Chapter 26: System’s Suggestion Chapter 26: System’s Suggestion Splash! Lily was making Leo bath to clean the grime off his body. They were in the attached washroom of their room, and Sera had already given them some clothes to wear. "Lizy...I...I can bat...bath micheelf...argh..." Leo’s voice slurred as he struggled weakly to push her hand away. But he couldn’t muster enough strength to resist Lily’s grip. "You... what is your problem with me making you bath?" She pouted, but her fingers kept rubbing gently over his body. Lily couldn’t help but notice the changes on his body; his previously lean body was now toned, muscles rippling with strength. She ran her hand through his abs, tracing the ups and downs with her fingers. "He looks so strong now..." She muttered as she completed the cleaning of his upper body. His injured parts were now completely healed, leaving only the whitish skin that appears when the scab is removed. But now one part remained; she looked down and hesitated only for a bit before steeling her resolve. It’s just cleaning, it’s just cleaning. She repeated the phrase in her mind, but her face, which was becoming scarlet, suggested something else. But before she reached the desired location, Leo suddenly caught her wrist, which was inches away "Kyaa--!" She yelped in surprise, breaking free from the intense focus she was in. Somehow, Leo’s consciousness returned, and he told her to turn around. Lily didn’t question anything and jolted her body to face the wall with her face exploded in red. He then somehow cleaned himself completely and even changed his dress, but the next moment, he was back in his dreamy state. Lily puffed her cheeks in frustration. She didn’t even know why she was upset. Just you wait... I will see how long you resist, stupid Leo. Stupid, stupid stupiiiddd! Lily guided him to the bed, covered him with a blanket and made him sleep comfortably. His relaxed expression brought a smile over her face. She also cleaned herself quickly and changed into the clothes that Sera had provided. Making sure all was set, she slipped beneath the blanket beside Leo. Making sure she was on the opposite side of the big cut that he had over his ribs, so even if it wasn’t healed completely, which it was, it would not worsen. "Goodnight, my dear Leo. Hehe." She giggled cutely, thinking about the way he would react after waking up to find her beside him. --- Leo woke up before sunrise. But instead of feeling fresh, he felt heavy, more like something heavy over him. He snapped his eyes open and found Lily hugging him snugly, her arm wrapped around his neck as if holding something precious and her lips touching the crown of his head. But the most interesting part was her legs, sprawled over his waist and thighs. This... she looks half like a motherly figure and half like a child. But it feels good. He could smell the fragrance of her soup from the hair that was over his face like a veil. His thoughts drifted to the moment when she was saddened that Leo would handle her problems from now on. She feels powerless, and the fact that with power, she won’t be able to fight alongside me, or more appropriately, be with me. "She has some talent... I am pretty sure I didn’t mistake when I saw her eyes glow... but how do I figure it out?" He muttered to himself, and as if on cue, the system panel appeared. "Connected through soul? How do I do that with Lily?" 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖 "Sou- Wait... are you telling me to form a romantic bond with her?" "Damn... I mean, is there any harm in doing that?" He looked up and saw the loving expression that Lily was wearing while hugging him. His heart skipped a beat. "Do it, do it, let’s do it. Yes. I always wanted a smoking hot girlfriend. And I am sure she won’t be mad... right?" "So system, how do I do it?" "..." "What..." Thump thump thump His heart started racing crazily; he had never kissed a girl before! "It’s for her good... I am not wrong. Yes. It’s exactly that." He shifted a bit, bringing her face to his level. Their hot breath mixed together, making the moment charged for Leo. His gaze landed on her soft pinkish lips that were slightly open. He gulped audibly. Shit... I can’t do it. She is even asleep. Wait... didn’t it just say kiss? There are various types of kisses. He leaned in and lightly kissed her forehead. Lily snapped her eyes open only to see Leo kissing her. She relaxed and tugged him closer as she enjoyed the moment of warmth. He finally did it. Yeaaa. While Lily was feeling giddy, Leo was busy checking the system message that appeared before him. Name - Lily Race - Human (24) Soul Rank - Rare Talent - [Spirit Caller] Effect 1: Allows the user to awaken the lingering souls within Beast Cores, calling forth their Spirit Beasts to fight temporarily under their command. These ethereal summons retain the instincts and abilities of their living forms but are weaker, vanishing once the core’s essence fades. However, the user can form Spirit Contracts, permanently binding a beast’s soul to their own, allowing them to summon it anytime and even share its strength through the soul link(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 = 3 contracted Spirits] [Warning - Calling spirits from high-level cores can lead to 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 even has strength share like mine! The only difference is the low number of contracted Beasts, but the plus side overshadows it," he muttered to himself, eyes gleaming.