Free Web NovelLee Hyunmook gritted his teeth and set Yohan down from his arms. Then he grabbed Yoon Seungryong, who was clinging to him like a leech. Blue veins stood out on the back of his hand.
“Yohan, go... first. I’ll handle this somehow, so later....”
The words came out through clenched teeth. When he lifted his head, one of his eyes was bloodshot. Yohan shook his head vehemently.
“No! Let’s go together...!”
Even if it was all an illusion, being separated from them had been a horrible nightmare. Remembering the way that thing transformed when Bumram touched it made it all the more impossible to leave.
“Go, hurry...!”
Even as Hyunmook pushed Yohan away, the mass of Bumram they had barely managed to push back was inching closer again. It was practically right on top of them now. In that moment when anxiety peaked and he wanted to cry, something caught Yohan’s eye—Hyunmook’s spear.
If he could imbue food and people with power, then why not other things?
Yohan snatched the spear from Hyunmook’s back. Pouring all his strength into it, the spear glowed with a blinding white heat, just like the metal shards earlier. A white radiance spilled from the blade. The weapon was hot to the touch. Its sharp tip pointed toward Bumram.
Now, right now! The spear in his hands seemed to say.
Yohan turned toward the monstrous, deathlike thing closing in on them. Eyes blazing with fear and fury, he planted himself in front of the two to shield them. As a tear fell from eyes shimmering with light, he drove the spear forward with all his might toward the hideous lump of sin about to devour them.
A corona of dazzling white light exploded.
Fwoooosh! The serene flash pierced through Bumram’s body. The writhing mass froze. Then—pop!—it began shrinking with a ridiculous sound. The weapon in Yohan’s grip burned even hotter. Inside the mass, light and darkness churned wildly, contracting again and again.
Finally, it burst with a deafening bang. freёwebnovel.com
Black soot, smoke, and sludge-like filth sprayed toward Yohan with malicious force, but only a single droplet hit the back of his hand. Even that quickly faded into nothing. The remaining lumps of Bumram recoiled and fled at full speed in the opposite direction. The white light shimmered in the air before fading away. The dark purple jungle was now filled with fresh green all around.
“Hah, hahh... We... we did it...!”
Still holding the spear, Yohan staggered and collapsed. Tears and sweat dripped from his face, soaking the dirt. Pouring everything into stopping Bumram had left his head spinning and his vision swimming. He wanted nothing more than to pass out, but he forced himself to lift his head.
“Are you two—”
His trembling voice trailed off as he looked back—and froze. There were two pairs of red eyes staring at him. Just from Bumram’s close approach, they had both gone mad.
“...not okay....”
He muttered weakly and crawled toward them. If this was the result of mere proximity, how much worse would it have been if they had touched it? Shuddering, he first pulled Yoon Seungryong out of the dirt, where he had been trying to burrow underground while eating mouthfuls of soil. He shoved a strip of snake jerky into his mouth, then turned to Hyunmook.
“Yangyang.”
Hyunmook smiled at him with an impossibly handsome face, Yoon Seungryong’s serrated teeth still sunk into his thigh.
“It’s Yang Yohan... Are you in pain?”
“A tactical nuke has dropped! Flap-flap, flitty-flitty? Yangyang? Yangyang? Yangyang?”
“Yangyaaanng meattt? Gimme gimme.”
From the ground behind him, Yoon Seungryong mumbled nonsense like a drunk man. At least now that Bumram was gone, the only change was a few serrated growths on his arm—no further transformation. Yohan took a deep breath and pulled the serrations from Hyunmook’s thigh. Blood gushed out.
“Ugh, mmgh...”
Hyunmook didn’t even groan, but Yohan’s eyes stung with tears. Forcing himself not to cry, he pressed his hand to the wound to stem the bleeding. Watching anxiously, he was relieved when the blood stopped soon after—thanks to the extraordinary regeneration of a high-level Awakener. His relief was brief, quickly replaced by worry.
