"I... I..." She was so excited she became incoherent, her eyes instantly reddening.
Not from sadness—these were tears of happiness and excitement.
She finally possessed power strong enough to protect those she wanted to protect, to face any challenge!
Instinctively, she turned to the only person present who could share this joy—Cloud.
He was the one who showed her the way when she was most lost.
He was the one who held her hand tight when she was most afraid.
He was the one who helped her personally shatter the chains that had bound her.
Throughout this earth-shaking transformation, Cloud's presence had been like the eye of the hurricane's anchor, the morning star in the darkest night, the most brilliant light in her life.
"Cloud!"
The girl cried out, no longer able to suppress her excitement, gratitude, admiration, and the love that had long overflowed—and threw herself into Cloud's arms like a swallow returning to its nest!
The soft, faintly fragrant form (spiritual body) crashed into his embrace. Cloud instinctively caught her, and before he could say anything, a pair of warm, soft lips—carrying a hint of sweetness along with a maiden's shyness and determination—pressed against his.
Light as a dragonfly touching water, yet heavy as a thousand pounds.
Cloud's eyes went wide, his brain's CPU smoking from overload.
[DING DONG! Congratulations, Host! Athena Asamiya's affection toward you has undergone qualitative change! Current affection: +90... +95... +100! Maximum reached (Hopelessly Devoted)!]
[System Sass Mode Activated: Oho! Nice one, Host! You landed the A! Affection maxed out! What are you waiting for? Opportunity knocks but once! According to this system's "365 Pickup Strategies: Ultimate Edition" analysis, you should now push her down among the stars! Don't hesitate—pounce! This is a goddess's descendant, an actual deity! Just imagine that taste, tsk tsk tsk—definitely Michelin three-star delicious! Host, fly bravely! System eternally supports you! Ganbatte!]
"Get lost!" Cloud mentally roared at the system, yet his arms around Athena unconsciously tightened—he even gave her bottom a little squeeze.
Mm, bouncy. Worthy of a goddess indeed.
The girl's kiss was inexperienced yet passionate, filled with gratitude, dependence, and love.
When the kiss ended, Athena finally realized what she'd done.
Her small face instantly turned crimson like a ripe apple, heat rushing straight to the top of her head.
She buried her face deep in Cloud's chest, too embarrassed to look up, like a little ostrich who'd made a mistake.
Cloud held the warm, soft, fragrant girl in his arms, feeling her racing heartbeat and burning cheeks, yet his mind remained perfectly clear.
He knew this wasn't the time to think about whether things were "delicious."
"Athena." His voice was gentle yet steady, carrying a reassuring strength. "Feel the power inside you. Isn't it like a volcano about to erupt? Full of force, yet difficult to control?"
The girl in his arms gave a soft "Mm," voice thin as a mosquito.
Of course she could feel it. Though that vast divine power had merged with her body, a large portion remained like "unzipped RAR files," merely piled up in her spiritual sea.
This power was too strong—the slightest carelessness could cause backlash, even catastrophic damage to everything around her.
It was like a three-year-old suddenly holding a Gatling gun—cool, sure, but most likely to mow down herself and her whole house.
"Don't worry." Cloud gently patted her back. "Your power just awakened—it's like a wild horse that needs reins. I'll guide you now to seal away the portions you can't digest yet. Once your body and spirit fully adapt to your current level, we'll unlock them gradually. Open your spirit. Trust me."
Athena raised her head. Those watery purple eyes were full of trust and dependence.
She nodded, obediently closed her eyes, and completely opened her spiritual world to Cloud.
Cloud took a deep breath, divine light flashing in his eyes. His consciousness instantly dove into the vast, boundless ocean of Athena's spirit.
There, he saw divine power as brilliant as stellar rivers, yet violently churning.
"Condense!"
Using his powerful will as a guide, Cloud began organizing and directing these chaotic energies.
He was like a master programmer, writing "stability patches" for Athena's newly updated "god-tier system."
Bit by bit, he compressed and gathered the excess divine power, finally condensing it at the center of Athena's spiritual sea into a crystal-clear seed radiating gentle holy light.
"This divine power seed is your external hard drive." Cloud's voice echoed through the spiritual world. "As your control over your power grows more skilled, you can extract energy from it anytime. Safe and ensures steady growth."
With this done, Cloud's consciousness slowly withdrew.
When he and Athena opened their eyes simultaneously, returning to the real world, the wind at Mount Wutai's summit seemed to have grown gentler.
The air of the real world felt... considerably more awkward than the spiritual realm.
Athena suddenly remembered her earlier boldness—that reckless embrace and kiss.
"Ahh—"
The maiden's sense of shame finally overcame her joy at becoming a top-tier powerhouse.
She let out an adorable wail, broke free from Cloud's embrace, covered her burning face with both hands, and squatted on the ground, curling into a ball. Even the tips of her pink ears had turned an alluring crimson.
"I can't face anyone anymore... What did I... what did I just do..."
Her little head shook like a rattle drum, broken words leaking through her fingers.
"Hugging a boy on my own initiative... and even... even kissed him... I must have lost my mind from the power surge... yes, that must be it..."
That's what her mouth said, but a small voice in her heart was shouting: No, that's not it! You wanted to do it! You're falling for him!
...
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