Chapter 214

EP.214 Meddling #6

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Leaning against the warm cave wall, Silvia couldn’t gather her thoughts.

Not because of pain, but because of the situation when she woke up.

She found herself in her underwear, with Jihyuk clinging to her in his own underwear.

It was an unfamiliar and utterly bewildering sight.

Silvia agonized as she looked at Jihyuk, who had collapsed in front of her.

She needed to stay calm. Jihyuk wouldn’t have done this out of desire.

There must be a reason.

Slapping her cheek hard, she assessed the situation.

Jihyuk must have clung to her to keep her warm before losing consciousness.

The large amount of firewood burning was likely gathered by him…

The crushed bark and leaves scattered nearby seemed to be medicinal herbs.

Her ankle wound showed no signs of being treated… So he must have extracted the juice and fed it to her.

The conclusion was clear. Jihyuk did this not out of selfishness but to protect and care for her.

Understanding everything, Silvia let out a sigh.

‘You fool… You scared me…’

Grumbling at Jihyuk, Silvia got up, feeling her leg was fine.

She reached for the dagger leaning against the cave wall but stopped.

A green liquid had dried on the blade.

“This…”

This was definitely the blood of a tentacle demon.

Strange. She had wiped all the blood after killing the mother tentacle demon…

Tilting her head, Silvia went near the entrance to wash the dagger with rainwater and was shocked.

Three large tentacle demons lay dead outside.

They must have discovered the cave and come up.

“What… what’s going on…”

Dozens of thin, long holes were near their heads.

Clearly stabbed by a dagger.

Silvia hurriedly went back to check on Jihyuk.

His face was fine, but there were long scratches on his legs sticking out of his flight suit.

Clearly wounds from fighting the tentacle demons.

Swallowing hard, Silvia carefully lifted Jihyuk’s flight suit.

She brought her hand to her mouth, stifling a scream.

His body was covered in wounds.

Most were from tentacles, except for a few.

His fingers were caked in dried blood, as if he had climbed a cliff, and his nails were broken.

The front of his discarded shoes were torn, showing he had endured much.

The guy who was terrified of dying before escaping had gone this far for her. She was deeply grateful.

And sorry. She had forced the escape attempt, and not only did they fail, but she also made him suffer.

Understanding everything, Silvia covered Jihyuk with his flight suit and put on her top, which was wrapped around her thigh.

After putting on the jeans hanging in the cave, she looked outside.

Still many demons. The temperature had dropped, and it was cold.

Going back inside, she crouched in front of Jihyuk.

“I’m sorry…”

Apologizing in a barely audible voice, Silvia checked the storage.

Remaining energy: 9%. She was willing to use it all to escape, but the moth powder was a variable.

If it were only on the ground, it would be fine, but it was scattered high in the air, causing trouble.

Moreover, the range of the powder was an issue.

It seemed spread across the entire Grand Canyon. If this assumption was correct, using Aiter was out of the question.

Flying through the air and melting to death would be a miserable end.

Worried about the future, Silvia chuckled as Jihyuk smacked his lips.

Maybe he’s dreaming of eating something delicious.

She wanted to get food for him but knew nothing about the plants here.

The animals had either fled or been eaten by demons… It was maddening.

Unable to do anything, Silvia decided to wait until Jihyuk woke up.

She stared at his face.

The first man to touch her body. But she didn’t feel bad.

She knew he approached with good intentions.

Unconsciously, Silvia took Jihyuk’s hand and placed it on her palm.

Then she felt regret.

“Your nails were so pretty… What to do now that they’re all broken…”

Was she growing attached? Seeing Jihyuk’s condition made her heart ache.

She hoped the medical devices in the lab could fully heal him.

Carefully putting down Jihyuk’s hand, Silvia went to the cave entrance.

This place was no longer safe. If tentacle demons attacked again, they needed to be on guard.

This time, it was her turn to protect Jihyuk.

For him, she would use all the remaining Aiter.

After all, once the Device was made, it could be recharged, so there was no need to save it.

‘But… who should I recharge with?’

She didn’t have anyone she liked… Should she make a lover?

Lost in vague worries, Silvia suddenly thought about Jihyuk as a partner.

It didn’t seem… bad. He was reliable, and after spending time together, their personalities seemed to match.

Jihyuk had said they didn’t match, but that was just him teasing…

But does recharging only work if both parties like each other romantically?

