Chapter 23: Untitled

If there was anything worse than having someone of the opposite sex barge in while you were bathing, then the scene before Constantine probably ranked high on the list—because, apart from a small towel in her hand, which was something the young man had half-expected, the Blood Elf had… nothing on… or to be more precise… nothing at all!

Constantine always thought his nerves were fairly strong… whether it was the flood of horror and supernatural movies online, photos of rotting corpses, or atmosphere-building games, few things could directly shake his awareness…

But the scene before him was undoubtedly a breach in his mental defenses… no matter how many images he had seen on a computer, moving or still, 2D or 3D beauties… none could compare to the stimulation of the real thing appearing right before his eyes, especially at such a close distance, only a few steps away…

Astonished, Constantine almost stood up. Thankfully, his dignity and reason as a man forced him to suppress that embarrassing instinctive reaction… well, actually, such a reaction was probably quite normal for him—or perhaps countless inexperienced people would fantasize in private, or in the texts on a certain website, imagining themselves in this situation, acting all cool and composed, or flirtatious and messy, but if they actually encountered it, ninety-nine out of a hundred would probably first look for something to cover themselves… of course, those battle-hardened veterans in real life didn’t count.

“How did you get in here? Didn’t I block the door with a cabinet?”

Surprise formed on the delicate face. The awkwardness of someone suddenly barging in made the Blood Elf reflexively cover her chest with both hands, but that only squeezed those two soft, springy mounds, making their shape even more enticing.

“This…” the young man stammered… On the day he moved in, he had converted this room into a bathroom. It had two doors: one leading to his bedroom, and the other connecting to the washroom, which could be accessed directly from the living room. However, the door to the bedroom was built somewhat unusually, with a small turn hidden by a screen. If one wasn’t familiar with the room’s layout, they might easily overlook it.

But this explanation never made it out… Miss Blood Elf’s expression faltered slightly for a moment, then turned understanding. The slight curve at the corner of her lips perfectly displayed the mysterious, ethereal aura of an elven woman… Then, she casually lowered her shielding arms and gathered her cloud-like golden hair. Under the evening sunlight filtering through the window above the bathroom, her flawless, jade-white curves were even more highlighted. Her skin glowed with a soft luster, exuding a warm, gentle texture, while the tense lines of her body mixed that aura with a hint of peculiar allure.

A moment less than a second felt like dozens of minutes. Constantine’s usually quick-thinking mind buzzed. After a dazed pause, whatever he had intended to say was flung to the far ends of the earth!

But his gaze… by the gods, he, Constantine, was no hypocritical prude. If he could calmly look away at a time like this, even he would question his own male dignity…

His greedy eyes swept over the elegant collarbone, the proud, erect peaks contrasting with the typically slender elven frame, even those cherry-colored tips… the taut, antelope-like waist, the steam causing a flush on her delicate facial skin. Although elves all had slender builds without exception, the breathtaking S-shaped curve was still clearly visible. Not overly full, but with each breath, it felt particularly springy. And those cherry-colored buds, paired with fair skin, shone brightly. The sparse vegetation of the woodland was only faintly visible through the mist.

And… with just a little imagination, Constantine could effortlessly picture the sensation of pressing against that alluring skin: an astonishing heat transmitted from the smooth, springy body, and a delicate, pleasant thrill…

“I believe I told you, entering someone else’s room without permission is very rude behavior…” When the chaos finally subsided, the young man managed to formulate some words… He tried to make his voice sound authoritative, but unfortunately, his frantic grabbing of a nearby towel to cover himself didn’t match his tone. “As a lady! You should quickly avert your eyes upon seeing such a scene.”

“Ohoho, little brat, I haven’t said anything, why are you so shy? You… aren’t even at the age to have the capital to be shy yet…? Hehehehe…”

In fact, the young man’s warning was probably completely unnecessary. In response to Constantine’s warning, the Blood Elf replied with utter indifference.

Nirwen Tinuviel—that was the Blood Elf lady’s name. Actually, it was an elven name. Although the original pronunciation was about eighty percent similar to the transliteration, some of the beautiful elven syllables were hard to pronounce… Through the Lich’s translation, Constantine learned that Tinuviel directly translated to Evening Songstress, meaning nightingale, while Nirwen meant a woman like a man.

Constantine didn’t know if her surname was due to many ancestors being skilled singers, but that name certainly fit this lady’s personality. The shy expression flashed briefly—this lady might have been somewhat stunned at first, but after the young man spoke, it turned into a scornful sneer. And soon, the lady’s crimson eyes shifted, the scorn in her smile beginning to morph into a mischievous look—

“I’m the one who heated the water, adjusted the temperature, and prepared all the utensils… Tell me, you took everything for yourself while I was away, and now you don’t even have a shred of gratitude? Truly a noble living off the people’s sweat and blood…” Miss Nightingale’s teasing eyes sized up the young man shrinking into the water. It seemed she had found a good way to get back at him?

