The Price of Penance

The party set out once again.

Seol Ah-heon followed the two men without even realizing whether he was crossing mountains or fording rivers. His mind was a chaotic whirlpool at the thought that he would soon have his Yin energy drained by the Young Leader of the Demonic Cult.

‘What should I do? What do I even do? Should I run away?’

But if he did, the parasite in his dantian would surely go berserk. Even before that, would he even be able to get far enough before being caught?

“Be taken by me by force.”

Recalling the first option Baek Geon-ha had offered (if one could even call that an “option”), Seol Ah-heon’s face turned ghostly pale. If he ran, he felt certain he would be caught on the spot and forced into it without mercy.

“Aaaagh…….”

A scream escaped his lips involuntarily. Baek Geon-ha surely heard it, but a sudden surge of defiance reared its head: ‘So what if he hears it?’

The fact that he was cooperating at all was plenty, even if the root cause was his own fault for swallowing the Soul-Freezing Pill and trying to flee.

‘I’m sacrificing my very body; surely this is enough penance.’

Let me take responsibility for my own actions. Bracing himself once more, Seol Ah-heon prepared to face the hardship ahead with dignity—or rather, he was dragged into the inn while suffering immensely from dread.

“Welcome— yawn…….”

The innkeeper, his face thick with drowsiness, greeted the group. Baek Geon-ha tossed a coin to the man, who was in the middle of a long yawn.

“Three rooms. And prepare bathwater.”

The innkeeper’s eyes snapped open at the sight of the money. Sleep seemed to vanish instantly.

“Yes, yes! Just a moment, please, guest!”

It was the crack of dawn—a strange time for guests to demand rooms—but such thoughts didn’t matter in the face of gold. The innkeeper busied himself with preparations.

“Young Leader, I have a request.”

“What is it.”

“P-please let me have a bottle of alcohol.”

He didn’t think he could do this sober. He had to borrow some liquid courage. Baek Geon-ha clicked his tongue in disapproval but didn’t deny the request. He called out to the innkeeper.

“Send a bottle of any liquor up to that fellow’s room.”

“Understood!”

Seol Ah-heon felt dizzy as if he were already drunk. As the innkeeper guided them to their rooms, he forced his stiff legs to move. The moment he stepped inside, tension hit him like a tidal wave.

“Oh, what do I do? What do I do?”

Though there was no one to answer, he paced the room, repeating the question. He spent a long time fussing about, pulling at his own hair. Eventually, a waiter arrived with the warm bathwater and the bottle.

“T-thank you…….”

After thanking him with what little remained of his sanity, Seol Ah-heon had another silent breakdown. Bathwater! Usually, he’d be happy to soak in a warm tub, but not today.

‘Am I some kind of sacrificial offering? Washing myself clean just to crawl into my own grave?’

How did it come to this? He sighed deeply throughout his bath, but questioning the circumstances now was a waste of time.

Seol Ah-heon finished his bath gloomily. Just as he reached for the bottle, a telepathic message reached his ears.

[Come here.]

“…….”

His appetite for the alcohol vanished instantly, though he wasn’t drinking it for the taste anyway.

“Ah, whatever!”

He stood up resolutely. Holding the bottle, he stood before Baek Geon-ha’s door. The door slid open smoothly, like an automatic door. It was a technique involving the remote manipulation of objects, but Seol Ah-heon, half-insane with dread, had no room to be impressed.

“I’m here…….”

Baek Geon-ha was leaning back in a bathtub. Suddenly witnessing the man’s naked form, Seol Ah-heon hurriedly lowered his eyes.

His heart thundered. Everything that happened today was unexpected, but this was a surprise. He thought the man would be ready and waiting for him, but why was he still……?

‘……Because he has to take his clothes off anyway?’

He came to the answer himself without anyone telling him. To Seol Ah-heon, whose face was burning hot, Baek Geon-ha commanded:

“If you’re here, lie down.”

For a man about to engage in an intimate act, his tone was dry. Yet, a subtle sensuality permeated the room. It felt as if the entire space was filled with Baek Geon-ha’s scent.

It wasn’t a physical smell, exactly. It was more like pheromones—something an animal emits to lure a mate.

‘How can a man be this…….’

Sultry? Or perhaps, bewitching?

He didn’t know. He could only swallow hard at that indescribable, strange beauty.

Just then, Baek Geon-ha stood up. Water droplets cascaded down as his naked body was fully revealed. His ideally trained physique was like a well-forged sword. His fair skin was devoid of a single blemish.

‘How? He must have gone through so many bloodbaths, yet there isn’t a single scar……?’

His wavering gaze scanned Baek Geon-ha’s skin. Past the straight collarbones, the firm chest, and the vascular wrists, until finally…….

