Chapter 17
The time at the pool flew by.
It was just a simple repetition of splashing each other, playing catch with a ball, and drinking refreshments, but it was the most fun he'd ever had.
Splash!
“You little…!”
Amon, pushed into the pool by Sonia, sprung back onto the ground with a single jump.
Then, he scooped Sonia up and jumped into the pool with her.
Pong!
A huge splash erupted as the two plunged into the water.
Sonia tackled Amon from behind as he surfaced, pulling him back under.
Then, both of them emerged, laughing brightly.
Though they were initially shy even to look at each other when they first arrived at the pool, after a few splashes, they had no qualms about physical contact.
They played pranks on each other as friends always do.
“Haha. Here, have a drink while you’re at it.”
As the two were having a boisterous time, the Squinting Priest approached and handed them drinks.
Since they were thirsty, they didn't refuse.
Quenching her thirst with the refreshing Lemonade, Sonia spoke to the Squinting Priest.
“I’m so sorry. It feels bad that only we are having fun like this.”
“It's alright. When else would I get to come to a place like this? I'm here on the pretense of being a guardian, thanks to your funding, Sister.”
Sonia couldn't help but give a wry smile at the priest's words.
When she heard that the priest was coming along on the trip with Amon, she simply thought of him as a hindrance.
She thought he'd steal away her time alone with Amon, and if she ever tried to initiate anything *unholy* with Amon, he’d recite scriptures and stop her.
But once they arrived, it was completely different.
The priest possessed a super open mind.
He didn't stop Sonia from doing anything with Amon.
He just observed them from afar, enjoying the scenery, acting as a guardian for their trip.
Literally, a moneybag.
A grateful presence who only provided the funds and nothing else.
Furthermore, he occasionally brought them drinks and introduced them to various services available.
He was closer to a tour guide than a guardian.
Sonia, who had considered the priest a hindrance, felt incredibly apologetic.
Meanwhile, unlike Sonia, Amon wasn't interested in the priest.
His attention was directed towards his female friend, who was sipping her drink.
Just a few minutes ago, he couldn't collect his thoughts from the unfamiliar shock, but not anymore.
Now, with some composure, he examined his feelings.
If Amon wasn't mistaken, the emotion he felt upon first seeing Sonia in her swimsuit was, surprisingly, not lust but a flutter of excitement.
He felt genuinely warm the moment he saw her.
In this rotten, untrustworthy world.
He felt a genuine desire to be with her.
Immediately after, Amon's body reacted, accelerating his blood flow and stimulating his lower body, his heart pounding painfully.
Because of this, Amon couldn't help but feel confused.
Could he truly... love Sonia?
***
Love was a truly complicated emotion.
It has no definite cause, no set pattern, and no explainable principle.
Amon was no exception.
His heart started to race due to an unusual sight of his female friend, someone he considered ordinary in everyday life.
At a glance, one might think this was love, but Amon didn't think so.
He had to be cautious.
Love in a peaceful world and love in a world where you don’t know when you might die held entirely different meanings.
The word "love" carried a much heavier weight in this world.
In a world where you shouldn't trust anyone, you had to trust your partner, and you had to be able to confidently entrust your weaknesses to them.
And it meant gaining another weakness.
Rather than revealing your weaknesses, the fact that your partner becomes your weakness hit him harder.
Because this garbage world would use any means necessary.
Therefore, Amon couldn't help but hesitate to acknowledge the feeling of love.
Could Amon truly love Sonia?
Furthermore, did he have the confidence to live while bearing the weakness that was her?
His worries didn't last long.
The moment he saw a sleazy Golden Sun hitting on Sonia while he was returning from the restroom, his blood boiled. [1]
‘Ah, it’s already too late.’
His heart had already refused to let Sonia go.
If this emotion wasn't love, then what was it?
Therefore, there was no hesitation in Amon’s steps.
Just like Sonia had done to him, Amon approached her.
And, wrapping his arms around her waist, he said,
“Honey, were you waiting?”
Amon had no intention of letting her go.
***
‘Hngh?!’
