A faint, warm glow filled the underground chamber, casting soft shadows across the smooth stone walls. The magic stone lamp on the ceiling flickered ever so slightly, its bluish-white light diffusing through the small but well-furnished space. Unlike the damp, drafty room it used to be, the reinforced walls now held in the warmth, making the place feel more like a home than a crumbling ruin.
Beneath the thick blanket covering the large bed, Felis stirred. His body felt oddly comfortable—warmer than usual, yet not unpleasantly so. A subtle, familiar fragrance lingered in the air, a soft blend of floral sweetness—unmistakably Hestia. His arms instinctively tightened around her small frame, pulling her closer. Beneath his touch, he felt the slow, steady rise and fall of her breath, the gentle thump of her heartbeat against him.
'Still clinging onto me, huh?'
Hestia was curled up beside him, nestled against his chest. Her long, dark twin tails draped over his arm, their silky strands faintly brushing against his skin. Each breath she took was soft, rhythmic, utterly at peace.
Felis exhaled slowly, a small, amused smile tugging at his lips. Instead of trying to move away, he tightened his arms around her, pulling her just a little closer. His chin rested atop her head, feeling the soft tickle of her hair against his skin. She let out a faint murmur but didn't wake, merely nuzzling deeper into his embrace.
The warmth… the scent… the quiet. It was a dangerously comfortable moment.
Felis's tail twitched, then curled slightly, brushing against the soft skin of Hestia's thighs—once, twice, a slow teasing motion. Even in sleep, she shifted, a faint noise escaping her lips as her legs tensed.
'Hmm? Sensitive spot, huh?'
He resisted the urge to smirk. Just a little more testing wouldn't hurt, right?
After teasing her for a bit and noticing her breath growing rougher, Felis decided to stop, satisfied with the reaction
'Five days… I've been polishing my combat skills on the Sixth Floor for five whole days.'
His golden eyes stayed half-lidded, staring at the dimly lit ceiling as his thoughts wandered. The past week had been a turning point. Rather than mindlessly farming monsters, he had spent each encounter refining his movements, adjusting to the chaotic nature of real combat, and pushing his instincts further.
The results? His body knew the answer better than any number could express. His muscles carried the soreness of repeated battles—not the dull exhaustion of overwork, but the kind that spoke of progress. His reactions had sharpened, his footwork had become more instinctual, and the flow of battle no longer felt as overwhelming as before. And yet, despite all that effort, the moment he held her like this, it all felt distant—like something happening in another life.
And now… it was time to see how much that effort had amounted to.
His fingers absently traced small circles against Hestia's back as he took a slow breath. She shifted slightly but remained blissfully asleep, content in his arms. Felis took a slow breath, inhaling her scent—a calming presence that eased his mind.
But comfort alone wouldn't make him stronger.
'Time to check my status.'
Felis exhaled, focused inward, and the familiar glow of a status window flickered into view.
---
A faint glow bathed the chamber as Felis examined his status window, golden eyes tracing over the flickering text. The results of his relentless efforts in the dungeon were clear—his progress was tangible, measurable. Yet, rather than feeling satisfied, he found himself weighing his next moves carefully.
'Alright… time to put these points to use.'
His fingers twitched slightly against Hestia's back as he made his decision.
Taking a serious look at his status window, Felis decided to use a thousand points to level up his Swordsman job to Level 10, unlocking a new skill—Footwork Mastery.
After five days of fighting on the Sixth Floor, he had learned firsthand how crucial footwork was, especially in the dungeon's unpredictable terrain. Staying mobile, adjusting his positioning, and controlling the flow of battle had been just as important as swinging his sword.
With 386 points remaining, he distributed them carefully:
104 points into Basic Swordsmanship, maxing it at Level 5.
Weapon Handling and Footwork Mastery both raised to Level 2.
82 points saved for later.
No sudden change. No rush of power. No sensation at all. The numbers simply updated in his status window, as if he had merely adjusted settings in a menu.
'Now for the last part.'
After ten days of collecting daily rewards, he had finally earned a Silver Reward. Unlike Bronze Rewards, which mostly gave small amounts of Valis or very little chance to get basic job, Silver Rewards had better options:
A new job (higher chance than Bronze).
A large sum of Valis (though still not guaranteed).
A 1-Level Up Ticket (not useful at his current stage but could be later).
The reason he didn't hoard experience points for a new job was simple—Footwork Mastery was far more important right now. Even if he unlocked another class, it wouldn't instantly improve his combat skills. In fact, it might even slow him down, forcing him to split his focus.
