The Weight of Choice

Perhaps the nightmare about the nameless Varg I had every night since respawning in Midvalen meant that.

“The God-Slaying Sword. As its name suggests, it grew stronger every time I cut down a Grim Reaper.”

“…….”

“Thanks to that, I persistently survived and was able to be elected as Valta despite being a mutant with a near-human appearance.”

I wanted to ask if he was teasing me again, but there wasn’t a hint of mischief on the man’s expressionless face.

…Then does that mean Karvan became like this because of me?
He became a cheat character capable of cutting down Observers and the Valta considered the strongest in history?

I stared in confusion at the ‘Special Legendary’ weapon glowing blue in his hand.

‘I mean, why me! I’m not the only one who used skill bugs!’

I looked down at my hands, recalling past events that now felt like a previous life.
Maybe karma had built up without me realizing it and finally exploded?
Could it be that even my current state is my own doing?

‘…In your room, there is something very unsettling, nya.’
‘My fur stands on end just getting close, nya. This is the first time I’ve felt like this.’

To think that a cheat character strange enough to unsettle even the Skollcat was created because of me.

‘If you really intend to return to your dimension, don’t get close to that male, nya. He seems very suspicious and dangerous, nya.’

I heard it somewhere. Cats have keen intuition and can sense earthquakes or landslides very well.
Maybe the Skollcat also foresaw this man, who is like a natural disaster, and warned me.

‘…I shouldn’t have taken it lightly.’
As I was thinking gloomily, a thick fog covered the room.

“Until now, I thought destiny couldn’t be chosen. I thought I just had to entrust myself to it, like being swept away by waves.”

Just as the fog became dense enough to obscure my hands, a hot warmth touched my cheek.

“So I gave up on having a mate early on. Since imprinting is like fate, I thought not being chosen was also my fate.”

“…….”

“But now I’ve realized for sure.”

In the fog where nothing could be seen, the only shining yellow eyes stare straight at me.
Like a lighthouse floating in the vast ocean, as if saying your destination is ultimately here.

“That you chose me, over and over again.”

“…No. No. That’s….”

I looked at the man with a troubled mind and continued with difficulty.

“It was really a coincidence. The God-Slaying Sword, that strange imprint, everything…!”

“When coincidences repeat, they become inevitable.”

His languid voice rings in my ears as if chewing on the words.

“Human proverbs have many interesting things.”

The man standing in front of me before I knew it was looking down at me.

…He could have escaped this easily, but he was just playing along all this time.

I looked wearily at the tightly closed cage door over his broad shoulders.

“Why make such a face? You put the leash on me first. Acting as if you regret it now.”

“…I didn’t put it on purpose. Un….”

“You’d better not think about unleashing me.”

The man, lowering his head to meet my gaze, spoke gloomily.
The voice touching my ear and his narrowed eyes feel sticky as if wet.

“Since I have no intention of leaving even if you unleash me.”

“…Saying that when you showed up after three months, talk is cheap.”

Avoiding his intense gaze, I grumbled almost inaudibly.
I worried so much thinking something had gone wrong, and he just shows up nonchalantly and turns my insides upside down.

Feeling resentful, I pretended not to hear him calling ‘Bi’ and ignored him, but a low laugh drew closer.

“Sorry for making you wait.”

“Who said that? I didn’t wait!”

I jumped up as if stepping on a non-existent tail and pushed the man away, but he didn’t budge, like the iron bars.
He lightly hugged me as I struggled, like a bamboo wife, and stroked the back of my head, laughing languidly.

“I wonder if your neck didn’t stretch from waiting.”

Again, again. He only thinks of teasing me!
Angry, I pounded his back, but my palms just stung, so I stopped.
Like that, I was held in his arms for a long time in silence.

Tick, tock.

How much did the second hand of the Empire-style clock on the wall move?

Karvan slowly separated me from his embrace, then pressed his forehead firmly against my shoulder and began to rub.
Unable to withstand the force of his body, much larger than mine, pushing against me like an impatient large dog, I gradually backed away until my back touched the wall.

“…….”

The man silently lowered his head and stared at me.
Beneath his disheveled dark silver hair, his fierce eyes seek silent permission.

Unable to withstand the gaze like bright moonlight, I closed my eyes, and hot lips touched mine urgently.

“Hn, mmph….”

