Chapter 190: Smooch

Before we reached the transport vehicles at the edge of the forest, Tim stopped in his tracks. He turned around, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous laugh.

"Hey, guys," Tim said, looking at us with wide eyes. "My original raid team is calling me over. They saw me come out of the portal with you all, and now my guild leader wants a full report."

I stopped and looked at him through the eye holes of my brown paper bag. "Are you going back with them?"

"Yeah," Tim said, nodding quickly. "I have to hand in my raid log to get my payout. But... man, thank you so much. If you guys didn’t take me with you, I would have been crushed by those Dealer tables."

Tim smiled brightly, waving his hand high as he backed away toward a group of bruised archers standing near a black SUV. "See you around, paper bag crew! Don’t forget to call me if you ever need a scout!"

We watched him run off into the crowd of noisy hunters.

"Now that the noisy bow boy is gone," Raymond said smoothly, stepping up beside me, "shall I arrange private transport back to the residence, Young Master?"

"Yes, Raymond," I replied in my flat voice. "Let’s go straight home. I want to eat something warm."

"Understood," Raymond bowed politely. "I have already summoned our personal vehicle to the side road."

We walked past the staging tents and got into a sleek, tinted black sedan waiting under the pine trees. Raymond took the driver’s seat, Carmilla slid into the front passenger side, and I climbed into the spacious back seat with Viora.

As soon as the car doors clicked shut, the heavy noise of the raid ground vanished completely.

Viora pulled the brown paper lunch bag off her head, letting her silky hair tumble down over her shoulders. Her pale cheeks were slightly red from the warmth inside the bag, and her purple eyes sparkled in the afternoon sunlight streaming through the dark windows.

I reached up and pulled off my paper bag as well, setting it down on the seat beside me. I let out a long breath.

"My face feels cool now," I said plain and simple.

Viora let out a soft, sweet giggle that made my chest feel warm. She leaned over, resting her head gently on my shoulder. Her small hands reached out, wrapping around my left arm and pulling it close against her chest.

"You were so cool back there, Woo Jin," Viora whispered softly, her sweet scent filling the small back seat of the car. "When you sat across from that terrifying old man, you didn’t shake at all. Your hand was so steady."

"It was just a mind game," I replied, leaning my head slightly against hers. "He was trying to scare me. But there was nothing to be scared of."

"Because you had us?" Viora asked with a bright, beautiful smile.

"Because I had you," I corrected softly, giving her small hand a gentle squeeze.

Carmilla looked into the rear-view mirror from the front seat and let out a dramatic sigh. "Ugh. Are you two going to be like this the whole ride back? I’m sitting right here, you know."

"You can look out the side window, Carmilla," I said deadpan.

Raymond chuckled softly from the driver’s seat as he turned the car onto the quiet highway heading toward the quiet city outskirts. "Allow the Young Master his moment, Lady Carmilla. Clearing a C-Rank Scenario Gate in a single afternoon is worthy of a comfortable ride home."

.....

Half an hour later, I stepped out of the hot shower feeling completely refreshed. I put on a loose, comfortable black long-sleeved shirt and casual gray trousers. My wet hair was brushed back loosely.

I walked down the broad wooden staircase to the main dining room.

The long mahogany table was packed with steaming plates of rich, delicious food. The sweet smell of roasted meat and warm spices filled the entire floor.

Viora was already sitting in her usual spot right next to my chair. She was wearing a soft, oversized white sweater that made her look extra tiny and cozy. Her damp hair was resting over her shoulder, smelling faintly of lavender soap.

Carmilla was already filling her plate with large cuts of beef, while Raymond stood politely near the wall, pouring fresh fruit juice into silver goblets.

I sat down in my seat next to Viora.

"Here, Woo Jin," Viora said happily, picking up a large, tender piece of roasted beef with her fork and placing it directly onto my plate. "You used a lot of mental energy today. You need to eat a lot!"

"Thank you, Viora," I said softly. I picked up my fork and took a bite. The meat was soft, juicy, and full of flavor. "Raymond’s cooking is always the best."

Raymond, who was standing nearby, beamed with pride. "Eat as much as you like, Young Master! There is plenty more in the kitchen!"

After dinner was finished, Carmilla let out a long stretch and yawned. "I’m going to my room. Draining a dungeon’s magic made me sleepy."

"I shall tidy up the kitchen," Raymond said politely, taking the empty plates from the table. "Young Master, if you require anything else tonight, please do not hesitate to call."

"Thanks, Raymond," I said. "You two rest up."

Once Carmilla and Raymond left the room, the main floor became very quiet.

