, a seductive woman’s voice whispered right beside my ear, as if speaking directly into it.
『I shall test you once. ‘Apostle of Pleasure’.』