Chapter 19: Lap Pillow

Ethan groaned as he slowly came to, and he felt something soft under his head. He then felt a hand run through his head, gently brushing a few strands from his face.

His eyes opened slowly, seeing the ceiling of the dorm staring back at him from his tilted perspective.

’Did I pass out?’

He shifted his head, slowly registering the warm sensation on the side of his face.

’Wait...’

This wasn’t a pillow... ℯℯ𝑙.

He tilled his head slightly, and his eyes caught on the sight of a familiar strand of red hair.

Lila looked down at him, her golden eyes catching dimmed light. She was sitting on the couch with her back against the cushion, her legs extended, and his head resting on her lap.

Silence...

"...Hi," she said.

Ethan stared up at her blinking for a few moments. "This is new."

"You collapsed as soon as we cane in,’ she said, "I wasn’t going to leave you face down on the floor." She tapped his forehead lightly with one finger. "You’re welcome."

He placed a hand against the couch cushion and started to push himself up.

Lila’s fingers slid into his hair and pressed down with a gentle but firm pressure, guiding his head right back onto her lap.

"No," she said simply. "Stay."

Ethan looked up at her, still half-upright. "I’m fine."

"You’re pale, you just woke up from collapsing, and I’m comfortable. Lie back down."

He held her gaze for a second longer, then let his weight settle again.

Her thighs were warm under his head, and her hands now staying loosely in his hair. She was no longer stroking, her hand was just resting there as silence stretched for a moment.

"Your hair is soft..." She said with a smile that Ethan couldn’t quite see. She paused for a moment before stroking it again, running her hands through his strands...

Ethan layed still, silent as he felt her hand move through his hair slow and steadily.

He was supposed to stay away from popular girls. But here he was, on the very lap of one of them...

"How long was I out?" he asked instead.

"Since we got back. It’s night now." Lila shifted slightly, getting more comfortable now that he had stopped trying to escape. "You hit the ground like one of those corpses you used to raise. I checked and saw that you were still breathing, dragged you onto the couch, and figured I’d wait."

Ethan opened the system with a thought and read its contents:

```

[Name: Ethan Shaw]

[Age: 19]

[Awakened Class: Necromancer]

[Rank: F]

[Level: 5]

[EXP: 800 / 900]

[Death Energy: 47/200]

[Control Capacity: 30]

[Undead Storage: Available]

[Stored Undead:Basic Undead (Beowolf)—Rank E, Basic Undead (Iron Golem) – Rank D]

```

He looked at his level, a faint feeling of accomplishment bubbling up inside him.

His original plan was to reach level five in two weeks, but he has reached it in less than two days.

The results were better than he had expected.

He looked at his Exp points. It was still 800/900. His Death Energy had recovered a bit while he was unconscious, but it was not nearly enough for him to summon any of his undead right now.

Lila noticed his silence and asked when she saw the serious look on his face. "System stuff?"

"Yeah." He closed it. "Turns out, I pushed myself too hard. Summoning the golem twice, keeping the Beowolf active, Death Sense the whole time... it was too much for me to handle..."

"No kidding." Her thumb moved once across his temple. "You scared me a little. One second you were walking, next second you were on the floor. I thought it was restricted ability backlash or something."

Ethan glanced up at her. He noticed that the usual teasing tone was missing from her voice.

If anything, she sounded relieved...

"I’m fine now," he said. "Just empty."

"Good." Lila exhaled. "Because if you scare me like that again, I’ll set your shoes on fire."

"Wow. I feel so safe now" Ethan answered sarcastically.

Lila nodded. "You should. Don’t be ungrateful..."

A moment of silence settled between them after that with Ethan not knowing what else to say. This was his first time being this close to a girl so the situation was a bit awkward.

Outside, distant voices from other floors drifted and faded, and Ethan stayed where he was silently, as her hand moved in his hair.

He racked his brain, trying to think of something to say. He needed to break the silence, anything would do.

But nothing came...

Lila broke the silence first, her voice pulling him from his thoughts. "That thing with the shadow. When the corpse just... came out of your feet. Is that like a new necromancy perk or something?"

"The system offered storage after I beat those stone monsters." He replied. "and I took it. Seems I can call them back when I need them now."

"And the Beowolf you sent me?"

"That was more like a scout. And a signal that I wasn’t dead in a side tunnel."

She huffed a small laugh at that. "I figured. Still almost punched it when it ran towards me."

"Understandable."

Lila’s expression shifted again, quieter this time. "Nora was watching you."

Ethan remembered the lingering red gaze and with a bit of discomfort, he replied. "I noticed. Didn’t like it."

"She’s a Blood Craft user. Restricted, same as you. Most People say she’s worse company than you." Lila’s fingers moved again. "Didn’t think she’d take interest."

"I really hope she doesn’t."

"Same."

Ethan thought for a moment... It didn’t really make a difference if she was worse than him. Restricted classes still got treated the same way.

There was another stretch of quiet. Ethan stayed on her lap, staring at the ceiling while he slowly felt his energy return to him. The Dungeon had given him better materials, a new storage function, two ranked undead, and a hard reminder that his body still had limits even if the system kept helping grind.

It was a win-win as far as he was concerned...

Lila looked down at him. "You really okay?"

"I will be after some sleep." He paused. "Thanks for not leaving me on the floor."

"See? Don’t be ungrateful." she replied, the teasing note finally returning. "I’m billing you for damages though."

"Put it on my tab."

She smiled, then stretched her free arm over her head as she exhaled tiredly.

Then she stood up, not minding that Ethan’s head was still on her lap.

The motion forcing his head upwards as he caught it from from falling.

"My neck."

Lila turned to face him, something mischievous flashing across her face. "Since I stayed here the whole time watching your unconscious ass," she said, "you owe me."

Ethan raised his eyebrow and tilted his head. "Owe you what exactly?"

She smiled, her golden eyes narrowing with mischief and something warmer.

"A massage. I sat here for hours. My legs are dead. You’re paying up."

Ethan stared at her. "I thought you said you were comfortable..."

"I was. Not anymore..."

Ethan groaned and rubbed his face, suddenly feeling tired all over again.

"Fuck."