00945 If You Change, One.
Despite the humiliating order, Kim Su-hyun didn’t flinch. For a long moment, he remained motionless, as if he hadn’t even heard it.
But the Queen of the Night didn’t grow impatient. Lilith waited quietly. Having lain with countless partners before, she instinctively knew how to handle the man before her.
Regardless of sheer strength, Kim Su-hyun was undeniably powerful. And for reasons unknown, he harbored a deep grudge and hatred toward demons. With such stubbornness, no matter how many tricks she used or how far she pushed him, he would never yield. He’d sooner break than bend.
So Lilith fixated on Han So-young. No matter how strong and resolute a person is, their strength is ultimately limited to themselves.
The more precious the target, the more glaring the weakness. In this regard, Han So-young was Kim Su-hyun’s greatest vulnerability.
Would he stubbornly cling to his beliefs, or swallow his pride to protect what he cherished?
The answer came swiftly.
“Ugh…!”
A soft, breathy sound escaped as a dry tongue lightly brushed over her lips. Confirming that Kim Su-hyun had finally buried his face between her thighs, Lilith trembled with a surge of passion and joy. At last, she had succeeded.
“Huff… hahaha!”
Unable to contain herself, Lilith burst into loud laughter. Her technique was crude, her tongue’s movements irritatingly reluctant, but none of that mattered.
Besides, having her beloved helplessly watch from beside her was a rare and exquisite pleasure. For Lilith, who now craved mental ecstasy more than physical, her breathing grew rapid and uneven.
“Good, very good… just like that… Keep going… Then, as promised, I won’t lay a finger on your woman… hohoho!”
Lilith’s soft hands gently grasped Kim Su-hyun’s head, pressing and moving it back and forth. The sensations transmitted through the valley intensified.
After a long while of moaning and savoring the cunnilingus, Lilith finally caught her breath and spoke.
“Th-this is strange…? I’ve never gotten aroused this quickly before…”
Her whole body tingled, her lower abdomen itched. Even her voice trembled. Though something felt off, she brushed it aside. After all, the fact that the usually unyielding Kim Su-hyun had surrendered was delivering an unimaginable mental thrill.
But there was one thing the Queen of the Night didn’t realize.
As time passed since their encounter began, the ring on Kim Su-hyun’s left ring finger began to glow with a clear light. And the more Lilith exuded her intense lust, stoking his desire, the brighter the ring shone.
Lilith was unaware that this ring was called the Ring of Essence—and what powers it held.
What was hellish for one could be bliss for another. After a time, Lilith sighed deeply, a satisfied smile spreading across her face.
“Phew… alright… that’s enough.”
A mixture of his saliva and her juices dripped down the valley, soaking the area between her thighs. Not quite a flood, but wet enough to glisten.
Lilith tenderly stroked the crown of Kim Su-hyun’s head, then leisurely stretched out on the cold floor. Raising her head slightly, she saw him slumped, staring blankly into space. Seeing his dazed expression, any lingering doubts she’d had—“Something’s a bit off”—vanished completely. No, she was thoroughly enjoying the moment.
With a breathy moan, Lilith twisted her hips, then slowly parted her thighs. Using both hands, she spread herself wide, revealing the flushed, delicate flesh she’d kept hidden, as if proudly displaying herself. At the same time, a clear liquid gushed forth, filling the air with a potent, intoxicating demonic scent that was dizzyingly raw.
Kim Su-hyun, however, wore an expression of utter disgust, as if she were a repulsive insect.
“Tch. What are you doing? I’m not a kid—you don’t have to spell everything out.”
Lilith giggled, the sound accompanied by the grinding of teeth.
“You’re nothing but a worthless slut.”
“And you? Soon you’ll be shaking your hips for a whore, you bastard.”
With a sharp retort, Lilith put on a stern face and said,
“Honestly, you’re ruining the mood just as I’m trying to enjoy myself. Take off your pants. Fuck me.”
“……”
“This is your last warning. Do as I say. Don’t expect me to be patient any longer.”
“……”
Having said that, Lilith stopped her seductive movements and closed her eyes, as if to say, ‘Do whatever you want.’
Not long after,
“Istantel… Low… Lord…”
“Please… I beg you… open your eyes…”
A chilling voice whispered, and the faint clinking of chains echoed. Breaking the unbearable silence, the tip of a burning pillar finally met the petals. Feeling the heavy head resting at the entrance, Lilith smiled triumphantly inside, unaware of what was about to unfold.
Moments later,
Without any warning or hesitation, Kim Su-hyun’s penis plunged deep and fully into the soft opening.
The next instant,
“Ahm…!”
