Ch.22White Russian 4

I gasp for breath.

Every time my feet touch the ground, my heart aches as if being compressed.

But I couldn’t stop.

I don’t know when that swordsman and the blind ranker might return.

I can see the electric tower.

And the white-haired killer was still sleeping, leaning against the tower.

I placed both hands on my knees and caught my breath.

Despite running only a short distance, my heart pounds wildly.

My sweat-soaked T-shirt clings to my body.

Clutching that shirt, I approach her.

“Anna… we need to escape. The ranker who’s after you…”

But the killer shows no reaction to my urgent words.

Soon I could understand why.

In the brief time I was gone, her once pale body had turned pink.

She’s breathing much more heavily than I am.

It feels as if she’s fighting something inside her body.

“What… what’s wrong, are you okay?”

I grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently.

But unlike when she drank the potion, Anna was unconscious.

This is the worst.

If I wait here for her to wake up, I don’t know when the Association’s hunters might return.

With my false testimony and being caught together with her, I’ll immediately be branded an accomplice.

The Red Blade who took my ID will this time run his sword straight through my neck.

I have no choice.

I slipped my arm between Anna’s armpits.

And pulled her up with all my strength.

“…!!”

But her thighs only lifted off the ground momentarily before I was pulled down by her weight and fell together with her.

As I tried to lift her, her tank top was revealed between her loose jacket.

And I could understand why Anna was heavier than she looked.

Unlike her slender frame, her shoulders had lean muscles and were densely packed.

It seems cutting people’s necks in one stroke wasn’t just due to her skills.

Being already a head shorter than her, there’s no way I could lift such a body.

“…”

But it’s not like there’s absolutely no solution.

Just earlier, as I ran, the sound of glass bottles rolling in my backpack echoed like bells.

It means I have one last cocktail left.

<Black Russian>

Normally, it’s a healing cocktail that stops bleeding.

But when a healthy person drinks it, it gives a “special buff.”

Without hesitation, I opened the potion’s cap.

And downed the black liquid in one gulp.

My throat burns as if swallowing lava.

It’s because this vodka-based cocktail has an alcohol content of nearly 40 percent.

But I don’t stop.

Better to have my throat burn a little than have my neck cut and die.

<Strength increased by 10.>

<Strength increased by 10.>

My cloudy eyes suddenly clear.

My weak legs feel full of strength, as if I’ve returned to being a man.

“—!”

But at the same time, I start hiccupping.

Every time a strange sound comes from my mouth, dizziness rises with the intoxication.

“Of all things, the alcohol effect…”

I repeatedly slapped my cheeks.

Then I stride toward Anna.

Her body feels light as a child’s, unlike before.

This gives me more courage.

Using that courage as fuel, I hoisted Anna onto my back.

Due to our height difference, her lifted boots seem like they might drag on the ground.

What can I do?

If I want to escape with Anna from here, this is the only way.

I moved my feet hurriedly before I collapsed from intoxication.

The moonlight illuminates us as if reporting criminals to the hunters.

Only the sound of my footsteps fills the ruined streets.

“If you get caught later, don’t say I helped you…”

Anna didn’t answer.

She just breathes heavily with each step I take on the ground.

Thanks to that, I realize she’s a human with a heart just like me.

That sense of kinship somewhat reassures me as I carry the killer.

It feels like it’s keeping me from collapsing due to intoxication.

After walking for a while, a familiar landscape comes into view.

I’ve reached the vicinity of my home.

A peaceful place with no monsters and working streetlights.

I’ve brought the most dangerous human in the world to such a place.

I can hear people laughing and chatting everywhere.

Following those sounds, I soon arrived in front of my house.

I see the man who was beaten up by the Red Blade’s subordinates a few days ago.

Wearing a tank top, he makes eye contact with me while smoking.

Seemingly shocked by the sight of me carrying a blood-covered woman, he turns his head away.

I climbed the stairs without even giving him a glance.

I don’t have the luxury to reassure the residents.

The potion’s effect is starting to wear off.

I can feel my legs trembling intensely.

Anna’s breathing has just stabilized, and I don’t want to wake her by collapsing.

Without even taking off my shoes, I headed straight for the bed.

And carefully laid Anna down on the mattress.

Even with that impact, she didn’t wake up.

She just shifts slightly, as if in hibernation.

“You sure sleep well…”

Only then did I breathe a deep sigh of relief.

Perhaps due to the potion’s side effect, my body has no strength left.

I feel dazed, just like when I first possessed this body.

My entire body is drenched in sweat.

Especially my back, having been pressed against Anna’s body.

I untied the jacket around my waist.

And just as I was about to take off my T-shirt, I stopped abruptly.

