'M-Master…!' Rain's eyes widened in shock as he recognized the person instantly.
Her appearance was as calm and graceful as ever—long pale-blue hair flowing down like silk, soft jade-green eyes carrying a quiet elegance, and a dark kimono loosely resting over her figure while a sheathed katana hung by her side. Even standing still, she carried an indescribable presence, serene yet untouchable, like a beautiful winter moon hidden behind drifting clouds.
Realizing what he had done, Rain immediately pulled his hands away from that soft paradise, panic appearing all over his face.
"S-Sorry about this!" he apologized hurriedly, clearly flustered by the situation he had caused.
"There is no need to apologize," she replied calmly, her beautiful expression remaining completely unchanged. "Neither side intended it, so neither side is at fault. It is neutral."
Saying that, she quietly took her leave.
Rain simply stood there, staring at her disappearing figure without moving a single step, a strange joy brimming across his face mixed with the faintest trace of sorrow as he murmured softly, "She is… how could I ever mistake her…"
[Another species of the opposite sex with unparalleled beauty almost comparable, along with a unique charm rivaling the Empress of Domination, detected. Appraising…]
"Indeed… she really is an unparalleled beauty, topmost in every realm," Rain nodded proudly as he agreed without hesitation, his expression filled with admiration.
[Name: Yue Qingxue]
'Just as beautiful and calm as ever…' Rain thought silently, unable to think of anything else for a moment.
[Race: Artikyn]
[True Core: Heaven Piercing Fist, Beauty of Blades, Balance of Yin and Yang]
[Originality: ???]
[Originality cannot be figured out due to abnormalities within her uniqueness. The originality can only be found once you are capable of seeing her Dao Heart and Sea of Consciousness]
"Yeah… her unique charm…"
Just saying those few words was enough to stir a storm inside Rain's heart—a chaotic typhoon of mixed emotions crashing into one another. Happiness, sadness, regret, anger… and above all, an unknown fear he couldn't even explain properly. A hesitant smile slowly formed on his face, strained and complicated.
"I don't need the info dumper for her anyway…" he murmured quietly. His emotions were still twisted, far from settled, but one thing was certain—Rain knew Yue Qingxue far better than most ever could.
Yue Qingxue—an SS-tier Mystic Character, a being wrapped in unknown charm and terrifying greatness, someone blessed with both overwhelming power and a presence impossible to ignore.
But then—
Finally, a certain realization hit him like your mom walking in your room during the single worst millisecond imaginable while watching somthing normal, too normal— and damn, that impact sounded painful.
His expression stiffened as he finally sorted through the mess in his mind. "But… why is she here?" he murmured under his breath, worry slowly surfacing in his eyes.
Not knowing the reason why she was here only made things worse. A person like Yue Qingxue would never appear somewhere without an important reason—at least, not normally.
Rain pushed his brain desperately, trying to connect every possibility he could think of. "Could it be—" his expression suddenly filled with even more worry as a terrifying possibility surfaced in his mind, but before he could complete the thought—
An annoying ringtone interrupted him.
The very ringtone he himself had set.
Rain's face twitched instantly with irritation, his mood dropping even further as he took out his phone with an annoyed expression and answered the call.
"Can't you at least try not to disturb me at the most crucial timings!?" Rain said with clear annoyance the moment he answered the call.
"Y-you fucker! You should feel grateful I even bother to call you, and this is how you talk to me!?"
The furious voice belonged to Sarah, roaring through the phone like an enraged lioness. Her voice was so loud and sharp it felt like Rain's eardrums were about to tear apart on the spot.
At that moment, Rain made the wisest decision possible.
He quietly muted the call.
'…So damn noisy.' with a dead, exhausted expression
For the next few moments, Sarah continued venting her anger on the other side while Rain simply stared at the phone in complete silence, waiting for the storm to pass. Only after enough time went by did he finally unmute the call again.
"Finished now, or is there still more left?" he asked casually, almost sounding bored.
Sarah took a heavy breath before replying coldly, "Come to the nearby bar."
"And why exactly is tha—" Rain started with a teasing grin already forming on his face, clearly preparing to say something shameless or annoying.
But before he could finish—
The call ended.
She had hung up on him without hesitation.
Rain stared at the phone for a second with a disappointed expression.
'…That wasn't fun at all.'
"Whatever. I've got nothing better to do anyway, so I'll check it out," he muttered while slipping the phone back into his pocket, completely forgetting about several important matters yet again.
One of Rain's many "charms"—or flaws, depending on who you asked—was that whenever something distracted him at the wrong moment, his mind would completely abandon whatever he was originally thinking about. Honestly, it was practically a common passive skill among modern younger generations at this point.
---
Rain and Sarah were sitting across from each other at a table filled with food, snacks, and bottles of alcohol, the warm lights of the bar casting a cozy glow over the place while chatter and laughter echoed faintly in the background.