His tightly shut eyes suddenly snapped wide open, and Lilith’s entire body stiffened as a scream of shock tore from her lips.
A single beam of moonlight faintly spilled into the room.
Standing at the door, Lee Hyo-eul paused, hand on the doorknob, and peeked inside.
The room was dark. Only the moonlight filtering through the window faintly illuminated the space, casting a lonely shadow over the desk facing the door.
Lee Hyo-eul fully turned the doorknob and stepped inside. He was about to ask why the lights were off but stopped himself.
The silent room, abandoned by its unwelcome guest, carried a subtle scent of strong liquor. On the desk, there were smudges from rubbing, and three or four nearly burnt cigarettes lay scattered. Knowing that Kim Yu-hyun never smoked, this felt out of place.
“You…”
But Lee Hyo-eul swallowed his words. Instead, he glanced quietly before carefully settling onto an empty chair. He then stared silently at Kim Yu-hyun, who sat with her head bowed.
Her face was drained of all emotion. Despite his presence, she remained still, eyes closed, lost in deep thought. Occasionally, she clenched and unclenched a rough stone in her left hand. Lee Hyo-eul’s eyes caught the glint—it was a Memoria Stone.
‘That…’
He had heard the gist when he came after receiving the message. The demons had made an offer that couldn’t be ignored. And Melinus had left the Memoria Stone behind when he departed.
To put it bluntly, activating the warp gate with this stone would instantly open a portal to the site of the divine domain. In other words, Kim Yu-hyun could bring her brother back right now—if she chose to.
…Provided she passed the Zero Code, that is.
Suddenly, Kim Yu-hyun opened her eyes and slowly lifted her chin. Her deep, dark eyes fixed on the desk.
She placed the Zero Code and Memoria Stone side by side on the desk, then—
“Hyo-eul.”
She called out in a hoarse voice, almost simultaneously.
Still not looking at him, she continued,
“What… should I do?”
When no answer came after a long pause, she tried again.
“There aren’t… that many survivors, right?”
From the trembling in her voice, Lee Hyo-eul sensed the answer she wanted. He wanted to say no, but he couldn’t bring himself to lie.
“…No.”
The moment he confirmed, Kim Yu-hyun’s face turned pale. Lee Hyo-eul gritted his teeth but also felt a flicker of relief. He’d worried she might act recklessly like before, but at least she seemed to grasp reality.
Still, knowing the next words would be like a death sentence, he had no choice but to speak. Because the truth was not what Kim Yu-hyun wanted to hear.
“Even during the Steel Mountain expedition or the war with the Western Continent and the Vagabond Alliance, it wasn’t this bad. I don’t know how long it’ll take to recover to previous levels.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. And… if those conditions are true, I don’t think accepting them is a bad idea. Especially since we can add our own terms—that’s a huge advantage. It’s basically an admission of defeat on their part. So, hold your head up.”
“……”
Lee Hyo-eul had softened his words as much as possible. But in truth, given the current situation, they had no choice but to accept the terms. There was only one path left. That was reality.
Kim Yoo-hyun didn’t react at first. Slowly, deliberately, he cupped his face with both hands and let out a long, drawn-out sigh—almost like a sob.
Lee Hyo-eul felt a pang of sympathy for the man, but she didn’t regret what she had just said. She was always the type to think and act with reason rather than emotion.
After that brief exchange, silence settled over the room once more.
How much time had passed?
The uncomfortable quiet stretched on endlessly, making her want to escape. Then, suddenly, heavy footsteps thundered down the hallway. The noise stopped abruptly at the door, but moments later, it slammed open and someone burst inside. The force of their entrance was so fierce that both Lee Hyo-eul and the previously frozen Kim Yoo-hyun looked up, startled. An Sol stood there, eyes blazing, chest heaving as she glared fiercely at Kim Yoo-hyun.
“You are…?”
“Why are you just standing there?”
Before Lee Hyo-eul could say a word, An Sol aggressively cornered the man sitting at the desk. Seeing Kim Yoo-hyun’s stunned expression, she twisted her face into a scowl and strode forward, growling.
“Why are you just standing there? Aren’t you going to save your brother? He’s your real brother, right?”
“W-wait a moment.”
Lee Hyo-eul jumped up, but An Sol ignored her completely. Then, with a swift motion, she pulled something out and threw it onto the desk. The heavy thuds echoed sharply—one was a Chaos Mimic brimming with power, the other a beautiful sword radiating an otherworldly aura.
“We’ll win. No, I’ll make sure we win. So hurry…!”
“User An Sol!”
While Kim Yoo-hyun stared dumbfounded at the two items, Lee Hyo-eul grabbed the priest’s shoulder firmly, trying to get her attention.
