Chapter 743: A Dangerous Scent (6)

It felt like something straight out of a comic from my past life—like “gravity x100” had actually become reality.

My body was being crushed under an overwhelming pressure.

At the same time, there was the presence of a massive existence watching me.

So this was just a remnant of an immortal residing in the upper heavens.

My own realm had risen enough that I could roughly understand how this force was being projected onto me—and that realization sent a chill down my spine.

The pressure crushing me right now wasn’t because that immortal who had made a contract with Sua was actively doing anything.

It was simply the trace he had left behind.

A mere remnant—something not even as significant as a Primordial Infant or an incarnation—just a fragment left behind at the time of the contract was doing this to me.

Like how shadows form when light falls, this was just the afterimage naturally left behind by a great existence.

Like the lingering air that remains after the wind has passed.

The movement of energy born from that fragment alone, without any deliberate action, was pressing down on us with immense force.

What kind of being was the immortal himself?

I couldn’t even begin to imagine it.

It felt impossible to express with numbers, or even describe with words.

Just like how knowing the temperature of the sun’s surface doesn’t let a human truly grasp its heat—

Even what I was feeling now was probably no more than one-millionth, one-billionth of the real thing.

But I didn’t have the luxury of standing around in awe.

Wondering about the greatness of such an existence could come later—after I survived.

Because escaping this fragment alone didn’t seem easy.

‘A way...’

Just as I was frantically searching for a way out—

Running through dozens of possibilities in my head and discarding them one by one—

I heard Sua’s voice beside me.

“Ugh... I-I’m sorry! I—I don’t know anything! Th-that person—!”

She was sprawled flat on the ground, bowing repeatedly as if performing a full-body prostration, apologizing to the remnant.

After begging me for her life, she’d immediately switched sides the moment her primary contract holder appeared.

So much for “noble dragon.”

She wasn’t even as good as a lizard.

‘This bastard...’

I was just thinking I’d rip her cheeks off once we got out of here—

when the immortal’s remnant roared.

[How dare a mere Primordial Infant cultivator attempt to violate the covenant of a great dragon! Insolent!]

It hadn’t even done anything—just expressed anger—

but the pressure intensified.

It felt like the emotion itself was being converted into physical force.

As both Sua and I were crushed, she screamed and begged,

“It’s not me! It’s not me! It’s him!”

“Ghh—!”

While I endured it with my Protective Inner Energy, Sua was in far worse shape.

She was probably more of a Dao Technique or Law Arts type—her condition was severe.

Blood was streaming from her nose, eyes, and mouth.

She was taking the pressure directly with her body.

If not for her dragon physique, she would’ve already been flattened into dried meat.

[Silence! A lowly thing dares speak during my decree!]

Despite her desperate begging, the remnant didn’t seem inclined to spare her.

Forgiveness and mercy clearly weren’t part of its vocabulary.

“Aaaahhh!”

Was it something like—“Be grateful I’m killing you, how dare you talk back?”

She’d begged for nothing and only earned more punishment.

Still, as its focus shifted more toward her, I gained a bit of breathing room.

A moment ago, I could barely crawl—but now, it felt like I might be able to move.

Though there was nowhere to escape to.

This place was like an air bubble in the middle of the ocean.

No exits.

In that brief sliver of space, I gathered as much energy as I could and thought.

‘How do I get out of this? Damn it...’

Then—

an idea hit me.

‘Ah! Right! If I complete the registration?’

Right now, I had entered this mindscape by consuming her bodily fluid.

If I completed the registration process here, I could exit the mindscape.

That’s how registration worked.

The remnant was interfering, preventing completion—but if I made physical contact—

If I sealed it with a kiss—

then it might complete.

It might fail because of that thing, but it was worth trying.

There was no other way out.

I gathered my energy and lunged toward Sua.

“GRAAAAH!”

Breaking through the crushing pressure, I forced my way over her body—

but I barely made it as far as her hips before the force slammed down on me again.

My body was crushed instantly.

My face ended up buried against her backside.

Of all positions—

But I didn’t have time to think about that.

I immediately reinforced myself with energy and braced with my arms.

My joints creaked under the strain.

Somehow, I’d ended up in the exact posture of a guy shielding his girlfriend on a packed subway during rush hour.

Not that I had the luxury to care.

Sua, blood streaming from her face, stared at me in shock.

Her expression was filled with pure confusion.

“W-why...?”

‘Because you need to live for me to live.’

That was probably what she was asking—but I couldn’t answer.

My arms were sinking into the ground.

“Graaah!”

With the last of my strength, I forced my body upward.

I had to move before my arms gave out completely.

Each push felt like my arms would snap, but I kept going—

and finally managed to bring my face level with hers.

Our faces met.

She stared at me, disbelief in her eyes.

She looked confused—but compared to before, there was a hint of relief.

I was beneath her, taking the pressure.