Besides, the Growth Rate Buff for a side job was only 50% of a main job. If he wanted to make full use of another class, he would need to swap his main job—and that required a Main Job Swap Ticket, which was only available from Gold Rewards.
One Gold Reward = 100 days of saving up.
'A long way to go before I can even think about switching.'
With that thought, Felis opened his Silver Reward.
The text rolled at high speed, flashing between different amounts of Valis and eight different Basic Rank jobs. The rapid movement was a blur of possibilities.
'Alright, I need a boost of luck.'
Felis glanced at Hestia, still nestled in his embrace, and lightly pressed a kiss against her head.
…Just a little gesture for luck.
The text finally stopped.
And the result was—
[Basic Rank: Cleric]
"…"
'Gahhh… The useless one appeared!'
---
[Host: Felis Veltheris]
[Bronze Rewards: 0]
[Silver Rewards: 0]
[Gold Rewards: 0]
---
[Main Job]
[Basic Rank:Swordsman]
[Level: 10 (0/300)]
[Skills]
• Basic Swordsmanship Lv. 5 (Max) Foundational stance, strikes, and parries.
• Weapon Handling Lv. 2 (0/100)
Proficient use of different types of swords.
• Footwork Mastery Lv. 2 (0/100)
Improves movement for offense and defense.
• Guard Break Lv. 1 (0/100) Unlocks at Level 15
A technique to weaken an opponent's defense.
• Endurance Training Lv. 1 (0/100) Unlocks at Level 20
Enhances stamina for prolonged combat.
---
[Side Job]
[Basic Rank: Cleric]
[Level: 1 (0/100)]
• Basic Healing Lv. 1 (0/100)
Restores minor wounds and fatigue.
• Sacred Boon Lv. 1 (0/100) Unlocks at Level 5 Temporarily enhances an ally's physical or magical abilities
• Turn Undead Lv. 1 (0/100) Unlocks at Level 10
Weakens or repels undead creatures.
• Purification Lv. 1 (0/100) Unlocks at Level 15 Cleanses minor poisons, curses, or negative effects.
• Prayer of Protection Lv. 1 (0/100) Unlocks at Level 20
Grants a weak divine barrier against attacks.
[Cleric Growth Rate Buff]
Strength: 1 Endurance: 3 Dexterity: 1 Agility: 1 Magic: 4
---
[Growth Rate Buff ]
Strength: 7 Endurance: 5 Dexterity: 5 Agility: 5 Magic: 2
[EXP: 82]
---
[Quest: - ]
[Reward: - ]
---
'Aahhh… is it because I sought luck in the wrong place?'
Felis stared at Hestia, contemplating.
'The last time I kissed her on the forehead, I nearly died on the Sixth Floor… Hmm. Maybe lower next time? Or even lower for maximum luck?'
His feline eyes grow larger with that realization
'No, wait… What if I go even lower next time? Maybe a deep study is in order. For science, of course—'
Lost in thought, he completely failed to notice that Hestia had woken up and was staring at him.
Hestia, who had been staring at his face, finally couldn't take it anymore
'I thought he was deep in thought… but what's with that stupid grin?'
And then before felis can construct an imaginative deep study about how to achieve ultra maximum luck boost he senses a stare, then turns, only to meet Hestia exasperated gaze.
"I stayed quiet because you looked like you were thinking hard," she sighed, voice filled with exasperation.
"…But now, your face looks like an idiot's."
Her small hands pressed against his chest as her eyes narrowed
"Until when do you plan to keep holding me, you damn perverted cat?!"
---
Hestia's glare intensified as she remained trapped in Felis's embrace, her small hands pressing against his chest in protest. He, however, showed no signs of letting go. Instead, his golden eyes gleamed with mock innocence as he spoke.
"I sleep without moving from my spot, but you, Hestia-sama, keep seeking the warmth of my chest. Isn't it unfair to blame me for this?"
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Hestia blinked.
Once. Twice.
Then, her expression twisted into pure disbelief.
"…What did you just say?"
The sheer ridiculousness of his claim made her stare at him as if he had just declared the sky to be green. Her mouth opened slightly, as if to say something—only for no words to come out.
But Felis wasn't done playing the victim.
"I'm being considerate here," he continued, his tail flicking lazily behind him. "I didn't want you to fall off the bed, so I held you close to protect you, Hestia-sama! And since this underground room is too cold for a goddess with such a warm heart, I embraced you to keep you cozy so you could sleep peacefully! Why don't you understand my goodwill?"
Hestia's face twitched.
'Goodwill?!'