“Damn it! This should be my bathroom, right?”

“Oh, yes, this is your bathroom… So little brother… do you want big sister to scrub your back? Or, somewhere else is fine too? Big sister will help you wash all the nooks and crannies clean and white?” The young man’s flustered expression undoubtedly fueled the mischievous elf’s prankish spirit even more… The lady giggled, took a few steps forward, gently wrapped her arm around Constantine’s neck protruding from the tub, and used her slender, delicate jade-like fingers to tickle the skin near Constantine’s ear, playfully blowing a puff of air there.

“You… I…” Constantine’s brain nerves were completely tangled. The gentle breath swirling behind his ear, the ticklish sensation plus the skillful teasing of those fingers, and the faint, intoxicating fragrance emanating from the lady—all this was a bit too much for a decades-old virgin to endure… Actually, Constantine felt like he was about to explode! The fire spreading from his lower belly seemed to make the surrounding warm bathwater boil again!

It must be said that people in this world had good physical fitness. And after training, Constantine was quite confident about his own development. But unfortunately… time was one of the universe’s most unshakable truths. To reach the level where he could smoothly, even impressively, push down this annoying, enchanting fairy, the young man still needed at least two or three more years… Although early marriage was popular in this world, and among the decadent upper class, noble young masters losing their virginity at thirteen wasn’t common but wasn’t rare either. Constantine even heard that a few with royal blood had already had double-digit women before turning ten—Constantine also doubted whether they even had the capability back then, but that’s what circulated in noble circles.

But that didn’t mean Constantine would easily try it either—just as this lady said, the young man’s body was still just a kid’s. That kind of irrational attempt… Constantine thought besides risking affecting his body, it would probably severely damage his confidence. He wanted to preserve his abilities longer; using them too early was basically self-destruction.

“Hehehehe… little brother, let big sister teach you some fun things, okay…”

However, the elegant fragrance, like waves and musk, was suffocating. In the hazy steam, the cherry-colored lips appeared even softer. The Blood Elf’s crimson pupils grew closer and closer in his vision. At a time like this, those who could remain calm were probably very few… “To hell with it, go with the flow!” The short-circuited young-old man found he could no longer think… He involuntarily slowly closed his eyes…

At the moment of contact, an unexpected sensation transmitted to his brain.

…Warmth… smoothness… with a peculiar taste… Huh?

Cleanse the dirty blood from a pig’s pancreas, tear off the fat, grind it into paste, add bean powder, spices, etc., mix evenly, then let it dry naturally, and it becomes bath beans usable for washing. Who first thought of using this mixture similar to soap for cleaning on the Western Continent was unknown. Of course, if it was one person’s wisdom, they must have been extremely clever. But closing your eyes, lost in fantasy, only to have someone stuff a bath bean by your mouth and discover it three seconds later, still savoring the moment—that person must be a super idiot!

So… Constantine was undoubtedly, within the Phoenix Empire of the Western Continent, during the Bathfire Calendar year 778, in the month of Decay, the most suitable candidate to be called a super big idiot… If this got out, that timeframe might even be extended…

“Ahahahahaha… the little brat is so easy to fool! Hahaha, hehehe… this expression, it’s simply… a masterpiece… hehehahaha…” The mischievous elf, having succeeded in her trick, let out unrestrained, almost earth-shaking laughter that seemed to shake the entire Duke’s Mansion!

“Damn it, get out!”

So Constantine genuinely performed what could be called a fit of humiliation-turned-rage—with that note of frantic anger in his voice, he cast a curse spell, causing the elf’s wild laughter to falter amid a wave of intense headache!

“Damn it, this cursed brat! You definitely won’t be popular with women! You’ll stay single forever! If you have a wife, she’ll cheat on you!” Although the young man consciously reduced the intensity, the soul-deep pain still made the Blood Elf almost convulse. But even barely able to stand, she stubbornly cursed a couple more times before staggering out of the room.

“This fairy…” Constantine took a deep breath, then fully submerged himself in the water. After a long while, that annoying fire circling within his body gradually faded from his senses.

“Actually, letting things develop just now would have been pretty good, right? I could almost feel the struggle in your soul…” Just as he lifted his head from the water, another mischievous voice suddenly echoed in Constantine’s mind. It seemed he had subconsciously come to treat this amulet as a last line of defense; even when deciding to bathe earlier, he hadn’t removed it. So this equally teasing fellow made the young man’s headache intensify a bit more.