Strangely, my heart felt at ease.
Like receiving CPR after wandering underwater for a long time, I was breathless yet felt a sense of stability from our touching lips.
Countless words I wanted to say melt mixed in saliva through rough breaths.

Just keeping my eyes tightly closed, I wrapped my arms around his firm neck as he led, swallowing shallow breaths frantically.

Karvan moved his tongue persistently as if even a long string of silver thread was precious, while his other hand unhesitatingly swept down my white uniform.

Click, click, the black buttons fastened up to my chin came undone one by one.

I naturally thought he would take off all my clothes, but he only unbuttoned down to my collarbone and slowly lowered his head.

Is he trying to make me excited by biting the Imprint Vein first?
Tensing up for the impending stinging pain, he buried his head deeply into the right side of my neck, not the left where the Imprint Vein is.

Like a heavy smoker inhaling a cigarette after quitting for a long time, eager breaths filled with satisfaction leaked out repeatedly.

“…Even the most loyal wolf bites its master if starved for too long.”

He spoke after a long time as if reciting.
His voice broke, barely audible, as he forced his body against my shoulder and buried his head.

“So, how about giving me a taste.”

My ears burned at the direct question.
As I just opened and closed my mouth like a goldfish without saying anything, the man raised his head and looked into my face.

“I wish my mate would be a little more honest.”

My heart kept fluttering at his gaze, so I looked away, but he held my chin and met my eyes.
Even this moment seemed hard to wait for, the body heat repeatedly touching my lower lip as if testing me was burning hot.

“Take me, Bi. You just have to reach out.”

The man takes my hand and makes me sweep over his body thoroughly.
Feeling the vivid body heat and bumpy muscles touching my flinching palm, I just swallowed dryly.

“I, I am, …hngh!”

My following words were swallowed by the sensation of him nibbling my ear.

“Admit it now. Bi. That you want me too.”

As if determined to hear an answer, he kept whispering in my ear, but I couldn’t readily answer.
Because if I become one with him now, it feels like I will truly be completely assimilated as a part of him.

“That you have become like me.”

At the subtly different words, my mind snapped back as if doused with cold water.
At the same time, the status window above the man’s head caught my eye.

【<Karvan Baharga> (Race: Varg)】

“…No. I, am not like you….”

I barely squeezed out the words from my cracking voice.
I’m a ‘Player’. I’m different from you.

Swallowing the words, I shook my head in confusion.

“Different. We, cannot be the same.”

I don’t know what’s not the same or what’s different, but I babbled incoherently.

“I, I am, I am a different existence from you….”

Actually, it was closer to words I was saying to myself, not him.

“What is different?”

…Actually, I don’t know.
What makes me different from Karvan right now?
I’m also an existence abandoned, cast out, and forgotten by the creator of this world, just like him.

What am I? What should I do now?

“…….”

The man quietly looked into my wandering eyes.
Holding my chin trembling as if cold, he meets my gaze silently.
A shadow quickly passed over his wavering golden eyes.

I thought he might say he would make me realize it then, that he might mercilessly pounce on me saying I’m ultimately the same as him.

“I will wait.”

But Karvan obediently let go of my chin and stepped back.

“Until you realize it yourself, and acknowledge me by your side.”

Smooch, with a light kiss touching and leaving my forehead, the warmth disappears.
Following that, turning into gray mist, he soon appeared beyond the iron bars and took form on the sofa.

“However, know one thing.”

The man, sitting where I could see him best as always, stares straight at me and whispers.

“Whether we are the same or different, you are my Bi.”

The eyes like full moons floating in the darkness do not blink once.

“Just as you humans call ‘Valtael’ ‘Bi’*, it only looks different. It means you are ultimately my mate.”

“…….”

“I hope you realize that soon.”

His voice, languid like a satiated beast, was embedded like a brand.
Whether in my ears or my heart. Deeply anywhere.

It was the next day. Finally, the ‘festival’ of Midvalen began.

【The curtain of the Midvalen Coliseum has risen! Show off your strength against randomly matched multi-species opponents in the tournament and grasp the championship trophy!】

Although the Skollcat, who actually caused this ‘festival’ to happen, was nowhere to be seen.
Thanks to that, only innocent others ended up picking up the scraps.

I was the same.
I came to the Coliseum wondering if any scraps would fall.

My purpose was only one. I intended to meet ‘Players’.

‘Admit it now. Bi, that you have become like me.’

I wanted to receive confirmation about my existence.