Chapter 409

〈 Chapter 409 〉 Part 1, Chapter 17

Hydra was on the verge of losing it while following Xian.

Now, as the sun began to dip behind the mountains, casting long shadows across the land, a couple in swimsuits strolling from the hotel to the park were certainly turning heads.

Thump thump.

But no one seemed to notice their presence at all. From the moment they crossed the park, Xian had expertly steered Hydra away from any prying eyes despite encountering several people along the way.

“Stop.”

Xian pressed down on Hydra’s head, making him bow his head.

Though not too crowded, the park still saw a steady stream of visitors. As a young couple passed by, Xian ensured they remained undetected.

Thump thump.

The casually dressed couple contrasted sharply with Hydra’s swimsuit ensemble, causing his heart to race.

‘I must be insane.’

He surreptitiously checked his reflection through the ground. Squatting had only made his ill-fitting swimsuit dig further into his skin, and embarrassingly deep creases had formed.

What irritated him most was that Xian didn’t even glance his way.

Xian maintained vigilant watch, ensuring they wouldn’t be spotted. Hydra seriously considered causing a scene – perhaps dragging Xian into the center of the park for an impromptu salsa dance –

‘Nope. Let’s calm down. The fact that we haven’t been noticed proves Xian’s skill.’

Hydra took a deep breath. Ironically, Xian’s route was so flawless that it allowed room for such stray thoughts. Checking the surroundings with magic power, Hydra confirmed they remained unnoticed.

“Let’s go.”

Xian pulled Hydra out from behind the bushes, striding confidently forward without being seen by anyone.

“We’re here.”

Xian led Hydra into an alley near Holy Angel City where he could sense something unusual.

“What is this…?”

“A secret passage. A venerable secret passage.”

Creeeak. Xian flipped over an old paving stone, revealing steps leading underground. The dusty corridor appeared unused for centuries.

“Didn’t you know? Originally, Holy Angel City was the tomb of a Roman Emperor.”

“Was Xian a grave robber?”

“Didn’t you hear about the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang getting looted? That was me.”

“…Unbelievable.”

With a flourish, Xian moved ahead, his confident strides in the pitch-dark tunnel slightly unnerving Hydra. Despite knowing nothing could harm him, Hydra couldn’t shake the feeling something might jump out.

‘Perhaps I should test him a bit.’

Hydra was curious how Xian would react in a crisis situation. The seemingly safe escape route showed no traps, and Xian kept careful watch while walking along its center.

How would this man respond in an emergency? Hydra subtly released some magic power, causing part of the ceiling to collapse right as Xian stepped forward.

Crash!!

Debris rained down upon them. Even if properly dressed, this situation would’ve been problematic – let alone wearing swimsuits.

“Hmph.”

With a nonchalant cough, Xian effortlessly scooped up Hydra princess-style, leaving him speechless.

Squelch.

Xian gripped Hydra tightly around the thighs and upper chest, sprinting forward. And then…

Grrrrr.

“Uh-oh.”

“The entire ceiling structure is interconnected. Though I never imagined it’d collapse like this.”

“How did you know?”

“I’m just that good.”

Without looking back, Xian continued running forward. His firm grip suggested no chance of falling. He didn’t even glance downward.

“…”

The tunnel stretched on. Subtly wrapping his arms around Xian’s neck, Hydra felt his side press against Xian’s chest as he observed his expression.

‘Tough cookie.’

Since yesterday, openly flirting had yielded zero response.

Actually, there was reaction – but never enough to make a move. Their mutual monster status hadn’t changed anything. Not even a kiss happened unless forced through half-jokes.

‘Does this guy have erectile dysfunction?’

Unless he’s gay or something, there’s no way he could remain unaffected despite such close contact. Therefore, Xian must be gay.

‘Poor thing.’

It finally made sense. Enjoying dates yet avoiding going all the way explained everything. A man who had everything except his masculinity – skilled tongue but no use for what lay beneath.

‘Should I just cut my losses?’

What’s the point of great foreplay if it can’t lead anywhere? Hydra’s desire to dominate Xian began fading. The arm wrapped around Xian’s neck gradually loosened, and he wanted to get down immediately.

“We’ve arrived.”

Just as they emerged from the collapsing tunnel, Hydra swiftly landed on the ground while Xian paused momentarily, seemingly lost in thought.

“What? Don’t you have somewhere to be instead of standing around?”

“…”


“Short relaxation time.”

“Tch.”

Standing with his back to Hydra, Xian refused to turn around. Pretending to relax after putting him through such embarrassment annoyed Hydra greatly.

Having made him look ridiculous while enjoying himself now seemed unfair. Hydra decided to act.

“Hmph, are you hard yet? How small is it exactly… Hot!”

Hydra grabbed Xian’s hips and flipped him around. Expecting nothing, what he found instead was-

“Hmph.”

Xian’s member was prominently displayed, pointing downward in obvious irritation. Unfortunately, Hydra’s attempt to pull down Xian’s pants resulted in-

Smack!

Hydra got smacked in the forehead by Xian’s erection.

***

At that moment,

Cardinal Wilhelm Adolf was calming his nerves by viewing artworks displayed on the upper floors of Holy Angel City, intended for tourist attraction.

“…”

His longstanding hobby of viewing art to relax after daily routines wasn’t helping today. Since noon mass, his master had been shamelessly dating some random man.

‘Could they have done it? They must have. Definitely.’

Cardinal’s anger stemmed from jealousy.

Despite five years since meeting his master, he hadn’t even progressed to quasi-intimate acts.

Finally, after five long years, he managed to touch that beautiful body. On particularly joyful days, having his modest parts fondled and humiliated by her feet brought immense pleasure.

