Cynthia was wearing an oversized, soft cotton shirt that hung down to her hips, almost like a dress. It perfectly showcased her graceful figure.
Her long, golden hair—still damp with tiny droplets of water—seemed to shimmer in the light, making her appear even more radiant. Ash found himself momentarily stunned, eyes fixed on her without realizing it.
Perhaps realizing how obvious his expression was, he coughed twice in embarrassment and quickly retreated into the bathroom.
Once Ash disappeared inside, Cynthia reached for a towel to dry her hair, then slipped into the bed that had been warmed by him.
Although it was summer and the weather was hot, the room was air-conditioned. Still, prolonged air conditioning could make it feel chilly—especially for a woman.
As she pulled the quilt around herself, she caught the faint scent Ash had left behind. Her cheeks flushed a deep pink. She never imagined she would do something so strange, but somehow… his scent made her feel safe and comforted.
Ash's shower didn't take long. When he came back out, he spotted Cynthia hiding under the blanket, but thought nothing of it. He climbed into bed and lay down on the other side.
The movement made Cynthia's body stiffen. She edged closer to the wall, clearly worried he might try something.
But it was no use. With a surprised gasp from Cynthia, Ash suddenly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. In one smooth motion, he rolled her into his embrace, burying his face into the curve of her neck, breathing in deeply.
(I'm not going to ask why I missed this part before… and I'm certainly not going to explain it now.)
When morning came, Ash slowly opened his eyes to find Cynthia still nestled in his arms. A faint smile tugged at his lips. Last night, he had teased and held her enough that, except for the very last step, he had practically touched every inch of her.
As for Pikachu, the little light bulb, Sabrina had whisked it away the day before.
Trying not to disturb her, Ash carefully began pulling his arm free, but even the slightest movement made Cynthia stir.
"You're awake, Ash?" she murmured, eyes opening lazily. There was something incredibly alluring about her half-sleepy expression. After last night, their bond felt even closer.
"Go back to sleep. I'll take a walk," he whispered, leaning in to give her a gentle kiss before getting up and pulling on his clothes. Hearing that, Cynthia simply closed her eyes again.
Ash had been in high spirits the night before. Even though he'd stopped short of going all the way, he was satisfied for now. Cynthia, on the other hand, had spent the entire night feeling flustered and couldn't relax enough to fall asleep—so she certainly needed the extra rest.
After washing up, Ash stepped outside, only to wince at the blinding summer sun. Summer really is a pain… In winter, he thought, you could always wear more layers to fight the cold. The heat, though? It was much harder to escape.
Ding!
[Congratulations, Host. You've completed the first stage of Cynthia's trilogy: First Kiss. Reward: 1,000 Attribute Points.]
Ash froze for a moment. He had almost forgotten about those three objectives—but apparently, he'd just cleared one. That meant success wasn't far off.
The pupil power I used yesterday has fully recovered, he thought with satisfaction. Seems the Mangekyō Sharingan isn't bad at all… but I still need to upgrade it as soon as possible.
Checking his status, he noted his total—31,500 attribute points. Recently, point gains had been scarce.
"Half of the missions have appeared already, but only four remain," Ash muttered. "One of them is way beyond my current abilities, and the other three will require traveling through multiple worlds…"
"System, I should have five lucky draws now. I want to spin them all!"
It was Monday—the start of a new week—and Ash had finally accumulated enough spins for five draws.
The moment he spoke, his consciousness shifted into the system space, his spirit form standing before a massive roulette wheel. Just like last time, it had six sections: one gold, one black, two red, and two blue.
"Whoa!" Ash's eyes widened, his breath catching slightly. This time, the golden prize was enough to make him drool with anticipation.
Golden Item – One of the Six Navy Styles: Moon Step. By kicking the air at high speed, the user can generate explosive force, enabling free movement in midair.
Black Item – Devil May Cry: Ebony & Ivory. Twin handguns that use the wielder's own energy as ammunition, capable of breaking magical defenses. A true magic weapon.
Red Item – World-Class Singing Skills: Mastery over any song, performing it flawlessly.
Red Item – World-Class Acting Skills: Turning acting into a combat-ready skill, able to embody any role.
Blue Item – Ten Energy Recovery Potions: Restores half the physical stamina of any Pokémon from novice to advanced stage.
Blue Item – Ten Spirit Recovery Potions: Restores half the mental stamina of any Pokémon from novice to advanced stage.
Those were the six rewards on the wheel in front of him. The two blue prizes and the two red prizes? He could almost dismiss them entirely—they weren't particularly exciting, especially the blue ones, which he already owned in abundance.
What he really wanted was the golden prize: Moon Step. He had already obtained Shave before, and with Moon Step, he'd be able to move at incredible speeds even in midair.
The black prize wasn't bad either—Ebony & Ivory from Devil May Cry would be a powerful addition to his arsenal. Overall, today's prize lineup had Ash feeling more than satisfied.
...
TN:
⚡ Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin