"H-hey, where are you touching? Get off me!"
Lim Hwa-yeon pushed me away, flustered.
"You're acting crazy even when I'm trying to help."
"...Hmph, who asked you to help me?... More importantly, your personality seems to have changed a bit?"
I thought for a moment at Lim Hwa-yeon's words. Compared to when I first encountered her on the first day, there was no trembling or anything like that. I wondered if this was proof that my body's control was now perfect.
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. Before, you were a bit... like a retard, but now you're like a different person."
"Well, people change."
"The problem is you changed too quickly... You were definitely the same as usual yesterday."
I changed the subject to deflect Lim Hwa-yeon's suspicion.
"Hey, I have a question. Why are you still dragging me around after graduation?"
"Don't be ridiculous. This is the first time we've met since graduation, you know? And do you think I called you because I wanted to? It's because of Oh Gyeonghun, that bastard. I had no choice but to call you for just today."
"Oh Gyeonghun?"
"Yeah, Oh Jeongseok's son, Oh Gyeonghun. That crazy bastard who brags that his dad is an S-rank and the Sun Guild Master."
As I listened to her words, I tried to recall anything about Oh Gyeonghun from Kim Woojin's memories, but something felt off. It was as if my memories were vaguely erased.
'What is this? I don't know anything.'
I looked at Lim Hwa-yeon and asked,
"What did that guy say?"
"I don't know, he just told the class to come to his villa this weekend for a graduation celebration. And he told me to take responsibility for you and bring you, making you look like a normal person. I'm not some babysitter."
"But today, I was just a porter, wasn't I?"
"Well, your appearance changed, and you're not dressing like a retard anymore, so I didn't pay attention."
Lim Hwa-yeon glanced at me and said.
"Why would Oh Gyeonghun specifically involve me with you?"
"That bastard, he confessed to me a long time ago and got rejected. It's obvious he's still holding a grudge and acting crazy about it. He knows I hate you, so he probably deliberately linked me with you."
"He's a crazy bastard."
"That crazy bastard too. If I had my way, I'd punch that Oh Gyeonghun bastard, but I can't."
"You can just ignore him, can't you? You're part of the Hwayangyeonhwa Guild, and you're A-rank."
"I wish I could. The problem is the Sun Guild behind that Oh Gyeonghun bastard."
"Is he holding something over you?"
"Yeah. My dad is the Hwayangyeonhwa Guild Master, right? But the Sun Guild has a pretty big stake in our guild."
"Is the Sun Guild that amazing of a place?"
"What are you talking about? You've been saying weird things all day today. Did you hit your head hard and get reset or something? The Sun Guild is the strongest and most influential guild in our country. Its name alone has immense influence from the government to corporations and associations."
Listening to her, I felt again that something was strange. If the Sun Guild was that famous, it was information Kim Woojin should naturally know.
'There's definitely something between Oh Gyeonghun and Kim Woojin... The problem is I can't find out right now...'
I figured I'd have to look into this issue later.
Lim Hwa-yeon and I sat leaning against the alley wall in silence for a while. Then I spoke to her first.
"More importantly. How long are we going to stay like this?"
At my words, Lim Hwa-yeon hugged her knees and whispered softly.
"I don't know... My phone's dead. Shouldn't we hide until support comes from the Association or a guild?"
"An A-rank ability user is useless, huh."
"Damn it... Do you have a plan then?"
"A plan... I do, but..."
I trailed off. I looked at Lim Hwa-yeon and thought.
'If I use sexual cultivation, I might be able to defeat him. Or, I could grow stronger in the creative work and come back.'
If I had enough time, I could forcibly take Lim Hwa-yeon and fill her womb with semen until her favorability was maxed out, but there was also the possibility of being attacked by the enemy while having sex.
"What is it? Do you have a plan or not?"
"No... Let's think about it a bit more."
I ended up changing the subject. Lim Hwa-yeon sighed with an annoyed expression.
"Tell me. If you have any method, you should share it."
'Should I really tell her this...'
If I told her I could increase her lacking Aether through sex, there was a high possibility she would try to kill me.
After much thought, I cautiously opened my mouth.
"...There's a way to restore and increase your quickly depleting Aether."
"There's a way?! How?"
Lim Hwa-yeon's eyes widened in shock.
'This... Can I really say this...'
Honestly, if I confessed, a fist would probably fly straight to my face.
I took a deep breath and slowly opened my mouth.
"Right now, Aether recovery is the most urgent thing for you. I... I can help with that."
"So tell me! What is it?! Don't drag it out, it's frustrating!"
