The Price of Desire

[Ignore the Risks, Persist in Accessing]

Sadong sat in his dorm room, a solitary figure amidst a table, a chair, and a computer.

“Hmm… let’s see. My saved yuri manga hasn’t updated yet…”

Dark circles beneath his eyes, Sadong murmured to himself, his spirits inexplicably high.

The days without his roommates had left him feeling somewhat numb.

With a heavy course load, looming exams, and an ongoing competition for the HEMA club, the pressure was truly immense.

‘Ah, how I envy the innocent affection of girls clinging to each other. If there’s a next life, I wish I could be a girl myself.’

Ding-ding-ding—

“Ah, who could it be, so late?”

Startled by the chime of his messaging app, Sadong glanced at the flashing icon in the bottom right corner of his desktop, a frown creasing his brow in displeasure.

****

[Sa, since you’re the only one in the dorm, could you come down and help me with my luggage?]

It was his roommate, back from wherever they had been.

[Sadong: Get lost, move it yourself!]

[Roommate: Daddy]

[Sadong: Useless!]

[Roommate: I’ll buy you bubble tea]

[Sadong: Don’t want it!]

[Roommate: I’ll show you pictures of my sister’s legs]

[Sadong: Are you even human?!]

His inner lover’s soul awakened, Sadong furiously berated his roommate as worse than pigs and dogs, a beast in human clothing, before righteously declaring:

[I am a true gentleman; I would never look! I’ll trick your ‘second brother’ into running away from home!]

****

A few moments later…

[Roommate: [Image]]

Sadong’s heart gave a violent lurch.

It was a half-body shot of a cosplayer; beneath the image, a pair of legs, encased in translucent black stockings, appeared perfectly rounded and firm, with skin so flawless it seemed as if a breath would cause it to ripple.

These were no ordinary ‘bamboo pole’ legs; they were a divine masterpiece among divine masterpieces, instantly striking Sadong’s deepest desires.

[Roommate: How about that, pretty good, huh? Heh heh, I consider you a good buddy, so I’ll be direct… Actually, I’m kind of setting you two up, understand?]

[Roommate: Remember that HEMA exchange at the club a few days ago? Some foreigners came, and you, our vice-president who wields a German longsword, completely wiped the floor with them. Ring a bell?]

[Roommate: My sister was there too, and the girl took quite a liking to you. We’re practically family, so I’m pushing her your way. If things work out between you two, remember to send me a red packet!]

[Roommate: Hey, wait… Hello?]

[Roommate: What are you doing, you bastard?! I’m talking serious business here, are you seriously… *guiding* yourself?! (TL Note: “开导” (kāidǎo) is a slang term referring to masturbation.)]

Realizing something was amiss, his roommate bombarded Sadong with messages and even initiated a voice call, attempting to interrupt what he presumed was ‘the spell-casting’.

Truth be told, given that it was a girl he might actually develop a relationship with, Sadong wasn’t *that* much of a pervert.

He wasn’t ‘guiding’ himself; he had simply suffered sudden death.

Sadong’s eyes rolled back as he toppled beneath his chair, clutching his chest, his body wracked by spasms.

He had died on the spot!

No, wait, it seemed he hadn’t quite died yet.

Though his body lay immobile, a faint flicker of consciousness remained.

‘A heart attack? Do I have heart disease? Or some other sudden acute illness?’

‘No way! Staying up all night, jerking off (TL Note: “打胶” (dǎjiāo) is a vulgar slang term for masturbation)—did I really just play myself to death like this? This kind of death surely qualifies for a Darwin Award, doesn’t it?! I’d rather be run over by a truck on the street!’

‘Most importantly, I didn’t just lose my life; I lost my chance at love, you bastard!’

‘Damn it all.’

Despite his myriad regrets, the dead could not be brought back to life.

A profound sense of desolation washed over Sadong as he lay on the floor, waiting.

‘Perhaps angels, or the Black and White Guards of Impermanence, would come to escort him to the afterlife, where he would then reincarnate?’

“Ah… huh?”

Nothing came.

Moreover, his body suddenly felt heavier.

The sensation on her body was cold and metallic; was it armor?

Her chest, too, bore a sudden, unfamiliar weight that made her deeply uncomfortable.

‘Is this… a girl’s chest?!’

Startled, she pushed her arms against the ground, struggling to prop herself up.

The effort seemed to jolt her senses awake; her vision cleared, only for a fierce, dull ache to surge through her entire body, sending her crashing back to the ground with a terrified gasp.

“Ah~”

The voice that escaped her lips was a little too sweet.

‘No… what in the world is going on?!’

Wriggling like a loach, she reached down to her crotch, checking repeatedly.