She didn’t like Jihyuk romantically, but as a comrade…

And does hugging and sleeping together count as a sexual act?

If recharging works, should she ask Adeline if she could recharge with Jihyuk?

They had no romantic feelings for each other… For the greater good, she might understand.

Lost in such thoughts, Silvia shook her head.

Now wasn’t the time for useless thoughts; she needed to focus on guarding.

Swallowing her complicated feelings, Silvia widened her eyes and began scanning the surroundings.

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“Ugh…!”

A short groan came from behind.

After nearly an hour of guarding, Silvia turned her head sharply.

She saw Jihyuk frowning and lifting his upper body, so she quickly ran over to support him.

“How’s your body? Are you okay?”

A question filled with concern.

Jihyuk looked at Silvia for a moment, then nodded.

“Yes… How about you, Silvia?”

Who’s worrying about whom now… Despite his many wounds.

Clicking her tongue, Silvia placed her hand on Jihyuk’s back and pushed.

As his flight suit slid down, his toned upper body was revealed.

His bare skin touched her back.

Feeling inexplicably shy, Silvia averted her gaze slightly and answered.

“My ankle’s a bit sore, but otherwise, I’m fine.”

“That’s good.”

“What about that bark and leaves?”

“It’s willow. It has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. I extracted the juice and fed it to you. But is your stomach okay?”

“Stomach…?”

Silvia looked puzzled.

Jihyuk explained to her.

“I adjusted the dosage, but it’s raw juice… It might upset your stomach.”

“My body’s fine. My stomach’s okay too.”

“That’s good.”

Seeing Jihyuk genuinely relieved made her inexplicably happy.

With a faint smile, Silvia asked.

“Can this be applied too?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll crush it. Let’s apply it to your wounds.”

“You don’t have to. I used what was left after feeding you on my wounds. They don’t hurt at all now, so don’t worry.”

Frowning but saying it doesn’t hurt… He’s a terrible liar.

“Stop lying. I’ll get more, so tell me where it is.”

“I tore it off from a slightly protruding part of the canyon cliff, but it’s probably all gone now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. There was only one tree around. It’s a sign not to waste energy.”

She wasn’t convinced, but what could she do? He wouldn’t tell her the tree’s location and kept saying he was fine.

Silvia decided to change the subject.

“Those monsters… did you kill them?”

“Yes. They suddenly came up, and we fought… It was nothing.”

“Nothing? Look at your body, you idiot.”

“I consider them honorable wounds. I fought three against one and won. Maybe I should become a Beast Slayer?”

Even in this situation, his playful tone… He’s such a funny guy.

Snorting, Silvia said.

“You should just quietly tinker with computers.”

“That’s harsh…”

“I’m saying it because I’m worried.”

“I know. But Silvia, if your leg’s okay, can you help me to the entrance?”

“Why?”

“I want to hear the rain louder.”

She hadn’t known before, but this quirky, sly side seemed to be Jihyuk’s true nature.

Spending time here, facing hardships and talking with him, felt more fun than idly exercising in Uijeongbu.

Of course, she never wanted to experience this situation again, but that’s how it felt.

“Alright.”

Helping Jihyuk to the cave entrance, Silvia sat beside him.

The rain poured down, hitting the ground with a splashing sound.

If Jihyuk hadn’t told her to listen, she might have never noticed this wonderful sound.

Glancing at him with a pleasant smile, Silvia said.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“How long do we have to stay like this?”

“I don’t know.”

“Should we go to where the fighter jet crashed?”

“While looking for the willow, I found the tentacle demon you killed, but there was nothing nearby. The debris must have been swept away by the rapids.”

“Really…? So we’re just waiting to die?”

Jihyuk looked at Silvia with a baffled expression.

“Don’t say scary things.”

Giggling, Silvia moved closer to Jihyuk.

Close enough for their hips to touch.

Unaware of her action, she crossed her legs.

“I’m curious about something.”

“What is it?”

“Does Aiter only recharge with a Device?”

“To be precise, it needs a Device made of Polymers. That material draws out Aiter’s true power.”

Nodding slowly, Silvia asked again.

“Are you sure?”

“Based on what we know so far, yes… But I can’t say for sure. Aiter is such an unconventional energy…”

“I see… It’s said that recharging happens through sexual acts with someone you like, right?”

“Yes.”

“What’s the criteria for ‘someone you like’? Does it have to be romantic? Or does it include liking someone as a comrade?”

