NOVEL NEXT Chapter 55
“Wow! This is so much fun, hey! You’ve got some good storytelling skills!”
“Right?”
“How do you know such interesting stories? I’ve never heard anything like this before!”
Who knew Cinderella would be so much loved?
Well, this story hasn’t swept the whole world for no reason. It’s a tale that’s hard not to love. The title of a master certainly doesn’t betray us. So Avatar 2 won’t betray us either. When director James Cameron wakes up from his slumber down in the depths, everyone in the world will applaud and welcome him joyfully.
“Hurry! Tell me another story!”
“What do you want to hear about?”
“Anything!”
Dare to demand an omakase?
It doesn’t matter. The night is long and we have plenty of time to chat. If I put my mind to it, there’s no problem talking all night. There’s so much out there in modern stories.
“Hehehe, but Hayoung.”
“Yeah?”
“Honestly, stories like this aren’t just something you can hear anywhere, you know? So I feel like it’s a bit of a loss for me to just give them away.”
“Ah, why! We’re friends!”
Hayoung pouted, stamping her feet.
“Just tell me! Or do you want something? You want my body, don’t you? You sly devil! Pervert!”
“I never said anything like that! And what do you mean by ‘pervert’!”
“Then hurry up and tell me, okay?”
Hayoung, who had just been complaining, clung to my arm naturally, continuing to beg for stories.
But my arm got stuck in her chest…!
“Hurry, okay? I’m asking you for a story!”
“Huh, huh…!”
Not only that, but she’s rubbing my arm between her breasts!
“Okay! Okay! I’ll tell you!”
“Wow!”
Finally, I managed to free my arm from the bust prison. My arm felt damp, as if it had gone through some rough ordeal, much like Andy Dufresne escaping from Shawshank on a stormy day.
“This is impossible to deal with. But hey, Hayoung. It’s unfair for me to just talk, so let’s take turns. You’re a master, right? You must have loads of stories to tell? I want to hear some of those.”
“Hmm, me? I don’t really know much.”
“You’ve already fought plenty of demons! That should be enough stories. Or you could share experiences from your life as a master.”
“Ah! If it’s that kind of stuff, I have plenty!”
Energetic response.
So she does have stories.
At the very least, I’d love to hear some on-site tales from a competent female master like her. They might even help me.
“Hmm, what should I tell? But if I share a story, you have to share one in return!”
“Got it.”
But you can’t use all the stories in one night. Even Scheherazade told stories for a thousand nights; how could we exhaust them in one night?
“Alright, listen up. While I’ve been working as a master, I’ve faced various evil spirits and demons, and recently I almost died.”
“You almost died?!”
“Yeah! It was really dangerous!”
“What happened?”
“Listen, listen!”
As expected of a woman who loves gossip, just a little engagement brightened her mood.
“Suddenly, a black cavalry appeared.”
“Cavalry?”
“Are you talking about horse-riding cavalry?”
“Yep!”
“Then it must have been the soldiers from the Ming Dynasty, right?”
“Nope!”
Firmly denying, Hayoung’s face turned pale as she cautiously continued.
“It was a skeleton.”
“A skeleton?!”
A skeleton, no less!
“You mean the Golgakgui?!”
“Yeah. When I checked, it was a Golgakgui, a deathly entity made up of nothing but skeletons, both horse and rider.”
I imagined the black skeleton cavalry in my mind.
Isn’t this totally a de-de-death knight situation?
“Of course, it’s no match for this absolute beauty master! So I tried to exorcise it, but it was way too strong! Apparently, it was the corpse of an elite cavalry soldier from the Yuan Dynasty!”
“An elite cavalry soldier from the Yuan Dynasty?!”
“Yep. The armor, everything. You know, the kind that elite Yuan cavalry wear. Even in death, it was unbelievably strong. I ended up fleeing!”
Hayoung, saying that, burst into laughter.
“No way can a master like you not catch something like that?”
It’s just an undead!
“Well, it could’ve belonged to a cavalry unit from either the immortal cavalry led by the Celestial Horse Kokete Temur or from the Dragon Slayer cavalry. Either way, I had to run. They were at least top-tier fighters when they were alive, you know? Even if they’re weaker in death, they must still have some power left.”
The immortal and dragon-slaying cavalry sounds terrifying just to hear about. The Yuan Dynasty, which had such strong cavalry, must have been quite something.
“Anyway, since I couldn’t catch it, that skeleton cavalry must still be wandering somewhere in the Central Plains, howling every night…! Kraaah!”
“Hey, who told you to tell scary stories at night?”
“Why? Did my story scare you? Hahaha! You’re a coward, huh? You act all tough but are just a big softy! Come here! I’ll hug you!”
“Why would you hug me?!”
I rejected, but Hayoung just pretended to hug me playfully, teasing me. I can’t deal with someone like her.
Even so, Hayoung’s death knight story was pretty spooky. Is that undead cavalry really wandering around at night, doing who knows what? I hope we never run into it.
“But why did that cavalry suddenly show up?”
“Beats me. I don’t really know. But I mean, it’s not uncommon for Yuan soldiers to rise again in the Central Plains.”
