Chapter 306: Interlude - The Goddess’s Indulgence (1)

A sharp pain coursed through Kwon Oh-Jin like needles pricking through his veins.

“

Ugh

.” Groaning, he slowly opened his eyes.

“O-Oh-Jin!” Song Ha-Eun called out from a distance and frantically rushed over. “A-Are you okay? You’re okay, right?”

“D-Don’t shake me.”

“

Ah

.” She sighed in relief.

Kwon Oh-Jin slowly raised his head and looked around. He found himself inside a wide, spacious tent.

“Where are we?”

“We’re still on the Sky Mountains.”

“How did you find me?”

No one knew the exact location of Behemoth’s hidden nest within the mountains. It couldn’t have been easy with that dense fog earlier.

“Well, the fog over there suddenly started getting sucked somewhere else.”

“Oh.”

Now that he thought about it, Behemoth had absorbed the fog before its final charge.

“And Vega helped too.”

“She did?”

“Yeah. She was firing off something like signal flares into the sky.”

“I see. What about your side? A bunch of demonic beasts swarmed over there too, didn’t they?”

“Well... Bella went completely berserk and slaughtered them all.”

The image of Isabella, drenched in blood and radiating a murderous aura, briefly flashed through his mind. A shiver ran down his spine.

If Felis had seen that unhinged look in Isabella’s eyes, she probably would’ve tucked her tail and ran.

“By the way, did you take down Behemoth by yourself?” Song Ha-Eun asked.

“Pretty much.”

“Did you use that technique...?” Song Ha-Eun’s shoulders trembled slightly as her expression stiffened.

Kwon Oh-Jin chuckled and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the Stigma engraved on his left chest.

“W-What the hell?! Why are you showing me your nipple all of a sudden?!”

“No, look at the Stigma, the Stigmaaa.”

“My little Oh-Jin does have such a cute little nipple.” She poked it.

“Don’t poke it, you crazy woman.”

“Want me to lick it, then?”

“No.”

I'm seriously gonna lose my mind.

“I got lucky. I reached nine stars just in time, so I managed to win.”

“So, you didn’t use the technique, right?”

“Yeah.”

“

Phew

...” Song Ha-Eun finally relaxed with a long sigh as she patted her chest.

Smiling in relief, she dipped a towel in water and gently wiped down Kwon Oh-Jin.

“Seriously... didn’t I tell you not to make me worry?” she said.

“Sorry.”

“Well, I’ll let it go this time since you didn’t really have a choice.”

How could they have predicted that Felis would use a Sacred Ground to kidnap Kwon Oh-Jin straight to Behemoth’s nest?

“Oh, right. Where’s that arrogant little cat anyway?”

“She went back.”

Though probably not to the Sanctum.

“

Ugh!

Next time I see that furball, I’m getting her spayed first thing!” Grinding her teeth, Song Ha-Eun released a murderous aura.

Kwon Oh-Jin watched her fume with a faint smile. Seeing someone get so angry for his sake felt kind of nice.

“What about Isabella?”

“She went to scout the area to make sure no more demonic beasts are nearby. She’ll be back soon.”

“How long was I out for?”

“About a day?”

That wasn’t too long considering how badly injured he had been.

Must be thanks to my body’s reconstruction.

Awakeners at nine stars and above were classified as high-ranking for a reason. He could clearly feel that his physical abilities had taken a huge leap. His once narrow and constrained mana circuits, compared to his massive mana reserves, had now expanded like freshly paved roads.

Compared to the amount of mana I have, they’re still pretty narrow.

That wasn’t because his mana circuits were weak. He simply possessed an absurd amount of mana compared to other Awakeners.

“Anyway, reaching nine stars really is different,” he said.

“Right? That body reconstruction is honestly kind of a scam.” Song Ha-Eun nodded in agreement as she had already reached ten stars. “But wait, didn’t you beat up ten-star Awakeners when you were just an eight-star?”

Then, how powerful was he now that he had reached nine stars?

“I could only beat Awakeners who just reached ten stars, not someone like Isabella or Allen.”

“Still, new or not, an eight-star beating a ten-star is just absurd.”

Indeed, up to now, Kwon Oh-Jin had defeated Awakeners one or two stars above him.

“So, does that mean you’re stronger than Bella now?”

“

Hmm...

I don’t think so.”

Even though he had reached nine stars, he wasn’t accustomed to it yet. Just like how fast sports cars didn’t perform at their best without a skilled driver. Even if his physique had grown stronger thanks to the reconstruction, he still needed time to adjust.

The problem is, I don’t have much time.

He sighed and thought about increasing his training time. Without even bothering to unzip the tent, Isabella tore through the entrance and threw herself at Kwon Oh-Jin.

