Chapter 177: Terrible Kissing Skills: Is It Really Okay to Say the Final Boss Is an Awful Kisser?

An Ruo suddenly remembered.

Ulysses had already been divorced for more than half a year.

Then...

Could it be that he wanted to get married?

That he wanted to be with a male Zerg?

But...

Male Zergs and Ulysses simply didn't seem compatible.

Ulysses didn't like male Zergs.

He even carried a kind of instinctive rejection toward them.

In the original novel, right up until he reached his tragic end, he had never been together with any male Zerg.

By then, the final boss viewed male Zergs coldly as strategic resources.

They were military supplies used to maintain the mental stability of female soldiers.

He never counted himself among those who could benefit.

No male Zerg was capable of performing Psychic Soothing for an SSS-rank female Zerg.

The male protagonist later in the story could.

But they stood on opposite sides.

Ulysses had spent the entire latter half of the novel hunting down the forces protecting the male protagonist.

The male protagonist had narrowly escaped capture several times.

An Ruo wasn't sure whether, after discovering that the rebel leader was an S-rank male Zerg, Ulysses had ever considered capturing him and forcing him to perform Psychic Soothing.

Perhaps he had.

But with Ulysses' cautious and suspicious nature, there was no way he would ever allow an enemy male Zerg into his Psychic Domain.

Perhaps...

He wouldn't allow any male Zerg inside.

By the latter half of the novel, his rejection of male Zergs had become so severe that it bordered on hatred.

But...

The Ulysses before him hadn't reached that point yet.

An Ruo reminded himself not to judge the living people standing before him using events from the original novel.

Perhaps...

The Ulysses in front of him really did want to marry a male Zerg.

Perhaps he hadn't completely given up hope.

Perhaps he still longed for another marriage.

And just now...

An Ruo had stopped him from obtaining the blessing that symbolized marriage.

Looking up at Ulysses, An Ruo discovered that Ulysses was already looking back at him.

His expression remained calm.

He didn't seem angry.

Instead, his gaze lingered mostly on the arm An Ruo was still hugging.

After hesitating for a moment, An Ruo slowly let go.

Outside, the fight had already reached its conclusion.

Hill reminded his excited male parent that his female parent was still pregnant.

Only then did Philor suddenly realize it and hurriedly called his Female Lord back.

Receiving the message, Cyril returned.

Morris obtained the bouquet.

Everything unfolded exactly as it had in the novel.

Meanwhile...

Ulysses remained beside An Ruo.

He never appeared.

Nor did he obtain the bouquet.

An Ruo felt guilty.

"I'm sorry, I..."

"You don't need to apologize to me."

Ulysses said,

"That bouquet was arranged by you for the 'protagonists.' I know."

His expression remained perfectly normal while saying it.

Only his speaking speed was slightly faster than usual, as though he were emphasizing the point with unusual determination.

Yet...

An Ruo sensed something subtly strange.

Ulysses stressed that there was no need for an apology.

He also stressed that the bouquet belonged to the protagonists.

He didn't seem particularly happy.

Strangely enough...

While An Ruo had been clinging to his arm to stop him earlier, Ulysses' mood had actually seemed better.

Downstairs...

Morris brought the bouquet back to Roy.

Roy rewarded him with a fierce kiss.

The entire venue erupted into applause.

Yet Ulysses never looked outside.

Instead, his gaze shifted slightly downward...

Stopping on An Ruo's lips.

It was as though he were waiting for An Ruo to say something.

Or perhaps...

He had simply become lost in thought.

The applause drowned out every other sound.

If An Ruo wanted to speak, he'd have to lean closer.

Ulysses' body stiffened slightly.

But he didn't move.

He simply allowed An Ruo to come closer.

He even leaned forward ever so slightly himself.

A posture meant for quietly listening.

They were too close.

Facing Ulysses' handsome face at such a short distance...

An Ruo suddenly forgot what he had intended to say.

Sunlight poured through the window.

Filtering through the pale-green treetops outside.

It settled softly upon Ulysses.

His hair and the side of his face glowed beneath the light.

The atmosphere was dreamlike.

Almost unreal.

An Ruo himself was also bathed in sunlight.

His innocent, bright eyes shimmered.

His platinum hair glowed softly.

Even his pale skin seemed illuminated.

Like a god who had descended into the mortal world.

Ulysses leaned a little closer.

His body blocked part of the sunlight.

An Ruo assumed he wanted to tell him something.

So he looked at him with complete trust.

"..."

A feather-light touch landed upon his lips.

Their lips merely brushed together.

The contact wandered gently across them, tracing their shape.

No urgency.

Only cautious exploration.

And quiet intimacy.

An Ruo stared blankly.

Realizing what was happening, his eyes widened in shock.

His lips parted slightly.

Only then did Ulysses seize the opportunity to deepen the kiss.

It remained soft.

Gentle.

Shallow.

His silver-gray eyes carefully observed An Ruo's reaction.

His pupils had contracted almost to their limit.

This...

Wasn't right.

An Ruo's mind buzzed.

One hand pressed against Ulysses' chest.

Beneath his palm, the heart beat violently.

He suddenly forgot whether he meant to push him away...

Or pull him closer.

Every other sound faded away.

Only the female Zerg before him remained.

And the frantic heartbeat.

He no longer knew whether it belonged to himself...

Or to Ulysses.

His mind became completely blank.

Taking advantage of the moment, Ulysses moved even closer.

His dreadful kissing technique consisted entirely of pushing deeper and deeper, nearly suffocating An Ruo.