"Sex.... No, it's called Yin-Yang Intercourse..."
Before I could even finish speaking, Lim Hwa-yeon's face turned beet red.
"What did you say...? You perverted bastard...!"
Lim Hwa-yeon's face hardened, and small sparks flew from her hands.
"W-wait, it can permanently increase Aether."
At my words, Lim Hwa-yeon bit her lip, her expression becoming complicated.
"How much... is the effect?"
"The more you do it, the higher the increase."
"Then it won't have much effect right now, will it? Even if we do that right now, we don't know when that gay bastard will attack."
"But there's no other way."
"Haa... For now, let's put that on hold..."
Lim Hwa-yeon sighed, ultimately refusing, and covered her face with her palm.
'Hmm, I think I could make Lim Hwa-yeon go into heat right now.'
When I first met her, she reacted to my internal energy. If she's exhausted now, she might not notice my internal energy.
The problem is that I need physical contact. Going straight to her side where she sat across from me would be too suspicious.
"Hey, let's move again."
Lim Hwa-yeon said in a cold voice. Her voice was stern, completely devoid of the softness she had shown a moment ago.
"Where to?"
"First, we need to get out of this alley. If we stay here, we don't know when that bastard will find us."
She was right. If we stayed here, we would surely be discovered eventually.
'For now, let's move and look for an opportunity.'
We got up and moved along the narrow alley. We were blocked by transparent walls here and there, but so far, there were no problems.
"Ha, when will this barrier or whatever end..."
Lim Hwa-yeon grumbled. Her face showed clear signs of exhaustion.
"Are you okay? Should I help you up?"
"...Don't worry about it. I can walk on my own."
Lim Hwa-yeon spoke stubbornly, but her face grew paler and paler.
Soon after, we came out onto the road. Corpses were scattered everywhere. I could even hear sounds of fighting in the distance.
"I hear fighting over there?"
"Huh? I don't hear anything? You're a physical type, so your hearing must be really good."
"What should we do? Go help?"
"No, it's hard to do anything in my condition. My Aether has recovered a bit, but it's not enough to fight."
"Alright. Let's avoid it."
It was then. I felt a presence nearby. The moment I was about to warn Lim Hwa-yeon about the sudden presence, two men appeared.
-Kwang!
The moment the chain struck the ground, I hugged Lim Hwa-yeon and dodged.
"Hehehe, this is the first time I've seen a beauty like this."
"I've only been screwing ordinary women, but now I'll finally get to taste a real beauty."
Two men appeared out of thin air.
One man held a chain and wore a thoroughly sinister expression. The other man approached with a Japanese sword in his hand.
"Where did they come from?"
"Probably an invisibility and presence-blocking artifact made by an alchemist."
Lim Hwa-yeon and I prepared to attack, watching the two men.
"What, don't talk among yourselves, let us join in."
The man with the chain opened his mouth with a relaxed smile.
"Leave your boyfriend behind, how about we have some fun with us big brothers?"
"Who's his boyfriend!"
Lim Hwa-yeon snapped, flaring up at his words.
"Hehehe, even when you're angry, it's charming, isn't it? Good, let's kill the guy quickly and rape her."
The bastards drew closer and closer. The man with the Japanese sword threatened us by slashing the air with his blade, and the man with the chain spun his chain with an unpleasant smile. The chains whipped menacingly through the air.
Watching their murderous movements, I whispered softly to Lim Hwa-yeon.
"I'll attack first, so give me support from behind as needed."
"...Understood."
As soon as her answer finished, I gathered my internal energy and charged at them at full speed.
I first targeted the man with the Japanese sword, who seemed the weakest. The blade glinted coldly in the darkness, aiming for my approach.
As I approached, the bastard frowned and swung his sword sharply. However, his gaze subtly wavered at my rapid movements.
"This bastard..."
The bastard swung his Japanese sword horizontally in a wide arc. The blade cut through the darkness, rapidly approaching my neck. But his movement was excessive. It was too big of a motion, so I could easily avoid it.
The moment the blade grazed the air, the bastard's balance was disrupted. It was an opportunity.
As soon as I caught the opening, a strike imbued with internal energy landed precisely.
"Kuaaak!"
At that moment, the bastard's wrist bent unnaturally. The strength left his hand, and the Japanese sword cut through the air and fell. The heavy clang of metal cut through the chilly air.
"Keuk, you son of a bitch!"
I didn't know what his ability was, but it seemed I didn't need to find out more.
The internal energy condensed in my dantian flowed like a river up my arm and gathered at my fist. I clenched my fist tightly and unleashed a blow towards the bastard's face.
