Chapter 21: Talent Awakening? (Lilia)
"Nerissa, you..." Lilia pointed in astonishment. "How are you able to do that? Don't tell me you're a knight?"
"Indeed," Nerissa replied with a smile, turning toward her. "And it's all thanks to Ace."
"Thanks to him? What do you mean?"
"Yes, thanks to him for helping me awaken my talent. That's how I've been able to cultivate and become a knight," Nerissa explained as she approached Lilia, who was lying on the bed, taking her hand gently.
"Don't worry," she reassured her. "Soon, you'll awaken your talent too—I'm sure of it."
Lilia opened her lips to ask a question, but the door opened before she could speak, and Ace stepped inside.
"You're back. Where did you go?" Nerissa asked softly.
"Baby, I have a gift for you," Ace replied, diverting the question as he took out the silver-colored Spatial Ring he had purchased for Nerissa.
"What gift?" Nerissa's eyes brightened as she stepped forward eagerly.
Ace carefully placed the giant mithril axe down. "Here—this is a Spatial Ring. It contains a space of one square meter inside. Oh, and don't forget to drop some of your blood on it."
"Spatial Ring?" Nerissa exclaimed in surprise, her mouth slightly agape. Even Lilia shared that astonishment—she couldn't believe Ace could so casually offer such a valuable item.
"There's one more thing," Ace added. "Since you've become a knight, what kind of weapon would you prefer to use?"
"Hmm... if possible, I'd want swords," Nerissa said, eyes sparkling with excitement. "And since I can control objects, I want to command a multitude of flying swords."
"That's right," Ace thought to himself, admiring her enthusiasm. "She can control objects; swords and daggers would suit her well. But I only have 100 system points left."
If that's not enough, he mused while looking at the two beautiful women, then I'll just have to earn more now. A smile played across his lips as he carried Nerissa into his arms.
"Ace, what are you doing?" Nerissa asked coquettishly.
"Of course, I'm going to 'eat' you before you go back," Ace replied teasingly.
"Ahh... aren't you tired of 'eating' me and Lilia all day long?" she teased in return.
"Of course not," he said, eyes gleaming with affection. "Looking at how beautiful you both are, how could I ever get tired?"
"You pervert," Nerissa said playfully, pinching his cheek with a loving smile.
Lilia, on the other hand, still bore a hint of fear in her eyes, her body weak and numb from the experience.
Though reluctant, she knew there was no way Ace would let her leave without joining them.
Soon, the sounds of slaps and loud moans from Nerissa and Lilia echoed throughout the room.
Two hours later, Ace opened the system interface.
"Congratulations on making Milf Nerissa squirt three times," the system announced.
"Rewards: 300 system points."
"Congratulations on making Milf Lilia squirt three times," the system followed.
"Rewards: 300 system points."
With these additional points, Ace's total system points rose to 730.
He used 300 points to purchase a mithril sword and four mithril daggers as weapons for Nerissa.
Then, he bought another mithril sword for himself, acquired a Blue Grade Talent Awakening Potion, and spent the remaining 230 system points on blood crystals to aid Nerissa and Lilia's cultivation.
Sighing softly, Ace murmured, "There are no system points left."
"Baby, why do you look so dejected?" Nerissa asked with concern as she woke and noticed Ace sighing deeply.
"It's nothing, baby. I was just lost in thought," Ace replied gently. "Here—these are for you." He handed her the four mithril daggers and the mithril sword.
"Thank you. I love you so much," Nerissa said softly. She rose and settled onto Ace's lap.
"Oh... it's hard again," Ace murmured, but shook his head. "Not this time. I need to head back now. I'll return early in the morning. Besides, Lilia will be keeping you company here all night."
With Lilia still sleeping peacefully, Ace smiled. "Let's do it one last time." Without hesitation, he aimed towards her honey cave, with a swift motion it went inside her entirely.
Another moan echoed through the room as Nerissa moved vigorously on Ace's lap.
Soon, Nerissa stood and began to dress, carefully placing the mithril sword and daggers into her Spatial Ring.
"Baby, I'm worn out now. Let's do this again tomorrow," she said, planting a passionate kiss on Ace's lips before preparing to leave.
"Wait, take this," Ace said, stopping her and handing over 130 blood crystals. "Absorb them tonight. You should be able to advance to the middle stage by tomorrow."
"It's already dark outside. Let me take you home," Ace added gently.
"Okay, baby," Nerissa agreed, allowing Ace to carry her and escort her back home.
Afterwards, Ace returned to the inn. Outside the door, he spotted the receptionist holding a tray of food.
