ch31 :first kiss

Zen came out of the black Tower, only to find his parked car missing. "Where's my car? I'm 100% sure I parked it here."

He was about to ask the guard, then a black Hennessey Mammoth 100 TRX mini truck blocked his way.

"What are you looking at, my baby? Don't tell me you're thinking any shameless thoughts about my child," she said disdainfully, thinking Zen was utterly strange.

Zen was quite surprised to see one of the strongest trucks, a truck related to memories with his grandfather, camping, and joyful moments.

Zen replied, "I am attracted to mammoths, not excited. And cut the crap; just tell me where is my Jaguar."

Calida responded casually, "Car? What car? When I came out, some pieces of junk were in my way. So, I told the guard to throw that junk into our recycling facilities."

Zen was furious, "What did you do, idiot? That was only a few scratches. My first car! Tell me where this facility is. We have to stop them before my solid car turns into dripping liquid."

Calida dismissed him, saying, "No, we can't. It's already very late. Black Tower is known for its fastest work. By the time we reach there, all parts of your car will have contributed to making weapons for our country. So, don't be upset about it."

Zen couldn't believe how unrepentant she was for her mistakes. "You empty-brained, rotten chili! How dare you do such a cruel thing to my Jaggi," he exclaimed.

She remained shameless, "Okay, okay, don't exaggerate. Look, because I burned the junk, you get a chance to sit on my trunk-kun. You better feel lucky if you see the biography of the hero father was from another world, because of Trunk god, become the savior of our world, give us blessings to our world. So, shut up quietly; it's already late night, and we're behind schedule."

Frustrated, Zen had no other option but to sit beside her. Calida scolded him, "Hey, stop! Who gave you permission to sit beside me? Your place is at the back; this seat is for someone else."

Confused, Zen asked, "Someone else who?"

She replied, "Someone much better than you. You'll see when you meet him."

Zen sighed, "Good, I can take a nap at the back instead of sitting beside Rotten chili," as he jumped on the back of the pickup trunk.

Calida started the truck's engine, revealing it was no ordinary truck, as a one-foot-large flame erupted out of the modified exhaust. The truck transformed into a raging flame monster on the road.

"Rotten chili, are your eye sockets without balls? Drive carefully; there are pits on the road. Your bad driving is disturbing my sleep," Zen scolded her, but instead of slowing down, she fired up the engine, making the truck fly more than ride on the road.

After ten minutes, they reached a place that wasn't the Bounder Forest. Zen asked, "Hey, empty chili, why are we at the gate of Wisdom Tower?" His gaze then fell on the shadows of two people walking their way.

Zen recognized them as Alex and the prettiest girl beside him, whose face resembled his ex-girlfriend from when he was rich. They were strangely hand in hand, heading towards them. When Alex saw Zen on the back of the truck, he smiled arrogantly.

"Curse you, protagonist! Bloody womanizer! It's just our first lecture, and they're clinging to each other like a couple," Zen muttered, throwing a punch at the marked dent on the metal surface.

Calida ignored Zen's existence as Alex asked her why she called him that late at night. However, Calida's eyes were fixed on the girl next to Marry.

"Alex, first, explain why that girl is with you, clinging to your body," she demanded.

Alex explained, "She's Marry, my new classmate. This afternoon, some seniors tried to bully her, but I saved her, and we became very good friends. However, she's still a little timid after the incident, so I took her with me."

Calida, clearly jealous, said, "But I told you we're on an important quest given by Mom. Inside the Bounder Forest, there are many dangers. Tell her to return to her dormitory."

Alex replied confidently, "I know if the quest were that easy, why would your mom waste her time? She just threw it to some random person. Besides, even though she looks timid, her awakened powers are amazing. Let's not concern ourselves with anything; with the support of my friends, I can handle any danger," as he held Calida's hand.

"If you say so, then I trust your word. I choose your help; you're the only person I can rely on. But behave, only two seats at the front. Tell that girl to sit at the back," Calida said, pretending red flowers in front, like Alex.

