Chapter 482 – The Seven Towers of the King (2)

The Seven Towers of the King.

This enigmatic structure, said to have been erected by King Mokryeong, bears a striking resemblance to modern dungeons.

The 【Tower】 is employed as a trial for the succeeding King Mokryeong. Simultaneously, it serves as a refuge for the king’s subjects bereft of their leader, safeguarding them from the Flower and the World Tree.

These ‘towers’ often reveal features unattainable with contemporary technology. Within a dimension detached akin to the abode of the World Tree, they harbor ecosystems teeming with monsters, and even various magic stones. The value of the tower transcends comprehension.

After all, it was brought into existence by the consolidation of all the powers possessed by the king. The texts depict the King Mokryeong marshaling the force of the trees he had once vanquished, employing their related powers to repel his enemies.

‘By that reasoning, there is only one… Tower of Time.’

Perhaps. Baekyang. It possibly embodies the power of the World Tree of Time.

I hadn’t anticipated recalling that name again. Baekyang, she was the World Tree of Time that had dispatched me to the past. Perhaps she had a greater influence on my current self than even my mentor.

She had claimed she wasn’t deprived of her authority by the king, but the king may have possessed another method to manipulate time. Of course, only such a measure could have enabled him to eliminate Baekyang.

‘I suppose I’ll have to see the rest for myself.’

Extinguishing the light, I lay my head on the bed.

Shortly after, a voice emanated from the neighboring bed.

“…Um.”
“Why?”
“It just seemed so… natural… I couldn’t say a word.”

It was Dongbaek.

“Why are we sleeping together?”

I could sense her unease from her shaky voice.

I wrapped my arm around Dongbaek’s waist. Perhaps it was because she was a body devoid of limbs. The girl nestled comfortably into my embrace without any resistance. As I tightened my grip around her, Dongbaek whimpered.

“Ugh. Are we doing it again today?”
“What?”
“You know… that… that.”

The sound of her thighs rubbing against the blanket reached my ears.

“Do you know how much it hurt me after that day?”
“Where did it hurt?”
“That, well… I mean, down there.”

Could ‘down there’ possibly be a refined expression for pussy? There was no distinction between males and females, young or old, from the World Tree to the nobility.

“You… because you were so rough.”
“Because I was?”

Initially, I thought it was an expression women used to excite men, but it also seemed to be utilized in a slightly more discreet context. Like the term ‘sleep’, an expression we were taught back in elementary school. Sweat trickled down Dongbaek’s stiffened face.

“Down there… it’s torn.”

Could she be referring to her virginity?

“That’s how it is.”
“I didn’t know. It was incredibly… incredibly painful. Do you understand?”
“How would I know?”
“Ugh.”

A sulking White Peach hid her face beneath the duvet.
Without arms or legs, she could not entirely disappear within. Her crown peeked out from the duvet’s entrance, and I gently prodded it with a hand.

“Ouch!”

With a crestfallen face, White Peach wriggled back atop the duvet.

The first time.
A memory that, despite the excitement, was bound to hurt. After all, size matters.

What I have gained from my relationship with White Peach remains unknown to me. It’s not as if I could instantly verify it via a status window like before. If there is an effect, it will likely surface later.

“Are we… going to do something improper?”

I chuckled at White Peach’s returned query.

“Do you want to?”

“No!”

Her refusal was firm. Or, more accurately, she seemed to be pretending firmness.

“You sound as though you want to.”
“You were the one who brought me to the bedroom. So, I thought you were going to -“
“Did you expect it?”

Either way would be fine with me.
The more sexual desire is drained, the more rationality returns. This is why I never refuse intimacy, regardless of the partner.

White Peach, treading a thorny path, stumbled. She shook her head, her lips twitching.
“I don’t want to.” Although her expression when she said it seemed like a child awaiting Santa.

“Then let’s just sleep.”

Her swallow was audible.

“Alright. Then, let’s just sleep… sleep deeply.”

White Peach, obviously disappointed. Does she understand her own feelings?
When I moved my hand to squeeze her buttocks, she started and shrugged her shoulders.

“Ah.”

Raising her head, White Peach seemed to be glaring at me.
Thump-thump. The sound of her heartbeat reached my ears.
I grasped her shoulder and pulled her into an embrace. She nuzzled her cheek against me.

“…”

Her breaths were coming in sharp gasps.
It happens at times when the chemistry is strong. The mind finds it impossible to separate from that past experience. Perhaps White Peach is experiencing the same. I am used to it, but she is not.

“Um… Your Highness?”
“Mm?”
“I’m embarrassed to ask, but… I don’t even know your name, and it feels like I’ve been living in ignorance.”

Slipping my hand inside her nightwear, I found her juices flowing plentifully.
A faint smile appeared on her face, and I noticed White Peach blushing furiously.
Is it just my imagination?
Her hair seemed to have taken on a pink hue.

“…What is your name?”

Soon, a moan of pleasure slipped from her lips.

* * * * * * * * * * *

The door opened, revealing Melia.

“…”

She was on the bed, with her arms and legs entirely bound, glaring at me.
I stood at the doorway, looking down at her without making any move to sit.

“Melia.”
“…”

“You would do well to be a bit gentler,” she suggested.
“……”

Camellia’s eyes were hollow as she radiated a palpable hostility. She appeared in the same wrinkled maid outfit she had worn that fateful time. At a glance, she seemed noble, but she was already thoroughly tainted.

Both her mind and body had been violated. If one were so inclined, taking her would be as easy as plucking a wildflower.

– Clank.

