Chapter 416: Won't He Be Angry?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 416: Won't He Be Angry?
Muen opened his eyes to find an empty sky.
There was no bright moon, nor a blazing sun.
Well, there was a massive hole, but it was gradually mending itself, leaving behind fewer and fewer traces.
Beside him, Liya was rustling as she put on her clothes. Her form-fitting, pure white panties slid up her shapely, slender thighs before snapping perfectly into place against that soft mound with a crisp thwack. The slight quiver of her flesh as she moved created a curve that made one’s heart race.
A small bow sat at the front of the panties, as playful and cute as its owner, making one instinctively want to reach out and toy with it.
"Muen, you're awake!"
Noticing Muen had stirred, Liya didn't even finish dressing before she threw herself into his arms like a nesting swallow.
The rounded peaks, now constrained by her underwear, appeared even more towering, their cleavage seemingly bottomless. Even through the fabric, he could feel their incredible elasticity.
Having just woken up, Muen immediately felt his blood begin to stir.
"Are you alright?" Liya asked, her small hand cupping Muen’s face as she scanned his body with a worried gaze.
What had just transpired was beyond her understanding. Although she had done her absolute best, she couldn't stop feeling anxious until she was certain Muen was unharmed.
"I'm fine." Muen shook his head with a smile. "It was just a minor incident. Don't worry. In fact, I’d say it was a blessing in disguise."
"A blessing in disguise?" Liya blinked her large, watery eyes. She remembered the perfectly timed Holy Light Baptism from earlier.
What had happened to Muen felt more like a calculated outcome than an accident.
"Yeah... even though that damned old loli screwed me over pretty hard, the result is good. Look at this."
Muen reached out.
In an instant, a cluster of fire appeared in his palm.
It was a ball of black flame, its color as deep and profound as the abyss. However, the outer layer of the flame was draped in a pale shroud, emitting a sacred, holy aura.
Liya’s eyes widened as she stared at the black flame in shock.
She could sense a hint of a familiar aura within it, but behind that familiarity lay a terrifying, eerie strangeness. It felt like the power of an Evil God she had sensed before, yet it was fundamentally different.
When her gaze drifted into the depths of the fire, it felt as if countless eyes were opening within that pure darkness, staring back at her with cold indifference. At the same time, a cacophony of indistinct whispers and murmurs echoed in her ears, causing a sharp throb of pain in her brain.
"Don't look at it for too long."
Muen immediately retracted the black flame, his expression turning serious.
"What... what is that?" Liya patted her chest, still feeling a lingering sense of dread.
"It’s... a new ability of mine, I suppose," Muen replied after a moment of thought. "The foundation comes from my previous Crimson Flame, and it inherited all the original attributes. I’m still not entirely clear on the extra stuff; I’ll have to figure it out as I go. It might sound a bit vague, but at least..."
Muen looked at Liya and smiled. "This power doesn't belong to any Evil God. No one can accuse me of colluding with them anymore. So, you don't have to worry about me being kidnapped by an Evil God and becoming a heartless evil believer."
"Who... who was worried about that?" Liya muttered, giving Muen’s chest a playful, bashful punch.
But from the way her eyes crinkled at the corners, it was clear she was overjoyed by the news.
"Then... after everything that happened, are there any lingering issues with your body?" Liya asked worriedly after a moment of happiness.
The power certainly seemed mysterious and formidable, but having witnessed the scene from up close, Liya couldn't help but fear that such terrifying forces clashing inside Muen might have left some negative side effects.
Even though she had checked Muen’s body thoroughly several times while he was unconscious and the fluctuations were settling, she felt she needed to confirm it a few more times to truly be at ease.
"Lingering issues... not really."
Hearing her words, Muen performed a careful internal scan of his body. Suddenly, his expression turned strange, and he rubbed his lower back. "I just don't know why, but waking up now, I feel... strangely drained in the kidney department."
Liya’s face flushed bright red. She turned her head away, too shy to look at him.
"Hmm?"
Muen acted as if he’d discovered a new continent. He leaned in curiously and gave Liya’s crimson cheek a light kiss, smirking wickedly. "Miss Liya, looking like this... it seems you might know something."
"I... I..." Liya pouted. "I don't know anything at all..."
"Is that so?" Muen looked down at his chest, feigning confusion. "Then why am I covered in so many 'strawberries'? I don't think those were there before. Do you have any leads, Miss Liya?"
Liya remained silent.
Muen chuckled and pulled her into his arms, his hands wandering over her fair, tender skin as he began to toy with that fluttering little bow.
Liya was mortified. She tried to push his wandering hands away, puffing out her cheeks to glare at him. "What... what are you doing?"
"It seems you did something naughty while I was asleep," Muen teased. "Naturally, I have to pay you back, don't I?"