Meanwhile—
Rain was completely lost in another world.
He picked up a steaming hot takoyaki and tossed it straight into his mouth, the crispy outer layer breaking apart instantly as the rich flavor exploded across his tongue. The soft octopus filling mixed perfectly with the creamy sauce and flakes dancing from the heat, the warmth spreading through his body in the most satisfying way possible. Steam still rose from the food as he chewed with pure bliss written all over his face, looking like someone who had already forgotten the existence of the outside world itself.
[That looks tasty…] with a drooling expression.
'Hmm…' Rain glanced briefly at the screen before taking another bite without hesitation.
"So you see… that's how it is," Sarah said as she placed her alcohol glass back onto the table after taking a sip.
Rain looked at her with a confused expression. "Did you say something?" he asked while still stuffing his mouth with takoyaki.
Sarah's face twitched instantly with visible irritation. "Hey! Did you even listen to a single word I just said!?"
Rain nodded lazily with zero interest. "Yeah, yeah… I should behave around those other races and blah blah…"
"You better understand it properly," she said with an annoyed glare.
"Oh? And why do you care so much?" Rain asked with a teasing smile forming on his face.
Sarah hesitated for a split second before replying, "I-it's just because I'm your instructor."
Rain leaned back slightly with a teasing grin. "Yeah… an instructor who likes to sneak in his student room to suck his dick," he said with a smug face.
"Hey! You're the one who forced me into it, you fucking pervert!" Sarah snapped back immediately, her face flushed red with anger and embarrassment as she glared at him.
"Oh? Is that so?" Rain said innocently before leaning closer with a mischievous smile. "Then who was begging me to be harsher last time?"
Sarah's face froze instantly.
"…Y-you bastard!" she shouted, completely flustered now, gripping her glass tightly while Rain sat there looking way too satisfied with himself.
"No point hiding it," Rain continued to tease her with a smug expression.
Sarah clicked her tongue before drinking the whole glass in one gulp. "Stop your babbling and eat your food. After all, those things look like you."
Rain stared at her with a blank, confused expression. "…What?"
She leaned slightly forward with a teasing grin. "I mean, those octopuses look cute when they're babies, just like you, but underneath they're vile and full of black ink—exactly like your rotten personality. So of course you'd enjoy eating them. And honestly… don't they even smell like you too?"
Rain replied almost instantly without thinking, wearing a pure innocent smile. "Nah, I think they smell and taste more like your wet crotch."
The moment those words left his mouth—
Sarah nearly spat the alcohol from her mouth sideways, choking hard as her eyes widened in disbelief. "W-Why you…!" Her entire face turned deep red, filled with embarrassment and anger as she glared at him furiously.
"Actually… I wanna get a taste. Can I?" Rain said with a shamelessly innocent smile.
Sarah's face instantly turned even redder. "C-Can you even hear yourself right now!?" she snapped, completely embarrassed.
Rain slowly stood up from his seat, a grin spreading across his face.
'Now I'm actually in the mood…'
"Let's go," he said casually as he grabbed her hand.
"Where?" Sarah asked suspiciously, though her heartbeat had already betrayed her long ago.
Then Rain said something completely unexpected.
"Of course… to give you some Heavenly Fluid Baptism[1]," he replied with a teasing grin.
Sarah froze on the spot.
For a moment, she genuinely doubted her own ears.
But strangely enough, even while her face burned in embarrassment, her body still followed him without another question.
And just like that, the two of them left the bar together.
---
"Why are we here…?" Sarah asked while sitting on the toilet seat, clearly unable to process the situation. "Couldn't you at least book a room?"
Rain looked like a man whose dignity had already left his body. "Beggars can't be choosers…" he said with an almost tearful, deeply disappointed look at himself.
Sarah just stared at him silently.
'…No. Don't say anything. Just don't.' A strange sense of pity even appeared in her thoughts.
"Now then, let's start," Rain said with visible excitement as he grabbed her legs and gently spread them apart before lifting her upper clothes slightly, revealing her bra.
'…Damn, that's hot.'
That was genuinely the only thought left in his mind after seeing her in that position.
"Stop staring already and take it out," Sarah muttered while looking away to the side, her face burning with embarrassment.
"Here it comes!"
[1] Heavenly Fluid Baptism — an ancient cultivation-related cleansing process said to purify the body, flesh, and meridians through the absorption or injection of concentrated “holy fluids” rich in spiritual essence. Depending on the method, the fluids may be consumed directly, absorbed through the skin, or transferred into the body to wash away impurities, nourish the core, strengthen vitality, and improve spiritual circulation. Though the name sounds sacred and refined, many methods and interpretations behind it are considered highly questionable, shameless, or outright suspicious depending on who explains it.