Jihyuk’s head tilted about 15 degrees.

With an uncertain expression, he spoke skeptically.

“I’m not sure.”

“Really…?”

Trailing off, Silvia made a suggestion that would startle Jihyuk.

“Then, want to experiment with me?”

“Huh…?”

It was incredibly embarrassing once she said it.

Seeing Jihyuk’s flustered face made it even more so.

But there was a reason.

She wanted to break through this desperate situation and try anything.

This was it. No other feelings involved. Probably… no, definitely.

Thinking so, Silvia made excuses in an embarrassed tone.

“It’s not the time to be picky. We can’t expect Dr. Cash’s help, and there are demons everywhere… You fought here too. If we stay still, we’ll really die.”

“That’s true, but…”

“I like you as a comrade. Do you feel the same?”

“I really like you too…”

Jihyuk’s answer, missing the “as a comrade” part and emphasizing “really,” made her heart skip a beat.

She must be nervous.

Silvia thought so.

“Then let’s try the experiment. If it recharges, we might be able to escape.”

“Escape…? How?”

“With more energy, we can do anything. Dig a tunnel, quickly find a place without moth powder… There are many ways. If recharging works, our options widen.”

“Uh… um… how… do you plan to do it…?”

Seeing Jihyuk visibly stammering was somehow funny.

“Well…? You’d know better.”

Scratching the side of his head, Jihyuk glanced at Silvia.

He seemed to have thought of something. Taking a small breath, she continued.

“What should I do?”

“You’re really going to do it…?”

“I said to try. We have no choice.”

“Sigh… This is crazy… Then stay still… Don’t hit me if you’re surprised.”

“Got it.”

Taking a deep breath, Silvia stiffened like a stone.

Her heart was beating incredibly fast. She had never been this nervous before.

What would Jihyuk do? She felt a sense of anticipation.

Think of it as reconnaissance for the future.

With this determination, Silvia closed her eyes tightly as Jihyuk’s hand approached her waist, and when his fingers slipped under her torn T-shirt to touch her stomach, her body twitched.

“How do you feel…?”

Jihyuk’s cautious question.

Silvia answered.

“Ah, I’m not sure yet… It’s kind of ticklish…”

“Hmm… Wait a moment. I’ll move behind you.”

“Do as you please…”

After some rustling sounds, Silvia felt Jihyuk’s firm upper body press against her back and let out a gasp.

Then his hands gently caressed her hips, waist, and chest, making her face heat up.

An indescribable feeling. Her breathing quickened, and her body temperature rose.

With her eyes closed, her sense of touch and hearing heightened.

Her sense of smell too. A strange scent she hadn’t noticed before wafted by.

Was this Jihyuk’s scent? It was fragrant yet odd.

As Silvia tried to catch more of the scent, Jihyuk pressed his lips to the back of her neck and made a sucking sound.

Goosebumps spread all over her body, and she trembled, raising her shoulders to her jawline.

The act of pursing lips and sucking strongly. She had heard of this before.

It was the method Adeline had mentioned for making a hickey.

“Hey… wait a second… hah…!”

Silvia tried to stop him but froze completely.

Jihyuk’s lips lightly bit her earlobe.

Then his tongue flicked out, lightly touching the tip of her earlobe, making Silvia part her lips slightly and exhale a hot breath.

“Hah…!”

Her body went limp, and she leaned back against Jihyuk’s chest.

The feeling was too strange. She couldn’t gather her thoughts because of Jihyuk’s hand reaching up to her lower chest and his tongue teasing her ear.

“Hah… hah…!”

Breathing rapidly, Silvia vowed to keep this a secret from Adeline.

This must never be told. Even if something happened and she had to speak, she must hide these feelings.

Thinking so, Silvia completely relaxed as Jihyuk stopped his caresses.

Buried in his embrace, panting, she checked the storage with difficulty.

The charge level was the same. The experiment had failed.

But why did he stop suddenly? She was just getting excited…

The reason soon became clear.

“Silvia.”

“Yes…? Why…?”

“Can you look over there?”

Jihyuk pointed over Silvia’s shoulder.

From where he pointed, a massive red light floated in the air, melting and engulfing the tentacle demons.

That color was definitely the moth powder.

If that was the powder that had blocked them earlier, moving now… It might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to escape.

A reason to rejoice. Even if the hypothesis was wrong, they needed to move and check.

But why did she feel so regretful and disappointed?

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