"I didn't do anything naughty!" Liya pushed him, but when he didn't budge, her tone softened again. "Didn't... didn't you say you were... 'drained'? How... how can you...?"
"Heh, listen to this."
Muen suddenly pressed Liya’s head against his chest.
The familiar scent and warmth washed over her, making her blush even deeper. But as she calmed down, she began to hear the powerful, rhythmic thumping of heartbeats coming from within Muen.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
As she listened, Liya’s beautiful eyes widened, and her mouth fell open in shock.
In that moment, she didn't hear just one heartbeat, but... three!
The other two were slightly different—fainter, yet brimming with vitality.
"This... this is?"
"It’s too complicated to explain in detail, but you can think of it like this: because of what happened, a certain defect in my body has been completely fixed. Not only that, I’ve taken a step further," Muen explained.
That "defect" was, of course, the rejection reaction of the alchemy core.
Upon waking, he found that the rejection had vanished entirely. The alchemy core, which was supposed to be a dead object incapable of merging with his body, had now integrated completely. It was no longer a transitional device meant to house the Eternal Clock, but a genuine, new organ.
Furthermore, the second alchemy core had been fully activated, constantly circulating massive amounts of mana and vitality through his system.
So, even though he could guess he’d been "milked" quite thoroughly while he slept, Muen didn't feel like he was at the end of his rope.
As Mela had said, an alchemy core that could replenish mana, blood, and stamina was essentially a newly grown kidney!
Thinking of the "wonderful things" he had missed while unconscious, Muen felt a surge of heat rise within him again. Holding the fragrant, soft beauty in his arms, he wanted to take this chance to experience it all deeply and thoroughly.
"But... but..."
Sensing the burning fire in Muen’s eyes, Liya squirmed shyly. "It was my first time, and it was so intense... I don't think I can..."
"Ah..."
Muen’s excitement stalled, as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on him.
Right, Liya had just "bloomed" for the first time; she was bound to be delicate. Demanding more so relentlessly was indeed asking too much of her.
"However..."
Seeing Muen’s disappointed look, Liya felt a pang of sympathy. She thought for a moment, then, as if making a grand resolution, she bit her lip and whispered, "If you really want to... I can use Holy Light."
"Holy Light?" Muen blinked. He truly hadn't expected Holy Light to be used for that.
"The purpose of Holy Light is to recover from injuries and exhaustion. Naturally, it’s useful at a time like this." Liya lowered her head in shame. "And... actually, I used it several times just now. Otherwise, how could I have endured it?"
"..."
Muen opened his mouth, momentarily speechless.
By then, Liya had already stood up gracefully. She gave Muen a glance that was both innocent and seductive, then hooked her finger into the waistband at her hip. As she stepped out of them, the cute panties—not yet warmed by her body heat—fluttered back to the ground.
The swelling and mess had vanished; she was as clean and pink as if she had never been explored.
"Um... Miss Liya." Muen suddenly swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly. "If I may ask... how many more times can you use Holy Light right now?"
"The Holy Light Baptism the Church promised you was moved up. Thanks to you, I received quite a few benefits as well." Liya curled her lips into a faint, beaming smile. "So... I’m basically at full capacity right now."
"..."
Muen’s vision went dark. He suddenly felt that having two extra kidneys wasn't exactly something to be proud of.
*
Half an hour later, Muen—who had become the knight charging at the windmill—suddenly paused.
"What’s wrong?" Liya asked, breathing softly with a hint of dissatisfaction.
"I... I just remembered something."
"What?"
"About Divine Blessings."
"Divine Blessings?"
"The power of a Divine Blessing bestowed by a deity is eventually supposed to return to that deity, right?"
"Of course." Liya looked at Muen strangely, not understanding why he was asking such common knowledge.
A deity bestows a Divine Blessing, but it remains a part of them—an evolution of their Authority. Therefore, once the host dies or reaches the end of their natural life, the blessing automatically returns to the god. This was a truth that had never seen an exception.
But...
Now that the Crimson Flame has been molded into my shape... if Wilt-y finds out, he won't be angry, will he? Muen thought gloomily.
*
Outside the world.
Somewhere in the void, atop an endless expanse of red earth, a light that burned everything suddenly erupted.
Countless withered palms unfurled layer by layer within the trembling space.
They revealed a hideous pupil at the center.
At this moment, the pupil was shaking violently, spinning as if trying to lock onto something. A mountain-toppling rage drowned the entire barren red land in a silent roar.
Because He felt that the portion of Divine Blessing He had released... had completely lost its connection to Him during His slumber.
In other words, He—the grand Evil God, the Withered King, the Lord of the Crimson Sun...
Had just had His power NTR'd.