“M-Mr. Oh-Jin!

Hic...

D-Do you know how worried I was?”

He gently patted her back as she sobbed. Big teardrops fell from her eyes. After a while, Isabella finally calmed down and loosened her grip on his arm.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You didn’t use that technique, did you? And where is that infuriating cat?!” Isabella bombarded him with questions.

Kwon Oh-Jin chuckled and gave her the same response he had given Song Ha-Eun.

“

Phew...

” Isabella deeply sighed in relief, her large breasts heaving noticeably like twin peaks.

“

Ahem

.” Kwon Oh-Jin cleared his throat and averted his gaze.

Song Ha-Eun squinted and pinched his side. “What are you thinking the moment you wake up, huh?”

Suppressing the sudden sting, he hurriedly changed the subject. “Come to think of it, what about Vega? Did she return to the Sanctum?”

“No, she’s outside,” Isabella replied.

“Really?”

If Vega heard the commotion, then she already knew he had woken up. Kwon Oh-Jin had half-expected Vega to rush in tearfully just like Isabella, but felt oddly disappointed when she didn’t. He lay back down on the mat.

“Are you very tired?” Isabella asked.

“Yeah. I am kinda sleepy.”

His wounds hadn’t fully healed yet. Even this short conversation left him drained.

Isabella quickly covered him with a sleeping bag and sat by his head, gently stroking his forehead. “I’ll stay here and watch over you so you can sleep peacefully.”

“What am I, a three-year-old?”

“Shall I sing you a lullaby?”

No, thanks, lady.

“

Hehe

. I’m just kidding. Unnie and I will step out, so rest up. I’ll cover the ripped entrance with a waterproof sheet for now.”

“Thanks.” Kwon Oh-Jin lightly waved as they left the tent and closed his eyes.

A heavy fatigue washed over him, and his consciousness slowly drifted away.

***

Watching from afar, Vega ducked away as Song Ha-Eun and Isabella exited the tent.

Perched on top of a nearby tree, she looked down at Kwon Oh-Jin’s tent.

“

Haaa

.” A deep, almost crushing sigh escaped her lips.

The silver-haired goddess lightly touched her pink lips with trembling fingertips. The sensation of his lips still felt vividly fresh.

She had once fed an unconscious Kwon Oh-Jin a potion mouth-to-mouth, but it had been entirely of her own will this time.

I’ve done something I shouldn’t have.

Unable to resist the rising impulse, she had kissed him while he was asleep. It was a shameful thing to do, not just to him, but also to his lovers.

For some reason, Vega’s heart wouldn’t stop racing. What had begun as a spark now ignited into a blazing fire and filled her heart.

The guilt of laying a hand on her own child and the quiet resentment she had felt while watching Song Ha-Eun and Isabella openly express their affection toward him suddenly melted away.

N-No, I shouldn’t feel this way.

However, emotions could rarely be controlled.

Her feelings only swelled up every time she recalled the sensation of his lips. Those feelings spun in circles inside her, unsure of where to go. How had she handled this before?

Suddenly, Spica’s cheerful voice echoed in her head.

“What you need to give him is your heartfelt support! Comfort! Encouragement! That’s what you should do!”

“

Hmm

.”

After pondering for a moment, Vega shook her head. This wasn’t the time to be showing him support or encouragement. What right did she have to do such a thing after committing such an act while he was asleep?

She deserved to be punished.

“Punished...?”

A memory resurfaced of when Kwon Oh-Jin had spanked her as if she were a misbehaved child.

“

A-Ahem!

” She coughed repeatedly, and her face flushed red.

The mere memory filled her with unspeakable shame.

“N-No, that’s...”

The conflict between her racing heart and rational mind grew more intense. She bit down on her lip as she looked at his tent.

I’ve committed a grave sin.

And those who sinned had to be punished.

J-Just once... only once more.

She swallowed dryly and clenched her fists.

Gulp.

Suddenly, Song Ha-Eun and Isabella’s faces flashed through her mind.

Those two are already in a relationship with my child.

She had tried to suppress her feelings so as not to burden him, yet they had openly flaunted their affection in front of her.

“This is their fault.” Nodding rapidly, Vega convinced herself.

The emotions that had welled up found a perfect excuse to be expressed.

I’m just going to be punished for my own wrongdoing.

It wasn’t about being with Kwon Oh-Jin or conveying her repressed love. This was, yes, just a one-night indulgence to end her feelings for Kwon Oh-Jin once and for all.

Silver light swirled around her. The small, doll-sized Vega returned to her original form.

Woong!

She carefully lifted the waterproof tarp at the tent entrance and quietly approached the sleeping Kwon Oh-Jin.

“

Mmhaaa

.”

For some reason, her butt already felt like it was starting to sting.