“Huh-uhk!”

As Hana covered her mouth with one free hand, saliva dribbled down her chin, more than tears.

With persistence and determination, Weed repeated the persistent thrusting inside her. Each time, she covered her mouth and stifled the screams with her hand, fearing a loud noise would come out if she let go.

“Hana…”

In an animal-like growling, the vocal cords scratched menacingly as Weed called Hana. He attacked her, who was lying face down, from behind and chewed her ear before he forcefully removed her hand, covering her mouth and let a wheezing breath into her ear.

With a swift motion, as he grabbed her hand and pushed her down onto the bed, Hana was bound and forced to endure Weed’s beastly desire to mate with her.

“Ah, huuhng! Ang!”

“Hana, tell me it’s good.”

“Hu, uh, hu-ugh…!”

“Hana…”

As he leaned forward, the weight shifted and her hips raised further. The new angle brought a sensation of the foreign thing stirring inside her far more intense than anything she had experienced before. Though she wanted to wriggle with pleasure, there was no place for freedom.

“Aahng! To, too, uhng! De, deep!”

Hana sobbed, her tears and saliva flowing uncontrollably.

“Tell me who pleases you, ah, huu….Please say it. Ung?”

“Aahh, uuhng! Ung! Aahng—ang!”

As fluids flowed down their joint, she could clearly feel the liquid flowing while the sounds piercing through the center were beyond raucous. An obscene sound came out with their movements, and Hana could do nothing but release her cries, unable to regain her senses.

Weed couldn’t contain his passion and bit into her neck.

Overwhelmed and unable to move, her fragile body was flooded with nothing but a violent pleasure. It felt as if her entire being was being assaulted by ecstasy. With each thrust from him, sparks flew before her eyes. From a certain point, with every stab from behind, a surge of thrill ran through her whole body.

Weed relentlessly persisted, and Hana, unable to hold back, started crying and screaming as her instincts told her to.

“Hu-ugh, Weed. Help me, ahng, uh-huk. Weed. Good… Weed. There. Good. Stop—ang. Good, Weed. Weed. Weed…”

And then, at some point, only his name.

* * *

It felt euphoric. She felt as if she was floating in the sky again. Her body was completely drowsy, and she let out a sigh.

She slowly opened her eyes.

Sensing her awake, Weed lightly kissed her forehead. It seemed as though he had been holding her tightly. Feeling the gentle kisses on her forehead a few more times, Hana closed and opened her eyes again. She considered complaining, wondering why he pushed her like that, though she decided against it. It felt too good for that.

She kept calling his name until her voice was hoarse before she was too exhausted from pleasure.

Weed. Weed. Weed.

She recalled her nickname from her original world. The nickname really lived up to its name. Hana muttered absentmindedly in a hoarse voice.

“Am I a weed addict…”

“Yes, Hana?”

It must have been an unfamiliar language to him, but Weed, thinking she was calling his name, asked back. Somehow, it was cute.

Hana smiled wryly.

“That was the nickname I had back where I lived.”

“Is there a word with ‘Weed’?”

“Yes.”

“What does it mean there?”

She thought for a moment before answering.

“Overgrown grass.”

“…Overgrown grass?”

Weed’s eyes widened as he repeated the word.

‘…Oh no.’

Hana realized her mistake. Weed had two interpretations. Thinking that the word ‘weed’ might be somewhat insulting due to its association with drugs, she had chosen a different meaning… but perhaps to Weed, the term ‘overgrown grass’ could be even more derogatory.

Just as she hurried to correct herself, unexpectedly, Weed didn’t seem offended. He seemed rather intrigued by those words.

After a moment of thought, he spoke again.

“God comes to the lowest place.”

“Yes?”

“There’s a saying here.”

“There’s God here?”

He smiled gently at her innocent question.

“Was there one where Hana lived?”

“Well, I thought there wasn’t…”

Weed chuckled softly.

“It’s the same here. Some believe in God, some don’t. There are also those who take an agnostic stance, claiming that the truth cannot be known.”

She looked up at Weed, who was holding her in his arms, silently. Somehow, he seemed much more special when he spoke like this.

The World Tree, a grand and majestic golden tree, has been the object of worship for many people since ancient times. Perhaps it still was, even now.

The embodiment of God, its branches extending to touch the ceiling of the sky. It was believed to be connected to the heavens and the divine realm. The trunk was associated with the realm of the living, and its roots were believed to extend underground, connecting with the realm of death.

She had briefly contemplated God’s existence in a place where magic and wondrous phenomena were commonplace. However, hearing various perspectives on faith from him, who seemed more special than anyone else, felt refreshing.

“I also lean towards the belief that there is no god. However… there is ‘power.’”

“…Power?”

“It’s hard to put it simply, but there is an unchanging truth in this world. Every creature has its lifespan, and when they die, they become nourishment for others. And when that life ends, they in turn, become food for other creatures, and so the cycle continues. That is what we call the balance of this world.”

“The rules that govern the world?”

“Yes. All such things are referred to as ‘power.’ Though you can’t see it, very rarely, like a miracle, some are said to chance upon a shining power like that of the sun. And even if one understands it even a little, they can borrow those rules and use them. Even a small fragment of ‘power’ is incredibly formidable, beyond imagination.”

Hana swiftly threw in a thought that came to her mind as a jest.

“If understanding the rules of the world is the power, then could one create a world? Make a perfect world, perhaps.”

Since coming here, she had been pondering that if there were such a thing as a perfect world, wouldn’t it be Lár de Ligna Initia? It was an ideal place. The surroundings were beautiful, the people were kind, the leader was gentle, and it was filled with wonders…

If this wasn’t perfection, then even the slightest effort to create such a thing seemed to be more than enough.

Weed chuckled softly and remained silent for quite some time until a cool breeze entered through the open window, ruffling his jade hair.

For quite some time, really.

He spoke, almost as if murmuring with a distant voice.

“It’s arrogance, you see, that sort of thing.”

Weed pulled her closer into an embrace.

“God comes to the lowest place. The will of God reaches the most wretched of this world. If that’s true, if there are those who happen to obtain ‘power,’ who do you think would have realized it first?”

After a brief pause, Hana pondered and answered.

“Hmm… insects or overgrown grasses?”

Weed merely smiled in response.

13. Familiar Voice

Lár de Ligna Initia. This place, known as the center of the world, was truly a beautiful place.

Here, there were all the colors of the world. Various plants grew without being bound by seasons or weather. From the fresh colors of spring to the verdant shades of summer, the freshness of autumn, and the crispness of winter. The scent of all seasons lingered in the air.

It was an incredibly bountiful place. The saying that all plants grew also implied that all grains and fruits. Droughts, floods, colds, typhoons, and pests were absent here. Occasionally, refreshing rain fell, making it consistently pleasant.

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