The garden was almost back to normal now. Medusa’s magic had smoothly repaired the cracked stone columns, making them look brand-new. Stheno’s spells had burned away the strong, salty ocean smell that Poseidon’s attack had left behind.
But a faint salty breeze still lingered in the air, like a quiet reminder that that bitch Poseidon was here and had just tried to drown them all.
Hyun-woo wasn’t sitting on that cold stone chair in the garden anymore. Nope. He was now sprawled on the comfiest sofa he’d ever felt in his entire life, right in the heart of the Gorgons’ amazing treehouse. This was the upper floor, where there was no longer warm living wood, but everything was made of smooth granite.
The sofa was literally grown from the tree roots themselves. While the whole floor was made of granite, roots still emerged from the walls to form the furniture. The cushions were made of thick emerald moss that somehow stayed cool and springy, draped with soft silver furs that smelled sweet, like fresh flowers.
In front of him, on a low wooden table, was a feast of snacks—way more than one person could eat.
There were bowls of glowing violet sand-drake eggs (Ebonara had fed him these before; they were sweet, smoky, and a little spicy, like fancy barbecue candy). Next to them sat crispy fried flower petals that tasted exactly like honeyed popcorn—light, crunchy, and addictive. Tiny crystal cups held fizzy nectar that bubbled on your tongue and made you smile.
There were skewers of tender, spiced meat from some huge forest creature; it melted in your mouth like butter. And best of all, a huge tray of dark chocolates shaped like tiny coiled snakes. (Turned out those were Stheno’s secret favorite treat.)
Hyun-woo’s lap was currently occupied by a bowl of those chocolates. He was on his third handful. Hey, you got a problem with that? He had a sweet tooth, alright.
Medusa sat gracefully to his left. Her long snake tail was coiled neatly beneath her. She wore a loose silk robe the color of deep midnight—it was thin and flowy, letting the golden scales along her hips and thighs catch the soft crystal light every time she shifted. Her snake hair was finally relaxed; some of the smaller vipers gently flicked their tongues near his shoulder, sniffing curiously instead of hissing threats.
Stheno lounged on his right, stretched out like a lazy, satisfied cat. Her head rested on the arm of the sofa, and her long emerald-scaled tail was casually draped across Hyun-woo’s thighs—warm, heavy, and surprisingly smooth. She wore a cropped top that showed off her toned stomach and high-slit pants that revealed the beautiful fade from soft skin to shiny scales. One clawed hand kept sneaking over to steal chocolates from his bowl, popping them into her mouth with a smug little grin.
Both sisters were exhausted after cleaning up the aftermath of the fight.
Every time Hyun-woo had tried to help, they’d shooed him away.
"No way, pretty boy," Stheno had grumbled, gently but firmly pushing him back toward the upper floor. "You already saved our asses once today. Just sit down, rest, and let us spoil you for five damn minutes. You earned it."
Medusa had glanced at his hesitant face and added softly, "Really. You earned this."
Hyun-woo blinked, still confused. Were they seriously treating him this differently just because he’d jumped in and saved them from Poseidon? A few hours ago they’d called him a “thing” and banned him from the house. Now he was sitting between them on their private sofa, eating their favorite snacks, with Stheno’s tail practically hugging his legs.
He looked left at Medusa’s calm, beautiful face. Then right at Stheno’s playful smirk. Then down at the warm weight across his lap.
Uh… wait a second, he thought, cheeks turning pink. Why are we this close?
Stheno crunched another one of those little snake-shaped dark chocolates and shot him a sideways smirk. "Hey, dumbass," she teased, her voice playful. "You’ve got chocolate right here on your lip."
Hyun-woo snapped out of his confused thoughts. He quickly touched his mouth… but missed the spot completely.
Stheno rolled her emerald eyes and laughed softly. Then, without warning, she leaned in close. Her warm, slightly forked tongue gently licked the chocolate off the corner of his mouth—slow and deliberate. The quick touch sent a hot spark racing through his whole body, like a tiny lightning bolt.
"There," she whispered, pulling back just a little. Her breath tickled his cheek, warm and sweet. Her snake hair gave happy little hisses, like they approved. A light blush crept up her neck, showing she wasn’t as bold as she pretended to be. "All clean now."
Medusa watched with half-lidded green eyes, a small, amused smile playing on her lips. "Greedy," she said softly, teasing her sister.
Before Hyun-woo could catch his breath or say anything, Medusa reached out. Her cold fingers gently cupped his chin—she turned his face toward her. Hyun-woo noticed her hand was trembling slightly, but she hid it well behind her calm expression.
