Reverse Dungeon

They held hands.

The foundation of any skill began with contact.

A skill like could be used without touching the target, but when the purpose was to drive a curse out from inside the body, direct contact was far more effective.

‘.’

Ian sent the skill into Keith’s body.

Ding!

[Curse Progress: 22%]

Ding!

[Curse Progress: 22%]

“......”

‘Why isn’t it going down?’

As Ian stood there, unsettled, Keith asked, “Is something wrong?”

“ isn’t working.”

Keith lowered his golden lashes in thought. His blue eyes rested briefly on the cabin floor before returning to Ian.

“But back then... your worked while the curse was still active. I regained consciousness partway through. It seems unlikely that this curse would be immune to .”

“There shouldn’t be a curse it doesn’t work on. Maybe the conditions aren’t right...”

It had worked even after they slept together. That meant this curse was definitely vulnerable to .

“......”

“......”

They stared at each other.

Ian was certain they were thinking the same thing.

‘No. That can’t be it.’

Surely there wasn’t a curse that required that to trigger purification.

This wasn’t some explicit visual novel.

Ian refused to believe the game had abandoned its identity to that extent.

Surely.

Probably.

Ian had no intention of saying what he was thinking aloud, but Keith spoke with maddening composure.

“I’m sorry, but we may need to test how far we have to go before takes effect.”

“...How far?”

“Yes. It’s similar to . When treating delicate areas like bones or tendons, one needs an accurate understanding of the wound’s location. Otherwise, the energy can disperse elsewhere and lose effectiveness.”

“Oh. So works the same way?”

“That appears to be the case.”

Keith didn’t seem shaken in the slightest. His expression was so sincere, so devout, that Ian couldn’t even interpret his words as strange. Reacting oddly would only make Ian look like the strange one.

Ian answered calmly.

“Then... let’s...”

“Yes. We should recreate the same situation as before.”

“......”

That was not what Ian had been about to say.

But Keith nodded as though it were the most obvious conclusion in the world.

‘The same situation as before?’

Ian remembered how he had been undressed then. Completely bare, with only Keith’s cloak wrapped around him.

Was he supposed to recreate that?

“Shall I take off my cloak for you?”

“Is that really necessary? I mean, there’s a blanket in this room too,” Ian said flatly.

But the atmosphere was already becoming strange.

Keith’s unnerving calm only made it worse.

Was this... really all right?

Keith shook his head.

“It would be best to reproduce the situation as precisely as possible. This is a sacred duty, is it not?”

“...Sacred duty?”

“Yes. It is your act of forgiveness, mercy, and grace toward me. Reenacting the process has meaning.”

“Reenacting?”

“Indeed.”

Keith looked almost like a priest conducting a holy rite.

Ian abruptly understood why Keith was so calm. To Keith, this was a sacred ceremony in which Ian, as God’s agent, purified him.

The problem was the contents of that ceremony.

Ian dreaded what “how far” might end up meaning.

But the momentum had already taken over. It felt as though they were simply following the natural course of events, and any objection would seem strangely out of place.

Looking at Keith’s earnest face, Ian began to wonder if he was the only one having improper thoughts.

“Fine.”

Ian loosened his shirt.

Once Ian made a decision, he rarely hesitated. Most of the decisions he faced were matters of life and death, where hesitation could get him killed.

This was different.

Taking off his clothes felt oddly difficult.

‘Should I turn around?’

But wasn’t it ridiculous to be shy in front of another man?

With a deliberately bold motion, Ian shrugged off his shirt.

“Give me the cloak.”

“Here.”

Keith handed it over. Ian wrapped the cloak around himself and tied it at his neck. Keith gently took over and tied the knot into a neat bow.

‘Does that detail even matter?’

Ian swallowed the sarcastic remark.

It was better not to provoke a fanatic.

“Give me your hand again.”

“Yes.”

Keith extended his hand. Ian took it and activated .

Ding!