Caught off guard by Amon suddenly grabbing her waist, Sonia almost let out a moan.
Thanks to her innate Agility, she reflexively swallowed the sound, but she couldn't hide the hiccup that escaped her.
She could feel Amon's fingers on her waist through the thin latex swimsuit, much thinner than the cloth clothes she usually wore.
It was the first time she felt Amon’s fingers on her waist.
That wasn't all.
The more he held her, the more his body heat transferred to hers.
Amon hugged her tightly, almost to the point of pain.
Sonia didn't resist, leaning against his shoulder and enjoying his firm muscles.
Then, she shot a contemptuous look at the Golden Sun who had been hitting on her just moments ago.
A look that said she was taken, so back off.
But unlike the women who had been hitting on Amon earlier, this Golden Sun’s attitude was a little different.
As if he had something to rely on, he maintained a cocky attitude and continued his advances.
“Why are you playing so hard to get? Ah, right. The friend next to you is also pretty; it looks like it'll be fun. How about we all have a go together?”
The Golden Sun gestured towards the women he brought with him, making a circle with his thumb and index finger on one hand and moving the fingers of his other hand through it.
Amon’s disgust doubled.
It was extremely unpleasant, but he couldn't resort to violence.
In a voice dripping with barely concealed displeasure, Amon politely declined.
“I’m sorry. We’re not interested.”
However, his counterpart was a Golden Sun with a persistent streak.
As if oblivious to the tone of Amon’s reply, the Golden Sun let out a hollow laugh.
“Looks like the young’un doesn’t know who I am.”
The Golden Sun’s pupils expanded with a mechanical whir.
He scanned Amon's body, confirmed that no Procedures had been performed, and smirked.
He couldn’t help but scoff at Amon’s unimpressive physique.
‘Putting on airs in front of a woman, are we? Does he seriously think he can protect an S-Class woman with a body like that?’
He mocked Amon inwardly, but introduced himself nonetheless.
“I’m a Gold-rank Adventurer, kid. Do you know what Gold-rank means?”
Introducing himself inflated the Golden Sun's ego.
How about that, you little shit? Getting the picture now?
He looked down at Amon with that arrogant gaze.
However, Amon and Sonia’s reactions were entirely different from what the Golden Sun expected.
“So?”
“I don’t know. Go away.”
They couldn’t care less.
Rather, thanks to the Golden Sun introducing himself as a Gold-rank Adventurer, Amon felt relieved.
Unless he was some Chairman’s son or a Gang leader, an Adventurer was a profession without backing.
Besides, Adventurer was just a fancy way for a Mercenary to introduce himself.
‘What a poser.’
Their only assets were their money, their lawyer, and their bodies.
Naturally, there was no way they could mobilize those resources over a quarrel at a pool, so Amon had no reason to be afraid.
Was he dissatisfied with their reaction?
The Golden Sun raised his hand above his waist, aiming for Amon’s shoulder.
A light touch on the shoulder was enough to dislocate such a frail physique.
It was the perfect way to teach him a lesson without painting the pool red.
But before his hand could reach Amon’s shoulder, reinforcements arrived.
“Is there a problem, Young Master?”
The Squinting Priest approached the two with a friendly smile.
It was hard to tell when he was wearing his Priest’s robes, but the Priest was quite well-built.
Enough to believe him if he said he performed exorcisms by cracking Demon skulls.
The Golden Sun rolled his mechanical eyes and scanned the newly arrived Priest's body.
Most of the priest's body was human.
However, his left arm was unscannable.
Not that there was nothing installed, but it was simply unscannable.
Was it because of the location, which simulated summer weather?
A bead of sweat trickled down the Golden Sun's spine.
‘Shit. Was he from a Special Operations Unit or something?’
Unscannable equipment was usually a feature found on military equipment that prioritized stealth.
It was also a feature used by monsters like corporate Special Operations Units, former special forces turned Gang members, and other similar groups.
If you asked how terrifying these beings were, the difference was such that if a fight broke out, a Gold-rank Adventurer would have his spine ripped out and displayed in someone’s living room without anyone knowing.
