A greatsword lay crossed as if intersecting, alongside a few swords typically hung from the back or waist for victory and Aslan.
Unlike the neatly arranged weapons beside the side table, the bed was in disarray with ragged breathing and the blanket carelessly crumpled.
The body barely covered by the blanket was drenched in sweat.
In contrast to the rough breathing and sweat, Angie’s expression radiated not just satisfaction but outright happiness.
Each time Angie’s labored breaths came, the crumpled blanket followed the contours of her body and unraveled further.
Despite the soreness in his lower back, Aslan reached out to pull up the blanket, and Angie smiled sweetly in response.
When their eyes met, Angie buried her smiling face into the pillow.
Seeing the woman covering her mischievously rising lips, Aslan asked,
“Did you feel good?”
“Yeah, really.”
“Are you alright? Anywhere that hurts?”
“No… Ah, my legs hurt.”
Perhaps aware of the excuse she gave when they embraced and returned, Aslan watched Angie tell an obvious fib before lying down on the bed.
There wasn’t much to call it compensation, but this situation arose because Aslan wanted to console Angie.
Because Angie had appeared so visibly terrified during the fight with Bijou, he sought to comfort her in whatever way he could.
It made sense since Bijou was a high priest of the Dark Ram and had demonstrated matching strength.
Also, Angie had never faced a priest alone, so Aslan carefully mingled his body with hers.
Fortunately, Aslan’s actions worked as intended, and Angie seemed happy with a content smile.
‘Not sure if this is right…’
Though Aslan enjoyed it too, the faint ache in his lower back, despite being strengthened by wild magic, gave him a fundamental sense of regret.
Of course, the act performed on the bed wasn’t much different from the last time Aslan and Angie mingled their bodies.
The issue was Angie’s strength.
Angie was clearly stronger compared to the last time they’d been intimate.
Moreover, there was also a problem with the position itself.
‘Thinking about it, it’s better if I’m on top rather than letting Angie climb on me.’
Rubbing his lower back gently while infusing mana using wild magic, Aslan thought so.
Other issues still remained. Matters unrelated to Angie, closer to what one might call cleanup.
Issues like dealing with the collapsed mountain or reporting the defeat of Bijou to the Empire.
Directly delivering that information to the Empire would be a waste of time. With the thought that he could get ready and set out at the right moment, Aslan leaned his body forward.
On the other hand, Angie seemed unable to escape the wave of affection and pleasure she had just experienced.
“…Where are you going?”
As Aslan stopped rubbing his lower back and rose, Angie spoke.
Turning her head slightly while her face remained buried in the pillow, Angie looked at Aslan with a muffled voice.
Aslan picked up the clothes he had dropped on the floor, put them on, and smiled lightly.
“To the South Empire.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Angie recall that Aslan had divided roles and assigned areas among the traveling party, prompting her to exclaim.
“Then, can we do it one more time?”
“Hmm…”
After pondering briefly, Aslan shook his head.
“Lumel and Lewena will be waiting. It wouldn’t be fair to make them wait too long. Especially in such cold weather.”
“Ugh, it’s disappointing. Alright.”
Though there were unspoken reasons too.
Recalling Richard’s gauntness when he had mentioned the use of Number 13, Aslan chuckled faintly.
Unaware of why Aslan was smiling, Angie mumbled half-buried in the pillow.
“Come back safely. Don’t get hurt.”
After mumbling, the smooth blanket flowing along her back draped loosely over her buttocks as Angie sluggishly approached.
What followed was a short kiss.
A gentle touch grazing his forehead, softly landing and departing, somewhat childlike.
Looking up, Aslan saw Angie blush while burying half her face back into the pillow and smile.
“Let’s do it again when you come back?”
With no way to say no, Aslan replied affirmatively and stepped outside.
While crossing the corridor of Anurthin Parliament Fortress, the pain in his lower back gradually subsided.
His pace quickened accordingly, and soon Aslan reached his destination.
Ados’ space transfer device, more precisely a room designed specifically for that purpose.
And there was Ados.
Wearing a sleeveless, open outfit unlike Lumel, sitting cross-legged.
“You’ve arrived. Looks like you indulged quite thoroughly.”
As soon as Aslan appeared, Ados shot him a sharp glare as if expressing disdain.
“Summoning me here and then freely engaging in lewd acts….”
Instead of replying, Aslan curled his finger, and Ados flinched, shutting her mouth with a look of humiliation.
‘Ados still doesn’t seem to understand the hierarchy properly.’
Thinking this, Asos lowered his finger, and Ados crossed her arms, frowning.
“I assume you’re aware of the situation, but Bijou has been defeated. The fearless Bijou has fallen, and the mountains of Behist and Bifold have collapsed due to Bijou. Please relay this to the Empire.”