Alex spoke to Marry, "Sorry, but we have separate few hours. Please adjust at the back."

Marry's face turned into that of a cry baby. "But, Alex..." she said, nervously looking at Zen" as he is some kind of monster.

Alex patted her shoulder, "Don't be afraid. I am at your front. Anyone who tries to lay a hand on you has to go through me. And more probably, you don't need to be afraid; your power is stronger than his," he added with a laugh.

Alex's gaze at Zen was disdainful. For the protagonist, side character Zen was worth not a single threat.

"System, what is that man's power level?" Alex asked the system in thought.

System "According to the scan, before awakening, that boy was a top danger for you. But now he's just an ant with baseless middle-grade recessive genes. Still, the boy's physical strength is quite high, so I suggest being careful.

Alex "Physical strength more than mine? So what's good about a bulky body? In the end, he's just a side character ant I can trample on whenever I want.

Zen replied, "I am also not interested in arguing with someone shorter than me," showing him the difference in height. Zen closed his eyes, not saying anything further.

Alex "You dare," his pride crashed by the difference of one foot between them.

Marry "Marry, don't fight. I am ready to sit at the back.

Zen's stomach began to feel nauseous from the protagonist's cringe plot, and he didn't want a dirty place to relieve himself. Both Alex and Calida sat at the front, while Zen and Marry were at the back of the truck.

The sky, with the dim bright light of twenty moons, crossed through thin clouds, dimly lit the lonely dark road of the academy heading towards the Bounder Forest. The night at the academy was exceptionally cold, and within this breeze, a blazing truck raged over the dark path.

"Achoo!" Marry's sensitive white skin was very reactive to the cold compared to the hard Zen, who didn't mind it.

Seeing the girl's skin, which resembled his ex-girlfriend's,rubbing against the cold, he felt an odd pleasure. His fingers tingled to pull her figure into a warm embrace, escaping the cold, but he could only restrain himself, accepting the bitter drink of reality.

"Harsh. No matter which world, it seems like luck with protagonists isn't for me," Zen thought.

Marry snapped at him, "What did you say? I warned you; if you think of any disgusting thoughts, I will cut your head. I have a boyfriend, and he will cut your arm if I complain a single word about you."

Marry pointed her wooden sword towards Zen. "Nice, you have a boyfriend, but I don't have a girlfriend. You're good; you're just my interest. However, too late; I never taste second-hand products," Zen said, moving a little away and turning his back towards her.

"It's my first night traveling under such an open sky, so I won't miss this feeling arguing with someone. By the way, it's cold outside, but it doesn't affect awakened bodies, unless..." Zen remarked, questioning her.

"So what if I'm getting cold? I am not going to reveal to you about my elemental wood power," her slipped tongue revealed her secret.

"So, I was right," Zen thought.

The other girl is a wood elemental; her skin has become more sensitive to the cold. Interesting; this is useful information. Powers of blessings also have their downsides."

The ride continued with both passengers minding their own business in complete silence. A new turn led them to a mountain road. The Bounder Forest was just beyond the rocky mountain.

On this rocky mountain path, with a crazily driven truck, unexpected future awaited them. The truck seemed to be riding the wrong way, as if it was flying on the rocky mountain.

For Calida and Alex in the front seat, the journey seemed uneventful. However, at the back, it felt like a high-density earthquake, with seismic plateaus collapsing on top of each other. Zen, unable to maintain his standing or sitting position, chose the option of lying on the floor.

"I advise you to do the same. If you fail, I won't bother telling them that you fell off," Zen warned Marry. She responded defiantly, struggling to stand on her own.

"Sleeping with a pervert like you? In your dreams!" she retorted.

"Is there no brain in that head of yours? I said lying down, not sleeping with me. Just do whatever you want; I'm going to take my nap," Zen declared with the support of the surroundings, as he expertly found sleep in any place under any conditions.

After a minute of continued struggle, Marry's legs gave up, and her delicate body fell over the strong embrace of Zen. He jolted awake momentarily, finding Marry over him with a wicked smile.

