DMHS 76

The opponent clicked his tongue. From the tone of his voice, it seemed that he was angry.

As if he would not hold back any longer, the opponent closed the distance with Kian. He swung hands and feet recklessly and attacked.

Destructive power erupted from his bare body that did not even hold a weapon.

Where his hand blade passed, the wind cut with a whoosh whoosh, and where his feet struck, the ground broke with a thud thud. When blade and hand collided, a heavy clang rang out, and even Kian staggered back.

The opponent overwhelmed Kian in both speed and strength.

‘It is fortunate that he did not learn swordsmanship.’

If he had properly learned battle, he would have been an unbeatable opponent.

Fortunately, relying on skills and experience accumulated until now, Kian deflected the opponent’s attacks and countered from time to time. As time passed, Kian was unscathed, while the opponent’s small scratches increased.

“Huff, huff…”

The opponent wiped the sweat that hung at the tip of his chin.

Kian saw that some distance had increased between them, and he lowered his blade.

Since the opponent had attacked out of nowhere, he had blocked, but since the opponent was Lucien, he needed to understand the situation first.

“Do you not remember me?”

A curt reply came back from the other side.

“Who are you?”

“I am Lord Lucien’s mate.”

“Lies. I do not have a mate.”

Kian groaned.

“You did not lose your memory, did you?”

“Of course not. I would never lose my memory.”

“Until you came here, what were you doing? Were you in the Freesia Palace? Were the animals that Mr. Walter raised in the garden safe?”

At the words he threw out as a probe, the opponent drew raspy breaths. His squinted eyes moved quickly, he was searching Kian.

“What is your identity?”

It was a shaken reaction. Kian swallowed.

‘Did I really fall into a parallel world?”

That was all he could think of. Kian said honestly.

“As I just said. I am Lord Lucien’s mate. To be exact, I am the mate from another dimension.”

“Another dimension?”

“A world that belongs to a dimension parallel with this one. A dimension is…”

“I already know, so you do not need to explain. But you say that I accepted a mate there?”

“Yes. You chose a mate in the twenty-eighth selection contest.”

“Twenty-eighth.”

Lucien clicked his tongue. He seemed to be tracing back past memories in his own way.

“It was the last selection contest that opened. As expected, it was full of worthless humans, and I did not even see anyone like you.”

“In the world, coincidences that defeat destiny also exist.”

“Well, I think that I do not have a destined mate.”

Before Kian could refute, voices came from deep inside the cave.

“There was a suspicious sound from that corridor just now. It seems an intruder came in, so let’s all go and check.”

“Could it be that he came?”

“No way. He would not destroy the temple.”

Indeed, the noise from their fight had been loud.

‘I should hide for now.’

Kian hid his body behind a pillar. On the other hand, Lucien, who must also have heard the voices, stayed standing in place.

The sound of footsteps grew closer. With the light of the magic stones they carried, the cave grew brighter.

‘What are you doing not hiding?’

This place was a parallel world. Lucien, who had gone through the twenty-eighth mate selection contest, could not possibly have friendly ties with the far-off Delia tribe, especially those who belonged to the temple of the god of destruction.

‘He must have entered to investigate something, same as me now.’

At this rate, Lucien being discovered was a matter of time. Even now, the light of the magic stones that alternately lit left and right came close to touching Lucien’s feet.

“Wait a moment. Over there, something…”

One man hesitated and voiced his opinion. Kian could not endure any longer and pulled Lucien’s arm.

Lucien, who was pulled more obediently than expected, was close, almost embraced by Kian. In the darkness, green eyes filled with confusion looked up at Kian. Kian brought his index finger over his lips.

“Shh.”

Even so, Lucien’s displeasure did not vanish.

“Why?”

Now people had come close. Unable to make a loud sound, Kian leaned to Lucien’s ear and whispered quietly.

“Let’s first let the people leave and then talk.”

Bodies pressed close, and a sultry whisper. For an encounter with someone seen for the first time, the physical distance was far too familiar.

But Kian did not know his fault. Because even while assuming this was a parallel world, the Lucien before his eyes was too familiar.

On the other hand, Lucien furrowed his brows. He quickly swung his arm and knocked Kian away.

While Kian, flustered, stepped back, the gathered people discovered Lucien.

“Oh, there is a boy here!”

“A boy?”

There were six people in total. Those who wrapped their whole bodies tightly in black robes surrounded Lucien as if they had been waiting.