“Hartdiel! Do you want to try the taste of soul-worms too? I haven’t forgotten that mess you caused in the Mage Tower yet…” Constantine grumbled through gritted teeth, pounding the water angrily and splashing heavily. Thanks to that lady’s disturbance, the young man’s original sleepiness had completely vanished… but his mental fatigue grew even more severe.

“And, haven’t I said it? You’re an Undead. You don’t have the ability or need to discuss such matters! If you want to research this, wait until your next life when you’re reborn!”

“What does ‘reborn’ mean? Also… don’t have any unnecessary discrimination against the Undead. Back then, the legendary mage, titled Crimson Coral, Elibuda Ro, in his alternative spellbook ‘Pink Volume,’ recorded several spells that allow people to grow any organ…” The Lich’s flat voice carried a hint of smugness…

“These mages really are a bunch of bored, idle people!”

Lying back in the tub, the events of the past few hours began to replay like a lantern show in Constantine’s mind.

This was probably the most mystical day in both of his lives. The marvel of magic, the thrill of battle, mysterious individuals of significant origins, even including a term that only appeared in legends, and then those suddenly appearing, unfamiliar family members. All of this nearly exhausted him physically and mentally.

“My deity does not punish those with somewhat wavering faith, but you must note, once the most basic piety toward my deity is lost, even developing terrible aversion and hatred—my deity’s covenant will punish them, causing severe harm to their soul, possibly even immediate death!” Recalling that being called a deity, the words Archmage Vernal directly transmitted to his mind through contact before leaving still echoed in his ears.

This was a world where deities truly existed, unlike Earth, where one could play with freedom of belief. Of course, you could choose to be a non-believer, but if you abandoned faith in a deity midway, that was a very serious matter.

In this world, a believer abandoning their faith and leaving the church often meant incurring the deity’s displeasure. A benevolent deity might be magnanimous and not hold it against ordinary believers, but those who had already received abilities bestowed by the deity might have to pay a corresponding price. This wasn’t common among faiths of similarly benevolent deities, but if they shifted their faith to one not of the same alignment, or even an opposing alignment, things could get very bad…

For example, a warrior who originally worshipped the God of Strength, Kord. If one day he whimsically changed to worship the God of Valor, Heironius, then upon becoming a Paladin, he would still retain those combat skills. But if, as a Paladin, he changed his faith to Hextor, he would completely lose his Paladin powers.

However, those deities whose abandonment of faith caused soul or physical injury were definitely, one hundred percent, evil deities!

Fortunately, he hadn’t truly become his believer yet. But, since he had accepted some ability from him, it was hard to guarantee there wouldn’t be this or that trouble later… He had discussed this issue with the Lich, but unfortunately, matters of divine magic were poles apart from arcane magic, and even a mage didn’t have much understanding.

Apart from that, what left Constantine the most puzzled from this trip to the Mage Tower was still that Archmage known as the Eye of the Firmament, Callister Satanber.

“What is he thinking anyway?”

Although from start to finish, this mysterious old man didn’t show excessive favor toward the young man, as an Archmage himself, he went through the trouble of wasting a crystal core to breach Vernal’s barrier, even offending Vernal to protect him. This behavior definitely wasn’t because of his good relations with the nobles—the king and nobles’ wrath wouldn’t easily fall on a mage. In fact, even if something really happened to Constantine, all responsibility lay with Vernal, and he wasn’t much involved!

Of course, it might also be explained as this Archmage not wanting relations between the Mage Tower and the nobles to develop to an irreparable extent… If something really happened to him inside the Mage Tower, even if he wasn’t favored by his cheap father the Duke, the Connallyvis Family couldn’t easily let it go for the sake of face, right?

But that didn’t seem to align with the mages’ way of thinking either.

The so-called Diviners of this plane weren’t the kind Constantine was familiar with—like those mysterious fortune-telling charlatans and witches in city alleys and street stalls, mostly swindlers who knew a bit of psychology and how to read people. Diviners dedicated themselves to creating their own order using magic power as a means. They used order as a guide to find fragments within chaos, perceiving worlds beyond the five senses. Those who reached the pinnacle even claimed to possibly touch space and time, glimpsing parts of history’s flow.

And this Callister Satanber, since he was called the Eye of the Firmament, his abilities should be extremely formidable. Even that peculiar Archmage Vernal needed a special barrier to avoid being spied upon. Such a person shouldn’t need to make any special moves toward worldly people, right?

His pondering yielded no results. The warm water caressed his body, and fatigue washing over him again finally sent Constantine into slumber…