Episode 45: Return to the Demonic Sect
Crackle. Snap.
The sound of firewood burning.
Mae Seol-ran sat crouched in a spacious cavern, watching a fish roast over the flames.
She sat with her knees drawn up to her chest, completely unclothed.
In one corner of the cavern, a pool of water lay, its depth considerable.
After wandering through the labyrinthine tunnels for days, Mae Seol-ran had finally stumbled upon this place.
There was water to drink and fish to eat.
Moreover, she could cut the roots protruding from the walls to use as firewood.
Curiously, the roots would grow back to their original size within a day, though Mae Seol-ran had no idea this was due to the magical energy within the barrier.
Regardless, this place served as an oasis in the desert-like maze she couldn’t escape.
“Is this how I die… here?”
Mae Seol-ran murmured, her expression vacant.
She began to eat the fish with a blank face.
How long had she been trapped here?
It felt like months had passed.
Though she was naked, she sat carelessly, legs splayed, focused only on her meal.
If anyone were to see her, they would be stunned.
But no one would. There was no one here.
So Mae Seol-ran paid no mind to her appearance.
Once, she had left this place to find an exit.
She returned five days later, nearly lost forever in the maze.
She thought she would surely die then.
Traps activated, shredding her clothes to tatters.
An enormous explosion and a violent earthquake had occurred.
Since then, Mae Seol-ran hadn’t dared to leave.
The thought of wandering the maze without finding water and starving to death terrified her.
After finishing her fish, she tossed the bones aside and slowly stood up.
Her beautifully curved body glowed in the firelight.
She walked gracefully to the water’s edge and dove in.
Like a mermaid, she swam through the water, then floated on her back.
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
‘It’s over. I’ll grow old and die here. If I don’t go mad first, it’ll be a miracle.’
With a long sigh, she sank beneath the water.
After a while, she emerged and walked back to the shore.
On the wall, there was a statue she had carved with her sword.
It was slightly taller than her, and its face bore a resemblance to Sabi-gang.
Mae Seol-ran stood before it, glaring.
“Look at me. I came to seduce you. Do you know that?”
Of course, the statue didn’t respond.
Yet Mae Seol-ran continued as if it had.
“You always confused me. But I’ve never failed before. Look closely. How do I look?”
She twisted her body slightly, accentuating her full breasts and slender legs.
With a delicate hand, she grasped her firm chest.
“Don’t you want to touch me?”
Her hand moved more provocatively, sliding from her chest to between her legs.
“Even now, won’t you come to me? If you just reach out… I… ah…”
Her body arched in a sensual curve.
But the statue remained expressionless.
Mae Seol-ran’s face fell slightly, and she caressed the statue’s cheek.
“You’re impossible to read. With that blank look, I can’t tell what you’re thinking.”
Her voice trembled.
“You… cruel man.”
Finally, a tear rolled down her cheek.
Mae Seol-ran looked up at the statue’s face.
Her hand caressed its shoulder.
“Where are you?”
Her hand moved to the statue’s hand.
“I miss you. Won’t you touch me?”
Her face flushed red.
For over a month, she had longed for a human voice, a human gaze, a human touch.
The loneliness was overwhelming.
Talking to the statue, venting her frustrations and lamenting her fate, had stirred strange emotions within her.
‘Maybe I’m slowly going mad…’
Mae Seol-ran pressed her bare body against the statue.
“Ah… yes, there. You… a little more…”
It was then.
“Lady Mae?”
A familiar voice.
Mae Seol-ran flinched and turned.
Sabi-gang stood at the edge of the cavern, watching.
Mae Seol-ran chuckled.
“Is it you this time?”
“What are you talking about? And why are you naked in a place like this…?”
“Another tiresome illusion. Might as well enjoy it.”
She laughed cynically.
It wasn’t the first time.
Once, her deceased mother had appeared, and another time, a martial artist she had killed.
Sabi-gang was a frequent apparition.
“An illusion? What are you saying? I’m Sabi-gang.”
Sabi-gang frowned.
Mae Seol-ran walked toward him, still naked.
“So real…”
She smiled as if entranced and approached him.
“Then, let’s kiss.”
“Kiss? What do you mean?”
Sabi-gang looked bewildered.
Whoosh!
Mae Seol-ran lunged at him.
In an instant.
“Lady Mae… mmph!”
“Mmm…!”
Their lips met.
Their tongues explored each other.
‘Ah…! So real…?’
In a flash, Mae Seol-ran’s eyes widened.
‘No way!’
Startled, she jumped back, pointing a finger.
“You, you…!”
“Ah, you’ve come to your senses? Just so you know, I didn’t initiate this…”
“You! You’re real, the real Sabi-gang?”
“Well, yes.”
“Impossible…”
“Hmm… how long have you been here? You look… not quite yourself.”