She leaned in slowly, clearly about to kiss him.
But just as her lips got super close, Hyun-woo gently placed both hands on her cool shoulders and stopped her. They were shaking.
He wasn’t sure if this made him lucky or unlucky. Part of him was shocked that a legendary beauty like Medusa actually wanted to kiss him. But deep down, Hyun-woo didn’t like kissing—or anything more—without real feelings between them. It just felt wrong to him. So he stopped her, even if it might upset her. But seeing her arms still vibrating, he could already guess she didn't really want to do it either.
But why even do this in the first place?
What Hyun-woo didn’t know was that both sisters were secretly testing him. Ebonara was still their close friend, and they wanted to make sure this cute human boy was truly loyal to her. By trying to tempt him—and seeing him say no—they actually respected him more. Her gentle snakes brushed softly against his hair, almost like a quiet thank-you.
"We should stop," Hyun-woo said firmly but kindly, looking straight into her beautiful green eyes. "This is not something that I appreciate."
Up close, her eyes were stunning—like pools of warm, liquid jade.
Medusa paused for a second, surprised. Then she simply nodded and backed away. "Okay," was all she said, her voice soft and calm again.
Stheno stared at the scene, totally shocked. How could any man resist them like that?
There was a secret reason it should have been impossible: their magical treehouse itself acted like a super-strong aphrodisiac. Because the aphrodisiac didn’t work on the Gorgon sisters, they were allowed to stay here, but for anyone else, it should have made their sexual urges run wild.
But Hyun-woo? He showed zero reaction. No blushing too hard, no losing control—nothing. That alone was mind-blowing to Stheno. Now she finally understood why Ebonara hadn’t eaten him… and why she’d fallen for him instead. He’s special.
Hyun-woo gently moved Stheno’s tail off his lap (as politely as he could) and stood up. He walked over and sat on a wooden chair across the table from them—giving everyone a little space.
"Can I ask you both something?" he said, looking at them seriously.
Medusa and Stheno exchanged quick glances, their faces full of surprise and curiosity. They sat up straighter, snake hair rustling softly. Both of them were still completely stunned, waiting to hear what he’d say next.
Hyun-woo couldn’t help but glance at the two sisters again. Even though the mood was serious, they were dressed so casually—relaxed, like they were just chilling at home. Their outfits showed off their stunning curves without trying too hard. And yes, they had long, powerful serpent tails instead of legs, but their clothes were cleverly designed to cover everything modestly while still letting those tails move freely.
Medusa, the eldest sister, sat quietly in her chair across from him. She looked calm and composed, like always. Her long snake hair—thick strands of living emerald-green vipers—flowed down her back and over her shoulders. The snakes moved lazily, coiling and uncoiling with soft hisses, like they were just relaxing too.
Her eyes were a striking slit-pupil green—sharp and beautiful. Matching her eyes, shiny emerald-green scales covered the lower half of her body. The scales started thick and strong around her powerful serpent tail, then gradually faded upward along her hips and waist, blending smoothly into pale, flawless skin.
She wore a simple black crop top made of soft cotton. It was cropped just below her ribs, hugging her full, heavy F-cup breasts perfectly. The thin fabric stretched a little with every breath, showing their natural teardrop shape and a subtle bounce when she moved. It was casual, but on her… it looked dangerously seductive.
Below that, she had on high-waisted dark denim shorts—modern style, with a few distressed tears at the thighs for that cool, worn-in look. The shorts fit snugly around her hips, ending high on her scaled thighs. They were magically tailored with a hidden slit in the back, so her long emerald tail could coil and sway freely without any trouble. From the front and sides, everything stayed covered and modest, but the whole outfit made her look effortlessly relaxed yet impossibly alluring.
On the other side of the table sat Stheno, the middle sister—the fiery one who always seemed ready to explode with energy or curses. Her snake hair was a wild, messy tangle of golden-brown serpents with faint red tips. They hissed softly, flicking their tongues as they tasted the air, full of curiosity.
Her eyes were a warm red-gold, glowing. Her scales were a rich, metallic gold that caught the light beautifully, like treasure. They covered her thick, muscular serpent lower body in smooth, overlapping plates that flexed easily as her tail shifted. Just like Medusa’s, the golden scales tapered upward along her hips, fading gently into warm, smooth skin right below her navel.
