Reverse Dungeon

“...?!”

Keith jerked upright in alarm, but before he could react, a mamool lunged at them from behind. Without hesitation, he grabbed Ian and rolled across the ground.

The creature’s attack lacked the overwhelming force it had shown earlier—half its face had already been blown away.

The moment Keith realized that, he cast <Enhance> on himself again. The strain on his battered body intensified immediately, but the effect was undeniable.

‘Close-range attacks against nearby enemies.’

Keith lowered his stance.

The posture naturally encouraged the mamool to attack with its fangs rather than its short forelimbs or massive hind legs.

Like every living creature, mamools followed instinctive behavioral patterns. Keith had memorized every detail Ian had taught him about their habits.

Kyarakus, wounded and consumed by rage, was no different. In its fury, it would act on instinct before reason.

KRAAAAARGH!

‘Come.’

As expected, the mamool lunged straight at him.

Blue light shimmered across Keith’s sword.

The glowing blade carved through the monster’s ruined face and pierced deep into its skull. The creature struggled violently, but its own momentum only forced it farther onto the sword.

Keith seized the opening instantly.

Using the full power of his <Enhanced> body, he vaulted onto the mamool’s back and sprinted along its spine. His blade ripped through scale, hide, and bone alike, splitting open flesh beneath.

Blood erupted like a fountain in his wake.

Keith burst through the rain of crimson and severed the monster’s tail in a single decisive strike.

KRRRRAAAASH!

THUD!

Ian stared with wide eyes as blood splattered across his pale face.

‘A five-star hero really is different.’

Sure, Keith was more than a little insane.

But honestly, who cared?

He was incredible.

Ding!

[Field Boss: Kyarakus has been defeated!]

Ding!

[Remarkable Achievement!]

[Achievement: A Needle in the Haystack]

Your fame spreads to many people!

The victory notifications flooded Ian’s vision.

He dismissed them with a swipe and forced his exhausted body toward the volcano. Keith followed close behind.

‘Perhaps I overdid it.’

Keith could feel the curse beginning to stir again.

Ian, drenched in blood, looked painfully beautiful—fragile enough to shatter at a touch.

Keith acknowledged the emotions rising inside him without resistance. He did not consider them sinful by nature. If those feelings became distorted, then surely it was because of the demon’s seeds buried within his heart.

His admiration for Ian itself was pure.

Only the corruption twisting around it was impure.

Admittedly, Ian was objectively beautiful...

Keith forcibly cut the thought off.

Ian would cleanse every impurity from him. Problems existed so that solutions could follow. Such things were part of God’s will.

Completely unaware of the chaos inside Keith’s mind, Ian picked up the jar that had once sealed Kyarakus and shoved his hand inside without hesitation.

“Found it.”

When he withdrew his hand, a dark crimson orb rested in his palm.

The Demon King’s Life Vessel.

‘<Purification>.’

The orb’s crimson glow gradually faded.

Pure white light spread through the sphere, cleansing the sinister energy within until it returned to its original form.

Clink.

The orb shattered into powder, scattering into the air like glowing dust. Countless motes of light swirled around Ian as his hair fluttered gently in the unseen current.

“It’s done.”

Exhaustion crashed over him all at once.

The battle had gone on far too long.

The moment Ian exhaled heavily, his legs gave out beneath him. A sharp headache stabbed through his skull as darkness crept into his vision.

Keith immediately caught him.

“Is it over?” Keith asked quietly.

“Yes.”

‘Why is he acting so strangely cute?’

Ian glanced up at him.

Keith’s expression remained solemn and perfectly composed, as though everything happening right now were completely normal.

“In that case,” Keith said reverently, “may I now receive the grace you promised?”

“...?”

Ian stared blankly.

He had absolutely no idea what Keith was talking about.

Still, this felt like one of those events that progressed automatically whether the player understood them or not.

Keith knelt before him and gently pressed his lips against Ian’s hand.

Then, after quietly murmuring, “Excuse me,” he reached toward Ian’s neck.

Ian instinctively covered his throat.

“Wait, wait—what are you doing?”

“Purification, naturally.”

“...Now?”

“Yes. You are so overwhelmingly beautiful and pitiful that it stirs impurity within me. I believe the demon’s seeds have begun sprouting due to the strain of battle. I require your aid, Lord Ian.”

