Beyond the World

"Indeed... you certainly have the right to boast, my brave one."

Aina propped herself against Xia Lun's chest, her petite body trembling like a sieve.

"Pop—"

A sound like a cork being pulled from a wine bottle.

Perhaps her palms were slick with sweat—Aina's hand slipped, and her head thudded against Xia Lun's chest.

Xia Lun steadied her with one hand on her shoulder while the other cupped her cheek, smoothing back a few sweat-dampened strands of hair near her ear.

"Haa—" Aina was still breathing lightly.

Xia Lun licked his lips—the dazed expression of the Demon King was truly irresistible.

"Let... let me go..."

Only when Xia Lun's large hand settled on her waist again did Aina begin to plead in fear.

Xia Lun... today, he had been relentless, as if punishing her, treating her like nothing more than a doll for his desires.

"Already giving up? How disappointing, Demon King." Xia Lun chuckled.

Provoked, Aina gritted her teeth, roughly grabbing Xia Lun's face and sealing his lips with a kiss to silence him.

Her earlier honesty seemed to have stirred something in him... and now, soothing him was her duty.

Finally, Xia Lun lay back on the bed, arms spread, exhaling deeply in satisfaction. Beside him, Aina lay curled on her side, teetering on the edge of collapse.

This had been far more intense than usual.

Xia Lun gently stroked Aina's hair, his fingers tracing the delicate ridges of her spine, like a range of miniature mountains... The shallow grooves where her wings met her back, flanking her spine, were mesmerizing in their own way.

"That's... enough, right?" Aina's voice carried a hint of frustration—clearly, she had pushed herself to please him today.

"You worked hard, Aina." Xia Lun pressed a light kiss to her back before pulling her into his embrace.

"Much better..." Aina murmured, her voice softening.

Xia Lun rested a hand on her abdomen. "Aina, do you think... you might be pregnant?"

After all, he hadn't stopped at just one round—Aina had been thoroughly sown.

"Hard to say," Aina replied softly. "Maybe... Would you want me to keep it?"

Xia Lun waved a hand. "Not for now."

"Oh?"

His response surprised her.

Back then, Xia Lun had practically begged for a child, dropping hints and pestering her endlessly.

It wasn’t that she refused—it was just that her fertility was naturally low. There was nothing she could do.

Aina turned onto her side, propping her chin on her hand as she studied Xia Lun. "Hmm? Why the change of heart now?"

"With a child, we’d have to be more careful."

"True enough." Aina nodded.

With their business settled, the two fell into casual conversation.

"What happens to the civilizations born from the Labyrinth in the end?" Xia Lun suddenly recalled the lone Angel of the End, standing amidst ruins.

He wondered what it had been guarding.

When he encountered it, its body was already damaged, as if it had endured a great battle. At full strength, it would have been a worthy opponent.

"Hard to say. If they posed no threat, they might still exist... or perhaps the Goddess already destroyed them." Aina lay motionless beside him, like a jade statue. She had indulged enough today and didn’t want to provoke Xia Lun’s desires again.

Xia Lun’s hand wandered over her body, but Aina remained lifeless, unresponsive.

Realizing she truly had no energy left, Xia Lun withdrew his hand with a knowing smile.

"By the way, what about the Magitek Devices..."

Xia Lun remembered that Magitek Devices were inventions derived from studying the Labyrinth’s relics.

"Yes, their prototypes were indeed artifacts from other worlds, but they’ve been integrated with our world’s unique traits. They’re now part of our civilization." Aina nodded. "One day, we might even rival those advanced technological civilizations."

"Ad... vanced technology?" Xia Lun repeated the unfamiliar term.

"Civilizations that rely on external tools and inventions to harness immense power," Aina explained patiently. "Their people—ordinary beings who can’t absorb magic or cultivate other power systems—achieve feats like flight and space travel purely through technological advancement."

"Sounds... unbelievable." Xia Lun murmured.

Aina: "It is. I’ve even encountered beings outside our world whose bodies resembled mechanical constructs, made entirely of metal parts. They claimed to have once been ordinary humans who transferred their consciousness into new bodies."

"What happened to them?" Xia Lun couldn’t help but ask.

Aina: "I left them alone. They meant no harm—just explorers of other worlds, no threat to me. They were lucky they met me and not the previous Goddess... otherwise, she would have coveted their convenient power."

Aina never missed a chance to take a jab at the Goddess.

Xia Lun ruffled her hair but said nothing more.

The two talked at length about the worlds beyond theirs.

Some worlds housed mindless creatures driven purely by instinct, yet capable of shattering space with their innate power... Others were inhabited by beings without physical form, able to traverse freely between the spirit realm and reality.

To Xia Lun, these tales of foreign civilizations sounded like myths.

"Truthfully... our world’s civilization is just as fantastical to outsiders," Aina said softly. "Our world is rich in magic—highly coveted by others. Different worlds call it by different names—Mana, Qi, or something else entirely. The methods of wielding it may vary, but in the end, it’s an incredibly potent and rare power."

So that was it.

Their world was like a massive vein of precious ore.

No wonder evil gods schemed endlessly to infiltrate it.

But all this was still too distant for Xia Lun. His own world held enough novelty—he had no desire yet to venture beyond.

Perhaps one day, he’d have the chance to witness the wonders Aina spoke of.

The lamplight in the room faded.

Aina draped a thin, white silk nightgown over herself—she had been bare this whole time during their conversation.

"Let’s sleep." Xia Lun whispered into his lover’s ear.

Aina exhaled in relief.

This time, it really was time to rest.