Resurrection Chapter 71 - Did It Feel Good?

I was chasing the ghost horse as it slid away, but carrying the bag of gold bars made me slower than before. Yoon Younghyun ran for dear life and began to suspect that Min Gongchan might hate him. Of course, he was probably acting this way because he thought there was no way Yoon Younghyun would miss the chance to go to the otherworld shop, but emotionally, he wanted to think it was because Min Gongchan despised him.

If he had his way, he would have committed theft just to spite him, but he had no choice but to act as the man expected. Instead of running away with the gold, Yoon Younghyun chased Min Gongchan with all his might and let out a string of curses.

“Damn it!”

Seo Heesoo’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected story.

“You want me to help you train?”

Kim Yitae, looking as if he had steeled his resolve, spoke with his shoulders squared.

“Yeah. I realized after what happened last time that I can’t go on like this. It’s not just you, hyung; I have to get stronger too so I can reach the max level without guys like Yaksha getting in the way. Also…”

Kim Yitae stopped mid-sentence and swallowed the rest of his words. But Seo Heesoo guessed what he wanted to say.

It was none other than the Ulfheðinn problem.

Since Ulfheðinn was using his body as he pleased, spirit possession was out of the question. But if a situation arose where he was helpless, like last time, he would inevitably ask for a descent. He was likely saying that he would get stronger himself to prevent such a thing from happening.

“There’s a problem when you, a high-level player who has a hard time leveling up, gained 5 levels while I only gained 2.”

“That’s because you funneled the experience points to me.”

“That’s part of it, but it’s mostly my fault for neglecting my swordsmanship. I even lost the magic sword because I dropped it. His Majesty was furious. I need to train, if only to make up for it. But there’s a limit to what I can do alone, so I’m asking you to help me, hyung.”

Worried he might be refused, though there was no reason he would be, Kim Yitae spoke at length. He praised Seo Heesoo to the skies, saying he was a master of the sword and a genius of the century, and that he had never seen anyone wield a sword as well as him in his lifetime.

But those words did not register in Seo Heesoo’s mind. They just passed through his ears. It was because he was distracted by something completely unrelated.

He was looking at Kim Yitae’s lips, which moved ceaselessly as he chattered on.

The lips, with their well-defined shape and plump fullness, were exceptionally red. Kim Yitae himself didn’t seem aware of it, but he had a habit of fiddling with his lips or gnawing on his lower lip with the tips of his teeth. He tended to do it when he was deep in thought or worried, and perhaps because of that, his lips were always reddish, as if touched by autumn leaves.

For some reason, as he stared at them, Seo Heesoo realized that he himself was being strange. Staring at someone’s lips, no matter who they were, was a breach of etiquette. If it was another man’s lips, it was beyond rude; there was no reason to look at them that way.

Seo Heesoo hastily lowered his eyelids, but Kim Yitae’s words were particularly long today. Seo Heesoo listened to Kim Yitae’s voice, which sounded almost like a song, and then lifted his eyelids again. He then stared blankly at the lips that repeatedly parted and closed.

The lips, wrapped in a thin layer of skin, looked extremely soft and tender. It seemed that if he bit them lightly, they would burst and bleed. Along with the conviction that even that blood would be sweet, his throat grew dry and his mouth parched, as if he already knew the taste of his blood.

Seo Heesoo unknowingly swallowed his dry saliva.

‘What’s wrong with me.’

For some reason, he desperately craved Kim Yitae’s lips. A desire akin to thirst made the root of his tongue gasp.

He had no idea why this passion was visiting him while looking at Kim Yitae of all people.

Could it be because of the strange things he heard from Min Gongchan? Could it be that hearing he would go mad for him and even destroy the world made him conscious of Kim Yitae?

He didn’t know the answer. All he knew was that he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Kim Yitae’s lips.

Seo Heesoo knew that he was violating his lips with his gaze alone. In his imagination, he had already kissed his lips and tasted what was inside several times. It was so vivid that it was absurd, making him wonder if his imagination had ever been reality.

“Honestly, you admit it too, hyung. That you’re good with a sword.”

Kim Yitae, who had been talking for a while, spoke in a joking tone and nudged his arm with his elbow. Seo Heesoo flinched, barely managing to push down his recoiling shoulder. Because of that, he affirmed Kim Yitae’s words without thinking.

“Yes.”

“Huh? I thought you’d deny it. That’s unexpected. Speaking of which, I was really curious. Have you ever fought Cheongeom Lee Maeyeong? If you have, who won? It’s a bit hard to compare because your classes are different, but since Lee Maeyeong is S-class, I won’t be surprised if you lost.”

“I’m not sure.”

“Huh? It’s your own business, but you’re not sure? You should at least know whether or not you’ve fought Lee Maeyeong. Then of course you’d know if you won or lost.”

