Chapter 26: System's Suggestion
Splash!
Lily carefully bathed Leo, washing away all the grime off his body. They were in the attached washroom, and Sera had already provided them with some fresh clothes to wear.
"Lizy… I… I can bat… bath micheelf… argh…" Leo's voice slurred as he struggled to push her hand away. But he couldn't muster enough strength to resist her grip.
"You… what's your problem with me helping you bathe?" she pouted, though her hands continued rubbing gently over across his body.
She couldn't help but notice the changes in his body. His previous lean frame was now well-toned; his muscles were defined and rippled with strength. Her hands traced along his abs, following the contours with her fingers absentmindedly.
"He looks so strong now…"
She muttered as she completed cleaning of his upper body.
The wounds that had marred his body just a few hours ago were completely healed, leaving only faint whitish patches that appeared when the scabs fell off.
But then, her gaze dropped.
Now only one part was left to be cleaned.
She looked down and hesitated only for a moment before steeling her resolve.
It's just cleaning… it's just cleaning…
She repeated it in her mind, though her rapidly reddening face suggested something else.
But just as she was about to move her hand to the desired location, Leo suddenly caught her wrist when it was mere inches away.
"Kyaa—!" she yelped in surprise, breaking free from the intense focus she had been in.
Somehow, Leo regained a sliver of consciousness, and in a low voice he told her to turn around.
Without questioning anything, Lily quickly spun to face the wall, her face burning bright red.
Moments later, he somehow managed to clean himself completely and even changed his clothes on his own, but just as quickly, he slipped back into his dreamy, half-conscious state.
Lily puffed her cheeks in frustration, not entirely sure why she felt annoyed.
Just you wait… I will see how long you keep on resisting, stupid Leo. Stupid, stupid, stupiiiddd…!
Lily guided him to the bed, touched him under the blanket and made sure he had fallen asleep comfortably.
Seeing his relaxed expression, a soft smile spread across her face.
She quickly cleaned herself and changed into the new set of clothes Sera had provided. Once she had made sure everything was in order, she slipped under the blanket beside Leo, carefully positioning herself on the opposite side of the big cut along his ribs. Even if it hadn't healed completely, which it had, she didn't want to risk making him experience more pain.
"Goodnight, my dear Leo… hehe." She let out a soft, playful giggle, already imagining how he would react when he would wake up to find her next to him.
_____
Leo woke up before sunrise. But instead of feeling refreshed, he felt… heavy. As if something warm and heavy were draped over him.
His eyes snapped open, and he found Lily wrapped around him snugly; her one arm was looped around his neck as if clinging to something precious, and her lips were resting gently against the crown of his head. Her legs were the most interesting part, sprawled over his waist and thighs, completely entangled with him.
This… she feels half like a caring motherly figure and half like a child. But somehow… it feels nice.
He could smell the faint fragrance of the soap lingering in her hair, brushing over his face like a soft veil.
His thoughts drifted back to the moment she had looked so dejected—when she realized Leo would be handling her problems from now on.
She feels powerless. And maybe… it's the fact that she's afraid that even if she gains power, she still won't be able to fight alongside me… or more appropriately… be with me.
"She has some talent…" he murmured quietly. "I am pretty sure I didn't mistake it when I saw her eyes glow that time… but how do I figure it out?"
As if responding to him, a system panel appeared.
< Host can see the status interface of individuals connected through soul >
"Connected through soul? How am I supposed to do that with Lily?"
< Individual identified as a capable female. Suggested Bond — 'Soul Mate' >
"Sou—wait… are you telling me to form a romantic bond with her?"
< Affirmative >
"Damn… I mean… is there any harm in doing that?"
He glanced down at Lily, still clinging to him with that soft, loving expression. His heart skipped a beat.
"Do it… yeah, let's just do it. I mean, I always wanted a smoking-hot girlfriend… and I am sure she won't be mad… right?"
He then took a breah. "So system, how do I do it?"
< Kiss her >
"…"
"What…"
Thump. Thump. Thump.
His heart started racing uncontrollably. He had never kissed a girl before!
"It's for her sake… I am not doing anything wrong. Yeah. It's exactly that."
He shifted a bit, bringing her face closer to his. Their warm breath mingled together, making the moment charged for Leo. His gaze lingered on her soft, slightly parted pinkish lips.
He gulped audibly.
Shit… I can't do this. She's even asleep. Wait… didn't it just say kiss? There are various types of kisses.
Leaning in, he gently pressed his lips on her forehead.
Lily's eyes fluttered open for a brief moment only to see Leo kissing her. She relaxed instantly and pulled him closer, quietly enjoying the moment of warmth.
He finally did it. Yeaaa.
While Lily was feeling giddy at the moment, Leo was busy checking the system message that had appeared before his eyes.
*****
Name – Lily
Race – Human (24)
Soul Rank – Rare
Talent – [Spirit Caller]
Effect 1: Allows the user to awaken the lingering souls within Beast Cores, summon their Spirit Beasts to fight temporarily under their command. These ethereal beasts retain the instincts and abilities of their living forms, though in a weakened state, and disappear once the core's essence fades.
However, the user can also form Spirit Contracts, permanently binding a beast's soul to their own, allowing them to summon it at will and even share its strength through the soul link (including stats and skills). The number of spirits a summoner can call and control at once depends on their mental resilience and mana capacity, while the number of contracted spirits depends on their soul strength (same as the soul rank value).
Effect 2: ??? [Dormant]
[Rare – 0/3 contracted Spirits]
[Warning – Summoning spirits from high-level cores may cause severe backlash.]
Status Interface
Vitality – 3.4
Strength – 3.3
Agility – 2.9
Stamina – 3.9
Intelligence – 1.8
Mana – 54
*****
"It's the same as Beast Taming… and it even has shared strength, just like mine! The only limitation is the low number of contracted beasts, but honestly, the plus side overshadows it," he thought to himself, his eyes gleaming with excitement.