At that moment, just as the other turned around with an annoyed look, the fierce anger that had been rising in her throat suddenly vanished. An indescribable energy surged relentlessly from An Sol’s entire body.
“Why?”
“…First, calm down. I understand how you feel, User An Sol. Our clan lord is being held captive, so of course you want to rescue him as soon as possible. We feel the same way.”
“So what? You’re saying the best you can do is make a deal with demons? The very demons Su-hyun never trusted?”
“W-what? How do you know that?”
Lee Hyo-eul’s eyes widened. She hadn’t been told the details yet, but it sounded like he already knew everything. Not only that, his tone was different from usual, though she hadn’t quite caught that.
An Sol glared at Lee Hyo-eul for a moment, then turned back to Kim Yoo-hyun and spoke.
“How ridiculous. If your brother were here right now, he’d probably…”
Then—
Bang!
Suddenly, a sharp knock on the desk cut off An Sol’s words.
Startled, the two women looked straight ahead. Kim Yoo-hyun stood there, eyes wide, mouth agape—not angry, but as if struck by a profound revelation, like Archimedes shouting “Eureka!” in a bath.
“Right…”
“Y-You’re Kim Yoo-hyun?”
“That’s right, yes…”
“W-what do you mean? What are you talking about?”
Lee Hyo-eul asked repeatedly, but Kim Yoo-hyun didn’t answer.
“Yes… that method… that method existed… Why didn’t I think of it before…”
He muttered to himself like a madman, and without realizing it, his once pitch-black eyes began to glow brightly. The energy he had hidden flared back to life, and the fighting spirit that had vanished reignited.
Watching quietly, Lee Hyo-eul felt an inexplicable unease rise within her. A creeping suspicion took hold.
“You don’t mean… you’re planning to go to war? No, that can’t be it…”
“Huuuuu…”
“Seriously? Really? Are you crazy? What are you basing this on? You’re going to trust only what this priest said? You’re not even listening to me?”
“They say it’ll make us win…!”
Flames sparked simultaneously in the eyes of Lee Hyo-eul and An Sol. They glared at each other, ready to argue, but for some reason, neither could bring themselves to speak. Kim Yoo-hyun stretched out his hand, blocking the space between them.
With a calmer demeanor, he looked at both of them. Then, suddenly, he tossed the Chaos Mimic and the Sword of Oath back to An Sol.
“Enough, both of you. And take these back with you.”
“These…!”
“Take them. I don’t know what these are, but since you’re so confident, they must be useful somehow. That’s enough. Use them as you see fit.”
“……”
Kim Yoo-hyun spoke quickly, his tone more serious than ever. An Sol hesitated, then stepped back, clutching the two items tightly. The fierce pressure she had been exerting slowly faded.
After a moment of silent staring, Kim Yoo-hyun spoke softly.
“Su-hyun valued User An Sol greatly. I’ve heard the stories many times. And, of course, I acknowledge your luck. It’s certainly an incredible power.”
“I…”
“But there’s one thing you need to understand.”
“Yes?”
“I am not your clan lord Kim Su-hyun. I am User Kim Yoo-hyun. I have my own way.”
“……”
An Sol fell silent. The man’s attitude had shifted completely—his eyes, though cold, burned with a terrifying intensity. It was hard to believe this was the same man who had just buried his face in his hands in despair.
“This war… this war cannot rely on anyone’s luck.”
The Thunder God continued, his voice resolute as he stared directly at An Sol.
“If we cannot unite the remaining forces of the Northern Continent, we will be defeated once again.”
“But our allies are not only physically battered—they’re also deeply shaken mentally. Like me earlier, they believe that no matter what, they will lose.”
“That’s why what we need now is not uncertain luck…”
“But a conviction that can turn fear into fighting spirit—a certainty that we will win.”
Faced with his torrent of words, An Sol was left speechless. Even she, who was usually sharp-tongued, found it impossible to argue against Kim Yoo-hyun’s clear, logical reasoning.
Lee Hyo-eul felt the same. She had been ready to stop this war at all costs if it was based solely on the priest’s words, but Kim Yoo-hyun was analyzing the situation more coldly and rationally than ever.
Finishing his long explanation, Kim Yoo-hyun shifted his gaze from An Sol to Lee Hyo-eul.
“Lee Hyo-eul.”
“Y-yes?”
“Gather as many users as you can in the square. I’ll be there right away.”
“U-uh…”
Without another word, Kim Yoo-hyun left the room as if drawn by some unseen force.
Lee Hyo-eul reached out reflexively, then let her hand fall weakly. She pressed her palm gently against her left chest.
For some reason, her heart wouldn’t stop pounding since a little while ago.