She wasn't sure if she wanted to scream or cry. Was this cat playing dumb, or was he truly that shameless? The way he delivered it with such an earnest tone made her fists clench against his chest.
'No… No, I can't fall for this! He's just messing with me!'
Her frustration mixed with embarrassment, making her small body tremble. She wriggled against him, her hands pressing against his chest as she tried to squirm free—but his arms held firm, keeping her snug in place.
A furious heat burned across her cheeks. This position—this warmth—it was way too much!
She sucked in a sharp breath, her body stiffening as she realized his tail had lazily coiled around her thigh at some point.
For a second, just a second, she froze.
Then—
"Enough! Release me and get up already, you damn perverted cat!"
Felis, however, only smirked, his grip still firm.
"Are you sure about that?"
The way he said it—low, teasing—sent a sudden chill down her spine.
But she didn't hesitate.
"Of course, I'm sure! Let me go right now!"
Felis chuckled.
"As you wish."
Then, with a swift motion, he flipped her.
"Hya—?!"
Hestia barely had time to process what happened before she found herself pinned beneath him. The large blanket shifted, half slipping off the bed, but she barely noticed.
Because right now—
Their bodies were close. Too close.
Felis's weight pressed subtly above her, his arms framing her on either side, effectively trapping her beneath him. The air between them turned thick, charged with something she couldn't quite name.
Their breaths intertwined.
His golden eyes gleamed, watching her with lazy amusement, but there was something else beneath it—something deeper. A quiet intensity that made her skin prickle with heat.
Then—
A soft, feathery touch ghosted along her thigh.
Hestia's body jolted in surprise. The sensation was light, teasing—brushing back and forth just barely over the sensitive skin exposed by the hem of her nightgown.
Her breath hitched.
'W-What was that—?'
Her wide blue eyes flickered down just as his tail curled lazily, dragging along her thigh again—a slow, deliberate motion that sent an unfamiliar shiver up her spine.
.
The warmth of his body seeped through the thin layers of fabric between them, but now, that tail—soft yet firm, playful yet undeniably intimate—moved with unhurried strokes, drawing her attention completely.
It wasn't fair.
Her body was already overwhelmed by the closeness, by the weight of his gaze, by the warmth of his breath mingling with hers—but now he was toying with her in a way that left her completely off balance.
Her heart pounded against her ribs, loud enough that she swore he could hear it. She is pretty damn sure he can hear it with those feline ears.
Felis tilted his head slightly, drinking in her expression, the playful glint in his gaze never fading. Then, voice low, teasing—yet carrying a certain weight—he murmured:
"Although the last time I got a boost of luck didn't end well… I think I'll claim it again today."
Before she could fully register his words, he dipped his head—
And pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Soft. Warm. Lingering.
Longer than before.
Hestia's breath caught. Her lashes trembled. The sensation of his lips against her skin sent an odd, unfamiliar shiver down her spine.
At the same time, the tail coiled around her thigh stirred—slow, deliberate—its velvety length gliding dangerously close to her most sensitive spot. A featherlight caress, teasing, playful… yet undeniably intimate.
Heat coiled in her stomach. A sharp gasp hitched in her throat, her breath coming in unsteady shudders. A tingling sensation rippled through her, leaving her body tense—too aware of the wicked tail's every subtle motion.
Her back arched instinctively—seeking more—despite the confusion tangling in her mind.
A foreign heat blossomed deep within, stealing her breath, locking her in place as if entranced by the sinful touch. A jolt of electricity surged through her veins, leaving her trembling—only for a wave of lethargy to follow, pulling her under, leaving her body limp in its grasp.
He didn't pull away immediately. No, he stayed there, just long enough to let the moment sink in. To let her feel the heat of his breath ghosting over her forehead before he finally drew back—just enough for their eyes to meet again.
By the time her scattered thoughts returned, Felis was already smirking. His fingers drifted into her messy dark hair, brushing through the strands with a deliberate slowness, his touch light, yet intimate—just enough to make her shiver.
Then, before she could react—
He bolted.
"See you at breakfast, Hestia-sama~!"
The instant the door shut behind him, silence filled the room.
And then—
"W-WHAAAAAAAAT?!!"
A pillow violently flew at the door, bouncing off uselessly.
Hestia buried herself under the blanket, her face burning red.
'D-Damn cat! Damn cat! DAMN CAT!'
Her heart wouldn't calm down. Her skin still tingled where his lips had touched.
And worst of all—
She couldn't deny it.
That kiss and that feeling felt great.
Under the blanket Hestia muttered with voice that only she can hear "Stupid cat... "