Rewinding time a bit—to when Kim Yuhyun had finished his work in the Iron Mountain Range and returned to Atlanta.
“Heh heh…”
Thanatos let out a low chuckle as he gazed upon the towering pile of corpses before him. The corners of his mouth curled up in a mischievous grin, as if he were about to break into a dance right then and there.
Of course, as the god of death, it was absurd to think he felt hunger or cravings like a human. This wasn’t mere amusement.
But the desire to grow stronger was universal to all beings.
And that was the sole reason for Thanatos’s delight.
“This is more than enough… No, it’s overflowing. Hehehehe!”
He couldn’t become stronger than he already was, but he could recover lost power. The sealing talisman had expanded his capacity, but without anything to fill it, he’d been frustrated. Now, the mountain of corpses before him was like a gold mine. Moreover, the Northern Continent’s average quality was higher than the Eastern Continent’s, so the nourishment would be even more satisfying.
Humming a tune, Thanatos leisurely paced around the area. His smiling face as he surveyed the scene looked as if he were happily pondering, “Where should I start eating first?”
After circling for a while, he finally seemed to make up his mind. Stopping in front of the corpse pile, he stretched out his arms with vigor.
Moments later, a crimson talisman glowed from the ground, and the stacked corpses began to melt away rapidly. Their flesh and souls transformed into nutrients, absorbed directly into his body.
“Good! It’s coming, it’s coming!”
Thanatos burst into a wild laugh, feeling the energy tickling and rising from his lower abdomen.
But—
“Hahaha… huh?”
The laughter didn’t last long.
Given the sheer mass of corpses he’d just converted, his entire body should have been flooded with power. Yet, contrary to expectations, the amount of energy absorbed was minuscule—less than a quarter of what he’d anticipated. It was like biting into an empty shell when you’re hungry.
Naturally, Thanatos’s face twisted in confusion.
“What… is this?”
At least in one regard, Thanatos seemed to keep his promises to some extent. Choosing to stay put rather than attempt a futile escape, he had barely been touched, as previously mentioned. And though the details were unclear, Lilith hadn’t come back since she was severely reprimanded. The situation remained grim, but the fact that they weren’t being bothered was a small mercy.
“Hmm…”
Shifting slightly, I suddenly heard a soft breath. Looking down, I saw Han Soyoung sleeping soundly, her head resting on my arm. Even in peaceful slumber, she radiated an intoxicating aura that drew my gaze without my realizing it.
Her hair shimmered like black pearls, flowing smoothly. Despite being trapped for days, her skin was dazzlingly fair and flawless. Her long eyebrows looked as if a master artisan had painted them with care. Her nose was sharply defined, her lips a deep, stubborn red, gently closed. And her chest—firm and well-shaped.
Wait. What am I thinking?
A sudden wave of guilt crashed over me, and I shook my head vigorously. Just having such impure thoughts felt like I deserved divine punishment—or maybe a sudden lightning strike on the street.
“Ugh…”
At that moment, Han Soyoung suddenly exhaled deeply, licked her lips, and pressed her body closer to mine. The instant she touched me, my body stiffened. Her soft, supple chest pressed against me, her breath warm enough to tickle my neck, and I could even see her back gently rising and falling in slow rhythm.
Frozen like that for a while, I finally managed to reach out and curl my arm around her. With trembling fingers, I gently stroked her soft back. Perhaps sensing the touch in her sleep, Han Soyoung began nuzzling my neck with her cheek. Startled, I pulled my hand away, and she stopped as if nothing had happened. But when I stroked her again, she resumed her affectionate rubbing.
What’s going on? Is she awake?
“……”
Watching her playful, cat-like behavior, a smile crept onto my face. I continued softly caressing her back, lost in thought.
That day.
The day Han Soyoung—
“Ah, finally did it.”
“Huh?”
“Kissing is harder than I thought.”
“Huh? Huh huh huh?”
The day she surprised me with a sudden kiss.
Ahem.
Anyway, since then, our relationship had become quite complicated.
No, more accurately, it had changed for sure.