I looked over at Viora, who was sipping a cup of warm tea with both hands wrapped around the ceramic mug. She looked so peaceful and relaxed sitting beside me under the soft yellow light.

"Viora," I said softly.

She turned her head, her deep purple eyes looking into mine. "Yes, Woo Jin?"

"Do you want to go somewhere cool?" I asked, reaching into my pocket.

I pulled out the heavy, ornate key made of pure, shining white gold. The crowned castle shape on its top caught the room’s light, glowing with a soft, ethereal radiance.

"The Key..." Viora whispered, her breath brushing lightly against my cheek. "You want to test it now?"

"Yeah," I nodded plainly. "I want to see if it really works from our house."

Viora smiled sweetly, taking my free hand into hers. "I want to see it too! Let’s go to the back garden where nobody will see the light."

We walked together through the rear glass doors of the house, stepping out onto the cool grass of the private back garden. The night air was fresh and still. The dark sky above was filled with bright, twinkling stars, and a silver crescent moon hung high over the trees.

The garden was completely private, surrounded by high brick walls covered in green ivy.

I stood in the middle of the grass lawn, holding Viora’s hand in my left hand and holding the heavy Kingdom Key in my right hand.

I closed my eyes and focused my mind on the item inside my grasp.

Instantly, a blue system window popped up in front of my dark vision.

[Kingdom Key of Elaria (EX-Rank) Activated]

[Owner Detected: Woo Jin]

[Domain Status: Fully Intact]

[Select Action: Open Spatial Gateway / Lock Boundary / Adjust Environment]

’Open Spatial Gateway,’ I thought mentally.

HUMMMMMM.

A low, deep vibration hummed through the dirt beneath our boots.

The air three feet in front of us began to ripple like water on a calm lake. A bright, elegant circle of golden light traced itself in the air, widening rapidly until it formed a grand archway made of shimmering white energy.

Through the clear golden archway, we could see the central marble street of the Lost City of Elaria.

The massive white buildings stood silent and proud under the dark purple sky of the dungeon world. The twin pale moons were still hanging high above the black palace in the distance. But now, there were no red barriers, no dangerous Dealers, and no hostile Ace Knights standing in the way.

The entire ancient city lay silent, peaceful, and completely under my command.

Viora let out a soft gasp of awe, her hand tightening around mine. "Did... Did it work?"

"Yeah, it sure did," I said, taking a step closer to the shimmering golden archway. "Let’s take a quick walk inside."

We stepped through the golden doorway together.

SWOOSH..

We stepped out onto the smooth white marble pavement of the main avenue. The golden portal stayed hovering quietly behind our backs, floating like a warm ring of light in the middle of the empty street.

I looked around the giant white city. It felt completely different now. When we were here during the raid, every corner felt full of hidden traps and dangerous boss encounters.

But now, as the true owner of the Kingdom Key, I could feel every single building, every alleyway, and every stone through a faint mental connection in my mind.

[Domain Management Menu:]

[Current Population: 2 (Woo Jin, Viora)]

[City Status: Peaceful / No Hostile Entities]

[Mana Concentration: High]

"It’s so quiet," Viora whispered, walking beside me with slow, happy steps. "

I looked up at the two pale moons shining above the black palace. The white marble buildings reflected the soft moonlight, casting long, gentle shadows across the wide street.

"It’s a good place," I said softly, looking back down at her. "No noise, no press, and no annoying guild leaders. We can come here whenever we want to relax or train."

Viora stopped walking in the middle of the marble street. She turned toward me, pulling gently on my hand until I turned to face her fully.

The soft purple moonlight fell over her fair skin, making her dark purple eyes look like glowing jewels. Her long hair fluttered slightly in the cool breeze of the city.

"Woo Jin," she said in a quiet, sweet voice.

"Yeah?" I replied, looking down into her eyes.

"Thank you," she said softly. She stepped in closer, wrapping both of her arms around my waist and pressing her face gently against my chest. I could feel the warm, steady beat of her heart against my ribs.

I wrapped my arms around her small shoulders, pulling her close against me. "What are you thanking me for?"

"For keeping me safe," Viora murmured, her voice muffled against my shirt. "For holding my hand."

I rested my chin lightly on top of her soft hair, breathing in her sweet lavender scent.

"I won’t ever let anything happen to you, Viora," I said in a quiet, serious tone. "Not in a gate, not in a casino, and not anywhere else."

She stood on her tiptoes softly. Her small, delicate lips pressed gently against my cheek, leaving a soft, warm touch that made my heart skip a sudden beat.