Chapter 21: Pillow Talk
You know what the bastard did after punching Mother?
He suggested that everyone take a break to rest and freshen up before talking more. He knew the Gorgon sisters—Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale—had tons of questions swirling in their heads.
After all, he'd just shown off insane power by punching their unbeatable leader in the face. He figured they would want answers eventually, but there was no rush.
But nope.
The sisters weren't having it. "Oh hell no," was the general vibe. "We want answers right now."
Stheno, the tough middle sister with her wild golden snake-hair and red tank top, jumped in first.
By then, Hyun-woo had already hopped onto the big, cozy bed in Medusa's room for more space. The bed was a huge round thing grown directly from the living wood, piled high with soft furs and blankets. It was super comfortable.
Stheno scooted closer on the bench until her knee bumped the mattress, golden snakes flicking curiously toward him before pulling back like they were shy.
“Okay, hold up,” she said, pointing one finger at him. “I need answers. Like, right now. How the actual fuck are you stronger than Mother? And don’t give me that ‘Sex Beast unlocked after virginity’ bullshit again—I already heard that part. I mean mechanics. Stats. Skills. Did you get a secret level-up button? Infinite multipliers? What?”
Hyun-woo blinked at her, looking a bit surprised by how eager she was. He scratched the back of his head, messing up his black hair even more.
"Uh… I don't really know all the details?" he admitted honestly. "It's not like it levels up step by step. My level is already set to infinite. Y’know…" He glanced sideways at Ebonara, who gave a smug little purr. "…No cap that I’ve found."
Stheno stared at him, her mouth open in disbelief. She couldn't wrap her head around something so overpowered yet so simple.
"That's the dumbest, most broken power I've ever heard of," she said, shaking her head. "What are you, the main character in some wild web novel? Powers like that only happen in stories!"
Medusa had been quietly sitting nearby, swirling a red drink in her glass and pretending not to listen. But when she finally spoke, her voice was calm, though there was a hint of nervousness underneath—like she was scared to admit something.
"When you… teleported us earlier," she said, meeting his eyes for just a quick second before looking away. Her cheeks turned a light pink as she remembered how he'd whispered to her and held her close. "That wasn't your power, was it? It was mine. You just… told me to do it. And I did, without even thinking. How did that happen?"
Hyun-woo shrugged one shoulder, keeping it casual. He gave her a small, sheepish smile.
“I asked nicely?” he offered. “You were already super tense. I figured if I just said it clearly, you’d probably go along with it. Didn’t expect you to actually listen that fast, though.”
Medusa's snakes all lifted their heads at once, hissing softly like they were mad on her behalf, defending her pride.
"I do not just 'go along' with things," she muttered, sounding annoyed. But she didn’t look convinced herself.
Euryale, who had finally stopped malfunctioning in the middle of the room, drifted over and sat gracefully on the mossy floor in front of them, folding her legs beneath her like she was settling in for storytime. Her green aura pulsed gently—curious rather than afraid. She steadied herself, forcing calm into her voice.
“May I ask something more… delicate?” she said softly. “Your Talent is called Sex Beast. And it clearly scales with… intimacy. Does that mean the more partners you have, the stronger you become? Or is it tied only to Ebonara?”
Ebonara immediately lifted her head from Hyun-woo’s shoulder.
“Excuse you,” she said sweetly, tail tightening around him just a fraction. “He’s mine. No sampling the menu.”
Hyun-woo patted her tail reassuringly, giving it a gentle squeeze to calm her down. He smiled softly, showing he appreciated her protectiveness but wasn't worried.
Then he leaned back against the pile of soft furs, trying to look relaxed even though his ears were slowly turning bright pink.
“It’s not really about numbers,” he explained, voice honest. “It’s more about… connection? The first time it unlocked was with Ebo, and yeah, it went infinite after that. But I think it grows whenever I’m… close to someone who actually matters to me. Not just physical stuff. Emotional too. But only time will tell. Like I told Mother, I honestly don’t know everything yet.”
He glanced around at the three Gorgon sisters, meeting each of their eyes one by one.
“So… probably, yeah. If I really got close to other people—like, deep trust, real feelings—it might keep getting stronger. But I’m not out here trying to collect power-ups like some video-game character. I’m not hunting for more partners just to get stronger. That’s not who I am.”
