Moonlight slipped through the narrow gap in the window, casting a pale silver glow across the teenage boy's body.
That night, everything lay submerged in silence, except for the relentless pounding of Long's heart, beating like a war drum, and the heat flooding his flushed face. Even though it was well past midnight, sleep refused to come. Long buried his face into his pillow, gripping it tightly as if searching for something solid to anchor himself. His breathing was uneven, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
That soft brush of lips still seemed to linger on his skin, igniting a small flame that burned away the last traces of rational thought. It was hard to deny it anymore. His world had truly changed from that moment on.
In stark contrast to Long's quiet turmoil, the room next door was anything but calm. Lia was kicking wildly against the mattress, her whole body squirming as embarrassment overwhelmed her over her own impulsive action. At this moment, the poor pillow was suffering intense physical abuse from a being that did not originally belong to this world, yet now was nothing more than a young girl drowning in the aftertaste of her first kiss.
She collapsed onto the bed, gently touching her rosy, soft lips with her fingertip. Her violet eyes shimmered, filled with an unexpectedly tender glow.
…
The crowing of roosters echoed through the garden, jolting Long awake without the need for an alarm. Dark circles hung beneath his eyes after a sleepless night. Dragging his exhausted body out of his room, he froze the moment he met the equally dark-ringed eyes of the bold girl from last night.
Two "pandas" stared at each other in the hallway as an awkward silence settled between them. Lia was about to turn away and escape the embarrassment when she suddenly stopped. She looked at Long again, resolve flashing clearly in her eyes. Turning around, she strode straight toward him.
Before Long could process what was happening, Lia wrapped her arms around him from behind, hugging him tightly. Long's hands hovered stiffly in midair as he stood frozen, looking down at the small figure in his arms with a completely blank and flustered mind. Her warmth seeped through the fabric of his clothes, sending his nerves into shock.
"I'm hungry…" Her weak voice broke the silence. "Cook something for me."
Long's gaze softened as his confusion faded, replaced by warmth. He gently returned the hug, lightly patting her head to reassure her, and replied in a doting tone.
"Wait a little bit, okay? I'll run to the supermarket and buy some more ingredients so I can cook something good for you."
The mountain bike sat quietly in front of the house as always. Long jumped onto it and began pedaling, speeding past the familiar wide farmland with the wind whistling past his ears. After a long ride, he finally reached the main gate, locked it carefully, and took off.
The asphalt road seemed to bend beneath the spinning tires. Long was startled to realize how light the pedals felt, completely lacking their usual resistance. His legs moved smoothly, each push generating tremendous force. The bicycle shot forward at an unbelievable speed.
Thanks to that terrifying pace, less than twenty minutes later, Long was back home. Large and small shopping bags were piled onto the bike, ranging from fresh groceries to several brand new sets of women's clothes. He had even mustered all his courage and sacrificed his pride to step into the women's underwear section, fumbling through choices while blushing bright red from embarrassment.
"Sis, cooking will take a while, so I bought some Banh Mi first. Let's eat while I—"
Long suddenly stopped mid-sentence. He looked around the eerily quiet house, his voice trailing off into nothing. A violent sense of unease surged in his chest. Without another thought, he dropped the bags and rushed inside like an arrow, panic flooding his mind as if he had lost something precious.
"Lia! Where are you? Are you okay?"
"I'm here."
Her familiar calm voice came from the basement below, where the gate was. Long froze at the entrance, breathing heavily, his eyes still wide with shock.
He descended the heavy steps into the dark basement. After walking a short distance, his gaze was drawn to the cold purple light radiating from the gate, and to the massive head of the giant serpent lying motionless nearby. At the sight of it, Long's shoulders tensed and he instinctively stepped back, swallowing hard.
Standing beside the serpent's head was the familiar petite figure. Lia stared silently into the dead monster's clouded eyes. Hearing movement, she turned toward Long. Without a word, she approached and hugged him again.
This time, however, her posture was strange. She pressed herself close to him, her gaze sharp and cold as it locked onto the back of his neck, as though searching for something hidden beneath his skin.
A chilling sensation shot from Long's spine up to the nape of his neck, raising goosebumps all over his body. His hands trembled stiffly in the air before he finally mustered the courage to hug her back. Taking a deep breath, he asked softly, forcing his voice to stay steady.