‘……What is that?’

His eyes landed on the member between the man’s legs.

Truthfully, his eyes had been drawn there from the start. He had just tried to ignore it, fearing his eyes might rot. But seeing it now, it wasn’t as grotesque as he expected. Perhaps because it didn’t look like it belonged to the same species.

‘Wow…….’

Seol Ah-heon swallowed a sound that was somewhere between a compliment and a moan. It was large, straight, and flawlessly formed. He never thought he’d live to admire another man’s part, but it was sleek and well-defined. That made the feeling even stranger.

“You have a stupid look on your face.”

With a light rebuke, Baek Geon-ha grabbed Seol Ah-heon’s wrist and pulled. Reality finally came flooding back. He had a task to perform with this man.

“W-wait a minute. Just a second…….”

Ignoring the protest, Baek Geon-ha strode toward the bed and tossed Seol Ah-heon onto it.

“Oof!”

The bed wasn’t exactly as soft as a mattress. The impact made his body ache. Even then, Seol Ah-heon didn’t let go of the bottle and quickly uncorked it.

“Wait. I’ll drink this quickly.”

He hurriedly tilted the bottle. The liquor poured down his throat in great gulps. Some spilled from the corner of his mouth, but he managed to swallow most of it.

His throat burned. Since his stomach was empty, it felt as if a fire had been lit in his gut. The alcohol content must have been quite high.

This was actually better. The intoxication began to set in rapidly. Emptying the bottle in one go, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I’m ready.”

“I don’t particularly want to embrace someone reeking of alcohol.”

“Whether I’m drunk or not, I’m still a man.”

“That is true.”

Baek Geon-ha pulled down Seol Ah-heon’s pants in one swift motion. His lower body was exposed to the cool air. The man looked down at his manhood and let out a smirk.

“A man you are, indeed.”

“You’ve already touched me yourself, why are you acting like it’s a discovery…….”

The alcohol was definitely kicking in. His fear faded, replaced by a surge of bravado. It was the fake courage unique to the drunk, making him feel like he could do anything.

To cast away the last shred of fear, Seol Ah-heon spread his arms wide. He shouted gallantly:

“Do it! Young Leader!”

“…….”

Baek Geon-ha tilted his head back and let out a long sigh. I’m offering my body so submissively, what’s the problem? Seol Ah-heon was simply puzzled.

Soon, Baek Geon-ha straightened his head. A raw, predatory desire flickered in his narrowed eyes.

A chill ran down his spine. Even while drunk, Seol Ah-heon hadn’t forgotten his survival instincts and quickly added:

“Y-you won’t kill me, right? Since I’m cooperating so willingly…….”

“We’ll see.”

We’ll see? He couldn’t throw his life away on such an uncertain word. As Seol Ah-heon belatedly tried to think of a way out, Baek Geon-ha pressed down on his upper body and spoke.

“It will be fine. There has only been one person I’ve killed during a night together so far.”

He meant that, statistically, he wouldn’t die. But there was no way Seol Ah-heon could feel relieved by that.

“Y-you killed them? Why? Because you didn’t like them?…….”

“Should I have let an assassin live just because they used the bed as an excuse to approach me?”

“Ah…….”

If that was the case, it made sense. Seol Ah-heon accepted the logic blankly. Baek Geon-ha drawled as he removed Seol Ah-heon’s top.

“However, I cannot take responsibility if you die of exhaustion.”

“D-die of exhaustion……! I won’t do that.”

“Really? Then try to endure well.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Baek Geon-ha lunged onto him.

“……!”

He was stretched as the member forced its way in. The pressure made him gasp for air. Seol Ah-heon furrowed his brow and endured the dull pain.

At first, when Baek Geon-ha touched his body, he felt like he was going to lose his mind from the awkwardness. He was so overwhelmed that the fact he was being embraced by a man—the future Cult Leader, no less—didn’t even register as the primary issue. He simply didn’t know what face to make or how to act.

So, having Baek Geon-ha force his way in now was actually better. At least it wasn’t awkward. He could just leave everything to him without needing to fuss.

By the way, when would this end?

Seol Ah-heon tried to relax his body while he thought. He remembered hearing that s*x usually lasts about thirty minutes.

‘He said he uses the Yin-Harvesting Art. Does that mean it takes longer……?’

Even so, it would likely be an hour, maybe two at most. He was confident he could endure that much. If two hours of hardship could prove his usefulness, it was a bargain.

“H-ugh!”

Suddenly, Baek Geon-ha thrust his member in roughly. The thick head forced the inner walls apart. Seol Ah-heon let out the moan he had been holding back.

“For a brat, you certainly feel good inside.”