-Kwang!
My internal energy-infused fist landed squarely on his face. But the sensation transmitted through my fingertips was alien. It felt abnormally hard, like striking a thick steel plate.
"Keuk"
The bastard's body flew backward. It was a blow that should have crushed his nose bone and caved in his face, but it merely pushed him back. There wasn't a single scratch on his face.
"Hehehe, how's that, my ability, Steel Head!"
The bastard's shout made the situation clear. So that's what it was, he was an ability user who simply enhanced his head.
'Is only his head enhanced?'
If his ability was limited to his head, other parts would be vulnerable.
I gripped the hilt of the Japanese sword the bastard had dropped. It was a sword with good weight.
'As expected, a sword is more comfortable than bare hands.'
As I gripped the hilt, it felt perfectly suited to my hand. I lowered my body and took a stance, aiming the sword.
At that moment, the man with the chain rushed in from the side. He was swinging his chain, aiming for my head.
-Hwing!
Then a pillar of red flame blocked the chain man's path. It was Lim Hwa-yeon's support fire. It was smaller in scale compared to the flames when she fought that gay bastard, but it was enough to stop the attack.
"Fuck!"
The man with the chain quickly retreated. The flames that blocked his path died down, but the flow of his attack was already broken.
Lim Hwa-yeon kept her hand raised, ready to attack at any moment.
I raised my sword horizontally and glared at Steel Head. If only his head was enhanced, other parts would be vulnerable.
-Whee-ik!
The sharp blade aimed for the bastard's neck. A moment that could have been a fatal blow-
A chain wrapped around my sword in mid-air.
The chain tightened around the sword like a living snake. It felt like the sword would slip from my hand.
"Hehehe, my ability is Chain Manipulation."
The chains moved freely according to the chain man's hand movements. The chain whipped through the air as if it were his arm.
"Take this!"
Another chain flew towards my ankle. While I was exerting force to not lose the sword, my ankle was in danger of being restrained.
-Seuk!
I quickly lifted my foot to avoid the chain. But the sword was already firmly bound. The chain tightened more and more.
"Kukuk, die!"
The chain man unleashed more chains. Chains flew from all directions like a spiderweb.
At that moment, a small flame flew towards the chain man. It was Lim Hwa-yeon's attack.
"This measly flame!"
The chain man swung his hand. The chain blocked Lim Hwa-yeon's attack, and Lim Hwa-yeon's weakened flame was easily stopped.
"Haak... Haak..."
Lim Hwa-yeon gasped for breath. Her attack was too weak.
The chain man's chains now aimed for Lim Hwa-yeon. She couldn't dodge and was hit by the chain, flying backward.
I quickly let go of the sword. The sword, bound by the chain, flew into the air.
The chain man paused for a moment at my unexpected action. Not missing that fleeting gap, I charged forward.
"Damn it!"
The flustered chain man hastily swung the remaining chains. But it was already too late. My fist flew towards his abdomen.
-Peok!
"Keuok!"
My internal energy-infused fist plunged deep into his abdomen. A groan mixed with blood burst from the chain man's mouth.
At that moment, I felt killing intent behind me. Steel Head was approaching.
"Uwaaaak!"
I snatched the sword that had fallen to the ground. Internal energy flowed through the blade. I swung it widely behind me.
-Shuuk!
The sharp blade cut through the air.
The sword split the bastard's body in half. Red blood spurted like a fountain.
Steel Head's body collapsed powerlessly to the ground.
I immediately approached Lim Hwa-yeon to check on her condition. She was sitting leaning against the wall, having been hit by the chain's attack.
"Are you okay?"
"...No, I'm not okay."
Contrary to Lim Hwa-yeon's words, she looked fine on the surface. There didn't seem to be any particular injury where she was hit by the chain.
I extended my hand to her.
Lim Hwa-yeon hesitated for a moment, looking at my hand, but eventually took it.
"For now, let's get out of here."
"Okay..."
The moment she tried to stand up, her body suddenly swayed. I quickly caught her as her legs gave out and she stumbled.
"This won't do. Get on my back."
At my words, Lim Hwa-yeon sighed.
"Ugh... I don't want to be carried by a perverted bastard..."
Even as she grumbled in a small voice, she obediently climbed onto my back. Her soft chest pressed against my back.
"Just bear with it for a moment. Only until we reach a safe place."
Her body heat transferred through my back. Her two arms wrapped around my neck. Her breath brushed against my ear.
"...Okay."
With a small reply, she leaned deeper into my back. She was so docile, it was hard to believe this was the prickly Lim Hwa-yeon.