Ashton woke up from his slumber, feeling a little bit sore but lighthearted as well.
He took a deep breath and smelled the scent of lavender near him. He could feel a weight on his chest and a suppleness pressed against him. He looked down and couldn't help but wear a small smile on his face.
Aria slept soundly within his embrace, curled-up and breathing evenly with her head on his chest.
Their naked bodies are pressed against each other in between the sheets, Ashton felt a comfortable warmth in this, it's even lulling him back to sleep.
Flashes of what occurred last night came rushing to him. Ashton couldn't prevent himself from feeling a bit flustered, yet if he's given another chance, he'd undoubtedly do it all again.
Last night was memorable. They'd surely lost count on how many times they did it. Blame Aria for being such an insatiable beauty, Ashton can just help himself.
Alas, Ashton better get-up. He only has a few hours left before he's kicked out of the Grand Library. He needs to take a bath and get dressed before that happens.
Pulling Aria close to him, he gently tucked the strands of hair covering her face. He watched as she peacefully slumbered away as he played with her hands, peppering it with kisses.
This roused her up from her sleep. Her eyelids fluttered open and the first thing she saw was him smiling at her. They stared at each other for a bit and Ashton watched as memories of last night flashed through Aria's memories.
He chuckled as he saw how her cheeks flared red and she hid at the crook of her neck. Cooing in adoration, he showered her with kisses which eventually landed squarely on her lips.
After their tender and passionate kiss, Ashton pulled back and said: "I only have two hours left before the library kicks me out. We gotta get-up."
Aria whined softly and wrapped her arms around him, unwilling to let him go. Ashton smiled wryly, he too didn't want to get-up. He wants to snuggle closer to her as much as she does but sadly, they can't do that for now.
"Come now..." He whispered. His hands travelled at the curves of her body, causing her sigh.
Ashton smirked, he went ahead and tickled her playfully. Listening to her crisp giggles and watching her squirm in his embrace.
"Okay, okay! I'm up. I swear." Aria rose up from the bed, letting the soft duvet slid from her body.
Ashton stared and swallowed as her perky breasts bounced in his vision. He bits his lips and looked at his lover with a heated gaze. Aria blushed and sheepishly slipped out of the bed.
She walked towards the bathroom, looking back at him briefly before continuing. She didn't even bother covering her body at all, which provoked all sorts of thoughts for Ashton.
He watched as her hips swayed enticingly like and invitation. He could see the marks that he left on her body last night and suddenly Ashton's mind started turning hazy.
The moment he heard the water running down from the bathroom, he too slid off of the bed and went inside to join her.
'Gotta conserve water and all that stuff, you know?' He mused to himself as they shared, what probably the best shower experience in their entire lives.
Ashton really didn't want to leave her side but he has to.
If he had a choice, he wouldn't return to his temporary hideout at all and would rather spend the rest of the days lounging around with Aria, alas it doesn't work that way.
After they showered, they also ate before Ashton had to leave. It's only going to be for a few hours but still...
'Ash, just a reminder, you now have access to the 6th floor of the Library. Also, if you want to increase the time you can spend inside, you can now try to upgrade your status by challenging the Gatekeepers.' Aria's voice sounded in his ears.
"Right...I actually forgot about that." Ashton sheepishly said while scratching the back of his head.
Yeah, the last few days were a bit hectic for him that he had completely forgotten about that, well, he didn't really forgot it, he's just really pre-occupied.
He had a lot of stuff to do. So many new things to try out, his training also kept him occupied for the majority of the day.
But since Aria reminded him of that now, he should probably take some time to check it out at least. Right now, he's still cooling down from all the activity he had done. Sex definitely did help but it's not the complete solution.
While resting still, Ashton opened up his profile.
[Profile]
Host: Ashton West
Race: Human
Aptitude:
• Mageroot: Mysterious Rainbow
• Magical Artifact: Book of Infinity (Cursed-Legendary)
• Providence: Fey Emperor's Blessings (Grade-???)
Specialization: Main - White Mage, Sub - Gunslinger
Rank: Lv. 1 Practitioner (5th Refinement)
Cultivation Technique: Treasure Glazed Nine-Refinements Sutra
[Spells +]
[Inventory]
[Grinding Spots: 0/100]
[Sign-in Opportunities: 1]
[Mission Board: 2]
[Simulation Zone]
'System, Sign-in!'
[Signed-in! Host received: Cloak of Apparitions (Epic)]
Ashton raised a brow upon receiving that. He went to his Inventory and checked-out the new item he got.
[Cloak of Apparition (Epic)]
• A white cloak that of mysterious origins.
• Durability: 100/100
• Unique Skill: Apparate - Turns the user light and intangible, allowing them to pass through anything without receiving damage. Lasts for 5 seconds. Uses left: 10. Refreshes everyday.
Ashton was impressed. This item was certainly useful. Even though it only has ten uses each day, that's still a life-saver.
He took the cloak out of his inventory and equipped it. The cloak was like the ones that reapers uses in video games. It has a hood that covers most of his features. It covers him quite nicely and it's soft and comfortable too.
It's white in color and doesn't get dirty even though he's sitting on the ground. Ashton then tried to apparate using it and he immediately could tell the difference.
He moved swift and silent like a ghost, hell he even went through the wall, which disoriented him for a bit, before returning to his hideout. Ashton quite liked this function. Now, if he wants to venture outside, he didn't have to unseal the hideout with the risk of it being infected by the nastiness outside.
He can just apparate in and out of it.
'I can already tell that I'd be using this cloak a lot so you know what? Let's give it some love...' he mused to himself.
He opened-up his Inventory and took out another item.
[Item Upgrade Kit (Epic)]
• Use it to upgrade a System issued Item.
• Can only be used for items that are at least Epic-grade and above.
• 90% chance of success.
This is one of the rarer items that Ashton received. It didn't come from the sign-in, he got it as a drop from [Cleptomancy].
He summoned the item and placed it next to the cloak. The moment he did, he received a notification from the System asking if he wants to the cloak. He confirmed it and the cloak bathed in light for a couple of seconds before fading.
Once it faded, the cloak remained the same, at least visually. But Ashton can tell that it changed a lot. He used identify on it and saw that it's been successfully upgraded.
[Cloak of Apparitions (1-Star Legendary)]
It's durability value disappeared, it turned indestructible now. It also has a new effect where it minimizes the user's presence and silences their movements. It's Apparate skill can now last for 10 seconds and has 100 uses per day.
It's a solid upgrade and more than enough for Ashton to never un-equip it. It's weightless, comfortable and extremely useful. Now, he has another tool that will help him survive the hoard above him.
Of course, he in no hurry to do so. He's still relatively weak. He still needs to train a lot before even considering it.
For now though, he wore the cloak and decided to continue learning about mechanics. He really wants to re-create Jerry again to have him as a companion for not only him, but Aria as well.
He's nearly there when it comes to theoretical knowledge. Once he's done with that, he only needs to apply all that he learned. The biggest problem is making the product work out here.
Remember, Humanity's technology barely works outside of the Last Bastion. It is something that stumped a lot of inventors for so long and no solution was made as of now still.
Ashton has to discover this on his own while also trying to keep himself safe. This hideout is working so far but he never once thought that it'd last forever. The talisman seals will eventually be worn out and will be rendered useless, the infection will seep through and this hideout will be all tormented soil soon.
There's no way he can stay here permanently. Soon, whether he likes it or not, he will have to confront the hoard of demons above him and he will have to carve a path for his survival.
Ashton could only hope that it all goes well for him.
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