"What's wrong…? Did something happen?"
Lia kept staring at his neck, her breath brushing against his skin and sending another shiver through him. She whispered, her voice light as the wind.
"Hey… after we eat, can you help me with something?"
Long's eyes widened, his throat tightening until no words came out. All he could do was nod silently, drowning in confusion.
…
Long led Lia out of the dark basement and back into the warmth of the kitchen. He carefully took a still-warm Banh Mi from a paper bag and gently placed it into her hands.
Lia curiously picked up the strange object. Her violet eyes widened as she felt the rough texture and heard the dry crackling sound from its crust. She took a decisive bite.
Crunch.
The crisp sound exploded on her tongue. Lia froze, her pupils shrinking in surprise. First came the crunch of the crust, followed by the soft, chewy interior soaked in rich sauce. The creamy richness of liver pâté and butter spread through her mouth, blending with the savory flavor of pork roll. But what shocked her the most was the pickled vegetables and cilantro, a combination of freshness, mild sourness, and chili heat that set every sense ablaze.
Lia chewed eagerly, her cheeks puffed up like a little squirrel. She swallowed a large bite of the Banh Mi with difficulty but deep satisfaction, then exclaimed loudly.
"Oh my god, how can this be this good?! Compared to this, Leo is always nagging about how black bread dipped in soup is more than enough. Hmph, what a cheapskate!"
Long tilted his head curiously. "Who is Leo, sis?"
"He's a hero of humanity. Together with heroes of other races, they joined forces to fight the Demon King."
Seeing Long about to ask more, Lia immediately cut him off. Her expression turned serious as she changed the subject.
"I need your help with something. Later, we're going to clean up the snake's body in the basement. We need to skin it, separate the meat, and keep all the bones. You'll be the main one doing the work. I'll assist. Is that okay?"
Although Long did not understand her purpose and could clearly sense she was hiding something, he honestly did not want a giant monster corpse rotting beneath his house either. As soon as the last bite of Banh Mi was gone, the two immediately began the grim task.
…
The work was far more difficult than Long had imagined. The serpent's scales were unbelievably hard, impossible for an ordinary blade to pierce. Every time he struck with force, the steel collided with the scales, spraying sparks and producing a sharp metallic clang. Staring at the chipped blade with a pale face, Long could only smile bitterly in helplessness.
But necessity breeds ingenuity. Refusing to give up, Long ran upstairs and dragged a long extension cord down to the basement. He plugged it in and flipped the switch. The motor of the cutter roared to life with a harsh, powerful sound.
The diamond blade spun at extreme speed, slipping into the gaps between the scales. Smoke rose with a burning stench, sparks flying, but eventually the monster's formidable armor gave way. Long made the first cut, and pieces of valuable snake hide were peeled away by the force of industrial machinery.
He placed an old wooden crate beneath the serpent's head, prying it up to expose its pale neck. Using the cutter, he made a circular cut around it, then took a deep breath and stepped through the gate toward the body lying on the other side.
As always, nausea and intense itching assaulted every cell in his body, but this time Long was prepared. He calmly pulled out a plastic bag he had brought along, dealt with it, and quickly regained his composure. After passing through the gate four times, his body had begun to adapt to the space's rejection.
With Lia's help, they used all their strength to flip the serpent onto its back. Unlike the steel-hard dorsal scales, its belly skin was far softer and thinner. Gripping the knife firmly, Long made a clean cut all the way to the tail, then used his bare hands to peel the precious hide away from the exposed red flesh.
After an entire day of grueling labor, the meat was separated from the bones at last. Both of them lay motionless on the floor, breathing raggedly from exhaustion. Lia slowly pushed herself up, walked over to the pile of snake meat, cut off a small pink piece, and returned to Long. Her voice was gentle, yet carried an eerie weight.
"Eat it."
Long stiffened, about to ask a question, when Lia quickly stuffed the piece of meat into his mouth. He instinctively tried to resist, but froze when a soft kiss landed gently on his forehead.
The snake meat had no foul taste at all. Instead, it was mildly sweet, juicy, and melted on his tongue.
Before he could fully savor it, a terrifying surge of energy coursed through Long's body. He convulsed violently as every muscle felt torn apart and rebuilt anew. Behind his neck, a brilliant green light burst forth, piercing through his clothes and illuminating the dark basement.