Sensing that silent invitation, his hand moved.
Slowly, his palm slid lower... cupping the soft swell of her ass through her clothes.
Even through the fabric, he could feel the addictive plushness as his fingers sank gently into that soft flesh.
'So soft!'
Jake gulped once more as he couldn't help but give a gentle, testing squeeze, feeling the full flesh yield and mold under his fingers.
The sensation was intoxicating... warm, supple and far softer than he had imagined.
'So this is why that guy kept asking if I'm a butt or boob person…'
Jake almost smiled at the absurd memory of his friend's stupid questions.
…And right now, he was starting to think he might need to experience both before deciding.
With a nervous gulp, Jake slowly moved his hand again...this time sliding it upward, tracing the slender curve of her waist before venturing higher, aiming for the side of her heavy breast.
His fingers brushed against the outer swell, marveling at the incredible softness even through her clothes.
'Wow… This softness combined with her warmth…'
Jake gulped, his heart pumping frantically in his chest as he felt that strange, addictive sensation for the first time beneath his fingers.
He was just about to cup the full weight of it when—
"…Grace?"
He asked softly but there was no response.
The room had gone strangely quiet.
Her body, which had been trembling slightly with emotion earlier, was now completely still as her breathing had become slow, deep, and steady against his neck.
Jake froze.
He carefully pulled his head back just enough to look at her face and saw that Grace's eyes were closed.
Her lashes were still wet from tears, but her expression had softened into something peaceful as if the tension in her shoulders had melted away completely.
She was no longer clinging desperately as she was simply… asleep, nestled against his chest like a tired kitten who had finally found safety.
A long, tired sigh escaped Jake's lips after witnessing this sight.
He had been so caught up in the heat of the moment, so focused on fighting his desire, that he hadn't noticed when her exhaustion finally won.
All that crying, all that emotional release… it must had drained her completely.
His hand, which had been boldly moving toward her breast, stopped mid-motion.
The burning lust that had been raging inside him suddenly cooled, replaced by a strange mix of embarrassment, relief, and unexpected tenderness.
"Damn it... you really fell asleep like this?" he muttered under his breath, half-amused, half-frustrated.
Then after another sigh,
He carefully, so as not to wake her, Jake adjusted his hold.
He wrapped one arm securely around her back and let the other rest gently on her waist, this time without any ulterior motive.
Her enormous breasts were still pressed softly against him, but the context had completely changed as he carried her toward the small bed in the corner.
After gently laying her down, Jake leaned his head lightly against the top of hers, unintentionally inhaling her faint sweet scent one last time.
"…Sleep well, Grace," he whispered softly. "We'll talk properly when you wake up."
He pulled the blanket up gently, covering her body with care.
For a moment, he simply sat beside the bed and watched her beautiful sleeping face.
The tear stains on her cheeks had dried, and in sleep, all the tension and fear had melted away, leaving her looking peaceful and almost fragile.
Only after making sure she was deeply asleep did he finally turn his attention to the floating notification window he had ignored earlier.
The list of skills was still waiting for him.
[Please select one skill:]
Basic Combat Mastery (Passive – Lv.0)
Shaky Aim (Passive)
Delayed Trigger (Passive)
Wild Shot (Lv.0)
Faulty Maintenance (Passive)
Light Manifestation (Lv.0)
"Hmm…"
He could sense that he was able to acquire one of Grace's skills, but all of them looked rather… strange.
"Basic Combat Mastery… sounds safe," he muttered. "Probably the most useful long-term, but I already have it."
He wasn't sure what would happen if he selected a skill he already possessed, but he was satisfied with his current Basic Combat Mastery.
So he wanted something new.
Then his gaze shifted downward.
"Shaky Aim… Delayed Trigger… Faulty Maintenance…" His lips twitched. "These all sound like traps."
Jake leaned back slightly against the bed, folding his arms as he thought more seriously.
"Wild Shot sounds reckless… high risk, maybe high reward." He tilted his head.
Then his eyes landed on the last option.
"Light Manifestation, though…"
That one lingered in his mind.
Unlike the others, it didn't seem to come with any obvious drawback.
"…Could be useful for utility. Or something rare."
He tapped his fingers lightly against his arm and glanced briefly over his shoulder.
Grace hadn't moved.
She was still curled up on the bed, her expression soft and her breathing even.
Jake watched her for a moment longer before turning back to the skill list.
Right now, he had a good feeling about this one.
"Ah, maybe it's my [Instinct] skill."
Jake smiled.
He might as well trust it, after all, trusting his instincts basically meant trusting himself.
He exhaled slowly, his decision settling in.
"I choose… Light Manifestation."
With his confirmation, for a split second nothing happened.
Then the floating window flickered.
[Ding!]
[Skill Selected: Light Manifestation (Lv.0)]
Suddenly,
A soft pulse spread through his body.
Jake stiffened slightly, his brows knitting together.
It wasn't violent like he had expected.
There was no pain, no overwhelming surge.
Instead, it felt... gentle.
Like something warm had been lit inside his chest.
The sensation flowed outward, threading through his arms and fingertips...
It was quiet, but unmistakably present.
Jake raised his hand instinctively.
"...Let's see."
But then nothing.
He blinked again at this.
He was sure the skill was there, yet nothing was happening.
"What's going on?"
Doubt flickered in his mind, but then he instinctively noticed the "Lv.0" next to the skill name.
"Could it be..."
Jake murmured as realization dawned on him.
He focused on the small "+" symbol beside the skill.
[Ding!]
[Consume 100 Upgrade Points to upgrade Light Manifestation (Lv.0) → Light Manifestation (Lv.1)?]
Jake didn't hesitate.
He still had plenty of Upgrade Points left, and this was also a good way to test how his class worked.
[Ding!]
[-100 Upgrade Points!]
[Light Manifestation (Lv.0) → Light Manifestation (Lv.1)]
A sharper pulse surged through his body this time.
"—!"
He sucked in a breath, fingers twitching as the earlier warmth intensified.
It was no longer faint and passive as it was now active... and responsive.
It spread from his chest down to his arm in a clean, flowing current, as if something had finally connected.
Jake clenched his hand instinctively.
"...So that's the difference."
This basically confirmed that a Lv.0 skill was essentially dormant.
You could feel its presence, but it wouldn't actually activate.
Now that it had reached Lv.1, everything changed.
This time, when he raised his hand... he felt it.
Like an invisible thread extending from within him, gathering at his fingertips.
"…Alright," he muttered and began focusing.
Suddenly, a tiny flicker of light sparked at the tip of his index finger.
Jake's eyes narrowed in concentration.
The glow wavered... then steadied.
Soon, a small orb of soft light hovered just above his fingertip, casting a dim, warm glow across the room.
"It works!"
Jake smiled, happy that he had actually learned a new skill and confirmed several things about how his class functioned.
But then his smile froze slightly as he stared at the small floating light.
"...Don't tell me this is all it can do? Make a light bulb?"
He almost couldn't believe there was really such a skill.
It seemed there were all sorts of strange skills in this world...
But then Jake shook his head.
"There is no such thing as a useless skill, only an incompetent user."
With that thought, he began to experiment with his new skill.
And the more he delved into it, the more shocked he became.
Until finally, he murmured in genuine astonishment.
"...Damn. This isn't a trash skill at all."
Jake realized that he actually hit a jack pot.