His instinctive desire to survive finally took over.

He closed his teeth slightly...

And bit him.

Ulysses froze.

Yet even after being bitten...

He still wanted to continue.

He actually tried to move toward An Ruo's throat.

An Ruo's fingers clenched tightly around Ulysses' clothes over his chest.

Then he shoved him away with force.

Only then did Ulysses hurriedly retreat.

"Cough... cough... cough..."

An Ruo grabbed at his collar, coughing violently while gasping for breath.

Fresh air flooded into his lungs.

The lack of oxygen gradually eased.

His mind finally became a little clearer.

Even so...

He still couldn't sort out what had just happened.

He had completely forgotten to breathe during the kiss.

Ulysses probably hadn't either.

Throughout the entire kiss, An Ruo hadn't felt him breathe once.

But a female Zerg's lung capacity was obviously far superior to his own.

Ulysses gently helped him steady his breathing.

A trace of worry and urgency appeared between his brows.

"I'm sorry."

"I was wrong..."

"Please give me one more chance."

One more chance?

Again?

An Ruo was horrified.

The wedding ceremony was still going on.

Most of the guests remained outside in the garden.

But there were still people inside the villa.

They'd been seen.

Only now did An Ruo realize it.

His embarrassment exploded off the charts.

He hurriedly asked Ulysses to take him away.

Completely forgetting that he could simply switch maps himself.

Using his spatial ability, Ulysses teleported them away.

Back to their home inside the game.

An Ruo sat blankly on the sofa.

The familiar surroundings gradually calmed him enough to think again.

Ulysses silently watched him.

The atmosphere earlier had been perfect.

The male Zerg had promised to buy him countless bouquets.

Downstairs, Morris had received a kiss after bringing back the bouquet.

Bathed in sunlight, the male Zerg had looked like a god descended into the mortal world.

Close enough to touch.

Close enough to embrace.

Close enough to make his own.

Ulysses had cautiously leaned closer.

At first...

He hadn't been rejected.

When the male Zerg slightly parted his lips...

Ulysses had mistaken it for permission.

Reality...

Hadn't been what he'd imagined.

He had still been rejected.

Ulysses slowly lowered himself.

Just as his other knee was about to touch the floor—

An Ruo finally realized what he intended.

He hurriedly blocked it.

Using his own foot.

His shoe.

The posture was admittedly rather awkward.

But there was no time to worry about appearances.

"What are you trying to do?"

An Ruo glared at him.

"I'm asking for your forgiveness..."

"So that you'll calm down."

Ulysses answered calmly.

Those inorganic silver-gray eyes quietly met his.

"I'm not angry!"

An Ruo answered immediately.

Then he paused.

Being kissed without warning...

Yet saying he wasn't angry...

Didn't sound entirely convincing either.

He hurriedly added,

"What you did wasn't exactly appropriate."

"But I'm not so angry that I want to punish you for it."

It was...

A little awkward.

But...

An Ruo couldn't quite explain it.

He simply didn't want to see Ulysses punishing himself.

No one—

Not even another Zerg—

Had the right to punish him.

"Stand up first."

An Ruo's legs had become completely stiff.

He didn't dare move.

Although Ulysses hadn't fully knelt yet...

He was afraid that the instant he removed his foot, the other knee would hit the floor.

This time...

Ulysses didn't insist.

He obediently stood up and quietly moved to one side.

An Ruo glanced sideways at him.

He was an exceptionally tall female Zerg.

Someone who ought to radiate overwhelming pressure.

Yet now...

He had completely withdrawn that imposing presence.

As though trying to fade into the background.

Leaving himself entirely at An Ruo's disposal.

An Ruo felt a headache coming on.

He had absolutely no idea what he should do.

With a long sigh, he collapsed face-first against a sofa cushion.

"Aren't you going to punish me?"

Ulysses asked softly.

"Without sufficient consequences..."

"The one who made the mistake will only become more and more presumptuous."

An Ruo didn't believe Ulysses was that kind of person.

So he asked in return,

"Would you?"

Ulysses pursed his lips.

He had always been cautious by nature.

He never acted recklessly.

Especially in matters where he possessed no certainty whatsoever.

The moment he sensed resistance from the male Zerg...

He would slow down.

Wait.

Look for another opportunity.

Yet...

Meeting the male Zerg's eyes...

He wanted to answer,

"I would."

In the end...

He didn't dare speak those disrespectful words aloud.

Silence settled over the room.

An Ruo let out another deep sigh.

Resting his face against the sofa cushion as though hiding from reality, he muttered,

"I understand now."

"You want to get married."

"You want a male Zerg."

"Not a male Zerg."

Ulysses answered immediately.

Then quietly added,

"If you count as one..."

"Then yes."

"I would call you my Male Lord."

An Ruo: "..."

This is bad!

The final boss really does have an instinctive resistance toward "male Zergs!"

And somehow...

It felt like he'd set his sights on him instead.

"Could you tell me..."

"What exactly are you dissatisfied with about me?"

"I'll improve."

Ulysses asked cautiously.

Dissatisfied with...

His terrible kissing skills?

Was that something anyone could actually say?

The thought flashed through An Ruo's mind.

He immediately strangled it before it could escape.

He absolutely didn't dare say it.

The final boss seemed to regard kissing as some sort of deeply invasive act.

He really did nothing except keep trying to push farther and farther in.

If he'd been just a little longer...

He probably would have disappeared straight down An Ruo's throat.