Marcus was pulled by warmth and fragrance before his thoughts fully returned to him. When his eyes opened, the first thing he saw was Talia leaning close, her beautiful face only inches away. Her hair brushed his shoulder, her breath warm against his neck, and for a moment he simply lay still, trying to understand how he had ended up in such an intimate position.

She had apparently leaned over him, her upper body nearly resting across his back. The closeness made his heartbeat quicken. His gaze drifted downward almost instinctively, and he froze when he realized just how little distance separated them. The soft rise and fall of her chest, the careless intimacy of her posture, and the faint scent clinging to her skin struck him all at once. It was the kind of temptation no man could ignore, especially not when he had already begun to care about her far more than he admitted aloud.

His throat felt dry.

"Talia," he murmured.

The name escaped him before he could think. Something inside him gave way, a mix of longing, relief, and emotion he had kept restrained for too long. He turned suddenly, pulling her with him as he rolled across the bed, his arms wrapping around her waist and drawing her beneath him.

There was no calculation in the movement, only impulse.

He kissed her.

At first it was clumsy, driven more by emotion than intention, but the moment their lips met, the world seemed to narrow to nothing but warmth and breath and closeness. Talia gasped softly, startled by the suddenness of it, her hands pressing against his shoulders as if unsure whether to push him away or hold on.

"Marcus..."

Her voice trembled. She tried to resist at first, embarrassment coloring her expression, but his sincerity was impossible to mistake. The urgency in his embrace was not forceful so much as desperate, as if he feared she might disappear if he hesitated.

Gradually her resistance faded. Her hands slid up around his neck, fingers curling into his hair as she returned the kiss with shy uncertainty. She lacked experience, every movement hesitant, yet that only made her feel more genuine. Marcus slowed instinctively, guiding her gently, allowing her to follow his rhythm rather than overwhelming her.

Her eyes grew moist, emotion spilling over before she even realized it.

"Marcus... I’m yours."

The words were soft but firm, spoken with complete trust. She leaned into him fully now, offering herself not out of impulse but affection she had carried quietly for a long time.

Marcus pulled back just enough to look at her. Her flushed cheeks, trembling lashes, and earnest gaze struck him harder than anything else could have.

"Talia. I like you."

Saying it aloud made something settle inside him. Regret flickered through his mind as he wondered how he had ever ignored her feelings before, how close he had come to letting her drift away from his life without realizing what she meant to him.

Her smile bloomed through tears, gentle and radiant.

Unable to stop himself, he kissed her again, slower this time, more tender. His hand slid along her waist almost absentmindedly, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath the fabric of her clothes. The moment deepened naturally, their breathing uneven as the distance between them disappeared.

Marcus lost track of where they were. Lost track of everything, in fact. He forgot that they were lying in Professor Tina’s bedroom. Forgot that Tina herself was only a room away, busy preparing lunch.

The world shrank to just the two of them.

"Talia..." he whispered again, brushing her hair aside as emotion overtook restraint.

Just as the moment threatened to carry them further, a sharp ringing sound cut through the room.

A phone.

Marcus stiffened in annoyance. Of all possible moments. He ignored it at first, unwilling to break away, but the ringing continued insistently.

Then a voice came from outside the room.

"Marcus, can you get that for me?"

The words had barely finished echoing when the bedroom door opened.

A startled gasp followed immediately.

"Ah!"

Both Marcus and Talia froze.

Recognition hit him like cold water. He turned his head slowly, dread already settling in his chest.

Standing in the doorway was Professor Tina.

She stared at them, eyes wide behind her pale blue glasses, shock and embarrassment written plainly across her face. The situation required no explanation. Marcus still hovered over Talia, their closeness unmistakable, their intimacy impossible to misinterpret.

For a single, endless second, nobody moved.

Then Tina flushed bright red and hurried away toward the kitchen, her footsteps quick and uneven.

Silence fell over the room.

Marcus groaned softly, dropping his forehead against Talia’s shoulder. "We’re dead."

Talia buried her face in her hands, equally mortified. The ringing phone finally stopped, leaving only the heavy realization behind. Marcus glanced toward the bedside table and finally understood. The phone had not been Talia’s at all. It belonged to Tina, who had come to retrieve it and walked straight into the worst possible scene.

There was no continuing after that.

Reluctantly, Marcus climbed off the bed, though he could not resist stealing one more quick kiss from Talia before doing so.

"Vixen," he muttered helplessly.

She immediately pulled the blanket over herself, hiding her flushed face. "You’re blaming me? You’re the one who started it! How am I supposed to face my aunt now?"

Despite her embarrassment, mischief flickered in her eyes. She grabbed Tina’s phone and pushed it into Marcus’s hands.

"Go give this to her. Someone was calling."

"Now?" Marcus stared at her in disbelief. Walking into the kitchen after that scene felt like walking to his execution.