My eyes were drawn to the silver-haired woman sleeping brazenly on my bed.

I gaze at her intently.

Her beautiful silver hair is bathed in moonlight.

That color gives a mysterious impression, as if she’s not of this world.

“You look like an angel when you sleep.”

I murmured softly.

And slowly approach her.

Have I ever looked at Anna for this long?

The fine hair on her face looks as soft as dandelion seeds.

Following that hair upward, her beautiful white eyelids shimmer faintly.

Suddenly, I recall her face when her eyes were half-open.

She was certainly pretty enough to be startling at that time.

As I recalled that face, I realized I’d gotten close enough to hear Anna’s breathing.

Then my chest somehow felt hot.

I deliberately ignored that sensation and observed her rationally.

There was definitely a wound on her neck earlier.

Thanks to the potion, most of the wounds have stopped bleeding.

But that doesn’t mean the wounds are completely healed.

The ranker’s blade might have been poisoned, so it’s better to disinfect it now.

Especially the long cut on her neck.

I felt I had to treat at least that.

I briefly turned my gaze away from her and brought the medical kit.

I rummaged through the box for bandages.

But all I found was a small band-aid that would only fit on a finger.

It’s a children’s band-aid with some unknown squirrel character on it.

I don’t know why a grown adult would buy such a band-aid.

I try to neatly spread the band-aid over her wound.

It seems like this size won’t be nearly enough…

“…”

Perhaps because I’ve gotten closer to her while trying to apply the band-aid.

A very small voice comes from Anna’s lips.

“Sun…”

Is she dreaming?

I slowly put my ear to her lips.

Not realizing my short hair might be tickling Anna’s face.

Warm breath touches my cheek.

My body shivers at the ticklish sensation stimulating my fine hair.

Eventually, I could hear what she wanted to say, even if only in her dream.

‘Don’t go.’

Don’t go…?

“—!”

At the moment I was repeating those words in my mind.

A dark shadow falls across my cheek.

That shadow grabbed me tightly and pulled me toward itself.

“Wait…”

The arm around my neck is too heavy.

Having used up all my strength, I couldn’t resist at all.

Eventually, the pulling arm pressed against me.

I ended up stuck chest-to-chest with Anna.

The blood on her body begins to soak me thoroughly.

That pungent smell of blood stimulates my nostrils.

Is it because of the alcohol?

I couldn’t push away her arms.

The parts of our bodies touching each other burn hot.

From soft thighs to chest.

The hot body temperature rising from our touching skin made my body flush.

My breathing becomes increasingly labored.

Due to my rapid breathing, strange moans keep escaping my mouth.

I covered my mouth with both hands to hide it.

Fortunately, Anna seemed to be simply talking in her sleep, as she kept her eyes closed while pressed against me.

“…”

In the house, there’s only the ticking sound of the clock’s second hand.

But my ears heard more than just that sound.

I can hear the deadly killer’s breathing.

I can also hear the heartbeat of the hostage captured by her.

I recall watching a strange concept adult video in my childhood.

In that video, there was a robber with a gun and a female employee hostage.

That hostage had an expression as if she was anticipating what the criminal might do to her.

I couldn’t understand that concept at all and turned off the video with a frown.

But now it’s different.

Perhaps I understand that reason a little bit now.

Every time our skin touches, my sensitized groin tingles.

I wanted to somehow get rid of that strange feeling.

I tried to gather my thoughts to resolve this situation rationally.

But the more I concentrated, the more clearly I felt the sensations touching me.

Those sensual touches made me even more dazed.

This is all because of the vodka.

Yes, there’s no way I would enjoy this situation.

I blamed this entire situation on the damn Black Russian.

I move my body, which had become stiff as wood.

I’m just pressing my body against Anna, who wants me.

Because I don’t even have the energy left to resist.

“…”

Anna, who’s embracing me, mumbles in her sleep.

She was calling for someone as if longing for them.

Eventually, I realize who that person is.

The girl I saw in her memories, Sunyae.

If Anna is this sad, that girl must have died too.

Perhaps Anna became so broken because of that death.

Like me, she lost someone she loved right before her eyes.

Yet despite experiencing the same thing, we were walking completely different paths.

I went toward comforting people.

Anna went toward killing people.

That ironic difference made the woman pressed against me seem more pitiful.

Perhaps because of that emotion, I found myself sympathizing with Anna.

I feel warm body heat all over.

Feeling that warmth, I also try to sleep.

How long has it been?

Since I’ve been able to sleep this peacefully.

Since my possession, I’ve always seen my comrades dying in my dreams.

But on this night, no one appeared in my dreams.

Not even my dear sister Jisoo.