Crack.

I wanted to get higher—to her forehead—but my arms were at their limit.

That was as far as I could go.

No choice.

This would have to do.

Yes, this meant kissing a stranger—

but this wasn’t anything like that.

There was no romance here.

No emotion.

No fluttering, no excitement, no sentiment.

Just survival.

Just a signature.

‘Yeah... this is just stamping a seal.’

With that thought, I let go.

Thud.

My face pressed against hers.

Our lips met—

and my vision blurred.

[Where do you think you’re going!]

The enraged roar echoed—

but the remnant’s energy was fading.

The crushing weight filling this space slowly, gradually lightened.

Like rising toward the surface of water.

***

When I opened my eyes, I was lying on the floor.

The ceiling came into view.

A familiar ceiling.

I stared at it blankly for a moment, then turned my head.

Hwa-eun, Ji-ryeon, and senior sister were looking down at me with worried expressions.

Relief filled their eyes.

“My husband, are you alright?”

“So-ryong, are you okay?”

“Junior brother!”

My body still wouldn’t move properly, but I slowly raised a hand to signal that I was fine.

My mouth wouldn’t cooperate enough to speak.

Just as I did, another voice came from the side.

“Elder, are you alright?”

I turned my head.

Sua was kneeling beside me, her back straight, hands neatly folded, gaze lowered respectfully.

Even her usual casual speech was gone.

It felt like she’d become a completely different person—

or rather, a completely different dragon.

The insane dragon from before had somehow turned into a sane one.

When I shot my wives a look asking what the hell was going on, Hwa-eun sighed.

“...She says you saved her life inside the mindscape. So from now on, she’ll serve you properly—and treat us the same way.”

“...What? That sounds like—”

Like she was declaring she’d become a concubine.

I almost said it—but stopped.

I could already imagine the looks I’d get.

So I quietly kept my mouth shut.

At that moment, Sua bowed deeply until her forehead touched the ground.

“This Sua is deeply moved. To think you would shield me with your own body while that exalted being was enraged... You saved my life. From now on, I will serve you with my life.”

“No, that’s not—”

That wasn’t it.

It was just part of the contract process.

There wasn’t a single drop of emotion involved—just cold survival logic.

I was about to say that—

when Hwa-eun spoke first, calm but firm.

“If you are to be a concubine, you must fulfill your duties as one.”

“O-of course. Lady.”

Sua answered immediately, respectfully, without a hint of resistance.

At that moment, I realized something.

Sometimes, it’s better for a man to keep his mouth shut.

No—in this situation, it was definitely the smartest choice.

To be honest, when I first saw Sua, I’d thought, sour grapes.

But... having one dragon wouldn’t be so bad, right?

Of course—not as a concubine.

As a pet.

***

A little later, I decided to ask Sua about what she hadn’t been able to say earlier.

Now that she was registered to me, control should’ve shifted.

She might be free from the restriction.

“Earlier—what were you trying to say? Starting with the true blood.”

That was what I was most curious about.

“What kind of scheme was behind it?”

“The true blood is a secret of the dragon race. If someone accepts it, they must unconditionally submit to the higher dragon who bestowed it. It’s not widely known, but a dragon who receives true blood can never defy the one who gave it.”

This time, there was no hesitation.

No blocked words.

She was clearly free from the restriction.

“Damn... figures.”

“So that’s what it was?”

Everyone looked shocked.

No wonder she’d offered something so valuable.

It was like those vampire settings from my past life—you couldn’t defy the one who gave you their blood.

She’d probably intended to make me consume it.

“And earlier—you said the scent came from something in a pouch given from above. What was that?”

When I asked, everyone glanced at each other.

“Ah... that was something inside the pouch. A scent from purple fur.”

“Purple fur?”

“Yes. I was told to report immediately if I ever detected the same scent again...”

At those words, something clicked.

“Do you still have it? Take it out.”

“Y-yes. Here.”

Sua pulled out a small silk pouch.

She looked uneasy as she opened it and reached inside.

There was a single long strand of soft fur.

“This is...?”

A familiar scent.

The moment I took it out—

Zihwa’s scent wafted from it.

There was no way I, her husband, would mistake that.

It was one of her feathers.

But why did dragons have this?

Why was it given from above?

Just as that thought crossed my mind—

Gun Hye-rin entered the room.

“Has Master awakened?”

She must’ve come looking for us.

And then—

A small purple fluff peeked out from her arms.

Pii-yoo!

Since Zihwa was still like that, my wives had been taking turns caring for Jayo.

It must’ve been Hye-rin’s turn today.

Jayo poked her head out from Hye-rin’s embrace.

Just as I was about to greet her—

a terrified scream rang out.

“Gahhh! Wh-what is that!?”

Sua scrambled backward on the floor, kicking her feet, completely panicked—

even forgetting to use formal speech.