And the kind of person who would be called “Young Master” by such a being would be someone like a Gang boss’s son or a Chairman’s son.
The Golden Sun rolled his eyes and gauged Amon's reaction.
Sensing the change in atmosphere, Amon played along with the Priest's act.
“This gentleman keeps making uncomfortable propositions.”
“Hmm…”
The priest rubbed his chin, scanning the Golden Sun from head to toe.
It was clear he was calculating how to deal with the Golden Sun.
Even an Adventurer who lived for the moment wouldn't want to die for no reason today.
The Golden Sun immediately lowered his stance and pleaded with Amon.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t know what I was doing. Please, spare my life!”
“What did I say?”
“Nothing. You didn’t say anything. Yes, yes. I was spouting nonsense.”
Amon, tired of even facing the Golden Sun, shooed him away with a gesture close to a dismissal order.
The Golden Sun left immediately without any complaint.
As the Golden Sun fled to the other side of the pool, almost as far away from Amon's group as possible,
the Priest muttered while watching him.
“Mercenaries… They’re truly barbaric.”
Because he was certain Amon and Sonia would come to the Vatican, his words were bold.
But at this moment, regardless of the Vatican, Amon agreed wholeheartedly.
“That's what happens to people who scrape by in Dungeons every day.”
As they said, Adventurers were a term for those Mercenaries who explored Dungeons.
A Dungeon referred to a company ruined by uncontrolled dangerous Experiments, born from the excessive greed of a Company.
You know, things like that.
A research lab destroyed by escaped experimental subjects from bioweapon research,
A company going bankrupt after everyone becomes undead from a curse during Magic research,
A company ruined by an escaped Entity used to power a generator.
Usually, when a Company goes bankrupt overnight like this, the parties responsible for the damage caused by the failed Experiments also vanish.
It costs money to safely demolish a building where the people responsible have become food for the experimental subjects.
So, the government, instead of demolishing them, chooses to seal them up tightly and hush it up.
Then, a new ecosystem forms within the sealed building, and the cost of safely demolishing it increases further.
This vicious cycle repeats itself, and a difficult-to-handle Dungeon is complete.
A Dungeon with no productivity, only lowering land values.
Even this troublesome thing surprisingly has demand,
and that’s where the Mercenaries come in.
Inside the instantly bankrupt Companies remained unretrieved confidential data or company-specific technologies.
It was the perfect place for Mercenaries aiming for a windfall.
If there were any body enhancement technologies or equipment left in the Company, it was a profit.
If there was information they could sell to the government or other groups, it was a profit.
If the powerful technology that ruined the Company became theirs, it was the ultimate profit.
Even if they just returned with their limbs intact, no, even if they just returned alive, it was a profit.
In fact, the top Mercenaries in the industry all had one or two technologies from the deepest parts of Dungeons installed in their bodies.
So, Mercenaries called themselves adventurers or explorers and jumped into Dungeons.
The Golden Sun who picked a fight with Amon was also one of those kinds, with nothing but his body.
A being who poured every day into primal pleasures, not knowing when he might die.
“Honestly, I don’t see any difference between them and gamblers.”
“It’s just a different stake. Money or their lives.”
“Brother. You’re quite sharp-tongued for someone your age.”
Amon shrugged in response.
Anyway, thanks to the Priest’s help, Amon drove away the unwelcome guest.
After thanking the priest, he checked on Sonia.
She was blushing in his arms.
He turned his head to check the position of the Sun.
The Sun was already setting.
Instead of taking her back to the pool, Amon suggested the place he had reserved with the Priest.
“Shall we go back to our room?”
“...Yes.”
Sonia shyly nodded.
***
Amon and Sonia didn't have any particular feelings about sharing a room.
At least, that's what they thought until 8 hours ago.
But after realizing his romantic feelings for Sonia, Amon couldn't look at her the same way.
‘Why does this hotel have a shower room visible from the bedroom?!’
To be precise, it was translucent glass, but that only stimulated his imagination.
Swoosh.