Stheno’s outfit was bolder and even more casual. She wore a fitted red tank top with thin straps over her shoulders. The soft, ribbed fabric clung perfectly to her full, rounded D-cup breasts, the low-cut front showing off deep, inviting cleavage and the gentle curves pressing against the material. The hem stopped just above her midriff, revealing a teasing sliver of toned stomach where the scales met skin.
Below, she had on loose gray jogger pants—comfy sweatshirt material, perfect for lounging. But they’d been smartly modified with wide, hidden slits along the back and sides, giving her thick golden tail plenty of room to move and coil without snagging. The pants sat low on her hips, with the drawstring tied loosely, highlighting her narrow waist and the dramatic flare down to her powerful coils. From the front and sides, the fabric draped modestly, covering everything it needed to. It was relaxed homewear… but on Stheno’s athletic, curvy figure, it looked undeniably hot and provocative.
Hyun-woo swallowed lightly, trying to keep his eyes on their faces. These two weren’t just mythical monsters—they were breathtakingly beautiful, even in simple clothes. But right now, he had questions. Serious ones. And he wasn’t going to let the view distract him too much.
Also, Hyun-woo was just speechless. Why is this shit so detailed? Hey, Author, can you tell me the reason?
{AN: ….}Hey, hey, Author, say something!{AN: Bro, no comment.}…{:….:}
Hyun-woo gulped hard, cheeks warming. Okay, fine—he had to admit it. These two sisters were ridiculously beautiful. Like, unfairly, mythically beautiful.
"Hey, brat," Medusa said suddenly, her voice cool but with a tiny edge. "Where exactly are you staring?"
She crossed her arms under her chest (which, uh, didn’t help hide anything). Her emerald snake hair hissed softly, and a faint blush touched her pale cheeks. She wasn’t angry-angry… more self-conscious. Sure, she didn’t mind having him around now, but old habits died hard. Deep down, a tiny part of her still felt that instinctive distrust of men. Plus, the almost-kiss earlier? That had been part of a plan—one she now felt a little embarrassed about.
"Sorry," Hyun-woo said quickly, scratching the back of his neck. He’d definitely been caught glancing a little too long at certain… areas. What could he say? They were both gorgeous. "I didn’t mean to stare. But seriously—can I ask something? Why were you two sitting so close to me earlier? You literally banned me from the house and said I wasn’t welcome. You even called me a ‘thing.’ So… what changed?"
Medusa immediately pointed at her sister. "It was all Stheno’s idea."
Stheno’s golden tail thumped the floor in protest. "Hey! Don’t throw me under the bus like that!"
Hyun-woo raised an eyebrow. "Okay, but… there’s something else. Medusa, why did you try to kiss me back there?"
Medusa’s calm mask cracked. Her cheeks went pink, and for the first time, the cool eldest sister actually stammered. "W-well… that’s just… how things work in Greek?" She tried to sound confident, but it came out weak. "The beautiful monster ladies are supposed to reward the hero who saves them. With, um… intimacy."
Hyun-woo stared at her, jaw dropping. "What the— Lady, this is the 21st century! Some people might roll with that, but I’m not one of them."
Stheno burst out laughing, then quickly covered it with a cough when Medusa glared at her.
"Okay, okay, pretty boy," Stheno said, raising her hands in surrender. She leaned forward, golden-red eyes sparkling with a mix of amusement and respect. "Truth time. The cuddling, the almost-kiss—all of it was my dumb idea. We wanted to test you. Ebonara’s our friend—basically family. We needed to know if you’d stay loyal to her or jump at the first chance with someone else."
Hyun-woo blinked, processing that. Then he just nodded slowly. "I see."
Stheno’s smirk faded. Her snake hair hissed louder, tongues flicking in irritation. "Wait—what do you mean ‘I see’? That’s it?" She pushed herself up from her lazy sprawl, tail uncoiling with a sharp thud against the wooden floor. "You’re not mad? We basically threw ourselves at you, brat! Most guys would’ve lost their minds—begging, drooling, whatever. And you just… shrugged it off?"
Hyun-woo met her fiery glare calmly, hands folded in his lap, still sitting straight in his chair. "I’m not thrilled you tested me," he said evenly. "But I get it. Ebonara’s important to you. You wanted to make sure I’m not some jerk who’d cheat the second she’s out of sight. That’s fair. I’d probably do the same if someone I cared about brought home a random guy."
The room went quiet. Even the snakes stopped hissing for a second. Stheno stared at him, golden-red eyes wide. Medusa’s lips parted slightly in surprise.