We’d confirmed our feelings for each other and spent time learning about one another.
Having been a captive myself before, I knew how agonizingly slow time could feel when confined in a limited space. But no matter how much time passed, I hadn’t once felt bored recently. Once either of us started talking, the conversation flowed like a bursting dam.
Han Soyoung wanted to share more about her past, and I was curious about her life in the modern world. When I tired of talking, she’d take over, and when she grew weary, I’d speak again.
She was especially fascinated by the stories I told about the holy queen Yuhyun and the fierce battles we’d fought. (Though, for some reason, she refused to believe I was the troublemaker who always caused accidents.)
Han Soyoung had come to the Whole Plain at the tender age of twenty-three. She’d attended all-girls middle and high schools, then graduated early from university due to her excellent grades. Afterward, she became the CEO of a company inherited from her family.
One day, after a late night at work, she collapsed into bed at her private studio apartment. When she woke up, she found herself in the summoning chamber.
I asked if it hadn’t been absurd, and she quietly grumbled that it was so ridiculous she wanted to faint. But then, looking at me, she said with a pitying gaze, “Still, it’s better than being summoned on the way home after discharge…”
She also confessed, shyly, that despite a few persistent questions about boyfriends, her family was very strict and conservative, and she’d never even held a man’s hand. I felt oddly happy hearing that. (Though I didn’t show it, I soon regretted it—Han Soyoung’s heightened senses caught my joy, and the topic quickly shifted to the Gehenna pregnancy incident.)
There was also the fun of watching her awkward attempts at expressing emotions now that she’d opened her heart. I even found myself a little envious.
While we lost track of time chatting, there was one moment when the atmosphere turned intimate. Both of us wanted each other.
But I held back, searching for any divine intervention in my mind. Even setting aside whether it was right to touch her, it felt strange to be bound and confined in this place and engage in such a relationship. I didn’t want her first experience to be here, nor did I want a demon watching us.
Above all, I didn’t feel the need to confirm our love physically.
I don’t know about platonic love or any of that. The fact was, the woman I’d only watched from afar before was now right here, close to me.
Just seeing her made me happy, and talking to her brought joy. Every time she curled up in my arms as she slept, my heart swelled so much it felt like it might burst.
Even now, without sex, my whole body was filled with a strange, new sensation I’d never felt before.
Despite these oddly happy days that didn’t fit the situation, I couldn’t shake a lingering unease.
Han Soyoung sometimes expressed regret that she hadn’t spoken up sooner. I felt the same. More precisely, it was a sense of helplessness—or anxiety about the future.
When I first came to my senses, I was almost ready to give up. But the closer I got to Han Soyoung, the stronger my desire to live and return to the city grew.
Yet no matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn’t think of a way out. Our bodies were bound, our magic and fire seals all locked down. What could we do in this state? And since we were hostages exchanged for the Zero Code, it was hard to imagine Satan’s watchfulness would be lax.
In the end, I had no choice but to trust the Northern Continent to come through and to believe in my brother’s abilities. I knew how irresponsible that hope was.
If only I could safely send Han Soyoung away…
Lost in thought as I watched her sleeping form,
Thump, thump, thump.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed outside.
“No way…”
There wasn’t just one or two. They were approaching quickly toward us.
I glanced toward the entrance, and sure enough, six shadowy figures appeared in the dim light, stopping a short distance away. All six were demons.
“Han Soyoung! Han Soyoung!”
I shook her awake and hurriedly rose, glaring at the intruders.
At first, I thought they were intruders sneaking in without heeding Satan’s orders. After all, there had been infighting among the demons before over who would claim Han So-young, so there was no guarantee it wouldn’t happen again this time.
But it took less than five seconds for my suspicion to turn into certainty.
“Is that…?”
Because all six of them were holding something in their arms. It didn’t take long for me to realize those were the weapons belonging to me and Han So-young.
Then, the demon at the front of the group nodded slightly and slowly set down his pitch-black armor. With careful movements, he pushed it toward me.
Was it just my imagination, or was there a hint of fear in that gesture?
And then, at that moment—