“Sabi-gang… you’re really… the real Sabi-gang?”
“Yes, indeed. Are you alright, Lady Mae? You seem quite… distressed.”
“Sabi-gang…!”
Suddenly, Mae Seol-ran burst into tears.
“You terrible man!”
She flew at him, hitting him with her fists.
“Wait, Lady Mae, hold on…!”
But seeing her expression, Sabi-gang resigned himself.
‘No use, I suppose.’
She must have followed him and gotten trapped here.
‘It must have been terrifying.’
Sabi-gang silently endured her blows.
After a while, Mae Seol-ran collapsed, and he caught her in his arms.
“Lady Mae. Are you alright?”
“I… sob, sob, missed you so much!”
She looked up, tears streaming down her face, her eyes red and swollen.
Her childlike sobs were endearing.
“Lady Mae…”
“I don’t care! You have no idea how scared I was!”
The fear born from loneliness and isolation is hard to bear, even for the strongest.
Mae Seol-ran cried like a child.
‘This is quite a situation.’
Sabi-gang smiled wryly, holding her gently.
“Lady Mae. This might not be the right time, but…”
“What is it?”
“You look incredibly lovely right now.”
Mae Seol-ran flinched and tried to pull away.
But Sabi-gang held her tighter.
“Lady Mae!”
“Why are you… mmph!”
In that moment.
Sabi-gang kissed her.
Mae Seol-ran’s hands, which had been pushing him away, slowly lost their strength.
Sabi-gang’s lips moved to her neck.
“Ah…!”
Her body writhed like a slippery fish.
Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
His firm chest pressed against her soft skin.
Sabi-gang’s lips traveled down, past her breasts, to her waist.
‘Ah… you…!’
Mae Seol-ran exhaled a heated breath.
But then.
‘No, I can’t! If you touch me… if you touch me…!’
She snapped back to reality and grabbed his shoulders.
“Stop, stop.”
“Why?”
She avoided his intense gaze.
‘If you desire me and touch me… you might…’
He could lose all his energy and die.
But she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Sabi-gang looked at her.
“Do you not want this with me? If so…”
“No! It’s not that… it’s not.”
Her vehement denial surprised even her.
Her voice grew softer.
Sabi-gang smiled.
“Then why?”
‘Oh, you cruel man. That look is unfair…’
Mae Seol-ran sighed and confessed the truth.
As she spoke, Sabi-gang’s expression remained unchanged.
”… Do you understand now? If you… if you do this with me… you could die.”
Sabi-gang grinned.
“If a night with you is the price, it’s one I’m willing to pay.”
“What kind of foolish talk is that? What if you really die?”
“And what if… I don’t?”
“What did you say?”
“Don’t worry. I’m not that easy to kill.”
Sabigang pulled Maeseollan into an embrace and kissed her deeply.
“Mmph…! What are you saying? Do you have a death wish…?”
“Trust me. I’ll be fine.”
“Idiot… hmph…!”
Unconsciously, Maeseollan closed her eyes.
‘This is…!’
Yet, she wanted to believe him.
No, somewhere deep inside, she already did.
After all, this was someone who always defied common sense.
Maeseollan gradually relaxed, surrendering herself to Sabigang.
Sometimes gentle and calm.
Other times, like a wild, crashing wave engulfing her whole being.
She exhaled a heated breath, slowly opening the gates of her heart.
And through them, Sabigang brought a tide of ecstasy.
**
In a corner of the cave, the two lay side by side, bare and vulnerable.
Sabigang’s laughter echoed through the cavern.
“Hahaha!”
“What’s so funny? Stop laughing.”
Maeseollan pouted, casting a sidelong glance at him.
Sabigang managed to stifle his laughter and looked at her.
“So, is this why you were here like that? Haha.”
”…”
“But why are you telling me all this now?”
“What do you mean? That I approached you to seduce you?”
“Exactly.”
“Well, we had no choice. You and I are stuck in this strange cave, and we’ll have to rely on each other for the rest of our lives.”
As she spoke the last words, Maeseollan’s face flushed red.
She averted her gaze from Sabigang’s eyes.
“So, you’re planning to spend your life here?”
“What choice do we have? We need a way out. If only we could…”
Maeseollan paused, startled, and looked at Sabigang.
“Wait… do you know a way out of here?”
“Well, yes, but… now that I think about it, staying here a bit longer might not be so bad…”
“What are you talking about? Do you really know a way out? Out of this cave? Back to the world?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Oh my gosh! Then why are you still here?”
“Well… I was on my way out.”
“On your way out? What have you been doing all this time?”
“There were… some circumstances.”
“What circumstances! And why are you just sitting here if you know the way out? We should leave immediately!”
“Ugh… it feels like a shame to leave just yet…”
“What are you saying! Right now!”
Finally, Maeseollan couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted at him.