It was truly gone!

‘Second—brother—’

Yet, this female body was by no means weaker than her previous one; on the contrary, she could feel the subtle swell of muscles in her arms, abdomen, and thighs, along with a powerful, uncalmed heart still pounding fiercely beneath her ribs.

Having clearly undergone strenuous exertion, a fine sheen of sweat coated her entire body, causing the lining of her armor to cling uncomfortably to her skin in the oppressive heat, while the lactic acid trapped in her muscles left her both numb and aching.

****

“Do you still have the strength to resist?”

A girl, whose breath was like the fragrance of orchids and voice like the music of the heavens, spoke, drawing her gaze upwards.

Before her stood a figure with hair like a cascading waterfall, eyes the color of blood, and a slightly petite frame, crowned with a wide-brimmed witch’s hat, gazing down at her from above.

“All your companions have been slaughtered by me, you know?”

Her heart pounding, she stared at the witch, her eyes suddenly wide, a slight movement in her throat.

“Uh…”

“Hm? Do you have any last words?”

“You… you’re really beautiful…”

The witch blinked.

Little Sa, still dazed and bewildered, uttered her first words instinctively, causing the witch to pause.

Petite yet mature, elegant yet alluring—these seemingly contradictory qualities found perfect harmony within the young woman before her.

Soon, like a child discovering a rare toy, a magical sweetness gleamed in the witch’s eyes, her lips curling into an intrigued smirk as she took a step forward.

“How strange. Weren’t you supposed to be a tough opponent? I had intended to grant you a swift death.”

Though not tall, the witch exuded an overwhelming sense of oppression.

Barefoot, she lifted a warm, fair foot, her delicate, perfectly aligned toes tipped with a healthy reddish hue, and brought it down towards the vanquished figure on the ground—

“Ow!”

Her face was stepped on.

The sensation on her cheek was unexpectedly soft, delicate, and faintly fragrant.

The witch’s foot was slightly damp, perhaps from the oppressive heat and exertion, and as for its scent? It was a floral aroma, mingled with a faint hint of dust.

“Do you enjoy this?”

“I—”

Before she could fully respond, the witch pressed down with her foot and, with surprising force, kicked the fully armored sword maiden onto her back.

The poor sword maiden lay supine, stars swirling before her eyes, her beautiful profile already swelling.

In her peripheral vision, the witch’s exquisite face wore a mocking expression, subtly betraying a hint of pleasure derived from her act of cruelty.

****

Saranya…

Saranya!

The name exploded in her mind like a bolt of thunder, and memories belonging to the body’s original owner flooded into her consciousness, causing her entire frame to tremble violently, her eyes losing focus.

Once a mighty empire, it had shattered overnight due to a magical cataclysm.

Storms had ravaged one prosperous city after another, and amidst the crumbling ruins, unspeakable dark creatures quietly multiplied and rose to become new overlords.

In the surviving cities, terrifying rumors spread through every street and alley; trade withered, resources dwindled, crime flourished, and people lived in constant fear and unrest.

The aging, profligate emperor had been assassinated on his throne, igniting widespread conflict within the realm as feudal lords carved out their own territories.

Barbarians from beyond the borders seized the opportunity, plundering and slaughtering across imperial lands, vying for the already scarce living space.

Local noble lords, administrative officials, and legion commanders had all raised their own armies.

And she, Saranya, commander of the Imperial Night Lily Knights, after crushing the attempted rebellion of the Twelfth Imperial Legion, had immediately raised their banner, organized a righteous army, and vowed to eradicate evil, reclaim the empire’s rightful territories, and protect the people from the scourge of magic.

They had been engaged in what should have been a routine witch hunt.

The black witch before her, Kaelan, was a notorious spellcaster in the region.

Outwardly, she presented herself as a noble and melancholic widow, but secretly she dabbled in forbidden curses, murdered and stole corpses, and seized private property.

Saranya had thus assembled the core members of her order to hunt down this witch.

Clearly, this time, they had severely underestimated the extent of her danger.

‘This utterly heinous, indiscriminately murderous villain—killing her a thousand times wouldn’t be enough! Saranya, a righteous knight bearing the empire’s name of “Night Lily,” even if she were to die, she would absolutely never bow down before such scum…’

‘Or would she?’

For a well-educated contemporary university student, was there truly a need to hesitate between “being stubborn (100% death)” and “submitting (??% death)”?

‘Do these two options even require deliberation?!’

“Don’t kill me… I don’t want to die!”

“Close your eyes; perhaps it will be easier?”

“No, no, no, no! Please, Witch Sister… don’t kill me! I’ll do anything!”