Lucien, who had lifted one corner of his mouth with a smirk while looking down at the ground, raised his head.

“Let’s stop playing here.”

The air, grown heavy, pressed down on the whole body. People began to collapse powerlessly to the ground.

“Ugh!”

“Krgh…!”

Kian behind the pillar was no exception.

He did not know what trick Lucien had used, but his throat was suddenly gripped tight. As the oxygen to his head decreased, his sight turned white.

Clang.

The dagger in his hand fell to the ground. Kian bent his upper body and clutched his neck. He wanted to tear away whatever was holding his throat, but nothing came into his grasp.

Kian’s lips opened soundlessly. His breath was blocked. The time he could endure was not long. Death was right before him.

When he realized that, a shadow darker than darkness spread under Kian’s feet.

Ssss.

The shadow instantly covered Kian and the people who had collapsed. Moments later, when the shadow seeped away into the ground, no one remained in that spot.

“What… it was not a human but a demon?”

Lucien spoke in a drained voice and walked with heavy steps. He crouched at the place where Kian had vanished and set his hand on the floor.

That was the moment Kian had been waiting for.

Whoosh.

A black shadow jumped out from the floor.

Lucien swung his hand toward the shadow. But it slipped away from his reach.

As if more and more provoked, Lucien’s attacks grew fierce. It seemed that Kian had not been the only one who hid his power. Whenever Lucien swung his arm, the ceiling and walls of the cave began to collapse.

A moment later the shadow absorbed even the light of the fallen magic stones. Inside the cave there was only pitch-black darkness where front and back, up and down could not be distinguished.

Lucien, unable to hide his irritation, bit down on his lower lip.

In the wide cave, Lucien’s voice echoed.

“Come out.”

“……”

“If you do not come out now, I will kill every person inside this cave. If you think it is a joke, then watch what happens.”

“…No.”

On the wall of the cave, a pair of black wings appeared. Between them, Kian in the same form as before emerged.

Lucien stood and sneered.

“A demon who saves people. That is amusing.”

“…Forgive me.”

“I will not kill you, so bring out the other humans too.”

The strange darkness that had covered the cave vanished. The people in black robes were lying collapsed as they encircled Lucien.

Lucien looked down at them indifferently and then walked deeper into the cave.

“Let’s go.”

“May I accompany you?”

At the cautious question, Lucien shrugged.

“You also have business here, don’t you? To deal with you properly would take time, but right now I do not want to bother with troublesome things. If you dislike it, then go separately.”

“I will go together.”

Kian laid the unconscious people against the wall.

After that, the two went side by side deeper into the cave. When they passed the section where the lights were out, a corridor with lit candles appeared. The shadows made by the candles stretched long and short again as they followed the two’s movements.

As they walked in silence, Kian kept glancing at Lucien.

In truth, he had many things he wanted to know about the other.

How he came here? What the power he used just now was? How this world was flowing? There was a flood of things he wanted to pour out.

Lucien, noticing the gaze, lifted his head.

“If you have something to say, do not just stare, just say it.”

Fortunately, the chance came. Kian had plenty he wanted to ask the other. He surely did, but…

When his eyes met the sullen gaze, what came out was an absurd question.

“Am I not handsome?”

“What?”

“At this level, I should be at least good-looking, shouldn’t I? Do you not feel like you want to take me as your mate?”

“……”

Silence followed. Only then did Kian realize what nonsense he had just spoken.

‘I am mad.’

There was only one excuse.

‘When does the effect of the potion end?’

Kian felt restless with the Lucien he met in the parallel world.

It was not because of his body or because he attacked as soon as they met.

This Lucien looked exactly the same as the Lucien Kian knew. Even in the dark, the shining golden hair and the long limbs that seemed grown beyond his age were exactly the Lucien he knew.

There was only one difference.

‘Eyes.’

Yes, those eyes.

Kian had never known a Lucien with indifferent eyes. The Lucien he knew always looked at him sweetly as if soaked in honey.

–Mate.

He couldn’t hide his affection in the playful words he spoke.

–My mate.

He focused on every move Kian made, and he wanted to do more of what Kian liked, and he tried to avoid what Kian disliked.

Kian had found that burdensome. He had wished Lucien would treat him casually, the same way he called Daisy and Frederick red-hair and blue-hair.

But when Lucien actually looked at him as if he was a stone rolling on the ground, his heart grew restless. It was uncomfortable, suffocating, and unbearably disheartening.