‘Will Phoenix trigger another six-minute terror attack on Big Ben anytime soon?’

That day when Blazing Phoenix caused chaos atop Big Ben, his master lying in bed receiving Cardinal’s massage was startled awake.

Ecstatically laughing and overjoyed, she promised to grant any wish. Cardinal dared to request allowing her to touch his member, and ever since, received occasional favors.

“…”

To Cardinal, God was synonymous with his master. The one who rejuvenated his aged, pitiful body to youthful vigor was nothing less than divine.

“…”

Kneeling before a newly acquired angel statue in the gallery, Cardinal prayed fervently.

The adult woman in a white dress revealed impressive curves despite her veil. Secretly commissioned by Cardinal himself, the marble statue resembled someone familiar.

“…”

At this hour, no one else could enter. Cardinal bowed his head beneath the slightly raised foot of the statue, earnestly praying for his master’s return tonight to trample upon him.

Bzzzt.

A communication came through. Cardinal quickly looked up.

“Is there something?”

[Apologies, Your Eminence. Were you viewing the exhibits?]

Behind the screen appeared Chamberlain Yu Yinghuo, looking somewhat awkward. Cardinal maintained a dignified smile.

“I was praying to God.”

[My apologies for interrupting. I’ll call back later.]

“No need, it’s fine. What is it?”

[…About B-Rank Hunter <Siren> Kim Nori who went to Mexico…]

“That young lady? Your homeland truly produces remarkable individuals. Ho ho.”

Cardinal laughed warmly. Yu Yingho scratched his cheek uncomfortably.

[…We may need to create another designation.]

“Why? Did she refuse strongly? Didn’t I mention already? Siren doesn’t suit her-”

[She just achieved A-Rank during the S-Rank Monster <Quetzalcoatl> raid.]

“…”

Cardinal recalled the timeline. Considering her age, she had been granted the title Siren by the Senate mere half a day ago, yet already reached A-Rank?

“Such rapid growth…”

[Grandmother wishes to decide S-Rank directly this time.]

“Hasty. …Ahem, I can’t handle that right now. Please take care of it yourself. My apologies.”

[…You seem quite busy indeed. Understood. I’ll report directly later.]

Click.

The connection ended. Cardinal resumed praying to the angel statue.

“Suuu, suuu, khaaaap.”

Only the rustling of his robes echoed through Cardinal’s private gallery.

***

“Sorry, Mr. Xian.”

Blushing furiously, Hydra bowed deeply. While apologizing as Ceres, he genuinely felt embarrassed and apologetic as Hidra of Jiryun.

“Ceres, you shouldn’t be pulling down men’s pants. Imagine if the situation were reversed. How would you feel if I forcibly stripped you?”

“…Would you accept my apology if I did?”

Hydra fidgeted with his fingers, checking my reaction. His counterattack made my heart sink unexpectedly. His sincerity was dangerously convincing.

“Uh, if you want, we can do it anytime. Right now even. Or I can take off my own clothes. No, let me borrow your hands. I’ll undress then…”

Hydra started rambling incoherently. Seeing this reminded me of Jiryun, filling me with both joy and regret. Hydra began berating himself unnecessarily.

“If you just lend me your hand, I’ll-”

Snap!

I flicked Hydra’s forehead with my finger. He froze mid-motion.

“Back to reality?”

“…”

Dazed, Hydra touched the spot I hit on his forehead. Though slightly embarrassing due to the location, I felt no remorse since he was at fault.

“Ceres.”

“…”

“So, after personally checking, how was it? Erectile dysfunction?”

“…I sincerely apologize.”

In the end, Hydra successfully inspected what no one except Chang-yeom has ever seen – the protagonist’s upper nude form, plus the ultimate weapon. Lowering his head, strands of hair fell across his face as his gaze repeatedly dropped to my lower regions.

‘Not getting hard would be crazy.’

Not reacting physically when someone presses against you means something’s wrong with Baek Cheonghwa’s body. It’s ironic that I’m reaping the benefits of training under Cheon Gaeul’s attacks in such a situation.

“Anyway, let’s consider what happened earlier an accident. I’ll accept your apology. Okay?”

“…If you say so, I appreciate it, but are you really okay with this?”

After confirming with Ceres,

“…”

Considering the situation, achieving intimacy under these circumstances proved successful. Though cultural heritage site regulations prohibited such actions, mission requirements sometimes necessitated flexibility.

“Hey Ceres, thought you only threw curveballs but turns out you throw fastballs too?”

“Am I annoying you? I don’t force myself on those who say no. However…”

I pulled Ceres closer, positioning us so that any slight movement forward would result in contact with sensitive areas. She frowned, placing her hands on my chest.

“Still planning on playing around, Mr. Xian?”

“Playing around? Ceres, this is my current state. If not for the mission, I’d drag you to the hotel for a wild night right now.”

“And Chang-yeom?”

“Really?”

“Why? Don’t believe me? Shall we infiltrate a public area next? Care to try not getting caught?”

“Pretty bold. This is a World Heritage site. Are you suggesting doing it here?”

“If you wish. Indeed, if you desire, I can do it live worldwide right now.”

“And Chang-yeom?”

Hydra pushed me away with trembling hands. Momentarily tempted. Game over.

“Does such a person exist in this world?! Who does indecent acts at historical sites? If there’s someone like that, step forward! I’ll become your slave-”

“Slippery words aren’t good, Ceres.”

I lifted Ceres’s chin and pressed my index finger against her lips.

“I have no intention of accepting you as a slave.”

“…”

Removing my hand, Ceres licked her lips.

“…If such a person really exists, I’ll grant you one wish.”

Game over.

Grateful, I pulled Ceres into a tight embrace.