“We did cross swords in a way that was similar to a fight, but it ended ambiguously, so I’m not sure.”

“Ah, really? I guess so. It’s not like you had a reason to fight, and there’s no bigger waste than Awakeners fighting just to determine who’s superior. The stronger the people who clash, the more you can’t know what the aftermath will be. This is just my opinion, but if you had fought for real, I’m sure you would have won, hyung. I bet you’d definitely win now. Your physique right now is—whoa~—at a level where you could crush most guys.”

Seo Heesoo answered Kim Yitae’s words absentmindedly, swallowing his dry saliva not once, but several times. His lower abdomen slowly grew hot, as if what he had swallowed was not saliva but a ball of fire. He felt his body starting to heat up and became extremely flustered.

There were few clothes in this base camp that fit him. Because his body had gotten so big, most of them were tight, and the jogger pants he was wearing now were no exception. His physical state was starkly revealed, so it would be troublesome if he continued to be conscious of Kim Yitae.

But as is often the case, when you think, ‘I shouldn’t be conscious of it,’ you become even more conscious of it. Feeling a swelling in his lower region, Seo Heesoo thought he had to do something and cut Kim Yitae’s words short.

“If you want to train, I’ll help you as much as you want. Shall we go out right now?”

“Now? Uh, yeah. Sure. Let’s go.”

Seo Heesoo turned around without waiting for Kim Yitae to get ready. Pretending not to notice his lower body, which was even feeling a slight pain, he went out to the field outside the cave.

There, a wooden training sword, made from a whittled-down tree branch, was rolling around. He picked it up and swung it a few times, trying to chase away his distracting thoughts, when Kim Yitae followed him out soon after.

Under the faint sunlight, Kim Yitae was lightly dressed in just a T-shirt. His senses, sharpened like a blade, detected the fine hairs on the nape of his neck glittering faintly.

From his steady heartbeat to his deep exhalations, everything sounded as clear as if he were pressed right up against his entire body. Everything about Kim Yitae felt desperate.

To hell with training. Seo Heesoo grit his teeth against the impulse to embrace Kim Yitae right now and roll around in the field. He didn’t know why he was like this, but something was wrong. Seriously wrong.

With the intention of correcting it, Seo Heesoo turned to look at Kim Yitae. And he said with a straight face.

“First, let’s check your skills. I’ll give you a light test.”

Kim Yitae nodded his head as if he understood. Then he picked up the remaining wooden sword and took his stance.

👑

I glared at Heesoo hyung with tension.

Heesoo hyung stood quietly with his wooden sword held upright. I didn’t wait for a signal and lunged forward. Following his advice, I perfectly executed the repeated slashes without losing my footing.

Heesoo hyung blocked the attack by striking down with his wooden sword as if he were hammering, but I relaxed my strength and smoothly turned my waist. Letting the rebound force flow away, I did a full spin on the spot and snatched the wooden sword in a reverse grip. With it, I scraped against Heesoo hyung’s wooden sword, then flicked my wrist to right my grip and feinted a downward strike before thrusting.

The attack was effective! My wooden sword hit Heesoo hyung’s shoulder, but the feeling of triumph was only half there. His body, enhanced by a passive skill, sent my wooden sword flying right back. Instead, my wrist throbbed with a zing.

I didn’t force myself to hold on. Planning to press the advantage, I launched myself toward Heesoo hyung, jumping with both feet at once.

My shoulder collided with his, and Heesoo hyung stepped back, seemingly taken aback by the unexpected attack. The moment I landed on the ground, I struck his shin with the wooden sword, then aimed for his liver and hit his side with my left hand.

Whack—!

The fist landed precisely on the vital spot, but it was the back of my hand that almost shattered. “Ack!” I screamed and was thrown back. My eyes welled up with tears, and I shook my wrist vigorously, grumbling.

“Hey, is your body made of steel? Isn’t this too much?”

Heesoo hyung stylishly twirled his wooden sword a few times before sheathing it and said.

“That attack wasn’t bad. Let’s go again.”

“I just lost, why would I come at you again?”

“Are you saying you want to stop here?”

Heesoo hyung’s tone was emotionless, but I was thoroughly provoked.

The test, which had started as a skills check, had been going on for hours. The strikes from his wooden sword were fierce, unlike Heesoo hyung, and various places where I’d been hit were throbbing and aching. Still, he hadn’t been the one to suggest stopping, so my pride flared up.

“Hyaap!”

I gripped the wooden sword again and charged at Heesoo hyung, letting out a nonsensical battle cry. The attack, which laid my emotional state bare, was pathetic.

In the brief moment I faltered, Heesoo hyung struck my body in three places with his wooden sword. From my forearm and waist to my thigh.