Stheno let out a loud, disbelieving snort and crossed her arms.
“Bullshit,” she said, though her tone was half-teasing, half-impressed. “You’ve already got four ancient monster women orbiting around you like lovesick planets, and you’re sitting here acting all shy and innocent. You’re dangerous, pretty boy. Admit it.”
Hyun-woo raised an eyebrow and gave her a small, knowing smile.
“I call bullshit right back. It’s not like I was the one who tried to turn me into stone after I bowed politely in the garden.”
Medusa and Stheno both froze. Their snakes lifted their heads in perfect unison, hissing softly in surprise.
“You… knew?” Medusa asked first, her voice quiet but sharp.
“Yes,” Hyun-woo said simply. “I knew.”
Ebonara shot up like a spring. All eight of her gem-like eyes flared crimson with anger, tiny sparks of fury dancing inside them.
“What did you just say?” she growled, tail rising dangerously behind her, the venomous tip glistening. She looked ready to lunge.
But before she could move, Hyun-woo reached out calmly, wrapped one arm around her waist, and gently pulled her back down. He started stroking the top of her head—slow, soothing circles right between her horns, the way he knew she secretly loved.
Ebonara stiffened for half a second… then melted against him like warm wax. Her tail slowly lowered, curling loosely around his ankle instead of striking.
Stheno, seeing the moment had passed, quickly jumped in to explain before things could explode again.
“You idiot,” she said to Medusa, rolling her eyes. “I already told you, it wasn’t even us. It was the tree itself. That big split tree in our house releases a natural aphrodisiac mist to keep intruders drowsy and confused. It’s a defense mechanism. We were surprised ourselves when it didn’t work on you.”
Hyun-woo blinked.
“Ohhh… right. Now that you mention it, I did forget about that part.” He gave a sheepish little laugh. “Guess that one really was my bad.”
Medusa stared at him, arms still crossed tightly, clearly trying to decide whether to stay mad or let it go.
“Then… how should I make it up to you?” Hyun-woo asked gently, looking straight at her.
Before Medusa could even open her mouth, Stheno jumped in with a wicked grin.
“How about a date? Just you and me. In the inner city. Alone.”
“Done,” Hyun-woo said instantly, without hesitation.
Ebonara’s head snapped up again.
“Do you want to die, Stheno?” she asked sweetly, voice dripping venom.
“You fuck off, bitchy scorpion,” Stheno shot back, sticking out her tongue.
Everyone braced for the inevitable fight—hair-pulling, tail-whipping, the usual chaos.
But… nothing happened.
Ebonara just huffed dramatically, crossed her arms under her chest (making everything bounce once for emphasis), and sat back down right next to Hyun-woo. She leaned her head against his shoulder like nothing had happened.
The room went quiet.
Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale all stared at Ebonara in open shock.
Did that crazy scorpion just… hold herself back?
Did getting laid change her that much? Then everyone remembered: yes, she did get laid. Fuck.
Medusa cleared her throat, arms still crossed like armor. She was clearly tired of the drama, so she went straight to her next question.
“And yet you still asked permission to stay in Eden’s Vault. After punching the person who runs it. Why?”
Hyun-woo looked at her for a long moment—really looked.
“Because being strong doesn’t mean I get to act like an asshole,” he said simply. “I hate bullies. And I hate people who think power gives them the right to hurt whoever they want. If I start acting like that… what’s the point of any of this?”
Silence fell again.
Ebonara just yawned dramatically, stretched like a cat, and flopped her head back onto Hyun-woo’s lap.
“You guys are overthinking this,” she mumbled, closing six of her eight eyes while the other two stayed half-open, watching the sisters with lazy amusement. “He’s mine. He’s nice. He fucks like a god. End of story. Go find your own pretty boy if you’re so curious.”
Stheno threw a small decorative pillow at her.
“Shut up, bushy bitch.”
The pillow bounced harmlessly off Ebonara’s chitin-plated shoulder. She caught it with her tail, examined it like it was beneath her dignity, then tossed it back, aiming perfectly so it hit Stheno square in the face.
Stheno sputtered.
Hyun-woo laughed quietly, rubbing the back of Ebonara’s head like she was a very large, dangerous pet.
Medusa sighed, finally uncrossing her arms.
