Free Web NovelChapter 68: _The World Can Suck My Dick
Ambrose couldn’t maintain an ounce of indifference anymore, a smile cracking across his face. He sliced into the salmon without saying a word, taking slow bites, holding back a satisfied sound.
Viktor watched him keenly, taking a small sip from his wine. He didn’t realise when he was genuinely smiling. Not the kind that meant he was plotting something mischievous.
But one that made his heart stir with something he couldn’t understand for the life of him.
’Is my chase making me fall without knowing?’ he asked himself. ’I haven’t... had this feeling in my chest in a long time.’
Ambrose finally graced him with his eyes, still chewing as he spoke. "Alright. You win."
Viktor arched his brow. "I win?"
"The food is fantastic, okay?" Ambrose leaned back, both hands drumming on the table. "Golly, I’ve never had salmon this good."
Oh... that.
Viktor’s grin broadened, his mind spacing out. He couldn’t rip his gaze off the Guide no matter how hard he tried. How can everything about him feel so perfect and clumsy all at once?
Absentmindedly, he raised his wine glass to his mouth, eyes still glued on Ambrose. It was only when he felt something cold pooling past his tuxedo that consciousness snapped back.
He frowned first. Then his eyes widened with alarm, falling on his chest. "Shit."
He’d spilt wine on himself without realising and now the expensive fabric of his tuxedo was stained with a light red. Ambrose paused eating, reacting quickly.
"Oh, gosh." He grabbed a napkin while Viktor cursed himself in Russian. Without thinking twice, he got up and stretched a hand, scrubbing hard on the tux.
[Physical contact established.]
[Proceed with permanent link creation.]
Ambrose froze, staring at the system screen in front of him. His grip on the napkin tightened subconsciously.
This was it.
A chance!
"Ugh, thank you, Ambrose." Viktor grabbed him just then, attempting to stop him. "I’ll just have to—"
"No, it’s fine." Ambrose insisted, his hand lowering to the man’s exposed chest. "You’ve still got... a little something... here..."
He deliberately let his fingers brush over skin, sending in strands of his aether energy for the second time. All while making sure to keep eye contact with Viktor.
[Permanent link creation back in progress.]
[Standby...]
Ambrose’s gentle scrubs slowed, his heart beat reducing to a pace that was audible in his eardrums. Viktor’s breathing stilled. Time around them seemed to freeze as their respective energies danced around each other.
’... It’s that feeling again.’ Viktor thought to himself. ’He’s definitely up to something. But I—why does his touch feel so soothing?’
On the flip side, Ambrose struggled to swat off each influx of emotions and memories from the Esper. It felt like walking through a glacier wasteland. Endless. Unforgiving. Cold.
So cold.
[Link creation progress: 35%.]
At this point, a few people had noticed them and threw curious glances. Some saw the interaction as cute, easily recognising Hunter Viktor. Others wondered if they were communicating telepathically for them to be staring at each other for so long.
Both sides were sorely mistaken.
This was neither ’cute’ nor a telepathic gossip session. It was psychic warfare—Ambrose fighting not to get consumed by Viktor’s mind while also using everything in him to keep his thoughts from the Esper.
The mental strain was getting to him already.
[EP reserves: 1900/2300.]
[Percentage Loaded: 46%.]
Come on... come on!
Just when the meter hit fifty per cent, Viktor jolted as if he had just been splashed with a cold bucket of water. He shook his head, grabbing Ambrose’s outstretched wrist.
"I think that’s enough," his eyes dimmed to suspicious slits. "Thank you, Ambrose."
The sudden grip of his wrist not only distracted Ambrose and shattered his aether strands, but it also nearly let his emotions slip into Viktor’s mind.
He pulled his wrist out of Viktor’s fingers, forcing a smile. "It’s... It’s fine. Sorry about your tuxedo."
"You shouldn’t be sorry." Viktor’s shoulders relaxed, the seriousness on his face dissipating. "I could always get a new one made."
Ambrose scrunched out a smile, swallowing the urge to say something sarcastic. Way to flex your wealth, Viktor.
’It was at fifty per cent, right?’ he asked Aura.
[Affirmative. Also, side note... if you keep breaking the process like that you might lose previous progress.]
He frowned. ’The heck is that supposed to mean?’
[It means your current progress will be reset. And you’ll have to start again.]
Fuck no!
Ambrose’s jaw tightened, his eyes travelling to Viktor again. He was going to get that link established. Even if it means drugging the guy—okay, eesh.
That was too extreme... What was he thinking?!
’I can’t keep on playing safe.’ he thought to himself, sliding a hand to Viktor’s curled fist on the table. He smiled. "Thanks for the dinner..."
[Physical contact established.]
"... I’ve really had a lot of fun tonight," he went on, his Aether energy pouring out like a broken dam. A headache thrummed his temple due to the pressure but he bore it. "I think we should do this some other time."
[Percentage: 67%.]
This time, Viktor didn’t seem to notice what he was doing, the words ’do this some other time’ stealing all his attention. "You—really want to go on another dinner date with me?"
"Yep."
"Even though you’ve avoided me all this time and made me feel like you have no interest?"
Ambrose found himself grinning, his fingers tightening just a bit on the Esper’s fist. "What can I say? Just a few minutes here has made me realise... how interesting you are..."
His words slurred, vision blurring as the aether energy exertion began straining his body too hard.
[78... 82...]
"You find me interesting?" Viktor cooed, playing right into his trap. "Is that so?"
Ambrose gave a lazy smirk. "You’d like me to repeat that, wouldn’t you?"
"Oh, you naughty bird," Viktor leaned closer until his minted breath hit Ambrose’s face. "Don’t tell me the little wine you took has you spilling anything from that pretty mouth of yours."
[... 85%.]
Chills crept through his blood and bone, Viktor’s aether energy eroding him in the worst way possible. "I..." he spluttered. "You think I’m drunk?"
"You sure sound like it."
"Meaning you don’t trust you could attract me?"
"No." Viktor’s voice grew an edge. "But I have this feeling that someone else has your attention so much that my charms seem... inadequate."
[92%.]
Excited by the number, Ambrose was about to say something he might probably regret. Push the flirting to a point of absolutely no return—
—That’s when two arms wrapped around his body, lifting him off his seat.
"Wh–What the..." he held onto Viktor’s wrist for dear life, glancing back to see who it was.
The familiar scent of pine, lavender and burning wood already gave away who it was.
"... D–Devon?" Colour left his face. "What are you doing here?"
The Esper didn’t say anything. He simply gave Viktor one sharp, warning gaze before his eyes came to Ambrose’s hand clasped around the ice Prince’s wrist.
"You’re drunk?" He sniffed Ambrose’s mouth, noticing the way his eyes blinked oddly. He could also sense how slow his mind was running.
Without another word, he slung the Guide on his right shoulder.
Ambrose’s cheeks burned. "What is the meaning of this? Devon, I—this is embarrassing!"
"You’ll thank me once we get home." He ignored Ambrose’s slaps and kicks, prying his fingers off Viktor’s hand.
Fortunately for Ambrose, just when he had one more finger keeping contact between himself and the S-Rank, the system rang with a notification that made him sigh with relief.
[Permanent Link successfully created!]
"I knew you won’t be able to resist coming here," Viktor taunted Devon as he walked past, ignoring the stares they got. "When are you going to tell the world why you’re obsessed with him?"
Devon didn’t even look back. "The world can suck my dick." He didn’t have the mental energy to control his tongue in public right now.
All he could think about was getting Ambrose out of here.