This pretty, soft-faced human—who’d just snapped a god’s neck like a twig—wasn’t just strong. He was… decent. Actually decent. And that was way more dangerous than any aphrodisiac.
Medusa’s striking emerald eyes flickered with genuine surprise. She shifted slightly in her chair, her long serpent tail curling tighter around the base of the sofa like she was steadying herself against a sudden wave. "You… you’re truly not angry?" she asked, her voice softer than usual, almost unsure.
Hyun-woo shook his head and shrugged casually. "Angry? Nah. Confused as hell? Absolutely." He gave a small, awkward laugh. "One minute you two are treating me like I’m some dangerous disease you want far away. The next, one of you is licking chocolate off my face and the other is trying to kiss me. Talk about mixed signals!"
Stheno let out a short, disbelieving bark of laughter. "Mixed signals? Kid, you have no idea." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. The movement made her red tank top stretch tighter across her chest, showing off her curves even more. "This entire treehouse? It’s soaked in a special aphrodisiac sap. The scent is in the air, the wood, everything. It’s like a natural trap—keeps intruders calm, docile, and… very eager to please. We Gorgons are completely immune to it. But any normal guy? He’s not supposed to be."
Hyun-woo’s eyes widened as the pieces clicked. "Ooooh… so that’s what it was!" He suddenly understood why his system notifications had been quietly spamming [Charm resisted] messages the whole time when he was sitting outside.
"What do you mean ‘ooo’?" Medusa asked, a faint blush creeping up her pale cheeks despite her calm tone.
"Trust me," Hyun-woo said with a grin, "my body’s got its own ways of handling stuff like that."
Stheno continued, still looking amazed. "Any mortal man who sits on that sofa for more than ten minutes usually turns into a mess—drooling, staring, begging to touch us like we’re some kind of sacred treasure. But you? You just sat there, happily munching chocolates, and politely told Medusa to stop when she got too close."
Stheno’s golden tail lashed once across the floor, showing how restless she felt. "So yeah… we tested your loyalty to Ebonara. And you passed so perfectly it’s almost blinding." She paused, then muttered under her breath, "Too perfectly. It’s honestly kinda annoying."
Hyun-woo blinked, totally speechless for a second. "Wait… so you’re annoyed because the aphrodisiac didn’t work on me at all?"
"More or less," Stheno admitted with a sly smirk. She didn’t say the full truth out loud—that deep down, a tiny part of her wouldn’t have minded if he’d given in just a little. But at the same time, she respected him way more for staying in control. It left her feeling strangely satisfied… and unsatisfied.
Suddenly, her lips curled into a dangerous, playful grin.
"You know what, pretty boy?" she purred, her voice dropping low and teasing. "You passed the loyalty test with perfect scores. But you’re sitting over there looking way too calm and smug about it."
Medusa’s golden eyes widened in alarm. "Sister—wait—"
Too late.
"Grab him!" Stheno suddenly shouted toward the ceiling, as if calling someone far away—but the name echoed strangely in the living wood, like the tree itself was listening.
Golden scales flashed.
From the shadowed rafters above, roots emerged right behind Hyun-woo’s chair. And with a quick movement, they wrapped gently but firmly around his torso and shoulders.
"Gotcha, brat," Stheno said with a triumphant laugh.
Hyun-woo’s eyes went comically wide. "Wait—hey—what the—?!”
Before he could twist free, both sisters moved like lightning. Medusa grabbed his left arm, Stheno seized his right. Their cool, smooth fingers locked around his wrists with surprising strength.
RIIIP!
In perfect unison, they yanked hard.
His poor shirt—already torn and battered—didn’t stand a chance. It shredded completely, fabric tearing away in one dramatic pull. Cool air rushed over Hyun-woo’s bare chest and toned stomach that the sisters hadn’t fully seen until now.
They didn’t let go of his arms. Stheno pressed closer on his right side, her soft curves cool against his warm skin, while her golden tail curled possessively around one of his legs like a living rope. Medusa stayed on his left, her emerald scales glinting beautifully in the crystal light. Her cool fingers slid slowly up his now-bare forearms, almost exploring, while her snake hair brushed teasingly across his collarbones and shoulders—soft hisses sounding suspiciously like approval.
Hyun-woo sat frozen, face turning bright red, heart pounding.
The sisters exchanged a quick, mischievous glance over his head—both smiling like cats who’d finally caught the mouse they’d been playing with all day.
"Payback," Stheno whispered right against Hyun-woo’s ear. Her voice was low, husky, and dripping with smug satisfaction. "For making us look like total amateurs at seduction."