“You really are ridiculous,” she muttered. But there was the tiniest hint of a smile tugging at her lips.
Euryale tilted her head, green eyes thoughtful.
“I think… I would like to know you better,” she said quietly. “Not for power. Just… curiosity.”
Hyun-woo met her gaze and gave a small, genuine nod.
“Curiosity is dangerous. Are you sure about that?”
Ebonara cracked one eye open.
“Not allowed, brat,” she mumbled sleepily.
Instead of arguing, Euryale used her biggest weapon. She widened her eyes and looked straight at the Scorpion Queen.
“Sister Ebo… please?”
And just like that, Ebonara sighed. “Fine.”
After that, more questions came, but Ebonara mostly ignored them, content to doze against Hyun-woo’s side, occasionally muttering possessive little comments under her breath.
But the Gorgon sisters?
They weren’t done asking. Not even close.
The questions didn’t stop flowing, but they slowed down, becoming softer, more personal—less like an interrogation and more like people finally daring to reach out.
Stheno leaned back on her hands, golden snakes lazily curling around her shoulders like living jewelry.
“Okay, real talk,” she said, voice losing some of its usual bite. “You said emotional connection matters. Not just… banging.” She shot a quick glare at Ebonara, who didn’t even bother opening more than one eye in response. “So what counts? Like, if I just sit here and talk to you for a few hours, does that do anything? Or does it have to be…” She made a vague gesture that meant fucking. “…Deeper?”
Hyun-woo thought for a second, fingers still idly combing through Ebonara’s hair.
“I don’t have a status screen that pops up and tells me ‘+12 Intimacy Points: Pillow Talk Achieved’ or whatever,” he said with a small, self-deprecating chuckle. “But… yeah. Talking counts. Trust counts. Laughing at the same stupid thing counts. Feeling like you don’t have to hide the ugly parts of yourself around someone—that counts a lot.”
He glanced at each of them in turn.
“I think the system just… notices when someone stops being a stranger to me. When they start mattering. The physical stuff is like rocket fuel, sure. But the emotional side is the actual engine.”
Medusa had pulled her knees up to her chest at some point, arms wrapped around them. She looked smaller than usual. Less like an ancient, unapproachable Gorgon Queen and more like someone who’d carried a wall around her heart for several thousand years and was suddenly wondering if it was safe to lower it even an inch.
“When you hugged me earlier,” she said, almost too quietly for the room. “In the council chamber… I didn’t freeze. I didn’t turn you to stone. I didn’t even want to.” She swallowed. “I’ve spent lifetimes making sure no man ever got close enough to try. And then you just… held me. Like it was normal. Like I wasn’t dangerous.”
Her snakes shifted uncomfortably, but none of them hissed.
Hyun-woo’s voice stayed gentle.
“You are dangerous. All of you are.” He gestured loosely at the four women. “That’s not a bad thing. It just means the world has spent a long time teaching you that being dangerous is the only way to stay safe. I don’t want to take that from you. I just… don’t want you to have to use it on me.”
Medusa stared at him for a long moment.
Then, very slowly, she unfolded her legs and slid a little closer on the bed—not touching, but definitely within arm’s reach for the first time since they’d met.
Euryale watched the exchange with quiet fascination. Her green aura had settled into a steady, warm glow.
“I’ve never felt unsafe around my sisters,” she said thoughtfully. “But I’ve also never felt… seen. Not really. Not without the fear attached. People look at us and see monsters first. Always.”
She tilted her head toward Hyun-woo.
“You look at us and see people first. Monsters second. Maybe third.” A tiny smile curved her lips. “I like that order.”
Hyun-woo returned the smile.
“Good. Because that’s not changing.”
Ebonara finally stirred properly. She lifted her head just enough to prop her chin on his thigh and fixed the three Gorgons with a sleepy, unimpressed stare from six of her eight eyes.
“You’re all getting disgustingly sentimental,” she grumbled. “He’s warm. He smells nice. He gives good head scratches. That’s all you need to know.” She flopped back down dramatically. “The rest is just bonus features.”
Stheno snorted so hard she nearly fell off the bench.
“Gods, you’re such a brat.”
“Proud of it,” Ebonara mumbled into Hyun-woo’s leg.
The room settled into another comfortable quiet. This one less awkward, more… peaceful.
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Chapter 31 is now available on Patreon.