Splash, splash.
Whoever installed the shower room, there was absolutely no soundproofing.
‘Whoever you are, thanks, asshole…’
The swimsuit the Hotel provided, the two-person room structure, the shower room structure…
The designer of this Resort must be a pervert… no, definitely a pervert.
Amon chanted the Heart Sutra internally, trying to avert his gaze from Sonia's shower.
But his instincts kept pulling his gaze towards her silhouette.
The translucent glass provided endless possibilities for imagination.
As she flipped her hair and arched her back slightly, her ample breasts emphasized their presence, drawing a beautiful curve.
As she began to wash her body, the fleshy mounds jiggled accordingly.
Amon’s gaze followed her hand.
Starting from the nape of her neck, her hand trailed down her waist, washing her hips.
When she finally bent down, washing her thighs and calves, her buttocks came into focus.
Amon’s gaze momentarily left her hands, appreciating the beautiful curve created by her hips and waist.
Above her waist, her previously round breasts drooped like water balloons, fully displaying their presence.
This blissful moment ended quickly as she straightened up.
Before Amon could feel disappointed, her hand moved towards the highlight.
She raised one arm and began to wash her armpit.
Because of her large breasts, she had to support her chest from below to wash her armpit.
He could faintly see the shape of her breast being squished by her arm.
“Hmm~♪”
She hummed as she washed the other side the same way.
The next destination was a more private area.
Supporting her breast with one hand, she cleaned under it.
The shadow of her breast changed shape as she moved her hand.
Squish, jiggle.
And as it passed between her breasts from below, it spread wide to both sides once again.
Thus captivating Amon’s gaze.
Finally, her hand headed towards her most private area.
Between her thighs.
The entrance to a woman’s most precious part.
Barely managing to suppress the vulgar expressions that popped into his mind, Amon averted his gaze.
Finally, as Sonia’s shower ended, so did Amon’s happy time.
***
After Sonia finished showering, Amon also took a shower.
Just as Amon had done, Sonia also fully enjoyed the view of Amon's silhouette.
Eventually, they both sat down on the queen-sized bed placed side-by-side, facing each other.
Both fresh from their showers, they faced each other.
The open bathrobes revealed their cleavage.
Their fair skin was a critical hit to each other.
Their faces flushed crimson, yet they continued to gaze at each other without turning away, speechless.
Their hearts fluttered, they felt shy, dizzy…
Sensations that would normally be anything but pleasant, yet in this moment, they enjoyed these feelings.
After staring at each other in silence for several minutes,
Amon broke the awkward silence.
“Sonia.”
“Yes?”
“I’ve been thinking.”
Amon’s outpouring began without context.
Until this morning, he considered Sonia a friend.
But the moment she was hit on by the Golden Sun, he couldn’t help but realize.
He could never let her go.
And that he could entrust his back to her.
“I thought about it. If I was just attracted to your looks. But it wasn’t. I like you, Sonia, the person.”
Throughout their time at the pool, Amon’s heart didn’t flutter even slightly at the sight of any other beauties.
When he realized that his gaze hadn’t strayed even once in this place, where influencers and models from all over the world gathered, flaunting their figures in provocative swimsuits,
He was certain.
He liked Sonia, the person.
“Let me be clear. I like your pretty face. I like your voice, and I like your warm touch. Your usual cheerful demeanor with occasional glimpses of coldness is charming. I like how you always support me, how you believe in me, all of it.”
After pouring out his words without hesitation, Amon took a breath and continued.
“But more than anything else, I… I…”
Phew….
Amon took a deep breath.
And the moment he was about to utter the final word,
Sonia cut him off.
“I love you.”
As she spoke, Sonia’s face drew closer to Amon’s.
Their breaths mingled.
‘?!’
Before Amon could process the situation, Sonia fully utilized her knowledge.
‘What the… her tongue…’
Amon stopped thinking.
Instead, he focused on never forgetting this moment.
His first kiss...
...was etched deep within his soul, never to be forgotten.
[1] Basically just Korean Slang for Tan/Blonde Douche