“Two people out of their minds... what do I do.”
If there was one piece of luck, it was that one of them was lying flat in extreme laziness and the other refused to leave Yohan’s side. At his current strength, he could carry both, so at least movement was possible.
But who knew when another attack might come? If he could purify even one of them, it would help—but after fighting Bumram, all he could produce was a faint flicker of light. Exhausted after surviving one ordeal, he was sitting blankly when a thought crossed his mind.
‘Come to think of it, my bodily fluids... they work pretty well.’
Yohan looked carefully at Hyunmook, who was humming and staring into the air with an unreadable expression.
“Hyunmook, I really can’t help it this time.”
He swallowed dryly as he approached. Hyunmook turned his head. Glancing briefly at Yoon Seungryong, who was gnawing endlessly on jerky, Yohan muttered,
“So, it’s an emergency... but you said you don’t like blood, so...”
Clenching his fist, Yohan stepped closer. Even when Yohan boldly gripped his shoulder and leaned in, Hyunmook stayed calm. When their noses were almost touching, the red in his eyes was starkly vivid.
“I just want to try something....”
Yohan’s face flushed bright red as he hesitated. Then Hyunmook’s hand slid around his waist. Surprised, Yohan’s eyes widened, and Hyunmook smiled, speaking in a low voice as if he understood the situation perfectly.
“My brave, fluttering little sheep....”
Strong fingers caressed him gently. Encouraged by that tenderness even in his madness, Yohan suddenly pressed his lips to Hyunmook’s, just as he had in the swamp before—hoping Hyunmook would taste him and come back to his senses.
Hyunmook’s lips were hot. Whether from contamination or like someone burning with fever, his whole body radiated heat. Yohan gripped his shoulder tighter, ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ exhaling a trembling breath. Their soft lips rubbed and brushed, and Yohan cautiously slid his tongue out. The moment it slipped between Hyunmook’s lips, it was sucked in.
“Hmph...!”
Startled, Yohan reflexively tried to pull back—but this time, Hyunmook’s tongue invaded. Hot, soft, yet firmly muscular, it pushed in without hesitation, sucking at Yohan’s tongue until it hurt and greedily exploring his mouth. Then it swept up the clear saliva pooling from his tension, sucking noisily at different spots.
Yohan’s heart pounded. His fingertips shook where they clutched Hyunmook’s shoulder. He kept telling himself this was just to save someone’s life.
‘It’s not a kiss. Not a kiss—just purification....’
But no matter how he repeated it, all Hyunmook was doing was greedily taking every drop of his saliva—and the intimate contact was far too suggestive.
A faint moan escaped him before he realized it. Shocked, he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to resist the heat pooling in his body. Then hot, firm hands cupped his face. Opening his eyes, he saw black irises—he was back to himself. Joy flashed through him—briefly.
“...Mmh, nnnh!”
Even in his right mind, Hyunmook didn’t stop exploring his mouth. He pushed his tongue deep, licking constantly, probing under Yohan’s tongue to draw out more saliva, and sucking his lower lip until it swelled. His black eyes stared into him so intently that Yohan had to squeeze his eyes shut again.
It felt... too good.
Since falling into the Abyss, he had been living under constant threat to his life, his sex drive almost forgotten. Now, arousal surged up from his lower belly, leaving him flustered. Hyunmook’s hot, rough breaths consumed him, breaking him down completely.
The only saving grace was that his overuse of power had left his mind hazy, his consciousness slipping. The grip on Hyunmook’s shoulder loosened as strength drained away.
“Yohan.”
Whether he was passing out from exhaustion or being kissed into unconsciousness, he couldn’t tell as he gasped for breath. Hyunmook spoke.
“You can only do this... with me. Understand?”
The words were perfectly rational, yet somehow strange. Before Yohan could even process them, darkness swept in and his awareness vanished completely.