[Curse Progress: 22%]

Ding!

[Curse Progress: 22%]

‘Yeah. Saw that coming.’

Ian gave up.

“Does it seem to be working?”

“No.”

“Then I’ll move a little closer.”

Keith ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) sat close enough for their bodies to touch.

The bed dipped beneath his weight, and Ian found himself leaning slightly toward him. It was... too close. Ian couldn’t understand why his nerves had suddenly gone taut.

Keith seemed perfectly unaffected.

With their shoulders pressed together, Keith asked quietly, “...Is this uncomfortable?”

“...Not really?”

Ian wondered if Keith understood what he was doing.

He activated again.

Nothing changed.

“How is it?”

Ian silently shook his head.

Keith fell quiet for a moment, then drew Ian into an embrace from behind.

‘So this is how it happens.’

Ian resigned himself.

“How about now?” Keith asked.

His voice had dropped lower.

Ian felt a strange ticklishness deep inside him, not just in his ears.

Keith’s clear, serene eyes met his, and Ian blinked.

‘This is insane...’

They hadn’t even done much.

So why did it feel like this?

Keith’s white lashes fluttered, almost luminous in the surrounding light, and Ian found his attention caught on them.

He used the skill.

‘.’

Still no change.

This time, Ian wasn’t surprised. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

“It’s not working.”

“Then we’ll have to go further. May I...?”

“Sure.”

Ian’s voice came out hoarse.

They looked at each other as they drew closer.

Their faces nearly touched. Keith’s gaze lingered on Ian’s lips.

Then he pressed his mouth softly to Ian’s, as if confirming he was truly there.

And waited.

‘......’

Ian held his breath.

He knew what Keith was waiting for.

There was a faint roughness against his lips, along with warm breath. Keith’s hand cupped Ian’s chin firmly.

Ian’s lashes trembled as he parted his lips.

Keith gently drew Ian’s lower lip between his own, then slipped deeper.

‘Ah.’

This was driving him insane.

Ian had joked about Keith’s inexperience, and about his own lack of experience, but this was Ian’s first time too. His chaotic life had never left room for romance.

Or even friends.

Was kissing always this intimate?

Ian felt clumsy, awkward, completely caught in the moment.

Why was he even kissing Keith?

Keith shifted his weight and pressed Ian down. As Ian sank into the bed, Keith cradled the back of his head with care.

Ian lay there and accepted the kiss.

It felt as if his body were melting, as if all his senses had been swallowed by that single point of contact.

Then a strange sound came from outside the door.

Thud!

“So, whenever we visit an island, we’ll guide you. Do you have any idea how fierce the natives are? You’re a merchant, right? Do you even know the local specialties?”

“Not really.”

“You could’ve been in serious trouble! If you hadn’t met us, you’d have spent a fortune on this fancy ship and gotten nothing out of it!”

“For just ten gold coins upfront, we’ll take care of everything while you sit back and relax.”

“Really? Ten gold coins? That’s so generous of you dwarves! Sadly, I can’t return your feelings. You know, short-lived species and all...”

“What? Hahaha! You’re a funny customer. I like funny customers. Let’s enjoy this trip with plenty of laughs!”

Ian recognized the familiar voice.

That clueless elf.

“5-star!”

Reality snapped back into place.

‘.’

Still locked in the kiss, Ian triggered the skill.

Ding!

[Curse Progress: 18%]

“Yes, it’s working!”

“Ian?”

Ignoring Keith, Ian grabbed his discarded mask, pulled it back on, and stormed out the door.

He had not been caught up in the kiss.

Absolutely not.

He had been focused on . It wasn’t as though he had lost himself in the moment like some amateur.

Because he wasn’t insane.

And because he wasn’t insane, he walked into the hallway.

There, he found the elf being shaken down by two dwarves.

“Oh?” The elf blinked at Ian in confusion.

‘What do you mean, “oh”?’

“What are you doing?” Ian asked.