Talia slid closer, wrapping her arms around him from behind, her tone turning soft and coaxing. "Please? If you don’t go, she’ll think we’re still in here..."

Her meaning was obvious.

Marcus sighed deeply. She was absolutely doing this on purpose.

"Fox spirit," he said under his breath, though affection softened the words. Gathering his courage, he stood and headed for the living room, deciding it was better to face the embarrassment directly rather than hide from it.

Talia quickly dressed and followed quietly, curiosity overcoming her shame. She wanted to see how he handled her aunt.

Through the kitchen doorway, Marcus spotted Professor Tina standing at the stove. Wearing a white apron over her clothes, she looked effortlessly elegant, the image of a refined and gentle homemaker. Her composed demeanor only made the earlier incident feel more awkward.

His heartbeat quickened.

Technically, he was still known among her friends as her boyfriend. The memory surfaced suddenly, pulling him back to that evening when she had asked him to accompany her to a reunion to avoid being set up with strangers. They had danced together, drawn countless envious looks, perfectly matched in everyone’s eyes.

It remained one of his fondest memories.

"Tina..." he said softly as he approached.

She noticed him immediately and froze.

"Marcus!"

Color rose rapidly to her cheeks. Without meeting his eyes, she focused intensely on cooking, pretending nothing unusual had happened.

"Your phone," he said, handing it over.

Awkwardness filled the kitchen. Wanting to ease the tension, he added, "Let me help."

They worked side by side in silence for a while, neither quite sure how to address what had happened. From the doorway, Talia watched with growing frustration.

Hopeless, she thought. Absolutely hopeless.

The tension finally eased once lunch was served and they sat down together. Conversation returned to safer territory, as Tina gently asked about Marcus’s recent situation.

"Have you found work yet?"

Her concern was genuine. She had supported him during difficult times before, even helping him search for jobs when he was laid off. Marcus felt warmth rise in his chest at her kindness.

"I’m taking a break from regular work," he explained. "I’ve been playing an online game called Dominion lately."

"Dominion? The one advertised everywhere?" Talia asked immediately, leaning forward with excitement.

Marcus nodded.

"My brothers are obsessed with it," she continued eagerly. "If you’re playing, I want to join too. Auntie, let’s play together so we can meet Marcus in game."

Marcus brightened instantly. "I’d be happy to help you both."

Tina hesitated only briefly before agreeing, her curiosity clearly piqued.

After lunch, Marcus contacted Dragonfly Corp and arranged for gaming pods to be delivered and installed at their home. He explained the basics of the game to them, then reluctantly took his leave and returned home.

Lily and the others were already online when he arrived. After greeting them, Marcus logged into Dominion and reappeared inside the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb.

Messages from Talia and Tina arrived almost immediately. Both were still in the beginner village, learning the mechanics together. Talia had chosen an Archer, claiming agility suited her love of dance, and named herself PhoenixDance. Tina also selected Archer, taking the name WindShadow, a choice that secretly delighted Marcus more than he expected.

Soon after logging in, TacticalDrunkard and InvincibleStrong contacted him with news.

All fifteen thousand viewing tickets for his combat broadcast had sold out.

Marcus stared at the message in disbelief before laughing quietly to himself. Players clearly loved the idea of watching high level gameplay, and his unique encounters were drawing massive attention.

Excitement surged through him.

Mounting his pets, he raised his weapon and returned to grinding monsters within the tomb. Two days of relentless fighting passed. Finally, after defeating another respawned elite enemy, golden light flashed around him.

[Congratulations, player Stonehaven. You have reached Level 49.]

More importantly, a long awaited item dropped.

The Corpse Demon Helm.

Marcus nearly laughed aloud as he picked it up. After so much effort, the set was finally complete.

He immediately used Identification, watching hidden attributes reveal themselves piece by piece. The simple act never failed to satisfy him. Without this skill, powerful equipment would remain unusable, and he silently resolved to raise its level soon so he could appraise the legendary items waiting in his inventory.

Carefully, he removed his old Cabaro set and began equipping the Corpse Demon gear.

The moment the final piece settled into place, dark energy spiraled outward. Black light flowed along bone like armor textures while faint phantom shapes seemed to drift around him, as if restless souls lingered within the equipment itself. The heavy Corpse Demon Dark Soul Sword materialized in his grip, perfectly balanced yet radiating an ominous presence.

He looked terrifying.

Not monstrous, but overwhelming, like a warrior forged through endless battles. Even Marcus felt a chill at the aura surrounding him.

"No wonder it’s called the Corpse Demon set," he murmured, admiring the transformation.

The wandering spirits circling his armor seemed almost alive, amplifying his strength and sharpening his senses. Power pulsed through him in a way his previous equipment had never achieved.

He grinned.

"Awesome."

---

Author:

We have spent quite a few Chapters outside the game world lately, focusing on relationships and real life developments. It is finally time to return fully to the Dominion arc and push the adventure forward.