Medusa’s lips curved into a slow, almost shy smile—something very rare on the eldest Gorgon. "And for staring earlier," she added softly, her cool breath brushing his cheek. "Fair is fair."
Hyun-woo’s heart slammed against his ribs like it was trying to escape. Heat rushed to his face, his neck, and—embarrassingly—lower places he was desperately trying to ignore. His bare chest rose and fell quickly, muscles tensing under their gentle but firm grips.
He swallowed hard, throat dry. His voice came out rougher and deeper than he meant. "You two are—"
And then—
A powerful gust of wind suddenly swept through the open balcony doors. The crystal wind chimes rang wildly, clinking like frantic bells. A few of the little snake-shaped chocolates rolled off the table and scattered across the polished wooden floor.
Every single snake on Medusa’s and Stheno’s heads snapped upright at the exact same moment. Their hisses blended into one sharp, warning chorus—like dozens of tiny alarms going off at once.
A rich, delighted, and very possessive voice boomed from outside.
"Cutie pie! Are you alrig—… Oh."
Everyone froze.
A massive black scorpion the size of a house filled the huge stone archway for one heartbeat—glittering black chitin, glowing gem-like eyes, venomous tail arched high. Then, in a smooth ripple of magic, the giant form shrank and reshaped into Ebonara’s stunning humanoid body.
She stood there in her signature tight black crop top and leather pants with the tail hole, eight jewel-like eyes blinking rapidly as she took in the scene: Hyun-woo shirtless, flushed, and pinned between the two Gorgon sisters; Medusa and Stheno both halfway out of their tops, tails wrapped possessively around his legs, looking like they’d been caught red-handed.
For a long, awkward second, the room was dead silent.
Then a new voice cut through—cool, sharp, and completely stunned.
"Sisters… what the fuck is this?"
Euryale stepped forward from behind Ebonara, her slit-pupil blue eyes wide with disbelief. In thousands of years, she’d never expected to walk in on this.
Behind Ebonara and Euryale, floating just above the balcony railing, stood at least six more powerful guardians—all in their full monstrous forms. Towering figures with wings, claws, scales, and glowing eyes watched the scene in stunned silence.
And at the very center of the group, slightly apart from the others, stood a woman completely veiled in layers of flowing black silk. The fabric moved around her like it was underwater, even though there was no breeze.
No face, no eyes, no expression could be seen. Yet every guardian instinctively gave her a wide, respectful space. The air around her felt heavier, ancient, and quietly powerful—like standing near something that had existed before time itself.
The veiled woman tilted her head slightly. Her voice came out soft, curious, and faintly amused.
"Well… this is certainly interesting."
Hyun-woo, still shirtless and trapped between two blushing Gorgons, could only think one thing:
Oh no.
==============
[AN:
Hi everyone! This is my first proper news/update about the stories I’m currently trying to write, and I wanted to be honest with you all about my journey so far.
I started my writing journey back in 2021, but in the beginning, I didn’t see much success. Like many new writers, I struggled with consistency, confidence, and finding my own style. After that, I started my second story, which I continued for about 60 episodes. Unfortunately, due to some family complications, I had to stop and eventually delete it.
You can find it on my profile.
Recently, I decided to return once again with a new action-adventure story. This time, I’m taking things more seriously. My main goal is to build a strong backlog of chapters so I can upload consistently for at least one full month without long gaps. I want to give this story the time and attention it deserves.
However, before I could fully complete that backlog, I also decided to start another project more specifically, an adult story. Which, surprisingly and thankfully, seems to be getting some popularity.
And I want to take a moment to sincerely thank my Patreon legends: WinterFern, Cakeboss, AXDAN, and especially my very first supporter, Juki. I know I probably disappointed you by not completing my first story, and I’m truly sorry for that. Your support still means a lot to me, and I don’t take it lightly.
Now, about my writing schedule: I’m currently a university student, and my first-semester final exams are very close. On top of that, I also help my father at our shop for around 2–4 hours every day. Because of this, I usually only have about 2–3 hours a day to write. If I’m in the right mindset, I can finish a chapter in that time, but sometimes I need extra hours to research, plan the plot, and make sure the story goes in the right direction.
I’m not complaining, this is just me being transparent with you.
So, once again, thank you to all the legends who continue to support me and believe in my writing.
Also, there’s a wedding coming up in my family, so if I don’t upload for a week or two, please understand that I’ll be busy with that.
Thank you for your patience and your support.]