However, there was a more effective method now. I opened the door and brought in Dongbaek, causing Camellia’s eyes to widen in surprise. A spark of life returned to her gaze.

“…Lady?”

Dongbaek, still wearing her prosthetic arm and leg, had been wheeled into view. At the sound of Camellia’s voice, she subtly furrowed her brow.

“Camellia.”
“Lady, could you, wait. Please, undo these restraints.”

I helped Dongbaek from her wheelchair to a seat. Without resistance, she nestled into my arms. Thanks to the prosthetic arm’s independent movement, it appeared as if Dongbaek was embracing me.

“Oh, my Lady.”

Camellia murmured, her voice laced with shock.

“Camellia.”
“Lady… why.”
“It may sound strange… but please listen to me. I have decided to serve this man.”

Dongbaek’s hair was an unfamiliar shade of pink, a color Camellia had never seen before.

“We made a promise… He will not lay a hand on you. In return, I will serve under him. Isn’t that right?”

Dongbaek’s shoulder nudged me nervously, seeking confirmation. Sensing a lingering doubt in her, I pulled her closer and our faces drew near.

After a moment’s hesitation, Dongbaek offered her lips and left a chaste kiss on my cheek.

“Enough… enough!”

Unable to bear the spectacle, Camellia cried out.

“…I don’t want to see anymore. Lady.”
“Camellia. He isn’t as monstrous as you think. We were all victims in this.”
“Please.”
“You will understand soon. Promise me you won’t harm yourself. And please, stay here with me for a few days. I beg of you. I don’t want to see you hurt, Camellia.”

But she was already shattered from the wounds she bore. As Dongbaek spoke, Camellia’s composure crumbled. Bound by chains, she trembled, staring back at me from behind Dongbaek with a desolate gaze.

Dongbaek’s persuasion continued.

“He said… he would restore my eyes.”
“…!”
“I didn’t believe him at first, and I was furious. But I think… I think I’m making some progress, however slight.”

Her voice trembled, and she bowed her head.

“I thought I would live the rest of my life in darkness. But now, I can see your face again, Camellia. And that thought… it fills me with excitement.”
“…Lady. But he, that man… he violated you-“
“I gave my consent.”

Camellia clenched her teeth in response.

“The World Tree, whom I have served all my life, sought to end me, whereas this individual endeavored to mend me. The approach was not entirely devoid of extremes… But it was this person who defended the territory, isn’t it?”

Camellia shut her eyes and ears to me, but she was unable to reject Dongbaek’s words. After all, she was the master she had served her entire life.

“Please, just once, for the sake of my countenance. Will you accompany me?”

Camellia remained silent. I helped Dongbaek back into her wheelchair and unshackled Camellia. Her hands, once freed from their confinements, fell limp.

“I… sought to rescue the lady.”
“There is no means to accomplish that. Moreover, I no longer desire to leave.”

From the moment she took in Dongbaek, her future was predetermined. Camellia cannot disobey Dongbaek’s commands. Whether due to the gulf between nobility and commoners or her life-long companionship, it held true. Dongbaek spoke up,

“Camellia. This… is for the best.”

It echoed the words I had once said, a sentiment that could fit any situation.

* * * * * * * * * * *

The Tower of Time.

Books about the tower, supposedly left behind by the king, were scattered haphazardly across the table.

“Swoosh.”

“Dimension… The World Line.”

The ‘Hunter’, having read the book, pursed her lips and protruded them outward. Her pointed ballpoint pen tapped repeatedly against her lips.

The ‘Hunter’ was also widely renowned as a scholar. The ‘Hunter’, after tapping a few artifacts, blinked her round eyes and slowly read through the theses.

Her solid chest, hidden beneath her robes, slightly obstructed her view. However, this chest harbored the dreams of all men in the world.

“Logic holds no sway here.”

‘Hunter.’ Sansuyu removed her robe and narrowed her gaze intently. A woman appeared behind her.

“Cornus.”
“Yes?”
“I was wondering if preparations were progressing well.”
“No issues, everything will unravel as it should. Even the countermeasures against dimensional warping are flawless.”

Beside Sansuyu were piles of books, reminiscent of an ancient sage. Sansuyu turned her back to gaze at the sage.

Sage… Rather, a former sage.

The former sage who briefly sheltered the wandering Sansuyu. Alba.

“… Upon conquering this tower, we will uncover a clue from Siheon.”

Not a rescue, but a clue. While Byeol and Se-Young may understand it as such, Sansuyu held a different perspective.

“Is that a fact?”
“Soon enough, you will know. Regardless, the Tower of Time must be conquered.”
“Such an unsettling statement.”

Alba responded to Sansuyu’s terse comment with a cryptic smile. Sansuyu’s power had become an enigma that even the sage could not comprehend at the time of her awakening to immortality.

Even though Lee Si-heon had once secured Sansuyu’s status and determined her path, those were stories of a bygone past. The distinctive aura that the Cornus lineage exuded was now perceptible in Sansuyu as well.

“…What if.”

Sansuyu folded her thesis, her voice breaking the silence. Her eyes held a resolute power.

“If you have intentions towards Si-heon. I won’t remain idle.”

She had indeed matured.

“I too value my own life. There wouldn’t be a need for such a situation.”
“Si-heon is mine.”
“…”

… Or maybe not?

While the childlike demeanor she had once projected was gone, her fixation on Lee Si-heon remained unaltered. Even I conceded she had made considerable progress since the beginning.

The sage could only respond with a cryptic smile to the transformed Sansuyu. An enigmatic grin that, as always, kept his thoughts concealed.