Realizing Ados knew her complaints were ignored, she quickly turned her gaze away but not before muttering under her breath.
“Using me merely as a messenger is wasteful….”
“If you have the leisure, wasting it is fine. You don’t have anything else to do anyway.”
Aslan’s simple reply struck a nerve, causing Ados to click her tongue and sigh.
That sigh was a suppressed acknowledgment, so Aslan stepped into the passage Ados created.
Mounting the golden tunnel resembling a nether passage, Aslan’s vision warped instantly.
A faint sensation of floating passed over him, and Aslan found himself standing amidst a snowy forest.
This was the South Empire.
Unlike the North Empire, it wasn’t particularly desolate; towering coniferous trees surrounded him.
In the middle of this white forest devoid of any life, Aslan stood still momentarily.
White snow accumulated on the scale cloak draped over his shoulders, blending with his black hair.
Facing the falling heavy snow, Aslan glanced around.
Lumel and Lewena, who were supposed to wait here, were nowhere to be seen.
All that remained were some twisted firewood logs and traces of a campfire covered in snow.
Considering the brief time since Aslan had left, this was peculiar.
It was as if time flowed differently in this space.
Moreover, something caught Aslan’s eye.
By the campfire, crimson bloodstains like blooming flowers.
Aslan felt along his waist.
The weapon drawn from the scabbard was the Abyss Blade.
By the time Aslan realized Angie’s crisis, it was already too late.
Although the South Empire wasn’t particularly friendly to continent dwellers, it was relatively so.
Threats here weren’t numerous.
The Immovable One and its priests.
Thinking about the bloodstains, Aslan considered:
Even though the Immovable One was described as a non-aggressive evil deity, its essence was still that of an evil deity.
Time-swimming while nurturing parasitic creatures feeding on time on its body—a colossal whale.
Oddly confined to the South Empire, limiting its activity range, yet active within that area.
Primarily, the parasites were more active.
Contrary to the harmless name “the Immovable One,” these parasitic creatures carried the aggressive title of “time devourers.”
Each of these parasites possessed power comparable to ancient deities.
Given their vast numbers, even if the Immovable One wasn’t aggressive, it was harmful to humans.
The issue was that these bloodstains didn’t appear to be the work of the Immovable One’s priests or the evil deity itself.
The Immovable One’s priests wielded time.
Rarely causing wounds that bleed, and if they did, they could easily erase them.
After all, they controlled time.
But from Aslan’s perspective, these bloodstains showed no signs of being concealed.
If anything, they seemed deliberately scattered.
But why?
Aslan glanced around.
All he could see were dense coniferous forests and falling heavy snow.
The snowfall that had started before Aslan left continued as if trying to whiten the world.
Several strange points were scattered throughout.
Why had Lumel and Lewena, powerful enough, left their positions?
And why hadn’t Lewena reacted even as Aslan drew the Abyss Blade?
After surveying the surroundings for a while, Aslan suddenly tilted the Abyss Blade.
He sensed someone approaching.
Only then did Aslan realize these bloodstains weren’t deliberately scattered.
Through the forest emerged an unfamiliar monster.
Its body was thin and elongated.
Approaching silently with those thin, long limbs, the creature’s entire form seemed composed of bone fragments.
Aslan didn’t recognize this monster.
He had no memory of encountering it in the game he had played hundreds of times, nor during the twelve years he survived, except for two rare instances.
Yet, there was a familiarity.
Those two encounters left him bewildered.
Aslan saw this creature through Astrid’s body when interacting with the Dark Ram, and later through Thor Mull when facing the Dark Ram.
These monsters were made of dark crystalline bone fragments.
Clustered together, they formed shapes resembling sheep.
Self-awareness, self-division.
Every step emitted a chilling sound characteristic of crystals.
Such sounds echoed from all directions as they approached.
Under the white sunlight filtering through the dense coniferous forest, Aslan turned his head to observe everything approaching.
Dozens of monsters emerged from the woods.
Their forms were similar, crudely mimicking sheep.
However, they lacked the divine power of the Dark Ram.
Neither did they feel like the Dark Ram’s doing.
Then, what were they?
Watching the monsters crawl out under the falling snow, Aslan loosened his grip on the Abyss Blade and extended his hand behind him.
The situation was unclear.
He couldn’t determine where his companions had gone.
Nevertheless, Aslan trusted Lewena and Lumel.
They must be alive.
At least believing so, Aslan aimed to resolve the immediate task before him.
The clattering monsters halted several meters away from Aslan, glaring at him.
During the tense standoff as Aslan aimed his sword, he realized one thing.
Only the Voracious Eater could orchestrate such an act.
Soon, the monsters charged.
