Lick Me Up If You Can Novel (Completed) - Chapter 161

He wanted to confirm it himself, but there was no way. Koi, knowing it was futile, still raised his arm to his nose, then quickly straightened his posture with an embarrassed expression. Ariel, who had been watching Koi, then spoke up, “That scent you mentioned, if it’s true, doesn’t it sound just like an Omega pheromone?”

“Omega pheromone?”

“Yes.”

Ariel nodded.

“Omega pheromones are said to break down others’ defenses and make them feel favorably towards you. The stronger the scent, the stronger the sexual allure. That’s why it’s dangerous when a heat cycle comes, isn’t it? They go into rut themselves, but the strong scent even seduces Betas. Well, Alphas would naturally go crazy.”

“Oh, I see.”

Like Ariel, Koi had received basic sex education at school, but he didn’t remember the details about species, as it felt irrelevant to him.

Ell is a journalist, so he must know a lot of information.

As he listened silently, Ariel furrowed his brow as if searching his memory and mumbled to himself, “So, extreme Omegas who can control their pheromones are said to be able to manipulate others’ minds as they please, but…”

Ariel looked at Koi with a suspicious gaze. Koi just blinked, not understanding the meaning, then Ariel chuckled and shook his head.

“That can’t be. We’re past the age of manifestation, and if you had mutated, there would be a pheromone scent, but right now, there’s no smell at all.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Ariel answered without hesitation.

“There’s an Omega at the company I work for. I know what a pheromone scent is like because I’ve smelled it. You don’t have any scent.”

Naturally, that would be the case.

Koi felt somehow embarrassed and closed his mouth. If he could have manifested, he would have done so long ago. He had countless opportunities. He hadn’t manifested even after receiving so many extreme Alpha pheromones; it made no sense for him to mutate now. Watching Koi, Ariel rested his chin on one hand and thought.

I’ve never heard of someone mutating into an extreme Omega…

But extreme Omegas are an exception to all laws of traits. As if they were beings created by God to punish arrogant extreme Alphas, their very existence was a mystery.

Only extreme Alphas and extreme Omegas can control pheromones based on their traits. However, unlike extreme Alphas, who show physical characteristics, it’s almost impossible to distinguish extreme Omegas from ordinary people. If they hide their pheromones at will, they appear no different from Betas.

Because of this, they often don’t show up in trait tests. For that reason, finding an extreme Omega was virtually impossible.

Unless they reveal themselves.

“…Just curious, were your parents Alphas or Omegas?”

Koi immediately shook his head, denying it.

“No, my family are all Betas.”

Though extreme Omegas can remain hidden their whole lives.

Ariel pondered for a moment. If that were the case, Koi’s mother would be the likely possibility, but there was no way to confirm it. There was also a strong possibility that there was an Alpha or Omega in the previous generation, not his mother.

That’s also impossible to confirm.

Ariel offered his best guess for the current situation.

“If you were to mutate into an Omega, the only cause would be Ash, but it’s strange for you to suddenly manifest now when you didn’t even in high school.”

Koi nodded in agreement. Moreover, ordinary Omegas cannot artificially hide their scent.

Ariel knew well how rare extreme Omegas were. They were on a different level from extreme Alphas, who could at least be seen through the media.

But it makes no sense for Koi to manifest as an extreme Omega.

Ariel unconsciously shook his head, superimposing the trait onto his classmate sitting in front of him. It was too unrealistic.

Above all, there was too little evidence to be certain. There was very little data on extreme Omegas themselves, and therefore very few known facts. To get any information, he would probably have to visit a trait-related association or a specialized professor, but Ariel, despite being a journalist, was just an ordinary Beta, so he doubted they would share such information with him.

It would be easy for an extreme Alpha, though.

Extreme Alphas poured enormous amounts of money into associations and research, so the amount of information they could access was different from ordinary people. However, the only extreme Alpha Ariel could ask for such a favor was also the one person he absolutely did not want to inform about this situation.

Furthermore, it would be difficult to trust the results of a pheromone test in the current situation. There was only one sure method.

“Next time you have a fever or feel sick like this, be sure to contact me.”

Even though he thought it was impossible, Ariel felt uneasy. No matter how much he thought about it, the story about the scent and his colleagues’ reactions bothered him. Koi wasn’t the type to make up such stories, and he seemed to think it was just a cold, but those symptoms at the time…

They were close to manifestation.

Ariel added with a serious expression.

“Don’t go out late, and always use well-lit streets.”

Was this something a parent worried about kidnapping would say?

Ariel suddenly felt hollow, thinking that this was definitely not advice to give a man bigger than himself. But he couldn’t help it. There was no harm in being careful.

After getting another promise and even a spare key, Ariel left. In his hands, he held the potted plant Koi had given him.

Good, it found a good owner.

Koi waved at Ariel and his potted plant, then returned home with a much lighter heart. Just in case, he took the subway, but despite his tension, no one paid him any attention.

That night, Koi slept soundly for the first time in a long time. But the peaceful daily life was only for a moment.

“Haaah…”

As soon as he returned home, a long sigh escaped him. For over a week now, Koi had been suffering from heavy labor. This was because, for various reasons, all the employees had left, leaving only the boss and him.

The boss’s attitude, who had even paid him money to stay, suddenly changed after the weekend. His guess was that it was after the scent disappeared, but there was no way to confirm it.

“There’s so much work, but not a single proper employee.”

He started swearing more often due to the stress of accumulated work. As construction was delayed, complaints poured in from clients, which soon led to pressure on Koi. Leaving work on time was naturally impossible, and the days he came home close to midnight increased.

Still, there was hope that the resting employees would eventually return, and then this overtime would decrease. The problem was that his wages were delayed.

“We can’t get paid if we don’t do the work on time.”

It had been almost two months since the boss had delayed his wages, saying that. With the exorbitant cost of living, Koi’s savings were gradually running out, and he eventually resorted to eating only one meal a day. Even that was just a small hamburger with cheap bread and a thin patty, and he drank water as a beverage. He was so impoverished that he couldn’t even afford to meet anyone, and the money the boss gave him wasn’t enough to pay his rent.

Finally, one day, when he had to work even on weekends, Koi made a big decision. He had endured and worked to get his delayed wages, but the money only accumulated and showed no sign of coming into his hands. At this rate, he would be out on the streets.

At times like this, the only option is to seek legal help, but…

He told the boss he would quit if his delayed wages weren’t resolved, but even he thought it wouldn’t be very effective. Suing was also not an easy task. Was there a simpler method? Lamenting his extremely limited connections, Koi reluctantly contacted Ariel.

“Why are you telling me this now?”

As soon as he heard the situation, Ariel got angry and immediately offered a solution.

“Alright, just wait a moment. I’ll introduce you to the best lawyer.”

“Thank you, Ell.”

Koi breathed a sigh of relief and hung up the phone. When he received his delayed wages, he would repay Ariel first. Just as he recalled the members-only restaurant he had gone to with Ashley, his phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number. Koi hastily pressed the answer button, guessing it would be the lawyer Ariel had mentioned.

To get a call so quickly, thank you, Ell.

“Yes, this is Connor Niles.”

He answered nervously without realizing it, but on the other side, there was unexpected silence. Huh? Is it spam? When he blinked in belated confusion, a calm voice spoke.

“It’s me, Koi.”

At that moment, Koi gasped in surprise without realizing it.