Thump, thump. The sound of hearts beating wildly was resonating between two chests, separated only by a thin layer of fabric. It was impossible to tell whose heartbeat was whose, and the sound spread through the nerves, making every cell vibrate intensely.

“Are you trying to seduce me right now?”

Choi Kanghu, who had been pressing his lips together tightly as if enduring some sort of patience test, asked in a dangerously low voice.

“Yes.”

Ignoring the erratic beating of her heart, Ryuseoha nodded confidently. Choi Kanghu let out a faint chuckle at her audaciously calm expression.

“And what do you think I’ll do?”

He asked while gently caressing her untouched earlobe, his voice dripping with raw desire, thick like a dense fog.

“You can do whatever you want.”

Ryuseoha smiled coyly, her eyes curving as she playfully rubbed her cheek against his neck. She had clearly understood the unspoken threat in his words, which hinted at the uncontrollable desire to deepen their relationship.

“...Are you serious?”

His surprised expression softened as he asked again, and this time, Ryuseoha gently stroked his back with her palm.

[Buff 'Enhanced Senses (3 minutes)' has been applied to the designated target (the caster).]

She responded by casting a buff on herself, temporarily increasing her stats. It was her answer to something he had said before—that a kiss without mutual enjoyment would be meaningless.

“This won’t end with just a kiss.”

Choi Kanghu smirked as he pulled Ryuseoha’s legs, which had been dangling off the couch, around his waist. The lower halves of their bodies now pressed together as tightly as their upper halves had been. Though she hesitated momentarily, Ryuseoha soon began softly caressing his neck.

“Yes, do it.”

“...”

“But, you have to promise that afterward, we’ll lie down and sleep together.”

Hearing her unexpected condition, Choi Kanghu hesitated with a conflicted expression. A promise was a promise, and if he made it, he had to keep it. While he might be able to summon superhuman restraint and end things after just one time, the part about lying down and sleeping together was beyond his current ability. He simply couldn’t guarantee it.

“Don’t you want to?”

“Hm, it’s not that… I’m just not sure if I can give you the result you’re hoping for.”

“You won’t know until you try.”

Seeing her lover show a rare moment of insecurity, Ryuseoha deliberately put on a more confident attitude. She didn’t want to leave her precious lover to sleep standing for the rest of his life, especially if he was willing to change this uncomfortable habit. She was determined to help him if even a small part of him wanted that.

“I’ve also felt like giving up sometimes, thinking that no matter how hard I try, some things will never change.”

She moved the axis of her trait [Sanctuary] to the center of the RV and fixed it there. This barrier would be a solid refuge for Choi Kanghu, who had suffered from insomnia due to his trauma from the Abyss.

Ryuseoha wanted to provide a safe, solid place for her lover to rest, even if only during sleep. Just like how she had fallen into a deep, dreamless sleep in his arms, she hoped her lover could experience the same peace.

“Whenever I felt that way, I would remind myself of something a poet named Walt Whitman once said.”

Rather than explaining her wish in great detail, she quietly stood up, pulling Choi Kanghu’s hand along with her toward the bed. His large frame followed obediently.

“He said that if you always stand facing the sun, the shadows will always be behind you.”

Her soft whisper seemed to hypnotize Choi Kanghu. He looked at his young lover with fresh eyes, suddenly feeling as though this common quote about the power of positive thinking was some divine revelation.

“Just for tonight, let me be the sun that pushes your shadows back.”

Her words were like a resurrection spell that could bring a rotting skeleton back to life, or like a swamp that had wrapped around his legs, suddenly turning into fertile ground. Lying back on the bed, Choi Kanghu closed his eyes.

Familiar, comforting magic filled the space around them. The warm body that embraced him, the sunlight-like scent that filled his lungs, and the tender touches slowly eased the sharp tension in his unconscious mind.

“So now, just relax and sleep with me.”

The gentle touch of her hand on his cheek and her sweet whisper made him smile without realizing it. All the happiness in the world seemed to be filling the space around them.

Without even noticing his expression had completely softened, Choi Kanghu tightly pulled Ryuseoha’s body against him. A strange sense of relief washed over him, and before he knew it, he had drifted off into a deep sleep.

The next day, while they were still searching for traces of shamans within the U.S., Choi Kanghu suddenly made a suggestion.

“Shall we take a nap by the lake?”

He smiled as he parked the RV by the lakeside.

“And we can finish that ‘one time’ from yesterday.”