What kind of nonsense was that?

Ian honestly couldn’t tell which of them had lost their mind.

Requesting that someone undress in broad daylight on top of a battlefield soaked in blood—surely the person suggesting it was the insane one.

And yet...

Keith’s expression remained painfully sincere.

The earnestness in his eyes was so absolute that Ian almost started doubting himself instead.

Was he the strange one here?

‘Status window.’

Ian hurriedly checked Keith’s condition.

Ding!

[Curse Progress: 57%]

The contamination level really had increased.

‘Why did it jump this much?’

It had to be related to the status ailments.

But was 57% truly serious enough to justify behavior this bizarre?

‘...Probably?’

Honestly, if Keith weren’t cursed, this conversation would be far more alarming.

Ian slowly nodded to himself.

‘Fine. Purification it is.’

After all, he was the one who had told Keith to seek purification before his emotions spiraled out of control.

Keith was simply obeying instructions faithfully.

Even if his methods were...

A little strange.

Or maybe not strange at all?

Ian desperately tried to convince himself otherwise.

Purification wasn’t something indecent.

It was cleansing.

Completely normal.

Keith, meanwhile, spoke with perfect seriousness.

“Lord Ian, please raise your arms. Removing your clothes will be difficult otherwise, and I know you dislike having them torn.”

“Uh...”

‘This really isn’t weird?’

Deeply conflicted, Ian slowly raised his arms.

Keith carefully removed Ian’s archer robe, followed by the layer beneath it. Ian helped awkwardly where he could, though the entire process made him intensely self-conscious.

His body felt stiff and overheated for reasons that definitely had nothing to do with the battlefield.

Keith spread Ian’s robe across the ash-covered ground before laying him down carefully atop it. Then he draped his own cloak over Ian.

“Do I... really need to lie down for this?” Ian asked weakly.

Keith nodded immediately.

“Last time, you seemed uncomfortable midway through purification. I thought it best to begin in a more comfortable position.”

“Ah... how considerate.”

Ian no longer understood what he was saying.

‘Don’t chicken out.’ ƒrēewebnovel.com

Ian hated wavering once he had made a decision.

If he committed to something, then he would see it through.

Keith climbed over him.

Even without his armor, his body carried considerable weight and warmth. Ian could feel the heat pressing against him.

Then Keith lowered his head and brushed their lips together.

Soft.

Warm.

Strange.

When Keith’s tongue slipped into his mouth, Ian shuddered violently.

‘This is so weird...!’

Suppressing the overwhelming awkwardness, Ian hurriedly activated his skill.

‘<Purification>!’

Ding!

[Curse Progress: 53%]

‘Can we finish this already?!’

‘Wouldn’t it go faster if we just got it over with quickly? Why is he dragging it out like this...?’

Ian glared at Keith silently.

Keith tilted his head slightly before deepening the kiss without hesitation.

“Mmgh—?!”

Ian’s eyes widened.

It felt less like kissing and more like being slowly devoured.

Keith held his jaw firmly in place as his tongue swept through every corner of Ian’s mouth, leaving Ian unable to resist properly. The tension gradually melted from his body until his lips parted helplessly.

A strange sensation fluttered through his chest.

‘Wh-What is this...?’

Somewhere along the way, Ian forgot how to breathe.

His thoughts blurred into haze.

Could doing something like this with another person really feel this—

No.

No, this was purification.

That was all.

Keith’s hand slid beneath Ian’s robe.

His fingers were cool against overheated skin, sending a shiver through Ian’s body. The touch tickled, yet strangely enough, it also felt /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ good.

Keith’s hand moved slowly across Ian’s chest, brushing sensitive skin before trailing down along his narrow waist.

“W-Wait...!”

Ian finally snapped back to his senses.

“Yes?” Keith murmured softly against his ear. “How far has the purification progressed?”

His lips brushed the delicate skin beneath Ian’s ear as he spoke. Dry lips rubbed slowly against the sensitive spot before his tongue flicked lightly across it.

Twitch.

Ian’s toes curled involuntarily.

‘Right. Purification.’

How had he gotten distracted again?

Trying desperately to focus, Ian activated <Purification> once more.

But Keith continued kissing the sensitive skin near his ear, his tongue occasionally brushing against it.

Twitch.