Chapter 744: Hidden Milestone: Ability Sharing

Did she really feel that comfortable, that safe, with him? The trust implicit in that simple act of falling asleep while they were joined was more profound than any words of love.

Regardless, he didn’t disturb her. He decided to wait like this, holding her close, feeling the gentle rise and fall of her chest against his, until she slipped fully into slumber.

Minutes passed in quiet stillness. When he judged by the depth of her breathing that she was in a deep enough sleep, he began to move. Slowly, carefully, he stood, keeping her cradled against him as he rose onto the mattress.

Gentle as a thief in the night, he pulled his now-flaccid shaft out of her.

A soft, wet sound accompanied the withdrawal. Her brow furrowed slightly at the dragging sensation, a tiny, sleepy whimper escaping her lips, but after a moment, she stilled again, lost to her dreams.

He knelt back down on the bed, laying her gently on her back amidst the clean sheets. She certainly wouldn’t appreciate waking up in this sticky mess.

He did his due diligence, fetching a soft cloth from his storage space and dampening it with a bit of water.

With painstaking care, he cleaned her up, wiping away the evidence of their union from her inner thighs and the delicate petals of her flower, which twitched faintly at his touch even in sleep.

He used his signature water magic next, drawing every trace of fluid from the mattress beneath her, leaving it dry and fresh.

He placed additional sheets beneath Isolde and draped another over her naked body to keep her warm as she hugged herself.

The room was a bit cold, so he spent some time warming it with steam, combining his fire and water magic until she finally looked comfortable.

Elion nodded in satisfaction. The warmth wouldn’t stay for long, it would eventually fade into the cold walls, but by then, the sheets would be warm enough to allow her to sleep peacefully.

"Sleep well," he whispered, kissing her forehead before brushing a few strands of hair behind her pointed ear.

Her head tilted into his touch, and he reluctantly pulled away. He was almost tempted to lie beside her when a notification appeared before his eyes.

[Congratulations, Host!]

Elion raised a brow.

’What now?’

[Your diligence in following the path laid out by the Goddess of Lust has fulfilled a hidden objective]

[Hidden Objective Completed: Establish intimate bonds with women from five different races and welcome them into your harem]

He read the notification again, then looked toward Isolde.

’Five races?’

Thinking about it, he supposed that was true. His relationships had become rather varied over time, though he hadn’t exactly been keeping count for the sake of completing some hidden objective.

’And you couldn’t have told me this was something I could work toward?’

[The objective was hidden]

’Very informative. Thank you.’

Another notification appeared before he could complain further.

[Harem System Function Unlocked: Ability Sharing]

Elion went quiet.

He stepped away from the bed, rereading those last two words. A moment ago, he had been ready to dismiss the notification as another excuse for the system to tease him, but this was something else entirely.

’Ability sharing?’

[The Ability Sharing function associated with the Harem System is now accessible]

Elion glanced back at Isolde, then toward the wall separating her room from the one where Mira and Tessa slept.

He had only recently been wondering how to help them become stronger, and now the system was presenting him with something that sounded almost too useful.

Of course, he had learned to be cautious whenever an explanation seemed that convenient.

’Before I get excited,’ he said inwardly, ’you’re going to explain exactly what that means.’

[Ability Sharing allows Host to grant compatible spells and skills to permanently bound partners]

[Spells require a shared affinity. Unique skills require the recipient to possess sufficient strength and compatibility to wield them safely]

’Unique skills too?’

Elion glanced back at Isolde before moving farther from the bed.

’How much does it cost?’

[The cost varies according to the ability’s strength and complexity. Each transfer is charged separately for each recipient]

A short list appeared before him.

[Hell Flare - 20,000 System Points.]

[Photographic Memory, Lv1 - 150,000 System Points.]

[Enhanced Cognition, Lv2 - 180,000 System Points.]

[Devour - 300,000 System Points.]

[Shareable Divine Skills - Starting from 3,000,000 System Points.]

[Harem Seal, Sinful Touch, and Mind Control cannot be shared]

Elion raised a brow.

’Three million...’

That was certainly expensive, but considering what those abilities could do, he couldn’t complain too much. Even the cheaper skills could make a considerable difference.

Photographic Memory alone would be useful for studying spells, formations, and almost anything else they needed to remember.

Hell Flare, meanwhile, would only cost twenty thousand points to share with Mira. Since she already had a fire affinity, there shouldn’t be any problem with that.

’So I can give them the knowledge, but they still need enough mana and control to use it?’

[Correct. Receiving a spell does not remove its casting requirements. Likewise, possessing a unique skill does not guarantee that the recipient can withstand its full effects.]

That was reasonable enough.

He had been handed a convenient way to make his women stronger. There had to be a few limitations, or he would simply give them everything he had and be done with it.

His gaze returned to Devour.

’I’ve barely used you, haven’t I?’

Once, if he remembered correctly. He had acquired so many abilities that some had gathered dust while he relied on the same few skills in every fight.

Devour was particularly wasteful to neglect. If he gave it to one of his women, she could acquire abilities from fallen enemies herself, without him needing to act as the middleman.

Another thought occurred to him.

’Wait. If I give Mira Devour, and she acquires a new skill, can she share it with me through this function? An affinity too, if she manages to obtain one?’

[No. This function only transfers abilities from Host to his bound partners. It is separate from the Harem Seal’s existing ability-sharing effects]

Elion clicked his tongue.

’Of course. That would have been too convenient.’

[However, Host could obtain an eligible new ability by re-establishing the Harem Seal’s sharing link through intimate contact]

He went quiet for a moment, and then he smiled.

’Well, well... Ain’t that convenient.’

So there was a way around it after all. As long as he had sex with her after she got the ability, he could copy it from her...

That gave him quite a bit to work with, though he would need to consider who should receive which skills. Giving someone Devour would be a considerable investment, and there was little point in purchasing an ability she wouldn’t use.

Enhanced Cognition, however, was an easy choice.

It was probably his favorite ability. The difference it made in a fight was difficult to overstate, especially when every fraction of a second mattered. Even outside combat, being able to process information faster was invaluable.

’Can Mira, Tessa, and Isolde handle Enhanced Cognition at its current level?’

[Yes]

’Good. We’ll start with that tomorrow.’