Ryuseoha couldn’t help but laugh at the look of expectation on his face.

“We’ve only been awake for a few hours.”

Having slept deeply without stirring once through the night, Choi Kanghu had been surprised to discover that morning had already come. Ryuseoha had assumed he would be cautious about losing control again, but now he was acting as if none of that had happened.

“What’s the harm? We’re not on a timed mission or anything.”

Ryuseoha found it amusing that, just last night, he had said he would only sleep after finishing all his tasks. Now, after only one night, his attitude had completely shifted.

“You said you wouldn’t take your eyes off me, remember?”

“I can keep you close in my arms.”

Ryuseoha had hoped that Choi Kanghu might shake off his Abyss-related trauma, but the rapid change in his behavior was more than she had expected. Although it wasn’t a bad thing, she worried he might now try to coax her into napping every chance he got.

“I’d like to redeem that prize for some nap time.”

Seeing her hesitate, he immediately brought up the prize they had set aside, his smile growing wider.

“Prize?”

Tilting her head in confusion, Ryuseoha barely had time to react before Choi Kanghu, using his [Spatial Leap], carried her into the RV and laid her gently on the bed. He then placed a soft kiss on her smooth, round forehead.

“Remember? The treasure hunt, I succeeded without any hints.”

“...Ah.”

He was referring to their previous mission, where they had easily located the treasure vault in China. Choi Kanghu’s subtle gaze made her blink slowly, marveling at how he was still using that excuse.

“I was really looking forward to that reward.”

The mighty man, who could take anything he wanted with ease, now wore a pitifully exaggerated expression, like a puppy begging for a treat. He planted kisses on her eyes, cheeks, and the tip of her nose.

“Do you still not want to give it to me?”

Clearly prepared in advance, he pulled out a box of premium ginseng from his subspace storage, setting it on the bed. His face was filled with mild anxiety, as though he was already ready to come up with another excuse if she said no.

“...I’ve never wanted to refuse you.”

In the end, Ryuseoha surrendered. Wrapping her arms around Choi Kanghu’s neck, she gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. Then, without further complaints, she took one of the plant-shaped monster roots and placed it in her mouth.

[You are exposed to the effects of the item ‘Enhanced Ginseng (S-grade).’]

[Agility stat temporarily increased by 13 for 30 minutes.]

Since the item applied random effects, instead of the desired sensory stat boost, her agility stat had risen instead. She immediately ate another root.

[Agility stat temporarily increased by 11 for 30 minutes.]

Once again, her luck wasn’t on her side. She quickly grabbed another root and swallowed it.

[Agility stat temporarily increased by 9 for 30 minutes.]

It seemed like today was an unlucky day, as her agility stat continued to rise instead of her desired sensory stats. Finally, she managed to get the result she wanted.

[Sensory stat temporarily increased by 10 for 30 minutes.]

Now that she had achieved her goal, she briefly considered taking advantage of her heightened agility stat for other tasks.

[Agility: 34]

Such a lucky streak was unlikely to happen again anytime soon. Even though enhanced ginseng was incredibly expensive, the effects were bound to diminish over time. To regain stats over 30, she would have to invest a considerable effort in dungeon raids.

“Choi Kanghu, remember that special item we talked about earlier?”

Ryuseoha’s sudden remark made Choi Kanghu, who had been waiting patiently for another kiss, raise his eyebrow suspiciously. His instincts told him that she was about to make a suggestion he wouldn’t like.

“...Are you talking about this?”

Despite his dissatisfaction, Choi Kanghu retrieved a small, thin, black scale-like item from his subspace storage and placed it on the bed.

“Yes. I think now’s a good time to imprint it on you.”

With a deep sigh, as if he had expected this, Choi Kanghu obediently turned around and sat down. Before she could even say anything else, he swiftly took off his shirt.

“Fine. Let’s hurry and get it over with.”

“The powerful man, who could have anything he desired, now behaved like a well-trained beast, obediently offering his broad back.”

Ryuseoha, without hesitation, prepared to imprint the item on Choi Kanghu’s skin, her fingers moving deftly to place the thin, black scale-like object on his back. As the item settled into place, faint glowing symbols began to appear, blending seamlessly with his skin.

“All done.”

She smiled softly, admiring her work. Choi Kanghu’s powerful form remained still for a moment longer before he turned around to face her. His eyes, though calm, held a spark of intensity.

“Now that that’s out of the way, shall we continue from where we left off?”