He took the food inside, knowing that Lilia must be hungry—she hadn't eaten all day.
Judging by the faint blush on the receptionist's face, she had intended to bring food for lunch, but upon hearing the loud moans from inside, she decided to leave quietly. Ace heard her footsteps departing but remained absorbed in his own affairs.
Inside, Lilia was awakened.
"You must be hungry. You need to eat to regain your strength," Ace said, placing the food on the bed, fully aware of how weak and exhausted Lilia was.
"I..." Lilia was momentarily speechless. "Isn't this your fault, you pervert?" she muttered, glaring at him with her beautiful crimson eyes, her gaze a complex mix of resentment, tenderness, and mild irritation.
"Okay… okay, I'm sorry. Open your mouth," Ace said, reluctantly realizing he had no choice but to feed her.
Lilia nodded softly and opened her mouth.
After feeding her and helping her regain some strength, Ace handed her the Blue Grade Talent Awakening Potion.
"What kind of potion is this?" Lilia asked, curiosity evident in her voice.
"This is a Blue Grade Talent Awakening Potion," Ace explained. "When consumed, it guarantees the awakening of a blue-grade talent, and if you're lucky, you might even awaken a higher-level talent."
Lilia's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why are you giving this to me? Didn't you say our transaction was only for the healing potion and the gold coins?"
Ace smiled gently, taking her hands in his. "From now on, you belong to me—it's only natural that I spoil you."
"Who? Who belongs to you? Dream on," Lilia replied coldly.
Ace would have believed her words—if it weren't for the 90 favorability points reflecting her true feelings.
"Okay, drink that potion now so you can start cultivating," Ace said tenderly, lifting her into his lap.
"What are you doing? Let me go at once!" Lilia struggled, but it was useless—Ace held her waist firmly.
He opened the potion and commanded, "Open your mouth."
"Hmph… who are you to order me around?" she retorted stubbornly.
Seeing her resistance, Ace shook his head, took the contents of the potion into his own mouth, and without hesitation, kissed her lips.
Still reluctant to open her mouth, Lilia finally met his gentle gaze, closed her eyes, and parted her lips—allowing herself to drink the Talent Awakening Potion.
After a while, she opened her eyes, feeling warmth spread throughout her body and sweat beading on her forehead.
Her vision flickered, and she sensed the surrounding energy more acutely. When she closed her eyes, she saw green dots of light glowing in the darkness.
"Here, memorize this and begin absorbing the life energy around you," Ace instructed, producing the Elemental Breathing Technique manual and placing it into Lilia's hand.
She opened her eyes, her gaze bright with newfound clarity. "What is this?" she asked, amazed as she could now feel and see the life energy flowing in the surroundings.
"Breathing Technique," Ace whispered softly into her ear, burying his nose in her fragrant blonde hair. At the same time, he felt his body responding as his shaft began to harden.
Though momentarily uncomfortable with his arousal, Lilia restrained herself—God only knew how many times his shaft had entered and left her body. Instead, she focused intently on the silver scroll in her hand, carefully opening it and memorizing its contents.
Once she had committed it to memory, she began to absorb the life energy in the air. To her surprise, the energy flowed into her, gradually dissipating her fatigue and restoring her stamina.
"Here, use this. Absorb as much as you can. After a few hours, you'll surely become a knight," Ace said, handing her a pouch containing 100 blood crystals.
"Blood crystals?" Lilia murmured in astonishment. Such crystals were incredibly precious, and here she held not just one, but a hundred of them.
After all, blood crystals can only be obtained by slaying demonic beasts, and each demonic beast carries only one blood crystal embedded in its forehead. This means that to acquire one hundred blood crystals, one must defeat one hundred demonic beasts.
"What are you daydreaming about? Absorb the crystals quickly and become a knight yourself. Tomorrow, I'll accompany you to rescue Leighton," Ace urged.
Hearing this, Lilia's eyes widened in alarm as she nearly forgot her son was still in the hands of the brigands. She rose to stand, but Ace firmly gripped her waist.
"What are you doing? Let me go! I need to rescue my son!" Lilia struggled in his hold.
Ace lifted her and turned her to face him, placing a finger gently over her lips. "Shh... don't panic. The brigands won't hurt him further—they need the ten gold coins as compensation."
"Besides, isn't it better for him to be confined through the night? That way, he won't be reckless or underestimate his opponents in the future."
Lilia ceased struggling, realizing the truth in his words. At that time, Leighton had been overconfident after becoming a knight, which ultimately led to his severe defeat and broken leg.