Is that a common occurrence?
“There must be a reason if they’re resurrecting.”
“I suspect it’s due to the power of hell. That’s my guess.”
The power of hell.
“Hey, by any chance, Hayoung, do you know about the Four Fairies?”
“Huh? The Four Fairies? Why are you suddenly bringing up Central Plains legends?”
At that moment, Hayoung’s expression sharpened as she frowned.
“Actually, the last time I caught Madunachal…”
I explained what happened back then. The wizard there was an incredibly high-level spirit, and Se-rin speculated that only the Four Fairies could create a spirit of that caliber.
“A spirit is essentially a type of resurrection, right? Then it makes sense that the Four Fairies could potentially revive such undead, or even Shigwi.”
“Hmm… Yeah, that’s plausible. If it were that witch, it might be possible… I’ll have to discuss this when we get back to the Mosan Sect.”
That reassured me.
“Anyway, did you listen well to my story? Now it’s your turn!”
“Okay, you little brat. Since I promised, I have to tell you one. This time, I’ll tell you a tale from the Western Regions. The title is ‘Little Princess.'”
“Hurry! I’m so excited…! What could the story be? My heart’s racing!”
With that, I continued to share more stories with Hayoung.
* * *
As we walked through the night, the sun began to rise. A dim light slowly seeped from beyond the darkness.
“Ah, dawn is breaking.”
“Huhh!”
Hayoung stretched and said.
“Wow, I’ve never had such a fun night before!”
“Is that so?”
If that’s the case, I’m glad too.
“I like you!”
Oh!
Well, that’s nice to hear!
Just as I was about to say something, Hayoung pressed closer.
“So you have to quickly tell me that you like me too!”
“I like you too!”
“Great!”
What was that?
That chilling energy I just felt?
“Oh, but we’re nearly there! A bit further and we’ll arrive. Let’s rest a moment before moving again.”
“What? Are we at the Mosan Sect already?”
“Mosan Sect? This is just a spot where I always take a break.”
“Is that so?”
“If you come and go often, you have to set up spots like this. Don’t you think?”
That’s true.
“Over there! Follow me closely!”
I followed Hayoung up the mountain path.
But as we were climbing, with Hayoung in front of me, I couldn’t help but notice her butt—a lot.
The cheongsam was quite revealing, and each flutter revealed her white, firm behind. But what’s really bothering me is, is she even wearing panties? Every time I sneak a peek, I see nothing but her butt.
Could it be that she’s wearing nothing at all?
“…”
I struggled to suppress my rising desires while engaging in Hayoung’s chatter, stealing glances.
Surely, she wouldn’t notice me looking, right?
“We’re here!”
“Huh? But what’s that sound?”
Hayoung stopped and moved to the side to see.
“No way! It’s a valley!”
A very refreshing-looking valley appeared!
—Splashhhh!
The water flows so refreshingly!
If I were Kang Ho-dong, I’d dive in immediately without hesitation! No, I’d even throw Lee Seung-gi into the water!
“Here’s the valley, and over there’s a small cave. Since we’ve walked all night, let’s rest for a bit before setting off again, alright?”
“Sounds good! I thought my legs were going to fall off!”
“Hehe, just massage them a bit. I’ll go take a bath in the valley, you can keep watch over there?”
“What?”
Wait a minute.
A bath?!
“I’m gonna bathe in the valley. Move over so I can take off my clothes.”
“…”
“But if you peek, I’m going to kill you. No matter how much I love being exposed, showing off my completely naked body is different, you know? So promise not to peek, even if you’re dying to.”
“I won’t peek. I’m no pervert, why would I watch a woman bathing? That’s so unfair…”
“Yup! So just move aside. I need to take my clothes off.”
Hayoung shooed me away, waving her hand.
“Hey, Hayoung. After hearing all those stories, you’re trying to chase me away? That’s just wrong!”
I teased her lightly.
“Hahaha! What are you saying? Do you really want to see me bathe?”
“Not really…”
“How could a grown woman feel shy in front of a man about to bathe? Now off you go to keep watch!”
“Wha…!”
She completely brushed me off.
I moved a bit away and set myself up to keep watch. But how can I keep watch without knowing where she’s bathing?
Fact is, I really want to sneak a peek.
“…”
But all I could see were clothes hung on a tree.
Wait a second.
But… isn’t there supposed to be an undergarment hanging there?
Is she wearing anything?
No matter how I look, I can’t see it.
“Ah, seriously.”
I’m going insane.
Even at this moment, Wi Hayoung is probably in that valley, joyfully washing herself. That huge chest of hers and that enticing butt are probably both being scrubbed down.
Imagining that sends a rush of heat coursing downward. My energy naturally swells toward the lower half.
“This…!”
This tendency has become too strong since I ingested the essence of Madunachal last time. My desires have intensified to levels I can’t even compare to before.
“Ugh!”
I can’t deal with it any longer.
I meditated, trying to gather the energy that was flowing downward.
“Hey! I’m all washed up!”
While I was doing that, I heard Hayoung’s voice.
“Can I turn around now?”
“Why? Would I really call you over when I’m naked? Hehe. You can relax; I’m all dressed now!”
“Are you really dressed?”
I turned around quickly to see her wearing… wait. Can we even call that a proper outfit? Hayoung’s still dressed quite revealingly.
“What’s going on? Were you expecting something different?”
“Not at all…!”
“Then you should wash up too. You must feel all dirty after walking for so long, right?”
“Oh!”
She’s being so considerate!
“Then I’ll go bathe too!”
“Great! After you’re done, come over to the cave. I’ll have a fire going.”
“Wait a minute, Hayoung, you’re so sweet!”
“What’s this? Where else would you find such a kind woman? Now hurry up and go wash.”
“Yes!”
Hayoung headed up, and I immediately began to undress before diving into the valley.
—Splash!
“Kah!”
This feels absolutely amazing!
The hot body from walking all night quickly cools down in the water. I joyfully splashed around, cleansing myself.
“Wow, are you happy washing like that?”
“Mom! Kyaaaah!”
I shouted in surprise as I searched for the source of that voice. Hayoung was perched on a thick branch, resting her chin on her hand while looking down at me.
Why is she spying on me?!
“What are you doing peeking! A grown woman watching a man wash?”
“Hehe. What’s wrong with that? It’s funny.”
“Get away!”
I splashed water at her, covering my chest, and she giggled, running away. This teasing is too much…! If that’s the case, why not just show me your bath?
Of course, I couldn’t say that.
Once I finished rinsing off and got dressed, I climbed up to the cave.
“Here! Come over!”
From above, Hayoung beckoned me enthusiastically. The entrance of the cave looked just right, cozy for resting.
“Wow. This place is great. Look at this cave! It seems just perfect.”
“Isn’t it nice? This is my secret spot. Come on, the fire’s already set up.”
“Wow!”
Watching the fire crackle excitedly sparked my interest.
—Crackle, crackle.
I immediately squatted in front of the fire, eagerly soaking up the warmth. Coming out from the cold valley made the heat feel exceptionally comforting.
“This is really nice. I feel so good.”
“Right?”
This is when barbecued sausages would be perfect, huh?
How about a spicy beef soup with instant noodles, huh!
And kimchi, huh!
Everything should be here!
“…”
Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
I remembered when I went to the valley with my Aunt back in middle school. It was just us back then, too, and it was peaceful. The spicy beef soup we had there was something I still remember vividly.
Also, I remember sleeping in the tent with my Aunt. Those memories are still fresh. I keep recalling the time I splashed her while she was wearing a bikini.
“Are you sleepy?”
“Ah, maybe it’s because it’s warm. I’m starting to feel drowsy. But how did you start the fire?”
“Of course, with my magic.”
“Hehe, is that so?”
“If you’re going to sleep, eat first. That way you’ll recover your strength.”
Hayoung expertly set up the cooking tools. She definitely looked like she had experience. Stacking the branches effortlessly, she placed the pot perfectly.
“Do you have ingredients? Just toss them all in here. I have the spices.”
“You have spices?!”
“Hehe, do you like spicy food?”
“I love it!”
Immediately, Hayoung and I began to prepare the food. Though it wasn’t anything complicated—just tossing in the ingredients and adding spices while boiling them.
But despite that, it felt fun and delicious.
—Bubble, bubble.
Ah.
Seeing the vibrant red color makes me crave a spicy soup.
“I should’ve caught some fish earlier.”
“Wow, you actually thought of something great? Hurry up and catch some!”
“But if I catch some now, I’ll have to clean them and everything. Let’s do it next time.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Let’s do that.”
After cooking to our satisfaction, we ate together. The taste wasn’t particularly special, but eating it after soaking in the valley and sitting by the fire felt good.
I really wish for that spicy beef soup right about now.
“Hey, Hayoung. Do you usually cook and eat all alone like this?”
“Most of the time. There’s no reason to travel with anyone else.”
So she doesn’t have friends…
“But eating together like this with you is really nice!”
“Hehe, even saying that, you won’t share your stories.”
“That’s just unfair!”
After meals, we did the dishes and set our things in front of the fire. Then I noticed Hayoung pulling out some kind of talisman and sticking it around us.
“What’s that?”
“When resting, you have to rest well. I’m going to set up some charms to repel bad things.”
“Ooh…! As expected of the master! I can’t help with anything! I’ll help right away!”
“Hehe, you’re quite thoughtful. But just lie down. This is something you can’t assist with.”
“Yes.”
I quietly lay down, and Hayoung easily laid down next to me.
“Ahh, this is so cozy with the blanket!”
“Um, Hayoung?”
“Huh? What is it?”
“Isn’t it a bit too casual to lie next to a strange man? This too feels like we’re sharing a sleeping bag…”
“What on earth are you talking about? Didn’t we decide that we’re friends?”
Is that what friendship means?
“So I’m not a stranger anymore? Then it’s fine to sleep close to each other! It’ll keep us warmer!”
With those slightly shameless words, I felt the tent rising uncontrollably.