"Girl, are you trying to take advantage of me while I sleep? I'll complain to the higher authorities about being molested," Zen teased, enjoying his chance to mock her.

"Just shut up, you disgusting pervert. Alex, stop the car; I no longer want to travel in this junk!" Marry yelled, but there was no response from the front.

"Because of the engine's loudness, they can't hear me," Marry realized.

More attempts to stand up only resulted in her falling over Zen again.

"Lie down; I'm a good man. I won't complain. Don't struggle; your monsters are too tight, hurting my chest. And it's also good for you; you don't have to worry about the cold," Zen said, grabbing her slender waist to prevent her from hurting his "little brother."

When Marry finally stopped struggling after exhausting her stamina, the warmth between Zen and Marry lying atop him surpassed the flames coming out of the truck's exhaust. Marry, unaware of her own actions, continued biting her corner lip and making an extremely seductive face.

Zen tried to ignore her behavior, but every time he looked at her, his throat quenched for love desire, and yet it remained unfulfilled.

Marry complained, "Hey, your heartbeat is disturbing my sleep; stop it," in a tone that had completely changed.

Zen widened his eyes, wondering why the girl had suddenly become so gentle. "Before complaining about others, check your heart many more times than mine. It disturbs my sleep multiple times. Did I complain?" Zen responded.

"You're lying! How can my heart beat for a pervert like you?" Marry denied, her contradictory white skin now turning red-pink.

More dangerous was the change in her behavior, resembling someone who had mixed aphrodisiacs into her blood. She began crawling over Zen's body.

"Are you alright?" Zen asked, genuinely concerned.

"Huff, huff, no, I'm not. My whole body is burning. Touch me; I think I have a fever," Marry replied, rubbing and crawling her body over Zen. This time, she placed her head on Zen's chest to check her temperature.

Both of them, with eyes just inches apart, their lips blocked by colliding noses, Zen's eyes met with Marry's pinkish eyes. Confused by her sudden change in behavior, a line from a book he once read came to his mind.

Judging by the title, he thought it was some kind of romance genre, so he had only read a few pages. The lines were something like:

"Eighteen nights passed, first seed is wood.

Eighteen blinks pass, wood's scent.

Eight payoffs; now, time for scent to bloom."

Now, he understood the meaning behind those lines.

"Yes, it's about wood awakeners. Like in old times, whenever a wood elemental appeared, they were prohibited from meeting anyone for eighteen days after their age ceremony. Because these eighteen days were their blooming period, where elemental powers inside their bodies triggered various changes. One of them was their skin beginning to emit a pink liquid scent which has aphrodisiac effects,"

Zen's words were like thunder to Marry. He sighed, realizing the predicament Marry was in.

"Hey, Marry, I know what's happening with you. It's not a fever; it's a scent coming out of your body. Maybe it has aphrodisiac properties; that's why you're feeling a burning sensation. Didn't anyone from the academy warn you not to go out for eighteen days? How can they be so careless?" Zen sighed, empathizing with her evident pain.

Marry replied, "Is that so? No one warned me," her tone now exuding seduction.

"I'll try to make them stop the truck. We can find some herbs in the mountains that can reduce the effects," Zen suggested, attempting to sit up. However, Marry grabbed his face with both arms, restraining him.

"I can't take it anymore; please help me," tears rolled down from her cheeks, and she broke the distance between their lips, leaving no room for Zen to say anything. She threw her pink tongue into Zen's mouth, and both became entangled in a passionate kiss.

On the rocky mountain road, with two girls and a boy struggling in the front, and a heated scene at the back, the truck continued its journey towards the Bounder Forest.

Zen, his face now marked with lipstick, couldn't believe his luck. "Seems like luck is on my side today. I stole the protagonist's opportunity. I'm going to make my first kiss an unforgettable event," Zen thought, turning Marry over him once again. This time, he took the chance to bite her lip, sealing the passionate moment.

The journey continued through the rocky path, with the truck seemingly flying over the mountain. In the front, Calida and Alex were still unaware of the romantic drama unfolding at the back, as the Bounder Forest awaited them with its mysteries.